Mary Magdalene and the Synagogue Where Jesus May Have Preached: New Excavation Most Important in Half a Century

A Catholic priest and archaeologists in Israel are excavating an ancient synagogue and a site that may have been the home of Mary Magdalene, who has been called Jesus' most beloved disciple. Archaeologists say Jesus could have preached in the temple as he is said in the Gospels to have preached at synagogues in the Galilee and no other synagogue from his lifetime has been found.

Six years ago Juan Solana, a Catholic priest, bought some property in the ancient town of Magdala and was required to do exploratory excavations under Israeli law. By chance he found the ruins of a 1st century AD synagogue.

“Historians believe Jesus may have once walked the cobbled streets,” says a CNN story that was published on WDAM.com “This may have been home to one of the most important figures of the Bible, Mary Magdalene. The first recorded witness of the resurrection. 'This is a holy site. I am sure of that,' said Father Juan Solana.”

Smithsonian.com says that for centuries Mary Magdalene was “the most obsessively revered of saints, this woman became the embodiment of Christian devotion, which was defined as repentance.” The article says it is almost certainly untrue that she was a repentant prostitute. St. Gregory the Great in the 6th century AD was the first to call Mary Magdalene a sinner, according to the book All Saints by Robert Ellsberg. She is identified in the gospels of Mark and Luke as “a woman from whom seven demons had gone out.” Ellsberg writes that the statement about the demons can be interpreted variously.

In the dramatic 20th chapter of the Gospel of John, Mary encounters Jesus after his resurrection on Easter Sunday morning but does not recognize him at first:

He asked her, “Woman, why are you crying? Who is it you are looking for?”

Thinking he was the gardener, she said, “Sir, if you have carried him away, tell me where you have put him, and I will get him.”

Jesus said to her, “Mary.”

She turned toward him and cried out in Aramaic, “Rabboni!” (which means “Teacher”).

Jesus said, “Do not hold on to me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father. Go instead to my brothers and tell them, ‘I am ascending to my Father and your Father, to my God and your God.’”

Mary Magdalene went to the disciples with the news: “I have seen the Lord!” And she told them that he had said these things to her.

Because Mary Magdalene was the first to tell the Apostles about Jesus' resurrection, she has been called the Apostle to the Apostles.

Solana bought the land in Magdala to build a Christian retreat. The synagogue dates to the first century AD. The New Testament says Jesus preached in synagogues in the Galilee, and this is the only one that dates to Jesus' lifetime that has been excavated in the area.

The synagogue is ornate with frescoes and mosaic floors. It has an altar, called a bimah in Hebrew, in the center. People call this the Magdala stone. It has on it a rare menorah carved into the stone.

"It is not for me. This is for millions of people that will come see this will enjoy this as I did and hopefully will be able to discover our common roots,” Solana said.

Archaeologists say that the synagogue in Magdala is one of the more important discoveries in Israel in 50 years:

http://www.ancient-origins.net/history-archaeology/archaeologists-excavate-possible-home-mary-magdalene-and-synagogue-020472

Anti-Pirate Roman Military Fort Oldest Ever Discovered

""Researchers at a site near Italy's northeastern border with Slovenia have discovered the hidden remains of the oldest known fort from ancient Rome. The site, which is in San Rocco, in the Trieste province, is the only Roman fortress discovered in Italy, and it may have been built to defend against people from the north, whom the Romans called "pirates."

The findings are described in the journal Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, and the researchers believe the fort could explain the Roman army's rise in power. The team believes the hilltop fort, which spans 32 acres, was built in 178 B.C.E., which dates it back several decades further than previously discovered Roman forts. They made the impressive find using Light Detection and Ranging (Lidar) scanners from a helicopter over the area, as well as ground radar techniques.

Researchers believe the "pirates" in question were the Histri, who controlled the Istrian peninsula, Ancient Origins explains. The site includes a main camp and two smaller camps, and the researchers believe the camps were used until the foundation of Tergeste, which would eventually become the modern Trieste.

Now that the radar has located the site, scientists are planning a full-scale archaeological excavation at the fort. The fort could provide important clues about the Roman Republic's military as well as Trieste's founding."" Meghan DeMaria

http://theweek.com/speedreads/544921/researchers-discover-oldest-known-roman-military-fort--built-fend-pirates

Ancient Archaeological Excavation Find Unveils Tomb in Luxor Dating 3000 Years During Kingdom's 18th Dynasty

""Egypt's antiquities ministry announced on Tuesday the discovery of the tomb of Amenhotep, guard of the temple of Egyptian diety Anun, in the city of Luxor. The tomb, believed to be 3,000 years old, would date to the New Kingdom's 18th dynasty.

The tomb was found about 700 kilometers south of Cairo in the city of Luxor by a team of American archaeologists with the American Research Center, along with an Egyptian inspectors team. The Minister of Antiquities, Mamdouh el-Damaty said in a statement, "The tomb contains many stunning scenes with bright colours painted on plaster."

Photographs distributed by the ministry show a T-shaped tomb with bright green and brown paintings with hieroglyphics. The scenes depict the tomb owner and his wife in front of an offering table, as well as paintings showing everyday life, such as hunting.

But sadly, the tomb of the temple guard was found to have been vandalized for unknown reasons. The tomb "was deliberately damaged in ancient times," said Sultan Eid, the ministry's general director for the Upper Egypt region.

Eid added, "The name and titles of the tomb owner, some hieroglyphic texts and scenes in addition to the names of the god Amun were deliberately erased." The scratching out of the name of the god, Amun probably occurred during the religious revolution under the rule of the Pharaoh Akhenaton, said Eid.

Luxor was the capital of the New Kingdom

Luxor was the ancient city of Thebes and the "glorious city" of the god Amon-Ra during the New Kingdom's 18th dynasty. Thebes grew in importance as a center for arts, religion and political influence as early as the 11th dynasty, dating to 2100 BC. Later, pharaohs of the New Kingdom further added to the wealth and influence of Thebes when they led expeditions to Canaan, and Kush, now northern Sudan.""

Antiquities Ministry Announcment

http://www.digitaljournal.com/science/archaeologists-find-3-000-year-old-tomb-in-luxor/article/427489