Fishing Nets in Bible Times

Bible readers may remember that some of Jesus’ followers were fishermen. (Mark 1:16-20) They would use nets when fishing on the Sea of Galilee.

Fishing nets were made by knotting twine or linen thread to create a mesh. The size of the mesh depended on the catch of fish wanted. Small nets often had lead or stone weights to make them sink, while large dragnets had weights at the bottom and wooden or cork floats at the top.

Fishing nets were expensive. They could be damaged by rocks on the seabed or torn by the weight of a very large catch of fish. (Luke 5:6) The Bible speaks of James and John “mending their nets”​—likely using a needle and linen thread. (Matt. 4:21) Fishermen would probably do these repairs after each use. Luke also describes fishermen “washing off their nets” to remove silt or debris. (Luke 5:2) Afterward, the fishermen would hang up their nets to dry​—likely to prevent them from rotting.​—Ezek. 47:10.

Jesus invited men who were accustomed to using nets to become “fishers of men.”