Sailing on the Red Sea

King Solomon also built ships at Ezion Geber, which is near Elath in Edom, on the shore of the Red Sea. And Hiram sent his men–sailors who knew the sea–to serve in the fleet with Solomon’s men. They sailed to Ophir and brought back 420 talents of gold, which they delivered to King Solomon. 1 Kings 9:26-28 We reached the southernmost part of our trip at the modern port city of Eilat. Israel has a few miles of shoreline on this gulf, nestled between Egypt on the west and Jordan on the east. Arriving in town, we hopped on a […]

Southern Boundary

After a couple hours driving south through the desert, we reached the southernmost point in modern Israel: the city of Eilat. Situated on the Red Sea, this resort town is wedged tightly between Egypt on the west and Jordan on the east. While the Mediterranean Sea is Israel’s main link to international waters towards the west, this small section of shore provides a gateway to the east. This site has been in use since antiquity. For instance, King Solomon launched ships from here to bring back gold (1 Kings 9:26-28). Our first stop in Eilat was the national park. Renting […]