Migdal (Magdala) - Galilee

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As far as the town of Migdal (Magdala) is concerned, we don’t have a lot to go on from the text of the New Testament. We know that it was a 1st century seaport on Galilee. Recent discoveries reveal it to have been a major commerce center exporting salted fish as far as Europe and Asia. It is located on the western side of the Sea of Galilee between Tiberias and Capernaum, and is mentioned only once in the New Testament.

Currently, Migdal is under vigorous excavation. This has made it a growing destination for tens of thousands of Holy Land pilgrims each year.

The Jewish historian Josephus estimated the population of Migdal at about 40,000 people around the time of Christ, with a fleet of ships exceeding 200.

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Photo shows what may have been storage areas for fish caught from the Galilee

It’s biblical fame rests solely on one person, Mary Magdalene — Mary from Migdal or Magdala.

Mary is named (with only a few other women) as being at the cross when Jesus was crucified [John 19:25], and as the first recorded witness of His resurrection [John 20:1]. 

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