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This article was prompted by the recent discovery of two more copies of the so-called 'Heliodoros Stele' from Maresha. A second one from Byblos was published in 2015. The third one, re-discovered recently and published here for the first time, also comes from Maresha. The steles bear Seleukos IV's epistolary prostagma from 178 bc to his vizier Heliodoros, and forwarded to other officials with the instruction to display it in public. It contains an appointment of one Olympiodoros to be high priest in Koele Syria and Phoenicia. Both Seleukos IV and Heliodoros also appear in the story of the plundering of the Temple related in II Maccabees 3. The existence of multiple copies, though hardly surprising, made us suspect the king's apologetic tone and identify the 'reform' as an attempt to embellish the withdrawal of previously bestowed privileges on the Jews (so Josephus) as well as on others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The ancient city of Byblos (Jbail, Lebanon) provides one of the primary examples of urban organization in the Mediterranean world. This multimillenary city bears an exceptional testimony to the beginnings of the Phoenician civilization. The site covers an area of 10 ha located along the coast. The present paper deals with the synthetic mapping of the archaeological site and its environment using remote sensing techniques. Very high-resolution imagery is vital for monitoring any archaeological site in its widest context. In the specific case of Byblos, the comparison of the Orbview 3, Ikonos 2 and Geo-Eye 1digital data indicates that a spatial resolution of about half-a-meter is necessary for archaeological purposes and particularly for mapping the walls and the buildings. The use of Corona archive acquired in 1970 allows mapping the archaeological site and its coastal environment before the Lebanese civil war. This multitemporal approach allows us to evaluate the sensitivity of the archaeological site to external factors, such as the coastal erosion, the cliff degradation, and the urban growth. It also helps to better plan the improvement of the site for touristic purposes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The find of an early Mycenaean tholos tomb at Vapheio (Tsountas 1889) brought to light two unusual objects: a seal showing a person in long robes holding a fenestrated ax, and the Vapheio ax, the latter a unique and heavy fenestrated ax with no parallels in the Aegean to date. Scholars from Evans to Maran have argued for a non-Aegean, Levantine origin of this type of ax. This article, therefore, attempts to find the origin of this ax type and to point to its symbolic meaning in the Levant and later in the Aegean. It is argued that the Vapheio ax was a Levantine product produced long before the end of the Middle Bronze Age, sometime between the 20th and late 18th centuries B.C. At least some of the symbolic meaning of the ax as an attribute of rulership in the Levant was transferred to Minoan Crete. By the time the ax, and its related Levantine-inspired iconography, reached Vapheio and was deposited in the tomb, it was a centuries-old ceremonial weapon, and without doubt it was perceived as a formidable symbol of power. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Forty-four Middle Bronze Age I weapons discovered at the sites of Byblos and Tell Arqa in Lebanon were investigated in order to study their copper quality and provenance. The evaluation of copper qualities is based on quantifying permanent inclusions such as copper sulfide and lead globules. The provenance of copper was studied using lead isotope analyses. For further discrimination between copper groups and sources elemental analyses by PIXE were performed on some of the weapons investigated. The results revealed two copper groups that could be qualified as “dirty” copper and “clean” copper. The former was used in most of the weapon types whereas the latter was reserved for items made of high-tin bronzes (>11 wt%) which underwent heavy hammering during the manufacturing process. Even though several potential copper sources were identified, the data point to Iran and Oman as the most probable areas of origin for the metal used in these weapons. These results contribute to the study of inter-regional exchange networks in the ancient Near East. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

Abstract: This paper constitutes a synthesis of a technological investigation on copper base alloy weapons from Byblos. Most of the weapons are typical of the Middle Bronze Age in the Levant. Methods such as metallographic examination and chemical analyses by EDS were used to identify the different stages of the chaîne opératoire used in the making of these weapons. The results reveal precise information regarding the production of several types of weapons such as the type and performance of the moulds used for casting and the deformation process. Furthermore, these results highlight the contribution of economic and cultural factors in the choice of components in a copper base alloy recipe. Finally, the use of silver–copper brazes for joining copper base alloy objects is recorded for the first time for the period and region concerned. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

The article presents an examination into the writings of Rib-Addi, the 14th-century B.C.E. mayor of the ancient city of Byblos, to an Egyptian vassal found within the Amarna tablets. Introductory information is given describing the content and context of the writings. Specific attention is given to the theme of neglect and complaint to the Egyptian Pharaoh Akhenaton seen within the writings.

In this article the author discusses the development of archaeology in Lebanon and the creating of a Lebanese archaeological heritage. It is noted that the beginning of modern archaeological research in Lebanon dates back to the era of the French mandate, when the region was controlled by France. During the period of the mandate a government department devoted to antiquities was established and excavations were launched. According to the article a number of sites were developed including Sidon, Byblos and Tyre.

In this article the author examines aspects of the condition of submarine archaeology in Lebanon. The article focuses on the Phoenicians, their expertise in navigation, and their communities at Tyre, Sidon, Sarepta, Beirut and Byblos. A number of topics are addressed including the maritime research conducted in the region by Honor Frost, a British archaeologist, the unique harbor of the city of Sidon on the Phoenician coast of Lebanon, and trade between the city of Byblos and Egypt during the Bronze Age.

In this article the author examines a prehistoric necropolis and the domestic buildings in Byblos, a community located in the coastal region of Lebanon. Under scrutiny are constructions built during the Chalcolithic period. The central focus of the article is on the prehistoric tradition of lithic tools or stone implements, concurrent with the development of more modern tool production methods, funeral practices and metal working. The overlap of these factors has led to discussion as to whether the Chalcolithic era is a part of the early Bronze Age, or a distinct period between the Neolithic and the Bronze Age.

Newly discovered fragments of text from the mastaba of Khnumhotep at Dahshur belong to a historical inscription describing a conflict between Byblos and Ullaza in the Middle Kingdom, probably during the reign of Senwosret III. The inscription reveals that Byblos was ruled at this time by a king (malku) rather than the "high official" (.ḥȝtj-') who governed under later Egyptian kings, and may offer insight into the reason for this change of governance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article examines the inscriptions written below the rim fragment of a pottery bowl from Tell ed-Duweir which was found in the main hall of the Late Bronze Age Temple. Accordingly, with the fragment being broken off, all the letters appear to be incomplete. The left letter, described as nearly complete, is said to represent a gimel which is closed to the gimel of he spatula inscription from Byblos of the 11th century B.C. if read vertically. The relationship of the fragment from Tell ed-Duweir to the deity Gad is also explored.