When you travel to Israel, the tour guide will tell you that there will be “A” spots, “B” spots and “C” spots through the trip. An “A” spot is somewhere they are positive is an accurate, historical landmark/place whereas “B” and “C” spots are more “reason to believe” or “it’s possible” places, respectively.
Magdala is an “A” spot.
It was a few short miles from Capernaum, connected by a road that ran along the Sea of Galilee. Jesus spent much time in this area. Magdala was home to Mary Magdalene, home to a synagogue that Jesus taught in, and… home to the first place I cried on this trip.
They know that Jesus’ feet graced the ground we were walking on in His time. They know it. We walked the very ground that Jesus walked; where He taught, and fellowshipped with people. As we stood inside what is left of the synagogue and listened to our tour guide tell us about the Magdala Stone (which was too incredible for me to try to summarize), I was pretty overwhelmed in the best way possible.
I guess the best way to say it is… this is where it hit me. “I’m in Israel, the Holy Land. I’m in the nation it started in, and the nation He’ll return to. I’m standing where Jesus walked.”
This moment happens in a different place for everyone, but for me it happened in Magdala. If you choose to go to Israel, you’ll understand why!
~ Alyssa