Meaning of TARSHISH

Phoenician term derived from Akkadian; pos. "refinery".
(a) People arising from Javan (Gen. 10:4) and its territory. Jonah (Jon. 1:3) embarked in Joppa to reach Tarshish, at the point most opposite to Nineveh, and therefore in the west (cf. Is. 66:19).

Silver beaten into sheets and plates (Jer. 10:9), iron, tin, lead (Ex. 27:12) were imported from Tarshish. Plausible identification: Tartessos, in southern Spain, not far from Gibraltar (Herodotus 4:152). The Phoenicians, attracted by the mining riches of the region, founded a colony there.

The term "ships of Tarshish" originally designated the ships that made the journey between this place and distant countries. Later the same expression was used to designate ships of greater tonnage, regardless of their destination (Ps. 48:7; Is. 2:16; 23:1, 14; 60:9; Ezek. 27:25).

Jehoshaphat built ships of this type to send to Ophir, but they broke down in the roadstead of Ezion-geber (1 a. 22:49). The expression "ships from Tarshish" has been interpreted as "ships going to Tarshish" (2 Chron. 9:21; cf. 1 Kings 10:22) or "ships destined to go to Tarshish" (2 Chron. 20: 36).

However, it is possible that the original meaning of the term "Tarshish", applied to these ships, was "refinery ships", the name of similar ships that connected the mines and refineries of Sardinia and Phoenicia.

Later they maintained communication with the refineries in southern Spain. A Phoenician inscription from the 9th century BC. discovered in Nora, in Sardinia, speaks of a "tarsis" (or refinery) on this island.

(b) Benjamite, son of Bilhan (1 Chr. 7:10).

(c) One of the seven princes of Persia (Est. 1:14).