Religion and Culture

The Sidonians worshiped several Phoenician deities, notably Astarte and Eshmun. Royal inscriptions show that temple building and priestly service were important to the monarchy.

The Temple of Eshmun near Sidon was a major sanctuary. Inscriptions associated with Eshmunazar II and Bodashtart illuminate its development.

Sidonians spoke Phoenician, a Northwest Semitic language related to Hebrew. Phoenician writing and maritime culture helped spread alphabetic traditions throughout the Mediterranean.