Tyre sits at the entrances to the seas and trades with many isles. Tyre was the major Phoenician city though Sidon was also important. Arvad and Gebal (Byblos) were also Phoenician cities. The Phoenicians were a
mixture of people who in the later stages of their history identified themselves as Canaanites. The Phoenicians established colonies in North Africa, France, Spain, and according to Tacitus also in western and northern Europe. They mined tin on Cornwall. Carthage in North Africa was a Phoenician colony first settled by refugees from Tyre. Carthage was
destined to become mighty empire in its own right and wage several wars with Rome, known as the "Punic" wars. According to Professor Manasheh Harel ("Yechezkiel", Davidson): The four major branches of the Phoenician economy were (a) ship-building; (b) dyes, especially blue and purple dyes, for wool and linen fabrics; (c) fishing; (d) trading.
Trading was the most important activity. International trading activities included the exchange of animals (sheep, goats, horses, mules); agricultural products for food, clothing, and balm; luxury goods such as precious stones, gold and silver products, and ivory carvings; Metals such as iron, copper, tin, and lead; slaves from all over the world. The most important metal in use was bronze which is an alloy of copper and tin. Most of the tin came from Britain and the Phoenician monopoly on trade in tin was important.

Archaeological finds indicate that Cyprus, eastern Greece, and the northern section of Israel fulfilled important roles in the economy of Tyre.The major part of the city of Tyre was an island 700 meters from the coast. Assyrian illustrations depict the walls of Tyre with high towers intermittently protruding. The topmost section of the wall was covered with shields behind which the defenders would make their stand. The walled city of Tyre from the coast had the appearance of a great majestic ship. The ships of Tyre were quite large and traveled all over the seas. They were the best in the Ancient World. Different parts of the ship were made of different materials: A certain type of wood imported from one place would be used for one section of the boat and another type of wood (brought from somewhere else) would be considered more appropriate for another part. The prophet uses this aspect of the ships of Tyre as symbolic of Tyre itself.

Ezekiel (ch.27) lists the places with whom Tyre traded and what goods they supplied.27;5: Firtrees (or juniper tree) from Senir and cedars from Lebanon were used for shipbuilding.

 Oaks from Bashan for oars, benches inlaid with ivory from Asher from the Isles of the Chittim. Bashan and Asher of Israel, Cyprus and Italy: "Bashan" was in the territory of Menasseh east of the Jordan."Asher" (of Israel) was in northern Syria where in ancient times elephants were hunted for their ivory."Isles of the Chittim" meant Cyprus and Islands about Italy which is interesting since it implies that Israelites from the Tribe of Asher had also reached those areas. This verse may contain a hint concerning the Israelite presence on Sardinia which was named after Sered from the Tribe of Zebulon and from which Isle Hebrews appear to have moved to northern Scotland. "COMPANY OF THE ASHURITES": In Hebrew "Bath-Ashurim" which most commentators say was a kind of tree found in Cyprus. This is not how we understood the expression. Ezekiel is describing the trading activities that had made Tyre a great power in recent times though changes had already taken place. The Lost Ten Tribes and several other peoples had been uprooted and exiled by the Assyrians and Babylonians. The Assyrians had first began to replace the Phoenicians in the eastern Mediterranean with Greek settlers.

 Fine embroidered linen from Egypt (Mitsrayim) for sails, to be your standard, blue and purple from the Isles of Elishah covered you..."Isles of Elisha" refers presumably to the Islands of Helas, i.e. of Greece. Though the manufacturing of purple is believed to have become a Phoenician monopoly and in the Talmud (Megilla 6.a) is associated with the Israelite Tribe of Zebulon, some say that the process had Minoan (Cretan) origins.

Tyre employed sailors from the Phonenician cities of Sidon ("Zidon") and Arvad.

<<GEBAL>>: also known as "Byblos". The Greeks purchased Egyptian papyrus from Gebal. They used the papyrus for writing material. This could be were our word "bible" comes from."CALKERS" i.e. caulkers who use tar and other materials to ensure that the boat is water-proof.MARINERS WERE IN THEE TO OCCUPY THY MERCHANDISE: I would translate this from the Hebrew as "sailors who mortgaged themselves to you" or instead of "mortgaged themselves" perhaps "were your guarantors".
The elders and wisemen of Gebal would maintain your ships, all the ships of the sea and their sailors mortgaged themselves to you.

From Persia and Lydia and Phut came men to serve in your armies. Lydia was inn the western section of mainland Turkey.

The natives of Arwad and your own soldiers manned your walls round about. Pygmies [Hebrew: "Gamadim"] in your towers hung their shields around your walls. They perfected your beauty. The above verses indicate international connections and great specialization in supply and organization. The use of Pygmies to man very high almost inaccessible towers about the walls probably had military value. Pygmies make small targets. They are agile and they probably could climb up heights difficult of access to larger mortals.

 Tarshish was a merchandiser of yours. With great capital, through trade in silver, iron, tin, and lead they laid up surpluses.Tarsis was in Spain possibly centred on the region of Gibraltar. Tarshish served as a trading emporium for goods from Spain, Britain, and Gaul. Tarshish according to D'Arbois de Jubainville once controlled most of Gaul. The Israelites in the time of Solomon and afterwards traded with Tarshish and may have had a base there. Later after the Assyrian exile Israelites and Phoenicians were resettled in the Tarshish area. The Hebrew association with Gibraltar is therefore of long standing and even today Gibraltar remains a British base.

27;13 Javan, Tubal, and Meshech were your merchants. They traded men and bronzeware in your markets.Javan is Ionia in western Anatolia (the Asian part of modern Turkey) or Greece which was settled by Javan.Tubal and Meshech were then also in Anatolia but today are identified with peoples who settled in Russia, Meshech gave its name to Moscow, Tubal to Tibilis (Tiflis) capital of Georgia in the Caucasus. There are authorities (such as Josephon and Abarbanel) who connect Tubal with Spain. People from Anatolia did settle around the coasts of Spain according to Classical sources.

Togarma son of Gomer son of Japheth is identified with Tilgarimu north of Carcamish (in northwest Syria) and to the west of Armenia. This was to become a Cimmerian region.

Men of Dedan were your merchants. Many isles traded with you, ivory and ebony.The Phoenicians introduced their alphabet to the Indonesian islands. They probably had contacts with Polynesia. The present day king of Tonga is a student of ancient Phoenician seacraft.<<EBONY>>: Hebrew "Eshcor", meaning uncertain, probably a scent of some kind from the east.

Aram (Syria) was your merchant in precious stones and fabrics.<<FINE LINEN>>: Hebrew "bootz": Professor Chaim Rabin says that this was actually cotton from India that was brought overland via Syria to the Mediterranean coast.

<<THE LAND OF ISRAEL>>: Ezekiel is speaking of a period prior to the exile of the Ten Tribes. Professor Gershon Brin says that Ezekiel in this prophecy may well have been using an ancient list of names. Such lists would be arranged in poetic form singing the raises of Tyre. The Prophets lived in a culture that was both highly literate while combining characteristics of illiterate societies. The impression is that they would commit much to memory, repeat descriptions of events, heroic stories, and words of wisdom in song in such a way that memory came easy and a good deal
of the general culture was always present in their subconscious. When the Prophets gave forth their prophecy they would dress their messages in form, style, expression, even partial content, that was taken from their own experiences and learning.Judah and the Land of Israel supplied wheat, grains, honey, oil, and agricultural products.
<<WHEAT OF MINNITH>>: Wheat that grew on the hills near Minith in Ammon. This was supplied to the coast via Judah. The trade had already ceased it would seem when Ezekiel prophesied but, as we said, Ezekiel was describing the situation that had led to the greatness of Tyre.

Damascus traded in most of your products, most of its capital was involved with your trade, it gave over Helbon wine and white wool.

The Israelite Tribe of Dan and Ancient GreeceIn this verse the Israelite Tribe of Dan is linked with Javan meaning Greece and Greek legend recalled the Israelite children of Danaus among the founders of Greek civilization. Modern archaeological studies (see the Cambridge Ancient History) tend to identify the mythical "children of Danaus" with Hyksos settlers who left Egypt and founded early Mycenaean colonies in Greece. Dan and Javan from Uzzal brought you supplies of iron and steel products.The site of Dan in northern Galilee was a metallurgical centre. The Dananu in Cilicia (northwest Syria and southeast Turkey) also belonged to Dan of Israel and here too supplies of iron ore were available.
<<BRIGHT IRON>>: "barzel osoth": "manufactured iron", possibly steel according to Menachem ben Chelbo in the Middle Ages.
<<CASSIA, AND CALAMUS>>: Elsehwere I have translated these words from the Hebrew as referring to forms of metal manufacture.

Sheba and Rama brought spices, precious stones and gold.Sheba and Rama refer to India. Rama is still an ancestral figure in Hindu mythology (B.Sieger).

<<ASSHUR>>: i.e. Assyria.<<CHILMAD>>: probably Media (cf. Targum).

Harran and Canneh, Eden, the merchants of Sheba, Assyria, and Chilmad traded with you. These were your merchants in finished products and raw materials ...

<<SHIPS OF TARSHISH>>: The list of traders with Tyre of Phoenicia rounds off by recalling "the ships of Tarshish" as the means through which Tyre traded."The ships of Tarshish" were the caravans for your markets; and you were replenished, and made very glorious in the midst of the seas.

<<ALL THE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLES>>: Of Britain? The Phoenicians also settled in West Africa and from there they apparently founded the Olmec civilization in Mexico. Some West African tribes have traditions that indicate Phoenician-connected ancestry.The original physical type of the Phoenicians is uncertain. They are often depicted by the Egyptians as darkish but sometimes as blonde or red-haired and blue-eyed. Mesopotamian depictions indicate that Africans were present amongst them from the beginning.