» Fourth century A.D.: Franciscan archaeologists believe a simple one-room courtyard house on the north shore of the Sea of Galilee belonged to the Apostle Simon Peter and his wife. In successive layers above the first-century house, they found a fourth-century house church, and an octagonal fifth century church. Spanish pilgrim the Lady Egeria reported visiting it sometime between 381 and 384.

» 1962: An inscription on a building stone found at the Caesarea Maritima seaport stated Pilate “dedicated a Tiberium, a public structure built in honor of the Roman emperor Tiberius.”

» 1968: The skeleton of a crucified man was found in a burial cave at Giv’at ha-Mivtar, northeast of Jerusalem. Most of the thousands of Jews the Romans crucified were discarded in a dump for scavengers to eat in violation of burial law.

» 1980s: The “Jesus Boat” — ruins of a boat similar to one likely used by the fishermen Peter and Andrew, who later became disciples of Jesus — was discovered near the shore of the Sea of Galilee in the mid-1980s.

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» 1990: Joseph Caiaphas’ ossuary was found. The stone container held the bones of the high priest Caiaphas, who presided over Jesus’ sanhedrin trial.

Source: Jonathan Reed is a professor of New Testament and Christian Origins at the University of La Verne, in California.