By Dr Shane Geha The Phoenicians The Phoenicians were an ancient Semitic-speaking civilization that emerged around 3200 BCE along the eastern Mediterranean coast, primarily in what is now Lebanon, as well as parts of Syria and northern Israel. Renowned for their maritime prowess, they developed advanced shipbuilding techniques and established extensive trade networks across the Mediterranean. Their most notable contributions include the spread of the Phoenician alphabet, which influenced many modern writing systems, and the establishment of colonies, the most famous being Carthage…

By WLCU President, Shane Geha Considered one of the greatest generals of the ancient world, Hannibal Barca of Carthage, shares a common ethnic heritage with every Lebanese in the world today. Carthage was a Phoenician settlement and one of the largest cities in the ancient world. Founded at the site of present-day city of Tunis, Tunisia in 814 BC by the ancient seafaring Phoenicians originating from Tyre in Lebanon, Carthage came to dominate the entire Mediterranean basin and threatened Roman supremacy, until its…