Featured Image Credit: Wikimedia Comms
Topics: Archaeology, Religion, Israel, History
Joshua Nair
A religiously historic vessel was found and retrieved in the Sea of Galilee, and it could have links to one of the most famous Bible stories.
The wooden structure was coined the 'Jesus Boat', dating back to the first century, thought to be around the time of Christ himself.
Back in 1986, during a drought which exposed the Sea of Galilee's shoreline, amateur archaeologists Moshe and Yuval Lufan, from Israel, found some iron nails in the mud while using a metal detector and dug to find an oval wooden shape.
It turned out that it had been buried under the dirt for almost two millennia, as several experts confirmed that it was constructed in Roman times, while radiocarbon dating revealed that it was from the first century exactly.
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While the boat was uncovered, rain returned to the area, with a double rainbow appearing - another sign from the Bible suggesting divine intervention.
"You can actually connect it to one of the most famous stories every Christian knows, the account of Jesus walking on water and calming the storm on the lake."
His claims were also backed up by fellow archaeologist Dr Kurt Raveh, as the Dutchman explained that the date of construction was any time between the first century BC to the first century AD.
There isn't any proof that Jesus either saw it or went on it, as he added that 600 boats would have operated on the lake.
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The design of the small boat and materials used suggested it belonged to poor fishermen, again linking to the Gospel's descriptions of Jesus' disciples.
Speaking of items found on board, Herman said: "The oil lamp found near the boat suggests it was used for a night journey, just like the Gospel story of Jesus calming the sea."
The story details that Jesus sent his disciples across the Sea of Galilee after feeding 5,000 people, when a storm arose and they struggled to fight against the wind and waves.
Jesus approached them, walking on water, and saved them as they climbed into the boat, and the weather conditions improved.
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"They landed at Gennesaret, the ancient name for Ginosar, almost exactly where the boat was found," Herman said.
When discovered, excavation became a race against time, as a two-year drought meant that the sea's water levels revealed the mud below, and when winter rains started to resubmerge the vessel, a team, which included the Israel Antiquities Authority, fought to retrieve the structure.
The ancient wood even crumbled when exposed to air, with archaeologists placing it in fibreglass and insulating foam to float it to safety.
It would take years to preserve the boat, as mud had to be replaced with a transparent chemical solution to stop decay and allow visitors to view the structure.
It has been on display at the Yigal Allon Museum in Ginosar, Israel, since 2000.
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Herman claimed that 'it's not just an archaeological find', as he believes it is tied to the story of Jesus on the lake.