Ezekiel 27:1-9

‘The word of Yahweh came to me again, saying, “And you, son of man, take up a lamentation for Tyre. And say to Tyre:

“You, O Tyre, have said,

‘I am perfect in beauty.

Your borders are in the heart of the seas,

Your builders have perfected your beauty.

They made all your planks, of fir trees from Senir,

They took cedars from Lebanon, to make a mast for you.

Of oaks of Bashan, they made your oars

They made your benches (or ‘decks') of ivory, inlaid in boxwood, from the isles of Kittim (Cyprus)

Of fine embroidered linen from Egypt was your sail, that it may serve for an ensign.

Blue and purple from the coasts of Elishah was your awning,

The inhabitants of Zidon and Arvad were your rowers,

Your skilled men, O Tyre, were in you, they were your rope-pullers (those who manned the sail and steering),

The elders of Gebal and its skilled men were in you as your caulkers (seam repairers),

All the ships of the sea with their mariners were in you,

To exchange for your merchandise.'

This opening of the lamentation describes Tyre in her splendour as she saw herself. Perfect in beauty, surrounded by sea, made perfect by her shipbuilders, manufactured of the finest materials, supplied and moulded by the best sources and workmen, and crewed by the most expert sailors. And always crowded with merchants from other ships bartering for their goods. It was an idealistic picture of Tyre in her pride.

Senir (see Deuteronomy 3:9) was Mount Hermon, supplying the fir trees. The cedars of Lebanon and the oaks of Bashan were famous for their size and strength. Egypt were clearly expert sail-makers. Elishah may be the Alasia of extra-Biblical sources such as the Amarna letters and Egyptian and cuneiform inscriptions (Ugarit; Alalah; Boghaz Koi). It was an exporter of copper. Some have identified it with Enkomi and its surrounding area on the east coast of Cyprus where excavations have revealed an important trading centre of the late Bronze age.

Arvad is modern Ruad, a small island three kilometres (two miles) off the coast of Syria, and eighty kilometres (fifty miles) north of Byblos (Gebal). It was a barren rock covered with fortifications and houses. The island was about 245 metres (800 feet) long by 150 metres (500 feet) wide, later certainly surrounded by a massive wall, and an artificial harbour was constructed on the East toward the mainland. It was a sailing and trading centre, full of skilled seamen and spoken of admiringly by the Assyrians who earlier dominated it. Gebal, whose ruins lie at Jebeil, was known in Greek as Byblos. It was another Phoenician maritime city. Its inhabitants were clearly especially skilled at caulking vessels.