Melqart

Melqart

 or Melkarth

Phoenician god, the chief deity of Tyre and of two of its colonies, Carthage and Gadir (Cádiz, Spain). Probably a sun god, he was often depicted as a bearded figure wearing a high, rounded hat and a kilt; he held an Egyptian ankh as a symbol of life and an ax as a symbol of death. His sanctuary in Tyre was the scene of annual winter and spring festivals and is believed to have been the model for Solomon's temple in Jerusalem.