Were any chariots found in the Red Sea?

An Introduction

“And Moses stretched out his hand over the sea; and the LORD caused the sea to go back by a strong east wind all that night, and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.” (Exodus 14:21)

The Hebrew Exodus from Egypt is in scope the most miraculous event ever to be recorded by man. It’s historicity though has been challenged and reduced to mere mythology by many religious theologians and biblical archaeologists until recently. In 1978 Ron Wyatt, a biblical archaeologist without formal training, confounded the opponents of biblical historical accuracy by discovering the true “Exodus Red Sea Crossing” in the Gulf of Aqaba (Red Sea) at Nuweiba, Sinai Peninsula.

The authenticity of Wyatt’s claim has been validated with the discovery of the remains of ancient Egyptian army chariots lying at the bottom of an underwater land bridge connecting Sinai to Saudi Arabia. Many coral encrusted chariot wheels, and a gilded four spoked chariot wheel were found. Fossilized human and horse bones were also recovered, but carbon dating was not possible.

The Hebrew name given to the Red Sea crossing site was Pi-hahiroth (Hebrew: פִּי הַחִירֹת). The Hebrew name “Pi-hahiroth” has been translated as “mouth of the gorges,” descriptive of its location, where the mouths of two rivers (wadis) combine at the point of entry into the sea. The Nuweiba peninsula fits this description exactly. The historical significance of the Nuweiba site as the site of the Exodus crossing was also known in ancient times. This fact is attested to by the discovery of “commemorative inscriptions erected by King Solomon” on both the Sinai and Saudi Arabian sides of the crossing.

In 2000 Dr. Lennart Moller, a research scientist from Sweden, headed an expedition that retraced the footsteps of Wyatt. Soon after the expedition, it’s Swedish backers produced an excellent documentary video and book supporting Wyatt’s claims as well as adding extensively to the archaeological documentation. Archaeological research is ongoing, with a new documentary due in 2008.

While some archaeologists consider Ron Wyatt’s accomplishments to be nothing but fraud and sensationalism, many have examined the evidence and perceive the truth beyond the personalities and politics of the profession.

http://www.messianic-literary.com/chariots.htm

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Ron Wyatt (1933-1999) was a nurse-anesthetist in a hospital in Madison, Tennessee. His claim of finding 'Wheels from Egyptian Chariots involved in the pursuit of the Israelites from Egypt' has been debunked thoroughly by professional archaeologists and respected biblical scholars. Most professional archaeologists have found so many discrepancies in Wyatt's claims that they do not appear to take him seriously at all.

Several disputes are made against the claim of chariot army at the bottom of the Red sea by Wyatt per 'Holy Relics or Revelation – Recent Astounding Archaeological Claims Evaluated by Standish, Russell R. and Colin D. Standish, 1999'. This book by the Standish Brothers meticulously examines in detail all of Wyatt's claims to serve as a benchmark upon which Ron Wyatt's "discoveries" can be more carefully evaluated.

1. "First, the site of the Exodus route, as described in Exodus 14:1, is highly disputed. The three specific sites mentioned in Moses’ record “have been lost in the sands of time” (Bruckner, James. 2008. Exodus 129). No one knows the precise place of the crossing. Conservative scholarship strongly argues that Israel crossed the Gulf of Suez (Vow, Howard. 2003. Wycliffe Historical Geography of Bible Lands – Revised), and not the Gulf of Aqaba, as Wyatt contended.'

2. "Second, Wyatt claimed that he was using simple recreational scuba equipment when he discovered these wheels, etc., at a depth of some 200 feet in the Gulf. However, ordinary scuba apparatus is designed to accommodate only a depth of approximately 125-130 feet. Beyond this, more sophisticated equipment is required."

3. "Third, Pharaoh’s army was said to have been destroyed “in the middle of the sea” (Exodus 14:23) which, according to measurements of the British Admiralty, is almost 2,800 feet deep in the midst of Aqaba. This hardly harmonizes with Wyatt’s 200 feet “discoveries”!"

4. "Then there is the issue of the “bones” — of both horses and men — that Wyatt reputedly found. Recall that the destruction of Pharaoh’s army took place about 3,500 years ago. Compare this with the following facts. The Titanic went down in 1912 and 1,553 people were lost in the wreckage. In 1985, 73 years following that Atlantic catastrophe, the submerged vessel was discovered and explored. Specially designed underwater TV and video equipment was employed; in addition, more than 53,000 photos were taken. The remains of not a solitary person — neither skin nor bone — was found. Everything had been completely consumed by fish, crustaceans, and the destructive effect of salt water."

There is no undersea footage of the “gilded wheel” in the film but merely a digital “reconstruction” of a photograph taken by Wyatt in the 1970s. Neither does Wyatt's original photo provide clear evidence as to whether the small piece of coral seen on the wheel simply was placed there or not and no independent peer-reviewed examination by archaeologists and other specialists (to see if they were merely coral formations) was ever conducted and published for the claim of chariot army found at the bottom of the Red sea. "But aside from that, there are the obvious logic problems: If it was a chariot wheel, how would one know it was Egyptian? If Egyptian, how would one know it was related to the Exodus event? And if it was from that event, didn’t anyone notice the incongruity of the sea floor not being littered with these wheels?"

Further detailed claims of Wyatt are critically examined here, here and here and his profile can be found here.

On August 8, 1996, Joe Zias, Curator of Anthropology/Archaeology with the Israel Antiquities Authority (Jerusalem), issued the following statement:

Mr. Ron Wyatt is neither an archaeologist nor has he ever carried out a legally licensed excavation in Israel or Jerusalem. In order to excavate one must have at least a BA in archaeology which he does not possess despite his claims to the contrary. We are aware of his claims which border on the absurd as they have no scientific basis whatsoever nor have they ever been published in a professional journal. They fall into the category of trash which one finds in tabloids such as the National Enquirer, Sun, etc. It’s amazing that anyone would believe them…

What has been discovered in the Red Sea?

MIAMI—Researchers at the University of Miami (UM) Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric, and Earth Science recently discovered rare deep-sea brine pools in the Gulf of Aqaba, a northern extension to the Red Sea.

Did ancient Egypt have chariots?

The ancient Egyptians used chariots — typically with one or two riders and pulled by two horses — for hunting and warfare as well as in processions.

How deep was the Red Sea where the Israelites crossed?

Its maximum width is 190 miles, its greatest depth 9,580 feet (2,920 metres), and its area approximately 174,000 square miles (450,000 square kilometres).

Has anyone been to the bottom of the Red Sea?

Utilizing the state-of-the-art full ocean depth submersible DSV Limiting Factor from Triton Submarines, Victor Vescovo dived two deeps: the Suakin Trough (2,777m/9,111ft) and the Kebrit Deep (1,470m/4,823ft), making him the first person in history to physically reach both those points in the Red Sea.