Apparently Darius of Persia (~500BC) gave it a shot, but it didn't get finished until the Ptolemies ruled Egypt (~250BC). However, there is evidence of a preexisting canal from around 1500BC and the suggestion of one dating to even 4000BC.

I heard about these preexisting canals before, but I got this information from a [referenced blurb] (http://www.uh.edu/engines/epi1257.htm).

I do recall from when I originally read about this that the sea level was somewhat higher back then (1500BC? 4000BC? I can't remember which original canal they were talking about) meaning that the canal didn't need to be even need to be 150km long.