### Core Meaning & Semantic Range
The word **Tᵉlaʼssar**, represented by `{{H8515}}`, is a term of foreign derivation that refers to **Telassar, a region of Assyria**. This name, which also appears as Thelasar, is found **2 times** across **2 unique verses** in the Bible. It consistently appears in a list of places conquered by the Assyrian empire.
### Biblical Occurrences & Contextual Analysis
In its biblical appearances, `{{H8515}}` is part of a taunting, rhetorical question posed by an Assyrian leader. This question lists several nations and cities to illustrate Assyria's military dominance and the supposed inability of other gods to protect their people. Both instances mention "the children of Eden which were in Telassar" as among those destroyed by the Assyrian "fathers" [[Isaiah 37:12]]. The nearly identical passage in [[2 Kings 19:12]] uses the spelling Thelasar, asking, "Have the gods of the nations delivered them which my fathers have destroyed... as Gozan, and Haran, and Rezeph, and the children of Eden which were in Thelasar?"
### Related Words & Concepts
**Tᵉlaʼssar** `{{H8515}}` is always mentioned alongside other conquered regions, which provides a clear geographical and historical context for its use:
* `{{H1470}}` **Gôwzân**: Defined as "a province of Assyria," it is listed as another example of a place whose people were not delivered by their gods [[2 Kings 19:12]].
* `{{H2771}}` **Chârân**: This name, which can refer to a man or "a place," is also included in the list of destroyed nations [[Isaiah 37:12]].
* `{{H7530}}` **Retseph**: Another location in the Assyrian's list of conquests, simply defined as "Rezeph, a place in Assyrian" [[2 Kings 19:12]].
* `{{H5729}}` **ʻEden**: Meaning "pleasure," it is used to identify the people who were in Telassar, referred to as "the children of Eden" [[Isaiah 37:12]].
### Theological Significance
The significance of `{{H8515}}` is tied directly to the theme of divine power versus human pride.
* **A Symbol of Conquest:** Telassar serves as evidence in the Assyrian argument that no nation or its gods can withstand their power. It is a historical marker of a destroyed people.
* **A Challenge to God's Power:** The question in which Telassar is named is designed to mock and instill fear. By listing places like Telassar, the speaker questions whether the God of Israel can deliver `{{H5337}}` His people when the gods `{{H430}}` of other nations `{{H1471}}` have failed.
* **The Powerlessness of False Gods:** The entire context is a display of Assyrian arrogance, citing the destruction `{{H7843}}` of places like Telassar as proof that the gods of the nations are worthless.
### Summary
In summary, `{{H8515}}` **Tᵉlaʼssar** is not a central location in the biblical narrative but plays a specific and memorable role. It appears exclusively as part of a list of conquered territories used by an Assyrian king to boast of his empire's might. Its purpose is to serve as an example in a direct challenge to the God of Israel, representing the fate of those whose gods could not save them from destruction.
TRV