Mediterranean Sea

A large body of water located between southern Europe, northern Africa, and western Asia, which borders Palestine on the west.

About Mediterranean Sea

A large body of water that borders the western edge of Palestine, also known as the Great Sea (Numbers 34:7; Joshua 9:1; Ezekiel 47:10, 15).

The sea is approximately 3,533.4 kilometers (2,196 miles) long, from Gibraltar to Lebanon. It varies in width from 965.4 to 1,609 kilometers (600 miles to 1,000 miles). It has a maximum depth of 4.3 kilometers (2.7 miles). The sea includes five smaller seas: the Adriatic, Aegean, Ionian, Ligurian, and Tyrrhenian.

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Key References

Exodus 23:31

And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

Joshua 1:4

Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.

Ezekiel 47:20

And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.

Numbers 34:6

Your western border will be the coastline of the Great Sea; this will be your boundary on the west.

Deuteronomy 11:24

Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.

All Scripture References (36)

Exodus (1)
Exodus 23:31

And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.

Numbers (4)
Numbers 13:29

The Amalekites live in the land of the Negev; the Hittites, Jebusites, and Amorites live in the hill country; and the Canaanites live by the sea and along the Jordan.”

Numbers 34:5

where it will turn from Azmon, join the Brook of Egypt, and end at the Sea.

Numbers 34:6

Your western border will be the coastline of the Great Sea; this will be your boundary on the west.

Numbers 34:7

Your northern border will run from the Great Sea directly to Mount Hor,

Deuteronomy (2)
Deuteronomy 11:24

Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea.

Deuteronomy 34:2

all of Naphtali, the land of Ephraim and Manasseh, all the land of Judah as far as the Western Sea,

Joshua (14)
Joshua 1:4

Your territory shall extend from the wilderness and Lebanon to the great River Euphrates—all the land of the Hittites—and west as far as the Great Sea.

Joshua 5:1

Now when all the Amorite kings west of the Jordan and all the Canaanite kings along the coast heard how the LORD had dried up the waters of the Jordan before the Israelites until they had crossed over, their hearts melted and their spirits failed for fear of the Israelites.

Joshua 9:1

Now when news of this reached all the kings west of the Jordan—those in the hill country, the foothills, and all along the coast of the Great Sea toward Lebanon (the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites)—

Joshua 15:4

It proceeded to Azmon, joined the Brook of Egypt, and ended at the Sea. This was their southern border.

Joshua 15:11

Then it went out to the northern slope of Ekron, curved toward Shikkeron, proceeded to Mount Baalah, went on to Jabneel, and ended at the Sea.

Joshua 15:12

And the western border was the coastline of the Great Sea. These are the boundaries around the clans of the descendants of Judah.

Joshua 15:47

Ashdod, with its towns and villages; Gaza, with its towns and villages, as far as the Brook of Egypt and the coastline of the Great Sea.

Joshua 16:3

Then it descended westward to the border of the Japhletites as far as the border of Lower Beth-horon and on to Gezer, and it ended at the Sea.

Joshua 16:6

and out toward the Sea. From Michmethath on the north it turned eastward toward Taanath-shiloh and passed by it to Janoah on the east.

Joshua 16:8

From Tappuah the border went westward to the Brook of Kanah and ended at the Sea. This was the inheritance of the clans of the tribe of Ephraim,

Joshua 17:9

From there the border continued southward to the Brook of Kanah. There were cities belonging to Ephraim among the cities of Manasseh, but the border of Manasseh was on the north side of the brook and ended at the Sea.

Joshua 17:10

Ephraim’s territory was to the south, and Manasseh’s was to the north, having the Sea as its border and adjoining Asher on the north and Issachar on the east.

Joshua 19:29

The border then turned back toward Ramah as far as the fortified city of Tyre, turned toward Hosah, and came out at the Sea in the region of Achzib,

Joshua 23:4

See, I have allotted as an inheritance to your tribes these remaining nations, including all the nations I have already cut off, from the Jordan westward to the Great Sea.

1 Kings (1)
2 Chronicles (1)
2 Chronicles 2:15

Now let my lord send to his servants the wheat, barley, olive oil, and wine he promised.

Ezra (1)
Ezra 3:7

They gave money to the masons and carpenters, and food and drink and oil to the people of Sidon and Tyre to bring cedar logs from Lebanon to Joppa by sea, as authorized by Cyrus king of Persia.

Psalms (1)
Psalm 80:12

Why have You broken down its walls, so that all who pass by pick its fruit?

Isaiah (1)
Isaiah 11:11

On that day the Lord will extend His hand a second time to recover the remnant of His people from Assyria, from Egypt, from Pathros, from Cush, from Elam, from Shinar, from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea.

Jeremiah (1)
Jeremiah 47:5

The people of Gaza will shave their heads in mourning; Ashkelon will be silenced. O remnant of their valley, how long will you gash yourself?

Ezekiel (6)
Ezekiel 47:10

Fishermen will stand by the shore; from En-gedi to En-eglaim they will spread their nets to catch fish of many kinds, like the fish of the Great Sea.

Ezekiel 47:15

This shall be the boundary of the land: On the north side it will extend from the Great Sea by way of Hethlon through Lebo-hamath to Zedad,

Ezekiel 47:17

So the border will run from the Sea to Hazar-enan, along the northern border of Damascus, with the territory of Hamath to the north. This will be the northern boundary.

Ezekiel 47:19

On the south side it will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, and along the Brook of Egypt to the Great Sea. This will be the southern boundary.

Ezekiel 47:20

And on the west side, the Great Sea will be the boundary up to a point opposite Lebo-hamath. This will be the western boundary.

Ezekiel 48:28

The southern border of Gad will run from Tamar to the waters of Meribath-kadesh, then along the Brook of Egypt and out to the Great Sea.

Daniel (1)
Daniel 7:2

Daniel declared: “In my vision in the night I looked, and suddenly the four winds of heaven were churning up the great sea.

Joel (1)
Joel 2:20

The northern army I will drive away from you, banishing it to a barren and desolate land, its front ranks into the Eastern Sea, and its rear guard into the Western Sea. And its stench will rise; its foul odor will ascend. For He has done great things.

Zechariah (1)
Zechariah 14:8

And on that day living water will flow out from Jerusalem, half of it toward the Eastern Sea and the other half toward the Western Sea, in summer and winter alike.