Navigation
Summary
Navigation in biblical times involved seafaring on the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee, with ships used for trade, fishing, and transport.
☩Maritime Activity in Israel
Palestine's position on the Mediterranean and the navigable inland Sea of Tiberias accounts for frequent biblical allusions to ships and navigation. In the Old Testament, Mediterranean commerce is particularly mentioned, with Joppa in Philistia and Tyre in Phoenicia serving as famous ports. The tribes of Zebulun, Dan, and Asher seem to have been especially active in trade. After conquering the Edomite ports of Elath and Ezion-geber, Solomon established a commerce there, which Jehoshaphat later attempted in vain to revive.
☩Ships and Sailing
Ships varied in construction and purpose, with merchant vessels built rounder and deeper than warships, and driven more by sails than oars. Warships had multiple banks of oars, hence the terms 'biremes' and 'triremes.' Ships featured figureheads at the prow from which they were named, and larger vessels carried lifeboats, multiple anchors, and sounding-lines for measuring depth. Ancient mariners, lacking compasses, navigated by stars such as the Pleiades, the Great and Lesser Bear, and Orion.
☩New Testament Scenes
Many Gospel scenes occur on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, where Jesus preached from a fishing boat to crowds on the shore. He crossed the lake repeatedly, and several of his first disciples were boat owners. The detailed account in Acts 27 vividly describes the equipment of larger merchant vessels and the various expedients of ancient mariners when danger threatened.
