Underwater archaeology over the years have brought about some amazing discoveries which date right back to our evolution. Both the freshwater as well as the oceans still hold many historical secrets which have just begun to emerge. A new discovery by the archaeologists beneath the Red Sea has revealed the remnants of a vast Egyptian army that dates back to 14th Century BC. According to the Egypt’s Antiquity Ministry, this exciting discovery was made at the bottom of the Gulf of Suez, merely 1.5 kilometers away from the city of Ras Gharib.
In fact, this particular discovery came as a complete surprise to the archaeologists who were looking out for the remains of ancient ships and artefacts belonging to the Stone Age and Bronze Age and by accident stumbled upon a mass grave of human bones.
The team is led by Professor Abdel Muhammad Gader along with the scientists of the Faculty of Archaeology belonging to the Cairo University.
More than 400 human skeletons, hundreds of weapons and pieces of armor, along with remains of two war chariots have been recovered by them.
The remnants have been scattered over an area of approximately 200 square meters and the scientists feel that over 5000 bodies could well be lying in a much wider area. This gives us an idea that a large army perished on this particular site.
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One of the weapons which was found near the remains of a richly decorated chariots was called Khopesh. By the looks of it, it could have belonged to a nobleman or a prince or someone who was quite an important figure in the Egyptian army.
There are various clues which have led the scientists to come to the conclusion that these remnants could well be linked to the Biblical Exodus.
The Book of Exodus is considered by many as the most important book of the Hebrew Bible which highlights the defining features of the Israelites and how the defiant leader Moses rose up against the Egyptian Pharaoh, setting 600,000 slaves on a monumental journey of escape from Egypt and its terrifying cycle of deadly plagues.
This particular discovery has created ripples in the archaeological world as it indicates that the content of the Old Testament was indeed a fact.
After studying these remains, it was found that soldiers died on dry grounds as there was no evidence of water, and no traces of ships or boats were found near that area. The bodies seemed to have been stuck in clay and rock, which also suggests that the reason for their demise could have been a tidal wave or a mudslide.
These evidences clearly match the writings of the Bible which depict that during the Red Sea Crossing by Moses, the massive Egyptian Army was killed by the returning waters. The sheer number of soldiers, as well as the way they perished, are striking evidences to prove that such a huge army really in fact existed during the Reign of King Akhenaten.
This particular discovery has created ripples in the archaeological world as it indicates that the content of the Old Testament was indeed a fact. So all the other stories which have been mentioned in the Old Testament, which by many experts was considered as merely a work of fiction, suddenly is looking as something which did occur for real. Perhaps the “Plagues of Egypt” could also have a historical base which needs to be investigated.
After this remarkable discovery, certainly more recovery operations and loads of research will be carried out in the site in the coming years. This is no doubt one of the richest underwater archaeological sites ever discovered.
Stay tuned for more such exciting discoveries.
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