‘Jesus Boat’ presents a rare first century find

THE “Jesus Boat,” a recently-discovered fishing boat dating to the 1st century AD, was found a few miles north of Tiberias on the Sea of Galilee.

An ancient boat was pulled from the mud along the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee in 1986, and gives modern man an idea of the sort of boat used during the time of Jesus.

The boat appeared due to a great drought during which the waters of the lake receded and was discovered by fishermen from Kibbutz Ginosar. The men reported that when they found the boat, a double rainbow appeared in the sky.

The subsequent archeological dig was undertaken by members of the Kibbutz Ginosar, the Antiquities Authority, and many volunteers.

Pulling the vessel, which had been submerged in mud, was a delicate process, lasting 12 days and nights. The boat then had to be submerged in a chemical bath for seven years before it could be displayed.

The boat has been dated to the 1st century AD based on pottery and nails found in association with the boat, radiocarbon dating, and hull construction techniques. Evidence of repeated repairs indicates the boat was used for several decades, perhaps nearly a century.

The Galilee Boat is apparently the type of boat that was used on the Sea of Galilee for both fishing and transportation across the lake. It is likely that this sort of boat was used by Jesus and his disciples, many of whom were fishermen. Boats played a large role in Jesus life and ministry, as they are mentioned no less than 50 times in the Gospels.

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