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The Ancient Galilee Boat

In 1986 a pair of amateur archaeologists discovered bits of a 1st century CE wooden fishing boat poking out on a shoreline that had been lowered by a three-year drought. The fragile 28-foot craft was excavated in 11 days and subjected to a heroic preservation effort that culminated in it's display in a lovely facility in Ginosar. Although dubbed the "Jesus Boat" and likely similar to vessels of Jesus' time, there is no reason to believe that Jesus had anything to do with this boat or that the craft even dates from Jesus' short lifetime. Nevertheless, it's a fascinating artifact that literally gives bones to biblical stories whose humanity can get lost in symbolism and theological practice.

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