Expert: Dean Gade - 6/21/2010

Question
Dear Dean Gade

In the Gospel of John there is a line that says 'Can any good thing come out of Nazarth'

There is another line that says 'Can any good thing come out of Magdala.'

both of these Quotes are just so interesting is because Nazarth is Jesus's Home town and the other one is Mary Magdalene's home town who has been said to be everything from a whore to the Jesus's wife.

So what is so bad about these two towns ?

Answer
Sorry for the delay. I don't know how it happened. But now AllExperts contacted me to let me know that you had this question on these villages and I will try to answer it.

Concerning Nazareth: Nathanael was suprised to hear that Jesus was from Nazareth because he had no expection that the Messiah would come out of Nazareth. The Old Testament prophets did not speak of Him being from this Nazareth. Nathanael seems to have been well versed in writings of the prophets and that is why he questions that Jesus would come from that town.

Jesus  hometown was Bethlehem.  Although His family moved Him to Nazareth at a very young age.


Jesus was first said to be "of Nazareth" in the following:
Mark 1:22-24
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, because he taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law. 23 Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out, 24 "What do you want with us, Jesus of Nazareth ? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are — the Holy One of God!"
NIV

This was spoken by a man possessed by an evil spirit.


Magdala was a small town which was called "the city of color" because it was a center for dying cloth and the indigo plant was said to grow there.

There are also some reports that "magdala" was a negative phrase ascribed by the Jews of that time to women who wore their hair in a fashion that was often used by prostitutes.