A 3600-year-old shipwreck has been discovered off the shores of Turkey's Antalya province by archaeologists from Antalya University's Underwater Research Department. The 14-meter-long ship was found in 50 meters of water and contained 1.5 tons of copper bullion. Researchers dated the shipwreck using the typology of the copper ingots. A preliminary study suggests that the copper was mined in Cyprus and was being transported to Crete or to the Aegean coast when the ship sank. If further tests confirm the 1600 BC date of the shipwreck, this would become the oldest shipwreck ever discovered. The first mention of ships in the Bible comes in Genesis 49:13 when Jacob is blessing his sons at the end of his life (ca. 1859 BC): "Zebulun shall dwell at the shore of the sea; he shall become a haven for ships, and his border shall be at Sidon" (ESV).
Off-site Links:
- http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/worlds-oldest-shipwreck-found-in-mediterranean-say-officials-142544
- https://www.dailysabah.com/history/2019/04/08/turkish-archaeologists-discover-worlds-oldest-bronze-age-shipwreck-off-antalya-coast
