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Other incidental evidence could be mentioned. In the mid-1980's, Galilee experienced a severe drought, and the Sea of Galilee's water level dropped. In January 1986 two members of Kibbutz Ginnosar discovered a boat buried in the mud, and Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists built a dike to keep out the water. After replacing the rotted wood with plaster, they discovered using carbon-14 dating that the boat dated from the time of Jesus. The so-called "Jesus Boat" could certainly have held thirteen people—namely, Jesus and his disciples.

In Capernaum, a few miles away from the "Jesus Boat," stand the ruins of an octagonal building dating to the 400s A.D. In 1906, Franciscan archaeologists discovered the structure. On the plaster of one room, they found Christian invocations in Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Syriac, some as early as the second century A.D. Because of the building's lack of domestic artifacts, evidence of repeated replastering, special octagonal shape, and location in the hometown of the apostle Peter, the Franciscans concluded that this was Peter's house, which had been refashioned into a church.

As impressive as these findings may be, Christians should recognize that archaeology doesn't "prove" essentials of Christian faith, such as Jesus' resurrection. But they do give us confidence our holy book doesn't exist in a historical vacuum—and that the biblical writers knew what they were talking about.

Steven Gertz is editorial coordinator for Christian History magazine.

Copyright © 2003 Christianity Today. Click for reprint information.

For more on these and other discoveries, see Excavating Jesus (HarperSanFrancisco, 2001) by Jonathan Reed, now the lead archaeologist at Sepphoris:. The book is the basis of much of this article.

More Christian History, including a list of events that occurred this week in the church's past, is available at ChristianHistory.net.Subscriptions to the quarterly print magazine are also available.

Christian History Corner appears every Friday at ChristianityToday.com. Previous editions include:

Sex, Politics, and the Bible | Some words just don't mean what they used to (Jan. 24, 2003)

Caveat Gyrator (Elvis Priestly, Part II) | So you've got an evangelistic pop-culture act ready for prime time. Here's a historical pause for reflection. (Jan. 17, 2002)

From Oratorios to Elvis | Pop culture has been coming to a church near you for hundreds of years (Jan. 10, 2002)

The Christian DNA of Modern Genetics | Though open to frightening ethical abuse, genetics has been a Christian vocation since Gregor Mendel did his famous pea-plant experiments in the mid-nineteenth century (Jan. 3, 2002)

I'm Dreaming of a Victorian Christmas | An ageless story reminds us of the values the Victorians can still teach us. (Dec. 23, 2002)

No Humbug | A Christmas Carol remains the quintessential holiday story, but why? (Dec. 20, 2002)

'Tell Billy Graham the Jesus People Love Him.' | How evangelism's senior statesman helped the hippies "tune in, turn on to God." (Dec. 13, 2002)

Advent—Close Encounters of a Liturgical Kind | 'Tis the season when even the free-ranging revivalist pulls up a chair to the table of historic liturgy. (Dec. 6, 2002)

Dig that Billy Graham Cat! | How the grand old man of evangelism helped create Christian youth culture in the zoot-suit era. (Nov. 22, 2002)

From Swamped Creatures to Separated Brethren | Non-Catholics' spiritual status improved dramatically from Unam Sanctam to Vatican II, but where are we now? (Nov. 15, 2002)

An 'Ordinary Saint' in Wartime | William Wilberforce saw two long charitable campaigns through, even in war's distracting shadow. (Nov. 8, 2002)

Just War, Just Nation? | World War II preacher points America back to the nation's soul. (Nov. 1, 2002)

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January (Web-only) 2003, Vol. 47