The following extract gives an overview of the thesis, William's detailed essay can be read at the following link;

The Pillars of Hercules, in Homer's legend, were the two pillars on which Heracles, the original Greek form of the Roman mythical Hercules, mythically, fictitiously, pressed to separate Europe from Africa, and are today accepted as being two mountains at the mouth of the Mediterranean, where it meets the Atlantic Ocean, namely one on either side of the Straits of Gibraltar. (This is perhaps a Greek repetition of the Story of Samson in Middle Eastern mythology, who was said to have brought down the building he was in by separating and shearing two of its columns.) Another myth concerns Hercules' theft of the Golden Apples, placing the giant, Atlas, and his task of supporting the weight of the world, at the "Pillars of Hercules".

Why “pillars”, when they are mountains? Homer writing in Greece 500B.C. used this description. Did he have a reason?

At its peak Phoenician Trade covered the length of the Mediterranean, as well as dealing with tribes on Europe's Atlantic shore. Bronze is an alloy of tin and copper. While Copper is plentiful around the Mediterranean, Tin is only found on the Atlantic shore of Europe and the Urals. The name Britain means in Aramaic “Barra Tannica” “The Land of Tin”.

The Pillars of the Temple of Solomon were cast by Hiram of the great Phoenician city of Tyre, an architect who was an “expert in casting bronze, making glass, and in the secrets of woodworking”, and who was provided by Hiram, King of Tyre. The Pillars of the Temple contain an allegorical warning vividly repeated by Nature at the entrance to the Atlantic.

The Pillar at the Left of the entrance was said to be a bronze cylinder finished in Gold, covered in emeralds to symbolise the Pillar of Fire “which led the Children of Israel out of the Land of Egypt, illuminating their way by night”.

The Pillar on the Right was said to symbolise the Pillar of Smoke which “hid the Israelites from the eyes of the soldiers and protected them from the wrath of the Pharaoh,” being finished in silver.

On approaching the Strait from the Mediterranean, Calpe (Gibraltar) is to the Right Hand side. It is Grey, the correct colour to represent the silver Right Hand Pillar of the Temple, and like the Biblical Silver Pillar it issues “smoke” to make it safe for the righteous – a cloud caused by an Easterly Lavanter wind which speeds sailors through to the wealth on the shores of the Atlantic, gold, mercury, silver and tin.

The Pillar on the Left in north Africa is Ceuta, Septa for the star Sirius which represented the deity Isis Ceuta is a low Green Hill, which flowers Yellow in Spring, repeating the Emerald-on-Gold of the Left-Hand Pillar of the Temple, and low enough to fit Homers description of “a good archer being able to fire over it”.

The Naval base at Carteia
There are clear signs of a large harbour within the river at Carteia, now mostly silted up, but producing wharves and slipways, sufficient to accommodate a fleet of about 30 ships of sixty feet.

Archaeological digs at a large sea cave and adjacent beach known as Gorhams Cave in Gibraltar have revealed thousands of artefacts. The work under the direction of the Museums at Puerto de Santa Maria, Spain, and Gibraltar, has been in progress for several years. Most artefacts, according the leader of the excavation, were made in Tyre. Many of these objects indicate that the cave was a major stopping point for ships. The hypothesis is that Gorham’s Cave in Gibraltar was in use as a Control point, checking the crews on calling ships for the presence of Greeks or Etruscans, and as an initiator of signals to warn the controllers of the fleets of the Straits at Carteia that a particular ship should be prevented from proceeding into the Atlantic.

The implication of this is that a Naval Base was being maintained at Carteia which co-ordinated a blockade of the Straits, with Gorham’s Cave as an inspection point and various beaches on both sides of the Straits as resting areas for interception crews. This does not necessarily mean distant external control was in place.

Carteia had a population of 4,000 at a time when Tyre had only 10,000. The economic interest of Carteia alone would have been sufficient to justify the control system.