{
  "id": "dict_004442",
  "term": "Phoenicia",
  "slug": "phoenicia",
  "letter": "P",
  "entry_type": "biblical_geography",
  "entry_family": "theological_term",
  "depth_profile": "standard",
  "short_definition": "Phoenicia was an ancient coastal region north of Israel, associated especially with Tyre and Sidon. In Scripture it functions mainly as a geographic setting in which judgment, travel, and gospel movement are seen.",
  "simple_one_line": "Phoenicia was the Mediterranean coastal region north of Israel, closely linked with Tyre and Sidon.",
  "tooltip_text": "Ancient coastal region north of Israel, linked to Tyre and Sidon and mentioned in Old and New Testament settings.",
  "aliases": [],
  "scripture_references": [],
  "original_language_terms": [],
  "related_entries": [
    "Tyre",
    "Sidon",
    "Gentiles",
    "Canaan",
    "Syrophoenician woman"
  ],
  "see_also": [
    "Lebanon",
    "Israel and the Nations",
    "Prophecy against the Nations",
    "Mission to the Gentiles"
  ],
  "lede_intro": "Phoenicia was the ancient Mediterranean coastal region north of Israel, best known in the Bible through its major cities Tyre and Sidon. Scripture mentions it as a real historical place rather than as a distinct doctrine.",
  "at_a_glance_definition": "Phoenicia is a biblical-geographic region on the eastern Mediterranean coast, commonly associated with Tyre and Sidon.",
  "at_a_glance_key_points": [
    "Geographic region, not a doctrine",
    "Linked with Tyre and Sidon",
    "Appears in OT prophecy and NT travel/ministry settings",
    "Provides a backdrop for both judgment and gospel outreach"
  ],
  "description_academic_short": "Phoenicia was an ancient eastern Mediterranean coastal region, especially associated with Tyre and Sidon. In the Bible it appears in historical, prophetic, and New Testament geographic contexts. Because it is primarily a place name, it should be treated as biblical geography rather than a theological concept.",
  "description_academic_full": "Phoenicia refers to the ancient coastal region along the eastern Mediterranean, commonly associated with the cities of Tyre and Sidon. In Scripture, the region appears in historical and prophetic contexts through those cities, and in the New Testament as part of the setting for travel and ministry in the northern coastal area. It is not the name of a doctrine or theological category, but it is important for understanding the biblical world, especially Israel's interactions with neighboring nations and the spread of the gospel into Gentile regions.",
  "background_biblical_context": "In the Old Testament, Phoenicia is encountered mainly through Tyre and Sidon, whose wealth, trade, pride, and later judgment are featured in Israel's historical and prophetic texts. In the New Testament, the region appears in connection with Jesus' movement near Tyre and Sidon and with the missionary spread of the early church into areas north of Israel.",
  "background_historical_context": "Historically, Phoenicia was known for maritime trade, seafaring, and influential coastal city-states. Its prosperity and international reach made it a significant neighbor to Israel and Judah. That historical setting helps explain why biblical writers often associate the region with commerce, travel, and political influence.",
  "background_jewish_ancient_context": "For ancient Israelites and Jews, Phoenicia represented a nearby Gentile coastal world connected to commerce and foreign influence. It also stood in the background of prophetic warnings against pride and idolatrous power, while later New Testament references show the gospel moving beyond Judea into surrounding regions.",
  "key_texts_primary": [
    "Isaiah 23",
    "Ezekiel 26–28",
    "Matthew 15:21–28",
    "Mark 7:24, 31",
    "Acts 11:19",
    "Acts 15:3",
    "Acts 21:2"
  ],
  "key_texts_secondary": [
    "1 Kings 5:1–12",
    "2 Chronicles 2:3–16",
    "Luke 6:17",
    "Mark 3:8"
  ],
  "original_language_note": "The name reflects the ancient regional designation commonly rendered in English as Phoenicia. In the Greek New Testament it names the coastal region north of Galilee and Judea.",
  "theological_significance": "Phoenicia itself is not a doctrine, but its biblical role matters: it frames God's dealings with a Gentile region, the judgment of proud coastal powers, and the extension of Jesus' ministry and the church's witness beyond Israel.",
  "philosophical_explanation": "As a place name, Phoenicia reminds readers that biblical revelation is rooted in real history and geography. Biblical theology often develops through actual places where God's people encountered nations, trade networks, conflict, and mission.",
  "interpretive_cautions": "Do not treat Phoenicia as a theological term. Keep the region distinct from the city of Tyre, the city of Sidon, and the broader ancient maritime culture sometimes associated with Phoenician trade. The Bible's references are geographically and historically grounded, not symbolic in the first instance.",
  "major_views_note": "Some treatments use Phoenicia broadly for the north Levantine coast, while biblical usage often reaches the region through its principal cities, especially Tyre and Sidon. The core meaning remains a real geographic area rather than a doctrinal concept.",
  "doctrinal_boundaries": "Phoenicia does not establish doctrine by itself. Any theological conclusions should come from the biblical passages that mention it, not from the region as such.",
  "practical_significance": "Phoenicia reminds readers that God's purposes extend beyond Israel's borders. It also shows how prophecy, ministry, and mission intersect with real places and peoples in the biblical world.",
  "meta_description": "Phoenicia in the Bible: an ancient coastal region north of Israel, associated with Tyre and Sidon and mentioned in prophetic and New Testament settings.",
  "public_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/phoenicia/",
  "json_url": "/companion-bible-dictionary/data/dictionary/phoenicia.json",
  "final_disposition": "PUBLISH_CANONICAL"
}