Byblos, also known as Jbeil and Jubayl in Arabic, Gabel in Hebrew, and Gubla in Akkadian, is a historic city in Lebanon. Byblos was founded between 8800 and 7000 BC and continuously inhabited since 5000 BC, transforming from a fishermen's village into an urban center; Byblos was said to have been the first Phoenician city, established by the god Kronos. Byblos became a wealthy Egyptian colony during the Old Kingdom, and Chancellor Bay served as the city's ruler during the Late Bronze Age collapse. During the 11th century BC, Egypt began to favor Tyre and Sidon over Byblos, which became a tributary of the Assyrian ruler Tiglath-Pileser III in 738 BC. Byblos became a Phoenician vassal kingdom under Achaemenid Persian rule from 538 to 332 BC, and Byblos became a center for the cult of Adonis under Macedonian rule and later came under Roman, Islamic, Crusader, Genoese, Ayyubid, Mamluk, Ottoman, French, and Lebanese rule. The Genoese established the castle of Gibelet to defend the city, and Gibelet served as a major crusader stronghold during the Middle Ages. Today, Byblos is a popular destination ofr beachgoers, and its inhabitants are predominantly Maronite Christians, with a minority of Shia Muslims.
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