Not only were the gods of the Greeks the deified kings of Atlantis, but we also find that the mythology of the Phoenicians was drawn from the same source.
The Titans and Phoenician Cosmogony
In the Phoenician cosmogony, the Titans (Rephaim) derive their origin from the gods Agrus and Agrotus. This connects the Phoenicians with the island in the remote west, in the midst of the ocean, where, according to the Greeks, the Titans dwelt.
According to Sanchoniathon, Ouranos was the son of Autochthon, and, according to Plato, Autochthon was one of the ten kings of Atlantis.
Ouranos married his sister Ge, and in Phoenician mythology, Ouranos had by Ge four sons: Ilus (El), who is called Chronos, Betylus (Beth-El), Dagon (signifying bread-corn), and Atlas (Tammuz?). These four sons likely represented four races, the offspring of the earth.
Ouranos and Chronos
In the Phoenician myths, Ouranos attempted to kill the children he had by Ge due to jealousy. Chronos raised a rebellion against Ouranos and, after a great battle, dethroned him. This mirrors the Greek legend where Zeus overthrows his father, Chronos. The Phoenician god Ouranos had a daughter named Astarte (Ashtoreth) and another called Rhea. Dagon, after discovering bread-corn and the plow, was called Zeus-Arotrius.
Poseidon and Other Connections
The Phoenician legends also mention Poseidon, founder and king of Atlantis. Chronos gave Attica to his daughter Athena, similar to the Greek legends. During a time of plague, Chronos sacrificed his son to Ouranos and circumcised himself, compelling his allies to do the same. This ancient rite, practiced by the Atlantidae of both the Old and New Worlds, dates back to Atlantis.
Taaut and the Alphabet
Chronos traveled to different regions of the habitable world, giving Egypt as a kingdom to the god Taaut, who invented the alphabet. The Egyptians called him Thoth, and he was depicted as “the god of letters, the clerk of the under-world,” bearing a tablet, pen, and palm-branch. This not only connects the Phoenicians with Atlantis but also shows the relationship between Egyptian civilization and both Atlantis and the Phoenicians.
Shared Mythological Figures
The royal personages who formed the gods of Greece were also the gods of the Phoenicians.
Autochthon, Atlas, and Poseidon appear in both Greek and Phoenician legends.
The Phoenician figures Mestor and Mneseus correspond to Misor and Amynus.
The Cabiri set down records of the past by the command of Taaut, passing them on to foreigners, including Isiris (Osiris), the inventor of the three letters, and the first Phoenician. This suggests that the Phoenicians may have descended from an older race that contributed significantly to early civilization.
Linguistic Connections
Max Müller states, “The Semitic languages also are all varieties of one form of speech. Though we do not know that primitive language from which the Semitic dialects diverged, yet we know that at one time such language must have existed.” This highlights the linguistic connections among the ancient civilizations.
Erythraean Sea and Migration
There was an ancient tradition among the Persians that the Phoenicians migrated from the shores of the Erythraean Sea. This may refer to the Atlantic coast of Spain, rather than the Persian Gulf. The city of Erythia, built long before Gades, was on the Atlantic coast of Spain. The Greek mythology places the tenth labor of Hercules in the island of Erythea, beyond the Pillars of Hercules.
Cultural and Commercial Influence
The Phoenicians, like the builders of Central American cities, practiced human sacrifices, worshipped fire and water, used the totemic system, and had extensive trade networks. Their colonies and trading posts spanned from the Black Sea through the Mediterranean to the west coast of Africa, Spain, and around to Ireland and England. This extensive network represents the area of the old Atlantean Empire.
Re-discovery of Atlantis
When Columbus sailed to discover the New World, he took his departure from a Phoenician seaport. This Atlantean sailor reopened the path of commerce and colonization, closed since Atlantis sank. Columbus even thought he was approaching the earthly Paradise when he reached the mouth of the Orinoco.
Conclusion
The Phoenician gods and their myths show a deep connection to the kings and legends of Atlantis. The learning of Egypt, Greece, and Judea, as claimed by Sanchoniathon, was derived from the Phoenicians. This connection supports the idea that the Phoenicians succeeded the Atlanteans in their arts, sciences, and commercial supremacy, maintaining the legacy of a once-great civilization that bridged the Old and New Worlds.
“Upon the Syrian sea the people live Who style themselves Phoenicians. . . . These were the first great founders of the world— Founders of cities and of mighty states— Who showed a path through seas before unknown. In the first ages, when the sons of men Knew not which way to turn them, they assigned To each his first department; they bestowed Of land a portion and of sea a lot, And sent each wandering tribe far off to share A different soil and climate. Hence arose The great diversity, so plainly seen, ‘Mid nations widely severed.”
—Dyonysius of Susiana, A.D. 300.
