Ancient town uncovered

Archaeologist team uncovers Biblical era remains along the Sea of Galilee

Historians think this Sea of Galilee boat, uncovered in 1986, must have a link to a nearby newly revealed town.
 Photo credit: Berthold Werner

Owen Jarus, a contributor to the website live science, has written an article about a newly found town near the Sea of Galilee.

Catholics and historians are excited about the discovery of an ancient town along the shores of the Sea of Galilee in the Ginosar valley of Israel. A team of archaeologists from the University of Reading came across the ancient remains during a recent field survey.

Evidence found at the site is causing people to speculate that the ancient town is the Biblical city of Dalmanoutha. In the Gospel of Mark, Dalmanoutha is the place Jesus sailed to after feeding 4,000 people through the miracle of multiplying fish and loaves of bread.

Besides the Sea of Galilee boat, there were many other artifacts not only uncovered, but also found spread across the modern town that now occupies the area. Pillars, pottery, and large basalt blocks have also been found.

Whether their findings turn out to be Dalmanoutha or not, this groundbreaking discovery is expected to provide an idea of life during biblical times.

Some of the most impressive finds, however, were not made in the fields but rather in modern-day Migdal itself. The archaeologists found dozens of examples of ancient architectural remains, some of which the modern-day townspeople had turned into seats or garden ornaments, or simply left lying on the ground. In one instance, the researchers found more than 40 basalt ashlar blocks in a single garden.

After talking to the local people, and trying to identify the source and date of the findings, the researchers determined that many of the architectural remains came from the local area and likely were part of this newly discovered town.

The full story is available at live science.