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The Timeline for Tyre

Without a timeline, the chronology of events for Tyre is somewhat difficult to understand. Therefore, I have included this timeline for clarification.

  • In the days of Abraham, the Babylonians overrun Tyre.
  • Therefore, Tyre moves its city from the mainland to a half mile off shore.
  • During Isaiah’s day, Assyria was a dominant world power and would conquer the northern kingdom of Isra’el and come very close to conquering the southern kingdom of Judah. Sargon II (721 to 705 BC) and Sennacherib (704 to 681 BC), kings of Assyria, tried for fourteen years to conquer Tyre, but were unsuccessful. Tyre is said by Josephus to have been founded 240 years before Solomon built his Temple in Jerusalem (Antiquities, VIII. iii. I). Its antiquity is also attested to by the classical historians, Herodotus and Strabo.
  • During Jeremiah’s day, 115 years later, Babylon had defeated the Assyrians to become the dominant world power. King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon captured and destroyed Tyre after 13 years.
  • Babylon, being the dominant world power, destroyed both Tyre and Judah, sending both into exile for 70 years.
  • After 70 years, God restores both Tyre and Judah. Tyre arises to rebuild her trade and Judah arises to rebuild her Temple. During this time ADONAI allows the ships of Tyre to bring the cedars of Lebanon to the port of Joppa to be used to rebuild the Temple in Jerusalem. At that point, the LORD allows some of the merchandise of Tyre to become holy, or set apart for ADONAI.
  • In 332 BC, or about 370 years after Isaiah’s prophecy, Alexander the Great accomplishes the devastation of Tyre forever.