The Jesus Boat

Some brothers at a coastal kibbutz found 'The Jesus Boat' buried in the sand in 1986, when the water level in the Sea of Galilee was unusually low.

This flimsy thing is what got stuck in a massive storm, and somehow survived. You can see the video on the wall, showing what it looked like in action.

Its cedar body, and the oak supports that ran crossways, were repaired numerous times over the years, for a final count of twelve different types of wood. The secular and religious taxes of first century Galilee left its peasants with either debt or little to spare, and the repairman may have used whatever was in the scrapyard.

As the largest boat in standard use on the Galilee its capacity was twelve to thirteen men, but it generally took a crew of four to five to operate it as a fishing boat. It had one sail, square and perpendicular to the boat.

Normal baggage would have included a variety of linen nets, cork to make the top of the nets float, lead sinkers to make the bottom of the net sink, perhaps needles and thread for emergency repairs to torn nets, plenty of ropes, at least two oars and probably some food, such as bread or fig cakes.

Sailing to the Diaspora
The Jordan River empties into the Sea of Galilee, dividing the creeds of its peoples. On the west Capernaum began the Jewish territory, ruled by Herod Antipas. On its eastern flank Bethsaida started off the Diaspora, meaning all Jews living in the pagan lands outside of the Land of Israel, ruled by Antipas’ half-brother Philip.

Access by land from one side to the other wasn’t convenient – in those days, bridges weren’t quite so easy to build, and people from pagan lands may have been hesitant to enter Jewish territory. The best route was by boat, which Jesus and the disciples often took advantage of.

(‘Sailing to the Diaspora is temporarily in both this and bibledigging.)

The Jesus Boat Spirituals
I stood there and stared at it for awhile, awed by a Lord that sailed in a flimsy boat with a ratgag bunch of messups. Strange, it hits me anew every time. It is my everylasting question on this trip - Why, God, why? Why did you do it? Why did you bother with us? It makes no sense.

Oh, I know the old pat answer, but I hate pat answers! He loves us that much....etc. etc. etc. .... yes, I know. All right already. I believe it.

It perplexes my heart, because it’s not logical. Who am I that the Son of God would bother with me, who are any of us, just measly little humans that can't quite get anything right. So why bother? Yet He did... so much love, my own smallness can't quite comprehend it.

Last Updated: May 27, 2009