Plain of Ginosar & Magdala

 

The Plain of Ginosar is a small coastal plain that covers the top left shore of the sea of Galilee (Between 9-11 am  it were a clock).  The Hebrew word גִּנּוֹסַר means "Garden of the Princes".  Its name dates back to the inter-testamental period.  The three rulers after Judas Maccabee (Judas the Hammer) turned this area into a northern garden palace.  In the time of Jesus, we learn of this area from a woman named Mary Magdalene.  In Greek, her name is actually written as "Mary of Magdala" Μαριὰμ ἡ Μαγδαληνὴ (Matt. 28:1).  Magalene is not her last name but rather the city she was from.  We learn of Jesus visiting this region in the Gospel of Matthew 15:39 (also see Mark 8:10 and its alternative name Dalmanutha).  

 

The Chief Israeli Archaeologist of Magdala is Marcela Zapata-Meza.  There is a web site commemorating the discoveries in this region.  She has an article published on the site in Biblical archaeology magazine (click here to see the article).  Two of the most remarkable discoveries from this location were the first-century Synagogue and a Torah stand.   Archaeology in Israel really has only been active for the last 100 years.  In that time most of the Synagogues discovered date between the 3rd and 6th centuries (200-600 AD).  After the Jewish revolts in Israel in 70 & 135 AD, life in the land of Israel drastically changed.  Especially in their relationship to the Temple in Jerusalem since it was destroyed in 70 AD and Jews were forbidden to come within eyesight of Jerusalem in 135 AD at the command of Emperor Hadrian.

Those Jews who were not killed fled the land leaving a sparse community in Israel for centuries to come.  

 

 

Migdal Synagogue (House of Assembly) 

 

The word Synagogue is the Greek version of the Hebrew title Beth Knesset" House of Assembly".  Much debate and speculation surrounded the idea of its purpose (the Synagogue).   For centuries prior to the maturity of archaeology, many scholars felt the Synagogue was primarily for prayer at the time of the Temple in Jerusalem but not the study of Gods word.  The Temple was considered the hub of all teaching.  The belief was that after the Temples destruction, teaching shifted to the local community temple (local Synagogue) but prior to this time, the Synagogue was primarily for prayer and community gatherings.  The first-century synagogue of Midgal (and Gamala as well) disagrees with this conventionally accepted theory.  The Synagogue in Capernaum has an addition known as the "Beth Midrash" or "house of searching/study".  Since that Synagogue dates to after the destruction of the Temple, many would say this supports the view.  The archaeological evidence of first-century synagogues and the teaching of the New Testament disagree with this.   In the synagogue, central space is created for people to share and teach/preach Torah.  We also have multiple examples of Jesus teaching in the synagogue.  

 

An additional support to correcting the previous view of the synagogue as merely a place of prayer was an inscription discovery called the Theodotus Inscription.  It was discovered in a well in Jerusalem in the early 1900's.  It was a dedicatory inscription of a Synagogue in Jerusalem during the time of Herods Temple.  It emphasizes both prayer and the study of God's word as central purposes while existing in the shadow of Herod's great Temple.  This inscription and the first-century synagogues emphasis on preaching and dialog challenges the conventional wisdom that the temple, not the synagogues were not centers of teaching.  

 

Another supporting piece of evidence discovered at Migdal was a Torah stand.  The stone was similar to a lectern.  Prior to the destruction of the Temple, Synagogues had one raised platform for the reading of scripture.  After the destruction of the Temple, a second raised platform was added for the Torah Shrine.  It was symbolic of the ark holding the Holy of Holies but this would hold the scrolls at the front of the Synagogue.  Prior to the destruction of the Temple, the storage of scrolls was placed in a nook to the back of the room.  After the destruction of the temple the second platform for the "Torah Shrine" was established.  This was to memorialize the temple and Holy of Holies that held the 10 commandments.  After the destruction of the temple each of these "Torah Shrines" were held in ornate closets named "arks" as in ark of the covenant.  

 

The Torah stand from the first-century Synagogue of Migdal has impressive images carved into it.  Pieces of shewbread with the many ways it was folded were etched into the rock.  No doubt the sculptor witnessed the priests baking and folding the bread that was a symbol of the word of God and the spiritual diet of the local Jew and synagogue.  It also contains another image from the Temple, the Menorah (Lampstand).  These were removed from the Temple in Jerusalem in 70 AD and have been lost to history.

 

Capernaum   

 

Capernaum was a village that flourished between 100 BC - 400 AD.  The city sat along the road of a famous highway leading from the northern shore of Galilee to the Arab Capitol Damascus in Syria.  In the time of Jesus, the city rested on the border of the territories of Herod's sons Antipas and Phillip.   Because of this, it positioned a border tax collection service like the one Matthew ran, "Jesus went out and saw a tax collector by the name of Levi sitting at his tax booth. "Follow me," Jesus said to him, and Levi got up, left everything and followed him  29 Then Levi held a great banquet for Jesus at his house, and a large crowd of tax collectors and others were eating with them.."  (Lk. 5:27-29).   

 

Wen Jesus begins his ministry he relocates to the city of Capernaum.  Matthew tells us Jesus considered Capernaum "his own city" (Matt. 9:1).  Often people quote Luke 9:58 and preach Jesus as fully and utterly homeless, "Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head."  This was more of a metaphor than a literal fact Jesus was communicating. The Greek New Testament actually tells us Jesus had a home of his own in Capernaum.  This is seen when the four friends lower the paralytic through the roof. Although roofs were made of mud and thatch, we don't see the owner complaining of their renovations.  The reason why is because it was Jesus' house.  Mark reveals "when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home." (Mk. 2:1 ESV)  Although most English versions translate the Greek phrase ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν as "in the house" it actually translates properly as "his house" ("The house of his" ἐν οἴκῳ ἐστίν Mk. 2:1).  Jesus had a home, in "his" city, the city of Capernaum.  The city where he called the disciples, where he performed many miracles and taught many truths, where over 70% of all he said and did took place.  

 

In this village, we have identified the house of Peter (Lk. 4:38) as well as the synagogue Jesus taught in.  see a three-dimensional video of the development from Peters home to the Catholic Basilica.  The Synagogue of the village dates later than the time of Jesus.  Although the one made of white stone is not the one from the time of Christ., We do see its foundation below made of dark volcanic basalt stone native to the region.  THere is a video by Holylandsite.com of Capernaum (click here) that helps provide a great visual overview of the village.  Although I present this video to you some of the others (such as the upper room and via Dolorosa etc, are not accurate).

 

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THE SYNAGOGUE:

 

Questions: 

1.    What was a synagogue

2.    What was its purpose?

3.    Did its function and or use change over the years of Jesus and beyond?

4.    How is it relevant to the life and ministry of Christ?

 

Name:

Hebrew “Beth Knesset   Greek Synagogue”  “House of Assembly”

 

Doors: While the temple faced east, all Synagogue entrances face Jerusalem.

 

1st century Synagogues

 

1.    Until recently there were very few synagogues from the time of Jesus (the 1st century AD)
 

2.    Revolt of 70 AD and 135 AD changed Jewish presence in the land and the function of Synagogues when there was no longer a temple in Jerusalem.
 

3.    A strong focus of the synagogue in the last 100 years has been prayer.  This has hindered many well intending scholars from seeing the function of the Synagogue in the time of Jesus and the 1st century.

 

a.    B. Talmud puts items of Synagogue in the area of “Blessings” or “Prayers”
 

b.    Mishnah, older writing puts Synagogue writings in the area of “Meggillah” teachings.
 

c.    German Scholars (and others) felt the Jewish presence in the Galilee was ignorant, under educated, Couldn't be further from the truth. 


 

THE SEAT OF MOSES:

 

Inscription Reads: “Remembered for good Judan (Judah) ben Israel who made this stoa and its staircase.  As his reward may he have a place with the righteous.”

 

Three Great Postures of Judaism in the 1st century
 

• Stand to Read:  Luke 4:16  “When he came to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, he went to the synagogue on the sabbath day, as was his custom. He stood up to read.”
   

·      Sit to Teach  “Matt. 5:1-2  “When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up the mountain; and after he sat down, his disciples came to him. 2 Then he began to speak, and taught them, saying:”

·      Recline to eat:

 

 

Matthew 23:1-2 Then Jesus said to the crowds and to his disciples, 2  “The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses’ seat, 3 so do and observe whatever they tell you, but not the works they do.

 

Luke 4:20 And he rolled up the scroll and gave it back to the attendant and sat down. And the eyes of all in the synagogue were fixed on him.

 

Theodotus Inscription

 

“built the synagogue for the reading of Torah and for teaching the commandments; furthermore, the hostel, and the rooms, and the water installation for lodging needy strangers. Its foundation stone was laid by his ancestors, the elders, and Simonides