Byblos
Location
About
Byblos (Gebal in Hebrew) is one of the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world, with evidence of permanent settlement from around 7000 BCE. A major Phoenician city on the Lebanese coast, it was the principal port through which Egyptian papyrus was traded to Greece — giving the Greek word for book (biblos) and ultimately 'Bible.' The city was sacred to the goddess Baalat Gebal and was the center of Phoenician literacy and craftsmanship.
Significance
Byblos gave the world the alphabet as we know it — the earliest known fully developed Phoenician alphabet (from which Hebrew, Greek, Arabic, and ultimately all Western scripts derive) has been found here on the 10th-century BCE inscriptions of King Ahiram's sarcophagus. The city's name becoming the word for 'book' and ultimately 'Bible' makes it one of the most etymologically significant sites in Western history.
History & Historical Arc
Byblos has been continuously inhabited since the Neolithic period (~7000 BCE). It was Egypt's principal trading partner …
Archaeological Notes
Pierre Montet's excavations (1921-1924) and subsequent work revealed the Bronze Age sacred precinct, the Obelisk Temple,…
Key Features & Structures
- Temple of Baalat Gebal
- Obelisk Temple
Visitor Information
UNESCO World Heritage Site. Open daily. Near Beirut (40 km north). Old harbor restaurant district nearby.
Related Figures
In the Bible
Source References
- Ahiram Sarcophagus inscription (c.1000 BCE)
- Wenamun Report (c.1076 BCE)