Aerial Photo of Magadala Fig. 7

Aerial view of Magdala–Taricheae from West. Courtesy of S. De Luca © Magdala Project (M. Eisenberg 2010)

De Luca and Lena (2014)


Names
Transliterated Name Source Name
Migdal Hebrew מגדל
al-Majdal Arabic المجدل
Magdala Nunayya Aramaic in the Babylonian Talmud מגדלא נוניה
Magdala Sebaya Jewish sources
Dalmanoutha possibly in Mark 8:10
Magadan possibly in Matthew 15:39
Taricheae Greek Ταριχαία or Ταριχέα
Magdala Aramaic מגדלא
Introduction

Magdala was an ancient city on the shore of the Sea of Galilee - located ~ 3 km. north of Tiberias. Because it is referred to as Magdala Nunayya - "Tower of Fishes" - in the Babylonian Talmud, it may also be the location of Taricheae - "the place of processing fish" in Greek. The Migdal synagogue, the oldest synagogue found thus far in the Galilee, was discovered here and Jesus' disciple and possible companion Mary of Magdala (popularly known as Mary Magdalene) is reputed to have been born here. The harbor of Magdala was uncovered during the 2007–2011 Magdala Project archaeological campaigns and appears to exhibit three phases of use: late Hellenistic (2nd–1st centuries B.C.), Early-Middle Roman (1st–3rd century A.D.) and Byzantine (6th–7th centuries A.D.) (deLuca and Lena, 2014).

Maps and Plans Chronology
4th century CE earthquake

Maps and Plans

  • Figure 10 -                   Sections of the Hasmonean Mooring Place and of the Early Roman Inner Basin from de Luca and Lena (2014)
  • Figure 20 -                    Evolution of the Harbor of Magdala from de Luca and Lena (2014)
de Luca and Lena (2014:126) reported that buildings were found in a state of collapse due to the 363 CE earthquake. de Luca and Lena (2014:139) dated a collapse layer in the harbor to the 363 CE earthquake.
For causes yet unknown, the harbor basin was silted by 45–60 cm lacustrine sandy deposits covered by conglomerates of gravel (Units 3–4) typical of beaches areas, rich in mollusc shells and byoclasts (in particular melanopsis are copious). The imbrication of clasts, principally oriented eastwards and only partially toward the west, reveals the strongest water motion, typical of upper beach/foreshore environment. The potsherds from the conglomerates date back to the Middle-Late Roman (3rd century A.D.) period and give a terminus post quem for its formation (cf. Figs. 10 and 20 - see above). On this layer of pebbles, probably due to the earthquake of 363 A.D., there was the collapse of the elevation of the eastern portico to which several architectural elements – voussoirs, worked wall stones, corbels – belong. A great quantity of fragments of wall plasters with traces of paintings in vermilion red hues, burned ochre, yellow ochre, copper green, black and Egyptian blue, have been uncovered in context with pieces of ochre, red and caeruleum pigments, as well as coins and potsherds from the 3rd–4th century A.D.

Close to the southern area, the collapse was levelled and covered with crushed and pressed limestone of an Early Byzantine-Islamic building that was probably the service quarter of the monastery. The Byzantine structures were completely destroyed, greatly looted and consequently covered by a layer of pebbled, deposited by the lake which had dramatically risen toward the middle of the 8th century A.D., almost certainly due to the effect of the earthquake of 749 A.D. (cf. Fig. 15 ).

Seismic Effects
4th century CE earthquake

de Luca and Lena (2014:139) described a collapse layer in the harbor which they dated to the 363 CE earthquake.

On this layer of pebbles, probably due to the earthquake of 363 A.D., there was the collapse of the elevation of the eastern portico to which several architectural elements – voussoirs, worked wall stones, corbels – belong. A great quantity of fragments of wall plasters with traces of paintings in vermilion red hues, burned ochre, yellow ochre, copper green, black and Egyptian blue, have been uncovered in context with pieces of ochre, red and caeruleum pigments, as well as coins and potsherds from the 3rd–4th century A.D.

Intensity Estimates
4th century CE earthquake

Effect Source Description Intensity
Collapsed Walls de Luca and Lena (2014:139) collapse of the elevation of the eastern portico to which several architectural elements – voussoirs, worked wall stones, corbels – belong VIII +
These effects require a minimum Intensity of VIII (8) when using the Earthquake Archeological Effects chart of Rodríguez-Pascua et al (2013: 221-224).

Notes and Further Reading
References
Notes

De Luca (2009 - in Italian) documents collapse layers attributed to the 363 CE earthquake; for example in Sector H Buildings.