Abstract
The primary sources on Phoenician religion do not yield a satisfactory picture. The more than 6,000 extant inscriptions do little more than mention gods, clients, and rituals, hindering interpretation of excavations. Scholars must be cautious in using non-Phoenician material (from Ugarit, the Bible, and the Hellenistic work of Philo of Byblos) to make up for the lack of native prayers, god lists, and mythologies. Each major Phoenician city had distinctive emphases in the common religion. Some common elements were the assembly of the city gods, gods' association with striking natural phenomena, dying and rising gods, funerary feasts (the biblical marzeah), and infant sacrifice. Some distinctive features of Tyre, Sidon, Byblos, and the Tyrian colony Carthage are noted. Regarding Tyre and Carthage, evidence from state treaties (respectively, the seventh-century treaty of Baʿal of Tyre with Assyria, and the second-century treaty of Hamilcar with Macedonia) provides fresh information about the local pantheons.
Sign-in/Register to access full text options 
Talk to us
Join us for a 30 min session where you can share your feedback and ask us any queries you have
Schedule a callMore From: Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research
Disclaimer: All third-party content on this website/platform is and will remain the property of their respective owners and is provided on "as is" basis without any warranties, express or implied. Use of third-party content does not indicate any affiliation, sponsorship with or endorsement by them. Any references to third-party content is to identify the corresponding services and shall be considered fair use under The CopyrightLaw.
