Kibbutz Nof Geonsar – “Ancient Jesus Boat”

The “Jesus Boat” or the “Sea of Galilee Boat” was discovered in 1986 on the northwestern shore of the Sea of Galilee during a drought that caused the waters of Galilee to recede. The boat is currently on display at the Yigal Allon Museum.

The boat has been identified as an old fishing boat dating back to the time of Jesus in the First Century AD. Along with the ship, archaeologists found many remains of pottery which also helped to identify the time when the ship was in use.

The Sea of Galilee, known to Israelis as Lake Kinneret, is in the ancient Via Maris which linked Egypt with the northern empires. Its strategic location and excellent fishing made of it a popular place for many countries to navigate through. This is also where it is believed that Jesus of Nazareth grew up, his ministry revolved around the Sea of Galilee.

Although the boat is named the “Jesus boat”, there is no known connection between the two. It is true, however, that fishing boats played a central role in the life of Jesus, especially because many of his disciples were fishermen and its very likely that Jesus and his disciples saw this ship sailing in the Sea of Galilee on several occasions.