Check out these 40 maps done by Max Fisher for understanding the Middle East — its history, its present, and some of the most important stories in the region today. I found the above map interesting, showing how ancient Phoenicians spread from Lebanon across the Mediterranean. There's also a map showing the Israeli and Hezbollah strikes in the 2006 Lebanon War. The Phoenicians, who lived in present-day Lebanon and coastal Syria, were pretty awesome. From…