2,000 Years Ago . . .
Fishermen on the Sea of
Galilee sailed on boats just
like this one.
The Apostle, Peter, owned a
fishing boat , and Jesus would
surely have been on the boat
with him many times.
Let’s learn more
about these
ancient boats
and how they
were used.
A 2,000 Year-Old Galilee Fishing Boat
In 1986 a sunken boat was found near the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee.
A marine archaeologist from Texas A & M carbon dated it between 100 BC and 70 AD.
This places the boat at the time of Jesus.
Archaeologists have determined this is the
same type of boat used by hundreds of
fishermen on the Sea of Galilee.
Research about this
boat has brought new
insight into many New
Testament stories and
events that took place
on and around the Sea
of Galilee.
Above: Area around Sea of Galilee
Left: Map of Palestine
When Jesus was chased from his home
village of Nazareth, he went to the Sea of
Galilee and lived with Peter and Peter’s
mother-in-law in Capernaum.
Here are ancient remains of a house some
believe to have belonged to Peter and his
mother-in-law in Capernaum.
Peter was a fisherman, and owned a
boat that must have been similar to the
one recovered near Magdala in 1986.
These boats needed five
men to man the boat and
to fish – four to row and
one helmsman.
Sails could only be used
going downwind. They
must be rowed into the
wind.
Let’s Build a Model of the Sea of Galilee Boat
by Dick Webber©
The ancient boat was built with oak keel and frames (ribs) and cedar planks for the
hull. It was about 27 feet long and 9 feet wide
Matthew 13:47-48 reads “Again, the
kingdom of heaven is like a seine net
which was thrown into the sea and
gathered fish of every kind; when it was
full, men drew it ashore and sat down, and
sorted the good into vessels but threw
away the bad.”
1:10 Scale model of Sea of Galilee boat
It had a single mast with a square sail, and a large deck
at the stern to hold the heavy seine net used for fishing.
A model approximately one-tenth (1:10) the size of the original was constructed,
following the drawings made by Dr. Shelley Wachsmann and Dr. Richard Steffy of
Texas A & M.
More than 50 references occur in the New Testament about events and stories
involving the Sea of Galilee.
Building a True Replica
The original boat was made with oak keel
and frames, and cedar planking. I used these
materials for the model.
The shapes of the frames (ribs) and keel
were determined from drawings made by
Professor Richard Steffy of Texas A & M.
Patterns made from these drawings were
used to cut each frame and the keel.
The frames were dowelled into the keel, then
the cedar planks were steamed for bending.
After being clamped in place overnight, each
plank was glued in place to form the hull.
Oars: Four oars, two on each side. Oars and rudder were
turned on a lathe to be 10 inches long and .35 inches in
diameter, and the blades shaped by carving and sanding.
Oars are lashed to thole pins on the gunnels.
Steering: Quarter rudders on each side of the boat were
used to steer.
Sail, Rigging, Decks and Ceiling:
The excavation of the boat did not reveal the sizes or types of mast, sail and rigging.
Professors Steffy and Wachsmann relied on their knowledge of other ancient boats of
the period to conclude it was a brailled rig sail, square or rectangular in shape. Evidence
of a single mast step was found slightly forward of amidship, fastened to the keel.
The boat accommodated four oarsmen and a helmsman who used quarter rudders for
steering. They believe there were decks at the bow and stern that together covered
about 40% of the length of the boat. “Ceilings” of planks served as footboards, lying on
top of the frames.
1/2 inch below the top of the mast I cut a 1/8 inch wide by 5/8 inch tall through mortise,
and a pulley 1/2 inch in diameter to fit inside the mortise. The pulley turns on a brad for a
shaft. This receives the halyard to raise and lower the yard. A cleat at the foot of the
mast ties off the halyard.
People of the Period
The average man between the Hellenistic and Byzantine period was estimated to
be 5’ 5” tall. A simple tunic was the customary garment. Wood figures 14 cm. high
for the men that match the scale of the boat were found at
www.MadisonArtShop.com.
Tunics of the
period would have
been made of
either linen or wool
(from sheep or
camels).
Tunics for these
figures were made
of greige colored
linen/cotton.
Jesus chose four of his disciples from among the fishermen at Capernaum.
These paintings are by Kenneth Wyatt as he imagined they might look.
Kenneth
Wyatt is a
Methodist
pastor who
has become
a noted artist.
These
paintings are
displayed at
the Methodist
Museum at
St. Simons
Island..
Andrew
James
Jesus
Peter was a fisherman who
owned his own boat.
Simon
Peter
Other Kenneth Wyatt Paintings of the Apostles and John
Kenneth Wyatt saw these men as strong, out-door, hard-working, men of action and
resolve.
John
Thomas
James the Less
Philip
Bartholomew
Jude
Matthew
Judas
Jesus Calms the Storm
Rembrandt
35That
day when evening came, he said
to his disciples, "Let us go over to the
other side." 36Leaving the crowd behind,
they took him along, just as he was, in
the boat. There were also other boats
with him. 37A furious squall came up, and
the waves broke over the boat, so that it
was nearly swamped. 38Jesus was in the
stern, sleeping on a cushion. The
disciples woke him and said to him,
"Teacher, don't you care if we
drown?" 39He got up, rebuked the wind
and said to the waves, "Quiet! Be still!"
Then the wind died down and it was
completely calm.
40He said to his disciples, "Why are you
so afraid? Do you still have no faith?"
41They were terrified and asked each
other, "Who is this? Even the wind and
the waves obey him!“
- Mark 4:35-41 NIV
Stern View
This shows the deck for the large seine
net, and the braille-rigged sail. The sail is
raised by hauling in the six braille lines.
When not travelling with the wind, the boat
is rowed by four oarsmen.
Steered by quarter-rudders.
The flat bottom allowed it to float in shallow
water, and be easily brought to shore.
1:10 scale model built by Dick Webber,
following description provided by Professors
Shelley Wachsmann and Richard Steffy of
the Biblical Archaeology department in the
Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas
A&M University – it is thought to be one of
only two or three authentic models built of
this ancient boat.