Divine title given to their chief male gods by the Phoenicians, or Canaanites, of the eastern Mediterranean coast about 1200332 BC. Their worship as fertility gods, often orgiastic and of a phallic character, was strongly denounced by the Hebrew prophets.
Modelled on the French tricolour, the vertical stripes represent liberty and revolution. The almost square proportions of the flag are unusual. Effective date: 23 January 1831.