This Discovery Will Eventually Change The World!

Organic fragments 

in open water pipe

Enlarged view of open pipe

On the eastern slopes of Mount Moriah, in the City of David, a significant Middle Bronze Age water system, remnants of a reservoir and a water channel were discovered. Organic samples were carbon dated by Cambridge University and Weizmann Institute to the water channel's last use in 1535 BCE. The water system supplied two of four rooms, hollowed from the bedrock, of the ancient rock-cut-temple located 35m above the Gihon Spring. The water once flowed to the rooms, more than 3500 years ago, as is now evident in landscapes mapped by the Israel Antiquities Authority.

The organic samples were extracted nearest the remnant plaster that formed an open drain, running from the elevated reservoir, above and along the bedrock down the slope into the rooms. The date of the samples closest to the underside of the drain and those immediately above it exclusively overlaps the orthodox biblical chronology of Jacob's last 30 years in the homeland of his ancestors. After that he and his family immigrated to Egypt. This means the water system was constructed and only ever used during this time. Once Jacob left for Egypt, unattended, the water system and the entire rock-cut-temple went out of use and was consumed by falling sand and natural debris on the steep slope.

The water system was built to flush water onto the floor to clean blood and excrement from a room that was used to slaughter and process animals and another used to offer animal sacrifices on stones forming an altar. Between these rooms, a room with a standing stone or matzevah that, relative to the dating of the water channel, is undoubtedly the one Jacob erected as his Covenant at Beth El on Mount Moriah, after which he assumed his name Israel (Genesis 35:7-15). 

Count the fused stones on the front?

Compare the view from the back!

Senior archaeologist Ronny Reich opened his recent book "Excavations in the City of David" with a chapter, "A moment in which to be born", by explaining that the spring, east of the city, bellow the rock-cut-temple was never called Gihon, instead the Bible called it En Shemesh (Sun Spring). The spring is a perennial, intermittent gusher, resembling a pump, sometimes gushing, other times flowing, descriptively a gihon (meaning; bursting forth or gushing in Hebrew). To this day the morning sun shines brightly on the spring's entrance. 

Ronny used En Shemesh to reconcile a difficult passage from the Book of Joshua that defined Israel's tribal boundaries. We found that it perfectly describes the prerequisite intersection of the altars raised bedrock foundation, on the northern boundary of tribe Judah with the southern boundary of tribe Benjamin. 

Note the South East corner of the altar foundation

This is important and controversial because the first and second temple altars were built further up on the summit of the mountain, in the area of the temple mount, but that location does not comply with Ronny’s En Shemesh boundary. Surprisingly the rock-cut-temple and the location of its altar foundation at the  intersection between En Rogel and En Shemesh, on the eastern slope of Mount Moriah, is compliant with Ronny Reich’s boundary. Further, the altar foundations westernmost construction also  complies with Maimonides Guide for the Perplexed (Part 3 45:1):- Undoubtedly all people turned then to the East [worshipping the Sun]. Abraham turned therefore on Mount Moriah to the West, that is, the site of the Sanctuary, and turned his back toward the sun.

The altar foundation is and by Jewish law must be of bedrock. Back then loose boulders would have been assembled on it, each time it was used, to form the actual altar the Bible is likely talking about in Genesis 35:7:- There Jacob built an altar and named the site El-bethel, there God had first revealed Himself to him when he was fleeing from his brother, 22 years earlier, when he experienced his stairway to heaven dream and first erected a Matzevah. 

How is it then possible that the altar location of the first temple of Solomon and second temple could differ with the water system of an altar, dated 700 years earlier to Jacob, biblical forefathers Isaac and Abraham or even the high priest of Salem - Malchi-Tzedek?

The altar of the first temple, at the summit was not selected by Solomon, but by his father David. 1 Chronicles 21:17 (also 2 Samuel 24) tells us: David said to God, “Was it not I alone who ordered the numbering of people? I alone am guilty and have caused severe harm, but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord my God, let your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, and let not your people be plagued. Then the prophet Gad told David to go up to the summit of Mount Moriah and set up an altar and sacrifice on it. David acquired the summit from the Jebusite King who prior to David controlled the lower southern section of Mount Moriah. The summit of Mount Moriah became the temple mount as we know it today. David’s altar location was selected to rectify his personal sin.

The discovery of this altar, further down Mount Moriah, above En Shemesh or the Gihon Spring, as it is known today, must be the location associated with Jacob, his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. These dueling locations present very complex questions that have now emerged before us.

The temple location is the forefront of Israel’s wars. Homes of violent Islamic Jihadists contain images of the Golden dome and Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount. Every Jew believes, by tradition, that the Temple Mount once contained the site where Jacob’s father was bound and offered as a sacrifice by his grandfather. With this discovery perhaps Israel will shift from its Temple Mount tradition toward Mount Moriah's rock-cut-temple, defined by its compliant location, altar's raised foundation, matzevah, that is undoubtedly Jacob’s and its western orientation in order to build its final Temple on Mount Moriah.

Upending Revisionist Bias

A standing stone, to commemorate a covenant and a set of clay tablets are sufficient proofs to reset the academic bias that has altered our understanding of Biblical history for the past 200 years. The bias was perpetrated by early French, German and British archaeologists that established the now broadly accepted views of Egyptian Pharaonic chronology. Their dating clashed with Biblical dating, by around 1-200 years, leading many to support the claim that the Bible was loosely constructed by 4 authors and its dates lacked credibility. These academics opposed the traditional Jewish view that the Bible is the word of God as transcribed by Moses. Now, we have proof to discredit their biased claims and restore the Bible to its rightful place. 

In 2010 excavations at the City of David on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah began to reveal the hidden rooms of a stone temple that baffled everyone. It took another 12 years before a carbon dating study by Weismann Institute and Cambridge University firmly established the date the water channel for the facility was built. The water channel flushed water onto the floors of 2 of the 4 main rooms that were carved out of bedrock. These rooms constitute a temple complex, which we have called Temple Zero because it proceeds the First Temple built by Solomon by at least 600 years.

According to Biblical chronology, Jacob left his parents for their ancestral home in Harran (Syria-Turkey border) where he was sent to find a wife and build a family. Commentators calculate he first spent 14 years learning with Noah's great, great grandson Ever. Before making his final departure he encountered the place of his famous stairway to heaven dream, the place he would name, Beit El, in 2185 (Since Creation) or 1576 BCE (CODEX JUDAICA) (Genesis 28:11).

Twenty years later Jacob returned from Harran in 2205 (Since Creation)1556 BCE. His last child Benjamin was born in 2208 (Since Creation) 1553 BCE (Genesis35:18-19). The birth was preceded by a brief (6-12 month) stop at Beit El. When he originally left Beit El for Harran and when he returned (Genesis 35:14) the Bible tells us that he set up and anointed a matzevah. The only, in-situ artifact of Temple Zero is a room containing a matzevah and the last use of the water channel that serviced the adjacent rooms was 18 years later 1535 BCE. Jacob, who by this time had been named Israel and his family were exiled to Egypt 12 years later in 1523 BCE (Genesis 46:1). This constitutes my first refutation of the Pharaonic chronology. 

The second refutation takes place after Israel's long exile and journey, back from Egypt, that took them away for 250 years. Joshua led Israel in numerous battles to conquer settle Israel's tribes in their allotted portions of land. Joshua ruled 32 years in the land. 

The Amarna letters span Egyptian Pharaoh's Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, through possibly Smenkhkare or Tutankhamun around 150 years. At least letter #254 must have been written during the overlap of Amenhotep III and Joshua's 32 year reign, which according to the Biblical record ended in 1245 BCE. But, the 100 year gap between Amenhotep III and Joshua would need resolution. Known as The Labaya tablet, #254 and others reference Pharaoh in his 32nd year of reign leaving only Amenhotep III who held power for 36-38 years during the Amarna period. According to the classic chronology Amenhotep III died in 1351 BCE.

If letter #254 describes the Biblical events that took place following 1273 BCE, at the beginning of Joshua's reign, the Egyptian chronology, immediately prior to the Amarna period, would have to be revised forward by around ~100 years, which would be difficult for classical Egyptologists to digest. Joshua must then have overlapped both Amenhotep III and Akhenaten, which if we wind back 40 years, would make Thutmose IV the prime candidate at the time of the Israelite Exodus led by Moses. 

Although limited, evidence of Israel's exodus in Egypt does exist, as does evidence of Egypt erasing and reconstructing its history, here we have an important artifact that has been written off by prolonged academic bias. Now that we have a proof date of Jacob returning from his exile and an letter #254 with an academic dating to ~1360 BCE, when Israel returned from their Egyptian exile, we can confidently challenge the revisionist bias and re-sync Common Era dates back to their Creation alignments. Such an adjustment would put letter #254 at ~1260 BCE, some 13 years after Moses death in 1273 BCE according to Creation. The Bible chronology tells us it took 14 years after Moses to settle the land.  

These two absolute dates and the context of the associated artefacts are sufficient to persuade anyone, except those whose bias against Israel surpasses their desire for truth. 

Purim, Randomness and Quantum Mechanics

Purim in Tel Aviv

Einstein stated, "God does not play dice with the universe." In his clarifying letter, he wrote: "God tirelessly plays dice under laws which He has Himself prescribed.”

These days we may have an easier time understanding the double-slit experiment that demonstrates light and matter can satisfy classical definitions for both waves and particles. This ambiguity is considered evidence for the probabilistic nature of quantum mechanics. Electrons fired in a single trajectory toward a screen, pass through a barrier with two slits, then interfere to produce bright and dark bands on the screen, a result that would not be expected if light consisted of classical particles.

This dual particle-wave quality demonstrates the fundamental limitation of the observer to predict experimental results, Richard Feynman called it "a phenomenon" where the observer affects the outcome.

Strangely the Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates drawing the random lot, as in a "lottery", that was played by Israel's chief villain to decide the date he would annihilate the Jews of Persia. The festival obliges Jews to reach a mind set, typically induced by excessive alcohol, where the cursed villain Haman and blessed hero, of the Jewish people, Mordechai are identical. Strangely, while inebriated, Jews must remain cognoscente that Haman was the villain. This mental juggling act can get tricky for some, especially after a few drinks and atonement on this occurs through unadulterated expression of joy. 

So why, on this most festive day of the entire calendar do Jews celebrate the miracle in the "lottery", surely there are other much more meaningful aspects of this redemption from collective disaster? 

Based on thousands of years of teachings, consistent with Torah, the Rebbe precisely describes the lofty, apparent randomness of the "lottery"! In classic Kabballah and Chassidus, the studies of Jewish mysticism and philosophy, the world and its Creator are defined, often invoking scientific analogies. For the uninitiated these are difficult to comprehend, but here in his Maamar, Al Kein Karu (highly recommended reading), on the story of Purim, the Rebbe transcends all complex spiritual barriers.

The lottery describes a lofty spiritual level like that experienced on the calendars holiest day, Yom Kippur, literally meaning a day like (ki) a "lottery" (pur). The classic meaning is a day like Purim where "like" defines Purim's lofty status over Yom Kippur. Opposite to Purim, atonement on Yom Kippur is granted for conflicting the Will of the Creator and takes place through affliction and fasting. Similarly, on Yom Kippur lots were cast to decide which of two identical goats would be sent to Azazel, the evil side and which one would be offered up on the Holy Temple Altar.

Since these items, goats, villain or hero should be either physically or spiritually identical ones intellect cannot reach a meaningful decision thus the will or desire to make an informed decision submits. Reverting to a higher order, the decision rises to the level of lot or lottery.

Masterfully The Rebbe elaborates on the Biblical sources that teach how choosing, on these high holidays, resembles the systematic order of creation. Here, 'lottery" presides above will or desire, but even more lofty, the possession of a free-choice. Therefore, in deference, The Creator, who granted free-choice to Man, Woman and the Jewish People, presides, including over particles and waves as The Master of Free-Choice. The Ultimate Observer affects infinite outcomes because every expression is probable, identical until, in our world, its momentarily not.

Haman and Babylonians knew about spiritual systems, he knew that his lot fell in the month Moses, the leader of the Jewish people died, he didn't know it was also the month of his birth. Only the lottery would afford him a random chance to destroy the Jewish people. In his arrogance he failed to recognize that free-choice granted by The Master of Free Choice affects all outcomes through His continuous expression that manifests as time and space. 

King Achashverosh (his name intimating controller over alternating modes of speaking-silence) who who had been influenced by his Jewish Queen, Esther (her name intimating her concealment), lifted his decree against the Jewish people and placed Haman's future into his Queen's hand. The gallows Haman prepared for Mordechai were instead used on Haman and the Jewish people were saved from certain annihilation.

Spooky science at a distance? Then watch this.

    

Timeline of Jacob at Jerusalem's Stone Temple

Biblical events and archaeology, on the eastern slope of Mount Moriah are complex.  Here, I constructed this dual timeline, from creation with Gregorian dating.

According to Biblical chronology Jacob's first encounter on Mount Moriah took place in 1573 BCE. Twenty two years later, in 1553 BCE, he returned with his family to Mount Moriah. Later Jacob immigrated to Egypt, where his descendants remained for 250 years before they returned to their ancestral land.

The overlapping 100 year use of the water channel (1535 BCE) with time of Jacob makes this discovery remarkable particularly because of its exciting context with the rock-cut-temple and matzevah, stone pillar found within the stone temple location. According to the Bible Jacob erected a matzevah at this location (Genesis 35:14).

Part One
Biblical Dating

Part Two
Archaeology

The video weaves the time bound elements of this remarkable discovery at the City of David, Jerusalem.

The New, Better Israel

MK Simcha Rothman,
 Chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee

Israeli disunity and distress leading up to the Simchat Torah 5783 (October 7, 2023) attack parallels ancient events. To understand these I provide some background.

The holiday of our Redemption is commonly known as Passover or Pesach and the traditional meal ends with participants saying: “Next Year in Jerusalem”. That would be ok, unless your dinner happens to be located in Jerusalem, where all attendees sing out the same ‘Next year in Jerusalem’. Seems strange doesn’t it? 

The universal tradition renders it a personal statement. Regardless of location, each attendee has not realized their fullest redemption from self imposed exile, perhaps it will be, next year.

The traditional Seder dinner focuses on the story of Israel’s exodus from Egypt, in Hebrew Mitzrayim. The word rendered as: M-tZ-R-Y-M can be segmented as Ma-tZ-eR Ya-M, translated as ‘Sea of Distress’. In other words, in Egypt, Israel was drowning in a Sea of Distress. 

Israelite enslavement started under an Egyptian Pharoah whose ministers grew anxious that Israel's flourishing population posed a civil threat that could topple their regime. The antidote was a birth control decree that banned male babies, requiring them to be killed at birth. This exacerbated the national distress for millions of Israelites as Egyptian authorities pursued pregnant mothers. 

The Bible explains this is the time that Moses was born, rescued and raised in the palace of Pharaoh. When he was older he became incensed by an Egyptian taskmasters abuse of an Israelite woman and subsequent beating of her husband. Moses struck out and killed the Egyptian.

Had it not been for Israelite disunity Moses could have triggered the rebellion Egyptians feared most. Instead the victim blamed Moses for highlighting their plight. accused him of being a self-appointed judge and reported his action to the authorities. Moses fled and Israel's torturous conditions prevailed.

Now, our babies have been dismembered, murdered, kidnapped, as hostages our woman raped and our men beaten. Is this the result of our Israelite disunity, our national disorder that appears to parallel events in Egypt? On Simchat Torah the disunity was brought to a head. Now Israel has choices to make, either prolong the suffering, like it was in Egypt, or come to the full behavioral realization that our redemption moment has arrived. Take it or leave it. 

In the words of MK Simcha Rothman, chairman of the Knesset Constitution, Law and Justice Committee: "When the war is over, we will all be different. Because we learned something. My camp created a great deal of fear in people and did not do enough to reduce the fear. In the future, I will do everything not to pry into the other side's wounds in a manner that would make them unable to listen".

This time we must be different, politics has its place as it must, but we are above that and this is our moment to shine! 

We must not allow this holy day to be denigrated by calling it 10/7, 7/10 or the October 7 massacre. Instead, in honor to those who have sacrificed the most, we must elevate it to the highest spiritual order. It is Israel's calling, its Simchat Torah Redemption - soon in Jerusalem! 

My Journey to Israel.

Of the roughly 100 trips I have made to Israel over the last 20 years, this one was the most challenging, physically, mentally and spiritually. The day I landed, a ceasefire had come into effect and on the following day I visited the shiva home of Eitan Dishon z’l a brave combat soldier. His mother and father could not stop thanking me enough for expanding the neighborhood of Nof Tzion where they live. Eitan had come home the weekend before, his Dad proudly showed off pictures standing proud with his son. He visited his grandparents and friends before returning to base. On the fateful day, driving the troop carrier, he popped his head through the hatch to observe broader surroundings only to be hit at the back of the head by a sniper in a nearby building. After that the IDF flattened more buildings to protect troops in vehicles like Etian’s. 

The ceasefire produced days of quiet and reflection. We had held BBQ’s in the north where it is often difficult to secure meat supplies, but Sydney resident Louis Goldstein’s son Yossi and his platoon got to eat a meal fit for a king. I filled most days with meetings, property, technology, visiting half empty offices, Jerusalem, TelAviv dealing with a busy schedule. One of my meetings was with my close friend Didi, one of my lawyers, for the past 20 years, a member of Jerusalem’s city council. His brother, an absolute lion of a man, Yossi Hershkowitz z’l had been killed in the days before I arrived. We spent time talking about his great achievements and how sorely he would be missed. 

Through the week I began to sense how traumatized people were, even the toughest people closest to me, lawyers, accountants, counsellors, politicians, business associates. Everyone was affected, but no-one knew how far reaching this would be.  

I spent some time with the legendary Dovi Meyer, he was running from pillar to post handing out tzedakah checks to families whose kids had fallen in battle, or running concerts, BBQ’s and other events. Still he and I found a few times to catch up, with the usual crew at the cigar shop in Mamilla. 

On my first Friday, just before Shabbat I made my regular trip to the City of David’s, Gihon Spring, a mikvah tucked in a crevice of a cave at the base of Mount Moriah adjacent to Silwan. The mikvah has been there since the dawn of time. Midrashim states that Adam sat in that mikvah, continuously for 130 years, after ‘the sin’ in Gan Eden. There I met my friend Moshe Weiz, a giant in Torah, Rosh Yeshiva and General in the IDF, responsible for troop movements in Yehuda and Shomron. He said something that stuck: These are great days we are living through. Immediately I understood what he was saying. How can we know anything of the reasons for a demonic massacre of our people, or of our hostages caged in tunnels, or spreading voices of denial and abounding antisemitism? Are we so blind not to see the awakening consciousness behind the common morality of the Jewish people. 

Afterall it was Bilam, the world’s greatest demon who was once compelled to pronounce: “How precious are your tents O’Jacob, your dwelling places O’Israel”.

My moments under the cold waters of that mikvah were special, they always are. 

Before I could blink it was Shabbat. At Beis Menachem, we made kiddush and sat through a very reflective fabreing. At 6AM the next morning we jumped into my CEO’s car heading south. Along the way we stopped in Netivot to catch the 7:30 AM Shacharit Minyan. Driving through the town, you could spot the missile hits that had previously damaged the odd building. Along the way we stopped at the graveyard of 2300 cars that had been destroyed by the more than 3000 terrorists, blood thirsty Gazan’s and the journalists who accompanied them. Each car tagged, many had burned to a rusty shell. Zaka volunteers had searched and carefully logged every car for clues of body parts that would identify victims. 

We stopped at Kibbutz Alumim where 60 terrorists had been eliminated by brave residents, a skeleton crew of IDF and citizen responders among whom two heroic brothers, who had rushed to the rescue only to be killed al pi’ kiddush Hashem. 17 Thai and Nepalese farm workers were slaughtered, the rest kidnapped. Of the 17, 8 were knifed to death in a safe room. The others shot and burned in their bunks. Farm equipment was torched, milking facilities destroyed, clearly an objective was to destroy the symbolisms of Israel infrastructure. For the next few hours we sat watching security system videos that were time-sync edits of the camera captures from the first terrorists entering the kibbutz and the brave battles to contain them.

As we drove past the forest of the Nova festival site a road-sign over the bridge informed us we were in “Eretz Gerar ”, the very place Philistine King Avimelech and his General Phichol had once come to demand a peace pact with Isaac after they had attacked Isaac and stopped up his wells. Why did they come to demand peace? Because Isaac had been blessed, they were defeated by his continuous success in everything he did and their moral ineptitude scared them. Perhaps, here is a lesson to be learned through Israel’s abundant modern day successes, perhaps we should terrorize them with our most successful people, in all areas of life, until they fear that God is with us. 

At Tzehilim infantry base we arranged a BBQ for a few hundred soldiers. There I was shocked to discover the degree of our resolve. Religious or secular, men and women soldiers who had been living in tents, on the ground or on foam mattresses for the past 54 days, I asked them whether they wanted to go home. Their answers reflected a consistent almost monotonous tone; “yes, but we’re not ready until we finish the job. 

The next day, a special group convened to give birth to Project “Israel Slingshot”. Fundraisers, web developers, intelligence, media buying experts and marketers all came together with one common goal; defeat online antisemitism! A few days later Amichai Chikli, Diaspora and Hasbara Minister met with us to endorse the initiative and provide initial matching support. We’re raising donations to buy media impressions, via open-web exchanges, presently reaching audiences with ads for Stand With US and other pro-Israeli messaging on sites like Al Jazeera, Al Arabiya, CNN Arabic, Sky News, etc. Imagine getting an Israel activist message that celebrates successful Jews, 3 times a day or more, everyday, wherever you are on the open web, for years to come! Every $1 raised buys 1000 impressions, with matching 2000. With the right pro-Jewish messages, over time, that will reduce ignorance, make a dent and break the cycle of social media echo chambers. 

Besides this action packed agenda, it was very special to host Malcolm and Dani Daitz on a tour of the excavation I have been very close to for the past 14 years. The place I believe everyone will one day recognize as being the stone that Jacob erected the night after his famous stairway to heaven dream. In context, that stone sits among four bedrock rooms of a stone temple, carved into the eastern slope of Mount Moriah, immediately above the Gihon Spring. 

Then the inevitable, the ceasefire was lifted and before I knew it, Shabbos was upon us, back to the Gihon spring. A very special Shabbos, Yud Tes Kislev, The holiday of redemption. Yahrzeit of the Maggid, the day the Alter Rebbe was released from prison. The Kiddush and fabreing continued until Ma’ariv, if only we could have taken some pictures of Chassidim slouching on tables filled with empty plates, bottles and l'chaim. 

The news after Shabbos wasn’t good, several soldiers fell. Sadly, along with thousands, I attended the Levya of 22 year old Sergeant First Class, Ben Zussuman from Jerusalem. The words of Ben’s mother Sarit echoed through Israel and world media - in Hebrew she said: 

“We are a people who want to live, not like our enemies, who are lowly and miserable, cowards, Nazis, who together with their accomplices sanctify death. We will live, and thrive, and build…We have to be successful. It's either us or them. Either the Nazis and their accomplices, or us.

Do you hear, people of Israel?  World, do you hear? Or do you hear, our cowardly and evil and death thirsty enemies?

The Nation of Israel lives, Am Yisroel Chai, for all of eternity, for ever and ever, standing tall, head held high, now more than ever. Be strong, believe, pursue goodness -- demand goodness, and we will win.”

Happy Hanukkah! 

Tragic Parallel Worlds!

7.10.23

Simchat Torah 

Torah's opening verses invite deep contemplations about creation into which we can masterfully weave our modern knowledge of astrophysics and quantum science. Last Hebrew year 5783 should have been a year in which the King of Israel traditionally taught his nation the secrets and wisdoms of Torah, but a King was not forthcoming.

Immediately after creation events Torah introduces readers to the mystery of its Messianic plan.

אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃2:4 Such are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created. When the LORD God prepared earth and heaven.

You can learn the unique elements of this verse in this previous post. Relevant here is the term  'generations' spelled in its full form only in one other verse of the 24 books of Torah - the Book of Ruth, where it refers readers to the Messianic blood line of King David.

Another verse shares an odd grammatical distribution with the Book of Ruth. The word Kaniti is the source of the name Cain. 

וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃ 4:1 Now Adam knew his wife Eve, she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have acquired a person with the help of God”

Then, Cain murdered his brother Abel.

Eventually God gifted Abraham the land of Canaan as his rightful inheritance, but that presented challenges. With few relatives and a small household how would Abraham settle his land? What did Abraham do? He reached a peace-pact for the Philistine King and his people to stay in his land including in Aza, that pact was extended to future generations by Abraham's son Isaac. 

Isaac's son Jacob escaped his angry brother, left his fathers land and after 20 years began his return with his wives, 12 children and a large wealth in cattle. His estranged brother Esau encountered him and in a strained conversation about their respective aquisitions, his brother Esau claimed he had everything and didn't need Jacobs gift, Jacob urged him to take it stating he had been blessed with much.

Jacob entered the holy land where he immediately built a house, which he called Succot including shelter for his cattle. Then, his daughter Dina was raped in the nearby fields by landowner Shechem. Jacobs sons Levi and Shimon defended their land and honored their sister in a revenge that eliminated 24000 Shechemites. Jacob was concerned for their regional safety and very disturbed by their act. 

God appeared to Jacob to remind him of the covenant he had made 22 years earlier, before leaving his the land, that on his succesful return he promissed to build The House of God. Essentially saying; Have you forgotten the One who blessed you with your success? Realizing the error of his tardiness, Jacob instructed members of his household to bury the idols and treasures they posessed under a tree near their house (a common practice in ancient times). Unholy idols that Rachel had stolen from her father  and others were now buried in the holy land. 

The family made its way to Beit El, Jerusalem where Jacob attempted to fulfill his belated House of God covenant. But, tt wasn't to be! Within six months of arriving, Jacob's mother, Rebecca, died. The family left Bet El and on the way to her funeral in Hebron, near Bethlehem, Jacob's wife Rachel died giving birth to his 13th child Benjamin. The tragedies continued, Benjamins brother, Joseph was kidnapped, by his older brothers, sold into slavery and all 70 members of their family was exiled to Egypt where Jacob died.

210 years later Moses led more than two millions Israelis out of Egypt toward their land. But, not on the coastal route through Aza, land of the feared Philistines. Instead Israel diverted inland on a journey that took 40 years longer than it could have. Eventually Joshua led Israel into its holy land, immediately they conquered Jericho, but failed to conquer Beit El, Jerusalem. On each attempt the occupants reminded Joshua about the peace-pact Abraham and Isaac had entered with their Philistine descendants permitting them to stay in the land.

The rear-guard tribe, Dan was allotted the coastal land including Aza (today's Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Bat Yam). The other 11 tribes had already settled their land and failed to assist Dan conquer the powerful Philistines. Samson became the leader of Dan and also the nations senior judge. Singlehandedly he tried to draw attention to Israel's tribal apathy. He travelled to Aza where he tore off the citys' gate, carried it to the graves of Israel's Patriarchs and Matriarchs, in Hebron and pleaded their spiritual help. Sadly his demonstration did not inspire other tribes to help. Dispossessed of their land, some of Dan's tribal leaders established an idolatrous temple opposite the nations temporary sanctuary in Shilo. Samson continued to belittle the Philistines until God afforded him the opportunity to destroy their temple of idolatry and perish along with their leaders and thousands of congregants. 

The Philistines took revenge, they raided Israel's strongest tribes and targeted their holy temple in Shilo. Daringly and brazenly they stole the nations most holy possession, handed down by Moses - The Ark of Israel's Covenant with God! A thousand years after Abraham and Isaac the Philistine peace-pact was shattered! But, Dan and Israel were dispossessed of their land and never returned to conquer Aza. 

After King David arose in Hebron he conquered Jerusalem where he lived alongside the conquered Jebusite King. He recovered the Ark that had been abandonned by the Philistines, unified Israel's tribes and dreamed to fulfil Jacob's mission to build the House of God, but it wasn't to be. Instead, his son Solomon committed Israel to virtual slavery, for 7 years, to fulfill Jacob's House of God mission. Critically, Solomon was more lavish with his ornate palace that it took 12 years to build!

The House of God was finally inaugurated and King Solomon took to the public square to teach his nation the wisdoms of Torah. During Succoth, the most positive, joyous festival, Solomon taught from his book of Ecclesiastes, Kohelet, he opened: Meaningless, meaningless everything in life is meaningless... the acquisitions are meaningless true meaning can only be found when fulfilling the commandments of God's holy Torah. Solomon's House of God and the final Herodian Jewish Temple, in Syria-Palestina, as the Romans had named Israel, were ultimately destroyed.

This year 2023, being 2848 years after Solomon's House of God inauguration, Israel experienced its most rambunctious political and social divisions. People violently protested, vehemently defended their points of view, openly and widely publicized their disdain for each other. The Supreme court ruled against traditional religious practices in public spaces, which gave impetus for some protestors to denigrate Israel's holiest day of the year. On the day following Succot, during the joyous Simchat Torah festival of 5784, (7.10.23), 3 KM east of Aza, hundreds of party revelers naively danced before a giant Buddha juxtaposed were those who elsewhere danced with the nations traditional Torah.

In these tragic hours God closed the final spiritual gates of all Israel's sophisticated defense, border, police, air, ground, sea surveillance systems and the human forces that operate these and protect Israel. He blocked the ears and eyes of the public and caused all of Israel to fall. At the same time the spiritual gates for Hamas operatives to enter and carry out their barbarian savagery were left wide opened. In the right time these events will be disected and analyzed in fine and gory detail. However, for most people that Hamas was not spotted, or thwarted on the fence, in the sky or on ground in the 3KM gap, will remain mysterious, probably inexplicable. Regardless, Israel's resolve and response will usher in a new positive reality for Gaza, Israel and the world. 

We are mostly ignorant of Torah's spiritual realms and mortals dare not tie any to the harsh reality before us. But, our national lows often parallel past events and this horror cannot escape us as we look to the spiritual realms to find meaning and purpose. Please God, soon a King will arise to expound the mysteries and wisdoms of Torah that will motivate us to change our sensitivities, considerations and priorities toward each other and God. Then, Israel will finally be ready to build a befitting House of God for all people. 

 

  

Yes, Gaza Is Aza - End The 4000 Year Curse.

All Jews must prepare for a Holy war that lasts beyond evil Jihad. After Israel bombs more buildings, completes its ground invasion, kills lots of terrorists, rescues as many hostages as it can, buries and grieves its dead, we must ensure it corrects the 4000 year old curse of Aza by immediately securing land and possessing it in Gaza.

This curse relates to Abraham and Isaacs pact with the King of Philistines who attacked their wells, then demanded concessions for peace. Sound familiar? They granted him and his future generations the right to live on the land of Aza.

[Think tribal]: On Israel's return to its land, the tribe of Dan were allotted land that included Aza. The other 11 tribes of Israel, had already settled their land but, they failed to assist Dan conquer its allotment. Disenfranchised and demotivated, Dan's tribal leaders wandered aimlessly often promoting idolatry to other tribes. Then, Samson became a leader of Dan and the nations highest judge. Single handedly he attempted to draw attention to the problem. He went to Aza, ripped the iron gates off the city walls and carried them to the graves of Israel's Patriarchs and Matriarchs in Hebron. Sadly no tribe stepped up to help the tribe of Dan. 

Samson belittled the powerful Philistines until he destroyed their temple of idolatry perishing with their leaders and thousands of congregants. Later, the Philistines raided all of Israel's tribes and stole the nations most holy possession, the Ark of Covenant, from their temple, in Shilo. The peace-pact was shattered a thousand years after Abraham and Isaac. But, Dan and Israel were dispossessed of their land and never returned to Aza. 

Yes, Aza is Gaza. Resurrecting that pact, the Romans named all of Israel Syria Palestina, and the British adopted the Roman resurrection calling it Palestine. On Simchat Torah 5784, of the Hebrew Year, Israel paid a very heavy price. Now, it must break the enemy curse and finally possess Aza. 

ISRAEL MUST NEVER LEAVE GAZA! 

There, Israel must immediately build a Hesder Yeshiva and protect it with everything it’s got. Then, build another and another and another…until holy places of Jewish Torah learning and their communities are secured in all of Gaza. This is how Aza's neighborhoods can begin to be normalized. The plan has been implemented and is working for resilient Jewish communities in The City of David, Silwan, Nazareth elit, Bat Yam, Lud, Jabel MuKabar, Hebron and many other places in Israel. 

Holy Torah is the only weapon Israel has to dispel and resist any misconstrued, Jihad! Israel must not fall into the trap of building fences around empty tracts of land on which Palestinians can be recruited by the next Jihadist terror regime. That would be an invitation for the next disastrous tragedy in years or decades to come. Never again!

5784

The days between Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur are known as the days of repentance, more accurately characterized as returning to God. Psalm 130 is added to the daily prayer ritual. The last two lines emphasize two words with a single 'redemptive' context, derived from the Bible, written with letters in the form Peh-Dalet, פ-ד, the numerical equivalent of 84. 

יַחֵ֥ל יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל אֶל־יְה֫וָה כִּֽי־עִם־יְהוָ֥ה הַחֶ֑סֶד וְהַרְבֵּ֖ה עִמּ֣וֹ פְדֽוּת׃ 

O Israel, wait for the LORD; for with the LORD is steadfast love and great power to redeem (פְדֽוּת). 

וְ֭הוּא יִפְדֶּ֣ה אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל מִ֝כֹּ֗ל עֲוֺנֹתָֽיו׃ 

It is He who will redeem (יִפְדֶּ֣ה) Israel from all their iniquities. 

One of Israel's most ancient traditions, the פדיון הבן "Pidyon HaBen" ceremony shares the Peh-Dalet, פ-ד word root. On the 30th day after the birth of a boy, if born naturally from the first of the mothers womb, he is redeemed, for 5 silver coins, by the father, from the High Priest of the temple. 

I read (1) that the emotion of love is most acutely defined by feelings invoked by truth. Feelings that can be unique, but the moment of a truth is axiomatic in the attribute of chessed (הַסֶד) love, kindness or inclusiveness. Here, the truth of a first born son is sobered by a realization that he is a gift, not just another biological outcome. With that truth the gift must be returned to God, redeemed through the agency of the father and High Priest. In much the same way Abraham ultimately recognized his son Isaac was entirely God's gift, at that moment he was compelled to offer 37 year old Isaac at Akeida. Isaac obliged, sharing the honest interpretation of truth, by his father, returning him to God. What transpired is forever associated with Rosh HaShana.

Three reasons are expounded as to why God created the world; 1) Torah, 2) The Jewish People, 3) First Fruits (known as Bikkurim). Here, first fruits seem out of place, but the ritual truth, found in the redemption of a first born son, is also found by the conscientious farmer who ties a ribbon on the first buds of his fruit trees to consecrate the first fruits and to return them to the High Priest in the temple on their maturing. 

Paradoxically, eating the meal of the Pidyon HaBen ceremony is said to be equivalent to 84 fasts. Rabbi Yitzchak Luria (The Ari) expounded that 84 fasts was required to redeem oneself from the sin of terminating intercourse to prevent pregnancy. Indeed this sin, by Judah's first born son Er, invoked his Heavenly judgement to die. Thus, was birthed the Peh-Dalet, פ-ד redemption for his widower Tamar to birth the Messianic ascendency of King David. 

One hundred years before Rosh Hashana, of this Hebrew year 5784, on the 11th of September 1923 a riot over unemployment in Dresden, Germany led to police shooting six workers. This impetus lifted Adolf Hitler to notoriety. By the end of September 1923, at a Nazi party meeting in Munich he persuaded the party to entrust him as their leader. Now, 100 years later in Israel, Jews are politically, religiously and soulfully divided, albeit stronger than ever. This is Israel's moment, as difficult as it is for some, a realization that from the distrust arises a truth that our nations redeemer will be greater than all of us.

(1) Writings of Rabbi Aaron Chaim HaLevi Zimmerman, Torah & Rationalism, by Michael Landy

Water, Water Everywhere, Will Archaeologists Drink?

On the eastern slopes of the City of David, a Middle Bronze Age water system, remnants of a reservoir and a water channel was carbon dated to 1515 BCE. There is no other later evidence of water supply to rooms of the rock-cut-temple. No alternative water system exists, yet despite the absence of later evidence some archaeologists, still insist that the rock-cut-temple, in its present form, should instead be dated to the Iron Age. Academic isolation and over simplification of context, distorts understanding at this complex, ancient location. However, the video below offers the most comprehensive explanation. Before viewing, it's important to illustrate the passage of water as it once flowed to the rooms, more than 3500 years ago (follow the Area U/C map below). 

Room 2 (with tethered animal for slaughter) 

Room 1 (with impression of sacrificial altar on platform)

Water passage. Room 2 (center-foreground)
 Room 1 (upper right-background)

 

Area U water system leading to Area C rooms (1 and 2)

The video explains that the rock-cut-temple was active up until 1500 BCE (Middle Bronze), then buried, out of site until 700 BCE (Iron), exposed at that time, reburied during wall construction and finally excavated 13 years ago.

Eureka! Have We Have Found “The Altar” of Akeida?

The verse in Vaeyra, Genesis 22:9 states "אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ", (et-ha-mizbei-ach) "the altar", using the absolute noun.

וַיָּבֹ֗אוּ אֶֽל־הַמָּקוֹם֮ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָֽמַר־ל֣וֹ הָאֱלֹהִים֒ וַיִּ֨בֶן שָׁ֤ם אַבְרָהָם֙ אֶת־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ וַֽיַּעֲרֹ֖ךְ אֶת־הָעֵצִ֑ים וַֽיַּעֲקֹד֙ אֶת־יִצְחָ֣ק בְּנ֔וֹ וַיָּ֤שֶׂם אֹתוֹ֙ עַל־הַמִּזְבֵּ֔חַ מִמַּ֖עַל לָעֵצִֽים׃ 

They arrived at the place of which God had told him. Abraham built the altar there; he laid out the wood; he bound his son Isaac; he laid him on the altar, on top of the wood. 

The 13th century commentator Chizkuni states:  'את המזבח', 'the altar'. The Torah did not write: 'altar' without the prefix letter ה which meant that it was the altar that had previously served such a purpose. According to our tradition, Adam, Abel, Noah and his son, had all offered offerings to G-d on that same altar. 

Why would Abraham have to build an altar if this verse refers to the altar by absolute noun? Every altar is designated by its bedrock foundation, a bedrock plinth, which later became a requirement under Jewish law. The plinth connected every boulder and stone assembled on it, by the builder, to the bedrock foundation together constituting "the altar" on which a sacrifice would be offered. So, where is this altar?

Ronny Reich opened his recent work "Excavations in the City of David" with a chapter, "A moment in which to be born", by explaining that the spring, east of the City, was never called Gihon, instead the Bible called it En Shemesh (Sun Spring). I completely agree, but the spring was also known as a gihon. The spring is a perennial, intermittent gusher, resembling a pump, sometimes gushing, other times flowing, appropriately and descriptively a gihon (meaning; bursting forth or gushing in Hebrew).

Ronny related En Shemesh to sun worshippers of Jeremiah 8:2 and "horses...of the sun abolished by Josiah" (2 Kings 23:11) and that "perhaps at that time the name En Shemesh (Sun Spring) was abolished" along with idolatory.  Well Ronny, that is entirely possible, but equally unnecessary because the morning sun still shines on that spring, to this very day and the name En Shemesh does not necessarily denote its association with idolatry.  

Having said all this, Ronny used En Shemesh to reconcile a difficult Biblical passage describing the intersect, critical to the altar, on the northern boundary of tribe Judah with the southern boundary of Benjamin. Why is this important? Because the first and second temples did not comply with this map, but a recently discovered rock-cut-temple and its altar foundation or plinth, on the eastern slope of Mount Moriah, at the compliant location does. Could this be Akeida?

Map from Excavations in the City of David by Ronnie Reich and Eli Shukron

The Gemara (Zevachim 53b) asks: What is the reason that there was no base on the southeast corner of the altar? Rabbi Elazar says: Because it was not in the portion of land of the one who tears, i.e., the tribe of Benjamin, as he is described in the following manner: “Benjamin is a wolf that tears apart; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil” (Genesis 49:27). As Rav Shmuel, son of Rav Yitzḥak, says: The altar would consume, i.e., occupy, one cubit of the portion of Judah. The part of the altar in Judah’s portion was the southeast corner of the base, and therefore there was no base on that corner. 

SE corner of the altar base or plinth.
Dotted line marks the boundary of Judah and Benjamin

In addition, there are numerous important Kabalistic or mystical concepts and references to the southeast. But, here Ronny Reich conclusively resolved that the only portion of Judah's land that can possibly intersect the southeast corner of the altar plinth was recently found at the rock-cut-temple, in the City of David and that was used at the time of the patriarchs. Further, the only water system at this site, an essential requirement for frequent temple sacrifices, was last used in 1535 BCE, which overlaps with the last 30 years of Jacob's life in the region. 

The 12th Century commentator Rashi, rendered the the altar base:

North is on the right of this image and the image above

Shockingly, the southeast and all corners of the altar of the first and second temple, that were built further north, on the summit of Mount Moriah, The Temple Mount, fell entirely within Benjamins territory. No portion of those altars fell in Judah's territory as depicted by the outline of todays, so called, 'Old City' in Ronny Reich's map above and as stated in the Gemara. 

The fundamental and indigenous, tribal right to a permanent temple, on their land, belonged to Benjamin. Why? Because, Benjamin did not participate in the sale of Joseph. But, it was not clear to tribe Benjamin which end of its land the temple would be built and that opened grounds for the fiercest tribal competition. Ephraim (Joseph's son) demanded it be on its southern border with northernmost Benjamin, Judah demanded it be on its northern border adjacent to Benjamin's southernmost border. 

Following  the 300 years of settlement, and a plague that ravaged the nation, King David opposed the ancestral claims of Ephraim and on Prophet Gad's advice he built 'an altar', on the summit of Mount Moriah at a location inside Benjamins land, close to the border with Judah. The language difference for 'altar' used in Tanach is startling - מִזְבֵּ֔חַ (miz-bei-ach) without the ה (ha) prefix; not 'the altar', but he built 'an altar':

2 Samuel 24:18

וַיָּבֹא־גָ֥ד אֶל־דָּוִ֖ד בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וַיֹּ֣אמֶר ל֗וֹ עֲלֵה֙ הָקֵ֤ם לַֽיהֹוָה֙ מִזְבֵּ֔חַ בְּגֹ֖רֶן (ארניה) [אֲרַ֥וְנָה] הַיְבֻסִֽי׃ 

Gad came to David the same day and said to him, “Go and set up an altar to the LORD on the threshing floor of Araunah the Jebusite.” 

David's altar was not described using the absolute noun because it was built where no altar had previously existed yet, after the national pandemonium, all the other tribes agreed with David and contributed to acquisition of the land. David's son Solomon built the First Temple on the summit of Mount Moriah, Jerusalem. In the late second temple period Herod ordered that the summit be walled in by the Temple Mount.

Searching for the place of the original Akeida altar was forgotten, lost for more than 3500 years. Now that we have found it, we are compelled to build the altar, for the Third Temple, at the location of this bedrock plinth on the boundary between Judah and Benjamin that intersects its South East corner.

 

Jerusalem and Jacob - Calling Archaeology Detectives

Fifty years and tens of millions of dollars have failed to explain 700 years of missing evidence from ancient Jerusalem's eastern slope, at the City of David. The gap perpetuates confusion among archaeologists, who otherwise would prefer to date the significant rock-cut-temple to the Iron Age. You see, between the Middle Bronze (3500 years ago) and Iron Age (2800 years ago) no direct evidence, in the rock-cut-temple, has been discovered and that presents a problem. 

Rock-cut-temple on eastern slope after ground cover was finally cleared in 2023.
The adjacent house, which was built 20 years ago, on compressed ground cover, is now suspended on steel plates with pilons to bedrock

Around the rock-cut-temple, there is undisputed, carbon dated evidence of occupation and Middle Bronze Age use up until 3500 years ago, then +700 years of nothing, and plenty Iron Age evidence after that. The dearth of Iron Age evidence, starting around 2800 years ago, dominates academic papers and influences narratives about the significant rock-cut-temple, yet this evidence gap, that screams the loudest, is ignored by archaeologists. In this case the absence of evidence proves the evidence!

If not for two samples (#9964/5) of organic matter, trapped below and above plaster layers of a man made channel that once fed water into at least the southern-most rock-cut-room, archaeologists would have a more simplified proof of Iron Age origins.

Sample #9964 lay undisturbed, protected by natural ground cover, above the plaster channel for 3500 years. Sample #9965 was protected by the plaster layers of the channel above it. 

At blue line B (map below) the U (Sample #9964) and X (Sample #9965)

"B" marks the excavation site of organic samples, from above and below the plastered water channel.
Other samples #9181/9962 (top) and building 1948 (right) dated between 1820-1510 BCE. 

Water channel flowed from a reservoir to the bedrock floor.
No evidence of an Iron Age water channel and reservoir has been located 

The barrage of published Iron Age evidence and the inferred dating of the rock-cut-temple is refuted by carbon dated samples at several locations. However, most powerful are #9964 and #9965 two 3500 year old, Middle Bronze Age, organic samples that date the water channel construction and last use. Similar plaster layers, on the bedrock, in the western, rear end of a storage room, present insufficient proof of Iron Age shaping of bed rock. Such plaster remnants, dated to the Iron Age, may have been laid by Iron Age occupiers of the homes constructed above the bedrock.

A solution is not easily forthcoming because absence of evidence is an insufficient academic standard of proof. The water channel remains the strongest proof of use and there is no other evidence of water service to the temple. Unfortunately, +700 years after the water channel was last used, in preparation for construction of the City's eastern defensive wall, the rock-cut-temple was cleared to the bedrock to accommodate the 4 meter wide wall. Immediately west, the water channel was recently traced, running, from the remains of a reservoir (at blue B), underneath Iron Age homes to the southernmost rock-cut-room. However, archaeologists won't confirm that the channels Middle Bronze Age construction is directly linked to construction of the rock-cut-temple. Instead, they promote an alternative, unproven, theory that the water channel was cut (at blue B) by constructors and at the southern rock-cut-room during its Iron Age construction. This hypothesis only exacerbates the absence of an Iron Age water system.

Clearance of the area by Iron Age wall constructors, remains the best explanation for the absence of direct evidence, but what, if any direct evidence, was cleared from the bedrock at that time remains a mystery and whether the rock-cut-temple had been buried under ground cover, for +700 years, before the wall constructors cleared it, remains inconclusive. 

Any suggestion that #9964, and other samples #9181 and #9962 survived, in situ, above ground, for +700 years, while Iron Age Area U and rock-cut-temple was apparently constructed, exposed or in active use is preposterous. More likely the last use of the rock-cut-rooms is also tied to the date of sample #9964 and construction of the rock-cut-rooms dated to sample #9965 sometime between 1615 BCE and 1880 BCE or prior.

Accumulated ground cover concealing the rock-cut-temple site as it was in 2012.
Adjacent house built on compressed ground cover.

Promotion of an academic theory for Iron Age construction of the rock-cut-temple is further refuted by surviving evidence immediately north (#9181 and #9962), of sample #9964 (from the water channel) and east, from below building 1948, dated to 1820 BCE and in mortar 1.2m above bedrock dated to 1605 BCE. These additional samples strongly increase the probability of a Middle Bronze Age origin and suggest that a significant Iron Age construction of the rock-cut-temple would have disrupted at least #9181 and #9962 laying bare on the surface of these excavated areas. 

Academia faces significant challenges in admitting a Middle Bronze Age origin because of Iron Age bias in tangential data and the Biblical alignment to the archaeological last use, defined by at least sample #9964. The period of carbon dating overlaps patriarch Jacob who, Jewish commentators attest stayed briefly on Mount Moriah. According to Biblical chronology Jacob's first encounter on Mount Moriah took place in 1573 BCE. Then, he and his family arrived on Mount Moriah in 1553 BCE and left the region in 1523 BCE. Jacob immigrated to Egypt, where his descendants remained for 250 years before they returned to their ancestral land. The overlapping 100 year use of the water channel (1535 BCE) with time of Jacob makes this discovery remarkable particularly because of its potentially exciting context to the  rock-cut-temple and matzevah found within the temple location. According to the Bible Jacob erected a matzevah at this location (Genesis 35:14).

The matzevah, "standing stone" or anointing pillar at the rock-cut-temple.

The video above tells the comprehensive story.