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The religious practices and beliefs of Phoenicia were generally common to those of their neighbors in [[Canaanite religion|Canaan]], which in turn shared characteristics common throughout the [[Ancient Semitic religions|ancient Semitic world]].{{sfnp|Moscati|1957|loc=e.g., p. 40 & 113}}{{sfnp|Smith|1956|pages=1–15}} Religious rites were primarily for city-state purposes; payment of taxes by citizens was considered in the category of religious sacrifices.{{sfnp|Gaster|1965|pp=113–143, 114–5}} The Phoenician sacred writings known to the ancients have been lost.{{sfnp|Harden|1962|pp=83–4}}
Several Canaanite practices are alleged in ancient sources and mentioned by scholars, such as [[temple prostitution]]{{sfnp|Brandon|1970|pages=512–513}} and [[child sacrifice]].{{sfnp|Brandon|1970|page=448}} Special sites known as "Tophets" were allegedly used by the Phoenicians "to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire," and are condemned by Yahweh in the Hebrew Bible, particularly in ''[[Jeremiah]]'' 7:30–32, and in ''[[Books of Kings|2nd Kings]]'' 23:10 and 17:17. Later scholarship differs. William Dever
[[Canaanite religion|Canaanite religious mythology]] does not appear as elaborate as their Semitic cousins in Mesopotamia. In Canaan the supreme god was called [[El (god)|El]] (𐤀𐤋, "god").{{sfnp|Brandon|1970|page=258 ("El")}} The son of El was [[Baal]] (𐤁𐤏𐤋, "master", "lord"), a powerful [[Dying-and-rising deity|dying-and-rising]] [[storm god]].<ref>Here, Baal was used instead of the storm god's name [[Hadad]]. {{harvp|Brandon|1970|pages=315, 28, 124}}</ref> Other gods were called by royal titles, such as [[Melqart]], meaning "king of the city",{{sfnp|Moscati|1957|pages=113–4}} or [[Adonis]] for "lord".{{sfnp|Brandon|1970|pages=29–30}} Such epithets may often have been merely local titles for the same deities.
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