The Phoenician culture was an ancient civilization that developed in Asia Minor, west of Syria. During a period this culture came to occupy Canaan, the promised land, for which reason they received the name of Canaanites.
The territory in which the Phoenician culture developed was rocky and rugged, which separated the Phoenicians into small city-states.
Since the land was not suitable for agriculture, they had to look for other economic alternatives, with commerce being the main activity.
The Phoenicians were recognized for being navigators. Thanks to this quality they colonized various territories, thus expanding their domains. Navigation was also useful in developing trade by sea.
One of the main contributions of the Phoenician culture was the alphabet, which was made up of 22 symbols that represented sounds of human speech. Later the Greeks adopted it and added five vowels to it.
Location
Phoenician culture developed on the shores of the Mediterranean, in the area that today corresponds to the Arab Republic of Lebanon.
The extension of this territory was about 200 kilometers.
History
The Phoenicians were a people of Antiquity. According to historians, these settled on the shores of the Mediterranean in 2500 BC. C., approximately.
At first they were under the control of the cultures that developed in Babylon: the Sumerians and the Akkadians.
From the year 1800 a. C. the Egyptian town began to gain power. He invaded and conquered various territories, including the Phoenician. It was not until 1100 BC. C. that the Phoenicians managed to gain independence from Egypt.
As an independent entity, this culture was organized into city-states, among which Tire, Sidon, Byblos, Arados, Carthage and Birutos stood out.
Economy
The Phoenicians were a very advanced society in terms of their economy. The rugged terrain prevented this culture from developing agricultural activities in depth.
However, they knew how to take advantage of the few areas where agriculture was possible: the slopes of the mountains.
The palms grew in abundance, which allowed the creation of oils. They also grew different types of vines.
In addition, they had large extensions of forests which were of great importance for the construction of ships.
They developed viticulture, which was the art of producing wines from the vine. They not only created and marketed various types of these alcoholic beverages, but also spread their knowledge of wine in adjacent cultures.
Above all economic activities, trade stood out. The Phoenicians exchanged both raw materials and manufactured products with various contemporary civilizations.
Regarding trade, this culture was favored by the position of its territory. Phenicia was the point of contact between various advanced civilizations, such as Egypt, Mesopotamia, Persia, and other societies of Asia Minor.
For this reason, both land and sea trade routes were established. By sea they connected with Europe and Africa, while by land they were related to Arabia, Persia and Mesopotamia.
The Phoenicians exported wines, oils, and luxury items such as jewelry and perfumes. In return, they received:
- Cereals, amber, wool and metals (iron, tin, copper, silver and lead) from Europe.
- Ivory, ostrich feathers, papyrus and gold from Africa.
- Wines, aromatic oils, spices and fabrics from Mesopotamia and Persia.
Religion
The Phoenicians were polytheists, since they worshiped various gods. The deities differed from one city-state to another.
However, there were some that were common in all Phoenician societies. These include Baal, Dagon, Anta, Astarte and Moloch.
Baal
Baal means "lord" in Phoenician. This was the god of rain and war to whom human sacrifices were offered.
It was present in various cultures of Antiquity, among which the Phoenicians, Babylonians, Philistines and Sidonians stand out. Even the Hebrews came to worship this god.
Dagon
The name "Dagon" was used to designate three different deities: Ben Dagon, who fought against the god Baal; Dagan, who was the Sumerian god of fertility; and finally the Dagon of the Phoenicians.
This was a marine deity, half fish, half human. Besides the Phoenicians, other navigating cultures also worshiped this god, such as Ashkelon, Ashdod, Arvad, and Gaza.
Anat
Baal had Anat as his wife. This was the goddess of fertility and war. She was depicted as a beautiful young woman whose presence commanded respect and fear.
There are records that the ancient Egyptians worshiped him. It is usually related to Athena, the Greek goddess.
Astarte
Astarte was another of the deities that the Phoenicians worshiped. The role of this goddess changes from one city to another.
For example, in some areas she was considered the goddess of fertility, while in others she was of war, and in other areas she was the deity of hunting and navigators.
It is related to Aphrodite (the Greek goddess), Venus (the Roman goddess), and Isis (the Egyptian goddess).
Moloch
Moloch was a bloodthirsty deity represented with the body of a man and the head of a bull. The Phoenicians erected a statue in honor of this god, which could be opened and accommodate a number of people.
Once a year, sacrifices were offered to Moloch. A group of young people (children and babies) was selected, who were locked in the statue and burned alive in it.
Political organization
The Phoenicians were not a political or social unit. This culture was organized into a series of city-states, each independent of the other.
However, there is evidence that sometimes one of these cities prevailed over the others.
Each city had a monarchical government system, which was inherited through the paternal line.
The king was advised by a council of elders made up of representatives of the wealthiest families in the city.
Alphabet
The Phoenicians used both the Mesopotamian and Greek writing systems.
However, the need to unify the language in order to communicate efficiently led them to develop their own alphabet.
The Phoenician alphabet had 22 characters that represented sounds of speech. Most of the alphabets used today are descended from Phoenician.
References
- Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from ancient.eu
- Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from en.wikipedia.org
- The Beliefs and Characteristics of the Phoenicians. Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from kibin.com
- The Phoenicians. Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from history-world.org
- The Phoenicians. Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from timemaps.com
- The Phoenicians: History, Religion & Civilization. Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from study.com
- The World of the Ancient Phoenicians. Retrieved on November 3, 2017, from theancientworld.net