It is not an exaggeration to say that Brian Peckham’s dying wish was the publication of this book. As it became clear that his time was very limited, the manuscript was of the utmost concern to him and I am very honored that Brian entrusted me with the task of making sure it came to fruition.
When asked what Brian’s book is about, my response in short is that he has managed to document every place that a Phoenician set foot. Brian followed the Phoenicians through time and space as they left their mark on the various places to which they sailed. His expansive knowledge of the history, linguistics, epigraphy, politics, economics, and religions of the ancient Near East makes this work a truly comprehensive examination of the Phoenicians’ economic, religious, and social relationships with their neighbors.
In some ways, Brian’s scholarship has come full circle. Although his range of expertise was diverse and he published on a number of subjects, his very first and very last book, written some 40 years apart, both concentrate on the Phoenicians.
Brian’s death is a major loss to scholarship, to his students, and to his friends. To his students, he was an inspirational teacher, who gave them the confidence to pursue their own insights. To his friends, he was caring, funny, and engaged in their lives. I am very privileged to have known Brian as both teacher and friend, and I sincerely hope that any contribution I have made to this volume reflects the profound influence he had upon me.
The description of the Phoenicians in his introduction as “welcoming waves of newcomers, the displaced and adventurers, by teaching them what [they] learned, and by looking for their learning in return” is an apt description of Brian himself. He was not possessive of his knowledge and ideas but openly shared them and yet often remarked how much he constantly learned from others, his students in particular. He was a dedicated and devoted teacher and friend, whose unique character and selfless giving had an impact on all those around him. His modesty prevented him from readily accepting the accolades and expressions of appreciation that he so deserved. He was a mentor to many and believed in the pursuit of knowledge as being valuable in and of itself. Brian’s generosity of spirit will be truly missed.
I am grateful to the people at Eisenbrauns, particularly Jim Eisenbraun, Beverly McCoy, Andrew Knapp, and Gina Hannah, who went to extraordinary lengths to help fulfill Brian’s wish for the publication of this book. It is wonderful that both scholars and students who knew Brian and those who have yet to discover his valuable work will have access to his most recent scholarship—scholarship that incorporates a lifetime of study of the Phoenicians.
—Adina Levin