Tyre

Tyre was among the most powerful and wealthy cities of the ancient Near East, a Phoenician port built partly on an island just off the Mediterranean coast, renowned for its extensive maritime trade, skilled craftsmen, and formidable fortifications, and it appears throughout Scripture in contexts ranging from alliance to judgment.

Tyre's wealth and craftsmanship benefited Israel directly during the united monarchy. 2 Samuel 5:11 records that Hiram, king of Tyre, sent "cedar trees, and carpenters, and masons" to build David a house, reflecting a genuine, cooperative relationship between the two kingdoms.

Joshua 19:29 names Tyre as a boundary marker in the territorial allotment to the tribe of Asher, confirming that the city's real, fortified presence was well known to Israel from the earliest days of settlement in Canaan.

The city's pride and wealth eventually drew sharp prophetic rebuke. Ezekiel 26:3 opens a lengthy oracle against the city: "Behold, I am against thee, O Tyrus, and will cause many nations to come up against thee, as the sea causeth his waves to come up." Ezekiel 28:12 continues this theme, addressing the king of Tyre directly as one who had been "full of wisdom, and perfect in beauty," yet whose pride would lead to a genuine, prophesied downfall.

Tyre also appears in the New Testament in connection with Jesus' ministry. Matthew 15:21 records Jesus withdrawing "into the coasts of Tyre and Sidon," the setting for His notable encounter with the Canaanite woman, one of the rare instances of Jesus ministering directly in Gentile territory.

The city appears once more in the account of Paul's travels. Acts 21:3 records Paul's ship landing "at Tyre: for there the ship was to unlade her burden," where he found disciples and stayed with them seven days -- evidence of a genuine, established Christian community in the city by that time.