The Phoenicians, famed throughout the ancient world as hardy mariners, inhabited a strip of land bordering the Mediterranean and situated to the west and northwest of Galilee. Galilee itself was shunned by the orthodox Jews as virtually Gentile territory, and while Phoenicia was ordinarily viewed with still greater contempt, the Bible tells us of two faithful women, the one in the Old Testament and the other in the New, who, undaunted by their pagan environment, sought and obtained healing for their children.
It is recorded in I Kings (17:8-24) that in time of dire famine, Elijah was inspired to proceed to Zarephath, a village in the immediate vicinity of the Phoenician seaport of Zidon— places which in the New Testament are called "Sarepta" and "Sidon" respectively. It is noteworthy that Elijah at once obeyed the divine voice which came to him, despite the seeming danger involved, for Zarephath lay within the home country of his archenemy, Jezebel, the pagan queen (I Kings 16:31). There he was led to approach the home of a poor widow who, regardless of the fact that her supply of food for herself and her child had dwindled to "an handful of meal in a barrel, and a little oil in a cruse," was willing to share what she had with the prophet —an act of faith and of self-sacrifice which received an abiding reward, for "she, and he, and her house, did eat many days." This, however, was but a prelude to a still more outstanding proof of the power of God as manifested by Elijah. After some time, the widow's son fell ill, "and his sickness was so sore, that there was no breath left in him." Once again the prophet came forward to meet her need, and taking the child to his own room, he prayed earnestly to the Lord, with the result that the boy revived and was returned to his mother's arms, alive and well. No wonder she hailed Elijah as a "man of God."
More than eight centuries later, Christ Jesus cited Elijah's memorable visit to Zarephath as proof that healing was by no means a monopoly of the people of Israel (Luke 4:26); and in due course the opportunity arose for the Master to carry his own healing work to Phoenicia. While in the vicinity of Tyre and Sidon, he was approached by a woman who was, Mark tells us, "a Greek, a Syrophenician by nation" (7:26). Incidentally, Matthew's reference to her as "a woman of Canaan" (15:22) in no way conflicts with this, for at one time the Phoenicians were included among the Canaanites, the original pre-Israelite inhabitants of Palestine. Earnestly she asked aid on behalf of her daughter, who was said to be "vexed with a devil." The apparent sternness of the Master's words, "It is not meet to take the children's bread, and to cast it unto the dogs" (Mark 7:27), is tempered by the fact that the word rendered "dogs" is a kindly diminutive term used with reference to household pets. By no means rebuffed, the woman promptly replied that such pets were surely welcome to the crumbs which fell "from their masters' table." Responsive to her eager importunity, conjoined with her "great . . . faith" (Matthew 15:28), . Jesus acceded to her request, and the girl "was made whole from that very hour."
