550,000 years ago the advancing glacier forced man and animals south, providing them with ample space in the belt of land between the ice sheet and the Black Sea, an extension of the Mediterranean Sea. [1] The collapse of the Gibraltar isthmus flooded the Mediterranean basin, connecting it with the Atlantic Ocean and altering the course of human history. [2] 500 million years ago, the creation of the Mediterranean Sea began as Africa moved south, forming an east and west trough. [3] The first Eden, one of the oldest civilizations, lies submerged under the eastern end of the Mediterranean Sea. [4] Nazareth in Galilee became a vital crossroads for trade from the Orient to the few good seaports in the eastern Mediterranean. [5] The Mediterranean Sea greatly expanded in 15,000 B.C., redirecting early migrations and shaping the course of civilization. [6] Marine life evolved in three favorable retreats, including the Sicilian Bay of the Mediterranean basin. [7]