Mare clausum defended a "Mare clausum" policy during the age of discovery. This was soon challenged by other European nations. From 30 BC to 117 AD the Roman Empire came to surround the Mediterranean by controlling most of its coasts. Romans started then to name this sea "mare nostrum" (Latin for "our sea"). At those times the period between November and March was considered the most dangerous for navigation, so it was declared ""mare clausum"" (closed sea), although bans on navigation were probably never enforced. In classical law the ocean was not territorial. However, since the Middle Ages maritime republics like the
What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? What Did the Ancient Israelites Eat? Diet in Biblical Times is a 2008 book by Nathan MacDonald that discusses the foods eaten by Israelites during the time that the Bible was written. MacDonald, a theologian who serves as a lecturer at St Andrews University, used biblical texts as well as archaeological and anthropological evidence in his attempts to determine the diet of the Israelites. MacDonald decided to write the book while writing another book on the symbolism of food in the Hebrew Bible that contained a chapter on the diet of the Israelites. Nathan