In the Testimony for September, 1945, pp. 175-177, we explained some of the occurrences of the name Tarshish in the Old Testament, and stated that the word itself seems to be derived from Tartessus, an ancient port on the Mediterranean coast of Spain. We also suggested that several of the references to “Tarshish” applied to Tyre, the leading mercantile city of the world in the time of Ezekiel.
A Somerset correspondent disagrees with these suggestions. He writes:—
“Your article in the Testimony gave me great pleasure, but you are mistaken in saying that Tarshish is Tyre. This savours of the ridiculous, for Tarshish is Tarshish (Greek, Tarsus). Paul was a citizen of no mean city, situated on a river renowned for its shipbuilding, The lions of Tarshish were in the forests around. Carried on from there, your article reads well, but why the blunder?”
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Author: P. H. Adams
Keywords: Tarshish, Tartessos, England, Phoenicians, Phoenicia, Britain, British Isles, Spain, silver, gold, sea trading, sea merchants, Mediterranean coastlands, coastland, Mediterranean, merchant, merchant ships, gold of Ophir, young lions, young cubs, British colonies, Tarsus
Bible reference(s): Genesis 10:4, 1 Kings 10:22, 1 Kings 22:48, 1 Chronicles 1:7, 2 Chronicles 9:21, 2 Chronicles 20:36, 2 Chronicles 20:37, Esther 1:14, Job 22:24, Job 28:16, Psalm 45:9, Psalms 48:7, Psalms 72:10, Isaiah 2:16, Isa 13:11, Isaiah 23:1, Isaiah 23:6, Isaiah 23:10, Isaiah 23:14, Isaiah 60:9, Isaiah 66:19, Jeremiah 10:9, Ezekiel 27:12, Ezekiel 27:25, Ezekiel 27:27, Ezekiel 38:13, Jonah 1:3, Jonah 4:2
Source: “Tarshish,” The Testimony, Vol. 17, No. 197, May 1947, pp. 169-70.
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