Dec.4] SOCIETYOF BIBLICAL ARCHEOLOGY. [1894.
It is well known, especiallyby sad experience in the Gulf of
Issus,thatthe east windscomingdownin gusts fromthe mountains,
are replete withdanger. "Thoubreakcstthe ships of Tarshish with
an east wind,"saysthe Psalmist, xxvii,26. So also Ezekielxxvii,26,
says, "Thy rowers havebrought theeintogreat waters; the east
wind hath broken theein the midst of the seas." Mr. Renouf
assumesthatthe Psalmist here identifiesTyreand Tarshish, when
he merely identifiesthe effects of the east windsuponeach. The
difference betweenthe two is still more stronglyexpressedin the
" Burden of Tyre," in Isaiah xxiii,of which prophecyMr. Renouf
says"it is perfectly intelligibleandclearif by Tarshish we under
standPhoenicia; it is absolutely withoutsenseif Tartessus is thought
of." Quite correct, if Tartessus had beenintended,but not so, if
Tarsuswas meant.
As Jonah, to avoid the duty imposed upon him to go and
prophesyagainst Nineveh,fled to Tarsus, so also the Tyrians were
to flee to the same place. Thetransitof the Phoenicians from
Cyprus 10 Tarsus waseasy,and when "ye inhabitantsof the isle,"
werebidden to pass overto Tarshish, it seems doubtful if Palai-
tyrosor Cyprus wasmeant. Mr. Renoufadmitsthat Tarshishis
mentionedmore than once in connection with the isle or isles.
"The kings of Tarshish andof the isles shall bring presents,"
writes the Psalmist, lxxii, 10. "What islands?" exclaims Mr.
Renouf—his thoughts ever bent uponTartessus—" islands in the
Atlantic?" Certainly not,butthe islands nighto Tarsus. In the
"Bu1denof Tyre," it is "howl ye inhabitants of the isle," not isles, and
the allusion herewouldratherappearto bear referenceto Cyprus
thanto the islets off the coast of Phoenicia, of which, Aradusor
Arvad(Palai-tyros), was the only oneof any importance. Tyre,
"thedaughterof Tarshish," is told to pass overto Tarshish (an
orderinconsistentwithTarshishand Phoeniciabeingidentical),and
" to pass throughthe land as a river," in allusion possiblyto the river
of Tarshish—the Cydnus of historic andpoeticfame. Thestrength
of Tyre lay in her ships, and hencewasshe called " the daughter
of Tarshish," sinceher ships camefromthence. " Howl, ye ships
of Tarshish, for your strengthis laid waste." Theshipsof Tarshish
are also calledupon to wail for the ruin of Tyre, whichwas their
strength,as they in return wereits strength, andhencewere the
inhabitants of the isle —it matters not whether of Palai-tyros or of
Cyprus—toldto pass overto Tarshish, not to the Phoenician coast,
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