Phoenician Culture

abreusoleidy

@abreusoleidy · 01 Jul 2021

Phoenician Culture

#history
The Phoenicians were the former inhabitants of Lebanon, as well as from large regions of Syria, Palestine and Jordan.
south of Spain and Portugal.

WHAT DOES THE WORD PHOENICIAN MEAN?

The origin of the word “Phoenicia”.

There have been many discussions among researchers about what is the origin of the name Phoenicia and the Phoenicians. According to Lebanese historian Kamal Salibi, there are the following connotations, (Salibi, 1988, p 173).

One. Some relate it to the term Canaanite which refers to purple ink, which was extracted from a marine mollusk called murex, which dyed various fabrics that were highly prized in the Phoenician trade.

Deuce. In Greek, phoenix was the term used to name the date palm.

three. It was also used to name the mythical bird called the Phoenix or Bird of Arabia, which as is known to be immolated in fire and rose from its ashes rejuvenated and vigorously. In Arabic this bird was also known as the “Bird of the Palm Trees”.

Four. Also in ancient Arabic mythology, the sacred and immaculate bull that was once revered was known as faniq (equivalent to the Greek phoenix).

On the other hand, Lebanese researcher and archaeologist Abdallah Badaoui (personal communication) mentions that:

Five. Feniq in Aramaic, refers to people who dress in an elegant way.
Anyway, whatever was the origin of the word “Phoenicia”, we use it today, following this Greek term, to identify this culture that predominated in the Mediterranean Levante.

Current archaeology has shown that Phoenicians are native, however, to this original population and over time groups from other latitudes were integrated, mainly from the coasts of the Red Sea.

Although the region has been inhabited since prehistoric times, the characteristics of Phoenician civilization can be found since the end of the Stone Age (Neolithic) 3,400 BC. and the beginning of the Bronze Age (3,200 BC).).
END OF PHOENICIAN CIVILIZATION

In the Greek Roman era, Phoenician civilization was incorporated into this new civilizations. The participation of the Phoenician population in this new era was active and they continued to make important contributions. During the Roman Empire and the Byzantine Empire, political demarcations called Phoenicia were created and remained until 636 AD. date on which the Arab empire is established.