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LEBANON'S
FUTURE
Foretold
in
the Bible!
by
Keith W. Stump
Once again fighting in Lebanon has grabbed the headlines.
But what of
th~
future of this battle-scarred region?
W
HAT
is happening
inside Le banon?
What is the signifi–
cance of the continuing tur–
moil besetting this bitterly
divided nation?
And what does Bible proph–
ecy say about the fate of this
narrow strip of territory lying
by the blue waters of the eastern
Mediterranean?
Lebanon today is a vitally
important element in the turbu–
lent Middle East picture. Yet few
really unde"rstand the crucial
events taking place there- or
comprehend
where they are lead–
ing.
The year 1982 has seen a sharp
increase in violence and turmoil
inside embattled Lebanon. This
war-torn country-once the trad–
ing and banking center of the Arab
world- has been rent asunder by
years of divisive infighting and
intervention by outside powers (see
accompanying story).
Chronic warfare has wrecked its
cities. Its previously prosperous
economy is devastated. The beauti–
ful country of Lebanon has been
carved into a myriad of separate
enclaves and spheres of influence.
In many respects, Lebanon as a
country really does not exist
today.
And it all need not have been if
people only knew the
way
to peace!
Look, now, at the ancient back-
4
ground of this troublous area.
Calle d Phoenicia A nc ien t ly
Few have any idea of Lebanon's
place in history.
Coqcentratl(ln
ot
Pt.O
SYRIA
Three thousand years ago the
region we know today as Lebanon
was called Phoenicia. The ancient
Phoenicians were the greatest sea
traders of the ancient world. Their
voyages ranged as far as the tin
mines of Cornwall in England and
pos si bly even to the N ew
World.
The ancient Phoenicians were a
branch of tbe Canaanite peoples of
the Bible, descended from Canaan,
the son of Ham, the son of Noah
(Gen. 10:1, 6). In their own lan–
guage, the Phoenicians referred to
themselves collectively as
Kena 'ani,
or Canaanites.
But Phoenicia was never really
a single unified state or empire. lt
was a collection of independent
and often competing city-king–
doms with a common interest in
t rade. More often than not, the
Phoenicians spoke of themselves
as Tyrians, Sidonians, Byblians
and so on- after their own partic–
ular cities-rather than as Phoeni–
cians.
The wealthy coastal cities of
Phoenicia are still with us today,
though considerably less prosper–
ous. Among them are ancient Tri–
poli (modern Arabic Tarabulus),
Gebal (Greek Byblos, modern
Jubayl), Berot (Greek Berytos,
modern Beirut), Zidon (Sidon,
modern Saida) and Tsor (Greek
Tyros, modern Tyre or Sur).
Readers of the Bible will recall
that it was to the abundant cedar
forests of Lebanon's mountains that
King Solomon of Israel, at the invi–
tation of King Hiram of Tyre,
anciently sent 30,000 men to cut
and carry timber for the Temple at
Jerusalem. Tyre had earlier sup–
plied workmen and materials for
building King Davíd's paJace in
Jerusalem.
Ancient Phoenicia suffered a
long succession of conquerors on
íts terri tory. The record of the
(Continued on page 41)
The
PLAIN TRUTH