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The remains of an ancient wooden boat
were discovered immersed in mud on
the shore of the Sea of Galilee in 1986.
Drought and a receding shoreline had left the
area temporarily dry and only immediate
excavation could save the boat before the lake
waters advanced and reburied the remains. Archaeologists of the Israel Antiquities Authority
carried out a 12-day rescue operation assisted
by many volunteers, including kibbutz members.
The boat that emerged from the excavation
measures 8.20 m long and reaches a width of
2.30 m. During the excavation, a plan was drawn
up for its reservation. The boat was fitted with
fiberglass supports and covered with a
polyurethane foam in order to sail it to its
conservation site. The ten-year long conservation
process has only recently been completed and
is considered an outstanding accomplishment.
The boat has been dated to the beginning of the first century CE on the basis of the pottery evidence as well as carbon-14 tests. The time during which the boat plied the waters of the Sea of Galilee is of major historical significance: the days of the ministry of Jesus and his disciples as related in the New Testament; and the start of the Jewish rebellion against Imperial Rome. The boat has served well in illuminating many aspects of the history of the area.
The boat is on exhibit at the Yigal Alon Museum, Kibbutz Ginosar.
The Yigal Alon Center
The Israel Antiquities Authority
