Phoenicia was the ancient name for the coastal strip of modern-day Lebanon and northern Israel, home to seafaring peoples famous for commerce, purple dye, and alphabet development. Major cities included Tyre and Sidon. Though predominantly Gentile, the region had historical connections to Israel and appears in Jesus' ministry (the Syrophoenician woman). In Acts, Phoenicia becomes significant in the early church's geographic expansion as believers scattered by persecution carry the gospel north along the coast, extending the mission beyond Jerusalem and Judea.