The Magdala Story

When construction began in 2009, no one could have imagined what God had in store. As workers began to dig the foundation for the guesthouse, they discovered a First Century Synagogue where it is certain that Jesus taught. Inside the synagogue, they also found The Magdala Stone, a discovery many archaeologists call the most significant archaeological find in the past 50 years.

As archaeologists continued to dig, they discovered an entire first-century Jewish town lying just below the surface. With only 10% of the archaeology uncovered, the hometown of Mary Magdalene already provides pilgrims with an authentic location to walk where Jesus taught and to connect with the first-century life of Jesus’ followers.

Magdala is a unique Holy Land site with a first-century city where the Jewish residents gathered in a synagogue where Jesus visited and taught. It is home to the beautiful Duc In Altum, which provides a place for worship, mass, and prayer, and the Magdala Guesthouse, a unique hospitality experience for visitors and pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Because of its unique nature, Magdala actively contributes to building positive relationships with the diverse community of Christian believers and between Christians and Jews.

In the coming days, Magdala will feature an expanded archaeological park, a media-enabled visitor center to showcase findings on site and explain the story of the site, and an outstanding restaurant.