Thursday, March 13, 2014

The Jesus Boat- Nof Ginnosar



In 1986, after a very dry season, two brothers- Moshe and Yuval Lufan- discovered a  wooden vessel buried in the mud of the lake's receding shoreline. This was in the northwestern area on the Sea of Galilee between Ginnosar and Magdala. The studies of this boat have determined that is is very likely a 1st century boat similar to what Jesus and his disciples would have used. Our guide, Yossi, said that this is an incredible find because wood is not preserved for 2000 years. An interesting film shows how the boat was carefully moved to keep it intact and it is preserved by filling the wood with a wax to preserve it. It took 10 years of testing and preserving until the boat was ready for public display. The boat measures about 25 feet long, 8 feet wide, and 3 feet high.



The boat is made of oak and cedars of Lebanon, and built with mortise-and-tendon joinery. The dating is based on the types of wood used, the style of construction, carbon 14 dating, along with the type of pottery found with the boat. It is preserved for viewing in the Yigal Allon center in Kibbutz Ginnosar.


This model depicts what the boat
 would have looked like when it was
 in use in the time of Jesus.

"That day when evening came, he said to his disciples, 
"Let us go over to the other side." Leaving the crowd behind,
 they took him along, just as he was, in the boat. 
And other little boats were also with Him."  Mark 4:35-36

And then the storm comes up and Jesus was asleep
 and the disciples woke him and he calmed the waves.
A bit easier to picture the disciples in the boat they
 would have been in for this storm. And the Sea of Galilee
 is known for some fierce storms that rise up very quickly.

As Jesus came toward them walking on the water,
they were terrified. 
"Immediately, he spoke to them and said, 
 "Take courage! It is I. Don't be afraid." 
Then he climbed into the boat with them
 and the wind died down. Mark 6:50-51

My own anxiety often causes me 
to feel like I am drowning,
and I operate in "overwhelmed life" mode.
Time to take a breath, call on the One
 who calms the storms,
and keep my eyes focused 
on my boat- mate- Jesus.
The Jesus Boat- maybe a "sensational" name,
 but not a bad name for my
main vehicle of transportation in this world.

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