Paulo Coelho has again come up with a book about fulfilling one’s destiny like that of “The Alchemist”, where the setting is both in the Middle East Asia and where the main character is in quest far from his country. However, this book is biblical and historical turned inspirational. Coelho never fails to attach his inspiring words of wisdom through the different characters and different circumstances faced.
The novel is about Elijah, a Tishbite from Tishbe who was on his early youth and a biblical character famously known as an anointed prophet who delivered Israel from Jezebel and from the Phoenician god, Baal. Coelho tried to come up with an expounded story behind Elijah’s story of triumph on Mount Carmel when fire burnt his offerings for the Lord and the believers of Baal shifted their beliefs to the One God. Coelho showed how Elijah fulfilled the destiny God designed for his life; how he confronted his weaknesses and doubts and how he deal with his strengths, love and faith.
The setting of the story was in the ninth century BCE. In history, princes are married to princesses of other countries in order to maintain peace and prevent war. In this case, Israel’s King Ahab was married to Phoenician Princess Jezebel. People then believe that this would help so that these two countries: Israel and Phoenicia (now Lebanon) would not declare war on each other. But according to the Bible, God was not pleased with this because Princess Jezebel ordered in Israel the worship of the Phoenician God, Baal or be executed. God’s word came to Elijah and told it to King Ahab and Princess Jezebel that until Baal was worshipped there would never be dew or a rain in the region. Since that, the execution of prophets was ordered. Elijah went, according to God's direction, to "the Kerith Ravine, east of Jordan, and stayed there. When the prophesied drought dried up the brook, God sent him to live with a widow in Zarephath in Phoenicia which its inhabitants called Akbar. There he remained for over two years. During his time there, he miraculously provided a food supply during the famine, and raised the widow’s son, who had died from an illness. This time was actually used by Elijah to prepare for his mission. This was also where he faced his doubts and weaknesses as a prophet. It was inspiring because with my impression of Elijah who was so anointed and triumphant from the Bible, Coelho showed that even prophets have doubts of their selves and have weaknesses. The manner he faced and fulfilled his destiny was the more inspiring story. It just showed that there are really stages in life and in fulfilling one’s destiny.
The picture below showed the location of Zeraphath along with other ancient Phoenician cities like Tyre, Sidon and Byblos. This place was where the most part of the novel revolve. After his two years of preparation in Akbar, God call him to fulfill his mission and to perform a miracle in Mt. Carmel (also shown in the map).
In most of Coelho’s novels he never failed to discuss some sort of history and geography. In this book, aside from Elijah he tackled Phoenicia or what is now Lebanon.
King Solomon of Israel who in his time had foreign wives including that in Phoenicia, allowed the modernization of Phoenicia’ s merchant fleet and the expansion of trade. This had a positive effect in Phoenicia because since then its economy started to grow. More to that, generations before Sidon and Tyre had traded cedars, a kind of tree now commonly seen in the western Himalaya and the Mediterranean region, with King Solomon. As a return, King of Tyre received 20 cities in Galilee but was not satisfied. So, King Solomon helped them construct their first ship. Then, Phoenicia became the largest fleet in the world since 1200 BC and according to an online source Wikipedia, a free encyclopedia, even until Phoenicia was conquered by Cyrus the Great in 539 BC.
Phoenicia established trade routes from different parts of the Mediterranean as far as Spain and Atlantic Ocean. The products they carried are glass, cedar, weapons, iron and ivory. One of the things that I’ve learned from this book is that alphabet actually originated from Lebanon but these letters are mostly consonants. It was the Greeks who added vowels and labeled it as “alphabet”. Furthermore, they called their parchment “Biblia” in honor of the Phoenician city Byblos where the invention occurred. The book shows civilization in the region and how it was deciphered to other nations. Through trade to other nations, they were able to make literacy possible to the world. Aside from that, Phoenicians were actually adept and intellectuals. In fact, they were very much familiar with numbers and one of them is Pythagoras (Phoenicia Encyclopedia, 2007), first pure mathematician and an important figure in the development of mathematics. He is also known for his Pythagorean Theorem used in mathematics. Aside from that, Phoenicians are also good in astronomical calculations.
When it comes to economy of Phoenicia, particularly in Akbar/Zarephath where Elijah was sent and lived with a widow and her son, the book described it as with fairer system of taxation, improved streets of the city, administered intelligently the profits from the imports or merchandise and had the reputation of producing one of the finest wines in the world. As the reader could see it, Akbar was a well managed city by scholars, priests and governors with an advance system of government.
On the other hand, Israel and Phoenicia had a very contrasting perspective and belief in their religion. Israel is monotheist who worshipped a One God whom they do not know the name. On the other hand, Phoenicia is a polytheist who worshipped different gods and Baal was the supreme of all, being the ruler of the universe and lord of the earth.
The climax of the novel was the Assyrian invasion. In history, Assyrians are Semitic people from the northern part of Mesopotamia (World Civilization, Mesopotamia). The Assyrian invasion killed the widow and her son was left to Elijah while he was still in Phoenicia. The invasion also destroyed the city of Akbar and the other cities. The novel showed the rebuilding of the city after the tragedy. It’s like that tragedies do happen but that one has to stand up again to continue in life. It was historical but it could have a personal meaning that implies in it. The book ended on the physical and emotional restoration of the people of Akbar, but the history continues. According to the last pages of the novel, the son of the widow ruled in Akbar though he died young in the peek of his years. Phoenicia experienced a series of invasion but it was 160 years before Akbar was invaded by the Assyrian King Sennacherib. From that time, Phoenicia never recovered and experienced more series of invasion from the Neo-Babylonians, Persians, Macedonians, Seleucids and by Rome. Coelho noted that Tyre, Sidon and Byblos are still part of today’s Lebanon and are still a battlefield. In fact, just few years ago Israel declared war on Lebanon. It is sad to think that because of some geographical features, place becomes a battlefield. It was also sad that though Lebanon had advance system of government and facilities in those years but until now they haven’t recovered.
History goes on. Lebanon had been under the administration of the Ottoman empire from 1516 to 1918. Then in 1920, General Gouraud, head of the French troops in the Levant, called it as “Grand –Liban” (Great Lebanon). Lebanon remained under the French Mandate until November 26,1941. They celebrate their independence day on November 22, 1943.
Like what Coelho connotes, contemporary Lebanon still is a melting pot with a diverse cultural heritage because of its geography. The unstable economy of the surrounding countries caused Lebanon to experience large waves of immigration from neighboring countries and attracted thousands of skilled laborers, entrepreneurs and intellectuals. Its entrepreneurs still play a major role in their economy. In addition, “Lebanon’s democratic traditions, attachment to freedom of speech and expression and its educated population enabled the Republic to become the cultural, academic and medical center of the region.” (Lebanon, n.d)
Geography plays a significant role in Lebanon’s history and economy. Like what the theory of economic geography, study of spatial aspects of economic activities on various scales, proximity to certain geographical features affects the economy. An example is access to the sea and the presence of raw materials like oil affects the economic conditions.
Ancient Lebanon or Phoenicia can be regarded for its inventions, advanced knowledge in science and in commerce. Although now, economically speaking, Lebanon had been left behind by the other countries in Asia in particular, but they still foster their ancient strengths and abilities.
Sources:
Paulo Coelho (1998). The Fifth Mountain.
Lebanon. Retrieved at http://www.lebanonembassyus.org/Kids/History.htm last March 16, 2007.
