An old legend tells that once a young man approached the hut of a Phoenician shepherd and asked for shelter. The shepherd let him into his lady's house. He fed him and gave him water to drink. To thank him, the young man treated the shepherd to a drink that was red in color. This is the blood of grapes, the guest explained.
You probably guessed that the young man was the god of wine, Dionysus. He taught the Phoenicians how to make wine. In Phoenicia, the sun shone seven months a year. From there, amphorae of wine were sent to all countries of the Mediterranean region. And the ancient Romans considered Phoenician wine to be the best in the world.
The Phoenicians have left a significant mark on human history. We still use many of the Phoenician symbols today. The more analysis is done on the remains in Lebanon, the more historians understand about the Phoenician civilization. The expression “fast as a Phoenician” comes from the speed with which their ships moved.
➤ It is said that people inhabited the city of Byblos as early as 7,000 years ago, making it the oldest city in the world.
➤ Historians also claim that the Phoenicians laid the foundation for the modern alphabet. Theirs contained 22 letters. The Greeks borrowed their alphabet and added 4 more, which are still used today in English-speaking countries.
➤ In addition to letters, the Phoenicians also invented numbers, which are more like what we now call “Roman numerals.” The creation of the alphabet and numbers was for the purpose of recording information for trade.
➤ There is evidence that Phoenicians traveled to present-day America long before Christopher Columbus discovered it.
➤ And another interesting thing about this incredible culture – the Phoenicians discovered the color purple. The production of purple was a very expensive and labor-intensive occupation. Only the very rich could afford it. To this day, purple is associated with royalty.
➤ Some scholars suggest that the Phoenicians were the first people in the world to adopt Christianity. Saint Peter visited the city of Byblos, the first religious visit, and opened the first school.
➤ Pythagoras was a Phoenician - Like most Lebanese today, Pythagoras was born outside the borders of the country. His father was a Phoenician.
➤ The Phoenicians managed to build their entire civilization without participating in a single war. The state expanded its territories, not in battles, but through trade, constantly building ports along its coasts.
➤ Their name – Phoenicians – was given to them by the Greeks. The name means Tyrannian purple - it refers to the purple dye produced and used in Tyre. What they called themselves, no one knows.
➤ It is believed that money, in the form in which we know it today, was introduced by the Phoenicians. This happened somewhere around 1000 years before the new era. The people of this now extinct people were excellent traders, but their lands were not fertile, which forced them to obtain food and various goods from other peoples. So they invented the exchange coins, which they made from impurities of gold, silver and other metals.
Today's Lebanese continue the traditions of the Phoenicians by storing wine in caves. They use both the popular grape varieties Cabernet Sauvignon, Chardonnay and Merlot, as well as the lesser-known Carignan, Grenache, Senco, Bourboulan, Claret, Syrah, Mourvèdre.
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