Ithobaal I (in Hebrew
Ethbaal, 1 Kings 16:31) was a king of
Tyre who founded a new dynasty. During his reign, Tyre expanded its power on the mainland, making all of
Phoenicia its territory as far north as
Beirut, including
Sidon, and even a part of the island of
Cyprus. At the same time, Tyre also built new overseas colonies:
Botrys (now
Batrun) near
Byblos, and Auza in
Libya.