Posted on 05/10/2017 2:36:47 PM PDT by NYer
About a year ago, archaeologists announced the discovery of what was called the “Magdala Stone”: a stone bench that was part of a first century synagogue, one of the only seven that existed during the Second Temple period, and the first one ever found in Galilee. Considering some local coins dated from the year 29 were also found in that very same synagogue, it is likely that Jesus might have walked in and taught there as part of his ministry. As Zoe Romanowsky explained in this article, the synagogue in which the Magdala Stone was found was active until the year 67, and surely some of Jesus’ disciples might have used it in the early 1st century.
Hanay CC | Wikipedia
The Magdala Stone will be visiting Europe this year from May 15 to July 23 as part of an exhibition the Jewish Museum of Rome co-sponsored by the Vatican. The stone is decorated with carvings that depict the oldest menorah found to date and the only merkabah (a Jewish mystical symbol also known as the throne-chariot or chariot of fire) found in Israeli archaeology, Romanowsky explains.
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More recently, four ritual baths (mikvot) were also discovered in Magdala, thanks to the efforts of the Magdala Archaeological Project and the Anahuac University of Mexico. As explained by Biblical Archaeology, the presence of both the eight synagogues of Magdala, plus the Magdala Stone, and now these four ritual baths, help us now understand Magdala was indeed a bustling Jewish city with an active religious life, and not only (as thought of until recently) just an important commercial center of the western coast of the Sea of Galilee, better known for its active fresh and salted fish trade.
If you want to know more about these recent excavations, you can read Marcela Zapata-Meza and Rosaura Sanz-Rincón’s article “Excavating Mary Magdalene’s Hometown,” as recommended by Biblical Archaeology and published in the May/June 2017 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review.
When construction began in 2009, no one could have imagined what God had in store. As workers began to dig the foundation for the guesthouse, they discovered a First Century Synagogue where it is certain that Jesus taught. Inside the synagogue they also found The Magdala Stone, a discovery many archaeologists call the most significant archaeological find in the past 50 years.
As archaeologists continued to dig, they discovered an entire first century Jewish town lying just below the surface. With only 10% of the archaeology uncovered, the hometown of Mary Magdalene already provides pilgrims an authentic location to walk where Jesus taught and to connect with the first century life of Jesus’ followers.
Catholic ping!
I remember driving past this “town” in 2000....not much to see from the tour bus but a little sign that said “Magdala”. This is a VERY interesting find.....HOLY MOLY!!
And ignorant Islamic Muslims shall take their sledgehammers and pound the historical site into pulverized rocks.
I recently watched a video series about the Holy Land. It’s amazing how many sites have been identified but aren’t excavated at all. Probably for the best: as long as the stuff is underground (in a nice dry climate), nothing bad is happening to it.
The pitchers represent tribe of Levi.
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