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1In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth. 2The earth was formless and empty. Darkness was on the surface of the deep and God’s Spirit was hovering over the surface of the waters.

3God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light. 4God saw the light, and saw that it was good. God divided the light from the darkness. 5God called the light “day”, and the darkness he called “night”. There was evening and there was morning, the first day.

6God said, “Let there be an expanse in the middle of the waters, and let it divide the waters from the waters.” 7God made the expanse, and divided the waters which were under the expanse from the waters which were above the expanse; and it was so. 8God called the expanse “sky”. There was evening and there was morning, a second day.

9God said, “Let the waters under the sky be gathered together to one place, and let the dry land appear;” and it was so. 10God called the dry land “earth”, and the gathering together of the waters he called “seas”. God saw that it was good. 11God said, “Let the earth yield grass, herbs yielding seeds, and fruit trees bearing fruit after their kind, with their seeds in it, on the earth;” and it was so. 12The earth yielded grass, herbs yielding seed after their kind, and trees bearing fruit, with their seeds in it, after their kind; and God saw that it was good. 13There was evening and there was morning, a third day.

14God said, “Let there be lights in the expanse of the sky to divide the day from the night; and let them be for signs to mark seasons, days, and years; 15and let them be for lights in the expanse of the sky to give light on the earth;” and it was so. 16God made the two great lights: the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night. He also made the stars. 17God set them in the expanse of the sky to give light to the earth, 18and to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness. God saw that it was good. 19There was evening and there was morning, a fourth day.

20God said, “Let the waters abound with living creatures, and let birds fly above the earth in the open expanse of the sky.” 21God created the large sea creatures and every living creature that moves, with which the waters swarmed, after their kind, and every winged bird after its kind. God saw that it was good. 22God blessed them, saying, “Be fruitful, and multiply, and fill the waters in the seas, and let birds multiply on the earth.” 23There was evening and there was morning, a fifth day.

24God said, “Let the earth produce living creatures after their kind, livestock, creeping things, and animals of the earth after their kind;” and it was so. 25God made the animals of the earth after their kind, and the livestock after their kind, and everything that creeps on the ground after its kind. God saw that it was good.

26God said, “Let’s make man in our image, after our likeness. Let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the sky, and over the livestock, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.” 27God created man in his own image. In God’s image he created him; male and female he created them. 28God blessed them. God said to them, “Be fruitful, multiply, fill the earth, and subdue it. Have dominion over the fish of the sea, over the birds of the sky, and over every living thing that moves on the earth.” 29God said, “Behold, I have given you every herb yielding seed, which is on the surface of all the earth, and every tree, which bears fruit yielding seed. It will be your food. 30To every animal of the earth, and to every bird of the sky, and to everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food;” and it was so.

31God saw everything that he had made, and, behold, it was very good. There was evening and there was morning, a sixth day.

Seafaring in the Ancient World

Seafaring in the Ancient World

Topical Study | Ezek 27:29 | George Josephus Gatounis | Aegean Sea

Ezek 27:29 "Ships" - Article on Seafaring in the ancient world

The history of shipping and maritime activity in the biblical world roughly divides into several eras: pre-flood, post-flood until approximately 3000 B.C., 3000 B.C. until approximately 1500 B.C., and approximately 1500 B.C. until the first century A.D.​

Before the flood, the descendants of Adam and Eve likely utilized the four rivers (Gen 1:7; 2:10-14) flowing out of Eden (Gen 2:8) via anything that could float (cf. Tubal-cain, who originated early technological advances [Gen 4:22]). Although likely a floating repository, or barge, by far the largest ship (Gen 6:14-16) in the entire Bible (that could not be matched until modern times in tonnage) is Noah's ark (cf. Gen 6:19-21). Some estimate the tonnage of Noah's ark and the Queen Mary may have been comparable (cf. Gen 6:15; 7:23b). 

In the post-flood ancient near east, river ways would have been utilized to explore and expand (cf. Gen 11:2), especially after the division of the nations after the Tower (or ziggurat) of Babel (Gen 10:32). The earliest evidence of shipping along the 750 miles of the Nile, dating from approximately 3000 B.C. forward, demonstrates reed-made, flat-bottomed, square-ended vessels, the likes of which may have transported the massive stones for pyramid construction. Vessels of reeds (cf. Job 9:26) developed into rounded-bottomed designs with pointed and raised bows and sterns. The Nile area was abundant with reeds for ship-building, and the Nile's current would allow travel north with relative ease, with prevailing southerly winds allowing travel by sail to the south. Larger vessels could be fitted with rowers, who could have driven north or south by oars.​

The earliest evidence of Mesopotamian-based shipping includes a clay model of a bowl-like design, with a simple bow and stern, dating to approximately 3400 B.C. From 3000 B.C. onward, overseas trade with East Africa and even India transpired through the Persian Gulf regularly, on vessels ranging in various capacities, even up to 28 tons.​

From approximately 1500 B.C. onward, Phoenician (2 Chr 9:21), Cypriot (called "Kittim" in Num 24:24), Cretan (called "Caphtor," and the origin of the "Philistines," then Achaean, or southern Greek, ship building expanded and developed, for maritime (cf. Jonah 1:3) and military purposes (cf. Dan 11:40). Ships in this era increased in size, with sail and oar propulsion, with Corinth building the first "triremes," ships with three decks of oarsmen, in approximately 700 B.C.

Solomon (1 Kgs 9:26) and Jehoshaphat (1 Kgs 22:48) built, with Phoenician (1 Kgs 5:12) help (1 Kgs 9:27; 10:11,22), actual trading fleets, Jehoshaphat's fleet being destroyed (2 Chr 20:36,37). ​

Acts 27 paints the fullest, most detailed depiction of shipping in the ​

biblical world of the first century, demonstrating a vessel capable of transporting 276 persons (27:31) with cargo (27:18,38), with multiple tackling (27:19), anchors (27:40), rudders (27:40), and sails (27:40).