The dismissal from the mountain of God (Ezek 28:14-28:16)

“I placed you

With an anointed cherub

As a guardian.

You were

On the holy mountain

Of God.

You walked among

The stones of fire.

You were blameless

In your ways

From the day

That you were created,

Until iniquity

Was found in you.

In the abundance

Of your trade

You were filled

With violence.

You sinned.

So I cast you

As a profane thing

From the mountain

Of God.

The guardian cherub

Drove you out

From among

The stones of fire.”

Ezekiel has a variation of the Garden of Eden story, in Genesis, chapters 2-3.  This time, Tyre is on a mountain of God or God’s mountain. Usually this referred to Jerusalem. This may have been a reference to the Canaanite myth about Mount Sapon, near the Turkish-Syrian border. This holy mountain had a guardian anointed cherub angel. There Tyre could walk on stones of fire. He, like Adam, was created blameless. Then iniquity came from the abundance of his trade. Tyre became violent and sinned. Then he was cast out from this mountain of God by this guardian cherub as something profane and not holy. Thus Tyre could no longer walk on the stones of fire.

The taunt (Isa 14:12-14:15)

“How you are fallen from heaven!

O Day Star!

Son of Dawn!

How you are cut down to the ground!

You who laid the nations low!

You said in your heart.

‘I will ascend to heaven.

I will raise my throne

Above the stars of God.

I will sit

On the mount of assembly,

On the heights of Zaphon.

I will ascend to the tops of the clouds,

I will make myself like the Most High.’

But you are brought down to Sheol,

To the depths of the Pit.”

There are hints at Canaanite mythology is this taunt of the king, with the Canaanite idol terms like Day Star, son of Dawn, and Mount of Assembly. This might suggest Baal worship that could be found at Jebel, near the Turkish Syrian border or in the archeology of Ugarit, a Syrian costal town. Zaphon was on the east side of the Jordan River. Although the king aspired to go to the high heavens, he has ended up in Sheol, at the depths of the Pit. Thus this king who wanted to go to the high heavens ends up in the lower pits of Sheol, tough luck.