Over in the Holy land, the Magdala stone was unearthed in 2009 and what it has carved into it may reveal more about Jesus and the way he was seen back in the day. One of the carvings is of a chariot and has got scholars theorising – as they do – on its significance.

Carvings beneath the wheels may well be flashes of fire, a sign that this chariot is in fact the chariot-throne of God described in the first chapter of the book of Ezekiel. The stone would thus be alluding to the idea that the seat of God was in the Temple.

Oooooh. So what does this have to do about the reason for Jesus’ death?

According to the Gospel of Mark, when Jesus is put on trial he is sentenced to die for blasphemy, for saying – in an allusion to Daniel 7 – that people will see him “seated at the right hand of power and coming with clouds of glory.” This statement incenses the High Priest, who tears his clothing and declares that the council does not need to hear any more evidence.

It’s a puzzling scene, because even though the High Priest seems convinced, no modern interpreter knows exactly why Jesus is pronounced guilty of blasphemy. According to later Jewish tradition, a person is guilty only for pronouncing the divine name. But Jesus doesn’t do this – he refers to God obliquely as “power” – so what’s the problem?

Even though most readers – and believers – of the bible would take its word that the reason need not be explained, scholars are dying to know:

But the depiction of the chariot on the side of the Magdala Stone, in the Holy of Holies where God was believed to reside, may suggest that as early as the first century some Jews already saw the Chariot as a reference to God. If this is the case then perhaps the Magdala Stone is the key to unraveling the blasphemy charge. At least part of the question “Why did Jesus die?” might be answered.

[source: thedailybeast]