Tarshish is a far harbor in the Bible, and Ophir is a land of gold.
Tarshish enters the Bible as a person.
Genesis 10 - Noah's offspring lists the sons of Javan as Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim.
Genesis 10:5 says the coastland peoples spread out from the sons of Javan, and Psalm 72:10 names the kings of Tarshish and of the islands together.
Chronological Nations and Tribes lists Tarshish, Kittim and Dodanim as trading partners of Israel, often placed in Spain, Cyprus and Greece.
The Island Tarshish collects every verse that names the place.
For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram.
Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks.
Jonah boards a ship at Joppa and sails for Tarshish to get away from his task.
The Island Tarshish says Tarshish is thought to be the farthest known place west of Israel at the time, and that it may match a region in today's Spain.
He then connects that to Jonah, with Tarshish read as Spain.
He places Ophir, Tarshish and Parvaim in the upper basin, and he calls the Atlanteans the elders of the Phoenicians in navigation.
The Island Tarshish
Onffroy de Thoron (1869): Solomon's Voyages to the Amazon — Ophir, Tarshish and Parvaim (English Translation)
For every page I tagged with Tarshish, see the Tarshish tag archive.
… The sons of Javan were: Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.
I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to far-away islands, who have not heard my fame, nor have seen my glory; and they shall declare my glory among the nations.
Tarshish is a son of Javan in Genesis 10:4.
Follow that trail on Tarshish, The Island Tarshish and Onffroy de Thoron’s Amazon Ophir.
A man from Tarshish can be made a Levite.
Onffroy de Thoron (1869): the Tarshish and Ophir voyages traced to the Amazon.
In 1869 the French explorer Onffroy de Thoron argued, in the journal of the Geneva geographical society, that the ships of Solomon and Hiram sailed across the Atlantic and up the Amazon, and he placed Ophir, Tarshish and Parvaim in its upper basin.
Below is my full translation of his article; for more on the biblical voyages see Tarshish.
The Island Tarshish
The Island Tarshish
Tarshish, Kittim, Dodanim: Trading partners of Israel, often associated with distant lands like Spain, Cyprus, and Greece.
19 “I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.
19 "And I will set a sign among them, and I will send those who escape of them to the nations, to Tarshish, Pul, and Lud, that draw the bow, to Tubal, and Javan, to the distant islands that have not heard My fame, neither have seen My glory; and they shall declare My glory among the nations."
Text: "I will set a sign among them, and I will send some of those who survive to the nations—to Tarshish, to the Libyans and Lydians (famous as archers), to Tubal and Greece, and to the distant islands that have not heard of my fame or seen my glory.
Text: "Cross over to Tarshish; wail, you people of the island."
Connection: Tarshish is often considered a distant and wealthy land in the Bible, and its exact location is debated, with some speculating it could be in the western Mediterranean.
The mysterious nature of Tarshish and its association with distant islands might parallel the mythical Atlantis, which was also described as a distant, prosperous island civilization.
Scholars still argue about where Tarshish was.
Wherever it was, the Bible always shows Tarshish as far away, wealthy and powerful.
Context: Here Tarshish appears as a descendant of Javan.
This makes Tarshish a founding father.
"The sons of Javan were Elishah, Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim."
"For the king had a fleet of ships of Tarshish at sea with the fleet of Hiram.
Once every three years the ships of Tarshish came bringing gold, silver, ivory, apes, and peacocks."
“Ships of Tarshish” means large ocean-going ships built for long voyages.
"For the king’s ships went to Tarshish with the servants of Hiram.
It shows Solomon’s wealth and trade ties, and how much wealth came with Tarshish.
"May the kings of Tarshish and of distant shores bring tribute to him.
Here Tarshish stands for far lands and strong kingdoms.
Wail, O ships of Tarshish, for Tyre is destroyed, without house or harbor!
The “ships of Tarshish” stand for the merchants and trade routes that will mourn Tyre’s fall.
"I will set a sign among them, and I will send survivors from them to the nations: to Tarshish, Put, and Lud, who draw the bow, to Tubal and Javan, to the coastlands afar off, that have not heard my fame or seen my glory.
Context: In this vision God says His glory will reach even far nations, Tarshish among them.
"Tarshish did business with you because of your great wealth of goods; they exchanged silver, iron, tin, and lead for your merchandise."
Tarshish is named for trading valuable metals.
"But Jonah rose to flee to Tarshish from the presence of the Yahweh.
He went down to Joppa and found a ship going to Tarshish.
So he paid the fare and went on board, to go with them to Tarshish, away from the presence of Yahweh."
He flees to Tarshish.
Tarshish is thought to be the farthest known place west of Israel at the time.
That is why I made haste to flee to Tarshish; for I knew that you are a gracious God and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love, and relenting from disaster.'"
Context: Here Jonah explains why he first fled to Tarshish.
Again Tarshish is the faraway refuge in Jonah’s mind.
"Sheba and Dedan and the merchants of Tarshish and all its leaders will say to you, 'Have you come to seize spoil?
Context: In a prophecy about Gog and Magog, Tarshish appears with other nations.
Tarshish is still a major player in world affairs.
Some scholars place Tarshish, or the source of its goods, very far away.
He quotes the passage where Jonah, trying to flee from Yahweh's command, boards a ship to Tarshish (interpreted as Spain).
"But Jonah ran away from Yahweh and headed for Tarshish.
After paying the fare, he went aboard and sailed for Tarshish to flee from the Lord."
He highlights that the Bible mentions islands 32 times, including references to distant islands and those on the way to Tarshish.
1Now these are the generations of the sons of Noah, Shem, Ham, and Japheth: and unto them were sons born after the flood.2The sons of Japheth; Gomer, and Magog, and Madai, and Javan, and Tubal, and Meshech, and Tiras.3And the sons of Gomer; Ashkenaz, and Riphath, and Togarmah.4And the sons of Javan; Elishah, and Tarshish, Kittim, and Dodanim.5By these were the isles of the Gentiles divided in their lands; every one after his tongue, after their families, in their nations.6And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.7And the sons of Cush; Seba, and Havilah, and Sabtah, and Raamah, and Sabtecha: and the sons of Raamah; Sheba, and Dedan.8And Cush begat Nimrod: he began to be a mighty one in the earth.9He was a mighty hunter before the LORD: wherefore it is said, Even as Nimrod the mighty hunter before the LORD.10And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.11Out of that land went forth Asshur, and builded Nineveh, and the city Rehoboth, and Calah,12And Resen between Nineveh and Calah: the same is a great city.13And Mizraim begat Ludim, and Anamim, and Lehabim, and Naphtuhim,14And Pathrusim, and Casluhim, (out of whom came Philistim,) and Caphtorim.15And Canaan begat Sidon his firstborn, and Heth,16And the Jebusite, and the Amorite, and the Girgasite,17And the Hivite, and the Arkite, and the Sinite,18And the Arvadite, and the Zemarite, and the Hamathite: and afterward were the families of the Canaanites spread abroad.19And the border of the Canaanites was from Sidon, as thou comest to Gerar, unto Gaza; as thou goest, unto Sodom, and Gomorrah, and Admah, and Zeboim, even unto Lasha.20These are the sons of Ham, after their families, after their tongues, in their countries, and in their nations.21Unto Shem also, the father of all the children of Eber, the brother of Japheth the elder, even to him were children born.22The children of Shem; Elam, and Asshur, and Arphaxad, and Lud, and Aram.23And the children of Aram; Uz, and Hul, and Gether, and Mash.24And Arphaxad begat Salah; and Salah begat Eber.25And unto Eber were born two sons: the name of one was Peleg; for in his days was the earth divided; and his brother's name was Joktan.26And Joktan begat Almodad, and Sheleph, and Hazar-maveth, and Jerah,27And Hadoram, and Uzal, and Diklah,28And Obal, and Abimael, and Sheba,29And Ophir, and Havilah, and Jobab: all these were the sons of Joktan.30And their dwelling was from Mesha, as thou goest unto Sephar a mount of the east.31These are the sons of Shem, after their families, after their tongues, in their lands, after their nations.32These are the families of the sons of Noah, after their generations, in their nations: and by these were the nations divided in the earth after the flood.