Israel Day 3/8: Sea of Galilee Boats

Many stories of Jesus and His disciples center around the Sea of Galilee. We took a short ride on a boat in the lake: The Noah.

If you're so inclined... 

The Sea of Galilee is actually a freshwater lake that is mostly fed and drained by the Jordan River. At almost 700 feet below sea level, it is one of the lowest bodies of water on earth. It is 13 miles long, 8 miles wide and a maximum of  140 feet deep.

In Jesus' time, 230 boats were fishing the lake and exporting their catches all over the Roman world.

Just like in the 1st century, sudden storms blow down the rift valley and make for turbulent and dangerous conditions on the lake.

In 1986, there was a severe drought and the water levels of the lake were at historic lows. Two brothers, Moshe and Yuval Lufan, were walking along the shore between Ginosar and Migdal. They saw wood sticking up out of the mud. It turned out to be a fishing boat from the time of Jesus. It took 11 days to safely excavate the boat and another 11 years to conserve the wooden boat.

The boat remains are 27 feet long, 7.5 feet wide, a little over 4 feet high and would have looked much like this model.

It is on display at the Beit Yigal Allon Museum at the Kibbutz Ginosaur. A large number of IDF recruits were enjoying lunch at a shady park near the museum.

We were ready for lunch, too. But we had a "St Peter's Fish" lunch at Tanureen Restaurant in Migdal.