Boats  were  doubtless  used  on  the  sea  of
Galilee  in  O.  T.  times,  but  they  are  not  men
tioned.  In  the  Roman  period  the  sea  was
alive  with  small  fishing  vessels  (Luke  v.  2  ;
John  vi.  22,  23  ;  War  ii.  21,  8 ;  iii.  10,  9 ;
Life  33).  They  were  propelled  by  oars  ;  but
some,  at  least,  had  both  oars  and  sails  (Mark
iv.  38  with  Luke  viii.  23) ;  they  carried  an
anchor  and  a  pilot  (Life  33).
The  Israelites  were  not  a  seafaring  people  ;
although  shipbuilding  was  far  advanced
among  the  Egyptians  and  doubtless  among
the  Phoenicians  before  the  exodus,  and  the
Hebrews  had  the  spectacle  of  ships  on  the
Mediterranean  before  their  eyes  during  the
whole  period  of  their  national  history.  Solo
mon  conducted  commercial  enterprises,  and
Jehoshaphat  attempted  to  imitate  him ;  but
these  were  transient  efforts  and  were  more
or  less  dependent  upon  Phoenician  sailors.
The  rafts  of  cedar  and  fir  destined  for  Solo
mon's  temple  were  floated  to  Joppa  by  Tyr-
ians  (1  Kin.  v.  9;  2  Chron.  ii.  16),  and  the
timber  for  the  second  temple  was  likewise
brought  by  sea  to  Joppa  by  Phoenicians
(Ezra  iii.  7).  The  crew  of  the  vessel  in
which  Jonah  sailed  from  Joppa  wras  also  com
posed  of  foreigners  (Jonah  i.  5).  In  the  Roman
period,  piratical  expeditions  by  Jews  are  re
ported  (Antiq.  xiv.  3,  2 ;  War  iii.  9,  2  and  3).
