TARSHISH, a place mentioned in the Old Testament, particularly in connection with the commerce of the Hebrews and Phoenicians. In Gen. x. 4, the name occurs among the sons of JAM], who are supposed to have peopled the southern parts of Europe. In other passages it is mentioned as sending to Tyre silver, iron, tin, and lead. The prophet Jonah, attempting to avoid his mission to Nineveh, fled from Joppa in a ship bound to Tarshish. In several passages of the Bible 'ships of Tarshish' are spoken of, especially in connection with Tyre. Tarshiala is generally identified with the Phoenician emporium of Tartessus in Spain, a place which would undoubtedly furnish the products said to have been brought from Tarshish. Aramwan pronun ciation of Tarshish' would be s Tarthesh,' which would at once become the Greek Tartessum. There seems now little doubt that the Tarshiah of the Hebrews and Phoenicians and the Tartessus of the Greeks are identical with Carteret, an ancient city, which stead at the bead of the bay of Algeciras, about 4 or 5 miles W. from Calpe, or Gibraltar. A hill called El-Rocadillo, midway between Gibraltar and Algeciras, is ascertained to have been the site of Cartels. Numerous coins of the city have been found; there are remains of an amphi theatre, and the ancient walls may still be partly traced. These
remains however and the coins belong to the Roman imperial period; the coins bear the head of the Tyrian Hercules, who was especially worshipped here, and in whose Phcenician name (Mel-Cara) Bochart seeks the original root of all the names of the city. The Romana would retain the Punic name Cartela, which, according to statements in Strabo, I'liny, Pansanias, Mela, Appian, and other ancient authors, was considered to be identical with Tartessus.
Of Tartessus nothing is known except its traditional renown as a great and wealthy emporinin of the Phoenician trade. „Cartel-a was one of the cities of the Eastnli Posnl, who were a mixed Iberian and Phoenician race. It was an important naval station in the second Punic war, when it witnessed the defeat of the Carthaginian fleet under Adherbalby Lcelius (ex. 206). In ti.e. 171 it was colonised by 4000 men, the offspring of Roman soldiers and Spanish women. During the civil war In Spain Cartels was the chief naval station of Cneiva Pompey, who took refuge here after his defeat at Munda, but was obliged to leave it on account of the disaffection of part of the citizens.