The Court of the Gentiles, Discourse · Part 1 · Book 1 · Chapter 3
CHAP. III. The Original of the Phenicians from the Cananites.
The Phenicians cognation with the Cananites, and their identity in name. Phenicians the poſterity of Anak. The Anakims their fame for ſtrength and learning. Joſh. 15.15,49. The Phenicians original from thoſe Cananites, which were expelled Canaan by Joſhua; who retreating unto Phenicia, thence ſent forth Colonies into all parts that bordered on the Midland Sea, as Africa, Greece &c. Thence the Phenicians were ſtiled by the Grecians foreign and Phenicia foreign, & foreign from Canaan; as alſo foreign from foreign Surim. Why the Cananites changed their name into Phenicians, Syrians &c. The Phenician Gods the ſame with the Idols of Canaan Pſal. 106.37,38. Farther evidence from Antiquity that the Phenicians were Cananites.
§. 1. The original of the Phenicians from the Cananites.HAving mentioned the Phenicians, as the chiefeſt inſtruments by whom the Jewiſh Doctrine and Traditions, were conveyed into Greece and other parts; it will greatly conduce to the confirmation of our Aſſertion, to treat a little of the original of the Phenicians; their cognation with the Jews; the advantages they had to informe themſelves more fully touching the Jewiſh Doctrines; their Art and skill in imitating and improving the ſame; as alſo their opportunities and induſtry to convey the ſame to other Nations. Firſt, touching the original of the Phenicians; that they were the ſame with the Cananites, is ſufficiently proved by learned Bochart, Bocharts Phaleg. lib. 4. cap. 34.whoſe Arguments ſeem more then conjectural; being drawn from the Identity of their Names, Situations, Languages, Inſtitutes, Manners, and Arts. The Phenicians and Cananites have the ſame name.That the Phenicians and Cananites have the ſame Names promiſcuouſly given them, is apparent from the LXX, who call the Land of Canaan, the land of the Phenicians, and the Cananites Phenicians. So the ſame Shaul is by the LXX called the Son of a Phenician Exod. 6.15. and the Son of a Cananite Gen. 46.10. as in the Hebrew. So Exod. 16.35. and Joſ. 5.12, That which the Hebrew calls the Region of Canaan, the LXX interpret the Region of Phenicia, and Phenicians. So in like manner, ſhe who is called a Cananite Mathew 15.26. is by Mark the Evangeliſt (a faithful interpreter of Matthew) called a Syrophenician. Mark. 7.26.
§. 2. The Origination of foreign from foreign the ſons of Anck.That the Phenicians were originally Cananites, may be farther evinced from the Origination of the Name. Touching the Etymologie of the Greek foreign, Criticks are exceeding various; ſome deriving it from foreign the abundance of palme trees that grow there: others from the color of the red ſea: So Veſſius de Idololatr. lib. 1. cap. 34. foreign (ſaith he) is the ſame with foreign red, thence the Latins from foreign made Puniceus and from foreign Paenus. That the Tyrians came from the Idumean ſea he proves out of Pliny, Solinus, Herodotus, and Procopius. Whence he concludes, that from the Idumeans Eſau's poſterity the red ſea was ſtiled erythraeum mare; from whence the Tyrians tranſplanted thence were ſtiled foreign Phenicians. Others derive this name from the purple color: others from foreign ſlaughter. All theſe make its original to be purely Greek. But others who have been more exact in the comparing the Greek with the Hebrew, give it an Hebrew origination: ſo Joſeph Scaliger derives it from foreign: and Fuller from foreign: Chald. foreign. Thus Fuller (Miſcel. Sacr. l. 5. cap. 16.) the Tyrians being delicate Merchants, the ancient Punicks were ſo ſtiled from foreign chald to live delicately whence foreign the name of the Phenicians q. d. foreign delicate, as Glaſs. Grammat. S. l. 4. tract. 3. obſerv. 15. But that which carries moſt of likely hood in it, and ſuites beſt with our deſigne is the Etymologie which Great Bochart gives it, Bocharts Canaan lib. 1. cap. 1.who derives the Greek word foreign from the Hebrew foreign or foreign the ſon or ſons of Anak. From this Cananitiſh name Ben Anak, or contracted Beanak the Grecians at firſt formed foreign (it being very uſual with them to turne foreign into foreign, as from foreign arrhabo) thence foreign and foreign Phenicia.
§. 3. The PhEnicians ſons of Anak.And that theſe Phenicians were indeed the ſons of Anak, according to the forgoing Etymologie, is yet farther evident by their own confeſſions. For when a Colonie of them had ſeated themſelves at Carthage, they call it Chadre-Anak that is in the Hebrew or Cananitiſh tongue foreign the ſeat of Anak or the Anakims, as Plautus in penulo Act. 5. Scena 2. gives it unto us.
Deut. 9.2. The Anakims their ſtrength and Learning.Theſe Anakims or ſons of Anak, were the moſt Noble and renowned amongſt all the Cananites. They had two Cities which were the chief ſeat of their Family; the one called Hebron, where their main Fortreſſe and ſtrengh for War lay: the other Debir, the ſeat of their Learning, which was therefore called Kirjath-Sepher the City of bookes and Kirjath Sanna the City of Learning or the Law. Joſh. 15.15,49. The ſtrength of theſe Anakims was ſtupendous, Numb. 13.34. Hence they are uſually called Giants: yet they were overcome by Joſhua, and forced to retreat to the Weſtern part of Canaan, thence called Phenicia, and the country of the Philiſtins, 1 Chron. 20.4. where ſome reliques of them continued unto the time of David. For Goliah as the Hebrews prove, was an Anakim. See Bochart Can. lib. 1. cap. 1.
§. 4. That the Phenicians were the poſterity of the old Cananites.A farther proof of this Aſſertion, that the Phenicians were the poſterity of the old Cananites, may be gathered from the Grecian account and relations. For though the Greeks make but ſmall and obſcure mention of the Cananites, yet were they not altogether ignorant of the Phenicians original from Canaan. So in Auſtin's age the Carthaginians called themſelves Cananites. ſee chap. 5. §. 7. Bochart (in his Phaleg. lib. 4. cap. 34.) gives us a famous place of Eupolemus, where 'tis ſaid that from Saturne Belus ſprung: and alſo Canaan, and that this Canaan begat the Father of the Phenicians: his words are foreign. Alexander the Polyhiſtorian cites this out of Eupolemus, and out of him Euſebius praepar. lib. 9. has it alſo. This is alſo confirmed by what Euſebius (praepar. lib. 1.) quotes out of Philo Biblius the interpreter of Sanchoniathon (that moſt ancient and famous Phenician Writer) where we find mention of a certain XNA foreign XHNA, being firſt ſtiled among the Phenicians XHNA. Now it is very evident that the name XHNA is but the contract of Canaan. So in Stephanus Byzantinus foreign Phenicia is called XHNA, and the Phenicians XHNAI. His words are XNA; foreign, and a little after foreign. Bochart. l. 4. c. 3.
§. 5. Why the Cananites changed their name and were called Phenicians, Syrians, Aſſyrians.If there be required a Reaſon why theſe Cananites ſhould change their ancient name, and aſsume that of Phenicians, the ſaid Bochart gives us this account thereof. The Cananites were aſhamed of their ancient name by reaſon of that curſe which was pronounced againſt their father Canaan; eſpecially when they ſaw themſelves ſo fiercely perſecuted by the Jews, meerly upon this account, becauſe they were Cananites: Wherefore they choſe rather to be called Phenicians, Syrians, Aſſyrians, Sidonians, Syrophenicians. The name Syrians was common to them and their neighbouring Nations, coming from foreign Tyre the Metropolis of Phenicia; whence the Inhabitants are called foreign Syrim, thence foreign Syri, and by praefixing the article Haſſyrim i.e. Aſſyrians, as 1 Chron. 22.4. Neh. 13.16. by which name the Phenicians and Tyrians are often called, though differing much from foreign thoſe Aſſyrians which came from Aſhur and inhabited beyond Euphrates. Heſychius cals theſe Phenicians Sidonians &c. Bochart. Phaleg. l. 4. c. 34.
§. 6. The Phenicians and Cananites agreement in Gods.That theſe Phenicians were really Cananites; may be farther argued from their agreement in Cuſtomes, Rites, Arts, and Gods. That the Phenicians had the ſame kind of Worſhip, and Gods with the Cananites, is very apparent from Pſalme 106.37,38. where v. 37 it is ſaid the Jews ſacrificed their ſons and daughters unto Devils: that is, as it is elſe where interpreted unto Moloch, which was the chief God of the Phenicians, or Syrians: now in the following verſe 38. Theſe Phenician Gods are ſtiled the Gods of Canaan: and we have ſufficient evidence that theſe Idols of Canaan were none other, than thoſe that the Phenicians worſhipped as Gods: for Moloch, the Idol of the Ammonites, was the ſame with Baal, the Phenicians worſhipped. Thence Jer. 7.31. They are ſaid, to ſacrifice their children to Baal. So 2 Kings 23.5. They are called, the ſacrifices of Baal. And indeed, all the Baalim were but Phenician Idols, from Belus one of their Kings. So Baalzebub was the God of Ekron, a City in Phenicia; and Baalſemes, Baal peor, the Gods of the Moabites and Mideanites, were alſo Phenician Idols. See more of this in Selden de Diis Syrûm, Owen de ortu Idololat. lib. 5. c. 2. &c.
§. 7. The Cananites expelled by Joſhua retreat to Phenicia and theace tranſplant Colonies into all parts.Laſtly, that the Phenicians were originally Cananites, is manifeſt from the Identity of their Languages, (of which hereafter, chap. 11. §. 2.) as alſo from the moſt ancient pieces of Antiquity we have. Procopius, in his Vandalicis, makes mention of certain pillars, erected in Africa, with an Inſcription in the Phenician tongue, which he renders thus foreign. Bochart. Chanan. Praef.We are they who fled from Joſhua the ſon of Naue (i.e. Nun) the Robber. How ancient this Inſcription is, we cannot ſay; but thus much we may collect, that thoſe Africans, who were Phenicians originally, reckoned themſelves amongſt the Cananites expelled by Joſhua. And we have the Teſtimonie of Euſebius (in his Chronicon fol. 11.) coincident herewith: foreign: where they (that is the Phenicians) fled from the face of the children of Iſrael, and built Tripolis in Africa. Neither is it, at all improbable, that theſe Cananites, who were expelled by Joſhua out of Canaan, ſhould firſt retreat to Phenicia the Weſt part of Canaan, which lying on the Midland ſea gave them great Advantages to tranſport their Supernumerary Colonies into Africa, Greece, and all thoſe Iſlands or Territories which bordered on the Midland-ſea; and together with them, to tranſport all Letters and Learning into thoſe parts, where they came: as it will appear by what follows.