Apostles won souls among the gentiles of Phoenicia, greatly cheered by their warm reception of Jesus' teachings. [1] Beth-Marion, a Phoenician woman, became so fanatical that she almost drowned trying to walk on water and was sent away by her friends. [2] Phoenicians believed snakes to be the mouthpiece of evil spirits, leading to the reverence of reptiles in various cultures. [3] The Phoenicians employed crucifixion as punishment, a method later adopted by the Greeks and Romans, but not used on Roman citizens. [4] Jesus’ 18th appearance to believers at Tyre brought a message of salvation and the requirement to bear the fruits of the divine spirit. [5]
The Phoenicians were known to have offered their first-born as sacrifice, a practice rooted in the ancient tradition of dedicating the first fruits to the spirits. [6] The influential Jews, Babylonians, Phoenicians, and Carthaginians were all part of an older Semitic race, strategically positioned for trade. [7]
The Phoenicians were a superior and well-organized group of mixed Semites, blending hereditary factors from almost all world races, ruling the western section of Palestine. [8] The Phoenicians considered swine sacred to them, while cows were revered by the Hindus. [9]
See also: UB 133:6.2.