An ancient town dated to the first century C.E. has been discovered during archaeological work conducted on the northwest coast of the Sea of Galilee, according to a report by LiveScience. The University of Reading’s Ken Dark, who led the field survey, believes the town might be identified as Dalmanutha, which is known only from the New Testament. According to the Gospel of Mark, after Jesus miraculously multiplied seven loaves of bread and a few fish to feed a crowd of 4,000, “immediately he got into the boat with his disciples and went to the district of Dalmanutha” (Mark 8:10).
Evidence indicates that this newly discovered coastal site was a thriving fishing town in the first century. Writing in the most recent issue of the journal Palestine Exploration Quarterly, Dark reports that the archaeological team found weights and stone anchors, while the presence of vessel glass and amphorae suggest some residents were prosperous. The researchers additionally determined that the so-called Galilee Boat, the famous 2,000 year-old boat discovered in a drought-stricken Sea of Galilee in 1986, was found on the shoreline of this fishing town. The southern side of the town lies only 500 feet away from the ancient town of Magdala, which may have been Mary Magdalene’s hometown.
While the identification of Dalmanutha remains tentative, the name has yet to be associated with any known archaeological site around the Sea of Galilee.
BAS Library members: Read “The Galilee Boat—2,000-Year-Old Hull Recovered Intact” by Shelley Wachsmann as it appeared in Biblical Archaeology Review.