Were The Phoenicians ISRAELITES?
Israel and Phoenicia spoke different dialects of the same HEBREW language and so could understand eachother. Inscriptions of Phoenicia and Carthage from about the 9th century B.C. onwards were written in a SEMITIC dialect and inscribed in the reversed or retrograde direction, from right to left, with reversed letters, as adopted by SEMITIC tribes. The Phoenician alphabet was also "SEMITIC." While the SEMITIC residents in Phoenicia practiced CIRCUMCISION, the Hamitic true Phoenician mariners were uncircumcised (Her.2:104). Therefore, we see that the alphabet and writings were probably Israelite inventions which the Phoenicians borrowed. This is why historians think the Phoenicians were SHEMITE rather than Hamite.

The monuments and coins of the Mediterranean Phoenicians show them to be of fine CAUCASIAN physical type so these are portrayals of Israelites. Jules Africanus said that the HYCSOS were Phoenicians. Yet Manetho recorded that the HYCSOS went to JUDEA and built JERUSALEM after leaving Egypt (Josephus, Against Apion 1:14). The only conclusion we can come to is that the Phoenicians were largely ISRAELITES. The name "Phoenicians" may mean "blood red." "The Canaanite sailors were spoken of as the "red men" on account of their SUNBURNT SKIN" (Encyc. Brit. 11th 21:450). They looked CAUCASIAN. Hiram and DAVID had conversations (2 Sam. 5:11). SOLOMON hired many workers from Phoenicia (1 Ki.5:6). ELIJAH and the Sidonian widow conversed (1 Ki.17:9-16) and the two navies had a joint expedition (1 Ki.9:26-28).

Some scholars speculate that the friendship and alliance between Hiram and DAVID and later with SOLOMON (2 Sam.5:11; 1 Ki.5) implies that many Phoenician colonies were actually ISRAELITE colonies such as "GADES" Spain where the tribe of GAD had a colony and MARSEILLE and BRITAIN, named after Brutus-the-Trojan who was from Zarah Judah (see p.155 of Waddell's Phoenician Origin of Britons). Even up to the first century, Phoenicia was at peace with and dependent upon PALESTINE for food (Acts 12:20). Perhaps many ISRAELITES escaped Assyrian captivity in 721 B.C. by sailing to GADES, MARSEILLE, CARTHAGE and BRITAIN since Sargon II only led away captive a mere 27,290 Israelites from Samaria (p.263. Bible As History). Those who were taken captive probably became the PARTHIAN Empire and SCYTHIA. Isaiah 10:20 mentions these two categories: "the remnant of Israel, and such as have escaped."

The so-called Phoenician golden age of trade and colonization was, in reality, an Israelite age for it ceased when the Kingdom of Israel ceased (1006 to 731 B.C.). Diodorus Siculus says "The Phoenicians planted many colonies throughout Libya and not a few as well in WESTERN parts of EUROPE" (16:20). The word "VENETIAN" (Italy) and "FENIAN" (Ireland) may both come from "PHOENICIAN" (Palestine). The VANDALS gave their name to Andalusia Spain. Thus ISRAELITES became known as Phoenicians and gave them their Shemitic language and alphabet. Many Phoenician coins have the consonants "B-R-T" on them, meaning "COVENANT" (People) in Hebrew. "BRUTTIUM, the southernmost point of Italy" (Pliny 3:38) was probably a Phoenician colony. In Cappadocia is the town of "BARATTHA" (Ptolemy 5:6) and "BEIRUT" Lebanon (Ptolemy 5:14), the homeland of Phoenicia (See Steven Collins' The Lost Ten Tribes Of Israel ... Found for more). The great Hannibal, at the battle of Zama, 202 B.C., had in his ranks Carthaginians, Africans, MACEDONIANS and BRUTTIANS. The letter "u" is interchangeable with the letter "y" giving us "BRYTTIANS" or BRITONS. Before the time of Christ, Denmark was called "BRITTIA. "The Newton Stone in Aberdeenshire has a Phoenician and a bilingual inscription of about 400 B.C. Its author, in dedicating a votive monument to the Sun-god Bel, calls himself "Phoenician," "Briton" and "Scot" whose native town was in Cilicia; and he signs himself "Partolon, king of the Scots."



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