Interesting Facts

• Tarsus is identified as one of the four sons of Moab.
• The text notes that Tarsus, along with his brothers, became a foundational ancestor, described as a father to the children of Moab unto this day.

Genealogy

• Tarsus’s grandfather was Lot, who is known for his deliverance from the destruction of Sodom.
• Tarsus’s father was Moab, the firstborn son of Lot’s eldest daughter.
• The identity of Tarsus’s mother is not specified in the provided sources. However, the texts state that Moab and his brother Benammi took wives from the land of Canaan.
• Tarsus had three brothers: Ed, Mayon, and Kanvil.
• The source indicates that Tarsus and his brothers were fathers to the children of Moab, implying they had offspring who contributed to the Moabite lineage.

Historical Context

Tarsus lived in the generations following the upheaval that led Lot and his daughters to reside on the other side of the Jordan. His father, Moab, was born shortly after the calamitous destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The historical context for Tarsus would involve the establishment of Lot’s descendants in Canaan, where they intermarried with the local population. The narrative suggests a period of significant growth and expansion for these families, including Tarsus and his brothers, as they became fruitful and multiplied, eventually building their own cities and naming them after themselves. This era marks the formative stages of the Moabite people within the ancient Near Eastern landscape.

Narrative

The personal narrative of Tarsus within the provided sources is genealogical in nature. He appears as a son of Moab and one of the key figures in the lineage that gave rise to the Moabite nation. While no specific actions or dialogues of Tarsus are recorded, his significance lies in his ancestral role. The text emphasizes that he, along with his brothers, served as a progenitor, fathering the subsequent generations of Moabites. His existence is woven into the broader narrative of Lot’s family and their establishment as distinct peoples in the land of Canaan, highlighting the early stages of national and familial identity formation in the ancient world.