ABSTRACT
Berytus is situated on a narrow coastal plain but on a promontory which juts into the sea. From the city one may see both the Mediterranean Sea and the ridge of inland mountains which are frequently snow-capped. On the east, it is mostly shut off from the interior by the ‘backbone’ of the Lebanon Mountain. Beyond the Lebanon Mountain lies the fertile Biqaa Valley which is in turn backed by the Anti-Lebanon Mountain. 1 Thus, historically, communication to and from Berytus has been less arduous along the north-to-south axis of the coast road than on the east-to-west axis running into the interior. 2 However, roads through the mountain passes facilitated interaction with Heliopolis (Baalbek) and Damascus. The Mediterranean Sea provided access to cities which were less accessible by the land route. The nearby cities of Byblos (modern Jubayl or Jbeil) to the north and Tyre and Sidon to the south have had close political, religious, and economic ties with Berytus. 3
