Phoenician ships in the broadest sense of the word are the focus of this dissertation
and it encompasses the entire period of both Phoenician and Punic seafaring. The
study is quantitative, largely historical and archaeological, with the use of secondary
sources as well as iconography. The origins of the Phoenician construction technique,
the mortise-and-tenon joints, are investigated as well as the various types of
Phoenician ships. These are analysed under the headings Merchant ships, Warships
and Utility ships.
The materials mentioned in Ezekiel’s prophecy about ‘The Ship Tyre’, are analysed,
whether they fit the purpose for which they are mentioned. The production process of
purple cloth with the use of Murex molluscs is described in detail including an analysis
of the boats used to catch the molluscs.
The possibility is investigated of whether the Ashkelon Dog Burials could be related to
the Phoenician trade in dogs, and whether they could have served as ship dogs.
Lastly the difficulties encountered in sailing through the narrow sea straits of the
Mediterranean Sea are described, which are subject to Internal waves, affecting the
surface water.Biblical and Ancient StudiesM. A. (Biblical Archaeology
