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Phoenicia
From 1200 BC to 539 BC, the ancient Semitic civilization of Phoenicia was situated on the western, coastal part of the Fertile Crescent in what is now Lebanon and Tartus Governorate, Syria. They are known for almost all modern day alphabets being derived from their alphabet.
714 Questions
What is the rise of the Phoenician trade important?
It enabled the Phoenicians to extend their influence around the Mediterranean littoral, and one of their trading stations Carthage came to become a major power which came into competition with Rome for control of the Western Mediterranean. The Phoenicians also spread their alphabetic system of writing and astral navigation.
The Phoenicians did not established trading colonies where?
In most of the world - just around the Mediterranean.
Is phonics related to Phoenician?
I wondered about this myself so I looked up the origin of both words. Both have Greek origins but phonics seems to come from a word that referred to sounds people make while Phoenician meant land where purple dye came from. Nothing really seems to tie them together. I think the similarity between the two words must be coincidence.
What resource is Phoenicia well known for?
Timber, stone, gems, dyes, metals, foodstuffs, water, animals, the sun and climate.
What did the Phoenicians do on their spare time?
Between working and fighting, they ate, drank, had sex, slept, had music and entertainment, practised their religion.
What are three Phoenician imports and Phoenician exports?
Imports - foodstuffs, hides, agricultural produce.
Exports - timber, dyes, glass, metals, slaves.
Why was Phoenicia an important partner for Egyptians?
Each had goods to sell - the Egyptians wanted Phoenician timber, wine, seafoods, minerals and dyes,
Phoenicians wanted Egyptian grain, and other products it could on-sell to its trading contacts around the Mediterranean area.
When was the Phoenician empire built?
It was a trading empire which grew during the First Millennium BCE.
Why did the Phoenicians become traders?
With limited land and a burgeoning population they had to either conquer more land or trade. They chose trade.
What are the accomplishments of Phoenicians?
Phoenician mariners sailed to Mediterranean and southwestern European ports. The Phoenicians were the great merchants of ancient times. They sold rich treasures from many lands.
What was the major accomplishment of the Phoenician?
We are often told that the Phoenicians invented the alphabet. Regardless of who put pen to papyrus to create it, the Phoenician contribution was none-the-less major and critical. They were the major sea-traders of the Mediterranean, and they went everywhere. When the Phoenicians began using the alphabet as a simple and easy way to keep track of their trades, it was exposed to everyone. Also they show the other countries that ships could travel around the globe trading important commodities. Phoenician mariners sailed to Mediterranean and southwestern European ports. The Phoenicians were the great merchants of ancient times. They sold rich treasures from many lands.
They did a lot! One invention is the alphabet. Many people think that the Greeks did that, but really the Phoenicians did, and later, the Greeks adopted the Phoenicians alphabet and changed it. That's the alphabet we use today!
How were the Phoenicians and the Hebrews different?
They are two different nations, with different religions and languages. The Phoenicians were a Canaanite (Hamitic) people and remained idolaters, while the Hebrews are Semites (see Genesis ch.10), and according to tradition became monotheistic from the time of Abraham onward.
An historical view:
Both were Semetic peoples.
The Phoenicians were organised as a series of independent city-states in Lebanon, western Syria and their colony Carthage in North Africa.
The Hebrews were a dozen hill tribes from the Judean hills who expanded into Palestine and formed two kingdoms - ten tribes were the Kingdom of Israel and two the Kingdom of Judea.
The Phoenicians were sea traders. The Hebrews were farmers.
The Phoenicians had multiple gods as did the other civilisations at the time.
The Hebrews also had multiple gods but moved on from Solomon's 'many gods in his house' to the 7th Century Judean move towards monotheism by centralising religion in the temple at Jerusalem to overcome the other gods.
Both were absorbed into the empires which arose from - Israel into the Assyrian Empire in the 8th Century BCE, Judea into the Babylonian Empire 6th Century BCE, both into the Persian Empire 6th Century BCE.
The Phoenicians had retained their trading and sea power and were a major part of the Persian navy.
The Hebrews remained agricultural and were such a source of trouble that the aristocracies of both Israel and Judea were deported to Assyria and Babylon respectively, and replaced by foreign ones to keep them quiet. When the Persians allowed the Judean aristocracy to return to Judea they brought back with tem the Babylonian idea of an afterlife which continued to divide the Jewish people for centuries thereafter.
How are Sumerians Phoenicians and Mayas similar?
They are different peoples from different places with different cultures.
