Al-Majdal, Tiberias
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al-Majdal, sea of Galilee circa 1890/1900. Shrine of Muhammad al-'Ajami in the foreground.
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 al-Majdal
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| Arabic | المجدل |
| Also spelled | Majdal, Magdala |
| Subdistrict | Tiberias |
| Coordinates | 32°49′28″N 35°31′00″E / 32.82444°N 35.51667°ECoordinates: 32°49′28″N 35°31′00″E / 32.82444°N 35.51667°E |
| Palestine grid | 198/247 |
| Population | 360 (1945) |
| Area | 103 dunams |
| Date of depopulation | 22 April 1948 |
| Cause(s) of depopulation | Military assault by Yishuv forces |
| Secondary cause | Influence of nearby town's fall |
| Current localities | Migdal, Israel |
Al-Majdal (Arabic: المجدل, "tower", also transliterated Majdal, Majdil and Mejdel) was a Palestinian Arab village, located on the western shore of the Sea of Galilee (200 meters (660 ft) below sea level), 3 miles (4.8 km) north of Tiberias and south of Khan Minyeh. It is identified with the site of the ancient town of Magdala, reputed to be the birthplace of Mary Magdalene.Josephus recounts military battles there between his forces and those of Vespasian's army, and archaeological excavations indicate it was an important city on the Sea of Galilee around the time of the rule of Herod Antipas.
Christian pilgrims wrote of their visits to see the house and church of Mary Magdalene from the 6th century onward, but little is known about the village in the Mamluk and early Ottoman period, indicating it was likely small or uninhabited. In the 19th century, Western travellers interested in the biblical history of Palestine documented their observations of Al-Majdal, generally describing it as a very small and poor Muslim village. In 1910-11, Russian Zionists founded Migdal adjacent to Al-Majdal. Just prior to the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli war, Al-Majdal was depopulated and then largely destroyed. The Israeli town of Migdal has since expanded onto part of the village's former lands.
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