(fl. 10th century B.C.E.) Ruler in Phoenicia, modern Lebanon
Abibaal was active during the reign of SHOSHENQ I (r. 945–924 B.C.E.) of the Twenty-second Dynasty. Shoshenq I, of Libyan descent, ruled Egypt from the city of TANIS (modern San el-Hagar) and was known as a vigorous military campaigner. Shoshenq I also fostered TRADE with other nations, and Abibaal signed a treaty with him. The PHOENICIANS had earned a reputation for sailing to far- flung markets in the Aegean and Mediterranean Seas, going even to the British Isles in search of copper. As a result, Abibaal and his merchants served as valuable sources of trade goods for their neighboring states. Abibaal insured Shoshenq I’s continued goodwill by erecting a monumental statue of him in a Phoenician temple, an act guaranteed to cement relations.
