Do the Lebanese think that they are ancestors of the Phoenicians?

Question

How do you know that genetically you are not Arabs? Have you done any DNA tests?

What are you genetically then? Phoenicians with Arabic language?

Please give me a break.

Answer 1

Lebanon is the ancient land of Phoenicia & Byblos was the capital...

Like most nations on the planet , Lebanon cannot claim to have an undiluted gene pool but that doesn't mean that it can deny its' heritage either !

That would be like saying the British people are now French or Italian ....both of these nations conquered Britain & occupied it , Rome for 400 years , but the Britain of today is richer in diversity because of its colorful history....

So is Lebanon ....

Answer 2

Theyre were DNA testing done and we're all mixed up now.

get yourself a copy of: " Quest for the phoenicians" and watch it.

But please tell me: why is this of any importance?

Answer 3

Lebanon is a melting pot... Not only culturally, but also genetically. If you take a look at the physical appearance of this people, you will realize that they do not come from one background. However, they have lost track of their history, all that remain is a strong belonging to a "Lebanese" identity, to which an adequate definition has not yet been agreed upon.

The Lebanese constitution had solved the Lebanese- Arab identity on a national concensus that Lebanon is "zou wajeh 3arabi" (i.e. it has an Arab facet)

Whether or not Lebanese are Arabs is an open debate.The easiest argument goes back to the definition of the word "arab". If you mean they speak arabic, then yes; if anything else, then no.

Answer 4

When we say that we're Arabian, we are saying that we don't have the Arabian mentality, as we're opened much more then them, we like to learn more than them, we like to try new things, we can fit to changes, we try to improve ourselves, we don't just stick to traditions, we make them more modern, we can live with different people, and more and more... And about us being Phoenicians, of course we can't all be sure that our ancestors are Phoenicians, as there were so many invasions and misplacement since then, but then again you don't really know what are your roots. And yes we believe that they are our ancestors, if not in blood then in geography and mentality, as we're living while having the same interests as them, in exploring and discovering and traveling and even in commercial trades.

You know, genes aren't everything.

Answer 5

yes...no...maybe...I dunno

Answer 6

Again with this question!! And here i thought it was only the Turkish people that were having an identity crisis! lol anywayss....

@Hallabra: How can you deny there are no Lebanese with Arab blood, that makes no sense!!!! Arabs have come into Lebanon 1,400 years ago and they still live there, they NEVER left, so was the rest of the Middle East ( Egypt, Syria, Palestine, Morocco, Jordan) Its like saying that the Egyptians are Pharohs, the Iraqis are Babylonians and the Palestinians are Phillistines.

The people of North Africa and the Middle East are a MIX of Arabs AND the indigenous people that used to live there before the Arab invasion. You can NOT deny their Arabic heritage as you can not deny there is other heritage as well!!

By the way the indigenenous people of the Middle East before the Arab invasions were of Semetic origin just like the Arabs, so it really wouldn't make such a big difference in their genetics. Its like Europeans getting invaded by other Europeans, they are still of Europoid ancestry.

Edit @Hallabra: I was talking about the origins, Lebanon was originally Phoenician but was conquered by Arabs as the rest of the Middle East  for the past 1,400 years and unlike other invasions that happened to other countries, those Arabs never left Lebanon, they still live there and around the Middle East.  So tell me, how can you say there is no Arab heritage ?

Answer 7

you mean think that their ancestors are phoenicians...

i believe it´s genetic recombination ... so we can be both

Answer 8

Yes.......not only think.......it's a fact...and is about genetic....and has nothing to do with religion or with to be an arab country.

Lebanon is an arab country, bcoz share many things , as the language and bcoz a big part of the pple is muslim, and Islam is the main religion in the Arab World, but genetically  lebaneses arent arabs.

EDIT....Greek Barbie..........I'll not start a polemic here bcoz THAT has not sense, but any person with common sense would have thought that I was talking about the generallity of lebanese people.

With your way of thinking...then we have to say that some lebaneses with german father have german bllod, or if the mother is french have french blood.. Lebaneses are in all the world nowadays....the lebanese diaspora is huge, and i'm part of it...but we arent talking about that now.....we are talking about the origins.

Salam

Answer 9

Greek barbie:  Semitic is a language group, not a race or ethnic group.

Answer 10

yea ofcource and they are ....

Answer 11

Genetically, some are phoenicians, others are not. The phoenicians lived on the coast of mediteranean sea, not in the mountains. The Lebanese of the mountains are from other origin, not arabic, like Syrians.

Phoenicians were a people of the sea. Though, we can say that almost muslim Lebanese (sunni) are from Phoenician origin, even if we often hear the Christians claim that.