The Sea of Galilee Boat

Shelley Wachmann

Winner of the Biblical Archaeology Society’s Award for best popular book published in archaeology.

Narrated by Charles Henderson Norman

Available from Audible

Book published by Texas A&M University Press

On a cold, cloudy day in early February 1985, Shelley Wachsmann, then resident nautical archaeologist for the Israel Department of Antiquities and Museums, drove to Kibbutz Ginosar, an agricultural settlement near the shores of the Sea of Galilee. Two brothers, avid amateur archaeologists, had found a boat buried in the lake, its outlines revealed by receding lake waters. The boat was "possibly ancient," according to the handwritten note placed on Wachsmann's desk a day or two before.

So begins the fascinating story of The Sea of Galilee Boat, as Wachsmann narrates the intriguing discovery and painstaking excavation of the very first biblical-era boat ever found in the Sea of Galilee.

Shelley Wachmann is an expert on seacraft of the Ancient Near East. Wachsmann is the Meadows Professor of Biblical Archaeology in the nautical archaeology program at Texas A&M University.

REVIEWS:

“The storyline style and the author's personal engagement with it in turn provide the reader with an informative and captivating experience with the boat itself. The book is an excellent model for archaeological reporting that bridges the gap between research and the lay reader.”

—The Biblical Archaeologist

“The Sea of Galilee Boat takes readers with the author through each stage of his investigation and communicates the excitement felt as excavation and research progress .... Wachsmann's pleasure in his work is evident and well conveyed by his personal reflections.”

—American Journal of Archaeology

“Wachsmann sets a high standard for archaeologists who want to bring their fieldwork to a general audience. His book is a pleasure to read; it is good science, and it is just plain fun.”

—Biblical Archaeology Review