Religion of Phoenicia

The religion of Phoenicia was based on a polytheistic system. The high degree of political fragmentation of the city kingdoms of the Levantine coast implied that each center had its own pantheon, characterized by specific features although structurally similar to that adopted in other cities. Usually, at the top of this system was placed a couple of divinities, considered as polyadic entities, owners of the territory. Thus, for example, Byblos was dominated by the Baalat Gubal (literally the "Lady of Byblos") and by a local Baal (identified by the Greeks with Adonis), while in Sidon, at the head of the city religion, Eshmun and Astarte were worshipped; further south, in the rich and powerful Tyre, Astarte was once again conceived as protector of the city, this time next to Melqart, the "King of the city" (as the name openly states, from milk, "king", + qrt, "city"). The polyadic gods were then joined, obviously, by other figures, each one - such as Baal Shamim, the "Lord of the heavens", Baal Hammon, "the lord of the house chapel (?)", or Shadrafa, the " healing genius"- playing a specific role within the particular conception of the world, of nature and society, developed by the Phoenician culture. A direct and privileged relationship existed between the gods and the various city kings: the latter, who must and must still be "just and righteous", were emanations of divine power itself and had the task of maintaining balance between gods and men, ensuring the continuous communication between the divine and human spheres. Not surprisingly, one of the main roles of the sovereigns, who sometimes defined themselves as "priests", was to celebrate the divinities erecting or restoring their houses (the temples). Unfortunately, almost nothing of Phoenician mythology has been preserved so far. However, the Greek and Latin literary sources allow us to know some episodes and some themes, even if reread in the perspective of the sources themselves. Fundamental, for example, is the contribution of Philo of Byblos who wrote in Greek a "Phoenician history" in the second century AD (collecting the legacy of a mythical Phoenician priest, Sanchuniaton), some fragments of which have come to us thanks to the mediation of Bishop Eusebius of Caesarea (4th century AD). Philo's work includes tales of cosmogony and theogony, in which it is possible to recognize elements of original Phoenician beliefs