The Mystery at Magdala

I finally got to go to Magdala with a tour guide, and wow, this place is even more incredible than I first realized! 

Obviously nothing beats the fact that Jesus was there, in that first century B.C. synagogue—one of only 7 that have been discovered. If fact, it boggles my mind to even think about it. 

But what I didn't know is why this site is so well preserved, and why the main street next to it is barricaded with broken columns.

My tour guide pointed out to us that there is only 1 column still partially standing in the ruins of the synagogue. And how does this correlate with the blocked main street? Why?

The answer lies in the Great Revolt of 67 AD, around the same time that Gamla fell. Magdala was one of the few cities that stood up to the Romans as they made their campaign from the north through the south—all the way to Jerusalem. At some point, the inhabitants made a previously unthinkable decision. To protect their town, and the synagogue, they removed the columns from the synagogue and used them to barricade the entrance to their town. They also covered over the synagogue to keep it from being destroyed by the Romans.

Magdala was destroyed, but because of the forethought of the Madgalenes, the synagogue was preserved until 2009 AD, when its remains were discovered just 30 centimeters below the surface. 

WOW!!!

But that's not the mystery I wanted to share with you. The mystery is this:

While a replica of the Magdala stone is in the synagogue, the original is in the lobby of the hotel. (AMAZING!!!) Because this synagogue is from 1st Century AD, before the destruction of the 2nd Temple, we know that its decoration was fashioned after the Temple. This is one of the earliest known depictions of the menorah from the Temple. Here it stands on a base, which matches the image of the Menorah on the Arch of Titus in Rome.

(picture mine)

This is intriguing, because other images of the menorah don't show a base, but a 3-point stand. For instance, here is one from the Talmudic village of ancient Katzrin in the Golan:

And here, from the Museum in Katzrin. This relief also dates back to the Talmudic (Byzantine) era:

These carvings are from only a few centuries after Jesus. So which is correct? There has appeared to be a discrepancy between the Arch of Titus and the earliest depictions of the menorah that have been found—until the Magdala stone. The fact that it has a base might not be creative license; it might be a carving of the actual menorah, which is the ancient symbol for Israel (not the Star of David).

Which is correct?

Could it be that the menorah for the Temple is in Rome (the Vatican) after all? What do you think?

The Golan: Ancient Katzrin (Part 1 of 4)

The Golan Heights is a place of incredible Israel history, filled with conquests, epic battles, and important lessons. 

"Golan" is mentioned in Deuteronomy 4:43, Joshua 20:8, and 1 Chronicles 6:71 as a city of refuge in Bashan. Throughout Biblical times, the Golan was a focus of a power struggle between the Israelites and the ancient Arameans from near Damascus.

King Ahab of Israel defeated Ben Hadad I of Damascus near Afik (pictured above) and years later, Elisha prophesied the victory of King Jehoash of Israel over Ben Hadad III of Damascus.

Jewish exiles from the Babylonia settled here in the 5th and 6th centuries BC, and during the inter-Testamental period, Judah Maccabee and his brothers came to the aid of Jewish settlements there (above info found here). 

By 1st century AD, Gamla was the capital of the Golan, and fell as the last Jewish stronghold to resist the Romans in 67 AD.

Despite the fall of Gamla, Jewish settlement continued to grow in the Golan, and during the Byzantine Era (4th-7th centuries AD), Jewish settlement in the Golan Heights reached its peak. During that time, 27 different towns (with synagogues) were built up along the area. And after the Six Day War in 1967, excavation began. Over the next few weeks, we'll look at a series of locations throughout the Golan that tell part of its incredible story.

First of all, the meaning of the Talmudic Era. The Talmud is a set of teachings and commentaries on the Torah that form the basis for Jewish law. It was written during the time of the Byzantine Era, hence the name

In the city of Katzrin is lies the ancient Talmudic village of Katzrin. It's a really cool interactive park where people can go, learn about things like the olive press, wine press, and threshing grain, while also touring ruins from the Talmudic era. There's a village and the remains of a synagogue!

this isn't the olive press; I didn't get a good picture of it.

I could totally picture Eden from The Chosen smushing grapes in here!

grain sifter

These areas were fun, but I enjoyed most walking through the ruins (of course):

And we got a surprise at the synagogue—a modern day ceremony!

These children were being given their very own copies of the Torah!

the carving of the menorah is interesting here... I'll explain more in a future post.

Walking through the Rabbi's house was also really neat:

can you guess where the refrigerator is?

here it is! keeps out the critters

This was a really cool place. As a BIG fan of HGTV in the States, the house was the most interesting thing to me. What was your favorite part?

Stay tuned for next week—Afik!