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Over the last several seasons of excavation in a fifth-century C.E. synagogue in the Lower Galilee, archaeologists have uncovered stunning mosaics depicting two scenes from the Samson cycle, human and animal figures, a Hebrew dedicatory inscription and a meeting between what may be Alexander the Great and a Jewish high priest. Led by Jodi Magness, the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, the excavation at the ancient Jewish village in Huqoq, Israel, has continued to yield exciting finds that fascinate scholars and laypersons alike. During the 2015 field...

(CNN) -- Archaeologists are reveling in the discovery of an ancient synagogue in northern Israel, a "monumental" structure with a mosaic floor depicting the biblical figure of Samson and a Hebrew inscription. The synagogue -- dating to the fourth and fifth centuries in both the Talmudic and late Roman periods -- is in Huqoq, an ancient Jewish village in the country's Galilee region, the Israeli Antiquities Authority said. Jodi Magness, a professor of early Judaism in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, said the building was found in a recent excavation. She...

Since 2009, archaeologists have been slowly excavating the ancient town of Magdala—thought to be the home of Mary Magdalene—near the Sea of Galilee. Among their finds has been a first-century synagogue where, experts say, Jesus likely preached. Image: Israel Antiquities Authority Although Jerusalem and Bethlehem are the sites most commonly associated with Jesus, Father Eamon Kelly—vice president of Israel's Magdala Center and vice chargé of the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center—points out that Jesus spent almost his entire life in what is now northern Israel. "Eighty percent of Jesus' public life was here," he tells the Israeli...

GOTTA SEE THIS - War for Enduring Freedom 8/16/02 Bagram, Kabul, Kandahar, family transport. Telecommunications Ministry, Kuchi, Israel, Nablus, Jenin, Capernaum, Jerusalem, Egypt, Baghdad, Iraq, Northern Ireland, London, Al-Muhajiroun , Oregon-California, White House, Pentagon ==Bagram, Afghanistan == In Bagram, at the gift shop. In Bagram, at the restaurant and store. == Kabul, Afghanistan == In Kabul, family transport, and freedom for women courtesy of the USA. In Kabul, a minor explosion broke a few windows at the Afghan Telecommunications Ministry. It began in a storm drain beside the sidewalk outside the building. In Kabul, at the Burqa maker. In Kabul,Afghan...