University of Chicago Oriental Institute: The Sea Of Galilee Boat

From peg mortise-and-tenon-joinery, weather-cocking, and a full and fascinating explanation of ship construction, Shelley Wachsmann from Texas A&M University lectures on an ancient boat discovered in 1986.

In 1986, a 2,000-year-old boat was discovered in Israel on the banks of the Sea of Galilee. The vessel is representative of the large fishing boats common on the ancient lake, and the type of boat used in the Gospels by the disciples of Jesus. It is also the type of boat used by the Jews in the brutal nautical Battle of Migdal in AD 67 against a makeshift Roman fleet. The lecture describes the adventure of the boat's discovery and excavation, and delves into the revealing research about the vessel and its milieu.