Aware of the importance of this ancient boat to both Jews and Christians, the Lufan brothers contacted marine archaeologist, Dr. Kurt Raveh, Texas A&M University biblical archaeology professor Dr. Shelley Wachsmann, and renowned Galilee scholar Mendel Nun.
When the experts examined the ancient vessel they realized that, while the hull was in fairly good shape, its wooden timbers were waterlogged and soggy, resembling wet cardboard.
Incredibly, the prolonged drought ended at the same time that the Lufan brothers discovered the remains of the ancient fishing vessel. Fresh rains meant that the water levels in the Sea of Galilee would soon rise and the boat might be lost again.
They realized the need to excavate immediately.
To learn more about this crucial phase in the process, go to the official Jesus Boat site.
A typical dig would take years to accomplish and the total cost would be in the millions. The Jesus Boat recovery team did not have that kind of time or resources. The dig site needed to be investigated and the team had to obtain the proper licenses and documentation. This usually lengthy process only took about a week.
Using buckets and shovels, a team of volunteers, including members of Kibbutz Ginosar and the Israel Antiquities Authority, began the preliminary excavation. A crew from the Israeli Television Authority arrived to document the recovery. Though the Galilee Boat team and television crew tried to keep the find a secret until the ancient boat could be excavated, news leaked out and the global press descended on the site to report the unprecedented discovery.
During the dig, other ancient artifacts surfaced: an oil lamp, a cooking pot, and additional potsherds were found at the site. These artifacts appeared to be from around the 1st century AD (CE). The boat had not been carrying any cargo when it was submerged.
Dr. Orna Cohen, archaeologist and specialist in artifact restoration, was placed in charge of the Jesus Boat restoration and preservation. She reported seeing a “moonbow” over the site during the ancient boat’s recovery. Extremely rare, moonbows are lunar rainbows, created by light reflecting off the moon’s surface.
Encouraged by these signs, the Jesus Boat recovery team excavated the ancient boat from the Sea of Galilee in less than two weeks.
To learn more about the recovery process, go to the Recovery category in the official Jesus Boat site.
Three independent Carbon-14 tests conducted on wood from the ancient vessel’s timbers revealed that the Galilee Boat dated to around the 1st century AD (CE). Examination of the artifacts found alongside the boat, nails embedded in the timbers, and the vessel’s hull design confirmed that the boat was, indeed, an ancient fishing vessel that once sailed on the Sea of Galilee during the time of Jesus.
The Jesus Boat is shallow drafted with a flat bottom, allowing it to come close to shore. It was rigged for both rowing and sailing. The hull contains twelve different kinds of wood, suggesting that the vessel might have gone through repeated repairs. It could hold a crew of five and carry up to fifteen additional people.
This ancient boat is typical of a Galilean fishing vessel used during the time of Jesus. It’s quite likely that Jesus and his disciples used a boat like this as they traveled and fished in the Sea of Galilee.
To learn more about the Jesus Boat, visit the official Jesus Boat site, www.jesusboatmuseum.com
Dr. Orna Cohen supervised the seven year restoration of the Jesus Boat in which the vessel was immersed in a chemical bath. She would periodically check the cloudy water to make sure that the wooden structure remained intact.
Consider this fact: had the Jesus Boat been discovered even thirty years earlier, the technology to recover and preserve this precious artifact would not have even existed.
The Jesus Boat is currently on display at the Yigal Allon Museum at Kibbutz Ginosar on the northwest shore of Lake Kinneret (Sea of Galilee), near the city of Tiberias. Visitors to Israel should include a trip to the Jesus Boat Museum along with a visit to nearby Capernaum and Tabgha: home to disciples Simon Peter, Andrew, James, and John and the base for Jesus’ Galilean ministry.
To watch short video clips from the Holy land click here.
The Gospels record that boats played a large part in Jesus’ ministry. His first disciples were fishermen. Jesus spoke to large crowds from aboard a boat. It is the Sea of Galilee that Jesus walked upon and where he calmed a storm.
Whether or not Jesus used this particular boat, we cannot determine. However, this ancient fishing vessel, which some call one of the “top ten biblical archaeological finds of all time” has a significant place in the history of the Galilee.
Learn more about the incredible discovery, recovery, and restoration of the ancient fishing vessel now known as the Jesus Boat. Filmmaker Daniel Lusko chronicled this remarkable story, which is hosted by Pastor Skip Heitzig (Calvary of Albuquerque) and includes interviews with the Lufan brothers, historians, archaeologists, scholars, and key members of the Jesus Boat recovery and restoration team. To watch the Jesus Boat Revealed trailer or purchase the DVD, go to www.jesusboatshop.com the official Jesus Boat Shop.
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