Staff Blogger: Gretchen Colón, Vice President of Advancement & Communications
*This blog was written by Gretchen Colón on Thursday, Feb. 15 local time.
The beautiful and ancient city of Magdala sits just at the base of the Mount Arbel and was discovered in 2006 A.D. Because it had been covered for so long, it is different than other sites we visited that had several centuries of civilizations layered on top of each other. It was essentially a 2,000 year-old time capsule. Here, Jesus taught the multitudes and healed the afflicted, including a woman who made her hometown famous, Mary Magdalene.
Here in Magdala, a synagogue was discovered that has been dated back to at least 29 B.C., proving that this synagogue was around during the time that Jesus traveled and preached. Knowing that Jesus taught throughout Galilee and in Magdala, it is certain that he frequented this exact site. In this synagogue, there is one of the earlier known artistic depictions of the Second Temple of Jerusalem, called the Magdala Stone. Of great interest to scholars examining the stone is the large rosette on the top side of the stone, consisting of six petals surrounded by six identical petals. The symbolic meaning of this rosette has not yet been established, but the number twelve could relate to a number of biblical traditions and its prominence on the stone indicates it is certainly of great significance. What we are seeing is only a replica; for safekeeping the original stone is on display at The Museum of the Bible in Washington, D.C.
