Page 22 - Holyland Magazine - 2017 Edition

Women's Atrium

Homecoming.

Family Members Gather Again.

You are invited!

Reflections on what we see happening at Magdala these days

Fr. Eamon Kelly, L.C
Vice Director of Magdala

Background recap for starters: first 2016 cover story on Magdala and many important that the traveling Rabbi Jesus,
other media outlets have reported on this the Carpenter’s Son from Nazareth, would
On September 10, 2009, CNN broke the entire first century town, recently laid bare. have visited there to preach and heal as we
news of the discovery of a first century read in such texts as Mt 4,23, but we must
synagogue in Magdala while breaking For Christians in particular, the fact that not overlook the following generation. Given
ground to provide needed guesthouse this is the first synagogue uncovered in the that it is commonly understood that most
accommodations for pilgrims. It was the Galilee, where Jesus ministered according to of Jesus’ public ministry took place around
seventh, but the most beautiful synagogue the Gospel, makes it a must-see attraction. the northwest corner of the Sea of Galilee,
of the first century. It contained the Magdala November 2016 topped all months so far: we can expect that there would have been
Stone, which scholars now rank on par we welcomed over 12,000 visitors. They a strong post-Pentecost development of
with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, identified themselves as coming from the communities of Jesus’ followers there
given its reference to the Second Temple, approximately one hundred countries. US as well. So now, we enter this synagogue
as noted researcher, Rina Talgam’s eagerly Americans lead, and Israelis are a close and ask who gathered there. The immediate
awaited book will explain (New York Times, second. answer is clearly: Jewish people. They
Dec. 8, 2015). It is a synagogue built before are the ones who built synagogues! But
the destruction of the Temple that operated These stones will cry out! intermingled among them are also some
during the first century until 67/68. It seems of Jesus’ multitude of followers who had
to have actually been dismantled in the face When we reflect on the Magdala synagogue, not yet divided into various Churches and
of the pending confrontation between the we realize it functioned during the life of today’s many denominations. Nor did these
Jewish rebellion and the subsequent Roman Jesus and throughout the first generation followers of Jesus feel alienated from the
suppression. Smithsonian magazine ran its after Pentecost. Of course, it is incredibly

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