Ed Vitagliano
AFA Journal news editor
May 2013 – Some would call it sheer luck. Others call it a miracle. Jesus boat
In 1986, two Israeli fishermen, brothers Moshe and Yuval Lufan, were walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee. It was in the middle of a four-year drought severe enough that it had resulted in strict water usage regulations throughout Israel.
In the sand exposed by the receding waters of the sea, the brothers found two tiny, ancient coins – the same type referred to in New Testament times as “widow’s mites” (Mark 12:42). Hoping simply to discover more coins, the Lufan brothers made one of the most startling discoveries of modern archeology: an ancient fishing boat from the time of Jesus.
The story of the boat’s discovery, excavation and transport to a nearby museum is the subject of a mesmerizing new film, Jesus Boat: Witness to Prophecy.
Currently displayed at Yigal Allon Museum on the western bank of the Galilee, the 27-foot-long fishing vessel is called the “Jesus Boat” because it has been dated to a hundred-year window that includes the time in which Jesus Himself walked the sea’s shores.
What adds to the film’s fascinating story-telling is that the first half of Jesus Boat is dedicated to an overview of the history of Israel. Especially important is the Jewish revolt against the Roman Empire that ended with the destruction of the temple in A.D. 70.
During that rebellion, the Sea of Galilee was the scene of a short-lived conflict between Romans and Jewish Zealots, a political group in Israel dedicated to the overthrow of Roman rule. The Zealots used a number of these fishing boats during the course of the battle, which ended in tragedy for the Jewish rebels. The Zealots were killed and all of the boats sunk or burned.
That the Jesus Boat is a witness to prophecy according to the film’s title, refers to Jesus’ prophecy of the destruction of the temple. Producers weave together into one sad tale the fate of the boats on the Sea of Galilee, the defeated Jewish rebels and the end of the Jewish nation.
The film then jumps ahead 2,000 years to the creation of the nation of Israel in 1948. That astounding event – the fulfillment of prophetic promises – is then woven together with the rescue of the Jesus Boat into a story of hope.
Events surrounding the vessel’s rescue are amazing. First, the Jesus Boat was completely intact when discovered. One of the archeologists who later helped uncover the craft told the film’s producers that, if she had been asked prior to her involvement whether or not such a discovery was possible, she would have said there was “no chance.”
Excavators wrestled against new rains and the threat of a once-again expanding Sea of Galilee as well as the danger posed by exposing the craft’s wood to the open air after two millennia.
As one threat was dealt with, another arose. After the vessel was removed and placed in a fresh water “bath” to keep the wood wet, countless worms began to hatch and started devouring the ship. The clever solution to the menace will bring a smile to the viewer’s face.
The film’s producers interviewed archeologists, historians, Bible scholars and well-known Christian personalities including evangelist Franklin Graham of Samaritan’s Purse; Joel Rosenberg, author and founder of Joshua Fund; Jay Sekulow, founder of American Center for Law and Justice; and pastor Chuck Smith of Cavalry Chapel churches.
Author and pastor Skip Heitzig narrated the gripping story. The extraordinary events chronicled by Jesus Boat make it easy to believe that the discovery of this two-millennia-old fishing boat was orchestrated by the hand of God.
For more information or to purchase, visit amazon.com or other book sellers. 
