Were the ancient Israelites seafarers?

[White Israelite]

According to this image



This was found in Jason's Tomb



Are there any reports of Israel ever having a large navy in biblical times?

[White Israelite]

Well Mormons believed they sailed to America...

I've heard that rumor but then again, they believe heaven is some sort of alien spaceship so I guess that limits any seriousness to who they are.

[muman613]

I have read that there was contact between King Solomon and the Phoenicians...

[Boyana]

http://www.stevenmcollins.com/html/did_ancient_israel_fear_the_se.html


Also, the Hebrew tribes of Israel developed very strong maritime skills during the reign of King Solomon via their close alliance with the Phoenicians. Indeed, this alliance was so close that Solomon's alliance with King Hiram of the Phoenician city-states (which began under King David) led to many thousands of Israelites working in Phoenicia and vice-versa as the Hebrews and Phoenicians jointly implemented Solomon's prodigious building projects (I Kings 5). King Hiram shared the special maritime skills of the Phoenicians with the Israelite Hebrews (II Chronicles 8:18 records that Israelite mariners were taught by Phoenicians "who had knowledge of the sea.") II Chronicles 9:21 notes that the Israelites and Phoenicians jointly crewed a common navy. II Chronicles 9:10 and 21 mention Ophir and Tarshish as ports of call for their joint fleet, and the cargo manifest of "ivory, apes and peacocks" indicates their trading fleet had (at a minimum) African and Asian ports-of-call.  Contained in my pending four-book set on Israelite history will be information documenting the specific technologies used by the Israelite/Phoenician mariners to navigate the world’s oceans.  As readers will see when these book are realeased, the Phoenicians had invented ingenious devices to enable them to navigate planned courses and headings on the open oceans, even in unfavorable weather!  These ingenious devices were shared with the Israelites as part of the “knowledge of the sea.”  After receiving these technologies, the oceans began navigable highways for the Israelite mariners.

[White Israelite]

Interesting, it's difficult to find if Israel had a standing army or was primarily a militia type? I am unfamiliar of conflicts between the Phoenicians and Israelites, is there more information about the use of Phoenician ships? There was a book claiming there were Jewish "pirates" in the Mediterranean although this could have been mistaken identity by the Romans or some sort of word used similar to "rebels" to disregard the seriousness of Israels military at the time?

[IsraeliGovtAreKapos]

King Solomon had a huge navy which sailed to Africa, Central and South Asia and even to America:

Archeologists have discovered Hebrew tablets in many places (for example, in Los Lunas in New Mexico, Beit Kirk and other tablets, which one has a layer with a Hebrew calender on it, and another one which has the name of Solomon written in Hebrew on it). The Louvre also has a finding which tells us that the original name of the Amazon river was "Sauliman" (Solomon in Phoenician).

[Lisa]

Very interesting Ron.  Can you please provide some links.  I'd like to read up more on that subject.

King Solomon had a huge navy which sailed to Africa, Central and South Asia and even to America:

Archeologists have discovered Hebrew tablets in many places (for example, in Los Lunas in New Mexico, Beit Kirk and other tablets, which one has a layer with a Hebrew calender on it, and another one which has the name of Solomon written in Hebrew on it). The Louvre also has a finding which tells us that the original name of the Amazon river was "Sauliman" (Solomon in Phoenician).

[Maccabi]

the tribe of zvulun was a seafaring tribe. their flag symbol from the 12 tribes, is, I believe, is a ship.

[angryChineseKahanist]

When did they build those triremes??

[muman613]

the tribe of zvulun was a seafaring tribe. their flag symbol from the 12 tribes, is, I believe, is a ship.

You are correct:

http://www.torah.org/learning/ravfrand/5764/bamidbar.html

Each Tribe had its own banner ('degel'). We typically think of flags as a secular phenomenon. Flags began with the Tribes in the Wilderness. Each flag had the symbol of the Tribe (usually based on Yaakov's Brachos to his children). The symbol of the Tribe of Yehudah featured a lion. The lion is king of the beasts. Yehudah was the tribe of monarchy. Therefore his flag featured a symbol of a lion.

The flag of the Tribe of Yissocher featured the sun, the moon, and the stars. The reason for this was because the Tribe of Yissocher possessed "men of understanding of the times" [Divrei Hayamim I 12:33]. They mastered the astronomical sciences and served as consultants to the Sanhedrin for questions dealing with the calculation of the appearance of the new moon.

The symbol of the Tribe of Zevulun was a ship. They were the merchant marine. They made their living by the sea. Consequently, their symbol was a ship.

The question can be asked; if the Tribe of Zevulun supported the Tribe of Yissocher, and G-d wanted to see to it that they earned a good livelihood, why didn't G-d make life easy for Zevulun? Why couldn't Zevulun have a nice clean job, where they sit behind desks, make some phone calls, and generate profits? Instead, they were sailors, traveling the distant seas in unsafe vessels. Those who "descend to the sea" (yordei haYam) are one of the categories of people that need to thank G-d for saving them (by 'bentching Gomel') each time they return from a trip. The Tribe of Zevulun probably had the most dangerous profession of any of the tribes. Why wasn't Zevulun given a break? He is a nice guy who is supporting his brother. Shouldn't he be given the choicest of jobs? Why did Providence decree that his lot should be that of a sailor?
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[White Israelite]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Los_Lunas_Decalogue_Stone

Supposedly it's been in America from 500-2000 years predicted. Interesting.