The Sea of Galilee Boat An Extraordinary

2000 Year Old Discovery

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GAL.ILEE.

The Sea of Galilee Boat An Extraordinary

2000 Year Old Discovery

SHELLEY WACHSMANN

SPRINGER SCIENCE+BUSINESS MEDIA, LLC

Library of Congress Cataloging-In-Publication Data

Wachsmann, Shelley. The Sea of Galilee boat an extraordinary 2000 year old discovery Shelley Wachsmann.

p. cm. Includes blbliographical references and index.

1. Tiberias Lake (Israel)--Antlqitles. 2. Underwater archaeology­-Israel--Tiberias Lake. 3. Ships, Ancient--Israel--Tiberias Lake. 4. Excavations (Archaeology)--Israel--Tiberias Lake. I. Title. DSll0.T62W33 1995 933--dc20 95-5896

CIP

The quote which appears on page vii is from the lyrics to "Life Is a Rock" by Paul DiFranco and Norman Dolph. Copyright 1973 Crushing Music, Crazy Chords

Music. All rights reserved. Used by permission.

© 1995 Shelley Wachsmann Originally published by Plenum Publishing Corporation, New York in 1995

Softcover reprint of the hardcover 1st edition 1995

10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1

All rights reserved

No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, microfilming,

recording, or otherwise, without written permission from the Publisher

ISBN 978-0-306-44950-5 ISBN 978-1-4899-5990-4 (eBook)DOI 10.1007/978-1-4899-5990-4

ISBN 978-0-306-44950-5

For Karen

At the end of my rainbow lies a golden oldie.

From "Life Is a Rock" PAUL DIFRANCO AND NORMAN DOLPH

Preface

This book concerns a unique and exciting treasure: the first ancient boat ever found in the Sea of Galilee. It is both an adventure story and a whodunit. It is not a report solely of the facts. Many of the descriptions that follow are also of feelings and impressions.

It is a story as seen through my eyes. Others who participated in this undertaking would no doubt describe their experiences differently, for each and every one of us perceives reality in his or her own unique way.

Acknowledgments

No book dealing with the Galilee Boat can begin without first paying tribute to the many men and women, organizations and groups, who gave their time, effort, and money to this venture. This was a team effort, but it was undertaken by individuals, with­out whose dedication the endeavor never would have succeeded.

The rescue excavation of the Galilee Boat was a project of the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums (lOAM; now the Israel Antiquities Authority, IAA). A. Eitan, the fonner director of lOAM, made the courageous decision to excavate the boat, despite considerable odds against a successful outcome. I am grateful to him for his unstinting support throughout the expedition. I am also indebted to A. Drori, the present director of the lAA, for permission to present the story of the boat here.

Additional members of the Department's staff gave signifi­cant assistance to the excavation: Deputy Director Z. Yeivin and District Archaeologist G. Mazor helped with the many adminis­trative aspects; Claire Epstein served as a liaison in the initial stages; Orna Hess handled the extensive media interest; E. Ka­zaioff and Y. Majar transported supplies and personnel; A. Klig­man and E. Kohai, who were responsible for logistics, kept the expedition well supported; M. Feist, V. Shor, and Y. Vatkin, the Department's surveyors, mapped the site; Y. Stepansky was in­strumental in notifying me of the boat's discovery and was very

xi

xii Acknowledgments

helpful throughout the excavation; at night the excavation site was guarded by lOAM's Anti-Looting Unit: I. Ben Yehuda, T. Frank, M. Katz, and Z. Levi.

My thanks also go to Ruta Peled, the IAA's chief curator. It remains Ruta's concern to find and allocate the funding for the boat's various needs-a difficult job, but one which Ruta carries out with distinction.

The members of Kibbutz Ginosar adopted the rescue mission and made it their own. Without their unbridled enthusiasm and dedication, the boat would never have made it. M. and Y. Lufan, the two brothers who discovered the boat, continually exhibited an exuberance and ingenuity that sustained the excavation in times of doubt and difficulty. Y. Abes, D. Ronen, and Y. Amitai, the "Ginosar Fiberglass Team," built the frames and supports. And special thanks are due to kibbutz members S. Edri, Nurit Gofer, Y. Gofer, G. Klop, M. Lipnik,l. Lufan, Aliza Paz, O. Sabag, Y. Rotem, and E. Shalem.

Providentially, the boat was found near the Yigal Allon Centre, whose staff and administrative resources unceasingly supported the excavation and continue to support the conservation phases. A particular debt of gratitude is due to Nitsa Kaplan and I. Rotem.

Members of Moshav Migdal contributed considerably during the excavation. I want to thank S. Karasanti for the use of his mechanical backhoe, as well as Z. Malach and G. Horowitz for their valuable assistance.

The safety of the boat during the excavation was a particular concern, given the unceasing press of visitors. The site's security was directed by E. Janet, who was responsible for security in the Kibbutz Ginosar region. In this task he was assisted by I. Ra­binovitch, M. Tayar, M. Lieberman, U. Kach, Y. Even, and the border guard station at Tabgha.

Ambassador T. Pickering and Alice Pickering are keen ama­teur archaeologists, and through them, the American Embassy came to playa major part in the project's success. The travel expenses for Professor Steffy to take part in the excavation were processed through the United States Information Service in record time. I am indebted to public affairs counselor H. Lane and cul-

Acknowledgments xiii

tural affairs officer R. Petersen for what amounted to a bureau­cratic miracle. Ambassador Pickering and Science Attache A. Rock also secured the donation of forty tons of polyethylene glycol for the boat's conservation process. I am also indebted to embassy family members Karen Sullivan and Nan Leininger, who partici­pated in the excavation.

The challenge of protecting the site from the rising waters of the Sea of Galilee and keeping the groundwater that welled up inside the excavation pit at bay was a task admirably accom­plished by members of the Kinneret Authority. For this assistance I thank the Authority's chairman, Z. Ortenberg, S. Bahalal, and staff members 1. O. Bakish, R. Gada, and I. Gal. The Tsemach Fire Station donated the sandbags used in the dike.

Faced with novel problems, we searched for innovative solu­tions. Israeli experts called upon for advice gave freely of their time and knowledge. Special thanks are due to engineers A. Aharonson and I. Yakobinski; G. Shamir of the Haifa Port Author­ity; A. Halamish of Kibbutz Ma' agan Michael; M. Gophen of the Kinneret Authority Laboratories; D. Shenhav of the Israel Mu­seum Laboratories; and Y. Ziv, director of Israel Chemicals.

The success of the excavation was largely due to the unceas­ing dedication and perseverance of the expedition staff; indeed, it is difficult for me to envision a better one. Conservation was a major component of this project. Orna Cohen, the boat's conserva­tor, shouldered a heavy burden throughout the excavation, trans­fer, and conservation phases, the last of which continues to this day. It fell to Orna to find solutions to protect the fragile hull during excavation and to move it to the conservation site. Orna eventually found innovative solutions to each problem.

D. Syon (Friedman) faithfully recorded the excavation with his cameras. Some of the fruits of his labors illustrate the following pages. When not occupied with photography, Danny took on the often backbreaking job of stringing and tagging the boat's timbers. Later he assisted diligently in the process of removing the poly­urethane foam from the boat once she was in the pool. I asked Edna Amos to help out as registrar temporarily when she visited the site on the first day of the excavation. She remained through

xiv Acknowledgments

The crew. Front row (left to right): Gadi Horowitz, Danny Syon, Eti Shalem. Center row: Yisrael Vatkin, Orna Cohen, Aliza Paz, Karen Sullivan, J. Richard Steffy, Shelley Wachsmann, Hani Efroni, Zvika Malach, Edna Amos, Nitsa Kaplan. Back row: Yaron Ostrovski, Shalom Edri, Yossi Amitai, Gill Klop, Kurt Raveh, Moshe Lufan. Absent: Yohai Abes, Nurit Gofer, Yaron Gofer, Eliezer Janet, Moshe Lipnik, Yuval Lufan, Israel Lufan, David Ronen, Isaac Rotem, Yaakov Rotem, Ofir Sabag.

out that first difficult night and stayed for the rest of the project, which greatly benefited from her skills and dedication. K. Raveh assisted considerably in the initial probe of the boat and during the excavation.

Volunteers came in droves from all over Israel and from all walks of life. Each person contributed in his or her own way to the success of the project. I thank B. Azraf, L. Baron, A. Bolodo, M. Cohen, G. Efroni, M. Gallon, H. Han, Y. Ostrovski, and D. Pearl. Those who had artistic abilities were employed in recording in freehand drawings the boat and the related finds as they came out of the mud. Hani Efroni drew the boat's interior, while R. MaIka sketched additional remnants of hulls found in the boat's vicinity.

The excavation received much unsolicited coverage by repre­sentatives of the media, two of whom deserve special recognition: the late Z. Han, archaeological correspondent for the Israel daily Davar, lost a "scoop" but gained my deep respect for his sense of responsibility; M. Ben Dor, cameraman for one of the large Ameri­can networks, provided considerable help during the excavation.

Acknowledgments xv

Support, both financial and in-kind, came from a variety of sources, all of whom deserve recognition and thanks: Sachaf, Ltd., generously donated a steam shovel to excavate a channel to the lake; Orna Fraser, editor of IsraEl Al Magazine, secured a flight for Orna Cohen to consult with conservation experts in England, while Orna's stay there was made possible through a contribution from the Anglo-Israel Archaeological Society. Dow Chemical Company donated forty tons of polyethylene glycol for the boat's conservation that was kindly processed by R. Jacobsen of Jacobsen Agencies, Ltd. The Israel National Tourist Company committed funds for the heating-circulation system required for the conser­vation process, as well as for the preparation of a short video presentation shown to visitors to the boat. Private donations came from M. Hatter, B. Lewin, and Irene Sala.

Israel's number one "Kinneretologist," M. Nun, played an indispensable role at the time of the boat's discovery and subse­quently was a valuable participant in the excavation. His vast knowledge of the Sea of Galilee, its history and archaeology, has been an invaluable source, which he has willingly shared.

lowe an enormous debt to J. R. Steffy, who studied the boat's construction under the harsh conditions of the expedition. His knowledge of ship construction is unsurpassed, and his advice on problem solving was an incredible asset. I was privileged to work with him on this project and appreciate his willingness to add one more project to an already considerable work load.

In researching various aspects of the boat and its milieu, I received much welcome assistance from a variety of scholars. I thank L. Casson for his valuable comments on the enigmatic craft prepared by Vespasian's forces for the battle of Migdal; G. Foerster for our discussions on Byzantine mosaics; and Y. Meshorer for bringing the Caesarea Paneas coin to my attention and for many other valuable insights.

Much-although by no means all-of the research for this book was initially carried out in preparation of the excavation report, which appeared as Volume 19 of the Israel Antiquities Authority's English journal 'Atiqot. In addition to those already named, lowe a debt of gratitude to the following scholars, who

xvi Acknowledgments

gave their time and knowledge to prepare contributions for the report: D. Adan-Bayewitz, Y. Carmi, H. Gitler, Y. Nir, Claire Peachy, A. F. Rainey, I. Roman, Varda Sussman, Ella Werker, R. White, and J. Zias. The report benefited considerably from the editorial skills of Ayala Sussman and Inna Pommerance.

The concept for a book dealing with a "behind-the-scenes" look at what can only be described as an exceptional discovery and a hair-raising excavation first came to me while I was prepar­ing a popular account of the project for the journal Biblical Archae­ology Review. I have always felt that there is more to the story of the boat than just a report on artifacts.

In this, I have had much welcome help. I owe a considerable debt of gratitude to Regula Noetzli and R. Wertime, who were in­strumental in making this book a reality. I thank Linda Regan of Plenum Press for her valuable comments, probing questions, and insightful advice, which helped keep me on the straight and narrow while preparing this manuscript. I am grateful to Herman Makler and Trudy Brown for seeing the book through production. Thanks also go to Melicca McCormick for her assistance. I appreciate the administrative assistance given to me by Ms. Claudia LeDoux, Ms. Becky Holloway, Ms. Patricia Turner, and Mr. C. Reese.

Readers of the manuscript-or parts thereof-have made valuable and insightful comments, from which the manuscript benefited considerably. I thank V. Bryant, Orna Cohen, W. H. Charlton, B. Crouch, Y. Hirschfeld, P. and S. Sullivan, and J. Zias. Thanks also to F. M. Hocker and D. Johnson for their illustrations, and to Kyra Bowling for preparing the maps and many of the accompanying illustrations.

I wrote this book while serving as the Meadows Assistant Professor of Biblical Archaeology in the Nautical Archaeology Program at Texas A&M University. I am grateful to Professor G. F. Bass, the Meadows Foundation of Dallas, the Institute of Nautical Archaeology, and Texas A&M University for making this possible.

SHELLEY WACHSMANN College Station, Texas September 1994

Contents

Prologue 1

Chapter 1 The Boat That Made Rainbows 5

Chapter 2 A Sea of Legends 37

Chapter 3 The Excavation from Hell 59

Chapter 4 Galilean Seafaring in the Gospels 109

Chapter 5 "Yep, It's an Old Boat" 123

Chapter 6 The First Jewish Naval Battle 169

XVII

xviii Contents

Chapter 7 The Impossible We Do Immediately; Miracles Take a

Little Longer 195

Chapter 8 A Pride of Scholars 229

Chapter 9 Good Night, Sleeping Beauty 261

Chapter 10 Putting It All Together 299

Chapter 11 Like a Rock 333

Chapter 12 Once upon a Boat 355

Epilogue 371

Notes 379

Bibliography 385

Glossary 393

Illustration Credits 401

Index 407