Ancient Canaan The Phoenicians Canaan Lies at the

Ancient Canaan & The Phoenicians

Canaan Lies at the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea, in an area shared today by Lebanon & Israel. • In ancient times, this area connected Egypt and • Mesopotamia Soldiers, shepherds, and merchants transported goods & ideas Two groups formed small kingdoms in this land: • Phoenicians and Hebrews • Both groups interested in trade & learning

The Phoenicians (est @ 1830 B. C. E. ) Most information comes from: • The Bible • writings of other ancient peoples • the ruins of their ships and cities

Two different groups: Canaanites • from the desert south & east of Canaan • wandering herders Philistines • eastern Mediterranean near Greece • traders & shipbuilders

Sea-Based Trade • Land could not grow enough food • • for all people, so Phoenicians turned to the sea Used cedar wood to build strong, fast ships Sea-based trade – Traded: cedar logs, cloth, glass trinkets, perfume – For items such as: Egypt: gold & other metals, papyrus, linen Mesopotamia: pottery Cyprus: copper & animal hides

Phoenician Trade Routes

• Used the sun & stars for navigation • Signed peace treaties with larger & more powerful neighbors

Cities of Phoenicia • Phoenicia was a collection of independent • • • city-states- it never became a united country. Largest city-states were: Tyre, Byblos, Beirut, and Sidon Spoke the same language & practiced the same religion, but did not always get along Ruled by kings, then councils of merchants

City structure: – surrounded by large stone wall for protection – many merchant & artisan shops (esp carpenters, cabinet-makers, metalworkers) – Very crowded: narrow streets & packed buildings – Ports located outside the walls were the center of all activity

Cloth-dying centers – Phoenician means “purple merchants” – Legend of Melqart

Carthage • Sailors set up trading posts & colonies (permanent • • • settlements) that later turned into cities along coast of N. Africa Carthage founded in 814 B. C. E. in present-day Tunisia Became a powerful trading city Legend of the Phoenician princess Dido

Gods & Goddesses • Believed in many gods who were tied closely to • • nature Built temples to worship – entrance, main hall, and holy of holies – made sacrifices of wine, perfume, animals, and humans – only priests could offer sacrifices Life after death – at first buried in clay urns (ornamental vases) – later influenced by Egyptians: embalmed, wrapped, buried bodies

The Alphabet • Phoenicians did not invent the alphabet, but • • they did pass it on through trade to other cultures Used picture system at first, but difficult for trading Borrowed a simple version of Egyptian hieroglyphics from the people of the Canaanite towns to the south 22 symbols or letters used to form words Borrowed & evolved: Phoenicians to Greeks to Romans… eventually English!