147 
From the passages in which the above places are mentioned, 
we learn that " the King's (Solomon) ships went toTharshish 
with the servants of Hiram : every three years once came 
the ships of Tharshish, bringing gold and silver, ivory, 
and apes and peacocks." (2 Chron. ix. 21.) In connexion 
with this may be adduced the passage of Ezekiel (xxvii ,12): 
"Tharshish was thy merchant by reason of the multitude of 
all kinds of riches ; with silver, iron, tin and lead, they 
traded in thy fairs.'''' From the mention of tin and lead as 
merchandize procured from Tharshish, it has been concluded 
that this must be Tartessus in Spain, though it is as 
probable that the name was subsequently given to this, when 
found to yield products previously obtained from the East ; 
as no doubt some place in the West is intended (Jonah i. 4), 
for which Joppa is the port of embarkation. But that another, 
and therefore most likely the original Tharshish, was in the 
East, is rendered at least probable by its being mentioned 
with eastern ports, as in Ezek. xxxviii. 13 : " Sheba and 
Dedan, and the merchants of Tharshish :" but of this there 
can, I conceive, be no doubt, when we find that the ships 
went to Tharshish from Eziongaber, in the eastern gulf of 
the Red Sea. As in 2 Chron. xix. 36 : " And he, Jeho- 
saphat, joined himself with him (Ahaziah, King of Israel), 
to make ships to go to Tharshish — and the ships were 
broken, that they were not able to go to Tharshish. 1 '' That 
Ophirand Tharshish were in the same direction seems evident, 
from reference to the same occurrence, in 1 Kings, xxii. 48 : 
" Jehosaphat made ships of Tharshish to go to Ophir for 
gold : but they went not ; for the ships were broken at 
Eziongaber." From Ophir were obtained gold, algum or 
almug trees, and precious stones. Dr. A. Clarke adduces the 
Arabic version, as considering Ophir and Tharshish to refer 
to India ; and my friend, Mr. C. Groves, has called my 
attention to Seba and Havilah, being considered by the 
