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in Archaeology

Discoveries in Mary Magdalene’s Hometown

Four ritual baths unearthed in the Magdala excavations Mary Magdalene is arguably the best known and most popular sinner of the New Testament. A great deal of the romantic portrayal of Mary, however, has no foundation in the Scripture, but is the product of a later Christian tradition, which ultimately inspired contemporary cinematic depictions of her. Take her name and her hometown as an example. The name Mary (Miryam, in Hebrew) was so common that the Gospels always had to specify which...

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Tags: magdala, mary, mary magdalene, ritual baths
in Archaeology

The Fishy Secret to Ancient Magdala’s Economic Growth

Cornering the salted fish market Excavations and research conducted around the Sea of Galilee have revealed a great deal about the history of the Galilean towns and their populations during the first century C.E. At Magdala, hometown of Mary Magdalene in the Bible, excavations have uncovered a large marketplace with 28 shops, about 300 fishing weights, 40 pools and more than 4,000 ancient coins, the majority of which were minted in Jerusalem. Putting all of this together, the finds...

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Tags: antiquities, archaeology, capernaum, first-century, flavius josephus, jewish, jewish historian, josephus, magdala, magdalene, palestine, roman army, rome, bethsaida
in Archaeology

Birdwatcher Spies Egyptian Scarab Seal at Dor

Birdwatcher Spies Egyptian Scarab Seal at Dor Bible and archaeology newsRobin Ngo   • 05/04/2016  The name of the scarab’s owner, his position, and ankh and djed symbols (representing eternal life and stability, respectively) are engraved on the Egyptian scarab seal. While the owner’s name hasn’t been deciphered yet, he is described on the scarab as an “overseer of the treasury.” Birdwatcher Alexander Ternopolsky made a remarkable discovery...

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Tags: antiquities, archaeology, magdala, second temple, egyptian scarab seal, dor, israel's carmel coast, tel dor excavations
in Archaeology

2,200-year-old Bronze Artifacts Found At Biblical Site

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2,200-year-old bronze artifacts found at biblical site Incense shovel, jug from Second Temple era unearthed at Magdala, on Sea of Galilee, during recent excavations An ornate Second Temple era bronze incense shovel and bronze jug were recently unearthed at the biblical site of Magdala, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee, the Israel Antiquities Authority announced Tuesday. By Ilan Ben Zion April 5, 2016, 5:04 pm   The 2,200-year-old artifacts were found during excavations being carried...

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Tags: antiquities, archaeology, second temple, magdala, bronze jug