Galleries
Location: Harbor of Gebal (Byblos)
Era: Middle Bronze Age
People: Canaanites (Phoenicians).
Boy (Gamil) being attacked by the lion; boy in foreground (at left). The Lion is coming at him out of a dark background (at right). Text over background photo reads: “Aleon-Tabah, The Lion Slayer”
22-year-old Aleon is forced to marry a woman he hates, and who hates him. Background shows the wedding scene. A priest (center) and Melita, his bride, (at left) facing Aleon (at the right). Both look serious.
The newly married couple walk along the waterfront discussing this new life they are embarking on. They seem to be happier.
A plague comes to Gebal (Byblos) and the evil high priest convinces the people of the city that to end this they must offer their first-born sons as a sacrifice to the god who has sent the plague.
Interior scene…head & shoulder shot of both Aleon, facing Melita’s head & shoulder at far right of image. They are panicking because Aleon is the first-born son of his father, and must be sacrificed. They must find a way for him to escape this fate.
Interior scene – Aleon (left of scene) looks at Melita while explaining the escape plan which his parents have devised. He urges Melita to understand that they will only be separated for a short time. Her face is only partially shown at right edge of image. She is trying to understand what he is telling her.
Interior scene – Melita at right faces camera, with a questioning look and slight smile; Aleon is at left (facing away from camera and looking at her. His image is out of focus. They realize the only way for him to escape death is to flee from the city immediately. This breaks their hearts, but they realize it is his best hope.
Aleon is standing aboard the deck of a Phoenician merchant ship. There are men at the oars who are about to pull away from the wharf, Aleon looks back toward the city of his birth, which he is leaving forever. He can see smoke rising from the temple where the high priest is sacrificing the first-born sons of the city’s elite families.
A raging storm threatens to sink the ship Aleon is on, and he knows this is the work of the god he insulted by escaping from the high priest’s plan to sacrifice him. In hope of saving the ship and the lives of the crew, Aleon throws himself over the side and into the crashing waves. As he is carried away by the sea, the ship is overwhelmed and sinks. Only Aleon is eventually saved.