Ancient City Of Tarsus Biblical Significance
Tarsus, the chief city of Cilicia, holds significant biblical importance primarily as the birthplace of the Apostle Paul (Acts 21:39) [1, 2]. Located about 12 miles north of the Mediterranean Sea on the banks of the Cydnus river, Tarsus was renowned for its wealth and its distinguished schools of learning, rivaling even Athens and Alexandria [1]. This academic prominence led to its description as "no mean city" [1, 2].
During the Roman period, Tarsus enjoyed the status of a "free city" granted by Augustus Caesar, and it was known as a center of education under the early Roman emperors [2]. Strabo, a Greek geographer, compared its educational standing to that of Athens and Alexandria [2]. This background suggests that Paul, as a native of Tarsus, would have been exposed to a rich intellectual environment, which likely contributed to his later theological sophistication and rhetorical skill.
The city's identity is sometimes confused with "Tarshish" from the Old Testament. While some ancient scholars, such as Josephus, understood Jonah's destination of Tarshish (Jonah 1:3) to be Tarsus in Cilicia [4], modern biblical scholarship generally distinguishes between the two. "Tarshish" is more commonly identified with Tartessus, a Phoenician city and emporium in southern Spain [3, 9]. This distinction is supported by geographical considerations, as ships of Tarshish are mentioned in connection with Ezion-geber on the Red Sea (1 Kings 22:48), which would be inconsistent with Tarsus's location [4]. Augustine of Hippo noted that some learned individuals identified Cilicia as Tarshish because its metropolis was Tarsus, and he acknowledged Paul's birth in Tarsus of Cilicia [5]. However, other commentators, such as John Gill, explicitly state that Tarshish in Psalms 48:6 refers neither to Tartessus in Spain nor Tarsus in Cilicia [8].
Paul's identity as "Saul of Tarsus" is mentioned multiple times in the book of Acts (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3) [2, 7]. When confronted in Jerusalem, Paul asserted his identity, stating, "I am a Jew, from Tarsus in Cilicia, a citizen of no ordinary city" (Acts 21:39). This declaration highlighted his respectable origins and Roman citizenship, which afforded him certain protections and privileges [1, 2, 6]. The city's status as a "free city" meant it had a degree of self-governance and its citizens enjoyed certain rights within the Roman Empire [6].
The significance of Tarsus, therefore, lies not only in its historical and cultural prominence but primarily in its connection to the Apostle Paul. His upbringing in such a cosmopolitan and intellectually vibrant city likely shaped his worldview and prepared him for his extensive missionary journeys and theological contributions to early Christianity.
Sources
- Easton's Bible Dictionary “Easton's Bible Dictionary: Tarsus — The chief city of Cilicia. It was distinguished for its wealth and for its schools of learning, in which it rivalled, nay, excelled even Athens and Alexandria, and hence was spoken of as "no mean city." It was the native place of the Apostle Paul (Acts 21:39). It stood on the banks of the river Cydnus, about 12 miles north of the Mediterranean. It is said to have been founded by Sardanapalus, king of Assyria. It is now a filthy, ruinous Turkish town, called Tersous. (See [622]PAUL.)”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Tarsus — the chief town of Cilicia, "no mean city" in other respects, but illustrious to all time as the birthplace and early residence of the apostle Paul. (Acts 9:11; 21:39; 22:3) Even in the flourishing period of Greek history it was a city of some considerable consequence. In the civil wars of Rome it took Caesar's aide, sad on the occasion of a visit from him had its name changed to Juliopolis. Augustus made it a "free city." It was renowned as a place of education under the early Roman emperors. Strabo compares it in this respect to Athens unto Alexandria. Tarsu”
- Smith's Bible Dictionary “Smith's Bible Dictionary: Tarshish — (established). + Probably Tartessus, a city and emporium of the Phoenicians in the south of Spain, represented as one of the sons of Javan. (Genesis 10:4; 1 Kings 10:22; 1 Chronicles 1:7; Psalms 48:7; Isaiah 2:16; Jeremiah 10:9; Ezekiel 27:12,25; Jonah 1:3; 4:2) The identity of the two places is rendered highly probable by the following circumstances: 1st. There is a very close similarity of name between them, Tartessus being merely Tarshish in the Aramaic form. 2nd. There seems to have been a special relation between Tarshish and Tyre, as there was at one ”
- Project Gutenberg “Flavius Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews, CHAPTER 14, section 9: gone to Tarshish, Jonah 1:3, Josephus understood it that he went to Tarsus in Cilicia, or to the Mediterranean Sea, upon which Tarsus lay; so that he does not appear to have read the text, 1 Kings 22:48, as our copies do, that ships of Tarshish could lie at Ezion-geber, upon the Red Sea. But as to Josephus's assertion, that Jonah's fish was carried by the strength of the current, upon a nean, it is by no means an improbable determination in Josephus.] 20 (return) [ This ancient piece of religion, of supposing there was great sin”
- Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 8: Augustine — Exposition on Psalms — PSALM XLVIII.[5] (part 5): history is mentioned the overthrowing of the pride of the nations? Because of "the ships of Tarshish." Learned men have enquired for Tarshish a city, that is, what city was signified by this name: and to some it has seemed that Cilicia is called Tarshish, because its metropolis is called Tarsus. Of which city was the Apostle Paul, being born in Tarsus of Cilicia.[1] But some have understood by it Carthage, being haply sometimes so named, or in some language so signified. For in the Prophet Isaiah it is thus found: "Howl”
- Acts (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Acts 21:39: But Paul said, I am a man which am a Jew of Tarsus,.... And not that Egyptian; he was not of that country, much less that man; but a Jew, both by birth and religion; he was born of Jewish parents, and brought up in the Jewish religion; though his native place was Tarsus, a city in Cilicia, where it is placed by Pliny (n), Ptolomy (o), and Mela (p); and is by some thought to be the same with the Tarshish of the Old Testament: a citizen of no mean city; Pliny (q) calls it a free city, and Solinus (r) says it is the mother, or chief of cities, and Curtius (s) speaks of ”
- Acts (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Acts 9:11: go into the street . . . called Straight--There is still a street of this name in Damascus, about half a mile in length, running from east to west through the city [MAUNDRELL]. and inquire in the house of Judas for one called Saul of Tarsus--There is something touching in the minuteness of these directions. Tarsus was the capital of the province of Cilicia, lying along the northeast coast of the Mediterranean. It was situated on the river Cydnus, was a "large and populous city" (says XENOPHON, and see Act 21:39), and under the Romans had the privilege ”
- Psalms (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Psalms 48:6: Thou breakest the ships of Tarshish with east wind. This is either another simile, expressing the greatness of the dread and fear that shall now seize the kings of the earth; which will be, as Kimchi observes, as if they were smitten with a strong east wind, which breaks the ships of Tarshish; and to the same purpose is the note of Aben Ezra; who says, the psalmist compares the pain that shall take hold upon them to an east wind in the sea, which breaks the ships; for by Tarshish is meant, not Tartessus in Spain, nor Tarsus in Cilicia, or the port to which the Prophet”
- Isaiah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Isaiah 66:19: sign--a banner on a high place, to indicate the place of meeting for the dispersed Jewish exiles, preparatory to their return to their land (Isa 5:26; Isa 11:12; Isa 62:10). those that escape of them--the Gentile survivors spared by God (see on Isa 66:18; Zac 14:16). Isa 2:2-3; Mic 5:7; and Zac 14:16-19 represent it, not that the Jews go as missionaries to the Gentiles, but that the Gentiles come up to Jerusalem to learn the Lord's ways there. Tarshish--Tartessus in Spain, in the west. Pul--east and north of Africa: probably the same as Philoe, ”