Tyre is a Canaanite city-state on the Mediterranean coast , north of the Land of Israel.

Tyre of today was built on the ruins of ancient Tyre, on the narrow Phoenecian coastal strip, halfway between Sidon and Acco (Acre).

Josephus writes that Tyre was built 240 years before the First Beit HaMidash. Apparently, Tyre was under Egyptian rule, and only after the deterioration of Egyptian control did Tyre begin to attain great power and control of the seas. Tyre greatly impacted commerce and workmanship of the day.

After Tyre became fully independent from Egyptian during the reign of Ramses III, Tyre became the most important Phoenician city, establishing the biggest commercial centers in the Mediterranean coast.

During the period of Israelite settlement in Canaan, Tyre was known as the Fortified City of Tyre and bordered the tribal territorial portion of Asher (Joshua 19, 29).

When King David had established his kingdom, King Hiram of Tyre sent “ messengers to David, and cedar-trees, and carpenters, and masons; and they built David a house” (II Samuel 5, 11).

Shlomo renewed the treaty with Hiram, who provided assistance in building the Beit HaMikdash (I Kings 5, 15; 5, 17-26; 9, 10-14; II Chronicles 2, 2-16). In return for the aid, King Hiram of Tyre received the land of Kavul from Shlomo (I Kings 9, 11-13).

During Ahav’s reign there were close, friendly ties between Tyre and Israel. It may have helped that Ahav’s wife Izevel was the daughter of Etbaal, king of Sidon (I Kings 16, 31). The close ties between the two nations was also reflected in the influence of the Tyrian paganism on Israelite worship. Prophets delivered harsh prophecies about the future destruction of Tyre (Isaiah 23; Jeremiah 25, 22; 27, 3; 47, 4; Ezekiel 26-28; Joel 4, 4; Amos 1, 9-10; Zachariah 9, 2-4).

During the Return to Zion, there were Tyrians living in Jerusalem who engaged in commerce on Shabbatt (Nehemiah 13, 16).

Lexicon HaMikra, vol. ii.