Israeli archaeologists recently announced the discovery of a fishing hook from the vicinity of Ashkelon, dating roughly to the time before Abraham would have come to Canaan. The Jerusalem Post reports:
The hook is 6.5 cm long and 4 cm wide, and according to the co-director of the excavation, Yael Abadi-Reiss, this makes it suitable for hunting sharks as long as two or three meters, or large tuna fish.
“More ancient fishhooks found previously were made of bone and were much smaller than this one. The use of copper began in the Chalcolithic period, and it is fascinating to discover that this technological innovation was applied in antiquity to the production of fishhooks for fishermen along the Mediterranean coast,” she added. The Chalcolithic period refers to the period of time between 2500 BCE and 2200 BCE, during which the first simple tools made of copper and gold appeared.
During this era, large villages were established around Ashkelon, whose economy was based on the pasturing of sheep, goats, and cattle; the cultivation of wheat, barley, and legumes; and the tending of fruit orchards—all industries that are still alive and thriving to this day.
Read more on Jerusalem Post: https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-735762