The Sea of Galilee Boat

Nautical archeologist Wachsmann in 1986 led the Israeli team that excavated a fishing boat that may have plied the Sea of Galilee in the time of Jesus. Discovered by kibbutz members on the sea's muddy floor, the 26-foot-long vessel, built mainly of Lebanese cedar and oak, has been radiocarbon-dated to roughly 15 B.C. (give or take 85 years). An arrowhead like those used by Roman archers in the First Jewish Revolt was found on the boat, leading to speculation that the vessel was used by Jewish rebels in the naval battle of Migdal (birthplace of Mary Magdalene), when Roman soldiers slaughtered some 6700 Jews in 67 A.D. Although this ``generic fishing boat'' cannot be definitively linked to either the Gospel stories or the Jewish rebellion in Galilee, Wachsmann's engrossing account of its excavation and restoration, enlivened by photographs and drawings, provides a well-positioned window on the biblical past. The author is an assistant professor of biblical archeology at Texas A&M University. (June)