▁the ▁public ▁tre as ury ▁to ▁the ▁god ▁in ▁Ty re ▁up ▁until ▁the ▁H ellen istic ▁period . ▁ ▁In ▁Ty re , ▁the ▁high ▁priest ▁of ▁Mel q art ▁ranked ▁second ▁only ▁to ▁the ▁king . ▁Many ▁names ▁in ▁Car th age ▁reflected ▁this ▁importance ▁of ▁Mel q art , ▁for ▁example , ▁the ▁names ▁H amil car ▁and ▁Bom il car ; ▁but ▁Ba ‘ l ▁" L ord " ▁as ▁a ▁name - element ▁in ▁Car th agin ian ▁names ▁such ▁as ▁Has dr ub al ▁and ▁Hann ib al ▁almost ▁certainly ▁does ▁not ▁refer ▁to ▁Mel q art ▁but ▁instead ▁refers ▁to ▁Ba ` al ▁Ham mon , ▁chief ▁god ▁of ▁Car th age , ▁a ▁god ▁identified ▁by ▁Gree ks ▁with ▁C ron us ▁and ▁by ▁Rom ans ▁with ▁Sat urn , ▁or ▁is ▁simply ▁used ▁as ▁a ▁title . ▁ ▁Mel q art ▁protected ▁the ▁P unic ▁areas ▁of ▁Sic ily , ▁such ▁as ▁C ef al ù , ▁which ▁was ▁known ▁under ▁Car th agin ian ▁rule ▁as ▁" C ape ▁Mel q art " ▁( , ▁). ▁Mel q art ' s ▁head , ▁ind ist ingu ish able ▁from ▁a ▁Her acles , ▁appeared ▁on ▁its ▁co ins ▁of ▁the ▁ 4 th ▁century ▁B CE . ▁ ▁The ▁C ippi ▁of ▁Mel q art , ▁found ▁on ▁Mal ta ▁and ▁dedicated ▁to ▁the ▁god ▁as ▁an ▁ex ▁v oto ▁offering , ▁provided ▁the ▁key ▁to ▁understanding ▁the ▁Pho en ician ▁language ,