. ▁They ▁needed ▁tim bers ▁for ▁their ▁ships ▁and ▁the ▁C ed ar ▁woods ▁made ▁them ▁the ▁“ first ▁sea ▁trad ing ▁nation ▁in ▁the ▁world ”. ▁The ▁Egypt ians ▁used ▁ced ar ▁res in ▁for ▁the ▁m umm ification ▁process ▁and ▁the ▁ced ar ▁wood ▁for ▁some ▁of ▁“ the ir ▁first ▁hier og lyph ▁bearing ▁roll s ▁of ▁pap yrus ”. ▁ ▁In ▁the ▁Bible , ▁Sol omon ▁proc ured ▁ced ar ▁tim ber ▁to ▁build ▁the ▁Temple ▁in ▁Jerusalem . ▁ ▁The ▁em peror ▁Had rian ▁claimed ▁these ▁for ests ▁as ▁an ▁imperial ▁domain , ▁and ▁destruction ▁of ▁the ▁ced ar ▁for ests ▁was ▁tempor arily ▁halt ed . ▁ ▁Early ▁modern ▁history ▁All ▁early ▁modern ▁trav ellers ' ▁accounts ▁of ▁the ▁wild ▁ced ars ▁of ▁Leb anon ▁appear ▁to ▁refer ▁to ▁the ▁B sh ar ri ▁ced ars . ▁ ▁Pierre ▁Bel on ▁visited ▁the ▁area ▁in ▁ 1 5 5 0 , ▁making ▁him ▁the ▁first ▁modern ▁trav eller ▁to ▁identify ▁the ▁C ed ars ▁of ▁God ▁in ▁his ▁‘ ’ ▁Observ ations ’ ’ . ▁Bel on ▁counted ▁ 2 8 ▁trees : ▁“ At ▁a ▁considerable ▁height ▁up ▁the ▁mountains ▁the ▁trav eller ▁arriv es ▁at ▁the ▁Mon aster y ▁of ▁the ▁Virgin ▁Mary , ▁which ▁is ▁situated ▁in ▁the ▁valley . ▁Th ence ▁proceed ing ▁four ▁miles ▁up ▁the ▁mountain , ▁he ▁will ▁arrive ▁at ▁the ▁ced ars , ▁the ▁Mar on ites ▁or ▁the ▁mon ks ▁acting ▁as ▁gu ides . ▁The ▁ced ars