THE ANCIENT PHOENICIANS

WHO WERE THE PHOENICIANS?

The Phoenicians (pronounced: fur-NEE-she-enz) lived more than 2000 years ago along the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, where Lebanon and the coastal regions of Syria and Israel are today. They lived in one of the four major rival cities of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos and Arwad, and they were by no means a united people. The one thing they had in common was a strong maritime trading culture, the result of their advantageous geographical location.

The word Phoenician comes from the Greek word “phoinikes,” referring to the purple coloured dye that the Phoenicians had a monopoly over. Indeed, the Phoenicians have been referred to as The Purple People.