Byblos

BYBLOS, a City of Phœnicia, lying between Sidon and Orthosia, and famous for its constant adherence to the worship of Adonis, who was believed to have been wounded by a boar in Libanus, above Byblos. The river Adonis, which descends from Mount Libanus, passes by to Byblos, its waters are sometimes as red as blood, occasioned by the particular sort of earth through which it runs, and carries off with it in great quantities as often as it overflows. This is the time when the inhabitants of Byblos lament Adonis, pretending that their river is then coloured with his blood¹. The Egyptians had a custom every year at the Feast of Adonis, to throw a Box into the Sea, made in the shape of a head, which they said was the head of Osiris, and in it was a Letter directed to the inhabitants of Byblos, who lived at the distance of above fourscore leagues from them. They pretended that this Box of itself went to Byblos in seven Isai. xviii. 2.days time. The Prophet Isaiah is believed by some to allude to this custom, when he says, Wo to the land that sendeth Ambassadors by Sea, even in vessels of bulrushes upon the waters.

Some are of opinion, that they who in 1 Kings v. 18.the Scripture are called Giblii, and whose dexterity in cutting wood and building vessels is there commended, were the inhabitants Ecclus. xxvii. 9.of Byblos, in Hebrew called Gebal. It was seated at the foot of Libanus, upon the Mediterranean, almost opposite to the place, where we still see some Cedars at this day.

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