Blog

By Marc Turnage

The site of Magdala sits a little over three miles north of Tiberias, on the southern edge of the plain of Gennesar, on the shore of the lake of Galilee.

Ancient sources seemingly refer to this site by three names; Greek and Latin sources refer to it as Taricheae; Hebrew and Aramaic sources use the names Magdala or Migdal Nunaya. Although a question remains whether all three names refer to the same site, many accept that they do. Since the Byzantine period (4^th-7^th centuries A.D.), tradition has identified this site as the home of Mary Magdalene, mentioned in the Gospels, but Mary’s connection with this site is by no means certain. 

The ancient sources written in Greek and Latin, dating to the 1^st century, refer to the site as Taricheae. Taricheae served as an important administrative center from the 1^st century B.C. into the 1^st century A.D. Its name in Greek refers to “factories (vats) for salting fish.” The city’s location on the shores of the lake of Galilee indicate that fishing and fish processing served as its primary industry. The administrative role of the city, as well as its size, suggest that its fishing and fish processing involved smaller villages that lay within its toparchy, like Capernaum. 

Gennesar (Gennesereth) is a large fertile plain on the northwest corner of the lake of Galilee. The name refers to the region of the fertile plain. Magdala functioned as the largest city and port serving the Gennesar Valley; thus, when Jesus arrives by boat to Gennesar (the region) in the Gospels, he likely used the port of Magdala. 

Archaeologists first excavated a small section of the site in the 1970s. Excavations since the 2000s have provided a number of significant finds that shed light on Jewish life around the lake of Galilee during the ministry of Jesus. Excavations have uncovered installations that likely served for the processing and salting of fish, indicating the identification of the site as Taricheae. They also uncovered a series of streets laid out in an urban grid pattern, and along some of these streets, houses were uncovered that speak to the wealth of the people that lived in them.

They were built with finely cut stones having mosaic tile floors. Pottery and glass vessels discovered in these homes further speak to the wealth of the inhabitants. These homes also had private Jewish ritual immersion baths (mikva’ot). Ground water filled and refilled these pools. Their presence is rather unique since the lake itself could serve Jewish ritual purity needs. The owners of these homes apparently desired a high degree of ritual purity, which required them to include private ritual immersion baths in their homes.

Excavations uncovered the ancient Hasmonean (1^st century B.C.) and early Roman (1^st century A.D.) harbor of Magdala. Pottery and coins provided a clear date for the structure, which had the mooring stones still in place. This harbor served the fishing industry of Magdala, as well as provided transit for travel around the lake. Magdala sits just below Mount Arbel, which overlooked a pass through which a road led from the northwest corner of the lake west into Galilee, and which could also be used by Galilean pilgrims traveling to Jerusalem. 

Excavators uncovered a modest public building, which they have identified as a synagogue. This building consists of three phases. The middle phase dates to the early-mid 1^st century A.D. This structure consists of an entrance with a narrow rectangular hall from the west, possibly a room for study known as a beit midrash. One passes from the entry vestibule into the main hall, which is surrounded on all sides by benches. This placed the focal point of the hall in the center of the room (this is a common layout for first century synagogues).

The aisles had mosaic floors, and the columns of the main hall were covered with frescoed plaster. The walls also had frescoes plaster upon them. In the center of the main hall, archaeologists discovered a stone with four short legs. This decorated stone preserves a number of images, the most striking of which is the seven branched menorah that resided in the Jerusalem Temple. The iconography of this stone seems to tie to the Temple in Jerusalem indicating that those in this synagogue connected their worship with the worship in the Temple. 

In the land of Israel in the 1^st century, the primary function of the synagogue was the reading and teaching of the Torah. We see this with Jesus in the Gospels. The layout and orientation of 1^st century synagogues in the land of Israel, like the one in Magdala, focus on the center of the hall where the Torah would be read and expounded upon. This stone discovered in Magdala has been identified as the base for a Torah reading stand. Jews read the Torah standing; they sit to teach (just like Jesus; see Luke 4:16-20). This decorated stone likely served as a base for a stand for the Torah reading, when all eyes would be fixed on the one reading and explicating the Torah (Luke 4:16-20).

The Gospels do not mention Jesus in Magdala. Yet, he sailed to the region of Gennesar where Magdala was located. He taught in all the synagogues of the villages and cities of Galilee. The Magdala synagogue dates from the time of his ministry; he could have taught there. Excavations at Magdala reveal that the population of the Galilee in the 1^st century was Jewish, and devout Jews at that. Some had wealth, but they adhered to Jewish concerns of purity and worship.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

“He has told you, mortal one, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justice, to love kindness, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NASB).

When the prophet Micah sought to summarize what God wants of us, he simplified our life before God into three directives: Do justice, love mercy, walk humbly with God. 

We are to do justice. The question, however, is whether the cries for justice in our world today reflect the biblical idea of justice.

In our Western world, we often think of justice as more of an abstract ideal. Our courthouses depict justice as a blindfolded lady with the scales in her hands, because justice is to be blind—the same and equal for all.

In the Bible justice is not abstract; rather, it is defined relationally, with the central relationship being how God relates to us and calls upon us to relate to Him. The second relational aspect is how He demands that we relate to each other, which He defines.

The violation of either of these relational aspects, either between us and God or us and our neighbor, is what the Bible defines as sin. Justice, then, is defined by God. God Himself is just.

The Bible also makes clear that God is merciful. In fact, as justice cannot be just without mercy, so too mercy gains clarity by justice. They go together.

The cries for justice we hear today do not often reflect this nuanced, biblical reality. Many want justice to roll down upon our world, especially on those who do not share their faith, politics, or morals. Yet justice requires mercy. Moreover, justice is defined by God.

Micah captures this reality. What does God desire from us? Do justice. Doing justice does not mean playing the judge; it means living in right relationship with others and actively pursuing the wellbeing of everyone around us—particularly the poor, needy, and oppressed among us.

In our efforts to do justice, though, we must also remember to love kindness and mercy. Each of us has played a role in causing or perpetuating injustice in our world. Therefore, in the same way that we need mercy, we must extend mercy to others. 

And finally, we must choose to walk humbly with God. Why? We have to possess the humility to recognize that we are not the judge; only One deserves that title. 

Unlike human beings, God’s judgment is perfect. He always has a redemptive or restorative outcome in mind.

If we do justice, love mercy, and walk humbly, then we will be able to more effectively demonstrate the truth of who God is to an unjust, broken, and hurting world. They will see that He is good, just, and full of mercy. 

PRAYER

Father, today may we do justice and pursue what is right for all. Please give us empathy for others, to stand in their place. May we love mercy and show it to all we come in contact with, and may we walk humbly with You, our merciful and just Judge. Amen.

It all started when his eyesight began to dim. Joseph, an Ethiopian Christian, had a good job with medical benefits at an Israeli company. And then, he was diagnosed with cataracts in both of his eyes. Soon, it severely affected his vision, and he could no longer do his job.

When he was forced to quit working for the company, he lost his health insurance—and could not afford to pay for cataract surgery. His rent also became unaffordable, and the only place he could manage to live financially was a studio apartment in the Old City of Jerusalem.

Yet in that area, the cobblestone streets were dangerous to navigate with his failing eyesight. Eventually, he was almost blind, and it affected his ability to read, or even perform basic tasks like finding his way home. He felt so alone. Where could he turn for help?

Fortunately, friends like you came to his rescue. Through CBN Israel, caring donors sponsored his surgery, removing the cataracts in both of his eyes, and covering the costs of his prescribed medicine. And, they are delivering food packages to him, so he can survive with nutritious meals as he recovers from his operation. Joseph exclaimed, “You are angels sent by the Lord—thank you!”

And your gifts to CBN Israel can be a godsend to so many who are struggling to survive. You can be there for new immigrants, single moms, Holocaust survivors, war victims and more—offering help and hope.

The war in Israel has brought a host of challenges throughout the Holy Land. Your support can reach out to those in need with hot meals, groceries, finances, housing, and essentials.

Please help us extend a lifeline of compassion today!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

The biblical writers often assume their readers knew the geographic and regional dynamics of the land of Israel. Sites and locations offer more than simply places on a map; they provide the living landscape that shaped and formed the biblical stories. In addition, the authors of Scripture assume we understand the geographical and regional dynamics that played important roles within their stories.

A great example of this phenomenon is the Elah Valley. This valley serves as the setting for one of the most famous stories in the Bible: the confrontation between David and Goliath (1 Samuel 17). If the story simply boils down to us as “man kills giant,” we miss the geographic tension created by the author and understood by his audience. Let me explain.

The biblical land of Israel, west of the Jordan River, looks like a loaf of French bread: flat on the sides and puffy in the middle. The puffy middle represents the Hill Country that runs north-south through the land, forming its spine. On the western side of the French loaf along the Mediterranean sits the Coastal Plain. The Philistines lived there. The Israelites lived in the Hill Country, and between these two geographic zones lay a buffer area known in the Bible as the Shephelah of Judah. Low rolling hills with broad valleys characterize the Shephelah.

These valleys created west-east corridors for movement between the Coastal Plain and the Hill Country. Many places mentioned in the Bible lie in and along these valleys through the Shephelah; the Bible mentions them because of their situation in connection to these valleys and routes of travel.

The Elah Valley provides one of these corridors between the Coastal Plain (and the Philistines) and the Hill Country (and the Israelites). Located at the western mouth of the Elah Valley as it opens into the Coastal Plain sits Gath, Goliath’s hometown. At the eastern end of this valley—in the Hill Country—lies Bethlehem, David’s hometown. Is it any wonder that Goliath of Gath and David of Bethlehem met in the Elah Valley? But there’s more. 

The author of Samuel described the Philistines’ movement into the Elah Valley from the west: “Now the Philistines gathered their forces for war and assembled at Sokoh in Judah” (1 Samuel 17:1 NIV). Their movement into the Elah Valley—as well as its regional dynamics, with Bethlehem situated at its eastern end—indicate that the end goal for the Philistines was Bethlehem.

Acquiring Bethlehem provided entry into Judah, and it put them along the main north-south artery in the Central Hill Country. Their actions were not haphazard; they were strategic. And in the midst of these regional dynamics and the struggles between Israel and the Philistines, the author tells of the confrontation between David and Goliath. 

He assumed his audience understood the tension created by the geography of the story. The Philistines’ target: Bethlehem. Jessie and David from Bethlehem were concerned with how the battle fared. Where would David from Bethlehem and Goliath from Gath eventually meet? The author provides such a clear description of the valley, its villages, and even the brook that runs through it that one can stand in the Elah Valley identifying the lines of battle, the location of Saul’s forces and the Philistines, and the flight of the Philistines after David’s triumph.

When we understand the physical settings of the land of the Bible, a depth of understanding and insight into the stories of the Bible opens before us, and we begin to read the Bible as its first readers did and its authors intended. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

One day the sons of God came to present themselves before the LORD, and Satan also came with them. The LORD asked Satan, “Where have you come from?”

“From roaming through the earth,” Satan answered Him, “and walking around on it.” Then the LORD said to Satan, “Have you considered My servant Job? No one else on earth is like him, a man of perfect integrity, who fears God and turns away from evil.” 

Satan answered the LORD, “Does Job fear God for nothing? Haven’t You placed a hedge around him, his household, and everything he owns? You have blessed the work of his hands, and his possessions have increased in the land. But stretch out Your hand and strike everything he owns, and he will surely curse You to Your face.”

“Very well,” the LORD told Satan, “everything he owns is in your power. However, you must not lay a hand on Job himself.” So Satan left the LORD’s presence (Job 1:6-12 HCSB).

God thrust Job into the arena. Have you ever noticed this? God brought him before Satan. He drew attention to Job’s blamelessness and uprightness, his fear of God. 

By doing so, He put these qualities within Job to the test. Satan suggested that Job would not remain faithful if he suffered, and this becomes the setting for the book of Job: his tests and suffering. Sometimes our faithfulness has to be tested in the fire of trial and suffering. Job came through the test. But God put him in the furnace of testing. Why?

The book of Job never answers Job’s question, “Why?” When God finally answers Job, His response in essence is: I’m God, you’re not. Sometimes there is no answer to the question of why people suffer. But God answered Job, and this has much greater significance. Job wanted to make his case before God, something he didn’t get to do. Yet God answered him, and in the end this is what mattered—not the answer, but the One who answered.

Still, God thrust Job into the arena. Throughout the Bible, God placed people in the arena with all eyes watching to show forth His glory. When we remain faithful in the midst of trials, sufferings, hardships, and pain, not only is our faith strengthened, but we glorify God before a watching world. Satan could no longer express a caveat for Job’s faithfulness, because he remained faithful through his trials and suffering. 

Job’s story tells us, though, that God will thrust us into the arena—not for our comfort, but for His glory. Sometimes God wants to put us on display before a watching world. 

In the midst of trials, sufferings, hardships, and pain, will we choose to remain faithful to God? Will we be a bright and shining example to the world around us? Will they see that our faith is genuine and will remain unshaken even during adversity?

PRAYER

Father, in the midst of trials, hardships, and suffering, may we display loyalty and faithfulness to You. Amen.

They escaped a world that was hunting them down. Since World War II, multitudes of Jewish people who survived the Holocaust have found a haven in Israel. But those who managed to live through that horrific genocide are facing new challenges as they grow older. As of 2024, about 133,000 Holocaust survivors reside in the Holy Land.

Many of these vulnerable senior citizens are living at or below the poverty line—and struggling to keep up with ever-rising costs for medications, groceries, and rent. Some have difficulty understanding Hebrew, which makes it hard to connect with others, obtain necessities, and navigate what can seem to be a complex bureaucracy.

Thousands of these survivors deal with another critical problem: crushing loneliness. They have lost many friends and loved ones over the years and must deal with isolation that affects their physical and mental health.

But caring people like you are there for these precious seniors. Donor gifts enable CBN Israel to partner with the Jewish Agency in offering an innovative program that matches Holocaust survivors with caring young adults who receive training and college scholarships as part of their volunteer commitment.

Thanks to the kindness of generous friends like you, these elderly people now have warm companionship as they receive help with errands, chores, and accessing benefits, services, and community activities that enrich their quality of life.

Yosef, an active 91-year-old whose entire family was murdered in the Holocaust, was teamed with Amit, a graduate student—and the two have become special friends. “We talk about all the issues of the world,” Yosef says. “When Amit comes to visit me, the room is filled with so much light!”

This is just one of the many ways you can be a blessing Holocaust survivors through CBN Israel. You can also reach out to many other people in need with food, finances, and essentials, and letting them know they are not alone.

Please join us in extending a hand to others!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

The book of Acts mentions Caesarea a number of times. In Caesarea, the Gospel came to the Gentiles for the first time as Peter proclaimed Jesus to the God-fearing Roman Centurion Cornelius and his family, who subsequently received the Holy Spirit as the Jews had (Acts 10). 

The grandson of Herod the Great, Agrippa I, died in Caesarea, an event related in Acts and by the first century Jewish historian Josephus (Acts 12:19-23; Josephus, Antiquities 19.343-350). Paul sailed to and from Caesarea on multiple occasions (Acts 9:26-30; 18:22; 27:2). Paul also remained in Caesarea under house arrest, where he faced the Roman Procurators Felix and Festus, as well as the great-grandson of Herod the Great, Agrippa II, and his sister Bernice, before he sailed to Rome appealing to Caesar (Acts 23:23-27:2).

While Paul found himself under house arrest in Caesarea, Luke—the author of Luke and Acts— was part of Paul’s company, yet he could move freely throughout the land of Israel. It seems reasonable that while he resided in the land of Israel, he came in contact with the material he used to write his life of Jesus and the first part of the book of Acts, before he joined the story in Acts 16 (see Luke 1:1-4).

Herod the Great built up a small Phoenician port named “Strato’s Tower” into the second-largest harbor in the Mediterranean, which he named after his friend and benefactor Caesar Augustus. Around the harbor, which he called Sebastos, Augustus’s Greek name, he built a city with a palace, stadium, theater, and a temple to Augustus. The city continued to grow and expand, reaching its height in the late Roman and Byzantine eras (third through seventh centuries). 

After the death of Herod in 4 B.C., the territory of Caesarea fell to his son Archelaus (Matthew 2:22). Rome, however, removed Archelaus from power in A.D. 6 at the request of his Jewish subjects. Rome annexed his territory and brought it under direct Roman rule, which took the form of Roman prefects. These provincial governors, like Pontius Pilate, resided in Caesarea as it became the headquarters and administrative center for the Roman governors. 

Archaeologists uncovered a dedicatory inscription of a small temple to the Roman Emperor Tiberias by the Roman Prefect Pontius Pilate. This inscription actually provides an important window into the psychology of Pilate, who went to excessive lengths to put himself in good favor with the emperor.  

The First Jewish Revolt against Rome (A.D. 66-73) broke out in Caesarea as tensions between the local Jews and Gentiles boiled over. At the conclusion of the revolt, the Roman general Titus forced 2,500 Jewish prisoners of war to fight to the death in the stadium of Caesarea as part of his victory games.

Caesarea played an important role in the history of the Church Fathers. Origen (A.D. 185-254) taught 23 years in Caesarea, where he established a library. Eusebius used the library of Caesarea to write his Ecclesiastical History. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

We are often told to “pursue God” and “draw near to God.” The Bible encourages it: “Your face, LORD, I will seek” (Psalm 27:8 NKJV). The Bible makes clear that God can be found by those who pursue Him. So, at times, the action falls upon us to pursue God. 

The Bible also makes clear, however, that God pursues us: “You hunt me like a lion” (Job 10:16 HCSB). The God of the Bible does not sit idle waiting for us to approach Him; He is not passive. Rather, He pursues us.

The writer of Psalm 23 expresses God’s active pursuit of His people with the phrase, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life” (verse 6). Many translations read, “Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me,” and while this is an accurate literal translation, it fails to capture the essence of the language.

First, the term “mercy” carries a deeper sense than a passing feeling. In Hebrew the word refers to God’s covenantal mercy, something that is sure and certain. It is not dependent upon a capricious emotion but is bound to God’s covenant with His people.

Also, the psalmist is not saying that the goodness and mercy of God follow after me as something I leave in my wake, nor does he mean that God’s goodness and mercy follow me, chasing me but never able to catch me.

The term used by the psalmist, usually translated as “follow,” is the Hebrew word radaf, a military term meaning to “pursue with the intent of overtaking.” In other words, God’s goodness and mercy pursue me aggressively, as an army does its fleeing foe, seeking to surround me and overtake me. 

Quite often, the cares of life can be overwhelming. When we approach God, He can feel distant and far off. The God of the Bible, however, is One whose covenant mercy pursues us daily. He pursues us. And that is a comforting feeling. He not only asks us to seek Him, but He seeks after us.

Today, will we allow ourselves to be found by Him?

PRAYER

Father, open my eyes to all of the ways You are pursuing me. May Your goodness and covenant mercy surround me. May I also be aware that You actively pursue all people, as You do me. Amen.