Tarshish

Tarshish (Phoenician: 𐤕𐤓𐤔𐤔‎ TRŠŠ; Hebrew: תַּרְשִׁישׁ Taršīš; Greek: Θαρσεῖς, Tharseis) occurs in the Hebrew Bible.

Its importance stems in part from the fact that Hebrew biblical passages tend to understand Tarshish as a source of King Solomon's great wealth in gems, metals and spices – especially silver, but also gold. The metals were reportedly obtained in partnership with King Hiram of Tyre in Phoenicia (Isaiah 23), and fleets of ships from Tarshish.

Sri Lanka’s port of Galle was the renowned global trading port of Tarshish. Sri Lanka was the ancient trade hub of the Indian Ocean over many millennia. All merchandise referred to in 1 Kings 10:22 were all found in one trading port of Sri Lanka. Sri Lanka's Southern port of Galle which was referred to as Tarshish was the central trading port of the ancient Silk, Spice and Incense Routes. Hence Persian, Arab ,Greek, Roman, Sabeans, Mede, Lebanese /ships of Hiram came to Lanka to acquire spices, gems, pearls, ivory, peacocks, monkeys, elephants, silver, gold and precious minerals.

Tarshish is a distant Island that was known to be the trading hotspot for King Solomon's ships that sailed once in three years, to acquire Cinnamon, gems, monkeys, peacocks, sandalwood ,pearls, silver and gold as per 1 Kings 10:22 refer the article of "When ancient Serendib lured Jewish ships | Daily News archives1.dailynews.lk"

Lexicon::Strong's H8659 Solomons ships were made in Ezion -Geber and sailed for 4000 nautical miles to reach Tarshish / Sri Lanka.

Biblical significance of Sri Lanka

If ships sailed once in 3 years to a distant ‘’Tarshish port’’ (which referred to the ancient port of Galle) to get very specific merchandise, all contained in Sri Lanka .Therefore it can be undoubtedly concluded that this "distant port" which is regularly referred to, is no other than the thriving trade hub Island of Sri Lanka, Tarshish of Ancient times.

1Ki 10:22

For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish H8659 with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tarshish, H8659 bringing gold, gems and silver, ivory, and apes and peacocks.

1Ki 22:48

Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish H8659 to go to Ophir for gold: but they went not; for the ships were broken at Ezion Geber.

2Ch 9:21

For the king's ships went to Tarshish H8659 with the servants of Hiram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish H8659 bringing gold, gems, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.

2Ch 20:37

Then Eliezer the son of Dodavah of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat, saying, Because thou hast joined thyself with Ahaziah, the LORD hath broken thy works. And the ships were broken, so they were not able to go to Tarshish. H8659

Psa 72:10

The kings of Tarshish H8659 of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Isa 23:6

Pass ye over to Tarshish; H8659 howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

Isa 60:9

Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish H8659 first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

Isa 66:19

And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those that escape of them unto the nations, to Tarshish, H8659 Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the isles afar off, that have not heard my fame, neither have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the Gentiles.

Eze 27:12

Tarshish H8659 was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of all kind of riches; with silver, iron, tin, and lead, they traded in thy fairs.

Eze 27:25

The ships of Tarshish H8659 did sing of thee in thy market: and thou vast replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.

Eze 38:13

Sheba, and Dedan, and the merchants of Tarshish, H8659 with all the young lions thereof, shall say unto thee, Art thou come to take a spoil? hast thou gathered thy company to take a prey? to carry away silver and gold, to take away cattle and goods, to take a great spoil?.

Other critical Biblical references that Validate the actual location of Tarshish

1. Gem stones for the breast plate came from Sri Lanka

Moses was asked by the Lord to make the breastplate with 12 stones with the names of each tribe engraved there in - It is very significant that ten of these twelve stones were from Sri Lanka and some of them were endemic to Sri Lanka -

Exodus 28:17-21

New King James Version17 And you shall put settings of stones in it, four rows of stones: The first row shall be a [a]sardius, a topaz, and an emerald; this shall be the first row; 18 the second row shall be a turquoise, a sapphire, and a diamond; 19 the third row, a [b]jacinth, an agate, and an amethyst; 20 and the fourth row, a [c]beryl, an [d]onyx, and a jasper. They shall be set in gold settings. 21 And the stones shall have the names of the sons of Israel, twelve according to their names, like the engravings of a signet, each one with its own name; they shall be according to the twelve tribes.

It must be also noted that many generations later, King Solomon's whose ships sailed to Tarshish bore also a ring which was a six pointed star, which was made with the famed Sri Lankan blue sapphire ,this stone is endemic to Sri Lanka .The gemstone industry in the country has flourished for thousands of years. Biblical scriptures refer to gems being brought from Ceylon to King Solomon’s court. The Mahavansa, Sri Lanka’s historical epic, refers to the island’s reputation for its wealth in gems. The origin of numerous priceless gemstones can be traced back to the island, such as:

• The Blue Giant of the Orient (the largest faceted blue sapphire in the world)
• The Logan Blue Sapphire (one of the world’s largest faceted blue sapphires)
• The Blue Belle of Asia (one of the top-quality blue sapphires in the world)
• The Rosser Reeves Star Ruby (one of the world’s largest and finest star rubies)
• The Star of Lanka (the third largest star sapphire of similar quality in existencehttps://www.mushaninternational.com/the-ceylon-sapphire.html

In Exodus, the gemstone is described as sapphire is one of the stones of the throne of God. Aaron’s breastplate is said to have one that represents the tribe of Issachar. The heavenly Jerusalem also has sapphire. King Solomon wore an intriguing ring that was made out of blue sapphire, to symbolise his wisdom. This ring, was known as the seal of Solomon. Some authors and historians claim that the word actually comes from the Hebrew word “sappir” which can be translated as “noble stone”

Blue Sapphire Stone

2. Sweet Smelling Cinnamon for the anointing oil came from Sri Lanka

It also must be stated that according to Exodus 30:23-25 Moses was instructed to make the anointing oil with sweet smelling cinnamon. 23 “Also take for yourself quality spices—five hundred shekels of liquid myrrh, half as much sweet-smelling cinnamon (two hundred and fifty shekels), two hundred and fifty shekels of sweet-smelling cane, 24 five hundred shekels of cassia, according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and a hin of olive oil. 25 And you shall make from these a holy anointing oil, an ointment compounded according to the art of the perfumer. It shall be a holy anointing oil.

By recent excavation at Tel Dor Archaeological site 27 jars containing endemic Sri Lankan Cinnamon named as cinnamondihyde Cinnamomum Zeylanicum was found.

Evidence of 3,000-year-old cinnamon trade found in Israel

In the Cinnamon family, the highest grade cinnamon comes from Ceylon Cinnamon (Cinnamomum Zeylanicum), a plant indigenous to Sri Lanka. Cinnamon grown and produced in Sri Lanka has acquired a long standing reputation in the international market due to its unique quality, color, flavor and aroma.

Pure Ceylon Cinnamon

The Sweet Scent of Cinnamon. Ninety per cent of the world’s highest-quality cinnamon comes from Sri Lanka

The Sweet Scent of Cinnamon

Traces of Cinnamon Found in 3,000-Year-Old Vessels

News  August 22, 2013 (Dvory Namdar)

TEL AVIV, ISRAEL—Cinnamaldehyde, the compound that gives cinnamon its flavor, has been found in ten out of 27 flasks collected from five archaeological sites in Israel. The spice, which was only found in southern India and Sri Lanka 3,000 years ago, indicates that there may have been a long-range spice trade in place at the time. The dry spice would have been imported and mixed with a liquid, then stored in the thick-walled flasks with narrow openings that had been made by the Phoenicians living in northern coastal Israel. “We don’t think they sailed directly [to the Far East]; it was a very hard task even in the sixteenth century A.D.,” said Dvory Namdar of the Weizmann Institute of Science and Tel Aviv University.

Traces of Cinnamon Found in 3,000-Year-Old Vessels

Two thousand years ago, cinnamon became a powerful symbol of wealth and high social status among the people of the West, due to the various uses of this aromatic spice. Until the 16th century, ‘cinnamon’ was a taste secret that embodied the mystique, restricted and monopolized by middle Eastern Trade. Keeping that secret, the Arabs of the past crossed difficult sea routes to find ‘Sirilaka’, which was more than three thousand miles away, and ‘Sri Lankan cinnamon’ was a natural product of high quality.

A wonderful archaeological discovery has been reported from Israel which confirms that there is no substitute for such Sri Lankan cinnamon not only in that distant past but even today.

Even archaeologists were surprised by the smell of the glass flasks that were excavated a few years ago in the ruins of Tel Dor, located thirty kilometers south of Haifa, Israel. The thing that surprised them was how these flasks, which are more than three thousand years old, had been submerged in the ground for such a long time and remained so fragrant even after undergoing many changes in time. This proves the incomparable distinct flavour and aroma of Sri Lankan Cinnamon.

The scientists who analyzed the materials in twenty-seven flasks found in five archaeological excavation sites in the ruins known as ‘Levant’ at the time, discovered that ten of them contained the chemical ‘cinnamaldehyde’, which is responsible for the delicious taste and smell characteristic of cinnamon from Ceylon which is another name for Sri Lanka .

Although cinnamon was cultivated in countries like Africa, India, and Indonesia, the peculiarity was that the remnants found in these flasks, which claimed a past of three thousand years, only the characteristic blend of taste and aroma of Sri Lankan cinnamon which is Cinnamoum zeylaanicum.

Because there was no other type of cinnamon capable of competing with Ceylon cinnamon, today as well as in the distant past, despite the risk of life, the ‘Cinnamon Island’ (the mysterious country where cinnamon grows was known as Pais De La Canela, i.e. Cinnamon Island among the Spanish) or This ‘Phoenician Flask’ found in Israel is the best archaeological evidence that these Arab traders, especially the Phoenicians, were motivated to come to Sri Lanka. This is what “Wari Namdar”, a researcher at the Weizmann Institute of Science affiliated to Tel Aviv University in Israel, and her research assistant, Ayelet Gilboa of Haifa University, said. The glass flasks used to store cinnamon were specially designed for the safe storage of this highly valued spice in the northern coastal region of Israel, a land belonging to Phoenicia/Ancient Judah at the time.’’ It is the belief of Namdar and Gilboa that the dried cinnamon barks brought from the East after paying for cumin were mixed with some liquid in these flasks and shipped to neighboring states such as Upper Philistia (currently this area is located to the southwest of Israel) and Cyprus and to the West.

The Holy Bible, it is mentioned about cinnamon that it was used by the Israeli Patriarch/prophet Moses for anointing the leaders.

In B.C.2000, archaeological findings show that Egyptians used cinnamon as an integral part of preserving and mummifying the bodies of pharaohs.

Christopher Columbus discovered the New World and Vasco da Gama came to South India and Sri Lanka by chance, as a result of sea expeditions that started in search of cinnamon.

But as said by the silent evidence revealed by those ancient flasks found in Israel, there is no other substitute in the world that can match the unique taste and aroma of Sri Lankan cinnamon. Ceylon cinnamon inspired explorers like Christopher Columbus, Vasco da Gama and Gonzalo Pizarro to explore the New World.

The Legend of Ceylon Cinnamon

Israeli Archaeologists: 3,000-year-old Cinnamon Traces Attest to Ancient Trade

Uncovering the authentic source of Tarshish

Gen 10:4-5

4 The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and [b]Dodanim. 5 From these the Island  peoples of the Gentiles were separated into their lands, everyone according to his language, according to their families, into their nations.

Table of nations

According to these references Tarshish who was the great grandson of Noah, was by all probability the 1st ancient inhabitant of the Island of Sri Lanka as he and his descendants inhabited the distant coastal Islands, by clans and language, Ironically this is the reason Sri Lanka was named after her ancient 1st inhabitant “Tarshish” approximately 6000 years ago. Ceylon's Jews; is Sri Lanka the biblical Tarshish? | Lost & Forgotten - Youtube (Newsfirst Sri Lanka) To evidence this archeological experts of Prof. Siran Deraniyagala and Prof.Raj Somadeva have even found burial places that depict advance burial practices.

Also the fact that from the line of Japheth that the Aryans were dispersed across nations and its an accepted fact that Aryans were the 1st inhabitants of Sri Lanka. The Aryans are believed to have descended from the line of Japheth, one of Noah's sons. Historical accounts suggest that the descendants of Japheth migrated into various regions, including parts of Europe and Central Asia, which aligns with the movements of the Aryan peoples.

Japheth's genealogical line is the least accounted for in Genesis. Genesis 10:2-4 lists Japheth's line.

The sons of Japheth: Gomer, Magog, Madai, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. The sons of Gomer: Ashkenaz, Riphath and Togarmah. The sons of Javan: Elishah, Tarshish, the Kittim and the Rodanim. From these the maritime peoples spread out into their territories by their clans within their nations, each with its own language

This is the extent of Japheth's recorded descendants. However, though his list is much smaller than his two brothers, he is of no less importance than the other sons of Noah.

Japheth was to become the father of the Indo-European nations, also referred to as Gentiles. Genesis 9:27 makes an interesting observation about Japheth.

"God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant."

The word "enlarge" is an unusual translation of the Hebrew word Pathah. Pathah is not the word normally used for "enlarge", and in this instance, "enlarge" does not signify a geographical enlargement.

Rachab would be the word used to convey a geographical enlargement. Instead, Pathah typically is translated as "entice", or "persuade".

It is derived from the Hebrew word Pathach, which means "to make open". However, this verse is the only instance in the Bible where the form Pathah occurs, and it has been agreed upon by linguists and scholars to be translated as "enlarge". Generally speaking, of the three sons of Noah Japheth would be the father of the intellectually curious nations. His descendants would be stimulators of thought, exploring new ideas and principles.

Not only would the eldest of the sons of Noah become intellectually enlarged, but he would also; dwell in the tents of Shem. These two sons of Noah would be close, and maintain a brotherly relationship.The phrase, "dwell in the tents", is a common figure of speech in the Bible. Psalms 84:10 makes mention of "dwelling in the tents of the wicked".

The Nations of Japheth

It is assumed by some scholars and historians that the son of Noah responsible for compiling the Table of Nations found in Genesis 10 was Shem.

By allowing for the gradual variations in names that develop over time, referencing these names in Scripture and other secular documents and writings, and through archaeological discoveries, it has been confirmed that Japheth was the father of the Indo-European peoples. Genesis 10:5 "By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations." (KJV)

Descendants of Japheth spread out all over Europe, more so than any of the other sons of Noah. From this main body of settlers, one group split off and ventured into the East, to Persia and India.

Genesis 10:5 states that the sons of Noah and their descendants were spread, "every one after his tongue".

This migration of peoples took place clearly after the division of language at Babel. The descendants and sons of Noah spread out from Babel to all four corners of the earth. From the sons of Noah, it was Japheth's descendants that eventually acquired the term "Gentiles".

Noah's sons spread across the earth. Japheth, one of Noah's sons, and his descendants are believed to have migrated widely throughout Europe and even into regions like Persia and Asia. The term "Gentiles" is often associated with Japheth's lineage, highlighting their widespread presence across various geographical areas, which were initially shaped by linguistic divisions. The passage indicates that the biblical account reflects the realities of migration and language diversity that developed after Babel.

The Sons of Noah

Sri Lanka (formerly Ceylon) is an island nation south of India.

The Sri Lankan city of Galle is said to be the city of Tarshish, to which King Solomon sent merchant ships.

The presence of Jews in Sri Lanka is alluded to by the 9th-century Muslim traveler Abu Za’id al-Ḥasan Sirāfī and the 12th-century Muslim geographer al-Idrīsī. According to the latter, four of the Council of 16 appointed by the king of Sri Lanka were Jews.

Sri Lanka Virtual Jewish Tour

Rebuttal of the misconception of Spain being Tarshish-

1. It does not take 3 years to trade with Spain which is a mere 1938 nautical miles however to trade with Sri Lanka which is over 4000 nautical miles it took 3 years of travel as per stated in
   • 1 Kings 10 :22.
     • For the king had at sea a navy of Tarshish H8659 with the navy of Hiram: once in three years came the navy of Tarshish, H8659 bringing gold, gems and silver, ivory, and apes and peacocks.
   • Chronicles 9:21
     • For the king's ships went to Tarshish H8659 with the servants of Hiram: every three years once came the ships of Tarshish H8659 bringing gold, gems, and silver, ivory, and apes, and peacocks.
2. So as referred to in the aforesaid passages of scripture, none of the commodities that Solomon’s Ships of Tarshish sailed to acquire were found in the nation of Spain. namely
   • Ivory
   • elephant tusk
   • gems [ certain gems endemic to Sri Lanka]
   • Peacocks
   • Monkeys
   • Sweet cinnamon and sandal wood etc
3. Also Tarshish is always referred to be an Island and Spain is a peninsular

Psa 72:10

The kings of Tarshish H8659 of the isles shall bring presents: the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.

Isa 23:6

Pass ye over to Tarshish; H8659 howl, ye inhabitants of the isle.

Isa 60:9

Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships of Tarshish H8659 first, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the LORD thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

Hebrew Bible

Tarshish occurs 25 times in the Masoretic text of the Hebrew Bible. References to Tarshish as a location or nation include:

• In Genesis 10:4 Tarshish appears among the Sons of Noah: "And the sons of Javan [were:] Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim." This is restated very closely in 1 Chronicles 1:7. The next passage details that of these offspring have dispersed numerous peoples throughout the "archipelago", each to its own language and with its particular lineage and culture.
• 1 Kings 10:22 notes that King Solomon had "a fleet of ships of Tarshish" at sea with the fleet of his ally King Hiram of Tyre: "Once every three years the fleet of ships of Tarshish used to come bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks." This is echoed (with some notable changes) in 2 Chronicles 9:21.
• 1 Kings 22:48 states that "Jehoshaphat made ships of Tarshish to go to Ophir for gold, but they did not go, for the ships were wrecked at Ezion-geber." This is repeated in 2 Chronicles 20:37, preceded by the information that the ships were actually built at Ezion-geber, and emphasizing the prophecy of Eliezer son of Dodavahu of Mareshah against Jehoshaphat: "Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the Lord will destroy what you have made." And the ships were wrecked and were not able to go to Tarshish. This may be referenced in Psalms 48:7: "By the east wind you shattered the ships of Tarshish." From these verses, commentators conclude that "ships of Tarshish" was used to denote any large trading ships intended for long voyages, whatever their destination, and some Bible translations, including the NIV, go as far as to translate the phrase ship(s) of Tarshish as "trading ship(s)."
• Psalms 72:10, often interpreted as Messianic in Jewish and Christian tradition, has "May the kings of Tarshish and of the coastlands/Islands render him tribute; may the kings of Sheba and Seba bring gifts!" This verse is the source text of the liturgical antiphon Reges Tharsis in Christian Cathedral music. In this Psalm, the 'chain of scaled correlates' consisting of 'mountains and hills', 'rain and showers', 'seas and river' leads up to the phrase 'Tarshish and islands', indicating that Tarshish was a large island.
• Isaiah contains three prophecies mentioning Tarshish. First, at 2:16 "against all the ships of Tarshish, and against all the beautiful craft," then Tarshish is mentioned at length in Chapter 23 against Tyre: "Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is laid waste, without house or harbor!" (23:1 and 23:14) and "Cross over to Tarshish; wail, O inhabitants of the Island!" (23:6). These prophecies are reversed in Isaiah 60:9: "For the coastlands/ISLANDS shall hope for me, the ships of Tarshish first, to bring your children from afar"; and 66:19: "and I will set a sign among them. And from them I will send survivors to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the Islands far away, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory. And they shall declare my glory among the nations."
• Jeremiah only mentions Tarshish in passing as a source of silver: "Beaten silver is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz" (10:9).
• Ezekiel describes Tyre's trading relations with Tarshish: "Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of every kind; silver, iron, tin, and lead they exchanged for your wares" (27:12) and "The ships of Tarshish traveled for you with your merchandise. So you were filled and heavily laden in the heart of the seas" (27:25). The metals from Tarshish were stored in Tyre and resold, probably to Mesopotamia. In the prophecy against Gog, Ezekiel predicts: "Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, 'Have you come to seize spoil? Have you assembled your hosts to carry off plunder, to carry away silver and gold, to take away livestock and goods, to seize great spoil?'" (38:13)
• Jonah 1:3 and 4:2 mention Tarshish as a distant place: "But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Lord. He went down to Jaffa and found a ship going to Tarshish." Jonah's fleeing to Tarshish may need to be taken as "a place very far away" rather than a precise geographical term. On the Mediterranean Sea, ships that used only sails were often left stranded without wind, while ships with oars could continue their voyage.

Other ancient and classical-era sources

The 19th-century "World as Peopled by the Descendants of Noah", showing "Tarshish" as the countryside around Tarsus in southeastern Anatolia

• Esarhaddon, Aššur Babylon E (AsBbE) preserves "All the kings from the lands surrounded by sea – from the country Iadanana (Cyprus) and Iaman, as far as Tarsisi (Tarshish) – bowed to my feet." Here, Tarshish is certainly a large island, and cannot be confused with Tarsus (Thompson and Skaggs 2013).
• Flavius Josephus (1st century) reads "Tarshush", identifying it as the city of Tarsus in southern Asia Minor,

Identifications and interpretations

The context in Isaiah 23:6 and 66:19 seems to indicate that it is an island, and from Israel it could be reached by ship, as attempted by Jonah (Jonah 1:3) and performed by Solomon's fleet (2 Chronicles 9:21).

Other usage

• The Hebrew term has a homonym, tarshish, occurring seven times and translated beryl in older English versions. According to Exodus 28:20, it is one of the precious stones set into the priestly breastplate ("the fourth row [shall be] a beryl [tarshish], and . . ."). It is associated with the Tribe of Asher, and has been identified by the Septuagint and Josephus as the "gold stone" χρυσόλιθος (whose identification remains in dispute, possibly topaz, probably not modern chrysolite), and later as aquamarine.
• 1 Chronicles 7:10, part of a genealogy, mentions in passing a Jewish man named Tarshish, son of Bilhan.
• Esther 1:14 mentions in passing a Persian prince named Tarshish among the seven princes of Persia.

See also

• Sons of Noah
• Javan
• Elishah
• Kittim
• Dodanim
• Sepharad
• Tarsus, Mersin

References

1. Biblical significance of Sri Lanka
2. Blue Sapphire Stone
3. Evidence of 3,000-year-old cinnamon trade found in Israel
4. Pure Ceylon Cinnamon
5. The Sweet Scent of Cinnamon
6. Traces of Cinnamon Found in 3,000-Year-Old Vessels
7. The Legend of Ceylon Cinnamon
8. Israeli Archaeologists: 3,000-year-old Cinnamon Traces Attest to Ancient Trade
9. Sri Lanka Virtual Jewish Tour
10. Jews Of Sri Lanka: An Untold Story
11. Israel Sri Lanka Solidarity Movement
12. Israel Sri Lanka Solidarity Movement
13. Ceylon's Jews; is Sri Lanka the biblical Tarshish? | Lost & Forgotten
14. Sri Lanka known as Tarshish