King of Tyre


The King of Tyre was the ruler of Tyre, the ancient Phoenician city in what is now Lebanon.
The traditional list of 12 kings, with reigns dated to 990–785 BC, is derived from the lost history of Menander of Ephesus as quoted by Josephus in Against Apion I. 116–127. Josephus asserts that Menander had drawn his list from the chronicles of Tyre itself.
Menander-Josephus also contains a list of 9 kings and judges, with reigns dated to 591–532 BC in Against Apion I. 154–160.

Ancient Tyrian rulers based on Hellenic mythology

Agenor c. 1500 BCSon of Poseidon or of Belus
Phoenix Son of Agenor. He is the alleged eponym of the Phoenicians.
Eri-Aku c. 1400 BCEri Aku may be the model for such figures as the Greek Heracles, the Biblical Arioch king of Ellaser, and the Homeric Erichthonius King of Troy and Pontus.

Late Bronze Age rulers

Kings of the Sidonians (with Tyre as capital), 990–785 BC

The dates for the reconstruction of Menander's Tyrian king list from Abibaal through Pygmalion are established in three places by three independent sources: a Biblical synchronism, an Assyrian record, and a Roman historian.
Abibaal 993–981 BCHis beginning date is conjectural.
Hiram I980–947 BCContemporary of David and Solomon
Baal-Eser I
946–930 BC
Abdastartus
929–921 BC
Astartus
920–901 BCKilled predecessor. First of 4 brothers to reign.
Deleastartus
 		900–889 BC
Astarymus
 		888–880 BC
Phelles
 		879 BCLast of the 4 brothers
Ithobaal I
 		878–847 BCKilled predecessor. Father of Biblical Jezebel.
Baal-Eser II
846–841 BCPaid tribute to Shalmaneser III in 841 BC
Mattan I840–832 BCFather of Pygmalion and Dido
Pygmalion
831–785 BCDido fled from Pygmalion and founded Carthage during his reign.

Assyrian ascendancy: 8th and 7th centuries BC

The Neo-Assyrian Empire established its control over the area and ruled through vassals who are named in Assyrian records.
Ithobaal II
750–739 BCName found only on Iran Stele of Tiglath-Pileser III.
Gave tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III.
Hiram II 739–730 BCAlso paid tribute to Tiglath-Pileser III
Mattan II 730–729 BC
Elulaios
729–694 BC
Abd Melqart 694–680 BC
Baal I 680–660 BC

Post-Assyrian period

Menander's Tyrian king list also described the period from Ithobaal III through Hiram III. Tyre regained independence with Assyria's demise, although Egypt controlled Tyre during some of the time afterwards. Eventually, Tyre fell under the control of the Neo-Babylonian Empire.
missing–592 BC
Ithobaal III
591–573 BCThis is the king mentioned in Ezekiel 28:2 at the time of the fall of Jerusalem. Carthage became independent of Tyre in 574 BC.

Under control of Babylon 573–539 BC

Shoftim of Tyre

In the 560s the monarchy was overthrown and an oligarchic government established, headed by "judges" or shoftim. The monarchy was restored with the ascension of Hiram III to the throne.
Chelbes 564–563 BC
Abbar563–562 BC
Mattan III and
Ger Ashthari 		562–556 BC
Baal-Eser III 556–555 BC
Hiram III551–532 BC

Under Persian control 539–411 BC

After Alexander the Great conquered Tyre in 332 BC, the city alternated between Seleucid and Ptolemaic rule. Phoenicia came under the rule of the Roman Republic in the 1st century BC.
Tyre was conquered by the Rashidun Caliphate in the 7th century. The Crusaders conquered Tyre, which acted as the capital of the Kingdom of Jerusalem until this kingdom's fall in 1291. Tyre then became part of adjoining empires again, and finally of France and of independent Lebanon in the 20th century.