מגדלא | |
 Aerial view of the modern site of Magdala, looking south | |
  Location in Israel | |
| Location | Galilee,Israel |
|---|---|
| Region | Levant |
| Coordinates | 32°49′30″N35°30′56″E / 32.82500°N 35.51556°E /32.82500; 35.51556 |
Magdala (Aramaic:מגדלא,romanized: Magdalā,lit. 'Tower';Hebrew:מִגְדָּל,romanized: Migdál;Ancient Greek:Μαγδαλά,romanized: Magdalá) was an ancientJewish[1] city on the shore of theSea of Galilee, 5 km (3 miles) north ofTiberias. In theBabylonian Talmud it is known asMagdala Nunayya (Aramaic:מגדלא נוניה,lit. 'Tower of the Fishes'), and which some historical geographers think may refer toTarichaea (lit. 'the place of processing fish'). It is believed to be the birthplace ofMary Magdalene. Until the1948 Arab–Israeli War, theArab village ofal-Majdal (Arabic:المجدل) stood at the site of ancient Magdala. The Israeli municipality ofMigdal now extends into the area.
Archaeological excavations on behalf of theIsrael Antiquities Authority (IAA) conducted in 2006 found that the settlement began during theHellenistic period (between the second and first centuries BCE) and ended during the late Roman period (third century CE).[2] Later excavations in 2009–2013 brought perhaps the most important discovery in the site: an ancientsynagogue, called the "Migdal Synagogue", dating from theSecond Temple period. It is the oldest synagogue found in the Galilee, and one of the few synagogues from that period found in the entire country, as of the time of the excavation. They also found theMagdala stone, which has a seven-branchedmenorah symbol carved on it. It is the earliest menorah of that period to be discovered outsideJerusalem.[3]
Archaeologists discovered an entire first century Jewish town lying just below the surface. The excavation revealed multiple structures and fourmikvaot (plural ofmikvah ormikveh). In 2021, another synagogue from the same period was discovered at Magdala.[4]
At Magdala, two texts from the first century were discovered. The initial finding is a Greekmosaic inscription embedded intessera, displaying the word ΚΑΙΣΥ, translated as "(Welcome) also to you!". The second finding is a lead weight with Greek inscriptions from the 23rd year ofAgrippa II, referencing twoagoranomoi, enabling its dating to either 71/2 or 82/3 CE.[5]
A collapse layer from the Second Temple period supportsJosephus's narrative of the Roman destruction of Magdala during theFirst Jewish–Roman War.[2] Excavations show that after the destruction, during the Byzantine and Early Islamic periods, the city moved slightly to the north.[2]
"...it [Magdala] was the most important city on the western bank of the lake, contributing a wagon-load of taxes [...] untilHerod Antipas raised up a rival on the lake by buildingTiberias." --Gustaf Dalman[6]
Magdala has been described as the "capital of atoparchy" and compared toSepphoris and Tiberias in that it had "administrative apparatus and personnel" though not to the same extent.[7]
The remains of a Roman-period synagogue dated to 50 BCE- 100 CE were discovered in 2009. The walls of the 120-square-metre (1,300 sq ft) main hall were decorated with brightly colored frescoes and inside was a stone block carved with a seven-branchedmenorah.[8]
In December 2021, a second synagogue dating to the Second Temple period was unearthed at Magdala.[4][1] It is the first time two synagogues from this period have been found in a single site. The second synagogue found was not as ornate as the first, and probably served the city's industrial zone.[1]
The city was destroyed by the Romans during theFirst Jewish-Roman War.[2]
All fourgospels[9] refer to a follower of Jesus calledMary Magdalene, which is usually assumed[10] to mean "Mary from Magdala", although there is no biblical information to indicate whether it was her birthplace or her home. Most Christian scholars assume that she was from Magdala Nunayy.[a][11] Recognition of Magdala as the birthplace ofMary Magdalene appears in texts dating back to the 6th century CE.[12] In the 8th and 10th centuries CE,Christian sources write of achurch in the village that was Mary Magdalene's house, whereJesus is said to have exorcised her of demons.[12] The anonymously pennedLife of Constantine attributes the building of the church toEmpress Helena in the 4th century CE, at the location where she found Mary Magdalene's house.[12][7] Christianpilgrims toPalestine in the 12th century mention the location of Magdala, but fail to mention the presence of any church at that time.[12]
Under the rule of theMamluks in the 13th century, sources indicate that the church was used as a stable.[7] In 1283,Burchard of Mount Sion records having entered the house of Mary Magdalene in the village, and about ten years later,Ricoldus of Montecroce noted his joy at having found the church and house still standing.[12]
al-Majdal المجدل Majdal, Magdala | |
|---|---|
 al-Majdal, sea of Galilee byBonfils. Shrine of Muhammad al-'Ajami in the foreground. | |
.jpg) 1870s map.jpg) 1940s map.jpg) modern map.jpg) 1940s with modern overlay mapA series of historical maps of the area around Al-Majdal, Tiberias (click the buttons) | |
| Palestine grid | 198/247 |
| Geopolitical entity | Mandatory Palestine |
| Subdistrict | Tiberias |
| Date of depopulation | 22 April 1948[13] |
| Area | |
• Total | 103dunams (10.3 ha; 25 acres) |
| Population (1945) | |
• Total | 360[16][15] |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault byYishuv forces |
| Secondary cause | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Current Localities | Migdal, Israel |
%2c_la_de_Tiberaide.jpg)
Al-Majdal (Arabic:المجدل, "tower", alsotransliterated Majdal, Majdil and Mejdel) was aPalestinian Arab village, located on the western shore of theSea of Galilee (200 meters or 660 feet below sea level;32°49′28″N35°31′00″E / 32.82444°N 35.51667°E /32.82444; 35.51667), 5 km (3 miles) north ofTiberias and south ofKhan Minyeh.[14][17][18][12]
Christianpilgrims wrote of visiting the house andchurch of Mary Magdalene from the 6th century onward, but little is known about the village in theMamluk and earlyOttoman period, indicating it was likely small or uninhabited.[6][19] In the 19th century, Western travellers generally describing it as a very small and poorMuslim village.[19]
Francesco Quaresmi writes of al-Majdal in 1626 that "certain people have claimed that her house is to be seen there", but that the site was in ruins.[12]
The smallMuslimArab village of Al-Majdal was located to the south of the land acquired by the Franciscans.[12] Little is known about the village in the medieval or earlyOttoman period, presumably because it was either small or uninhabited.[19]Richard Pococke visited "Magdol" around 1740, where he noted "the considerable remains of an indifferent castle", which in his opinion was not the biblical Magdala.[20] The village appeared as El Megdel on the 1799 map ofPierre Jacotin.[21] In the early 19th century, foreign travellers interested in the Christian traditions associated with the site visited the village.[19] In 1807U. Seetzen stayed overnight in "the littleMahommedan village of Majdil, situated on the bank of the lake."[22] TheEnglish travelerJames Silk Buckingham observed in 1816 that a few Muslim families resided there, and in 1821, theSwiss travelerJohann Ludwig Burckhardt noted that the village was in a rather poor condition.[14][23][24]
During his travels throughSyria and Palestine in 1838,Edward Robinson described el-Mejdel, as he called it, "a miserable little Muslim village, looking much like a ruin, though exhibiting no marks of antiquity." He wrote: "The name Mejdel is obviously the same with theHebrew Migdal andGreek Magdala; there is little reason to doubt that this place is the Magdala of theNew Testament, chiefly known as the native town of Mary Magdalene. The ancient notices respecting its position are exceedingly indefinite; yet it seems to follow from the New Testament itself, that it lay on the west side of the lake. After the miraculous feeding of four thousand, which appears to have taken place in the country east of the lake, Jesus 'took ship and came into the coast of Magdala;' for whichMark the Evangelist writesDalmanutha. Here, thePharisees began to question him, but he 'left them, and entering into the ship again, departed to theother side [...] This view is further confirmed by the testimony of theRabbins in the Jerusalem Talmud, compiled at Tiberias; who several times speak of Magdala as adjacent to Tiberias and Hammath or the hot springs. TheMigdal-el of theOld Testament in the tribe ofNaphtali was probably the same place."[25]
In his account of an expedition to theJordan River and theDead Sea in 1849,William Francis Lynch reports that it was "a poor village of about 40 families, all fellahin," living in houses of stone with mud roofs, similar to those inTur'an.[26] Arriving by boat a few years later,Bayard Taylor describes the view from path winding up from shoreline, "[...] througholeanders, nebbuks, patches ofhollyhock,anise-seed,fennel, and other spicy plants, while on the west, great fields ofbarley stand ripe for the cutting. In some places, the Fellahs, men and women, were at work, reaping and binding the sheaves."[27]
In 1857,Solomon Caesar Malan wrote: "Each house, whether separate or attached to another, consisted of one room only. The walls built of mud and of stones, were about ten or twelve feet high; and perhaps as many or more feet square. The roof which was flat, consisted of trunks of trees placed across from one wall to another, and then covered with small branches, grass and rushes; over which a thick coating of mud and gravel was laid. ... A flight of rude steps against the wall outside leads up to the roof; and thus enables those who will to reach it without entering the house."[28]
There were two shrines in Al-Majdal: the maqam of Sheikh Muhammad al-'Ajami to the north of the village and the maqam of Sheikh Muhammad ar-Raslan (or ar-Ruslan) south of the village, as shown onPEF maps and British maps of the 1940s. The first shrine is mentioned byVictor Guérin in 1863. He writes that he arrived in the village from the north: "At seven twenty minutes I crossed the fifth important stream, called Wadi al-Hammam. Behind him is a wely dedicated to the saint Sidi al-Adjemy. At seven o'clock twenty-five minutes I reach Mejdel, a village which I pass without stopping, having already visited it enough".[29]
Isabel Burton also mentions the shrine for Muhammad al-'Ajami in her private journals published in 1875: "First we came to Magdala (Mejdel) ... There is a tomb here of a Shaykh (El Ajami), the name implies aPersian Santon; there is a tomb seen on a mountain, said to be that ofDinah,Jacob's daughter. Small boys were running in Nature's garb on the beach, which is white, sandy, pebbly, and full of small shells."[30]
In 1881 thePEF'sSurvey of Western Palestine described al-Majdal as a stone-built village, situated on a partially arable plain, with an estimated population of about 80.[31]Fellahin fromEgypt are said to have settled in the village some time in the 19th century.[32]
A population list from about 1887 showedel Mejdel to have about 170 inhabitants; all Muslims.[33]
The Jewish agricultural settlement ofMigdal was established in 1910–1911 on land purchased by RussianZionists Jews, 1.5 kilometers (0.93 mi) northwest of the village of Al-Majdal.[34]
Bellarmino Bagatti and another Franciscan friar who visited the village in 1935 were hosted by theMukhtar Mutlaq, whose nine wives and descendants are said to have made up almost the whole of the population of the village at the time.[32] Part of the site was acquired by theFranciscan Custody of the Holy Land sometime after 1935.[12][32] During this period, Al-Majdal had a rectangular layout, with most of the houses crowded together, though a few to the north along the lakeshore were spaced further apart. Built of stone, cement, and mud, some had roofs of wood and cane covered with a layer of mud. It was the smallest village in the district of Tiberias in terms of land area. The Muslim inhabitants maintained a shrine for one Mohammad al-Ajami on the northern outskirts of the village. To the west of the village on the summit of the mountains, lay the remains of theCrusader fortress of Magdala (later known asQal'at Na'la ("the fortress of Na'la"). On the lakeshore about 1 kilometer (0.62 mi) south of the village, was a perforated black stone mentioned by Arab travellers in the late 17th and early 18th centuries. Local belief held that the holes were caused by ants having eaten through it, and for this reason it was calledhajar al-namla, "the ant´s stone."[14]
At the time of the1922 census of Palestine, Majdal had a population of 210 Muslims,[35] increasing to 284 Muslims living in 62 houses by the1931 census.[36] The village economy was based on agriculture, vegetables and grain.[14]
In the1945 statistics Al-Majdal had a population of 360 Muslims[16] with a total land area of 103dunams.[15] Of this, 24dunams were used for growingcitrus andbananas, and 41 dunums devoted tocereals. Another 17 dunams were irrigated or used for orchards,[14][37] while 6 dunams were classified as built-up (urban) area.[38]
During the1947–1948 civil war in Mandatory Palestine, after the Arab quarter ofTiberias was taken by Jewish forces andits inhabitants were evacuated, the Arab villages surrounding it were also depopulated, including Al-Majdal.[39]Benny Morris writes that the inhabitants were persuaded by the headmen of [neighbouring Jewish]Migdal andKibbutz Ginosar to evacuate their homes; the villagers were paid P£200 for eight rifles, ammunition and a bus they handed over. They were then transported to the Jordanian border by bus.[40] Al-Majdal was subsequently bulldozed by the Israelis in 1948.[41]
In 1910–1911, the Jewish village ofMigdal was established adjacent to Al-Majdal.[34] After 1948, Migdal expanded to include some of the village land of Al-Majdal.[14]
Walid Khalidi describes the village remains in 1992: "The site is dotted with rubble,Christ's-thorn, and a fewpalm andolive trees. The only remaining village landmark is the neglected shrine of Muhammad al-'Ajami, a low, square, stone structure topped by a formerly whitewashed dome. The land in the vicinity is cultivated by Israelis."[14] In 1991, Petersen visited themaqam of Muhammad al-Ajami, describing it as a small square building with a shallowdome supported bysquinches. The entrance was on the north side, where there also was a small window. The shrine appeared to contain twotombs, one about 1 meter (3.3 ft) high, while the other marked only by a lowkerb of stones. The larger tomb was covered with purple and green cloth.[19]
Visiting in the 1980s and 1990s, Jane Schaberg reports that the site was marked by a sign that says: "This was the birthplace of Mary Magdelene, a city that flourished toward the end of the Second Temple period and one of the cities fortified by Joseph ben Matityahu (Josephus) during the great revolt of the Jews against the Romans."[41] The site contained an Islamic domed structure and an old stone house surrounded by a stone wall topped with barbed wire. Weeds had grown over the site where excavations were carried out in the 1970s but had been suspended due to water seepage from underground springs.[41] AnArab family living in a nearby shack served as caretakers for the portion of the site owned by the Franciscans. Another small plot of land was owned by theGreek Orthodox Church, while theJewish National Fund (JNF) owned the remainder.[41]
TheArabic name Majdal means "tower" and preserves the ancientplace name Magdala.[42] Magdala was also known in ancient times as Migdal (Hebrew, also meaning tower), and theAramaic names ascribed to it are either Magdala Nunaya (also, Migdal Nunnaya or Nunayah; "Tower of Fish") or Magdala Tza'baya (also Migdal Seb'iya; "Magdala of the Dyers" or "Tower of Dyers"), although some think these to be the same identification.[43][44][45] Whether they are one and the same place has yet to be determined, as both Aramaic names appear in theBabylonian Talmud (Pesahim 46a) andJerusalem Talmud (Ta'anit 4:8) respectively.[45] Others ascribe the name of the site to theGreek Magdala Taricheae ("Magdala of the Fish Salters"), likely due to the town's famed fish-curing industry. The identification of Magdala with Taricheae, however, remains inconclusive. Archaeologist, Mordechai Aviam, who (likeW.F. Albright) held that Tarichaea was to be recognised in the name Migdal (Magdala), admits that during the large archaeological excavations conducted at the site, no remains of fortifications or adestruction layer were found.[46]
Mary Magdalene's surname as transcribed in the gospels is said to be derived from Magdala as her home and place of birth.[18]Alfred Edersheim cites theTalmud as evidence for this naming practice, which describes several Rabbis as 'Magdalene' or residents of Magdala.[18]
Majdal and Majdalani ("of Majdal") are commonplace names and family names in theSyria-Palestine region.[47] Examples of such place names includeAl-Majdal, Askalan,Majdal Yaba, andAl-Mujaydil (depopulated Palestinian villages located in modern-day Israel),Majdal Shams (a Syrian-Druze village in theGolan Heights),Majdal Bani Fadil (in theWest Bank) andMajdal Anjar (in modern-dayLebanon).[47][48]
Magdala's reference inMatthew 15: 39 is, in some editions, given as "Magadan"; and inMark 8:10 it is "Dalmanutha".[49]
In 2014, Joan Taylor argued against the identification of al-Majdal with either Magdala or Tarichaea, and questioned the association with Mary Magdelene.[50]
The New Testament makes one disputable mention of a place called Magdala. Matthew 15:39 of theKing James Version reads, "And he sent away the multitude, and took ship, and came into the coasts of Magdala". However, someGreek manuscripts give the name of the place as "Magadan", and more recent translations (such as theRevised Version) follow this (Matthew 15:39). Although some commentators[51] state confidently that the two refer to the same place, others[52] dismiss the substitution of Magdala for Magadan as simply "to substitute a known for an unknown place".
The parallel passage inMark's gospel (Mark 8:10) gives (in the majority of manuscripts) a quite different place name,Dalmanutha, although a handful of manuscripts give either Magdala or Magadan,[53] presumably by assimilation to the Matthean text—believed in ancient times to be older than that of Mark, though this opinion has now been reversed.
TheJewishTalmud distinguishes between two Magdalas:[11]
Some researchers think thatJosephus refers to Magdala Nunayya by the Greek nameTarichaea (Ant. 14.20; 20. 159; J.W. 1. 180; 2. 252),[43][45] derived from the Greek Τάριχος ortarichos, meaning 'fish preserved by salting or drying',[54] although the matter remains disputed.[55]
Josephus is the primary source forTaricheaeH.H. Kitchener of thePalestine Exploration Fund suggested that Taricheae was to be identified with the nearby ruin,Khurbet Kuneitriah, between Tiberias and Migdal.[56] Others identify Taricheae withKerek.[57] TheMagadan mentioned inMatthew 15:39 and theDalmanutha ofMark 8:10 are likely corrupt forms of Magdal (Magdala) and Magdal Nuna (Magdala Nunaya).[45][58]
.jpg)
At the beginning of the 20th century, R. Lendle, a German architect purchased some land from the Arab villagers to carry out excavations, but no reports were made of the findings.[32] The remains of a church with anapse and a stone inscribed with a cross and the date 1389 were found near Birqat Sitti Miriam (Arabic: "The Pool of Our Lady Mary") on the Franciscan-owned grounds.[12]
Between 1971 and 1977 Magdala was partially excavated byVirgilio Canio Corbo andStanislao Loffreda of theStudium Biblicum Franciscanum in Jerusalem. However, their reports are in Italian and attracted little notice.[59] Between 1971 and 1976, excavations also discovered the remains of what is thought to have been aByzantine eramonastery near the sea.[12][32] The excavations were hindered by the water from underground springs, as well as the destruction wrought by the bulldozing of the Arab village which pushed many ancient artifacts towards the sea.[32] The mosaic of the Byzantine monastery was badly damaged, though part of the geometric and cross design of red, white, blue and ash-coloured stones could still be seen.[32] A Roman era paved road dating to the 1st century CE was also uncovered and identified. To the east of it, a building encompassing 60 meters (200 ft) of closed space was revealed that is thought to be either a 1st-century CE mini-synagogue ornymphaeum.[32] Other findings include a tower,aqueduct, and large paved court enclosed bycolonnades to the south, and to the north, a large urban villa. The villa was in use between the 1st century CE and the Byzantine era; a Greek inscription at the doorstep readingkai su ("and you" or "you too") is the only one of its kind to be found in Israel, though similar inscriptions have been found in private homes excavated inAntioch.[60]
Other artifacts discovered in the excavations of the 1970s include a needle and lead weights for repairing and holding down fishing nets, and numerous coins. Many of the coins dated to the time of the first Jewish revolt against Rome (66 - 70 CE), four to the 3rd century CE, and in the top layer, one dated to the time ofConstantine. Another cache of coins found there contained 74 fromTyre, 15 fromPtolemais, 17 fromGadara, 14 fromScythopolis, 10 from Tiberias, 9 fromHippos, 8 fromSepphoris and 2 from Gaba.[61]
In 1991, during a period of severe drought, the waters of the Sea of Galilee receded and the remains of a tower with a base made ofbasalt pillars was revealed about 150 feet (46 m) from the shoreline. Archaeologists believe it served as a lighthouse for fishermen. It has since been submerged by the waters once again.[62]
Excavations begun at Magdala during 2007-8 were calledThe Magdala Project.[63][64]Salvage excavations at Magdala are being conducted under the auspices of The Zinman Institute of Archaeology at theUniversity of Haifa. As of 2021, the dig is contracted to Y.G. Contractual Archeology Ltd.[4]
