▁life , ▁and , ▁as ▁a ▁symbol ▁of ▁death , ▁a ▁fen estr ated ▁ax . ▁As ▁Ty rian ▁trade ▁and ▁colon ization ▁expanded , ▁Mel q art ▁became ▁v ener ated ▁in ▁Pho en ician ▁and ▁P unic ▁cult ures ▁across ▁the ▁Mediter rane an , ▁especially ▁Car th age ▁and ▁Cad iz . ▁ ▁Et ym ology ▁ ▁Mel q art ▁was ▁written ▁in ▁the ▁Pho en ician ▁ab j ad ▁as ▁ ▁( ), ▁itself ▁a ▁variant ▁of ▁ ▁( ), ▁which ▁means ▁" K ing ▁of ▁the ▁City ". ▁The ▁name ▁is ▁sometimes ▁trans cribed ▁as ▁Mel k art , ▁Mel kar th , ▁or ▁Mel gart . ▁In ▁A kk ad ian , ▁his ▁name ▁was ▁written ▁Mil q art u . ▁ ▁To ▁the ▁Gree ks ▁and ▁the ▁Rom ans , ▁he ▁was ▁identified ▁with ▁Her cules ▁and ▁often ▁distinguished ▁as ▁the ▁. ▁ ▁Cult ▁ ▁Mel q art ▁is ▁likely ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁the ▁particular ▁Ba ‘ al ▁found ▁in ▁the ▁Tan akh ▁( the ▁Jewish ▁Bible , ▁specifically ▁in ▁ 1 ▁Kings ▁ 1 6 . 3 1 – 1 0 . 2 6 ) ▁whose ▁worship ▁was ▁prom in ently ▁introduced ▁to ▁Israel ▁by ▁King ▁A hab ▁and ▁largely ▁er adic ated ▁by ▁King ▁Je hu . ▁In ▁ 1 ▁Kings ▁ 1 8 . 2 7 , ▁it ▁is ▁possible ▁that ▁there ▁is ▁a ▁mock ing ▁reference ▁to ▁legend ary ▁Her acle an ▁jour ne ys ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁god ▁and ▁to ▁the