Sidon
Sidon is an ancient city mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Lebanon. Known today as Sandikli archaeological site in Sidon. It appears across 37 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Sidon was one of the oldest and most powerful city-states of ancient Phoenicia, situated on the Mediterranean coast of what is now Lebanon. In Genesis 10:15, Sidon is named as the firstborn son of Canaan, giving the city a genealogical prominence in the Table of Nations. The city marked the northern boundary of Canaanite territory (Genesis 10:19). During the period of the Judges, the Israelites fell into the worship of the gods of Sidon (Judges 10:6), and Sidon's cultural influence pervaded Phoenician religion throughout the monarchic period. Jezebel, who married King Ahab, was daughter of the king of Sidon (1 Kings 16:31), and her promotion of Baal worship brought catastrophic spiritual consequences to Israel. The prophets Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel all delivered oracles against Sidon for its pride and cruelty. In the New Testament, Jesus traveled into the region of Tyre and Sidon, where he healed a Syrophoenician woman's daughter (Matthew 15:21-28; Mark 7:24-31), demonstrating that his mission extended beyond Israel's borders. Paul briefly stopped at Sidon during his voyage to Rome (Acts 27:3), where he was permitted to visit friends.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Modern Sidon (Arabic: Saida) is the third-largest city in Lebanon and has been continuously inhabited since at least the Early Bronze Age, making systematic large-scale excavation difficult. However, construction projects and salvage archaeology have yielded significant finds including a remarkable collection of Phoenician sarcophagi, most notably the Eshmunazar II sarcophagus (now in the Louvre), inscribed with a Phoenician royal text. The Temple of Eshmun, excavated northeast of the city, revealed impressive architectural remains from the Persian period. British Museum-sponsored excavations in the early twentieth century, and more recent work by the Sidon Excavation project, have uncovered Bronze Age through Hellenistic layers. The city's harbor installations, though buried beneath modern construction, are attested in ancient sources.
Verse Appearances (37)
2Sam
1Chr
Ezra
Joel
Zech
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →