Mediterranean Sea
Mediterranean Sea is a body of water mentioned in the Old Testament, located in the region of Arabia. It appears across 36 verses in Scripture.
Biblical History
The Mediterranean Sea, called "the Great Sea" (Numbers 34:6-7), "the Western Sea" (Deuteronomy 11:24), or simply "the sea" throughout Scripture, served as the western boundary of the Promised Land. God established it as the limit of Israel's inheritance from the earliest covenant descriptions (Exodus 23:31; Numbers 34:6). The sea features prominently in the story of Jonah, who attempted to flee from God's call by boarding a ship at Joppa bound for Tarshish across its waters (Jonah 1:3). Solomon's maritime ventures with Hiram of Tyre utilized Mediterranean ports (1 Kings 9:26-28). The Philistines arrived as Sea Peoples from across the Mediterranean. In the New Testament, Paul's missionary journeys repeatedly crossed the Mediterranean, most dramatically in the shipwreck account of Acts 27-28, where he sailed from Caesarea toward Rome. Ezekiel's oracle against Tyre describes the Mediterranean's commercial importance (Ezekiel 27). The sea represented both boundary and opportunity in biblical thought, marking the edge of Israel's world while connecting it to distant nations.
Archaeological & Historical Notes
The Mediterranean Sea remains one of the world's most archaeologically rich bodies of water. Underwater archaeology has revealed ancient harbors, shipwrecks, and submerged structures throughout its eastern basin. Caesarea Maritima, built by Herod the Great, features a remarkable artificial harbor whose remains have been extensively studied through underwater excavation. Ancient Joppa (modern Jaffa), Acco (Acre), and Dor served as important biblical-era ports along the Levantine coast. The discovery of Bronze Age shipwrecks at Uluburun and Cape Gelidonya off Turkey demonstrated extensive maritime trade networks. Phoenician and Greek colonization spread across the Mediterranean, leaving archaeological traces from Lebanon to Spain. Modern research continues to map ancient trade routes and port installations.
Verse Appearances (36)
Exod
Josh
1Kgs
2Chr
Ezra
Ps
Isa
Jer
Dan
Joel
Zech
Sources: ISBE Encyclopedia · OpenBible Geocoding (CC BY) · Pleiades Gazetteer View all →