Long before the ancient coins were buried, the Phoenicians lived in the Levantine region, including what is modern-day Lebanon. After Bishara’s father died, she inherited some of his books, including one on the Phoenicians, and the storybegan to take shape.
Kenyon Alumni Magazine
“My dad was obsessed with the Phoenicians. I read a book he owned, which covered Phoenician mythology and thepantheon of gods, and thought about the coins. I thought, maybe I can put all this together,” Bishara said.“ I knew I wanted to have a magical coin that transported somebody to the Phoenician underworld.”
The book Bishara read was “Peoples of the Past: The Phoenicians,” by Glenn Markoe, one of only a few books on the civilization. Much of the Phoenician culture has been lost to time, which made the research for “Vial of Tears” challenging.
More about the author
Kadmous Lebnen 