seventy years” (Jer. 25:8-11), this suggests that both the prophecy of Isaiah and that of Jeremiah related to Nebuchadnezzar’s campaign against Tyre.

Also through Ezekiel, a contemporary of Jeremiah Jehovah pointed to calamity for Tyre at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. (Ezek. 26:1–28:19) Though Tyre had been like a pretty ship with multicolored sails and deck coverings and a prow inlaid with ivory, she would sink in the open sea. (Ezek. 27:3-36) Tyre’s ‘king’ (apparently the line of Tyrian rulers) haughtily boasted: “I am a god. In the seat of god I have seated myself.” But he was to be removed as profane and destroyed by fire.—Ezek. 28:2-19.

DESTRUCTION OF CITY

In the course of Nebuchadnezzar’s long siege against Tyre, the heads of his soldiers were “made bald” from the chafing of their helmets, and their shoulders were “rubbed bare” from carrying materials used in the construction of siegeworks. Since Nebuchadnezzar received no “wages” for serving as His instrument in executing judgment upon Tyre, Jehovah promised to compensate him with the wealth of Egypt. (Ezek. 29:17-20) According to the Jewish historian Josephus (Against Apion, Book 1, par. 21), the siege lasted thirteen years and cost the Babylonians a great deal. Secular history does not record exactly how thorough or effective Nebuchadnezzar’s efforts were. But the loss in lives and property to the Tyrians must have been great.—Ezek. 26:7-12.

When the Israelites returned from Babylonian exile, however, the Tyrians were able to assist in supplying cedar timbers from Lebanon for a second temple and resumed their trade with the rebuilt city of Jerusalem.—Ezra 3:7; Neh. 13:16.

Tyre’s conflict with Nebuchadnezzar, though great, was not to be the complete end for Tyre. A later prophetic pronouncement indicated that, though Tyre would build a rampart and pile up silver and gold, Jehovah himself would destroy her completely.—Zech. 9:3, 4.

Nearly 200 years after Zechariah’s prophecy was given it was fulfilled, in 332 B.C.E. Alexander the Great marched his army across Asia Minor, and in his sweep southward, paused long enough to give his attention to Tyre. When the city refused to open its gates, Alexander in his rage had his army scrape up the ruins of the mainland city and throw it into the sea, thus building a causeway out to the island city, all of this in fulfillment of prophecy. (Ezek. 26:4) With his naval forces holding the Tyrian ships bottled up in their harbor, Alexander set about to construct the highest siege towers ever used in ancient wars. Finally, after seven months the 150-foot-(46-meter-) high walls were breached. In addition to the 8,000 military men killed in battle, 2,000 prominent leaders were killed as a reprisal, and 30,000 of the populace were sold into slavery.

MENTIONED IN THE CHRISTIAN GREEK SCRIPTURES

Despite the city’s total destruction by Alexander, it was rebuilt during the Seleucid period, and in the first century C.E. it was a prominent port of call on the Mediterranean. During Jesus’ great Galilean ministry a number of people from around Tyre and Sidon came to hear his message and to be cured of their diseases. (Mark 3:8-10; Luke 6:17-19) Some months later Jesus personally visited the region around Tyre, on which occasion he cured the demon-possessed child of a Syrophoenician woman. (Matt. 15:21-29; Mark 7:24-31) Jesus observed that, had he performed in Tyre and Sidon the powerful works that he did in Chorazin and Bethsaida, the pagans of Tyre and Sidon would have been more responsive than those Jews.—Matt. 11:20-22; Luke 10:13, 14.

TYRIAN

See TYRE.

UCAL

(Uʹcal).

One to whom Agur spoke the words found in Proverbs chapter 30. Ucal may have been a son or disciple of Agur, but nothing definite is known about him.—Prov. 30:1.

UEL

(Uʹel) [will of God].

One of the sons of Bani whom Ezra induced to send away their foreign wives and sons.—Ezra 10:10, 11, 34, 44.

ULAI

(Uʹlai).

A “watercourse” flowing through or near Shushan (Susa) in Elam. Along the Ulai, Daniel received the vision of the ram and the he-goat. It cannot be determined whether the prophet actually went there from Babylon or was transported to that location in a visionary way. (Dan. 8:1-3, 6, 16) Conjectures about the Ulai vary considerably, and identification is difficult because rivers in the vicinity seem to have changed course somewhat through the centuries. One view is that the Ulai is the Kerkha River. According to another, it was an artificial canal to the N or NE of Shushan connecting the Kerkha and Abdizful Rivers.

ULAM

(Uʹlam) [first, leader].

1. Father of Bedan; of the tribe of Manasseh.—1 Chron. 7:14, 16, 17.

2. A distant descendant of Saul, of the tribe of Benjamin, whose sons were outstanding archers. Ulam’s descendants, “sons and grandsons,” numbered some 150 in the time of the chronicler.—1 Chron. 8:33, 39, 40.

ULCER

An open bodily sore other than a direct wound, though the inflammatory type usually results from a minor injury, such as a skin abrasion. Ulcers are either external or internal, developing on the skin or on mucous surfaces. They often discharge pus and cause progressive disintegration and death of tissue in the affected area. Inflammatory ulcers, with their hot, aching sensation, often develop on the lower part of a person’s leg.

In the Hebrew Scriptures, the word sometimes translated “ulcer” is ma·zohrʹ, which can apply to an ulcer, sore or boil. Certain scholars believe that it refers to a wound of the kind that might require the pressing out of matter within it. The Greek word helʹkos, denoting an ulcer, used in the Christian Greek Scriptures, appears in the Septuagint Version at Exodus 9:9 and Job 2:7 for the Hebrew word sh^ehhinʹ, which signifies a boil.—See BOIL.

FIGURATIVE USE

Prophetically, Ephraim (Israel) was depicted as being sick and Judah as having an “ulcer,” conditions resulting from their wrongdoing and consequent loss of God’s favor. But, instead of trusting in Jehovah for protection from their foes, they futilely sought aid from the king of Assyria, who was unable to heal them of their ‘ulcerous’ condition. (Hos. 5:13) Later, Zion’s people having been taken into Babylonian exile, she was represented as being afflicted with an ulcer.—Jer. 30:12-15, 17; compare Luke 16:20, 21; Revelation 16:2, 10, 11.

ULLA

(Ulʹla).

An Asherite whose three sons were tribal family heads and valiant warriors.—1 Chron. 7:39, 40.

UMMAH

(Umʹmah).

A city of undetermined location on the boundary of Asher’s territory. (Josh. 19:29-31) Some scholars think that “Ummah” resulted from a textual alteration of “Acco” (the latter name appearing here in some manuscripts of the Septuagint Version and in the list at Judges 1:31), but this is not certain.

UNCLE

The Hebrew term dohdh, at times rendered “uncle” or “father’s brother” (Lev. 10:4; 20:20; 25:49;