SANCHUNIATHON (Gr.

See also:

• FORM (Lat. forma)

form of Phoenician Sakkun-yathon, " the

See also:

• GOD

god Sakkun has given ")  , an ancient Phoenician sage, who belongs more to legend than to history . He is said to have flourished " even before the Trojan times," " when Semiramis was queen of the Assyrians." Philo Herennius of Byblus claimed to have translated his mythological writings from the Phoenician originals . According to Philo, Sanchuniathon derived the sacred lore from the mystic inscriptions on the 'AµµovveZI (probably hammdnim, " sun pillars," cf . Is. xxvii . 9, &c.) which stood in the Phoenician temples . That any writings of Sanchuniathon ever existed it is impossible to say . Philo drew his traditions from various sources, adapted them to suit his purpose, and conjured with a venerable name to gain credit for his narrative . Porphyry says that Sanchuniathon (here called a native of Byblus) wrote a history of the Jews, based on information derived from Hierombal (i.e . Jeruba'al), a priest of the god Jevo (i.e . Yahveh, Jehovah), and dedicated it to Abelbal or Abibal, king of Berytus . The story is probably a pure invention; the reference to Berytus shows that it is late . See Eusebius, Praep .

Ea. i . 9 (Muller, Fragm. hist . Graec. iii. pp . 563 foil.) .