Tyre
Tyre is an ancient city mentioned in both the Old and New Testaments, located in the region of Phoenicia in modern-day Israel. It appears across 64 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
Tyre is one of the most prominent cities in the biblical world, appearing across both Testaments as a symbol of commerce, pride, and ultimately divine judgment. Located on the Phoenician coast, Tyre first enters Scripture as a northern boundary marker of Asher's tribal territory (Joshua 19:29). The city's greatest biblical moment of friendship came under King Hiram of Tyre, who supplied cedar, craftsmen, and materials for both David's palace (2 Samuel 5:11) and Solomon's Temple (1 Kings 5:1–12). This relationship made Tyre indispensable to Israel's greatest building projects. However, the prophets turned sharply against Tyre's arrogance. Amos condemned it for selling Israelites into Edomite slavery (Amos 1:9). Isaiah devoted an entire oracle to its downfall (Isaiah 23). Most extensively, Ezekiel delivered a series of devastating laments over Tyre (Ezekiel 26–28), proclaiming its utter ruin for rejoicing over Jerusalem's fall. In the New Testament, Jesus visited the region of Tyre and Sidon (Matthew 15:21), healing a Canaanite woman's daughter and declaring that Tyre would face a lighter judgment than Galilean cities that rejected his ministry (Matthew 11:21–22).
Archaeological & Historical Notes
Modern Tyre (Arabic: Sur) in southern Lebanon preserves significant ancient remains despite millennia of occupation. Alexander the Great's famous siege of 332 BC, which required building a causeway to the island city, permanently connected it to the mainland, transforming its geography. Archaeological excavations have uncovered Hellenistic, Roman, and Byzantine layers, including a colonnaded street, a hippodrome, and extensive necropolis. Phoenician levels are harder to access due to continuous habitation. UNESCO designated Tyre a World Heritage Site in 1984. The city's purple dye industry, mentioned in ancient sources, has left traces in excavated murex shell deposits.
Verse Appearances (64)
Josh
Ezra
Neh
Ezek
Hos
Joel
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →