Egyptian Chariot Wheels Found at the Bottom of the Red Sea-Unproven!
Summary of eRumor:
This one includes pictures of what are said to be chariot wheels that were discovered on the floor of the Red Sea, confirmation of the Biblical account of Pharaoh’s army being drowned while pursuing the Hebrews. The Biblical account says that God parted the waters to allow an escape for the Hebrews then the waters came back together when the Egyptian army tried to follow. The eRumor also says that chariots, human bones, and horse bones have been found in an area in the Gulf of Aqaba.
The Truth:
Much of this eRumor is based on the findings of Ron Wyatt, a colorful and controversial amateur archeologist who claimed to have found Noah’s ark, the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, the location of Sodom And Gomorrah, the Tower of Babel, the true site of Mt. Sinai, the true site of the crucifixion of Jesus, and the original stones of the Ten Commandments. He was a passionate and sincere man, according to his supporters, but his critics abound and scientists and archeologists regarded him as an untrained maverick at best and there are some who regarded his as a fraud. Wyatt died from cancer in 1999.
Wyatt’s interest in the crossing of the Red Sea by the Hebrews became focused on the site of Nuweiba in Egypt because it seemed to fit some of the description of Biblical and historical accounts of the geography. It was while diving along the beach at Nuweiba that he found what he said were chariot parts.
During his first visit to Nuweiba in 1978 he found a large column lying on the beach that looked like an ancient artifact. Later he found that it had been set up by Egyptian authorities in concrete for display. He believed it to be a marker set up by King Solomon to note the crossing of the Red Sea.
It was on that same trip in 1978 that Wyatt found what he said were the remains of chariots and chariot wheels at the bottom of the sea. They were heavily covered with coral. Wyatt claimed to have retrieved one of the wheels and said an Egyptian authority declared that it was from the 18th dynasty of Ancient Egypt, but nobody seems to know where that chariot wheel is is now located.
Regarding the human bones found at the site, TruthOrFiction.com talked with Aaron Sen, one of those who has traveled to Nuweiba and who found the bones. He said the bones were authenticated as human at Stockholm University are are in the possession of professor Lennart Moller who was at Stockholm University in the late 1990s.
It was also discovered that there seems to be an underwater “bridge” of sea bed that is shallower than the depths on either side of it and that crosses from one side of the sea to the other. Wyatt said that could have been where the waters parted and made the way for the Hebrews to cross.
Wyatt’s focus on Nuweiba and his claims of finding chariot remains on the floor of the sea have brought other adventurers to the site but even Wyatt’s supporters urge caution about their enthusiastic findings. Richard Rives, the president of Wyatt Archeological Research in Tennessee, told journalist Joe Kovacs, “All kinds of people are finding coral and calling it chariot parts.” Wyatt’s wife, Mary Nell, told Kovacs the same. She went diving with Wyatt at the Red Sea site and said that at first she thought everything was a chariot wheel.
The bottom line is that at this point all that seems to exist to support the claims of chariot parts on the bottom of the red sea are pictures, most of which are of coral formations. No documented artifacts have been retrieved and preserved from the site and now the Egyptian government prohibits bringing any findings to the surface to the questions may remain for a long time to come.
updated 02/3308