MYTH: Since the dawn of time, Man has been using the "acronym" as a clever tool to save both time and resources when referring to long, long combinations of words, such as "Pete Fisher's American Legion Transcends Zoological Gregariousness- Another Five Fish!" and "Important Science" and "Daniel's Undergound MasturBation."

TRUTH: The acronym was invented by a pottery-merchant named Hanno in 788 B.C. in the city of Baalbeck.  

It is not certain what the Phoenicians called themselves in their own language; it appears to have been Kena'ani. But in Hebrew, the word "kena'ani" has a secondary meaning of "merchant," a term that well characterizes the Phoenicians, as they had a flourishing sea trade. Able to sail the open seas, they imported and exported the manufactured goods of Egypt and Babylonia with ease. Of course, many Phoenicians saw the opportunity to get in on the booming economy and opened up shops of their own to sell and trade the wares that abounded, such as purple tunics, Phoenician blinds, and fabulous pottery.

This was known as "commerce", a primitive form of today's "e-commerce".  

Hanno was a middle-aged Phoenician farmer who disliked goats.

Canaanite wine jars were both beautiful AND useful.

Hanno understood the rarity of a product that succeeded in both form and function and decided to sell the family goat farm and open a pottery stand in the Baalbeck marketplace.

Hanno Has a Stroke of Genius!