By STACY LIBERATORE, US SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY EDITOR
Published: 18:40 BST, 2 September 2026 | Updated: 21:07 BST, 2 September 2026
The Sea of Galilee was the setting for some of Jesus’ most famous miracles, including calming a violent storm and walking across the water.
On its northern shore stood Capernaum, the ancient fishing village that became the center of his ministry after he left Nazareth and where he met several of the apostles.
The Bible describes Jesus preaching in the town, healing the sick and repeatedly crossing the lake by boat.
Now, archaeologists have uncovered part of the port that once connected the biblical town to the lake, including a pyramid-shaped stone that served as an entrance marker to guide boats in safely.
Falling water levels exposed a section of an ancient Roman pier built from rows of enormous stones and divided into recessed berths where fishing boats could dock.
The Israel Nature and Parks Authority said the discovery offers a rare glimpse of the maritime world in which Jesus and his fisherman disciples lived and traveled.
Dr Hagay Dvir, the tourist product manager with a degree in archaeology, said: 'For the first time, we can speak of Jesus’ maritime activity on the Sea of Galilee, and not only of His works on land.'
Although no evidence proves Jesus used this particular pier, experts believe the harbor may have served boats like those described throughout the New Testament.
Archaeologists have uncovered part of the port that once connected the biblical town to the lake, including a pyramid-shaped stone that served as an entrance marker to guide boats in safely
According to the New Testament, Capernaum was the scene of several of Jesus’ best-known miracles.
The Gospels say he cast an evil spirit from a man inside the town’s synagogue before healing Peter’s mother-in-law of a severe fever and curing crowds of sick and possessed people brought to him after sunset.
Jesus was also said to have healed a paralyzed man whose friends lowered him through the roof of a crowded house, as well as the gravely ill servant of a Roman centurion.
Matthew’s Gospel recounts another miracle in which Peter caught a fish with a coin inside its mouth after returning to Capernaum, allowing him and Jesus to pay the temple tax.
