FEATURE
Tyre
THE history of Tyre provides a striking example of the fulfillment of Bible prophecy. First the mainland city fell; then the island city was destroyed. Both events were foretold.
MAP: Tyre
In the days of David and of Solomon, friendly relations had existed between Israel and Tyre. (1Ch 14:1; 1Ki 9:10, 11) But the Tyrians were worshipers of Melkart and Astarte. Tyre was devoted to commerce. As she prospered, she became proud. She became defiant toward Jehovah, and Jehovah’s prophets foretold calamity for Tyre.
Nebuchadnezzar II besieged the city. From a military standpoint, after many years it might have seemed futile to continue. But he persevered until Tyre fell at the end of 13 years, thus fulfilling the Bible prophecy that had named him as its conqueror.—Eze 26:7-12.
Later, Zechariah again foretold ruin for Tyre, but this time it was for the island city. To reach it, Alexander the Great scraped up the ruins of the mainland city to construct a causeway; he built huge siege towers. Though Tyre had built its walls 46 m high (150 ft), the prophecy was fulfilled.—Zec 9:3, 4; Eze 26:4, 12.
An aerial view of Tyre, with the area around the causeway, which is now considerably filled in
Cedars of Lebanon. Hiram king of Tyre supplied cedarwood for the construction of the temple in Jerusalem
Trade goods of ancient Tyre: ivory, oil, valuable metals, timber, and fabric dyed reddish-purple
Model of a type of trading ship evidently used by ancient Tyre
Melkart, one of the gods of ancient Tyre, as depicted on a Tyrian silver tetradrachma (shekel) coin