Its tripod base indicates the likelihood that the artist saw the actual menorah in the Temple. It is currently the oldest carved image of the Second Temple’s seven-branched menorah found in a public place. The front of the Magdala Stone displays an obviously Jewish symbol, the menorah (see image below). It begs the question: Was there an evolving concept of worship in the diaspora? Was there an understanding of God’s presence in the midst of those who revered Scripture? Can this be considered a form of prayer within a first-century synagogue? Or would this be a Christian interpretation imposed upon a Jewish object? Talgam’s research and reflections on the Magdala Stone are awaiting publication. Rina Talgam of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, a forerunner in research on the Magdala Stone, believes that the Magdala Stone may indicate an early Jewish Movement in which the synagogue was perceived to be a “minor temple.” Gathering together with Scripture could be conceived as a form of spiritual worship in lieu of a ritual sacrifice offered in the Temple.

But is it simply a bimah (a traditional holder for the scrolls), or does it have some deeper significance? Found almost in the center of the synagogue, the Magdala Stone is believed to be a piece of ceremonial furniture on which the Torah and other sacred scrolls were placed. The stone measure 1.8 by 2 feet with a height of 1 foot. The so-called Magdala Stone is a stone block carved with symbols of the Temple in Jerusalem, with the core of the Temple represented (the Hall, Sanctuary and the Holy of Holies). Carved with symbols from the Temple, the quartzite stone was discovered in the middle of an ancient synagogue. What did the Temple represent in their daily life? Did they locate God’s presence in the Jerusalem Temple alone or also in their midst when they gathered in the synagogue? For a people living in the diaspora, unable to visit the Temple frequently, what kept the memory and centrality of the Temple fresh in their minds? An intriguing stone uncovered at the site of Magdala on the western shores of the Sea of Galilee in September 2009 might offer a clue. Imagine a first-century Jew living in the land near their Temple in Jerusalem, yet they are too far away to make frequent visits. Photo: Yael Yulowich, courtesy Israel Antiquities Authority. synagogue at the Galilean site of Magdala, the Magdala Stone bears one of the earliest images of the seven-branched menorah.

Discovered in the center of a first-century C.E.

Ancient space temple