Sanchuniăthon
(
Σαγχουνιάθων). Said to have been an ancient
Phœnician writer, whose works were translated into Greek by Philo Byblius, who lived
in the latter half of the first century of the Christian era. A considerable fragment of the
translation of Philo is preserved by Eusebius in the first book of his
Praeparatio
Evangelica; but it is now generally agreed among modern scholars that the work was a
forgery of Philo. The fragments are published separately by Orelli
(Leipzig,
1823). In 1835 a MS. purporting to be the entire version by Philo was said to have been
found in the Portuguese convent of Sta. Maria de Merinhão. The Greek text of this
was edited by Wagenfeld
(Bremen, 1837) and translated into German
(Lübeck, 1837). It was soon found to be a forgery, and the story of its
discovery to be a falsehood. See
Renan, Mémoire sur
Sanchoniathon (1858).