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

FBI Orwellian Cyber Police State: Citizens Not Allowed to Have Secrets

""The police and surveillance state predicted in the forward-looking 1940s classic "1984" by George Orwell, has slowly, but steadily, come to fruition. However, like a frog sitting idly in a pan of steadily-warming water, too many Americans still seem unaware that the slow boil of big government is killing their constitutional liberties.

The latest sign of this stealth takeover of civil rights and freedom was epitomized in recent Senate testimony by FBI Director James Comey, who voiced his objections to civilian use of encryption to protect personal data – information the government has no automatic right to obtain.

As reported by The New American, Comey testified that he believes the government's spy and law enforcement agencies should have unfettered access to everything Americans may store or send in electronic format: On computer hard drives, in so-called i-clouds, in email and in text messaging – for our own safety and protection. Like many in government today, Comey believes that national security is more important than constitutional privacy protections or, apparently, due process. After all, aren't criminals the only ones who really have anything to hide?

In testimony before a hearing of the Senate Judiciary Committee entitled "Going Dark: Encryption, Technology, and the Balance Between Public Safety and Privacy" Comey said that in order to stay one step ahead of terrorists, as well as international and domestic criminals, Uncle Sam's various spy and law enforcement agencies should have access to available technology used to de-encrypt protected data. Also, he believes the governmentshould be the final arbiter deciding when decryption is necessary.

What could go wrong there?

Find more articles on the police state at PoliceState.news

Government, at all levels, is responsible

During the hearing, TNA reported, technology experts warned the panel that giving the FBI limitless access to the personal electronic data of Americans would open it up to exploitation by "bad actors." But Comey was having none of that.

"It is clear that governments across the world, including those of our closest allies, recognize the serious public safety risks if criminals can plan and undertake illegal acts without fear of detection," he told the committee.

"Are we comfortable with technical design decisions that result in barriers to obtaining evidence of a crime?"
So, in essence, Comey – like many before him, especially since the global war on terror was launched – believes that, in the name of national security Americans ought to give up more of their individual and constitutional rights because that's the only way we can be adequately protected.

Perhaps realizing that his Senate hearing testimony was public, Comey gave the Constitution a passing glance, noting that the government should respect the "requirements and safeguards of the laws" and the country's founding document. However, as Americans now know, spy agencies during the past two presidential administrations have been tasked increasingly with conducting warrantless, unchecked surveillance of Americans' electronic data and communications.

But all of this is not on men like Comey and Presidents George W. Bush and Barack Obama. Congress bears its share of responsibility, too.""

This is the way it is – shut up and take it:

http://www.naturalnews.com/050653_police_state_national_security_FBI.html

Ancient Archaeology Discoveries in History You Might Not Have Known About

1. The unfinished obelisk

For how long and complex human history is, it’s no big surprise to me that it would miss a few major places and events, right? Well we’ll help you fill in the gaps a bit.

This obelisk was recently found in Aswan, Egypt, and was ordered to be constructed by Hatshepsut in the mid 1500s BC.

The obelisk was never finished, but if it had been, it would have been Egypt’s largest. - Continue reading

2. Yonaguni Monument

It’s debated among experts whether or not this underwater monument off the coast of Japan was created naturally or by man.

It features twin obelisks that appear to have been placed there, as well as a formation above it called “the turtle.” What do you think made it? - Continue reading

3. The Stone Spheres of Costa Rica

This is quite the mystery! Not much is known about this giant spheres other than the fact that they were likely made by the Diquis people who lived from 700 to 1530 AD.

Legend has it that these spheres were originally made in Atlantis, but it’s all speculation. - Continue reading

4. The Longyou Grottoes

These tunnels found in Zhejian, China are enormous and date back as far as 212 BCE.

They are covered from floor to ceiling in precise, 60 degree angled markings. - Continue reading

5. Göbekli Tepe

This was a major find because it made scientists rethink the origins of human society.

It was found near a mountaintop in turkey and predates agriculture, which indicates that primitive religion may have been what originally brought civilization together, not commerce. This monument dates back to 10,000 BCE. - Continue reading

6. Boheno-Daro

This interesting ancient city, built in 2600 BCE in what is now Pakistan, is one of the earliest examples of city planning. This town contains roads and a drainage system that worked like a sewer.

7. Saksaywaman

Saksaywaman is a fortress outside of Cusco, Peru – the former capital of the Incan nation.

These giant rocks are fitted tightly together. Hundreds of years later, you can’t even fit a piece of paper through them. Now that’s tight! - Continue reading

8. L’Anse aux Meadows

This settlement in North America is believed to have been built by the Vikings 500 years before Columbus discovered the continent for the European empire.

It’s incredible to think that vikings made it all the way to North America from their home in Northern Europe.


By Higher Perspective

http://humansarefree.com/2015/05/8-archaeological-finds-missing-from.html