Everything about Byblos totally explained
Byblos (
Βύβλος) is the
Greek name of the
Phoenician city
Gebal (earlier
Gubla). It is a Mediterranean city in the
Mount Lebanon Governorate of present-day
Lebanon under the current
Arabic name of
Jbeil (جبيل Ǧubayl) and was also referred to as
Gibelet during the
Crusades. It is believed to have been founded around 5000 BC, and according to fragments attributed to the semi-legendary pre-
Trojan war Phoenician historian
Sanchuniathon, it was the first city ever built, and even today is believed by many to be
the oldest continuously-inhabited city in the world.
It is mentioned in the
Bible in, referring to the nationality of the builders of
Solomon's Temple.
History
The Phoenician city of Gebal was named
Byblos by the Greeks, because it was through Gebal that
Bύβλος (
bublos; Egyptian
papyrus) was imported into Greece. The present day city is now known by the Arabic name
Jubayl or
Jbeil (جبيل), a direct descendant of the
Canaanite name.
Byblos (
Greek) or Gebal (
Phoenician) is located on the
Mediterranean coast of present-day
Lebanon, about 26 miles (42 kilometers) north of
Beirut. It is attractive to
archaeologists because of the successive layers of debris resulting from centuries of human habitation.
The site first appears to have been settled during the
Neolithic period, approximately
5000 BC. Neothlithic remains of some buildings can be observed at the site. According to the writer
Philo of Byblos (quoting Sanchuniathon, and quoted in
Eusebius), Byblos had the reputation of being the oldest city in the world, founded by
Cronus, and was also where
Thoth invented
writing, but there hasn't been concrete proof that it's the oldest city in the world. During the 3rd millennium BC, the first signs of a
town can be observed, with the remains of well-built houses of uniform size. This was the period when the
Phoenician civilization began to develop, and archaeologists have recovered
Egyptian-made artifacts dated as early as the
Fourth dynasty of Egypt.
The growing city was evidently a wealthy one, and seems to have been an ally of Egypt for many centuries. The
Amarna tablets include 60 letters from
Rib-Hadda and his successor
Ili-Rapih, rulers of Byblos circa 1350 BC, to the Egyptian government. These deal with the conquest of neighboring city-states by the
Hapiru. Objects have been found at Byblos naming the 13th dynasty Egyptian king
Neferhotep I, and the rulers of Byblos maintained close relationships with the New Kingdom pharaohs of Ancient Egypt.
Archaeological evidence at Byblos, dating back to around 1200 BC, shows existence of a
Phoenician alphabetic script of twenty-two characters; an important example of this script is the
sarcophagus of king
Ahiram. The use of the alphabet was spread by Phoenician merchants through their maritime trade into parts of North Africa and Europe. One of the most important monuments of this period is the temple of
Resheph, a
Canaanite war god, but this had fallen into ruins by the time of Alexander.
In the
Assyrian period,
Sibittibaal of Byblos became tributary to
Tiglath-pileser III in 738 BC, and in 701 BC, when
Sennacherib conquered all Phoenicia, the king of Byblos was
Urumilki. Byblos was also subject to Assyrian kings
Esarhaddon (r.681-669 BCE) and
Ashurbanipal (r.668-627 BCE), under its own kings
Milkiasaph and
Yehawmelek.
In the Persian period (538-332 BC), Byblos was the fourth of four Phoenician vassal kingdoms established by the Persians; the first three being
Sidon,
Tyre, and
Arwad.
Hellenistic rule came with the arrival of
Alexander the Great in the area in 332 BC.
Coinage was in use, and there's abundant evidence of continued trade with other Mediterranean countries.
During the
Greco-Roman period, the temple of Resheph was elaborately rebuilt, and the city, though smaller than its neighbours such as
Tyre and
Sidon, was a center for the cult of
Adonis. In the 3rd century, a small but impressive
theater was constructed. With the rise of
Christianity, a
bishop's seat was established in Byblos, and the town grew rapidly. Although a
Persian colony is known to have been established in the region following the
Moslem conquest of 636, there's little archaeological evidence for it. Trade with Europe effectively dried up, and it wasn't until the coming of the
Crusaders in 1098 that prosperity returned to Byblos, known then as Giblet.
Byblos, under the name of Gibelet or Giblet, was an important military base in the
11th century, and the remains of its
Crusader castle are among the most impressive architectural structures now visible at its center. The town was taken by
Saladin in 1187, re-taken by the Crusaders, and eventually conquered by
Baibars in 1266. Its fortifications were subsequently restored. From 1516 until 1918, the town and the whole region were part of the
Ottoman Empire. Byblos and all of Lebanon was placed under
French Mandate from 1920 until 1943 when Lebanon achieved independence.
Education
Byblos is the site of the professional campus of the
Lebanese American University. The Byblos Campus is the home of the professional schools including the Medical School, the Engineering School, the Pharmacy School, in addition to the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Business.
Tourism
» See also:
- Ancient Phoenician Temples
In the archaeological site of Byblos there are the remains of the Great Temple (also known as L-Shaped temple) built in 2700 BC, Temple of Baalat Gebal built in 2700 BC and Temple of the Obelisks built around 1600 BC.
Byblos Castle
Byblos Castle was built by the crusaders in the 12th century. It is located in the archaeological site near the port.
Byblos Mosque
The mosque is the oldest known mosque in the world.
Medieval City Wall
The old medieval part of Byblos is surrounded by walls running about 270m from east to west and 200m from north to south
Byblos Wax Museum
This museum displays wax statues of characters from Phoenician times to current days
St John the Baptist Church
Work on the church started during the crusades in 1150. It was damaged during an earthquake in the 12th century and also during several conflicts.
Byblos Fossil Museum
Byblos Fossil Museum has a collection of fossilized fish, sharks, eel, flying fish, and other marine life, some millions of years old.
Historic Quarter and Souks
In the southeast section of the historic city, near the entrance of the archaeological site, is an old market where tourists can shop for souvenirs and antiques, or simply stroll along the old cobblestone streets and enjoy the architecture.
Byblos International Festival
This summer music festival is an annual event that takes place in the historic quarter.
Today
Today, Byblos (Jbeil) is a modern city. It remains one of Lebanon's biggest tourist attractions, mainly because of its rich history and scenic mountains overlooking the Mediterranean. Most of the people of Byblos are Maronite Catholics. There are also some Shi'a Moslems, whose ancestors escaped expulsion by the Seljuk Turks in the Middle Ages. (The city of Bint Jbeil ("daughter of Jbeil") in southern Lebanon was founded by those displaced Shi'a. Byblos has three representatives in the Parliament of Lebanon: two Maronites and one Shi'a.
Bibliography
Nina Jidéjian, Byblos through the ages, Dar al Machreq, Beyrouth, 1968
Jean-Pierre Thiollet, Je m'appelle Byblos, H & D, Paris, 2005 (ISBN 2-914266-04-9)
1 http://www.proud-to-be-lebanese.com/e2005/Further Information
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