Bterram Phoenician Sanctuary: Eshmunit Architecture by Dr. Aksam Merched

The Phoenician tombs

The Phoenicians buried their dead in various types of tombs which were used for both
cremation or inhumation. The graves were designed for individuals or collective use.
Among the widely employed variety for individual burial was the fossa grave, a
shallow oblong pit excavated in the soil or Rock. Then comes the shaft graves
consisting of a narrow vertical well or rectangular shaft, which was typically enlarged
at the base to accommodate the burial. The final category of grave was the built or
rock-cut underground chamber tomb or hypogeum. The hypogea were either
excavated or built and accessed by a shaft of a stepped open-air ramp or dromos.

The tombs of the Phoenicians were, most usually, underground constructions, either
simple excavations in the rock, or subterranean chambers, built of hewn stone, at the
bottom of sloping passages, or perpendicular shafts, which gave access to them. The
simpler kinds bear a close resemblance to the sepulchres of the Jews. A chamber is
opened in the rock, in the sides of which are hollowed out, horizontally, a number of
caverns or /loculi/, each one intended to receive a corpse. If more space is needed, a
passage is made from one of the sides of the chamber to a certain distance, and then
a second chamber is excavated, and more /loculi/ are formed; and the process is
repeated as often as necessary (1).

Eshmunit the Eight?

According to Dr Aksam Merched, the architecture of the Eshmunit sanctuary in eight rooms could reveal the secret meaning of its
name. The word “Thamanyat” (Arabic), “Shmun” (Copt) or "Shmona" (Hebrew) means eight. Eshmunit could be variation of El
shamaniat "the Eight" referring to the eight rooms of the sanctuary.

Similarly, Al-Eshmunein which is an ancient town of Egypt known throughout history as an important center of worship means
"Town of the Eight". The ancient Greeks bestowed on it the name Hermopolis. Eight refers to the Ogdoad, which is one of the
creation myths of ancient Egypt and relates to the moon-god Djehuti (also known as Thaut, Thoth, Tehuti, etc…), who was
worshipped in the same city. The Ogdoad consists of four gods and four goddesses, and personify the primordial cosmic elements,
which created the first human Djehuti, the father of humanity. It was believed that the first sunrise emerged over the place and
created the world then after.