Archaeology
Magdala Stone
- Era
- 1st century AD (pre-AD 70)
- Location
- Magdala, west shore of Sea of Galilee
- Discovered
- 2009
A carved limestone block from a first-century synagogue at Magdala — the hometown of Mary Magdalene — bearing the earliest known artistic depiction of the Second Temple's seven-branched Menorah.
The find
Uncovered in 2009 in a synagogue floor at Magdala, the stone is decorated on all sides with Temple imagery, including a detailed menorah likely carved by an artist who had seen the actual Temple Menorah before AD 70. Coins date the synagogue to the time of Jesus.
Why it matters
This is material evidence that Magdala had a thriving first-century Jewish community with its own synagogue. Jesus "went through all the cities and villages, teaching in their synagogues" (Matthew 9:35), and Mary Magdalene came from this very town.
Cross-linked Scripture
Doctrine check
Sources
- ·Avshalom-Gorni, D. & Najar, A. (2013). Magdala. Hadashot Arkheologiyot 125
- ·Bauckham, R. & De Luca, S. (2015). Magdala As We Now Know It. Early Christianity 6
- ·Magdala Stone (Wikipedia)
See also
