Archaeologists have discovered the ruins of a synagogue from Jesus' time during excavations of a site in Magdala where a pilgrimage center is being built on the shores of the Sea of Galilee. The Israel Antiquities Authority, which has been overseeing the excavations, announced this unique archeological find in a press release, ZENIT reports.
The Magdala Center excavation began shortly after Pope Benedict's visit to the Holy Land in May, where he blessed the cornerstone of the future building that is being developed under the direction of the priestly congregation, the Legionaries of Christ.
The archeological excavation, directed by Dina Avshalom-Gorni and Arfan Najar of the antiquities authority, began July 27, and approximately one month later the first vestiges of an important find were uncovered.
As the excavation continued and significant findings were added, the conclusion was reached that these ruins are of a synagogue from the first century, possibly destroyed in the years of the Jewish revolt against the Romans, between A.D. 66 and A.D. 70.
In the center of the 1292-square-foot building, the team discovered a stone engraved with a seven-branched menorah.
Avshalom-Gorni explained: "We are dealing with an exciting and unique find. This is the first time that a menorah decoration has been discovered from the days when the Second Temple was still standing. [...]
"We can assume that the engraving that appears on the stone [...] was done by an artist who saw the seven-branched menorah with his own eyes in the temple in Jerusalem."
Thus far, only six other synagogues have been discovered from the period of Jerusalem's Second Temple.
The initiative to build a center here began when the Legionaries of Christ arrived to Jerusalem in 2004 by the invitation of Pope John Paul II, to take care of the Pontifical Institute Notre Dame of Jerusalem Center.
The Magdala Center aims to complement the services offered to pilgrims who visit Jerusalem.
Legionary Father Juan María Solana, director of the Notre Dame Center and initiator of the Magdala project, stated, "I knew that Magdala was a holy place and I always had a hunch that it would be a special place for pilgrims of various religions; but the finding that we have made certainly exceeds our expectations."
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