Tadmor
“City of palms”
Summary
Tadmor was a city built by Solomon in the wilderness, later known as Palmyra, strategically positioned on the caravan routes between East and West.
☩Biblical Record
Tadmor is mentioned as one of the cities Solomon built 'in the wilderness.' In 2 Chronicles 8:4, it appears in connection with Solomon's activities after conquering Hamath-Zobah, listed alongside store-cities in Hamath. The building of Tadmor demonstrates Solomon's far-reaching commercial ambitions, establishing Israelite presence on the great trade routes that connected Mesopotamia with the Mediterranean world.
☩Identification with Palmyra
There is no reasonable doubt that Tadmor is the same city later known to Greeks and Romans as Palmyra. This identity is established by several facts: Josephus explicitly states that Tadmor was called Palmyra by Greeks; the modern Arabic name remains Tadmur; both names mean essentially the same thing, referring to palms; and the name Tadmor appears in Aramaic and Greek inscriptions found at the Palmyra ruins. The location fits perfectly with the biblical description as being in the wilderness yet connected to Solomon's northern territories.
☩Strategic Importance
Tadmor occupied a small oasis where the presence of water made it an essential stopping point for caravans crossing the desert. Solomon's establishment of a garrison town here secured his interest in the lucrative caravan trade from the East, similar to his control over trade between Syria and Egypt. The city would later become one of the most magnificent cities of the ancient world, its ruins still testifying to its former glory as a great trading center on the route between Damascus and the Euphrates.
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Tadmor," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Tadmor," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.F. N. Peloubet & M. A. Peloubet (ed.), "Tadmor," in Smith's Bible Dictionary (Porter & Coates, 1884).