Lebanon

A range of mountains along the northern border of Palestine, 270 miles (430 km) long and 45 miles (72 km) wide, with peaks rising to a height of 10,000 feet (3,100 m). The tops of the mountains are covered with snow for most of the year (Jer 18:14) – hence its name, which in Hebrew means "white".

Lebanon became famous for its cedars, cypresses and other splendid trees (Judg 9:15). In early historic times its timber was already being exported, especially to Egypt, which had no timber of its own for roofing and ship-building. The cedars of Lebanon were used in the building of the First Temple, for Solomon's palace and for the Second Temple in Jerusalem (I Kgs 5:6; 7:2, etc.). The Assyrian kings cut down trees in Lebanon for their buildings and palaces and used the tall cedars to make masts for their ships (Ezek 27:5). The area was also noted for its grapes and wine. At the end of the 1st century B.C. the Romans founded a colony of veteran soldiers at Berytus (Beirut) in order to seize Lebanon.