Thelasar
“Weariness of the prince; or Mound of Assur”
Summary
Thelasar (also Telassar) was a city or district conquered by the Assyrians, cited by Sennacherib's messengers as evidence of Assyria's irresistible power.
☩The Assyrian Boast
When Sennacherib sent messengers to threaten Jerusalem, they cited Thelasar among the cities and peoples whose gods had failed to protect them from Assyria. The messengers asked, 'Where are the gods of Hamath, and of Arpad? where are the gods of Sepharvaim, Hena, and Ivah?' and mentioned the 'children of Eden which were in Thelasar' as among those conquered. This rhetorical challenge was meant to convince Hezekiah that resistance was futile.
☩Location
Thelasar was apparently a settlement of the 'children of Eden,' suggesting a location in Mesopotamia possibly connected with the region of Beth-Eden (Bit-Adini) on the upper Euphrates. Some scholars identify it with Til-Assuri, an Assyrian province name meaning 'mound of Assyria.' The exact location remains uncertain, but it was clearly among the territories the Assyrians had subdued in their campaigns of conquest.
Related Verses1 mention
2 Kings· 1 verse
References
- 1.John McClintock and James Strong, "Thelasar," in Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical Literature, vol. X (Harper & Brothers, 1867–1887).
- 2.James Orr (ed.), "Thelasar," in International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, vol. V (Howard-Severance Company, 1915).
- 3.George Morrish, "Thelasar," in Morrish's Concise Bible Dictionary (George Morrish, 1898).
- 4.J. B. Jackson, "The la'sar," in A Dictionary of Scripture Proper Names (Loizeaux Brothers, 1909).