Jump to: Hitchcock's • Smith's • ISBE • Easton's • Webster's • Concordance • Thesaurus • Greek • Hebrew • Library • Subtopics • Terms • Resources Hitchcock's Bible Names Dictionary TyreSmith's Bible Dictionary Tyre(a rock), a celebrated commercial city of Phoenicia, on the coast of the Mediterranean. Its Hebrew name, Tzor , signifies a rock; which well agrees with the site of Sur , the modern town, on a rocky peninsula, formerly an island. There is no doubt that, previous to the siege of the city by Alexander the Great, Tyre was situated on an island; but, according to the tradition of the inhabitants, there was a city on the mainland before there was a city on the island; and the tradition receives some color from the name of Palaetyrus, or Old Tyre, which was borne in Greek times by a city on the continent, thirty stadia to the south. Notices in the Bible . --In the Bible Tyre is named for the first time in the of Joshua, ch. (Joshua 19:29) where it is adverted to as a fortified city (in the Authorized Version "the strong city") in reference to the boundaries of the tribe of Asher, But the first passages in the Hebrew historical writings, or in ancient history generally, which actual glimpses of the actual condition of Tyre are in the book of Samuel, (2 Samuel 6:11) in connection with Hiram king of Tyre sending cedar wood and workmen to David, for building him a palace; and subsequently in the book of Kings, in connection with the building of Solomon's temple. It is evident that under Solomon there was a close alliance between the Hebrews and the Tyrians. Hiram supplied Solomon with cedar wood, precious metals and workmen, and gave him sailors for the voyage to Ophir and India, while on the other hand Solomon gave Hiram supplies of corn and oil, ceded to him some cities, and permitted him to make use of some havens on the Red Sea. (1 Kings 9:11-14; 26-28; 10:22) These friendly relations survived for a time the disastrous secession of the ten tribes, and a century later Ahab married a daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, (1 Kings 16:31) who, according to Menander, was daughter of Ithobal king of Tyre. When mercantile cupidity induced the Tyrians and the neighboring Phoenicians to buy Hebrew captives from their enemies, and to sell them as slaves to the Greeks and Edomites, there commenced denunciations, and at first threats of retaliation. (Joel 3:4-8; Amos 1:9,10) When Shalmaneser, king of Assyria, had taken the city of Samaria, had conquered the kingdom of Israel, and carried its inhabitants into captivity, he laid siege to Tyre, which, however, successfully resisted his arms. It is in reference to this siege that the prophecy against Tyre in Isaiah, (Isaiah 23:1) ... was uttered. After the siege of Tyre by Shalmaneser (which must have taken place not long after 721 B.C.). Tyre remained a powerful state, with its own kings, (Jeremiah 25:22; 27:3; Ezekiel 28:2-12) remarkable for its wealth, with territory on the mainland, and protected by strong fortifications. (Ezekiel 26:4,6,8,10,12; 27:11; 28:5; Zechariah 9:3) Our knowledge of its condition thenceforward until the siege by Nebuchadnezzar depends entirely on various notices of it by the Hebrew prophets; but some of these notices are singularly full, and especially the twenty-seventh chapter of Ezekiel furnishes us, on some points, with details such as have scarcely come down to us respecting any one city of antiquity excepting Rome and Athens. Siege by Nebuchadnezzar . --In the midst of great prosperity and wealth, which was the natural result of extensive trade, (Ezekiel 28:4) Nebuchadnezzar, at the head of an army of the Chaldees, invaded Judea and captured Jerusalem. As Tyre was so near to Jerusalem, and as the conquerors were a fierce and formidable race, (Habakkuk 1:6) It would naturally he supposed that this event would have excited alarm and terror amongst the Tyrians. Instead of this, we may infer from Ezekiel's statement, (Ezekiel 26:2) that their predominant feeling was one of exultation. At first sight this appears strange and almost inconceivable; but it is rendered intelligible by some previous events in Jewish history. Only 34 years before the destruction of Jerusalem commenced the celebrated reformation of Josiah, B.C. 622. This momentous religious revolution, (2 Kings 22:1; 2 Kings 23:1) ... fully explains the exultation and malevolence of the Tyrians. In that reformation Josiah had heaped insults on the gods who were the objects of Tyrian veneration and love. Indeed, he seemed to have endeavored to exterminate their religion. (2 Kings 23:20) These acts must have been regarded by the Tyrians as a series of sacrilegious and abominable outrages; and we can scarcely doubt that the death in battle of Josiah at Megiddo and the subsequent destruction of the city and temple of Jerusalem, were hailed by them with triumph and retribution in human affairs. This joy, as instances of divine retribution in human affairs. This joy, however, must soon have given way to other feelings, when Nebuchadnezzar invaded Phoenicia and laid siege to Tyre. That siege lasted thirteen years, and it is still a disputed point whether Tyre was actually taken by Nebuchadnezzar on this occasion. However this may be, it is probable that, on some terms or other, Tyre submitted to the Chaldees. The rule of Nebuchadnezzar over Tyre, though real, may have been light, and in the nature of an alliance. Attack by the Persians; Capture by Alexander . --During the Persian domination the Tyrians were subject in name to the Persian king and may have given him tribute. With the rest of Phoenicia they had submitted to the Persians without striking a blow. Toward the close of the following century, B.C. 332, Tyre was assailed for the third time by a great conqueror. At that time Tyre was situated on an island nearly half a mile from the mainland; it was completely surrounded by prodigious walls, the loftiest portion of which on the side fronting the mainland reached a height of not less than 150 feet; and notwithstanding the persevering efforts of Alexander, he could not have succeeded in his attempt if the harbor of Tyre to the north had not been blockaded by the Cyprians and that to the south by the Phoenicians, thus affording an opportunity to Alexander for uniting the Island to the mainland by an; enormous artificial mole. (The materials for this he obtained from the remains of old Tyre scraping the very dust from her rocks into the sea, as prophesied by Ezekiel, (Ezekiel 26:3,4,12,21) more than 250 years before.) The immediate results of the capture by Alexander were most disastrous to Tyre, as its brave defenders were put to death; and in accordance with the barbarous policy of ancient times, 30,000 of its inhabitants, including slaves, free females and free children, were sold as slaves. It gradually, how ever, recovered its prosperity through the immigration of fresh settlers, though its trade is said to have suffered by the vicinity and rivalry of Alexandria. Under the Macedonian successors of Alexander it shared the fortunes of the Seleucidae. Under the Romans, at first it enjoyed a kind of freedom. Subsequently, however, on the arrival of Augustus in the East, he is said to have deprived both Tyre and Sidon of their liberties for seditious conduct. Still the prosperity of Tyre in the time of Augustus was undeniably great. Strabo gives an account of it at that period, speaks of the great wealth which it derived from the dyes of the celebrated Tyrian purple which, as is well known were extracted from shell-fish found on the coast, belonging to a species of the genus Murex . Tyre in the time of Christ and since. --When visited by Christ, (Matthew 15:21; Mark 7:24) Tyre was perhaps more populous than Jerusalem, and if so, it was undoubtedly the largest city which the saviour is known to have visited. At the time of the crusades it was still a flourishing; city, when if surrendered to the Christians on the 27th of June 1144. It continued more than a century and a half in the hands of Christians, but was deserted by its inhabitants in A.D. 1291 upon the conquest of Acre (Ptolemais) by the sultan of Egypt and Damascus. This was the turning-point in the history of Tyre, which has never recovered from the blow. Its present condition is a fulfillment of Ezekiel's prophecy (Ezekiel 28:5) It contains, according to Volney, 50 or 60 poor families, who live in part by fishing; and is, as Bruce describes it, "rock whereon fishers dry their nets." Easton's Bible Dictionary A rock, now es-Sur; an ancient Phoenician city, about 23 miles, in a direct line, north of Acre, and 20 south of Sidon. Sidon was the oldest Phoenician city, but Tyre had a longer and more illustrious history. The commerce of the whole world was gathered into the warehouses of Tyre. "Tyrian merchants were the first who ventured to navigate the Mediterranean waters; and they founded their colonies on the coasts and neighbouring islands of the AEgean Sea, in Greece, on the northern coast of Africa, at Carthage and other places, in Sicily and Corsica, in Spain at Tartessus, and even beyond the pillars of Hercules at Gadeira (Cadiz)" (Driver's Isaiah). In the time of David a friendly alliance was entered into between the Hebrews and the Tyrians, who were long ruled over by their native kings (2 Samuel 5:11; 1 Kings 5:1; 2 Chronicles 2:3).Tyre consisted of two distinct parts, a rocky fortress on the mainland, called "Old Tyre," and the city, built on a small, rocky island about half-a-mile distant from the shore. It was a place of great strength. It was besieged by Shalmaneser, who was assisted by the Phoenicians of the mainland, for five years, and by Nebuchadnezzar (B.C. 586-573) for thirteen years, apparently without success. It afterwards fell under the power of Alexander the Great, after a siege of seven months, but continued to maintain much of its commercial importance till the Christian era. It is referred to in Matthew 11:21 and Acts 12:20. In A.D. 1291 it was taken by the Saracens, and has remained a desolate ruin ever since. "The purple dye of Tyre had a worldwide celebrity on account of the durability of its beautiful tints, and its manufacture proved a source of abundant wealth to the inhabitants of that city." Both Tyre and Sidon "were crowded with glass-shops, dyeing and weaving establishments; and among their cunning workmen not the least important class were those who were celebrated for the engraving of precious stones." (2 Chronicles 2:7, 14). The wickedness and idolatry of this city are frequently denounced by the prophets, and its final destruction predicted (Isaiah 23:1; Jeremiah 25:22; Ezek. 26; 28:1-19; Amos 1:9, 10; Zechariah 9:2-4). Here a church was founded soon after the death of Stephen, and Paul, on his return from his third missionary journey spent a week in intercourse with the disciples there (Acts 21:4). Here the scene at Miletus was repeated on his leaving them. They all, with their wives and children, accompanied him to the sea-shore. The sea-voyage of the apostle terminated at Ptolemais, about 38 miles from Tyre. Thence he proceeded to Caesarea (Acts 21:5-8). "It is noticed on monuments as early as B.C. 1500, and claiming, according to Herodotus, to have been founded about B.C. 2700. It had two ports still existing, and was of commercial importance in all ages, with colonies at Carthage (about B.C. 850) and all over the Mediterranean. It was often attacked by Egypt and Assyria, and taken by Alexander the Great after a terrible siege in B.C. 332. It is now a town of 3,000 inhabitants, with ancient tombs and a ruined cathedral. A short Phoenician text of the fourth century B.C. is the only monument yet recovered." Webster's Revised Unabridged Dictionary 1. (n.) Curdled milk.2. (n. & v.) Attire. See Tire. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia LADDER OF TYRE(He klimax (apo tes klimakos) Turou): Not mentioned in the Old Testament or the New Testament, but in Apocrypha (1 Maccabees 11:59), where it is said that Antiochus VI, after having confirmed Jonathan in the high-priesthood, appointed his brother Simon captain over the territory included between the Ladder of Tyre and the borders of Egypt. The Ladder has been located at different points on the coast between Tyre and Acre, such as the Ras el-`Abyadh ("Promontorium Album" of the ancient geographers), about 7 miles South of Tyre, and Ras en-Naqurah, about 6 miles farther South, and Ras el-Musheirifeh, a little farther on. These are capes jutting westward into the sea from the ridge which runs parallel to the general line of the coast. These capes project more than a mile into the sea, and present a very bold and precipitous front from 200 to 300 ft. in height. The ascent on either side of the promontory is very steep, and at Ras el-`Abyadh steps were cut in the white rock, which led to the identification of this point with the Ladder, but a reference to Josephus (B J, II, x, 2) leads to a different conclusion. He locates it 100 stadia North of Acre, which corresponds fairly well with the southern limit of the whole promontory, which is about 12 miles North of Acre, but not at all with Ras el-`Abyadh. The altitude of el Musheirifeh is greater than that of el-`Abyadh and may have had steps cut in it similar to the latter. It is more probable that the Ladder of Tyre was here, or at en-Naqurah, but the term applied to the whole promontory, which offered a serious obstacle to the passage of armies, or even caravans, since the approach is precipitous on either side, and at Ras el-`Abyadh the road skirts the edge of a sheer precipice, where a misstep would hurl one into the sea some 200 ft. below. The application of the term to the whole promontory seems to be indicated by Josephus, since he speaks of it as one of the mountains which encompass the plain of Ptolemais (Acre) and the highest of all. This would not be true of any one of the three capes mentioned, but would be if the hills behind, which form their base, were included. That it was designated as the Ladder of Tyre rather than of Acre was probably due to the fact that the promontory is nearer the former city (see Thomson, LB, II, edition 1882; SWP, name-lists, under the word). TYRE tir (tsowr. tsor, "rock" Turos, "Tyrus"; modern Sur): TYRE, LADDER OF (klimakos Turou): Given. in 1 Maccabees 11:59 as the northern limit of the territory placed under the authority of Simon Thassi the Maccabee by Antiochus VI (Theos), in the year 143 B.C. The statement of Josephus (B J, II, x, 2) that it was 100 furlongs North of Ptolemais, and a similar indication of position in the Jerusalem Talmud (Ab Zar 19) lead us to identify it with Ras-en-Naqurah and not with Ras-el-`Abyad (Promontorium Album of Pliny), as has been done. Here the rugged hills of Upper Galilee descend in bold precipices to the sea and leave no beach between. A natural barrier is thus formed which prevented the histories of Israel and Tyre from ever touching one another except in peaceful relations. Greek 5184. Turos -- Tyre, a city of Phoenicia ... Tyre, a city of Phoenicia. Part of Speech: Noun, Feminine Transliteration: Turos Phonetic Spelling: (too'-ros) Short Definition: Tyre Definition: Tyre, an ... //strongsnumbers.com/greek2/5184.htm - 6k 5183. Turios -- a Tyrian, an inhabitant of Tyre 4424. Ptolemais -- Ptolemais, a seaport south of Tyre 4947. Suria -- Syria, a region N. and East of Pal. Strong's Hebrew 6876. Tsori -- inhab. of Tyre... Tsori. 6877 . inhab. of Tyre. Transliteration: Tsori Phonetic Spelling: (tso-ree') Short Definition: Tyrians. Word Origin from Tsor Definition inhab. ... /hebrew/6876.htm - 6k 1575. Gammadim -- "men of valor," defenders of Tyre 6865. Tsor -- a Phoenician city Library The Council of Tyre. Why for the People of Tyre and Sidon, who Would have Believed, the ... The Council of Tyre and First Exile of Athanasius, 335-337. Council of Tyre; Illegal Deposition of St. Athanasius. Concerning the Canaanitish Woman. Meaning of the "Borders of Tyre ... Divers Towns Called by the Name of Tyre. Letter from the Emperor Constantine to the Synod of Tyre, and ... Epistle of the Emperor Constantine to the Council of Tyre . On the Words of the Gospel, Matt. xv. 21,"Jesus Went Out Thence ... On Account of the Charges against Athanasius, the Emperor Convokes ... Thesaurus Tyre (59 Occurrences)... Sidon was the oldest Phoenician city, but Tyre had a longer and more illustrious history. The commerce of the whole world was gathered ... /t/tyre.htm - 45k Ladder (1 Occurrence) Hiram (21 Occurrences) Logs (12 Occurrences) Cedar-trees (11 Occurrences) Arvad (2 Occurrences) Sidon (35 Occurrences) Zidon (25 Occurrences) Zarephath (4 Occurrences) District (59 Occurrences) Resources Why did Jesus mention Tyre and Sidon in Luke 10:14? | GotQuestions.orgIs the king of Tyre prophecy in Ezekiel 28 referring to Satan? | GotQuestions.org What is the significance of the city of Sidon in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org Tyre: Dictionary and Thesaurus | Clyx.com Bible Concordance • Bible Dictionary • Bible Encyclopedia • Topical Bible • Bible Thesuarus Concordance Tyre (59 Occurrences)Matthew 11:21 Matthew 11:22 Matthew 15:21 Mark 3:8 Mark 7:24 Mark 7:31 Luke 6:17 Luke 10:13 Luke 10:14 Acts 12:20 Acts 21:3 Acts 21:4 Acts 21:7 Joshua 19:29 2 Samuel 5:11 2 Samuel 24:7 1 Kings 5:1 1 Kings 7:13 1 Kings 7:14 1 Kings 9:11 1 Kings 9:12 1 Chronicles 14:1 1 Chronicles 22:4 2 Chronicles 2:3 2 Chronicles 2:11 2 Chronicles 2:14 Ezra 3:7 Nehemiah 13:16 Psalms 45:12 Psalms 83:7 Psalms 87:4 Isaiah 23:1 Isaiah 23:3 Isaiah 23:5 Isaiah 23:8 Isaiah 23:13 Isaiah 23:15 Isaiah 23:17 Jeremiah 25:22 Jeremiah 27:3 Jeremiah 47:4 Ezekiel 26:2 Ezekiel 26:3 Ezekiel 26:4 Ezekiel 26:7 Ezekiel 26:15 Ezekiel 27:2 Ezekiel 27:3 Ezekiel 27:8 Ezekiel 27:32 Ezekiel 28:2 Ezekiel 28:12 Ezekiel 29:18 Hosea 9:13 Joel 3:4 Amos 1:9 Amos 1:10 Zechariah 9:2 Zechariah 9:3 Subtopics Tyre: Called: The Crowning City Tyre: Called: The Daughter of Tarshish Tyre: Called: The Daughter of Zidon Tyre: Called: The Renowned City Tyre: Celebrated For: Its Beauty Tyre: Celebrated For: Its Commerce Tyre: Celebrated For: Its Wealth Tyre: Celebrated For: Strength and Beauty of Its Ships Tyre: Christ was Followed by Many From Tyre: Christ: Alluded to the Depravity of Tyre: Christ: Depended for Provision Upon Galilee Tyre: Christ: Paul Found Disciples At Tyre: Christ: Visited the Coasts of Tyre: City of Besieged by Nebuchadnezzar Tyre: City of Heals the Daughter of the Non-Jewish, Syrophenician Woman Near Tyre: City of Jesus Goes to the Coasts of Tyre: City of Multitudes From, Come to Hear Jesus, and to be Healed of Their Diseases Tyre: City of On the Northern Boundary of the Tribe of Asher Tyre: City of Pleasant Site of Tyre: City of Prophecies Relating To Tyre: City of The Hostility of Herod Agrippa I Toward Tyre: City of To be Judged According to Its Opportunity and Privileges Tyre: David and Solomon Formed Alliances With Tyre: Inhabitants of Mercantile Men Tyre: Inhabitants of Proud and Haughty Tyre: Inhabitants of Sea-Faring Men Tyre: Inhabitants of Self-Conceited Tyre: Inhabitants of Superstitious Tyre: Kingdom of Hiram, King of Tyre: Kingdom of Sends Material to David for his Palace Tyre: Often Confederated Against the Jews and Rejoiced in Their Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: All Nations to be Terrified at Its Destruction Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Envy Against the Jews a Cause of Its Destruction Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Inhabitants of, to Emigrated to Other Countries Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Inhabitants to be Sold As Slaves, As a Recompence For Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Restoration to Commercial Greatness After Seventy Years Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Its Second Destruction by the Macedonians Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Never to Recover Its Greatness Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: Pride a Cause of Its Destruction Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: The King of Babylon to be Rewarded With the Spoil of Egypt Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: The Ruins of the First City to be Employed in Making A Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To be Destroyed by the King of Babylon Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To be Scraped As the Top of a Rock, and to be a Place For Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To Lie Waste and be Forgotten for Seventy Years Tyre: Prophecies Respecting: To Participated in the Blessings of the Gospel Tyre: Propitiated the Favour of Herod Tyre: Soldiers of, Supplied by Persia Tyre: Supplied: A Master-Builder for the Temple Tyre: Supplied: Seamen for Solomon's Navy Tyre: Supplied: Stones and Timber for Building the Temple Tyre: Supplied: Timber for Rebuilding the Temple and City Tyre: The Jews Condemned for Purchasing from the People of, on The Related Terms Nebuchadrez'zar (31 Occurrences) Misrephothmaim (2 Occurrences) |