Learn more about the ancient land of Phoenicia and the role that it played in ancient times. 

The ancient Greeks were probably the first to use the name “Phoenicia” to refer to a specific area of Canaan. Around 1300 B.C., the name Canaan was used to describe the area along the Mediterranean Sea that later was called Israel and Syria. Phoenicia was used more specifically for the long and narrow region bordered by the Lebanon Mountains on the east and the Mediterranean Sea on the west. The Greeks used the word phoinix, meaning “red-purple,” to refer to this area because the people there were famous for the expensive purple dye they produced. Phoenicia was not a unified country with one government, but had a number of city-states, including the seacoast cities of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and Arvad. Each had its own king and carried on trade with other countries.

The strip of land between the mountains and the sea was fertile, and people grew plants, shrubs, vegetables, and fruits there. However, the rest of the land was mostly mountainous and covered with great cedars and pine forests. These trees were cut down and exported to many countries, including Egypt and Israel. King Solomon of Israel traded with Tyre's King Hiram for many cedar logs and skilled builders to construct his temple and palace (1 Kgs 5-7). Eventually, much of the Lebanon forests disappeared.

Because the land to the east was so rugged, the Phoenician cities turned to the Mediterranean Sea to make a living. The main product of Phoenicia was the purple dye made from the large sea snail murex, found in the Mediterranean. The huge mounds of crushed snails produced by their dye factories probably made Phoenician cities smell bad. But this was probably easy to overlook because the dye business brought so much income to the Phoenician cities. The Phoenicians also made a lot of money transporting goods all over the Mediterranean world on ships they built, and they became experts at sailing. It is believed that Phoenician sailors may have been the first to steer their ships at night by looking at the stars. According to a number of Israel's prophets, dating from about 800 B.C. to the time of Ezekiel (597-573 B.C.), the Phoenician city-states of Tyre and Sidon were well-known and important sea traders (see Isa 23.1-18; Ezek 27; Joel 3.4-8; Amos 1.9,10).

The city-states of Phoenicia also used their sailing ability to explore and set up colonies in North Africa, Cyprus and other Mediterranean islands, and Spain. Settlers from Tyre also founded the city-state of Carthage. The Phoenicians' knowledge and experience as ship builders and sea traders made them a target of enemies. Egypt, Assyria, and Babylonia each attacked and attempted to conquer the Phoenician cities throughout the centuries. The Persians used the Phoenician ships to attack Egypt and Greece, but eventually the Greek Empire defeated the Persians (about 333 B.C.) and destroyed Tyre. As the cities of Phoenicia became more and more influenced by Greek customs and culture, the power and influence of the old Phoenicia came to an end.

Religion in Phoenicia was influenced early on by the Semitic peoples, meaning they worshiped many of the Canaanite gods and goddesses, such as El, Baal, and Asherah (see the mini-article called “Canaanite Gods and Goddesses,”). Astarte was also worshiped along with Adonis, the god of vegetation and fertility, who supposedly died each year when the summer dry season began. Astarte was believed to go down to the world of the dead to bring Adonis back to life at the beginning of the next planting season. There is some evidence in ancient texts that the Phoenicians offered human sacrifices.