As a result, oversea trading with a maritime power such as Phoenicia was cheaper and more reliable - not to mention safer. Thus, a commercial relationship spawned by sea. At times, however, the relationship was quite lopsided, as Egypt periodically maintained control over Byblos and other nations occupying the Levant. Consequently, much of the timber Phoenicia exported to Egypt was done partly as a form of tribute. The bandits were not limited to the Sinai and Palestine, however.
Evidence points to a perennial problem with robbers living in the Levantine mountains as well.
Reportedly, they were able to hinder Phoenician commerce and harass woodsmen from the highlands to the Mediterranean. Evidence that the pine forest near Beirut was exploited for shipbuilding during the Crusades has already been cited. That timber continued to be exported from Mount Lebanon is indicated by the use of cedar in Umayyad palaces and mosques. Related Information and Sources 15. Related ICE and TED Cases 16.