Located on the shores of the Sea of Galilee, the town of Magdala became an important economic center during the 1st century CE; it is also thought to be the birthplace of the New Testament’s Mary Magdalene. The wealth generated by the export of salted fish, and perhaps glass vessels and other manufactured goods as well, accounts for the size of the town’s ruins, which archaeologists are still excavating, as well as its elaborate synagogue. Marcela Zapata-Meza writes:

Magdala’s income sources could allow the residents to afford expensive and well-constructed buildings, such as the 1st-century CE synagogue and Jewish ritual baths discovered in excavations. Magdala is the only town in Galilee, so far, [where archaeologists have found] a 1st-century synagogue with frescoes, mosaics, and a unique Second Temple model carved in stone. [This is the only such stone to be] discovered in the biblical lands. The Jewish ritual baths . . . are [also] dated to the 1st century CE and are fed by underground water.

The Biden administration’s apparent abandonment of Israel is matched by the White House’s feckless handling of rising anti-Semitism. Seth Mandel explains:

On Thursday, May 2, Biden made public remarks condemning the campus pro-Hamas protests. The very next day, major Jewish groups pulled out of a White House meeting on anti-Semitism with [the domestic policy adviser Neera] Tanden and Education Secretary Miguel Cardona. The reason? Jewish activists who have spent their careers opposing Israel, attacking the Jewish community, and now supporting the very anti-Semitic demonstrations [the meeting was called to address] were added to the meeting after the mainstream groups had already accepted.

When Joe Biden speaks about anti-Semitism, he usually says the right words. But in charge of his deeds, he has put political incompetents manifestly unqualified for this responsibility. He should fix that immediately, because his speeches won’t much matter without a way to implement the ideas animating them.