The Carthaginians, as Phcenician colonists, maintained, even in the days of St. Augustine, that they were Canaanites.
(6) Cities. During the period of the conquest of Canaan (see CANAAN), by the Israelites, the Phcenicians possessed the following towns, which we will enumerate successively, in the direction from south to north :—Dora (Josh. xi :2 ; XVii :II, sq.); Ptolemais (Judg. i :33) ; Ecdippa (Josh. xix :29) ; Tyre (Josh. xix :29) ; Sarepta (i Kings xvii :9, sq.; Luke iv :26) ; Sidon (Gen. x :15) ; Berytus (Ezek. xlvii :16 ; 2 Sam. viii :8) ; Byblus (Josh. xiii :5) ; Tripolis. Simyra (Gen. x:18) ; Arka (Gen. x:17) ; Simna (Gen. x :17) ; Aradus (Gen. x :18). Compare the respective articles on these towns. Sidon is the only Plicenician town mentioned in Horner (see Iliad, vi. 239; xxiii.743; Odyss. xv.415; xvii.424),Heeren, in his work,On the Commerce and Politics of the Ancients, vol. i. part ii. p. 9, Gottingen, 1824, justly observes that the numerous towns which were crowded together in the narrow space of Plumnicia covered almost the entire coast, and, together with their harbors and fleets, must have presented an aspect which has scarcely ever been equaled, and which was calculated to impress every stranger on his ar rival with an idea of wealth, power, and enter prise.
(7) Commerce. As the annals and public doc uments of the Phcenicians have all been lost, our knowledge of their history is consequently con fined to occasional notices in the Hebrew and classical authors of antiquity. This deficiency of historical information arises also from the cir cumstance that the facts of Phcenician history were less connected than the events in the his tory of other nations. The Phcenicians never formed one compact body politic, and conse quently did not always gradually advance in their political constitution and in the extent of their power. Every town endeavored to advance its commerce in its own way. Thus there constantly entered into the life of the Phcenicians new ele ments, which disturbed a gradual historical prog ress. Phcenicia was a country favorable to the growth of maritime towns, but did not afford room for great political events. The history of the Phcenicians is that of their external com merce.
A mercantile nation cannot bear despotic gov ernment, because the greatest external liberty is requisite in order constantly to discover new sources of gain, and to enlarge the roads of com merce. The whole of Phcenicia consisted of the territories belonging to the various towns. Each of these territories had its own constitution, and in most of them a king exercised supreme power. We hear of kings of Sidon, Tyre, Aradus, and Byblus.
It seems that after Nebuchadnezzar had be sieged Tyre in vain, the royal dignity ceased for some time, and that there existed a kind of re publican administration, under suffetes or judges. The regal power was always limited by the magis tracy and the priesthood. The independent Phceni clan states seem to have formed a confederation, at the head of which stood for some time Sidon, and at a later period Tyre. (See TYRE.) Tripo lis was built conjointly by the various states in order to form the seat of their congress. The smaller states were sometimes so much oppressed by Tyre, that they preferred rather to submit to external enemies.
The position of Phcenicia was most favorable for the exchange of the produce of the East and West. The Libanus furnished excellent timber for ships. Corn was imported from Palestine. Persians, Lydians, and Lycians frequently served as mercenaries in the Phcenician armies (Ezek. xxvii :to, t 1). Phcenicia exported wine to Egypt (Herod. iii :5, 6). Purple garments were best manufactured in Tyre. Glass was made in Sidon and Sarepta.
In Phcenicia was exchanged the produce of all known countries. After David had vanquished the Edomites and conquered the coasts of the Red Sea, King Hiram of Tyre entered into a confederacy with Solomon, by which he ensured for his people the right of navigation to India. The combined fleet of the Israelites and Phceni cians sailed from the seaports of Ezion-geber and Elath. These ports were situated on the eastern branch of the Red Sea, the Sinus tElaniticus, or Gulf of Akaba. Israelitish-Phcenician mercantile expeditions proceeded to Ophir, perhaps Abhira, situated at the mouth of the Indus.