BryanMaloney
Premium Member
As we know, Hiram I was a Phoenician King and came from Tyre. Another Phoenician settlement was in Byblos. Byblos was a name given by the Greeks. Prior to that, it was known as Gebal - home of the Giblim, or Ghiblim, or perhaps more familiarly, Giblites. The stone-squarers. They worshipped Baal. What has been suggested as a prototype of Solomon's Temple is Melqart's Temple at Tyre, right down to the twin pillars at the entrance. That makes sense, because as you say, the Hebrews were, at that point in history, a nomadic (and extremely warlike) people, who mostly lived in tents. Gebal, on the other hand, is an ancient city. Really ancient - having Neolithic origins.
Gebal probably means "the well"/"the source" + "God", from "GB" + "El"--"The well of God" or "The Source of God". "Ba'al" is not a name, but a word. It means "lord" or "master". Thus, every Phoenician town worshipped some "Ba'al" or another, but not the same "Ba'al".