THE CANAANITE PHOENICIANS (C.925-700 BC)

THE CANAANITE PHOENICIANS (C.925-700 BC)

History of Palestine

The Canaanites had lost a good portion of the hinterland of Palestine to the Israelites, and the southern coastline to the Philistines. As a result, the Canaanites suffered the loss of good three-quarters of their territory and at least nine-tenths of their grain land. Canaanite ingenuity, however, was to handsomely compensate for this loss.

Tyre was built as a fortified island off the mainland, and it embarked upon the most ambitious colonial programme of ancient times. The Tyrians sailed far out into regions where no one else dared go. They carefully guarded the secrets of their trade routes, their knowledge of winds and currents; and they began planting trading colonies at some of the best harbor sites in the Mediterranean- such as Cadiz in Spain, Valletta in Malta, Bizerta in Tunisia, Cagliari in Sardinia, and Palermo in Sicily. In 814 BC, Tyre established its greatest colony, Carthage, on the North coast of Africa.

Tyre gradually monopolized the Mediterranean trade business. Like the British in later centuries, these Canannites started out as traders, but soon realized that in order to look after their colonies they needed a powerful navy, as well as administrators. After all, Tyre's greatness rested directly on its colonies, which paid tithes on their revenues to Tyre's Chief Baal, the god Melgarth, ending envoys annually to his feast.

Their war galleys were easily distinguished by the long pointed ram at the bows, as well as a mast with a single square sail and a double bank of oars. The Tyrians became an imperial power by accident. However, they were not conquerors except in a commercial sense. Their trade spread civilization, and it helped revive the eastern Mediterranean nations, which had collapsed at the hands of the Sea Peoples. The Tyrians also became the main agents for spreading the metal culture-copper, tin, bronze, iron, gold and silver-they knew where to find it, buy it, and sell it.

A vivid description of Tyre's trade and prosperity is given by Ezekiel (xxii. 12-15). It shows its extensive commercial relations, not only by sea but by land as well. He describes how from Babylonia regular trade routes led to Tyre and Sidon with trading-stations on the way; and how the Arabian caravan-trade in perfume, spices and incense passed through Canaanite hands en route to Greece and the West.

As proof of the seaworthiness of their ships and their navigational skills, the Tyrians ventured into the mysterious Atlantic Ocean, reaching Cornwell in England in quest of tin, which they needed to harden copper into bronze.

About 800 BC Greece began to have important places of trade, and they began calling the Canaanites 'Phoinikes', or 'blood-red', either in reference to their trading in a purple dye, or on account of their sunburnt skin. Strangely enough, though, this Greek word became their name sake, and the Canaanite coastline became known as 'Phoenicia'. However, it is very unlikely that these early Palestinians would have called themselves Phoenicians, as even in Christian times peasants around the ruined city of Carthage still called themselves Canaanites.

At the time Homer was writing, the ships of the Homeric Greeks were primitive compared to the Canaanite galleys. Greek sailors noted with admiration and envy the discipline kept on board the Canaanite ships and the skill with which they were handled. The Canaanite ships were unmatched in speed and size.