Magdala of Galilee

Such a thorough report on Magdala has been needed for some time, and now that the excavations have progressed so far, it can be produced. I am confident that archaeologists, New Testament scholars, and scholars of early Judaism will find this volume attractive and informative.

~David Fiensy, Professor of New Testament, Kentucky Christian University

Magdala of Galilee is a welcome and timely addition to the emergent and significant corpus of reports on recent excavations in Galilee. But it is much more than a collection of reports due to the enormous efforts of the editor and chief contributor, Richard Bauckham. His summaries of major aspects of the excavation and important historical and literary interpretations make this volume essential reading for anyone seriously interested in Galilean studies. Of special note are the numerous comments on the synagogue and the decorated stone found in it, as well as the noteworthy discussion on the fishing industry in Taricheae and the ritual baths in the domestic areas.

~Eric M. Meyers, Bernice & Morton Lerner Emeritus Professor of Jewish Studies, Duke University

Recently excavated Magdala has a model site for studying village life in the ancient Galilee, a region central to the history of early Christianity and Rabbinic Judaism. This thorough volume presents the results of research by leading scholars on its archaeology, history, and economic life.

~Lawrence H. Schiffman, Judge Abraham Lieberman Professor of Hebrew and Judaic Studies and Director of the Global Network for Advanced Research in Jewish Studies, New York University

For research in the archaeology and history of Galilee in the time of Jesus nothing has been more exciting than the recent rediscovery of a major part of first-century Magdala on the northwest shore of the Sea of Galilee. Richard Bauckham and a team of archaeologists and historians provide readers with the latest insights into Magdala’s synagogue, the ritual immersion pools, the wharf, and several streets and buildings. Our understanding of what a small Galilean city would have looked like in the days of Jesus has taken a big step forward.

~Craig A. Evans, John Bisagno Distinguished Professor of Christian Origins, Houston Baptist University

Magdala of Galilee is an advanced and thorough, yet accessible treatment of the excavations at Magdala, and it details the city’s history and destruction. Bauckham has masterfully organized the essays in this volume to synthesize features of both archaeological and literary data concerning this ancient city. But this work accomplishes even more than presenting data about Magdala. It exposes readers interested in the Second Temple period and the Hellenistic world to the epistemological processes between the domains of archaeology and history.

~Matthew Albanese, Reading Religion

Overall, the volume makes a clear contribution to the study of Galilee in the late Hellenistic and Roman periods and a major contribution to the study of Magdala itself. It is recommended reading for anyone interested in early Galilean Judaism or in the study of Jesus and the Gospels.… Magdala is undoubtedly among the most important archaeological sites in Galilee, and…this volume is a step in the right direction toward illuminating its history.

~Jordan J. Ryan, Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society