By: Zachary A. and Alex Q.

______________________________________________________________________________________________

                                 Ancient Phoenicia sat on the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea in what is today known as Lebanon and Syria. The people that lived there were called the Phoenicians. The earliest settlers were the Phoenicians came from the Arabian Peninsula around 1200 B.C. The height of their civilization lasted from 1000 BCE to 700 BCE. Phoenicia was made up of a lot of city-states that were connected to each other all through their history.

            We don’t know much about this group of people who traded in the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. We know that they wanted to get new and cheaper sources of raw materials. They also wanted to sell the goods to people in other lands. The Phoenicians covered huge areas on land and water.

             Archaeologists have discovered that the Phoenicians used coast and deep-water routes for trade and exploration. Sailors who sailed along the coast only sailed during the day, from one village to another, always keeping land in sight. Deep-water sailors took routes farther away from the coastline but still kept sight of land. When sailing at night, sailors kept their ship in the right direction by observing constellations and the North Star, or what the ancient world called the "Phoenician Star."

The Phoenicians are famous for their warships. There were other voyages undertaken by Phoenician explorers that had a far reaching impact on the ancient world. Eventually the Phoenicians became part of the Persian Empire. The Persians used Phoenician warships to fight the Greeks in great sea battles.

They established great cities at Beirut, Byblos, Tyre, Sidon, and Baalbek and spread their 22-letter Phoenician alphabet throughout the eastern of the Mediterranean sea.. The Phoenicians were on good terms with Israelite neighbors. Ahab, King of Israel, married Jezebel, Princess of Tyre.

        KEY DATES

        1100   Rise to power of Phoenicians.

        970/936   HIRAM THE GREAT, King of Tyre.

        876   Tyre paid tribute to Assyria.

        875   Jezebel married Ahab of Israel.

        600   Phoenicians sailed round Africa.

        574   Tyre defeated by Babylon.

        539   Phoenicia became part of Persian Empire with fall of Babylon.        

                   Bibliographer

    (Text book) Ancient book

      www.google.com   (images)  

       Warriors and Seafers