Atlit
Atlit is an ancient port on the Mediterranean coast of Israel that is now site of a modern village.
The ancient city of Atlit has been identified with Kartha, a city of Zebulun, mentioned in some Greek versions of Joshua 21:34. Excavations have shown that the site was inhabited in the Iron Age, probably by Phoenicians. A colony of Greek mercenaries with Egyptian and native wives settled at Atlit in Persian-Hellenistic times. In 1217, Crusader pilgrims built a castle there called the Château des Pélerins (Castrum Peregrinorum) and it served through most of the Crusader period as a kind of immigrants' hostel and absorption and clearing station for newly arrived knights of the Cross.
In 1250, King Louis IX of France spent time in the
castle of Atlit and fortified its walls; and one of his sons was born
there. In 1256, the Mamelukes,
attacked the city of Atlit, whose residents fled to the castle. The
castle walls held. In 1283 an armistice was signed between the Crusaders
and the Mamelukes. The agreement allowed the Crusaders to keep the city
of Atlit and the castle, in return for half the estate's revenue. The
castle of Atlit was not attacked, but after the fall of Acre, its defenders
fled secretly (to Cyprus), on the night of August 14, 1291. The stronghold's
downfall would come six weeks later, at the hands of the Mamelukes.
The modern village of Atlit was founded in 1903 by
Baron Edmond de Rothschild. Most of its lands were bought from Arab fishermen who had built their shacks among the Crusader ruins. In 1911, an agricultural station was founded there by Aaron
Aaronsohn. In World War I, it became a center of
Nili, the clandestine pro-British intelligence organization. During the Mandatory period, the British set up a prison in Atlit and a detention camp for "illegal" immigrants.
After the establishment of the State of Israel in 1948, the camp became a large immigrant reception center.
The ruins of Atlit served as a quarry for the construction of Acre. One of the great marine archaeological finds, the Ram
of Atlit, was discovered off the coast of Atlit.
The Ram is the only known ram of its kind in existence
in the world and considered to be one of the largest bronze finds of
antiquity. Found in 1980 in the waters of Atlit (south of Haifa)
this three-pronged ram has contributed much to the knowledge of naval
warfare. Many people are familiar with the battering ram used on
land, but are not aware of the existence of a similar weapon in naval
engagements.
Iconographic representations, (from the eighth
century BCE on) all show a ship bearing a ram. Naval rams underwent
various changes throughout the years. Single pointed rams seem to
have been used most often, but had the disadvantage of breaking
easily. These types of rams, which only created a hole in the enemy
ship, caused limited damage. It was also dangerous, since the
attacking ship could find itself literally entangled in the enemy
ship, when its ram would be caught in the enemy ship's hull and the
attacking ship would find itself unable to disengage itself from its
prey.
Later naval rams took on the shape of an animal's
head. The three-pronged ram (such as the Ram of Atlit) developed at
the end of the sixth century BCE and had the advantage of shattering
an enemy ship's hull, creating damage that could not be repaired at
sea. The Phoenicians, Greeks, Romans and Etruscans throughout the Mediterranean used the three-pronged ram
in naval battles.
An impressive artifact, the Ram of Atlit, is on
display at the National Maritime Museum. Shaped like a chariot, the
ram was found devoid of its ship and was probably made in Cyprus. It
features mythological symbols including eagles, a thunderbolt and
more. The existence of and use of three-pronged rams is known from a
variety of sources including, coins, pottery etc. But the Ram of
Atlit is the only actual known specimen of this type. It weighs 465
kilograms (almost half a ton) and is composed of 90.1% copper, 9.5%
tin and trace elements of iron and sulphur.
The National Maritime Museum covers 5,000 years of
maritime history while emphasizing the ongoing relationship between
Eretz Israel (and Jews) to the sea. The museum features underwater
archaeological finds, ship models, a large collection of antique
maps, pottery, coins and more. The museum is located just above the
Clandestine Immigration and Naval Museum and is also within walking
distance of Elijah’s
Cave.
Sources: Gems in
Israel; Encyclopaedia
Judaica. © 2008 The Gale Group.
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