The Jesus Boat

The Sea of Galilee Boat looks, from its cover, like a dry-as-dust academic report. It is nothing of the kind. Published by Perseus, Shelley Wachsmann's book reads more like a thriller. It is a step-by-step account of the discovery, excavation, identification, and preservation of the remains of a fishing vessel from about the time of Jesus.

In January 1986, two brothers took advantage of an exceptionally severe drought to comb the mud flats around the Sea of Galilee. They discovered the remains of a fishing vessel whose timbers had been preserved in the mud. A story of typical Israeli ingenuity ensues in which, against the odds, the boat was successfully excavated. It is now on display at the Yigdal Allon Center, just a mile or so from where it had slept for two thousand years. When news of the discovery got out, many people started to call the find The Jesus Boat. It's true that the little fishing boat could well have been used on Galilee at the time of Jesus, but that doesn't mean that it was one of the two boats we can identify from the Scriptures. Powered by four oars and a square set mast, steered bya rudder oar, the boat could easily have held a dozen or more disciples. There would even have been a place for Jesus to lay down to sleep, only to be awakened during a storm. A poor man's boat, made up of largely reclaimed timbers, it probably had a life of less than twenty years. With the remains of at least two other boats it was left in the shallows, not far from Migdal, until it settled, forgotten, into the mud.

There is another possibility for an historical connection. The Jewish Roman author Josephus tells of a military operation against some rebellious Jews that took place within the same time frame (100 BC - 100 AD), in which Roman soldiers defeated the inhabitants of Migdal in a battle on the lake. An arrowhead was found inside the hull, which could indicate that this boat was one of those used by the Jews. However, it's little more than conjecture.

It's a compelling tale, told in a narrative form that brings light to the story of the New Testament. There are even local connections: the chemical used to preserve the timbers, which is a type of penetrating wax, was donated by the Dow Chemical Company, of Freeport, Texas; and, one of the first experts to vouch for the authenticity and antiquity of the boat was a professor from Texas A&M University. If you are interested in Bible times, and enjoy a good (if lengthy) read I commend this book.