The Phoenician civilization began around 3200 BC in the lands now encompassing Syria, Lebanon, and northern Israel. As a highly esteemed maritime people known for their shipbuilding and navigation skills, the Phoenicians traded goods like glass and a unique purple dye. Their greatest contribution was creating the oldest recorded alphabet, which was brought to Greece and formed the basis for western alphabets. The Phoenician civilization was made up of city-states and was obliterated by Alexander the Great in 332 BC.

1. Ancient Phoenicia
Phillip Zakas

2. Introduction
• After earning his BA in international affairs from Georgetown
University, Phillip Zakas went on to found a company called
Gridskippr. There, he served as the chairman of the board,
president, and chief of product strategy. A person with diverse
interests, Phillip Zakas has dived wrecks of ancient Phoenician ships
in the Aegean Sea.
The Phoenician civilization was a collection of city-states in the
lands now encompassing Syria, Lebanon, and northern Israel. It
began to take shape as early as 3200 BC, and was obliterated by
Alexander the Great in 332 BC.
A highly esteemed maritime people, Phoenicians set the standard
with their shipbuilding and navigational skills.

3. Ancient Phoenicia
• From 1500 to 332 BC, Phoenicia became a manufacturing center for
a broad range of goods, but they were so good at glassblowing that
some historians credited them with inventing the art. They were
also the first to popularize a unique purple dye that became the
symbol of royalty in various empires including Rome.
It is quite likely that Phoenicia’s greatest contribution to the world,
however, was the creation of the oldest recorded alphabet, which
was brought to Greece and eventually formed the basis for all
western alphabets.
Tyre and Sidon were the two largest and most powerful city-states
of the Phoenician region. The parcel of land inhabited by the
Phoenicians was also called Canaan and is the same one referred to
in the Exodus chapter of the Old Testament.