Sunday, July 02, 2006
City of Tyre
“When Hiram king of Tyre heard that Solomon had been anointed king to succeed his father David, he sent his envoys to Solomon, because he had always been on friendly terms with David.” (1 Kings 5:1 NIV)
King Hiram would end up supplying most of the lumber for Solomon’s temple. However, the Phoenician port city of Tyre would also supply the evil worship of Baal.
The National Council on Tourism for Lebanon writes:
“Originally Tyre consisted of a mainland settlement and an island city at a slight distance from the shore. Hiram, king of Tyre, joined two isles to enlarge the city and further extended Tyre by reclaiming a considerable area from the sea. It was to Hiram that Solomon appealed to build the temple of Jerusalem and his palace. Flourishing maritime trade, colonies in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, purple dye and glass industries rendered Tyre both prosperous and wealthy. The city became the most important commercial center in the eastern Mediterranean world for land and seaborne trade. The Greeks believed that various aspects of their civilization had their origin in Tyre. The introduction of the alphabet into Greece was attributed to Cadmus of Tyre, and it was Europa, the sister of Cadmus, who gave her name to the continent. During the ninth century B.C. Tyre extended her empire through the Mediterranean and founded Carthage. Her ships sailed to the Atlantic and Wales and south to the shores of Africa. Early in the sixth century B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, lay siege to the city for thirteen years. Later Alexander the Great stormed Tyre without success for seven months. Only by joining the island city to the mainland by a causeway was he enabled to bring up his siege engines to scale Tyre’s formidable walls.” (http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/900.geography_and_history/910/919/tyre/)
After reading the above, read what the prophet Ezekiel says about Tyre.
“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateto the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper [destruction and exile of Judah],’ therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations, and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. … From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. …” (Ezekiel 26:2-8 NIV)
Ezekiel continues this prophecy for the rest of chapter 26, chapter 27, and chapter 28. Good read!
King Hiram would end up supplying most of the lumber for Solomon’s temple. However, the Phoenician port city of Tyre would also supply the evil worship of Baal.
The National Council on Tourism for Lebanon writes:
“Originally Tyre consisted of a mainland settlement and an island city at a slight distance from the shore. Hiram, king of Tyre, joined two isles to enlarge the city and further extended Tyre by reclaiming a considerable area from the sea. It was to Hiram that Solomon appealed to build the temple of Jerusalem and his palace. Flourishing maritime trade, colonies in the Mediterranean and Atlantic, purple dye and glass industries rendered Tyre both prosperous and wealthy. The city became the most important commercial center in the eastern Mediterranean world for land and seaborne trade. The Greeks believed that various aspects of their civilization had their origin in Tyre. The introduction of the alphabet into Greece was attributed to Cadmus of Tyre, and it was Europa, the sister of Cadmus, who gave her name to the continent. During the ninth century B.C. Tyre extended her empire through the Mediterranean and founded Carthage. Her ships sailed to the Atlantic and Wales and south to the shores of Africa. Early in the sixth century B.C. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, lay siege to the city for thirteen years. Later Alexander the Great stormed Tyre without success for seven months. Only by joining the island city to the mainland by a causeway was he enabled to bring up his siege engines to scale Tyre’s formidable walls.” (http://almashriq.hiof.no/lebanon/900.geography_and_history/910/919/tyre/)
After reading the above, read what the prophet Ezekiel says about Tyre.
“Son of man, because Tyre has said of Jerusalem, ‘Aha! The gateto the nations is broken, and its doors have swung open to me; now that she lies in ruins I will prosper [destruction and exile of Judah],’ therefore this is what the Sovereign LORD says: I am against you, O Tyre, and I will bring many nations against you, like the sea casting up its waves. They will destroy the walls of Tyre and pull down her towers; I will scrape away her rubble and make her a bare rock. Out in the sea she will become a place to spread fishnets, for I have spoken, declares the Sovereign LORD. She will become plunder for the nations, and her settlements on the mainland will be ravaged by the sword. Then they will know that I am the LORD. … From the north I am going to bring against Tyre Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, king of kings, with horses and chariots, with horsemen and a great army. He will ravage your settlements on the mainland with the sword; he will set up siege works against you, build a ramp up to your walls and raise his shields against you. …” (Ezekiel 26:2-8 NIV)
Ezekiel continues this prophecy for the rest of chapter 26, chapter 27, and chapter 28. Good read!
# posted by Wesley Son of Cornelius @ 11:50 PM 
