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Phoenicians on the Northern Coast of Israel in the Biblical Period

Phoenician funerary stele, sandstone, depicting 'Sign of Tanit' 7th Century BCE The inscription: 'Stele of Milk son of Ashtartga'Phoenician funerary stele, sandstone, depicting 'Sign of Tanit' 7th Century BCE The inscription: 'Stele of Milk son of Ashtartga'This exhibition focuses on the material culture of the Phoenicians. The Phoenicians were a group of seafaring merchants who resided in cities along the coast of the Eastern Mediterranean basin. They are known for their contributions to maritime architecture.

The exhibition hall has been designed to recreate the atmosphere of a Phoenician archaeological site. The artifacts are displayed in glass showcases mounted upon original stones found in maritime excavations, and broken seashells litter the floor while calm ocean sounds fill the space. Most of the finds in the exhibit were discovered in excavations of Phoenician sites at Achziv, off the coast of Shavei Zion, Tel Akko, Tel Keisan, Tel Abu Hawam, and the Phoenician harbor at Atlit.

The Greeks gave the name 'Phoenicians' to the population of traders who lived in the seaports along and to the south of the coastal strip at the foot of Mount Lebanon. The biblical name for this culture was the 'Sidonians.' David and Solomon recognized the superiority of the Phoenicians in maritime trade, and they maintained political and commercial ties with Hiram, King of the ancient Phoenician city of Tyre. Diplomatic ties led to the marriage of Ahab, King of Israel, to Jezebel, daughter of Ethba'al, King of the Phoenician city of Sidon.

Some scholars believe that the process of Phoenician settlement and expansion took place during the 11th and 10th centuries BCE, while others argue that it occurred later in the 8th century BCE. Phoenician expansion was usually accomplished by peaceful means through trade in a westward direction – first to Cyprus, then to other islands of the Mediterranean, and finally to the distant shores of North Africa, Sicily, Sardinia, Malta, and Spain. To the South, the Phoenicians contacted and traded with settlements along the shores of the Land of Israel.

 Female protome, painted terracotta, 6th Century BCEFemale protome, painted terracotta, 6th Century BCECosmetic spoon, bone, Late Israelite (Iron) PeriodCosmetic spoon, bone, Late Israelite (Iron) PeriodIvory plaque depicting a woman at the window, Late Israelite (Iron) PeriodIvory plaque depicting a woman at the window, Late Israelite (Iron) Period Clay statuette of a pregnant woman, 6th-5th Centuries BCEClay statuette of a pregnant woman, 6th-5th Centuries BCE

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