Byblos

Byblos has played an extraordinary role in the history of the Mediterranean. From c. 3200 BC, it developed into the preeminent port of the region due to its strategic location at the foot of the cedar forests of Mount Lebanon and its unique connections with the pharaohs of Egypt. An important religious centre, Byblos was referred to as a Holy City in Hellenistic and Roman times. The city is synonymous with writing, a legacy that lives on through the Greek word for book. With a history that reaches back nearly 8500 years, this Lebanese coastal city is among the oldest continuously inhabited cities in the world.

Byblos, Gateway to the World is the first scholarly companion to be published on this remarkable city. This lavishly illustrated volume presents the newest archaeological discoveries and a thorough assessment of previous scholarship. Its 43 chapters, written by leading international experts, examine the city’s history from its beginnings through to the Medieval period. These present the current state of scholarship to readers interested in the history of the Mediterranean world, as well as to scholars and students.

This book is a coproduction between the National Museum of Antiquities, The Netherlands, and the Ministry of Culture/Directorate General of Antiquities, Lebanon. It is published to accompany a major exhibition in the Dutch National Museum of Antiquities on the city of Byblos.