V E R Y Interesting - Pharaoh Necho - Not Fast Food!

Pharaoh Necho was Egypt's leader about the time of Judah's King Josiah ---in fact, Josiah was killed in battle with Necho, which in itself is a fascinating story- See 2 Kings 22-23 (609 BC).

Anyway, from non-biblical ancient sources we learn that Pharaoh Necho (Neco) commissioned a crew of Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa--from east to west--from Egypt, south and around what was later named the Cape of Good Hope, then north up around Africa and through the Pillars of Hercules (which we now call Gibraltar) and back to Egypt, reporting to Necho at the mouth of the Nile.

The trip took 3 years...that's right, 3 years!

Here's the deal about that--the ships were small, each carrying about 50 sailors. We don't know how many ships. But we do know they were row galleys. There was limited space for fresh water and food.

"Since sea-going row galleys, with little storage space, had to keep a crew of at least 50 officers and oarsmen live and healthy, this Egyptian fleet had to stop ashore when autumn came, to plant, grow and reap a crop of grain. That was their only means of solving the logistics problem."

Imagine that! They had to stop regularly for food and water, and when food was scarce, they had to stop long enough to plant and reap a crop! Determination and perseverance...do we posses these qualities these days?


I found that great information while reading Samuel Eliot Morison's The Northern Voyages.

In those days, like in the days of Christ, people often nibbled on the grain itself. When Christ and His disciples wandered through a grain field (Matthew 12) eating the grains, it upset the Pharisees. Because they would rub the grain to remove the chaff, and that was considered preparing a meal, which they were not to do on the Sabbath!

Taking the grain was not the issue - God had told His people to leave grain in the field for the poor and strangers who needed food - so they were not stealing - they were working on the Sabbath! That was the issue.

I've always been curious--dining on kernels of grain doesn't sound that great. Sounds to me sort of like eating popcorn kernels before they are popped! I guess we are all just spoiled. I prefer my grain ground and made into bread and cakes and cookies!