Biblical-Era Town on Sea of Galilee Discovered; Did Jesus Sail There?

Evidence of a 2,000-year-old town on the Sea of Galilee has been discovered by archaeologists in the Ginosar Valley of Israel that they believe may have been the biblical town of Dalmanutha.

Ken Dark, from Britain’s University of Reading, wrote about discoveries of pottery and architectural remains that were found during a field survey.

"Vessel glass and amphora hint at wealth," Dark wrote in an article about the find in the Palestine Exploration Quarterly journal.

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The bits and pieces of the ancient town were mixed among the modern town of Migdal, LiveScience reported. Nearby is the location of a 2,000-year-old boat, called the Sea of Galilee boat, that was discovered in the late 1980s.

Dalmanutha was the town talked about in the Gospel of Mark where Jesus sailed after multiplying fish and loaves of bread to feed thousands.

The fields between Migdal and the coast were littered with pottery pieces dating from the first and second century B.C., LiveScience reported. Newer fragments, dating from the fifth century A.D., indicate the town may have survived for some time.

But it was the finds within the town that were amazing. Ancient architectural items, like Roman column fragments, have been turned into seats and garden ornaments by the town’s residents, LiveScience reported.

An initial survey of the site found indications that Jewish people lived with polytheistic neighbors.

A separate dig near the Jerusalem Temple Mount also yielded incredible finds, as recently reported by the Daily Mail. There, archaeologists discovered a Byzantine-era stash of treasure, including gold and silver objects. One four-inch solid gold medallion showed a menorah.



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