Phenicians

PHENICIANS. Herodotus says, that the Phenicians inhabited at first upon the Red-Sea, whence they came and settled upon the Mediterranean, between Syria and Egypt. This may be easily reconciled with Moses, who says they came from Ham, who peopled Egypt and the neighbouring Countries. The Name Phenicia is not found in the Books of Scripture written in Hebrew, but only in those whose Original is Greek, as the Maccabees, and the Books of the New Testament. The Hebrew always reads Canaan, which Article may be perused by the Reader. However, St. Matthew, who wrote either in Hebrew or Syriac, calls her a Canaanitish Woman, whom St. Mark, writing in Greek, calls a Syrophenician, or a Phenician of Syria; because Phenicia then made a Part of Syria, and to distinguish them from the Phenicians of Africa, or the Carthaginians. The Name Phenician is derived, either from the Palm-tree call’d in Greek Phoinix, which are very common in Phenicia; or from a Tyrian call’d Phœnix, spoke of in Fable; or from the Red-Sea, from the Shores of which it is pretended they came. Phœnix sometimes signifies red, whence comes Puniceus and Phœniceus Color. Others derive it from the Hebrew Pinchas or Phineas; others from Bene-anak, Sons of Anak, or the Posterity of the Anakim. ‘Tis well known that the Giants, the Sons of Anak, were very famous in Palestine.

Many fine Inventions have been ascrib’d Lucan. l. 3. v. 22.to the Phenicians; as particularly the Art of Writing.

Phœnices primi, famæ si creditur, ausi Dionys. v. 904.Mansuram rudibus vocem signare figuris.

‘Tis said also, that they first found out the Art of Navigation, Commerce, Astronomy, Voyages in the open Sea. Bochart has shewn, by incredible Labour and Industry, that they had sent out Colonies,¹ and had left Footsteps of their Language in almost all the Isles, and upon all the Coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. But the most famous of their Colonies was that of Carthage. ‘Tis thought that at Joshua’s Invasion many of them retired into Africa Procop. Vadalicis, l. 2. c. 10.and other Places. Procopius says, that at Tingis in Africa are found two Columns of white Marble, set up near the great Fountain, whereon was read in Phenician Characters; We are the People who took our Flight from before the Robber Jesus the Son of Nave. Our Dissertation may be consulted, concerning the Country to which the Canaanites retired, printed before our Commentary upon Joshua.

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