magdala

By: Megan Sauter

Were there synagogues before the Romans destroyed the Temple, or did they develop only afterward? Communal structures from the Second Temple period have been discovered, but should they be considered synagogues even though they don’t share the major architectural feature common to post-destruction synagogues?

By: Craig Evans and Steven Feldman

Back to “Jesus Tomb” Controversy Erupts—Again Rarely does the world of Biblical archaeology make as much news as when filmmakers James Cameron and Simcha Jacobovici […]

By: Jennifer Ristine

For a people living in the diaspora, unable to visit the Jerusalem Temple frequently, what kept the memory and centrality of the Temple fresh in their minds? An intriguing stone uncovered at the Galilean site of Magdala might offer a clue.

By: BAS Staff

Was Mary Magdalene a prostitute who repented or simply an influential female follower of Jesus? Mary from Magdala has popularly been saddled with an unfavorable reputation, but how did this notion come about?

By: BAS Staff

Mary Magdalene, Jezebel, Rahab, Lilith. Today, each are popularly considered scandalous women in the Bible. Are these so-condemned salacious women misrepresented?

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

The Jewish menorah—especially the Temple menorah, a seven-branched candelabra that stood in the Temple—is the most enduring and iconic Jewish symbol. But what did the Temple menorah actually look like? Learn more in this post and view a number of important menorah depictions from antiquity.

By: Marek Dospěl 

Where was Mary Magdalene from? According to early Christian tradition, the famous disciple of Jesus was from a town called Magdala, hence her name, Mary […]

By: Marek Dospěl

Following the discovery of a synagogue at Magdala on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, four ritual purification baths dating to Jesus’ time have been uncovered. These attest to the vibrant religious and social life of the local Jewish community just before it was crushed by the Romans in 67 C.E.

By: Nathan Steinmeyer

Earlier this week, the University of Haifa announced the discovery of a first-century C.E. synagogue in Magdala, Israel. Magdala (Migdal in Hebrew) is thought to […]

By: Biblical Archaeology Society Staff

Jodi Magness's excavations at Huqoq have exposed an elaborate Samson mosaic as well as new insights into the development of ancient synagogues.