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"JESUS BOAT", GINOSAR

The discovery, excavation and conservation of the Ancient Galilee Boat, now known as the "Jesus Boat", is a well-known story. It was discovered, during a period of drought, buried in the mud near Kibbutz Ginosar on the shore of the Sea of Galilee.

Its discovery rocked the archaeological and Christian world. Never before had such an ancient vessel been found so complete. Once positively dated to the first century CE, pilgrims from around the world flocked to view this vessel. Many believe it could have been the very one on which Jesus sailed the Sea of Galilee.

Of course, it is very unlikely that this boat was ever seen or used by Jesus. Its significance lies in ourbeing able to compare it to the Gospel's various description of Jesus' usage of such boats. In terms of this post, it enables us to more concretely view an important constituent of the Kinneret's fishing industry at the time of the Gospels.

This boat was found near the ancient site of Migdal (Magdala), the possible hometown of Mary the Magdalene. The inset picture, top left, shows a portion of a mosaic found at Migdal which illustrates a similar fishing boat.

It is 9 meters long, 2.5 meters wide and 1.25 meters high. Some suggest it functioned as a ferry boat. However, its measurements also suit those used by fisherman employing a seine, or dragnet, "cast into the sea" as described in Matthew 13:47-48. It is estimated that it could easily carry 15 people, thus the story of Jesus and His disciples occupying such a boat becomes conceivable.

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Our upper picture shows the remains of the "Jesus Boat", which had been entombed in the mud of the Kinneret for almost 2,000 years.

Our central picture shows a small part of a mosaic found at nearby Magdala. Until the finding of the "Jesus Boat" this was the only depiction of a boat, seemingly associated with the Kinneret, available to us.

Our lower picture is an artist's reconstruction of the "Jesus Boat".

THE PLAINS OF MOAB CAMP OF ISRAEL

"Israel travelled from the mountains of Abarim and encamped in the plains of Moab by the Jordan at Jericho. They encamped by the Jordan, from Beth Jeshimoth even to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab." (Numbers 33:48-49)

Have you ever thought of how large the camp of Israel was? In the above passage, we are told it stretched from "Beth Jeshimoth even to Abel Shittim in the plains of Moab", this is a distance of around 7 miles. Can you imagine being faced with a massive army of people covering an area of at least 49 square miles? This must have been terrifying for the people of Jericho, particularly when, at its center, was a tent topped with a pillar of cloud or fire!

I have tried to illustrate the size of the camp in my pictures, where the probable position of Israel's camp has been highlighted (in Red). Our middle-picture shows only part of the encampment area, from the top of Mount Nebo.

Most historical geographers often (correctly) place Moab further south, on the east of the Dead Sea. However, it seems that at one time part of the Amorite territory east of the Jordan belonged to Moab. Sometime before the arrival of the Israelites, this region was annexed by the Amorite King Sihon, and the torrent valley of Arnon became Moab’s northern boundary (Numbers 21:26-30; Judges 11:15-18). In the Bible, this northern location can be referred to as "the land of Moab" (Deuteronomy 1:5). It is in this former Moabite territory that the Israelites camped before crossing the Jordan (Numbers 31:12 & 33:48-51) and they were there for at least a few months.

VIEWING THE LAND

Just before his death, Moses was commanded by God to ascend to the highest point of the Pisgah range, that is Mount Nebo. (Deuteronomy 32:48-52; 34:1-4). From there he was granted a view of the Land of Promise. Visiting Mount Nebo can often find the view shrouded in the heat haze that makes it difficult to see very far into the distance. However, if you are fortunate, views such as those in today’s picture are possible. Sometimes the view can be much, much clearer and the view over the Land of Promise is spectacular. [If anyone has enjoyed such a view and managed to photograph it, I would very much appreciate hearing from them.]

Abarim is a mountain range across Jordan, to the east and south-east of the Dead Sea, extending from Mount Nebo ~ its highest point ~ in the north, perhaps to the Arabian desert in the south. It's meaning is "region beyond/over there". It is easy to see why, more often than not, the mountains rising sharply on the east of the Jordan Valley, particularly east of the Dead Sea, would be referred to as "those mountains over there"

The northern part of "Har haAbarim" was called "Pisgah". The highest peak of Pisgah was Mount Nebo and Moses was commanded:

"Go up this mountain of the Abarim, Mount Nebo, which is in the land of Moab, across from Jericho; view the land of Canaan, which I give to the children of Israel as a possession; and die on the mountain which you ascend, and be gathered to your people, just as Aaron your brother died on Mount Hor and was gathered to his people." (Deuteronomy 32:49-50)

Our picture attempts to show the view Moses would have enjoyed.

We are earlier told that Bala'am was compelled to bless Israel the second time from the top of Mount Pisgah (Numbers 23:14). The legend, found in 2Maccabees 2:4-5, says it was here “Jeremias”, the prophet, “found a hollow cave: and he carried in thither the tabernacle, and the ark, and the altar of incense, and so stopped the door."

On one of those rare clear days it is possible to view Mount Hermon in the north and all the way to Hebron in the south of The Land. Can you imagine how wonderful the explanation of the Land of Promise would have been for Moses on that day – from the lips of the Guide of Guides, the One Who had formed The Land Himself!

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Our lower picture attempts to give some guide as to what you can see.

TRAPPING QUAIL

"YHVH spoke to Moses, saying, "I have heard the murmurings of the children of Israel. Speak to them, saying, 'At evening you shall eat meat, and in the morning you shall be filled with bread: and you shall know that I am YHVH your God.'" (Exodus 16:11-13)

"A wind from YHVH went out and brought quails from the sea, and let them fall by the camp, about a day's journey on this side, and a day's journey on the other side, around the camp, and about two cubits above the surface of the earth. The people rose up all that day, and all the night, and all the next day, and gathered the quails. He who gathered least gathered ten homers; and they spread them all abroad for themselves around the camp." (Numbers 11:32-33)

The Middle East's location means that many migrating Eurasian birds come to rest in the wetlands of Israel and the Nile delta. We have a number of depictions of Egyptians hunting them either for food and as offerings. Bird hunting through fowling with sticks was practiced by royalty and involved throwing a stick at flying birds. Our upper picture shows this type of hunting - do note the thrown sticks amongst the flying birds.

(This picture can be found in TT52, the tomb of Nakht, the ‘Astronomer of Amun’, who is thought to have lived during the 18th Dynasty reign of Thutmose IV.)

Another technique, still practiced today, was the use of clap-nets. This required teamwork, skilled fowlers, someone to coordinate and oversee. It is shown in our lower picture showing a fragment from a wall-painting found in an 18th Dynasty tomb at Thebes. It shows four men spreading out a fine-meshed net. When the birds fly up they are entangled in it and can be easily caught.

The Bible does not tell us how the Israelites caught the Quail, maybe they used sticks in a similar way to Egyptian royalty.

CIRCUMCISION, TOMB of ANKHMAHOR SAQQARA

"Joshua made himself flint knives, and circumcised the children of Israel at the hill of the foreskins. This is the reason Joshua circumcised: all the people who came out of Egypt, who were males, even all the men of war, died in the wilderness by the way, after they came out of Egypt. For all the people who came out were circumcised; but all the people who were born in the wilderness by the way as they came out of Egypt had not been circumcised." (Joshua 5:3-5)

[PLEASE NOTE: Male circumcision is a controversial subject. Here we shall merely look a little at the ancient practice in Egypt & Israel. We shall NOT allow any discussions concerning the rights & wrongs of circumcision.]

The Sixth Dynasty tomb of Ankhmahahor, at Saqara, is often called the "Doctor's Tomb". This is not because Ankhmahahor was a doctor himself but because the tomb contains a remarkable number of depictions of medical practices. These depictions include male circumcision.

Now, the pictures are quite graphic and we know that these posts are sometimes shared with children. For this reason the pictures have been blurred. Anyone wishing to view the original pictures can do so by visiting our website: www.BibleWorld.net and going to the larger picture (see further info below).

Circumcision has been practiced throughout history in many different cultures & civilisations. In Egypt, it seems circumcision normally took place when boys were aged 6-12 years of age. It seems it is only amnongst the People of Israel has it been normal practice to circumcise baby boys (on the 8th Day - Leviticus 12:3). Most other societies performed this ceremony much later in life. Of course, there are examples of adult circumcision in the Bible, but they are not the norm.

Male circumcision is attested to in ancient Egypt in depictions in tombs and in the physical remains of Egyptians. However, these circumcision scenes are quite rare, with only a few surviving to today. Consequently we know little about the context & meaning behind circumcision in Egypt. I believe the oldest depiction of circumcision in Egypt is found in a fragmentary inscription from the 5th Dynasty Funerary Temple of Djedkare - it is Fragment 426, excavated some time between 1940's & 1980's. It does seem that circumcision normally took place at puberty. However, from the New Kingdom there are attestations to infant circumcision.

Herodotus speaks of the hygienic advantage of male circumcision when writing about the Egyptians: "They are religious to excess, far beyond any other race of men, and use the following ceremonies:

"They drink out of brazen cups, which they scour every day: there is no exception to this practice. They wear linen garments, which they are especially careful to have always fresh washed. They practice circumcision for the sake of cleanliness, considering it better to be cleanly than comely. The priests shave their whole body every other day, that no lice or other impure thing may adhere to them when they are engaged in the service of the gods…" (Histories II, §37).

(Anyone wishing to view the original pictures can do so by clicking the attached picture and going to the larger picture, see further info below.)