Jodi Magness
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Jodi Magness holds a senior endowed chair in the Department of Religious Studies at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill: the Kenan Distinguished Professor for Teaching Excellence in Early Judaism (since 2002).
From 1992-2002, Professor Magness was Associate/Assistant Professor of Classical and Near Eastern Archaeology in the Departments of Classics and Art History at Tufts University, Medford, MA.
Professor Magness received her B.A. in Archaeology and History from the Hebrew University of Jerusalem (1977), and her Ph.D. in Classical Archaeology from the University of Pennsylvania (1989).
From 1990–92, Professor Magness was Mellon Post-Doctoral Fellow in Syro-Palestinian Archaeology at the Center for Old World Archaeology and Art at Brown University.
Professor Magness specializes in the archaeology of ancient Palestine (modern Israel, Jordan, and the Palestinian territories) in the Roman, Byzantine, and early Islamic periods. Her research interests include Jerusalem, Qumran and the Dead Sea Scrolls, ancient synagogues, Masada, the Roman army in the East, and ancient pottery.
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ARCHAEOLOGICAL WORK
THE "DIG HUQOQ" PROJECT has great potential for shedding light on the world of Jesus, the beginnings of early Christianity, and the emergence of rabbinic Judaism. If you cannot become an "on-site digger", here's how to get into the excitement.
Huqoq is an ancient Jewish village near Migdal, the hometown of Mary Magdalene, and close to Capernaum, the center of Jesus' Galilean ministry. In June 2011, Dr. Magness began a new dig at Huqoq, which has never been excavated.
Huqoq News - 2011 Season
One of the most exciting discoveries of the 2011 season are the remains of the eastern wall of a synagogue building of the Roman-Byzantine period (we did not yet reach the original floor level of the building and therefore do not yet know its exact date). Notice the large size of the stones in the wall (on which Dr. Magness is standing), which suggest a more monumental structure than we would have expected in a village. We will continue uncovering more of the synagogue in June 2012.
Click here to read the preliminary report on the 2011 season published in Hadashot Arkheologiyot.
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| Huqoq is an ancient village located 1.5 miles to the northwest of the Sea of Galilee in Israel It is mentioned in the Bible in I Chronicles 6:75 as part of the inheritance of the tribe of Asher. Later rabbinic sources refer to the gathering and processing of the mustard plant at Huqoq, reflecting the village's agrarian base. Huqoq flourished through the Late Roman and Byzantine periods. Huqoq was abandoned after the Middle Ages for several centuries, until a small Arab village and then a kibbutz were established on and near the site. | The ruins of Huqoq are spread over an area of about 6 acres. The village lies in the center of the region that was the focus of Jesus' ministry. Capernaum, the home of the adult Jesus, is 3.2 miles to the east, and the town of Migdal, the birthplace of Mary Magdalene, is 2:8 miles to the south. An ancient synagogue building is set in the midst of the ruins of Huqoq. It is the focus of the Huqoq Excavation Project (HEP). In addition to the synagogue, some of the houses in the village are being excavated |
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HEP is using the latest scientific techniques to shed light on life in an ancient Galilean village, including information about the ancient environment, diet, and economic base. Excavations in 2011 brought to light the east wall of the ancient synagogue, which is constructed of monumental stones. The soil above the synagogue wall contained loose tesserae (tiny mosaic cubes), and the rim of an imported marble basin. The first season has already altered preconceptions about what will be discovered at Huqoq! |
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CLICK HERE FOR MORE INFO AND PHOTOS OF HUQOQ PHOTOS ABOVE BY AND © JAMES HABERMAN AND MARY ROBINSON-MOHR |
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Educational Pleasure
Dr. Magness became a professor for the enjoyment of both teaching and learning. Students apply for her courses and dig volunteer opportunities for the same reasons. Sometimes, however, the pleasure one receives by learning from Dr. Magness is a great secret finally revealed:
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News of the World
March 19, 2012 - To read this USA TODAY PRINT EDITION in a larger/legible size, click here or on the image below:
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