מלכים א, פרק כ״ב, פסוק מ״ט

An ambitious attempt to revive the golden era of King Solomon ends in sudden disaster when a newly constructed naval fleet collapses before ever leaving port. King Jehoshaphat of Judah initiated this grand economic venture, aiming to send ships to the distant land of Ophir to import gold, mirroring the legendary wealth of Solomon's reign.

The fleet consisted of exactly ten ships [רלב״ג, רד״ק]. Although they were designated as ships of Tarshish, the primary approach among commentators is that this does not indicate their final destination. Instead, it refers to their specific design. They were massive, heavily fortified vessels manned by rowing crews, built in the classic architectural style of Tarshish ships [מצודת דוד, אברבנאל, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. The expedition was set to launch from Ezion-geber, the southern port city of the Kingdom of Judah located along the coast of the Red Sea [ביאור שטיינזלץ].

However, the journey never materialized. While still docked in the harbor, the entire fleet was destroyed. A subtle detail in the traditional text indicates that the fleet was not wiped out in one sweeping incident; rather, each vessel broke apart individually [רד״ק].

Commentators universally agree that the destruction of the fleet was an act of divine punishment. Drawing from parallel historical records, they explain that Jehoshaphat had entered into a financial partnership with Ahaziah, the wicked King of Israel. Because of this alliance, a prophet confronted Jehoshaphat, warning him that God would dismantle his efforts. Following the sinking of the ships, Ahaziah approached Jehoshaphat with an offer to rebuild and launch a second joint expedition, but this time, Jehoshaphat firmly refused [רש״י, רד״ק, רלב״ג, אברבנאל].

While most commentators view the biblical accounts of this disaster as a single narrative, there is an alternative perspective suggesting that the parallel record—which mentions ships destined directly for Tarshish—actually describes a completely separate historical event [מצודת דוד]. The variations between the different biblical records reflect their distinct underlying purposes. The broader historical accounts focus on Jehoshaphat's greatness, detailing his wealth, military campaigns, and dedication to spreading Torah. In contrast, this specific narrative omits those achievements, focusing instead on events tied to the punishment of wicked individuals and the fulfillment of divine decrees [אברבנאל].