Magdala is situated in the region of Galilee, on the banks of Lake Tiberias. What makes this place famous is Mary Magdalene, the faithful follower of Jesus. The city of Magdala is only seven kilometers from the ancient city of Capernaum, the place where Jesus established his public ministry.Evidence of his presence continues to come to light on the shores of Lake Tiberias, or the Sea of Galilee as it is called the Gospels.It is a place of rich archeological significance, and since 1900 many New Testament scholars from the Studium Biblicum Franciscanum have been interested in the area from Capernaum to Magdala. One year ago, on the site of a future center for Magdala pilgrims, belonging to the Legionaries of Christ, Israel's Antiquities Authority announced an important and surprising discovery: the remains of a synagogue dating from the time of Jesus.Fr. Juan Solana LC, Director of Notre Dame Pontifical Institute, Jerusalem"I started working on archaeology with them. We found strong confirmation that first of all, this was a beautiful old building and then we discovered it really was a synagogue. It's a well built and well equipped building, 11 meters by 11 meters with frescoed walls - very beautiful. It was recently confirmed by archaeologists that it has colours never seen before in Israel. There are very beautiful mosaics and a stone in the center of the synagogue."Among the most interesting discoveries was an ancient stone carved in the center of the building. Various symbols appeared on it, including a menorah and the candelabrum with seven branches. This appears to be the oldest menorah ever discovered in a synagogue from the era of the Second Temple.The presence of Jesus and his followers makes this an important region of the Holy Land. Magdala is the city of Mary Magdalene, a woman mentioned by the four evangelists as the one who, together with the other women who followed Jesus, was present during the Passion and, after the crucifixion, was the first to see the risen Christ.The Feast of Mary Magdalene, holy to both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches, is commemorated on July 22. The celebration in Jerusalem is held in the chapel dedicated to her in the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre, the place where she proclaimed: "He is not here, he is risen."Along with Franciscans, a small group, mainly women, recall the biblical verse: "The Lord proclaimed the news, the messengers of victory are a great host." (Ps 67, 12)

Magdala is situated in the region of Galilee, on the banks of Lake Tiberias. What makes this place famous is Mary Magdalene, the faithful follower of Jesus. The city of Magdala is only seven...leggi tutto