Byblos

Byblos, also known as Jbail or Jbeil, is an ancient city in the Keserwan-Jbeil Governorate of Lebanon, about 42 km (26 mi) north of Beirut. The area is believed to have been first settled between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC. Urbanization is thought to have begun during the third millennium BC, making it one of the oldest cities in the world, if not the oldest. It is a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Its layers of human dwelling make it a strong attraction for archaeologists. The initial excavation was conducted by Ernest Renan in 1860, followed by Pierre Montet from 1921 to 1924 and then by Maurice Dunand, who dug from 1925 for forty years. Dunand divided the prehistoric settlements into five periods, later recalibrated by Yosef Garfinkel. The earliest phase, with plastered floors, is dated between 8800 and 7000 BC, and a later Neolithic phase between 6400 and 5800 BC is represented by pottery, sickle blades and figurines. In the 3rd millennium BC the first signs of a town appear, with well-built houses of uniform size, when Canaanite civilization began to develop.

During its history Byblos was invaded by many peoples, including Egyptian, Assyrian, Persian, Hellenistic, Roman, Umayyad, Abbasid, Genoese, Ayyubid, Mamluk and Ottoman forces. In the Crusades its name appeared in Western records as Gibelet, used for Byblos Castle and its lordship.

The name appears as kbnj in Egyptian hieroglyphic records going back to the pharaoh Sneferu, and as Gubla in the Akkadian Amarna letters. In the 1st millennium BC it appeared in Phoenician inscriptions as Gebal. It seems to derive from words for "well" and "god", meaning "Well of the God" or "Source of the God". The Greeks called it Byblos, and it was important for their import of papyrus from Egypt, to the extent that "byblos" came to mean "papyrus" in Greek. The English word "Bible" ultimately derives from the city's Greek name.

Legend gives it an even earlier origin. Fragments attributed to the semi-legendary Phoenician priest Sanchuniathon say Byblos was the first city erected in Phoenicia and was established by the god Cronus. Philo of Byblos, quoting Sanchuniathon, says it was founded by the Phoenician god El, whom the Greeks identified with Cronus.

The name appears as kbnj in Egyptian hieroglyphic records going back to the 4th-dynasty pharaoh Sneferu (fl. 2600 BC) and as Gubla (𒁺𒆷) in the Akkadian cuneiform Amarna letters to the 18th-dynasty pharaohs Amenhotep III and IV. In the 1st millennium BC, its name appeared in Phoenician and Punic inscriptions as Gebal (𐤂𐤁𐤋, gbl); in the Hebrew Bible as Geval (גבל); and in Syriac as gbl (ܓܒܠ). Eusebius' Onomasticon stated that Byblos was called "Gobel / Gebal" in Hebrew. The name seems to derive from gb (𐤂𐤁, "well") and ʾl (𐤀𐤋, "god"), the latter a word that could variously refer to any of the Canaanite gods or to their leader in particular. The name thus seems to have meant the "Well of the God" or "Source of the God".

Its present Arabic name Jubayl (جبيل) or J(e)beil is a direct descendant of these earlier names, although apparently modified by a misunderstanding of the name as the triliteral root gbl or jbl, meaning "mountain". When the Arabic form of the name is used, it is typically rendered Jbeil, Jbail, or Jbayl in English. All of these, along with Byblos, are etymologically related. During the Crusades, this name appeared in Western records as Gibelet or Giblet. This name was used for Byblos Castle and its associated lordship.

The Phoenician City, known to the Greeks as Býblos (Βύβλος) and to the Romans as Byblus, was important for their import of papyrus out of Ancient Egypt – to the extent that "byblos" came to mean "papyrus" in Greek. The English word "Bible" ultimately derives from the Greek name of the city, Βύβλος ('Βύblos / Byblos').