The Rise and Fall of the Phoenicians: History of Lebanon (Part One)

[@RareEarthSeries]

This series is thanks entirely to you: www.patreon.com/rareearth ko-fi.com/rareearth

[@LostAtCEE]

Goblekli Tebe in Turkey is dated 12,500 yrs ago

[@meaoude5392]

Nice very nice thank you mate

[@kikivoorburg]

It was a nice pay-off to realise "Lebanon is a Phoenix" wasn't just poetic language, but also refers to the Phoenicians. Amazing work as always!

[@NikhillRao27]

I'm ashamed I didn't catch that one lol

[@FoggyMcFogFace]

In the game EU4, if you manage to survive with the Byzantine Empire (or, Eastern Roman Empire) and then thrive, is known as the "Purple Phoenix". Ah, yes. The Lebanese Lebanon. Now I wonder if poetry also has some of its linguistic roots in Phoenicia somehow.

[@TheWhiteDragon3]

Slight correction: the dye isn't made of the crushed shell, but out of a gland from the snail. You do, however, need to crack open the shell in order to get it.

[@RareEarthSeries]

Thanks!

[@2712animefreak]

You can even see the dude in the clip pulling the gland out.

[@Nyerguds]

Yea, was thinking this too. I recently saw a video on KZbin of someone who had reconstructed the ancient method and recreated the dye.

[@FireAngelZero]

These documentaries are gold, the final evolution of all those documentaries we watched in class…

[@Ratnoseterry]

Level up!

[@Arnisboy]

(Edit:) Evan, the work you and Kata do deserves all the praise it gets, and much more. Every time I finish one of your video essays, I feel a little bit wiser, and a little bit more connected to humanity.

[@ShirinRose]

*Evan. Chris is his dad :)

[@RareEarthSeries]

​ @ShirinRose I suspect it's an inside joke from the early days of the series when everyone called me Chris

[@Arnisboy]

@@RareEarthSeries nope, just poor reading comprehension on my part! Regardless, love your work! I share your vids with all my friends.

[@LiluBob]

I love the fact that you are waxing more and more with lyrical pros and some form of analogy in your writing. It is showing such an eloquence of not only the written, but the spoken word as well. Truly an lost art. I look forward to the next seven installments. ❤

[@SimonGameing]

So excited for this season after your long-form video on the arrest.

[@Perennial_Curiosity]

The what now?

[@SimonGameing]

@@Perennial_Curiosity Two videos back, incredible story, incredible story-telling

[@malcire]

​@@Perennial_Curiosity He got detained as suspected Israeli spy. Scarry stuff. Though also the first time I heard him mention who his father is (the Astronaut who sung Major Tom on the ISS).

[@ArawnOfAnnwn]

@@malcire It's not news to those who've known this channel long enough. It was started for his father, but he later made it his own. His dad still shows up in the media sometimes, just not often enough to maintain an active YT presence.

[@LostAtCEE]

Goblekli Tebe in Turkey is dated 12,500 yrs ago

[@killerrabitofcaerbannog]

"If heaven were a place on earth, we would know it as Lebanon." - My Grandfather

[@mikerouch416]

I think the reason the Lebanese secret police took so long giving you back all your equipment was because they were watching all the documentary stuff on their country.

[@mikerouch416]

Hell I bet they cried when they heard that end monologue

[@firewalkwithjuno5421]

This video was honestly more digestible/interesting than a lot of comparable channels I'm subbed too, glad I found out from Forehead Fables

[@theSpiritScribe]

As an author i HIGHLY appreciate the wonderful prose. Such well-written texts make my heart open up, and i have wanted to learn about the Phoenicians for so long! THANK YOU!

[@TXB81]

We were a loose federation of city-states....fast forward to 2024, we still are "frenemies"... It has always been the case, others see us as phoenicians or Lebanese while we fail to forge a common identity of what makes us Lebanese... Only a Lebanese will understand this lol That said, i love your series, thank you so much Sir

[@evilgirl34]

Can't agree more , it's sad although I am hopeful for the future our people will become more united than ever and raise again better than before.

[@TXB81]

@@evilgirl34 i wish i could be a bit optimistic but I've read too much history. You learn a lot about the future when you read history. We need to have a minimum of nationalism to establish an identity and a nation/country. That minimum is not there as a lot of Lebanese prioritize their religion or their individualism over their love for our country. Moreover, many Lebanese don't even agree on the idea of Lebanon as an independent country. Why so evil girl lol?

[@user-ib4mq7td4v]

Maybe we should go back to being a federation

[@TXB81]

@@user-ib4mq7td4v all 18 confessions have to agree to this... And there must be no single group trying to claim this country for itself or annex it to another external power. It's either we all agree on federalism or on a unified nation with a clear history book and common identity or we disagree (as we are doing now) and we bare the consequences which might lead to war or chaos or the failed state that we are.

[@davidaugustofc2574]

You're practically describing America

[@blueboats]

In all matters great and small I'm always looking for the most incisive factor. It's been 53 years to get to a 10 minute recap of Phoenician pre-history for me to learn is was those trees that made the masts that made the exceptional boats and sailors to go all around the Mediterranean and beyond.

[@redensign24]

rewatching this before I watch part 2, which just dropped. man is this a timely subject. it's incredibly important that people see a kind and curious depiction right now.

[@AbdoSouraya-vt1pn]

As a diaspora Lebanese, looking forward to this! Thanks for mentioning the oft-overlooked (arguably stolen) foundational influence of our people on the West. Subbed and excited for more.

[@jbos5107]

War is so evil, and it's almost always because we want what doesn't belong to us. I look forward to the rest of this series. Thank you. Oh and you look fine in your sweater.

[@gypsybrother-z8q]

...War is so evil...

[@TIWNGAF]

At 1:55 you made a mistake. Lebanon is derived from a semitic root L-B-N, meaning white, and not sumerian. The region got this name because of the white snowy mountain tops. In modern arabic the word for yogurt is derived from the same L-B-N root and called laban.

[@RareEarthSeries]

I had meant Akkadian, as that's the language of the Sumerian epic of Gilgamesh. Sumerian subjects but not the Sumerian language. I'll change it in the combined video. Thanks!

[@TIWNGAF]

@@RareEarthSeries Yeah I thought so, it‘s easy to confuse one with the other because their history and culture are so intertwined. I love your content and storytelling btw, keep up the good work 🫶🏼

[@davisbeauchamp]

Not so dissimilar from meaning and sound of albino yes? Seems it may be a multilingual root word

[@bentleygt3716]

yes. Lebanon is an element of what Phoenix represents . it symbolizes immortality, resurrection and life after death. long live Lebanon. thank you for this little documentary .

[@sarkisw85]

Long Live Lebanon 🇱🇧

[@parvuspeach]

Greetings from far away Lisboa, Phoenicians are credited for the much here, in fact the oldest funeral stellae found here is inscribed with Phoenician alphabet. Thank you for the video.

[@unclejoeoakland]

They gave him a hassle thinking he was an israeli spy and hes giving them eight of these gems. The lebanese government SHOULD hand him a big sack of cash.

[@yidavv]

I swear you guys are more mad at his experience being detained than he was 🤣 quit bitching and enjoy the videos

[@putra4101]

Quit bitching, knowing the situation, Lebanese had every rights to be suspicious. The same thing with Ukrainian.

[@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket]

@@putra4101 If he was held in Ukraine and treated this way AS A RUSSIAN friendly aligned national and they let him go then honestly, sure that's reasonable. But his treatment in Lebanon was literally a mob on the streets grab him and take him to the police for being a tourist in a country that allows tourists. If Lebanon was in a state of war at the time, ok sure he's an American he might MAYBE be a spy; he is taking a lot of photo's, etc. But the thing is as an American we have certain reasonable standards for our guests. They get the same legal rights we do when it comes to due process. If a police officer see's a middle eastern person taking photo's in new york the day after 9\11 the police department would get rightfully sued for violating the freedom of the press, suppression of free speech, wrongful arrest, etc. The office would get qualified immunity and not be personally responsible but the city would end up paying out of pocket for the unreasonable hassle. If he were caught in a restricted area, if the mob grabbed him for illegally operating a drone, these would all have been more reasonable then what happened. Especially once the police WANTED to release him and had to convince the judge, when there was no reasonable grounds for thinking he was a spy to begin with. If you're going to be open to tourists then everyone has a right to bitch and moan, and whine and complain about you treating them unreasonably for being foreigners. If you're that scared close your boarders to tourists. So how about you quit YOUR bitching about people being reasonably annoyed at how a "government" is run.

[@rantlyy]

@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusketdude we’re in a literal war right now, the south is being bombed daily by Israel and a lot of our people have been/still are currently being killed by those scum, you have no idea what we’re going through, our culture/normalities yet somehow feel the right to be so angry for how things escalated? This guy has been to Israel, came to lebanon and lied about that fact after the fact. Which is very well known to be illegal as shit and taken very seriously if you cared to know, since “legality” seems to be something you Americans care about. So please for the love of god shut the fuck up and stop talking about things, cultures and situations you know nothing of. Just because he’s a KZbinr you like doesn’t give him the right to do whatever the fuck he wants and expect not be to questioned about it

[@yidavv]

@@GeorgeWashingtonLaserMusket why do you care so much? Do you live in Lebanon to be affected? Obviously not Once again, quit bitching, you have no reason to care 🤣✌️

[@romanpaladino]

Excellent as usual. Can't wait for part two.

[@matthewgillies7509]

A bit of a detour here, but as a historian I wanted to pass this along: There is a fascinating book by Andrew Lambert called "Seapower States". It details the history of a multitude of historical societies that fit the definition of "Seapower". The Minoans are depicted as one, but the truth of that claim remains to be determined, as often a successor state will claim lineage or influence from another to rationalize their existence. Phoenicia, was seen by Athens as being a successor in that regard to the Minoans as a true sea power, which Athens itself aspired to become---until Sparta said no. The success or failure of a Seapower depends on the neighbours that exist around them, as their principle enemies are invariably the large land empires. The author distinguishes between "Seapower State" and a state having sea power (ie: a powerful navy). The latter is just a manifestation or projection of military might upon the sea, as an extension of the terrestrial and territorial aims of that state. Whereas with a Seapower State everything is about the sea--the sea is their lifeblood, it is the source of their wealth, it is the source of their power and influence, and the whole society is invested and dependent upon it. Sea power is extremely expensive to maintain, and as such these states must have large fleets but often no large armies. The enemies of Seapower States are, as you state in this video, the aggressive and expansionist empires on the mainland. The city of Tyre by being originally an island, maintained some of its independence and maintained its cultural longer than other major cities conquered prior to Alexander's decimation of that city. The Persians needed the Phoenicians as master mariners to project their power abroad across the Mediterranean, and to aid their invasions of Greece. Alexander did not need them. The downfall of Seapower states occurs in several ways: 1. Outside Conquest; 2. Collapse of their Markets or Resource Depletion; 3. Social Disruptions and Changes that undermine their identity and investment in sea power. The author distinguishes several political and national entities that fit the definition of a Seapower, and within the book details what caused their collapse, and largely focuses on Phoenicia, Athens, Carthage, Venice (and some discussion of Genoa and Pisa), Portugal, The Netherlands, and Great Britain. There is also discussion of the mighty trading empires and thalassocracies in what is today modern Indonesia and India, and Japan's halting attempts to become one (and how they undermined this effort by invading mainland Asia). Most of these Seapower States were brought down by external factors, being either invaded or carved up by their neighbours, while Venice lost its power slowly due to the shifting trade markets and were thus eclipsed long before Napoleon finished them off. Whereas the one that collapsed peacefully, Britain, did so because it had shifted into terrestrial domination and bankrupted itself with mainland conflicts, and the final blow occurred when social changes necessitated the cuts to the military to provide healthcare and social services to their society post-WWII. As an aside, despite its massive navy and status as a global superpower, the USA is not considered a Seapower State.

[@Ratnoseterry]

Thanks for the recommendation, sounds right up my alley 👌

[@nhlibra]

The book sounds interesting. The U.S. Navy has world jurisdiction under admiralty law. I found that last statement to be quite surprising, whereas the U.S. is not considered a Seapower State. Just the other day, I heard that the U.S. Navy has decommissioned 47 ships. Apparently there isn't enough staff to run them. Drones are taking over in times of warfare.

[@matthewgillies7509]

@@nhlibra navies exercise domain over nationally-flagged vessels regardless of their location, hence the worldwide jurisdiction. Other navies have similar mandates, and a few law enforcement agencies as well (ie: The Royal Canadian Mounted Police). The USA is not considered a Seapower State as its navy is not the sole means for it to convey power, nor does the USA depend exclusively on maritime trade, nor the control of trade routes to protect its interests. The US Navy generally functions as an extension of its wider terrestrial agenda (ie: supporting ground asserts, and aiding in the projection of American power). In short, the USA behaves more like one of the land empires of yesteryear, and has historically been at odds with Seapower States. The Washington Naval Treaty signed after WWI was an explicit attempt to weaken the world's only remaining Seapower State (Britain), and to prevent the rise of another (Japan)--or so the author argues in his book.

[@nhlibra]

@@matthewgillies7509 Thank you for your reply. I've also heard the Royal Navy has many problems of late, including dysfunctional vessels. We are in different times now. The hegemony of the west is dying.

[@johngalt97]

The healthcare and social services issues in Britain can probably be attributed to the effects of sugar in their diet. They made a fortune on sugar addiction, and heroine, but it ended up ruining their most valuable commodity, their health.

[@Angeler_Merkel]

Slight correction; Carthage wasn’t snuffed out after Pompey subjugated what’s now Lebanon, but a roughly a hundred years before Pompey died. The Roman’s would rebuild it into Carthāgō, a Roman colony build upon the ruins of a Punic and Phoenician City, that became quite wealthy.

[@ethanhare8026]

I read somewhere that the link for Lebanon standing for white was not 100% known. Either white from snow or the ability of its people to drink cows milk which is rare in the region and very advantageous.

[@abelincoln5000]

Beautifully written and spoken narration. Well done.

[@tyros4372]

Looks good looking forward to the next episode 😄

[@KnightToD5]

Maybe I'm missing something, but it seems you said Carthage was destroyed 200 years after Pompey conquered the East. Carthage fell in 146 BC. Pompey was born in 106 BC.

[@twakcz]

I also noticed that. Most likely he switched it up by mistake. Good video nonetheless

[@RareEarthSeries]

Yes, I meant 200 years after Alexander arrived, not Pompey Magnus. Thanks!

[@warrickterry4742]

Thank god I scrolled down, must delete comment.

[@kalrandom7387]

As much as I always enjoy your videos, this got me to put down my game controller. Thanks.

[@Bacopa68]

There's a chain of stores in Houston called Phoenicia Specialty Foods. The Phoenicians are still around.

[@SamBroadway]

An eight parts series I am really looking forward to 👍👍

[@meo8260]

Hopefully the policemen/judge that detained you are watching this series and can be happy that they released you!

[@TdT2211]

Of course you drop this when I have to go! BRB.😊

[@arcanewhiskers2662]

The current Arabic word for yogurt is Laban, and there's a sour cream-like spread we eat called Labaneh. I guess that Sumerian word for white had a big impact

[@recyclebills]

I look forward to the rest of this series.

[@JeffAllison]

Once again, you pull emotions out of history. Please, never stop.

[@das5842]

Thank you, great video and very informative.

[@RapidShotzCS]

Greatttt upload!

[@bernardkho]

I’m Lebanese. This is some of the best content out there which tells our story. Thank you

[@Redmenace96]

"For the sake of brevity, let's jump to 3000 BCE" Ha, ha! Well done, sir.

[@BruceMusto]

Only 2:21 into the video and have already learned several new things I never knew before.

[@koalamanjoe6463]

Such a complex and beautiful, yet marred and violent history of this country. Even today the tailings of these once great empires can be found all over the place. I recall summers in Lebanon exploring the wadis and finding ancient pottery and coins all over the place. Unfortunately Lebanon today is not a country of uniform, progressive ideals and my heritage is what granted me the privilege to explore those places, a privilege that my people would never be willing to grant to foreign historians and archaeologists. And so the history slowly dwindles and withers, like a dying ember being trampled upon by ignorance. My people are not malicious at heart, but they live their days in a state of desperation, and when they can gatekeep ancient history to be able to sell those artifacts and keep food in their children’s bellies, the idealism of historical preservation is not even an afterthought to them.

[@brandoncootss]

Sending hate from general Sam and the forehead fables podcast lmao 🤘🏼

[@ICircuit64]

Our favourite Israeli spy is finally sharing his intel

[@holydoggo4822]

What a time to get this video, god(s) save Lebanon

[@timmeasures2694]

It would be a good time for another video. To humanize the situation while the Israeli bought media is busy dehumanizing the situation!

[@PCGamerDotNet]

YOU WERE AMAZING ON FOREHEAD FABLES!!! IM SO GLAD TO HAVE FOUND YOU FROM THE SAM'S

[@Davivd2]

8:59 what's that pyramid structure in the back ground?

[@nocreothatyoumichechtentie1492]

I like the shoutouts to local places :)

[@williamsurname4669]

I am very exited for the other 7.

[@alfastur6833]

11:22 Carthage was already destroyed before Rome got to Lebanon, not after.

[@sypialnia_studio]

5:22 why is the menu on the right side written in Polish?? That's quite unexpected!

[@RareEarthSeries]

I would guess that because the Cedars of God are a pilgrimage site for super religious tourists and Polish people tend to be rather religious.

[@sypialnia_studio]

@RareEarthSeries I'm polish, my mother-in-law is very religious and I have never heard about anyone including her to talk about a pilgrimage places in Lebanon. Very cool to know, another reason to visit this amazing country!

[@pingnick]

Man a museum operator in such times- well maybe better than in some past decades…

[@narvuntien]

The memory of time museum is featured in one of my favourite books, "full ciricle" a long with a random pond in my home city of Perth, Australia.

[@alistairmcdonald2382]

There is way more to learn about the cedar of Lebanon ! It truly is a divine tree created by the creator for his divine purpose ! I did have the privilege of delving deeply into the revelation of the cedar of Lebanon & ended up with a book an inch thick 😳 never ending.

[@papanoodle838]

loved your episode on the forehead fables you could take on the late Byrons spot as a cohost you kinda look like him but you can speak

[@zhuofanzhang9974]

I'm glad it's due to coffee... after 1 month of no videos, I thought some Lebanon Detention Part 2 had happened

[@JrgPt96]

Damn, covering the Phoenicians in just one part of this series, that must mean the rest is going to be really dense too!

[@MartinD9999]

Dayum. That sunk my whole chest in!

[@Bruno.420]

I believe this is My fav KZbin channel 🙌🏻 amazing video as always

[@gypsybrother-z8q]

I second that emotion! 🙌💫

[@marcopeterson805]

My brother in Christ, 15 seconds in, and you already butchered Jbeil in a splendid and inconceivable way. Bravo

[@RareEarthSeries]

Hahahah pronouncing things is my specialty thanks - I'll fix it in the longer episode Edit: unless you mean my opening line of Gebal, and that's not Jbeil but rather the older name Jbeil is based off of

[@yidavv]

😂

[@Redmenace96]

It is so much fun when the pronunciation police show up! Was there ever a doubt in your mind, marcopeterson, what he meant? Did you understand the name? I did. Understood the context and his attempt. Never occured to me to correct him so he could speak more like me.

[@2712animefreak]

Gebal is the reconstructed Phoenician pronunciation for it. He might have been going for that.

[@2712animefreak]

@@RareEarthSeries Like I've said to the OP, Gebal is the reconstructed Phoenician pronunciation for the name. I think you should keep it.

[@Cletus_the_Elder]

May Lebanon rise again.

[@gardnep]

Thanks, Evan and Kata, the best travel channel on the tube. So glad it was not deleted. A million snails are celebrating. Thanks.

[@wokenessaplague5387]

U sure it's the 2 longest one not third ?

[@zeldamage001]

what do you mean, first of eight? Wasn't the vid about the trees also about Lebanon?

[@RareEarthSeries]

Yes, but this is the first episode that will be combined into a longform piece. It will include some of the trees episode spliced in, though.

[@zeldamage001]

@@RareEarthSeries ah okay. I like the references to older vids, refreshes my memory. Love your vids!

[@WillHuizenga]

It's pretty there. If they could get their terrorism under control they could become rich off tourism.

[@floridaman697]

Great video. Comment for the algorithm

[@jueneturner8331]

Just curious: is there a place where you tell why you chose the title "Rare Earth" for your series / channel?

[@Mattytime]

To be honest, with those sunglasses and beard you do kinda look like a spy.

[@msk806]

Thank you

[@Cedawood]

Ya HABIBI LEBANON ❤❤❤

[@contrafax]

That was very interesting.

[@patnafs]

How is it going with Don Cesso, the saviour? (well, i am the same :( )

[@versebuchanan512]

You ever look at the foundations of a ruin and think about who the last person to be in that room was, when it still had walls and was a room? What they were doing or thinking as they left it, the one to be there before it fell?

[@saturnguytwelvesg127]

I was there!

[@carljacobson7156]

The most practical and scientifically provable theory on the fall of the Bronze Age Civilizations of the eastern Mediterranean was a several centuries long drought, which likely caused famines and then social collapse. The Sea Peoples directed their migration directly at the Egyptian Nile Delta, which was where the largest river in Africa emptied into the Mediterranean Sea. They were seeking WATER!

[@eddych2025]

thank you well said

[@fireaza]

Now the Phoenicians can get down to business!

[@wpattison]

Some of the best content around - thank you again for bringing history and much more to everyone.

[@nedreow3722]

Quick correction, the roman conquest of Carthage came about 80 years before their conquest of Lebanon, not 200 years later.

[@BrandanLee]

Knowledge is knowing Canada's best export is rare earth. Wisdom is knowing Canada's best export is Rare Earth.

[@matthewtopping2061]

Expertly produced and beautifully shot video. As a geography nut, this channel often fills in the gaps that GeographyNow can't help but leave open.

[@thomcarr7021]

Those people who lived over 10,000 years ago had no idea about how long ago it was. Most felt they were living in modern times.

[@ergodoy7741]

Your videos are beautiful, full of dense information presented in a rhythmic easy-going manner. I look forward to the rest of your series, but alas, few will grasp the historical and geopolitical context, this is like a grad student seminar; when I shared it with my sister, she liked the cinematography, but she had to say about your commentary was "man can that guy talk". :) Keep up the great work.

[@steverob5]

#ThankThePhoenicians

[@bluwasaabi]

Thanks Evan! 💥 wonderful episode ~ can't wait for the next❤🇱🇧

[@sheilam4964]

Thx for filming this and sharing it with us.

[@bungalo50]

Long live the Phoenix

[@arailway8809]

We don't get enough of this in school. Thanks for your good work.

[@nicoleorton5299]

Crazy cool! This was fascinating! Thank you for your work. New sub.

[@zacharybednarz505]

im here leaving my hate comment as requested, sending much hate

[@sparkyin3d]

I so enjoyed this ❤! Looking forward to more!

[@zaidmurtaza9280]

👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽👏🏽 great episode once again!

[@timmeasures2694]

It would be a good time for another video. To humanize the situation while the Israeli bought media is busy dehumanizing the situation!

[@RareEarthSeries]

We spilled an entire cup of coffee on our editing computer or it would have been out Saturday but it's dry now so should be asap

[@larsstougaard7097]

Cool

[@SonofSethoitae]

Sorry, but is there a citation for the claim that the Phoenicians gave the Greeks "their pantheon and much of their ancient culture"?

[@THEBIGTFAF]

I want to thank you, europeans think that their culture simply sprouted independently, but realty is the history of europe and the middleast is part of the same continuous story.

[@thecrazy8888]

I don't understand why this channel doesn't have more subs. Maybe the rhythm is a bit slow for some? The voice only audio is monotonous to my wife.

[@MartianInDisguise]

Poor snails 😞

[@user-be1jx7ty7n]

Always love your videos, and as part of the Lebanese diaspora this series will be extra special, thank you 🇧🇷❤🇱🇧

[@rayanbay]

Sidonian 🦈💜