Magdala

Migdal (Hebrew מגדל, "tower", in the New Testament in the Aramaic form of Magdala, in Flavius ​​Josephus under the name Tarichea ) is a village on the western shore of the Sea of ​​Galilee, about 6 km north of Tiberias.

History

In ancient Magdala was a larger city. The Hellenistic embossed Tarichea was probably at least since the 1st century BC, one of the largest places of Galilee, according to Josephus with 37600 inhabitants. The New Testament Magdalene is known as the home of Mary Magdalene ( Mary of Magdala ), an early follower of Jesus. In emergency excavations before the construction of a hotel on the site of the Franciscans ( OFM) in August 2009 remains of a circa 120 m² ancient synagogue with a mosaic floor, encircling stone benches and frescoed walls were found. A decorated on four sides with reliefs stone block shows a menorah. According to the excavation director Dina Avshalom - Gorni is the oldest known synagogue from the Second Temple period; the representation of the menorah holds for the oldest preserved. However, other Israeli archaeologists tend to have a later dating of the synagogue. Likewise, a wall drawing of the menorah from excavations in the Old City of Jerusalem is already known. The Legionaries of Christ operate since 2004 the Magdala Center, where Pope Benedict XVI. the foundation stone blessed, and become involved in the excavation work.

According to Josephus fought the inhabitants against Herod I and the Romans. Protection they found the persecutors in the numerous caves of the Wadi el- Hammam, a canyon -like valley west of Migdal. In the context of these disputes, the village was destroyed in 66 AD.

Crusaders built in the 12th century a church that completely fell later.

Today's agricultural settlement Migdal goes back to 1910 and has about 2000 inhabitants.

Associations of the place

• Association for the needy child in Israel, a German -Israeli welfare organization.