Byblos

**Byblos** () is the Greek name o the Phoenicie ceity **Gebal** (; earlier **Gubla**, ). It is a Mediterranean ceity in the Munt Lebanon Govrenorate o present-day Lebanon unner the current Arabic name o ( **') an wis referred tae as **Gibelet** durin the [[Crusades]] an aw. It is thocht tae hae been foondit aroond 5000 BC, an accordin tae fragments attributit tae the semi-legendary pre-[[Trojan War]] Phoenician historian [[Sanchuniathon]], it wis biggit bi [[Cronus]] as the first ceity in Phoenicie. The day it is believed bi mony tae be [[Leet o auldest continuously inhabitit ceities|the auldest continuously-inhabitit ceity in the warld]].

== History ==

The name Byblos is Greek; papyrus received its early Greek name (byblos, byblinos) frae its being exportit tae the Aegean through Byblos. Hence the Inglis wird ''[[Bible]]'' is derived frae ''byblos'' as "the (papyrus) beuk." The present day ceity is nou kent bi the Arabic name ''Jubayl'' or ''Jbeil'' (جبيل), a direct descendant o the [[Canaanite leids|Canaanite]] name.

Byblos ([[Greek leid|Greek]]) or Gebal ([[Phoenicie leid|Phoenicie]]) is locatit on the [[Mediterranean]] coast o present-day [[Lebanon]], aboot 26 mile (42 kilometres) north o [[Beirut]]. It is attractive tae [[airchaeology|airchaeologist]]s acause o the successive layers o debris resultin frae centuries o human habitation. It wis first excavatit bi [[Pierre Montet]] frae 1921 till 1924, follaed bi Maurice Dunand frae 1925 ower a period o fowerty years.

The steid first appears tae hae been settled durin the [[Pre-Pottery Neolithic B|PPNB]] period, approximately 6230 BC. [[Neolithic]] remains o some biggins can be observed at the steid. Accordin tae the writer [[Philo o Byblos]] (quotin Sanchuniathon, an quotit in [[Eusebius]]), Byblos haed the reputation o bein the auldest ceity in the warld, foondit bi Cronus.  Durin the 3rd millennium BC, the first signs o a [[toun]] can be observed, wi the remains o weel-biggit hooses o uniform size.  This wis the period when the Phoenician ceevilisation began tae develop.

== Egyptian contact ==

Watson Mills an Roger Bullard suggest that durin the [[Auld Kinrick o Egyp|Auld Kinrick]], Byblos wis virtually an Egyptian colony. The growin ceity wis evidently a walthy ane, an seems tae hae been an ally "those who are on his waters" o [[Egyp]] for mony centuries. [[First Dynasty]] tombs uised timbers frae Byblos. Ane o the auldest Egyptian wirds for an ocean goin boat wis "Byblos ship".  Beginnin wi Kha'skehemwy maist first dynasty rulers sent a signed gift tae the shrine o the "Mistress o Byblos".  Airchaeologists hae recovered [[auncient Egyp|Egyptian]]-made airtifacts datit as early as the [[Fowert dynasty o Egypt]]. Objects hae been foond at Byblos namin the 13t dynasty Egyptian king [[Neferhotep I]], an the rulers o Byblos maintained close relationships wi the New Kinrick pharaohs o Auncient Egyp. Around 1350 BC, the [[Amarna tablets]] include 60 letters frae [[Rib-Hadda]] an his successor [[Ili-Rapih]] who wur rulers o Byblos, writin tae the Egyptian govrenment. This is mainly due tae Rib-Hadda's constant pleas for military assistance frae [[Akhenaten]]. They deal wi the conquest o neighborin ceity-states bi the [[Hapiru]] an aw.

It appears Egyptian contact peaked durin the [[Nineteent dynasty o Egyp|19t dynasty]], anerlie tae decline durin the [[Twintiet dynasty o Egyp|20t]] an [[Twinty-first dynasty o Egyp|21st]] dynasties.

Although the airchaeological evidence seems tae indicate a brief resurgence durin the [[Twinty-seicont dynasty o Egyp|22nt]] an [[Twinty-third dynasty o Egyp|23rd]] dynasties, it is clear efter the [[Third Intermediate Period]] the Egyptians stairtit favorin [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]] an [[Sidon]] insteid o Byblos.

Airchaeological evidence at Byblos, datin back tae aroond 1200 BC, shows existence o a [[Phoenician alphabet]]ic script o twinty-twa characters; an important example o this script is the [[sarcophagus]] o king [[Ahiram]]. The uise o the alphabet wis spread bi Phoenician merchants through their maritime trade intae pairts o [[North Africae]] an Europe. Ane o the maist important monuments o this period is the temple o [[Resheph]], a [[Canaan]]ite war god, but this haed fawen intae ruins bi the time o Alexander.





In the [[Assirie|Assirian]] period, [[Sibittibaal]] o Byblos became tributary tae [[Tiglath-pileser III]] in 738 BC, an in 701 BC, when [[Sennacherib]] conquered aw Phoenicie, the king o Byblos wis [[Urumilki]].  Byblos wis subject tae Assyrian kings [[Esarhaddon]] (r. 681–669 BC) an [[Ashurbanipal]] (r. 668–627 BC) an aw, unner its awn kings [[Milkiasaph]] an [[Yehawmelek]].

In the Persian period (538–332 BC), Byblos wis the fowert o fower Phoenician vassal kinricks established bi the Persians; the first three being [[Sidon]], [[Tyre, Lebanon|Tyre]], an [[Arwad]].

Hellenistic rule came wi the arrival o [[Alexander the Great]] in the aurie in 332 BC.  [[Currency|Coinage]] wis in uise, an there is abundant evidence o continued trade wi ither Mediterranean kintras.



Durin the [[Auncient Rome|Greco-Roman]] period, the temple o Resheph wis elaborately rebiggit, an the ceity, though smawer than its neighbours such as Tyre an Sidon, wis a centre for the cult o [[Adonis]]. In the 3rd century, a sma but impressive [[theater]] wis constructit.  Wi the rise o [[Christianity]], a [[bishop]]'s seat wis established in Byblos, an the toun grew rapidly.  Although a [[Iran|Persian]] colony is kent tae hae been established in the region follaein the [[Islam|Moslem]] conquest o 636, there is little airchaeological evidence for it. Trade wi Europe effectively dried up, an it wis no till the comin o the [[First Crusade]] in 1098 that prosperity returned tae Byblos, kent then as Giblet.

Byblos, unner the name o Gibelet or Giblet, wis an important military base in the [[crusade]]r [[Kinrick o Jerusalem]] in the 11t an 12t century, an the remains o its [[Leet of Crusader castles|crusader castle]] are amang the maist impressive airchitectural structurs nou visible at its centre.  The toun wis taken bi [[Saladin]] in 1187, re-taken bi the Crusaders, an eventually conquered bi [[Baibars]] in 1266.  Its fortifications wur subsequently restored.  Frae 1516 till 1918, the toun an the whole region wur pairt o the [[Ottoman Empire]]. Byblos an aw o Lebanon wis placed unner [[French Mandate o Lebanon|French Mandate]] frae 1920 till 1943 when Lebanon achieved unthirldom.

== Education ==
Byblos is hame tae the professional campus o the [[Lebanese American University]].  The LAU Byblos Campus hooses the Medical Schuil, the Ingineerin Schuil, the Pharmacy Schuil, the Schuil o Business, an the Schuil o Airts an Sciences. The Campus is situatit on a hill ouerlookin Byblos an the Mediterreanean Sea.

== Tourism ==
Byblos is re-emergin as an upscale touristic hub.  Wi its auncient port, Phoenician, Roman an Crusader ruins, saundy beaches an the picturesque muntains that surroond it mak it an ideal tourist destination. The ceity is kent for its fish restaurants, open-air bars, an ootdoor cafes.  Yachts cruise intae its harbour the day like they did in the saxties an seiventies whan [[Marlon Brando]] an [[Frank Sinatra]] wur regular visitors tae the ceity.

* **Auncient Phoenician temples**
In the airchaeological steid o Byblos there are the remains o the **Great Temple** (kent as L-Shaped temple an aw) biggit in 2700 BC, **Temple o Baalat Gebal** biggit in 2700 BC an **Temple o the Obelisks** biggit aroond 1600 BC.

* **Byblos Castle**

Byblos Castle wis biggit bi the Crusaders in the 12t century. It is locatit in the airchaeological steid naur the port.

* **Medieval ceity waw**
The auld medieval pairt o Byblos is surroondit bi waws runnin aboot 270m frae east tae wast an 200m frae north tae sooth

* **Byblos Wax Museum**

This museum displays wax statues o characters frae Phoenician times tae current days

* **St John the Baptist kirk**
Wirk on the kirk stairtit durin the crusades in 1116. It wis considered a cathedral an wis pairtially destroyed durin an earthquake in 1176 AD. It wis transformed intae stables bi Islamic forces efter the faw o the ceity, an wis gien tae the Maronites as a gift bi Prince Youssef Chehab o Lebanon in the mid 1700s, efter they aidit him in capturin the ceity.

* **Byblos Fossil Museum**

Byblos Fossil Museum haes a collection o fossilized fish, shairks, eel, flying fish, an ither marine life, some millions o year auld.

* **Historic Quarter an Souks**
In the sootheast section o the historic ceity, near the entrance o the airchaeological steid, is an auld mercat whaur tourists can shop for souvenirs an antiques, or simply stroll alang the auld cobblestane streets an enjoy the airchitectur.

* **Byblos Internaitional Festival*'
This simmer muisic festival is an annual event that takes place in the historic quarter.

== The day ==

The day, Byblos (Jbeil) is a modren ceity. It remains ane o Lebanon's biggest tourist attractions, mainly acause o its rich history an scenic muntains owerleukin the Mediterranean. Maist o the fowk o Byblos are [[Maronites|Maronite Catholics]]. There are some [[Shia Islam|Shia]] Muslims an aw, whose ancestors escaped expulsion bi the [[Seljuq dynasty|Seljuk Turks]] in the Middle Ages. It is said that (The ceity o [[Bint Jbeil]] ("dochter o Jbeil") in soothren Lebanon wis foondit bi those displacit Shi'a. Byblos haes three representatives in the [[Parliament o Lebanon]]: twa Maronites an ane Shi'a.

== Bibliografie ==
* [[Nina Jidéjian]], *Byblos through the ages*, Dar al Machreq, Beirut, 1968
* [[:en:Jean-Pierre Thiollet|Jean-Pierre Thiollet]], *Je m'appelle Byblos'', H & D, Paris, 2005 (ISBN 2-914266-04-9)

## Internaitional  relations

### Twin  touns&nbsp;– Sister  ceities
Byblos is twinned  wi:

## Relatit pages
* Ba`alat Gebal
* Byblos syllabary
* Embriaco family
* Hbaline
* War o St. Sabas
* Ceities o the auncient Near East

## References

## Freemit airtins

* Lebanon, the Cedars' Land: Byblos 
* Byblos info
* Embassy o Lebanon in Canadae 
* University of Cologne Radio Carbon Context Database