Mar.6] PROCEEDINGS. [1894.expressions,addressed to the population of the island of Tyre, the
strengthof which was laid waste.
If we are to believe the fabulous stories told by the Greeks,
Tartessus was not indeed a colony of the Phoenicians but an
El Dorado, whenceboundlesswealth of gold and silver mightbe
acquiredby them at a trifling cost. But why under thesecircum
stancesshouldthe fortunes of Tartessus be identified withthoseof
Tyre? Why shouldthe ships of Tartessus be told to howl because
" theirstrengthis laid waste ?" In what sensecouldTyrebe called
the strength of Tartessus? Tartessus (accordingto the hypothesis)
was rather the strength of Tyre, as furnishing the sinews of war.
The ruin of Tyre couldnot affectthe fortunesof Tartessus. I cannot
understandhow a sensible and profound writerlike Ewald couldfail
to see that the siege of Tyre, howeversuccessfullyconductedby
Shalmaneser,could neverproduce such an effect as to compel the
populationof Tartessus to overflow its land in flight, evenas the
Nile overflows Egypt.* For so he understands v. 10. But the
"daughterofTarshish"is not Tartessus, but Tyre.
The phophecy of Ezekiel (ch. xxvii) admitsthe sameexplanation.
Tarshishis Phoenicia, and as the " merchant " of Tyre includesall
the kingdoms and cities of its coasts.
The" Ships of Tarshish " here and everywhere else are simply
Phoenicianships. Suchwerethoseof King Solomon(1 Kings x, 22)
and those of Jehoshaphat (id. xxii, 48). TheHebrewkingsbought
or hired shipsmade by the Phoenicians. Thatships of Tartessus
shouldbe built on the Elanitic gulph,or that ships should be built
therefor the purpose of going to Tartessus are absurdities too gross
to be admitted, but in order to avoid themone has had recourse to
the gratuitous suppositionthat becausethe ships goingto Tartessus
musthavebeengreatships,thereforeall great shipswerecalled by
the Hebrews "Shipsof Tartessus," thoughtheynevercamefromor
weremeantto go in that direction. Beforeappealingto the analogy
of our ' East Indiamen,'it would havebeendesirableto procure the
authority of Semitic usage. Whenthe true senseof Tarshish is
understoodthe supposition in question is at once seento be needless
and idle and extravagant.
It can hardly be necessary to speak of Tarshish in connection
withthe history of the prophet Jonah,whichis always quotedas a
- And yet he has understood the prophet as recommending the Tyrian
populationto flee to Tartessus I
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