Ancient Libyan Ruins Threatened by Fighting

The Ruins of the Carthaginian/Roman city of Leptis magna in modern Libya are being threatened by the fighting between the forces of Libyan leader Muammar Qaddafi and those of the NATO alliance.  There is a strong possibility that Qadaffi is hiding military equipment in this and other historical sites, knowing that western forces will be reluctant to damage historical treasures.  A NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) spokesperson has been quoted as saying,"We will strike military vehicles, military forces, military equipment or military infrastructure that threaten Libyan civilians as necessary."

Leptis magna (now known as Lebda, Libya) is not mentioned in the Bible, but Libya itself is. The city of Cyrene, the home of Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:21, Matthew 27:32) is located in Libya.  The city of Leptis magna was especially prominent in the 2nd and 3rd centuries and, in 70 AD/CE, became the home of a community of Jewish slaves sent there by Rome after the War of 70.

The city was founded about 130 km east of modern Tripoli as Lpqy sometime near 1100 BC/BCE, a colony of the seafaring Phoenicians and became a major city of the Carthaginian Empire.  In 146 BC/BCE, during the Third Punic War, it fell into Roman hands.  It became one of the major cities of Roman Africa.