. ▁ ▁Arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁ ▁The ▁first ▁occurrence ▁of ▁the ▁name ▁is ▁in ▁the ▁ 9 th - century ▁B CE ▁the ▁" Ben - H ad ad " ▁ins cription ▁found ▁in ▁ 1 9 3 9 ▁north ▁of ▁Ale ppo ▁in ▁today ▁northern ▁Sy ria ; ▁it ▁had ▁been ▁ere cted ▁by ▁the ▁son ▁of ▁the ▁king ▁of ▁Ar am ▁" for ▁his ▁lord ▁Mel q art , ▁which ▁he ▁v owed ▁to ▁him ▁and ▁he ▁heard ▁his ▁voice ". ▁ ▁Arch ae ological ▁evidence ▁for ▁Mel q art ' s ▁cult ▁is ▁found ▁earliest ▁in ▁Ty re ▁and ▁seems ▁to ▁have ▁spread ▁west ward ▁with ▁the ▁Pho en ician ▁colon ies ▁established ▁by ▁Ty re ▁as ▁well ▁as ▁eventually ▁ ▁over shadow ing ▁the ▁worship ▁of ▁E sh mun ▁in ▁Sid on . ▁ ▁The ▁name ▁of ▁Mel q art ▁was ▁invoked ▁in ▁o ath s ▁san ction ing ▁contract s , ▁according ▁to ▁Dr . ▁A ub et , ▁thus ▁it ▁was ▁custom ary ▁to ▁build ▁a ▁temple ▁to ▁Mel q art , ▁as ▁prote ctor ▁of ▁Ty rian ▁trad ers , ▁in ▁each ▁new ▁Pho en ician ▁col ony : ▁at ▁C ád iz , ▁the ▁temple ▁to ▁Mel q art ▁is ▁as ▁early ▁as ▁the ▁earliest ▁v estig es ▁of ▁Pho en ician ▁occupation . ▁( The ▁Gree ks ▁followed ▁a ▁parallel ▁practice ▁in ▁respect ▁to ▁Her acles .) ▁Car th age ▁even ▁sent ▁a ▁year ly ▁t ribute ▁of ▁ 1 0 % ▁of