ZIM Magazine | #96 | Autumn 2107

37 ZIM Magazine Sai l ing Back in Time ZIM may have been around for quite some time, but even the most veteran of ZIM employees know that there were sea traders in this region that came before them. The Phoenicians, a mysterious people with a legacy that gave us such wonders as the alphabet and glass production, dominated maritime trade some three thousand years ago, and their reputation as unrivaled seafarers has endured ever since. The Phoenicians constructed ports all along the Mediterranean using technology that was extremely advanced for its time, examples of which can still be seen at Achziv, Atlit, Caesarea, Dor, Apollonia and Ashkelon. But the Phoenicians' largest and most important port was Tyre, located in present-day Lebanon. The Phoenicians are frequently mentioned in the Bible as being seafarers and merchants, as in this verse from the Book of Ezekiel: "And say unto Tyre, that dwelleth at the entry of the sea, that is the merchant of the peoples unto many isles…all the ships of the sea with their mariners were in thee to exchange thy merchandise." Biblical references to connections between the kingdom of Israel and the Phoenicians abound – Hiram, King of Tyre, was an ally of King Solomon, helping to build the Temple in Jerusalem and Solomon's legendary naval fleet. Early archaeological research on the Phoenicians mainly focused on deciphering inscriptions and site excavation. However, for the last few years, a new project has been taking shape at the Marine Institute in Acre –- a historically accurate replica of an ancient Phoenician ship is being reconstructed using the original building techniques. The project was sparked by one of the most interesting archaeological discoveries ever found in Israel - the ancient ship from Ma'agan Michael. This ship, which was discovered in 1985 near the shore, has been studied for years by the University of Haifa's Institute for Maritime Studies. The findings, including the keel, the boards, the base of the mast and the ship's anchor, are now exhibited at the Hecht Museum. But the researchers' dream was to