Impressionable Incantations

In deserts, caves, tents, honed structures and modern buildings over 3300 years the same cantillations have been used to express the words of Torah - the book of Jewish ritual and law. Many distinguish the 79,847 words or 304,805 letters of Torah, but four rarely used, unique tunes (tropes) characterize stand out words and phrases. Why these?

Two cantillations known as Yerach ben yomo and Karne Parah appear once each in the entire Torah and once each in the Book of Esther, which was written 1000 years later. Yerach ben Yomo in Numbers 35:5 on the letter “peh” of the word Alpayim (אלפים, two-thousand) is followed by an equally exclusive Karne Parah on the letter “mem” of the word B'amah (באמה, cubit) in the first of four occurrences of this phrase in the verse.

In the Torah’s weekly reading for Masei (Numbers 35:5) these cantillations are made in the verse that instructs how much land must be set aside for the Levites who were not recipients of tribal land, but were gifted residential land near the temple. The Torah instructs Israel to measure off two thousand cubits outside the town to the east, south, west and north side, with the town in the center:- This will be the Levite’s grazing land. The unique use here may emphasize and remind the nation of the essential nature of this righteous practice at least to the Levites who originated the tunes.

Yerach ben yomo means ‘day old moon’ (think about shape) it looks like a cow’s yoke:

פַּ֪ (peh)

Karnei Parah means ‘cow’s horns’ (think about shape) and looks like the eyes:

(mem) מָּ֟

(Please note on some mobile devices intricate details on the fonts may not appear)

The chapter in which these verses appear also covers; the 42 journey’s of Israel on their exile from Egypt to Israel; their momentary disobediences and the character of their resulting long term enemies; the land boundaries of Israel; details of leadership and tribal inheritance; the land to be set aside for Levite priests; the requirement of witnesses for murder; the cities of refuge for the protection of accidental homicides and; the recognition of women's rights of inheritance.

In the Book of Esther 7:9 Yerach ben Yomo followed by Karne Parah simply reads, “Behold the gallows made by Haman for Mordecai, who spoke well for the king, were standing in Haman’s house, fifty cubits high!” And the king said, “Hang him (Haman) on it!” Here perhaps the trope highlights that its not over till its over, or the threat can disguise the opportunity or what goes around, comes around.

Unlike the containment to one verse above, the Shalshelet appears four times in four different verses in 4 chapters of Torah, it means chain (continuity) and looks like the spring:

שֶׁ֓

In Genesis 19:16, on the word "VaYitmah'maH" (and he lingered), when Lot was lingering in Sodom as it was marked for destruction, to show Lot's uncertainty. In Genesis 24:12, on the word "VaYomar" (and he said), when Abraham's servant Eliezer was trying to find a woman (other than his own daughter) to marry Abraham's son Isaac. It indicates the hesitation of the servant to pass over his daughter. In Genesis 39:8, on the word "VaY'maen" (and he refused), during Joseph's attempted seduction by Potiphar's wife, to indicate Joseph's struggle against temptation. In Leviticus 8:23, the Shalshelet is used on the word (VaYishlach (and he slaughtered)  when Moses was slaughtering an animal in preparation for the anointment of his brother and nephews as priests, a position he coveted for himself.

Each incident above reflects a moment of self-struggle and each verb is preceded by  “and” as if to say without it the outcomes would have been different. Each highlights a  victory over temptation that would otherwise have surely changed the course of Israel’s dynasty.

Our final tune of note is the Mercha kefula meaning double comma, which appears five times.

Genesis 27:25 - and he brought (ל֦וֹ) to him wine and he drank, when Jacob deceived his father and obtained blessings he traded from his older brother. Exodus 5:15 - why (תַעֲשֶׂ֦ה) do (you) do with your servants this way, when the Israelites complained to Pharaoh who was inflicting them with hard labor. Leviticus 10:1 - strange fire they had (לֹ֦א) not been commanded to bring, when Nadav and brother Avihu elatedly brought offerings in their stupor. Numbers 14:3 - were it not (ט֦וֹב) better for us to return to Egypt, when early in their exile, the spies returned and made a discouraging report about the challenges ahead causing Israel to stay in exile. Numbers 32:42 - and called (לָ֦ה) to it Nobah after his own name, when the tribe of Menashe settled the land on the opposite side of the Jordan River.

Perhaps the acts of deception, punishment, transgression, regression and secession expressed using the Mercha kefula instruct future generations about redemption.

In summary, heralding priestly rights, resisting temptation and the tribulations that slow  redemption are emphasized week after week, year after year in the reading of Torah to Jewish communities the world over. For one reason or another these tunes survived thousands of years to emphasize these words, sentences and verses.

Can bleeding heart Jewish liberals be cured?

Was Jesus a bleeding heart Liberal?

I recently read “Out of the Cave”, a philosophical inquiry into the Dead Sea Scrolls research. It is an example of the extreme ignorance, perhaps antisemitic bias against the Jewish record and the desire by many to ignore the evidence of Jewish significance in Israel as far back as 2600 years ago. 

The late Edna Ullmann-Margalit exposed these biases, which occurred over more than 50 years of academic research into the discoveries at Qumran. Her honest rendition of events also exposed her own biases against her Jewish heritage as influenced by the international consensus that quickly formed to shape what many hoped would be a momentous event for Christianity.

After the discovery of the magnificently preserved collection of scrolls, the predominantly Christian academic fraternity, permitted by the Jordanians quickly characterized the texts and people of Qumran an Essene sect. They did this to support their religious conviction that among other elements celibacy, practiced by the Essenes, was a precursor, the missing link between Judaism and Christianity. It was only after 1967 when Israel reclaimed its 1948 land, west of the Jordan River, that qualified Jewish academics began to obtain access to the records and inject their cultural knowledge to restore sanity to the research.

It turns out, Jewish academics familiar with issues of halacha (Jewish religious law) were able to decipher much more than Christian academics ignorant and blind to the ways of ancient, righteous, orthodox, Torah observant communities. They described a priestly scribal community at the Qumran site, people engaged in extensive holy writings. A people who immersed in Mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) each day, especially those involved in writing God’s holy names, a practice that continues among Jewish scribes to this day.

Clearly this community isolated itself from the ravages of Roman influence on the Jerusalem Temple community of Levite priests to the West. Some of the specific rules governing this scribal community also describe the minute details that motivated their departure from other righteous communities in Jerusalem. Greek then Roman insurgence into the region pressurized Jewish life to such a degree that communities with foresight began to question their own devotions, often highlighting differences between the failing branches of Jewish practices and those that would ultimately survive.  

Edna admits to be a proponent of the Essene theory, but as she progresses Out of the Cave seemingly she recognizes the importance of interpretations by halachic authorities and knowledgeable academics of Jewish life. However, she finds their technically proficient interpretations “decidedly unromantic” and hints that the more exciting Essene theory be momentarily permitted to irrationally define her brilliant academic credential. Perhaps this was too much to ask, because deep ignorance of her own culture shattered her academically compromised view, still she refused to submit to its superior logic.  

I once wrote of Winston Churchill's statements on the extreme anti-Israel/Jewish bias that caused him to pass comment. Winston Churchill said "God deals with the nations as they deal with the Jews. Of every fifty officers who come back from the Middle East only one speaks favorably of the Jews. That merely convinces me that I am right." Edna’s remarkable honesty is evidence, a wonderful insight to Jewish people who have drifted far from their cultural practices to a place where in the vacuum, emptiness and self loathing is the expected deeply psychological response. People who have been torn from their indigenous root and modern societies that recognize them and who pay tribute are testament to the long journey home for the Jewish people.

Reconciling the torrential ordeals of their past makes it difficult for many Jews, but with the passage of time they will all fill the void by bleeding their hearts toward the warm, secure comfort offered by indigenous Jewish custom and culture. Jewish healing has well and truly begun and Israel's unique inner source is being restored to shed light on an increasingly desperate world!

Jews - Crawling Out of the Cave!

I recently read “Out of the Cave”, a philosophical inquiry into the Dead Sea Scrolls research. It highlights the extreme ignorance, perhaps anti-semitic bias against the Jewish record and the desire by many to dismiss significant Jewish evidence in Israel as far back as 2600 years ago. 

The late Professor Edna Ullmann-Margalit exposed these biases which occurred over more than 50 years of academic research into the phenomenal discoveries at Qumran. Her honest rendition of events also exposed her own biases against her Jewish heritage as influenced by the international consensus that quickly formed to shape what many hoped would be a momentous event for Christianity.

After the discovery of the magnificently preserved collection of scrolls, the predominantly Christian academic fraternity, permitted by the Jordanians quickly characterized the texts and people of Qumran an Essene sect. They did this to support their religious conviction that among other elements celibacy, practiced by the Essene's was a precursor, the missing link between Judaism and Christianity. It was only after 1967 when Israel reclaimed its 1948 land west of the Jordan River, that qualified Jewish academics began to obtain access to the records and inject their cultural knowledge to restore sanity to the research.

It turns out, Jewish academics familiar with issues of halacha (Jewish religious law) were able to decipher much more than Christian academics ignorant and blind to the ways of righteous, orthodox, Torah observant communities. They described a priestly scribal community at the Qumran site, people engaged in extensive holy writings. A people who immersed in Mikvah (Jewish ritual bath) each day, especially those involved in writing God’s holy names, a practice that continues among Jewish scribes to this day.

Clearly this community isolated itself from the ravages of Roman influence on the Jerusalem Temple community of Levite priests to the West. Some of the specific rules governing this scribal community also describe the minute details that motivated their departure from other righteous communities in Jerusalem. Greek then Roman insurgence into the region pressurized Jewish life to such a degree that communities with foresight began to question their own devotions, often highlighting differences between the failing branches of Jewish practices and those that would ultimately survive.  

Edna admits to be a proponent of the Essene theory, but as she progresses Out of the Cave, seemingly she recognizes the importance of interpretations by halachic authorities and knowledgeable academics of Jewish life. However she finds their technically proficient interpretations “decidedly unromantic” and hints that the more exciting Essene theory be momentarily permitted to irrationally define her brilliant academic credential. Perhaps this is too much to ask, because deep ignorance of her own culture shattered her academically compromised view, still she refused to submit to its superior logic.  

I once wrote of Winston Churchill's statements on the extreme anti-Israel/Jewish bias that caused him to pass comment. Winston Churchill said "God deals with the nations as they deal with the Jews. Of every fifty officers who come back from the Middle East only one speaks favorably of the Jews. That merely convinces me that I am right." Edna’s remarkable honesty is evidence, a wonderful insight to Jewish people who have drifted far from their cultural practices to a place where in the vacuum, emptiness and self loathing is the expected deeply psychological response. People who have been torn from their indigenous root and modern societies that recognize them and who pay tribute are testament to the long journey home for the Jewish people.

Reconciling the torrential ordeals of their past makes it difficult for many Jews, but with the passage of time they will all fill the void with the warm, secure comfort offered by indigenous Jewish custom and culture. Jewish healing has well and truly begun and Israel's unique inner source is being restored to shed light on an increasingly desperate world!

Cyrus, Xerxes, Darius, Mordechai, Binyamin

Modern propaganda can distort retrospectives. To unravel mysteries one must be sensitive to actors and cultures that influenced our perception of people and ancient times. One example is the great Xerxes, a Persian King of mythical proportion about whom modern movie going audiences are unlikely to ever restore a real sense. Historical documents, archaeology, anthropology and punctuated moments during his rule are the only tools we have to reconstruct his story. One such source is the Jewish perspective, you see, Xerxes was the Greek name of the well known King Ahasuerus (Ahashverosh) of Susa (Shushan), from the story of Purim. Ahash - silent, behind, rosh - head, the silent king.

Shushan an ancient Persian city, housed the palace of Xerxes close to the the border of modern Iran and Iraq. It was to Shushan, that the Jewish nation had been exiled by the Babylonians shortly before they were defeated by the Persian King, Cyrus The Great.

The display of confidence in the prophecy of their Jewish leaders, that their exile would be limited to 70 years bewildered Persian officers and King Xerxes. Was this an arrogant prediction of Jews to dominate the will of the Persian King? As the time approached and the intellectual challenge to Xerxes grew more intense, he strengthened his hand, subjecting the Jews to a battle of wits. He hosted an elaborate feast that lasted 6 months and subjected the pious Jewish community to exotic foods, luxuries and practices that were not permitted by Jewish law or custom. During the feasts his sorcerers, who deemed the 70 years was already over served Jews from the holy vessels that had been captured when they destroyed their holy temple in Jerusalem.

Rapid assimilation became Xerxes objective. Ultimately, when that did not appear to shake the confidence of the Jewish leaders he was convinced, by his visor and leading bureaucrat to authorize a Jewish genocide. This leading bureaucrat nemesis, known through the Jewish story as 'Haman' was of the Amalekite bloodline that also became Hitler’s Germany. Primed and ready for the final genocide Haman eagerly negotiated with and paid Xerxes large amounts of silver to obtain the coveted rights to the impending Jewish spoils.

Unbeknown to Xerxes one of his recently isolated harem girls, whom he is said to have favored became his Queens’ envy. During the feasts, in his drunken moment his jealous Queen failed his public challenge, humiliated, Xerxes had her killed and began a courtship with Hadassah, the hidden Jewish harem girl. She was a relative, some say wife of once Jewish nobleman Mordechai, descendant of the Benjamin tribe from Shimei, King David's nemesis. As the true, seventy year prophecy drew closer and conditions for the Jews became intolerable, Mordechai, who had once employed Haman incensed him when he refused to bow down to him. This became the catalyst that led to the events of Purim, one of the happiest events on the Jewish calendar.

In the miracles that followed, Mordechai pleaded with Hadassah, now known as Ester, to approach and influence Xerxes to make him aware of Haman's royal plot. She complained of the insult to her and her people who had fasted and prayed for three days before she approached the King. Xerxes was worried and after reading his book of records he was reminded of an indebtedness to Mordechai. He favored Ester over Haman who was subsequently hanged with his 10 sons. Xerxes and his successor integrated the Jews into Persian society, they became loyal servants of the King and in precise accordance with their 70 year prophecy, under Darius The Second they were permitted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their temple. Although the prophecy of return from exile had in fact come true, the significant majority of exiled Jews never returned to Jerusalem. Life in Persia had become comfortable, Xerxes had cleverly integrated them into his society and the Jews would empower his dynasty for many generations into the future.

The small number of returnees to Jerusalem under Nehemiah and Ezra, the head of the Great Assembly eventually restored the destroyed temple and rekindled the age old practices of the Jewish people. Jewish influence was then centered in Jerusalem and Persia. For the millions of Jews entrapped in their Persian exile modern day Iran, Iraq, Afghanistan, Turkey, Russia, Ukraine, France and Spain became some of their eventual homes.

Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu pleaded with the US Congress on 13 Adar, the day Jews remember the Fast of Esther. It is reminiscent of Mordechai’s plea to Esther. But, when the annihilation of the Jewish nations is still threatened by Iran, the very people over which Xerxes once ruled one must take a firm stand to defeat the remnant!

The Jewish Ancestral Path

It's difficult to imagine how an ancient city developed into a modern metropolis especially when archaeological records are confounded by settlements spanning many cultures over more than 4000 years. However, Jerusalem has an almost perfect record, the origin of which remained untouched and was only recently discovered. From the site of its origin, the city obtained its holy reputation on the mountain known as Mount Moriah, but one major event in the life of King David left its mark on our modern retrospective.

I watched a video on the Hamas strategy to attack Israel using tunnels built and destroyed during Operation Protective Edge in Gaza. It was not the preemptive intelligence of the Israeli Army or the conviction of politicians that exposed the high-level threat, it was the seemingly unrelated brutal murder of three young Israeli Yeshiva students that instantly unified the nation and transferred their nationwide sentiment to an authority to act. Their defense force ultimately finished the job. A similar transference of authority was granted to King David at a crucial moment in Jewish history.

The City of David, the original Ancient City of Jerusalem exists outside of the walls people know as the Old City of Jerusalem. The walls of this higher elevation Old City, built ~500 years ago, during the Ottoman period purposely cut off the Ancient City, disposing it, relegating its lower elevation, to the garbage dump that The City of David  became. In the following image, the Old City walls enclose today’s Temple Mount, Jewish, Armenian, Christian and Muslim quarters isolating the City of David (South).

Click to enlarge

~North⇓

Discovering traces of the first people that lived in the area required a combination of archaeological science, anthropology, cultural narratives and tradition. Each piece had to objectively fit in order that a theory spanning close to 5000 years of occupation could prevail. Remarkably the intact archaeology and narrative of Biblical forefathers seemed to weave into the perfect tale. Its a story of sporadic dwelling, holy attraction, ancestral honor punctuated by invasion, reclamation, growth, unrest, conquest, defeat, occupation, exile and return.  However, without understanding transference of the nationally inspired authority to act, we can’t contextualize the archaeological "bread crumbs".

This historical rewrite dates Jerusalem’s origin to the Early Bronze Age cave discovered behind the bedrock, entered through the cliff face of the Upper (High) Ridge, above the Upper Gihon Pool and Spring. The cave dwelling contains 3-4, hollowed stone places to sleep and internal family seating around a fire pit. The approximate location can be seen (above) in the brown circle on the green boundary around the City of David. Simple dwellings, natural pools and worship on the upper ridge (facing East) preceded the later development of the more structured constructions represented in the image below.

Gihon Ridge - before city walls (time of Jacob)

~North ⇗

The preceding archaeology supports the Biblical narrative of Melchizedek, the Righteous King, High Priest of Salem, said to be Noah’s son Shem. Toward the end of his life he was visited by younger relative Abram, whom he blessed. Then, in the immediate years after Abraham bound and offered his son Issac as a sacrifice to God at Mount Moriah it became Isaac's home. Remarkably, there exists a most intriguing artifact located on the perfectly preserved Upper Ridge. The monument or matzevah on the bedrock of one of four chambers, I argue was erected by Isaac's son Jacob when he accepted his new name Israel and began developing Beit El (House of God) to fulfill his covenant made at that spot. According to many well known Jewish sources this matzevah was erected on Mount Moriah by Jacob and marks the place of the famous Jacob’s ladder dream. The same sources suggest it was located adjacent to the altar on which his father Isaac was offered. According to Jewish Law the altar on which Isaac was bound is the exclusive site of Israel’s Temple altar.

Jebusite City - without Palace or Temple (time of Joshua)

~North⇗

After Jacob left Mount Moriah, him and his descendant nation Israel were exiled to Egypt, Jacob never returned. Some 200 years later, his descendant Joshua returned to find the Gihon Spring, Upper Ridge, Pool and new city occupied and protected by buildings, a fortress and high walls.

Jewish sources tell of the pact Abraham and Isaac entered with the Father or Nation King (Avimelech) not to dispel his peacekeeping descendants from Abraham's ancestral land. Despite attempts by Joshua and the tribes of Israel, until the time of King David some 400 year later, Israel was unable to conquer the city from the Jebusite/Emorite descendants of Melchizedek's brother Ham, progenitor of Avimelech.

Archaeological remnants of the walls of the Jebusite City demonstrate they were later reinforced, at the time of King David after he and his men penetrated the underwater channel of the Gihon Spring, entered the city, occupied it and lived together with Avimelechs’ remaining peacekeeping relatives including their Jebusite King. From this city, Jerusalem his ancestral inheritance King David progressively obtained control, extending the city and building his palace as a symbol of his nations center, but national authority was not easily forthcoming. After an extramarital affair with BatSheva, toward the end of King David's life a nationwide pandemonium inspired the essential, momentary transfer of authority. In the time between disaster and resolution, the King identified the holy temple site, built an altar at the top of Mount Moriah and designated it the location of the nations future Temple, which his son Solomon would build.

King Solomon's City - with Temple (time of Solomon)

~North⇗

King Solomon followed his father’s extensive plan, extending the city walls north to the top of Mount Moriah where the First Temple was constructed and where the second Temple ultimately followed. The national unity engineered by King David did not last long, immediately following the reign of Solomon, his son Rehoboam was denounced by challenger Jeroboam and the nation, once again divided. In part Jeroboam founded his national support in pluralistic idolatry. Since then, some 2900 years ago, despite many royal attempts the tribes of Israel have never been reunited.

Jacob left this site of his ancestors for Egypt and never returned. Joshua was unable to conquer it, King David declared the pact of his ancestors void, invaded and recovered Jerusalem city from occupiers. It's entirely possible they may have already buried the high ridge of the Gihon during the construction of their walls and certainly their citadel cut it off. Eli Shukron the lead archaeologist on the Gihon dig revealed that all four chambers of the Upper Ridge including the matzevah had been preserved in softly packed loose earth between two walls. The dirt contained small artifacts dated back to King Hezekiah. Perhaps Hezekiah had revealed it during his major excavation of the tunnel system that carried water from the Gihon Spring into the city's Shiloah Pool at the base of the Kidron Valley.

Inevitably we must answer the question of the Upper Ridge. Whether King David knew of its existence and purposely obfuscated it, declaring the site on the top of the mountain the altar of the temple is irrelevant. If Jewish law prescribes the site of Isaac’s offering the only place for the Temple’s altar then we must ask - is the Upper Ridge at the Gihon that place and will we finally return to the forgotten cornerstone of our Jewish ancestral heritage?

Jerusalem's Mysterious Temple Location?

In 1964 King Hussein denied a permit for the Ras Al-Amoud mosque construction because it was on Jewish cemetery land in Jordan. At the end of the Six Day War in 1967, General Moshe Dayan, head of the Israel Defense Force formally approved the construction of the Mosque amid the Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives. You can see it circled (with a blue dome) on the right of the image below including in the inset.

Click to Enlarge North,Temple Mount. East, Mount of Olives, West, City of David

The Mosque is built on the apex of the Mount of Olives, marking the point at which the Western face of the mountain turns toward its significant Southern face. Most of the graves on the Mount are less than 400 years old, but its the location of older graves, the original graves, that begins to tell a very interesting story. In fact the apex faces toward the City of David, not The Temple Mount and the oldest graves are built below the neighborhood of Silwan on the slopes facing the ridges above the City's Gihon Spring.

Although the First and Second Temples were built in the area contained by the Temple Mount, before the First Temple the city graves were not oriented in that direction. Instead, on the other side of the Kidron Valley, opposite the City's Gihon Spring graves appear to acknowledge its' holiness by their orientation toward it. Over thousands of years, as grave sites were carved in the bedrock of the opposite slope hugging the Kidron Valley, construction of new graves eventually crept north toward the available, upper sections of the Mount of Olives.

On the high ridge above the Gihon Spring (see double circle, left in above image) one of the most remarkable discoveries has been made. In context, features in the immediate vicinity include the Gihon Pool, which contained water used for ritual immersion and sacrificial purpose, the stepped structures from the pool to the high ridge, the fortress that once protected the water and the cave dwellings that housed the privileged few before a walled city ever existed. On the high ridge are four rooms carved out of bedrock, I have written extensively on these rooms in the past. However, on a recent trip I learned that a containing wall had been removed during the archaeological excavation to provide access. Further that the earth between the walls was soft land fill, as opposed to pottery and rough stones in dirt, common to the fill discovered on the other part of the slopes.

Click to enlarge -High Ridge of the Gihon Spring, rooms carved in bedrock. Two walls containing soft land fill

According to most opinions, the containing walls were built by King Hezekiah when constructing the tunnels that carried water from the Gihon Spring deeper into the City, exclusively to fill the Pool of Siloam. Why did this area merit such careful treatment 2750 years ago? Treatment that ensured its most fragile artifact, the stone monument or matzevah remained erect and intact, when almost nothing else in the City did.

In a short thesis I wrote about the Origin of Jerusalem I maintain the original stepped structures around the Gihon Pool were not designed to protect water as is the common view, but to elevate the sanctity of the holy place at the High Ridge of the Gihon Spring. If indeed the High Ridge is a remnant of the earliest holy site in Jerusalem and the monument turns out, as I believe, to be the one erected by Jacob, then according to Jewish sources and Jewish law, it will also be the location of the holy altar of the Jerusalem's Third Temple.

They say if it walks, quacks and looks like a duck, its a duck! Its not surprising the discovery of loose objects of idolatry in the immediate vicinity were also discovered, but that does not simply render this a Canaanite site. It seems throughout history idolatry was Israel's constant nemesis, its time to look at this holy site and see it for what it is.

  

Generation 5800

Israel's volatile history suggests peace will only come through a swift end to the aberrant "two-state solution" and adoption of the suitable alternative. In proposing such I do not suggest a biblical lineage to non-Jewish occupiers living west of the Jordan River, instead a behavioral linkage to the sorry state of Zionism as it relates to Israel’s Jewish sovereignty.

Abram (meaning father of nations) embraced monotheism that unified his mission spiritually and practically. On arrival in the parched land God promised, he saw foreign invaders. When he visited his oldest living descendant, Noah’s son Shem or Melchizedek[1] he received detailed knowledge of his heritage and culture.  But, he did not stay in the land, he traveled further south to Egypt where he claimed territorial rights from Shem’s brother, Egypt’s first pharaoh Khem/Cham or Ham. Ham’s daughter Hagar was provided to Abram as pharaoh’s collateral, an acknowledgment of Shem’s superior claim. On Abram’s return to his promised land, he struck a treaty[2] with Ham’s descendant Abi Melech (meaning father king). The two-state deal precluded Abram banishing Abi Melech’s living relatives from Azah (Gaza), Hebron (in the West Bank) and Salem (Jerusalem).

After Isaac was born to Abraham (previously Abram) and Sarah, her patience with Hagar, came to an abrupt end, she kicked her and son Ishmael (to Abraham) out of her camp. While Abraham was prepared to negotiate a diplomatic treaty using the land God promised, Sarah was not, she had no intention of complicating Isaac's future right of inheritance any further than Abraham had already done. During the moments Abraham offered his son as a sacrifice (Akeidat Yitzchak - the binding of Isaac) at Mount Moriah, Sarah passed away (aged 127). Abraham traveled back to Hebron where he negotiated to buy back the plot at Machpela to bury his wife. Then Abraham turned his attention to marrying Isaac, making sure his future wife would come from the lineage of Sarah’s family. Isaac was married to Rebecca who filled the tent of her mother in law while Isaac played double down diplomacy, extending his fathers[3] two-state covenant of peace to Abi Melech's future descendants.

Rebecca bore son’s Jacob and Esau and struggled hard to maintain and establish Sarah’s undiplomatic progeny. Jacob left the promised homeland and after 21 years returned from the land of Sarah’s family, where he married his wives Rachel and Leah and established his family and fortune. They first crossed the Jordan and arrived in Shechem (Nablus) where he left his cattle before they continued to Mount Moriah. At the same site of Akeidat Yitzchak Jacob began to fulfill the covenant he made there before he left the Promised Land -"The stone which I have set as a covenant will be the House of God." While attempting to build his House of God,  Rebecca passed away, so Jacob abruptly left the site to bury his mother in Hebron, she too was 127. Tragically, on the way his first love, Rachel passed away during the birth of his 13th child Benjamin. Years later his small family of 70 members were exiled to Egypt.

Because of Abraham and Isaac's aberrant two-state covenants on the land, Jacob's promise and covenant to build the House of God is yet to be fulfilled. Two previous attempts to build and maintain temples on the Temple Mount, the worlds most contested real-estate failed. Finally we live in the generations that are capable of realizing Jacob's dream, however the Jewish self inflicted struggle to adopt Sarah’s sovereign view must be rectified. Although Abraham merited a child because he compassionately prayed that Abi Melech should become a father, Jews must not fall victim to the heady utopian passions of Abraham and Isaac. Instead they must follow the doggedly, determined, materialistic visions of Sarah and Rebecca. If Abraham had simply stayed in his land, things would have been different!

The Hebrew year 5800 (2040) is the right time to realize Jacob's vision. I subscribe to a view that the world's most hotly contested real-estate, the Temple Mount may yet hold some surprises. The first two temples may have been built in different places, higher up the mountain, but the right place for the third temple is on the neck of Mount Moriah. However, the focus for now is Sarah’s sovereign view, whether Jews sell out or stick to her program depends on their mindfulness. Jerusalem 5800 proposes and demands it become a World City, one that has been planned during the past seven years by more than 40 consultants. More than 400 pages are planned on the foundation of Israel and Jerusalem City government and the bureaucracy’s existing plans.

The 5800 plan inspires serious questions about a divided or united Jerusalem by which politicians will be blessed or cursed. But, building the city is only a part of a plan that cannot be fully realized until the mental adjustment over Jewish sovereignty is made. Ask yourself, are you ready to uphold the modern context of mother Sarah's sovereign view? What is the context? A modern Jewish nation cannot condone a land that divides its constituents, denies them reasonable representation and optimal economic prosperity, but two-states is still being used to divert Jews and those persuaded by aberrant covenants. Meanwhile poverty in Jerusalem is running at 37% while benefactors feed social injustices for the benefit of their personal brand insurgencies. Economic prosperity is Israel’s most advanced anti-terror weapon, but demand for unskilled labor remains low and must be accelerated. To rebuild we must be serious about the financial sustainability that Israel's ancient Jewish culture provides through major industries like tourism.

Democracy is no friend of Jewish sovereignty especially if Israel extends citizenship to all non-Jews living West of the Jordan River. Therefore, Israel must ensure its Jewish sovereign future ultimately modifying its government structure before it provides non-citizens a resident alien status, a path to citizenship and the vote. The 70 elders that once represented the Jewish community prevailed over a hierarchy of community captains of 1000’s, 100’s, 50’s and 10’s. Israel’s national government still incorporates some equivalence to this framework particularly in elected City Rabbi’s who obtain their status through community synagogues and Mayors of cities nationwide. I believe this framework can be elevated, eventually by a national referendum to establish a bicameral parliamentary equivalent, Israel’s future senate. At such time in the future a senate of elected Rabbi’s can represent Israel’s broadest, Jewish community interest by approving the law’s of the country. Once authoritative, they will obtain the mantle to modify and converge Talmudic law to interpret it consistent with Israel’s state law so that only one body of law governs all citizens and residents of the nation.

As the world around Israel implodes Jews must remain focused on Sarah’s vision, she had it right, one national sovereign, one land!  Through her, Rebecca and Jacob’s wives Leah and Rachel, Israel's Jews remain grounded to achieve their collective destiny. Each must find a way to participate, get involved, sharpen and strengthen their views for the home stretch. One way to do that is to sign up and show your support for a unified approach at Jerusalem5800 on Facebook or the web.

[1] Targum Yonathan and Targum Yerushalmi to Bereishit 14:18-20. Talmud Bavli to tractate Nedarim 32b
[2] Pirkey de Rabbi Eliezer 36;
[3] Yalkut Me'am Loez Toldot [484] 26:30-33

Context Spanning Time and Place!

Woodcut by Gustave Doré depicting
the burial of Sarah in the cave

The Bible spans 2500 years, but the first two of its fifty three sections quickly advance through 2000 of those years. They are a preamble to the story of Israel’s indigenous development. The transition is punctuated by two events that rarely caught the eye of commentators, but unequivocally identifies Israel with its singular most important place. In contrast to place, perception of time was very different than it is today. No one could have planned anything to the precision of a minute, perhaps an hour with great difficulty mostly a day, at best. However, place or location was fixed and often associated with deeply spiritual events and meaning.

The Quran leads Muslims to believe an ambiguous contradiction to the, much earlier Bible that Abraham’s son Ishmael (by Hagar) was offered as his child sacrifice instead of Biblical Isaac. However, the Bible makes it clear, Isaac was bound at the altar and the commentators back it up with ample grammatical, mystical and literary proofs. One such commentary tells that during the sacrificial event known as “Akeidat (the binding of) Yitzchak’ (Isaac), Isaac’s mother Sarah, who was in Kiryat Arba (Hebron) at the time, died from the shock of that ethereal moment. Abraham returned home from the site of the binding, on Mount Moriah only to be thrust into negotiation to purchase the cave of Machpelah and bury his wife.

Isaac remained in the vicinity of Mount Moriah and was later betrothed to Rebecca who may have been three when Sarah passed. Rebecca eventually gave birth to twins Jacob and Esau who grew up mired in their bitter sibling rivalry. Rebecca is said to have perfectly resembled her mother-in-law Sarah. Like Isaac who married into the extended maternal-paternal family, Jacob was sent away by Rebecca to be betrothed. On his outward journey, at the site of Isaac’s binding on Mount Moriah Jacob dreamed of a stairway bridging earth to heaven. There he set a monument and made a covenant to return and build a house of God, provided he was blessed to return. Twenty years later, a successful Jacob returned together with his wives Leah, Rachel, their 12 children and significant entourage.

Jacob's Stairway leads to Jacob's Monument (matzevah)

Sarah passing aged 127, during her son's binding at Mount Moriah is not immediately apparent as providential. But, Rebecca's passing, while Jacob was located at BeitEl, accepting his name ‘Israel’, at the very same Mount Moriah site of akeida invokes an undeniable providential parallel. Some 124 years separated these matriarchal deaths; Rebecca would have been exactly 127 years old. These couplings transcend physical time, yet they established and permanently connected the Mount Moriah site of Akeidat Yitzchak and Jacob’s Beit El (House of God) with Abraham’s sould-portal Machpelah. These events evoked a physical point known in Jewish liturgy as Tzion, the physical place God’s presence manifests in the world.

On Jacob’s way to Machpelah to bury his mother, his wife Rachel died while giving birth to Benjamin, Jacob’s 13th child. Rachel was buried between Mount Moriah (Jerusalem) and Hebron, outside Bethlehem along the straight line route of Jacob’s journey. On that route, it is said Rachel reminds the Jewish people that her tears are the reason they merit the rebuilding of the Jerusalem’s third and final temple, at that very same place on Mount Moriah.

The ignorant are dumbfounded by the intricate logic of the Torah’s grammatical foundation; the chronology, letters, words and phrases that make up Israel’s Bible, instead they berate Israel’s indigenous record. Some honor its chronological construct, cunningly fitting their views to interpretations’ strictly codified rules. Still, some exploited the rules of time and place to further their self-serving ideals and successfully diverted the nations thinking. With the discovery of new archaeological evidence, history is being clarified and references to Salem, Luz, Beit El, Sukkot, Mount Moriah, City of David and Jerusalem become one and the same by time, place and spiritual context.

Finally we are being confronted by the stunning prospect that Jacob’s Beit El (House of God) is presently being excavated at the City of David. Through this lens we are, once again able to grapple our perceptions and misconceptions of Torah’s truth.

Israeli Democracy - Look, who is to the P.M.'s left?

Bibi Netanyahu, Israel's P.M. reviews his left flank

The impractical segmentation of millions into two states or their inclusion on a single, statewide Israeli voter register is no doubt problematic. Despite global diplomacy, no leaders of Jews, Muslims or Christians can preach enough rhetoric to turn opinions of Israel's divergent population. Among Jewish representative leaders of Israel, liberalism and conservatism continues to direct competing and often conflicting policy. But, the millennial battle of extremes has a new contender for the crown and its fast approaching your democracy too.

Radicalism exploits everything often confusing constituents who don’t quite know how to respond. In the staunchest democracies voter sentiment is affected by national intelligence, propaganda that is selectively disclosed and it may come as a shock, but radical extremists do elicit sympathies from moderates. Radicals can and will penetrate democracy's' Achilles heel and win support for their cause. Regardless of their sordid morals, much of which is forgotten days or weeks after an initial often violent shock, radical ideals flourish on apparent social injustices compelling enough for liberals to support.

An ancient Talmudic law suggests, when established Israel’s principle sovereign body, the Great Sanhedrin, a court with 70 members and a President cannot declare a murderer guilty unless there is at least one dissenting member. In this court liberal dissent is a prerequisite, the antidote to a prevailing conservative radicalism. Unlike the courts presently convened by radical Islamist's to benefit their ideal the Jewish court is protected by the power of this radical antidote in the negative veto.

Radical Islamic militants exploit a general permission granted by Prophet Muhammad in Medina around 1400 years ago. He permitted a jihad to convert (generally wealthy) people to Islam as a justification for his poverty stricken followers stealing their possessions. Today this criminal behavior is justified by militants who believe these teachings transcend the moral and criminal laws of most countries. The idea behind a Great Sanhedrin is one radical Islamist's shun, because their Shiite vs Sunni insurgency relies on fractional justice to settle their messianic bloodline.The winning leader of this intra-Islamic purge is supposed to usurp any competing Judeo Christian Messiah. This is the beating religious heart of present day radicalism and will continue regardless, until such stage as the final outcome of this Biblical lineage is absolutely determined.

These very ancient, interconnected, middle eastern bloodlines are compelled to fulfill their inherent endgame and so it is for the Jews of Israel. The seemingly weird progression of events since September 11, 2001 and the Arab Spring have led to the present Islamic State rhetoric and action, what next? A democratic states' symbolism is an important contributor to the psyche of the nation, especially those that remain vulnerable to the influence of radical extremists. For Israel the complex machinations affecting liberal / conservative democratic bias is exacerbated by the unique dimension of the Jewish religion and Jews to realize their messianic quest.

A nations pomp and ceremony emerges from its history and culture. Since its re-established in 1948 Jewish Israels hurriedly adopted a structure that has not matured sufficiently to represent its Jewish character or ensure democratic Jewish sovereignty. For example, shifting some of Jerusalem's city boundaries by less than a few kilometers would ensure the election of an Arab Mayor or, incorporating all people west of the Jordan on the electoral role would reduce the Jewish majority to approximately 53%. Therefore, Israel’s continuing Jewish sovereignty is a question that causes its leaders to express delicate diplomacy's to win international acclaim and domestic popularity. Jewish sovereignty is not democratically guaranteed and it is far too precious an ideal to squander especially in light of the radical alternative.

We must ask hard questions about the future of Israel's national symbolism and its governing structure. Does it honestly embrace and signal its intention to ensure its Jewish ideal? For example, will Israel’s Chief Rabbi, or equivalent ever be seated to the Prime Ministers right at official state functions? Since Jewish sovereignty is a prerequisite at least this symbolism ought to be strengthened!  Placing the seat of Israel’s Chief Rabbi, presently held by a representative of the divided Sephardic and Ashkenazi communities (soon to be consolidated), to the right of the PM would honestly declare the Jewish Sovereign intent of Israel’s Jewish citizens. As this level of intellectual honesty is achieved radicalism will begin to face a new reality because Israel will finally be on the home stretch to its Jewish Sovereign guarantee of its free world democracy, then every citizen can vote in the permanent, single Jewish State of Israel.