Joseph and the United Nations

Reuven's brothers openly expressed their intent to murder their brother Joseph. Guilt ridden, Reuven ran to repent at the side of his father. He had once disrupted the conjugal rights of his mother Leah, which prevented the conception of Jacob's 14^th child, the one who would have replaced Joseph had his brothers carried out their threat. While paralyzed Reuven was praying, Yehuda convinced his brothers to sell Joseph to slave traders instead. Ishmaelite traders traveling toward them were carrying ‘sweet spices’ among their wares. But, first Midyanites bought Joseph and traded him with the Ishmaelites on their passage to Egypt where he and the 'sweet spices' were sold into the House of Potifar, Pharaoh's high priest and the chief of butchers. What were these ‘sweet spices’?

Years earlier, Jacob's 20 year servitude to his father in-law in Haran was over and he left with his family and entourage. Along the way he hid his only daughter Dinah from an encounter that may have exposed him to marry her to his estranged brother Esau. Jacob was first intent on reaching Beit El, the place he had erected a monument (matzevah) as a covenant to build a House of  God, but was delayed when Prince Shechem raped Dinah who bore Oesnat, the product of her rape. As a result Joseph's brothers Shimeon and Levi massacred 24000 men of Shechem. 

On finally reaching Beit El, Jacob and his 11 sons built walls in Shalem (Jerusalem) on the high ridge above the Gihon Spring, but their effort was interrupted by the death of nurse Devorah, his mother Rivkah and the his wife Rachel as she gave birth to his 12th and final son Binyamin. After returning to Hevron, the brothers wanted to kill Oesnat to eradicate the painful memory, but Jacob insisted they don't. Instead Jacob placed Oesnat in a sneh (bush) in Midyan where she was cared for by the high priest and from where a midrashic source tells us she was miraculously transported to the House of Potifar in Egypt. After staying in Hevron, the home of Jacob's father, they eventually settled around Shechem where he had left his cattle and possessions and from where the string of tragedy continued. 

Reuven had lost his birthright because of his interference in his father's affairs and Shimeon and Levi (the second and third sons) for their rebellion in Shechem; it fell to Yehuda the fourth son. The Biblical account of Joseph is interrupted by Yehuda’s encounter with Tamar because the ‘sweet spices’ allude to Oesnat. It turns out she was carried on the same caravan that collected and transported Joseph to Egypt. Many years after they arrived in Egypt, Pharaoh gave permission for Oesnat (of the House of Leah) to marry Joseph (of the House of Rachel). The marriage united both houses into the united tribes of Israel's (Jacob's) wives. From the marriage of Joseph and Oesnat the penultimate messianic root was born, the 'son of Joseph' preceded by the ultimate root, the 'son of David' from the marriage of Yehuda and Tamar. 

Now we can understand why the section of Vayeishev in which Joseph and Oesnat are unified on their carriage to the House of Potifar in Egypt, is juxtaposed with the story of Yehuda and Tamar. Because, through the latter marriage comes the re-incarnate messianic root of Moshiach (Messiah) son of David. It’s from this point where the nation of Israel is ultimately unified to lead the world. Because of the marriage of Oesnat (the house of Leah) to Joseph (the house of Rachel) Jacob finally regained his happiness - and he lived! At this point he knew his descendants would eventually return from their exile, unified to fulfill his covenant to build the final and permanent Beit El, House of God, The Temple.

Jerusalem's Origin

One of my all time favorite pursuits is the discovery of archaeology that I expect will scientifically validate the high ridge above the Gihon Spring in Jerusalem as the location of the earliest Biblical Beit El, which was Luz, also referred to in Kabbalah as Be'er Sheva. Before we get into the proof you should familiarize yourself with the diagram bellow. It illustrates four primary chambers which were carved into bedrock (the walls are remaining bedrock with spaces hollowed out). The complex on the Upper Ridge of the Gihon Spring served worshipers on or around the ridge ~4000-3000 years ago.

וְהָאֶ֣בֶן הַזֹּ֗את אֲשֶׁר־שַׂ֙מְתִּי֙ מַצֵּבָ֔ה יִהְיֶ֖ה בֵּ֣ית אֱלֹהִ֑ים - This stone which I have set will be the house of God          Genesis 28:22 -  The Upper Ridge

Rendition of the Upper Ridge - a sanctuary for worship

The importance of scientific proof presents a departure from conventional wisdom, which may trigger a re-think by Torah scholars because scientific proof that this is Beit El would challenge everything scholars expect about the location of the 3rd temple. In addition it would cause a re-study as to why the first and second temples were built at locations associated with their ultimate destruction.

There are many unique features of this complex, arguably the most striking (for now) is the discovery of a flimsy (~3cm thick slab) matzevah, monument or headstone (but not a grave marker) constructed on the bedrock in a square frame of rocks. Somehow this vital artifact survived thousands of years whilst everything else around in the City of David, where it is located, was burned and destroyed down to the bedrock leaving only small clay artifacts as tell tale clues. (See 2nd chamber from the south - left). Further, how this stone remains physically erect or connected to the bedrock remains a mystery that archaeologists have not yet determined.

The Matzevah of the Upper Ridge

Its worth noting (at least to my knowledge) that a similar standing matzevah built into bedrock in a frame has never been discovered at any other archaeological dig in Israel. Why this artifact survived may be crucial to the theory of this complex. I've written numerous articles on the subject some of which can be discovered here or in the more detailed thesis of Jerusalem's Origin. In essence, the location and complex are sacred and the most likely inspiration for its construction, but its connection to the Bible and to the origin of the nation Israel is crucial and in my opinion its about to be proven by archaeological science.

In the Biblical narrative, Jacob took 12 stones from this altar and placed them around him during the night. The stones converged to become one, and that one stone became the matzevah, which I believe is located in the chamber illustrated above. In accordance with Jewish literature the matzevah should be adjacent to the mizbeach (altar) on which Isaac was offered as a sacrifice to God by his father Abraham (see the chamber to the right for possible identification). According to all opinions the altar of Isaac is the location by which the Holy of Holy's must be designated around which the Temple is built.

Kabbalah describes the south east corner of the altar on land belonging to the tribe of Yehuda as it points into and penetrates the land of the tribe of Binyamin on which most of the temple is built. In the illustration above you can see that the wall, constructed by King Hezekiah crosses, what may be the altar (table), on the line that divided the tribal land of Yehuda and Binyamin exposing the south east (front left) corner immediately in front of the wall.

I believe Jacob and his son's built the first walls to fulfill Jacobs promise to build a house of God (Genesis 28:22) and to protect the sanctity of this sacred site. After they were exiled to Egypt, the site and the land was overwhelmed by the families of Egypts pharaoh whose direct lineage to Ham, Noah's son, included Kanaan his grandson. This occupation was in familial competition with the descendants of Noah's other son Shem (Malchitzedek) who originally used the site as a place for worship and who named it Shalem after which the city Jerusalem was named. During a period of several hundred years whilst Jacob's family in exile grew to become the nation of Israel in Egypt, this sacred site was constructed upon and buried adjacent to and under buildings including the water tower that covered the Gihon.

Of course none of this is a scientific proof, we will have to wait for that, but there are already important archaeological proofs that this site is connected with the King of Bethlehem, which is King David's birthplace. Its quite probable the site was redeveloped by King David during his reign to house the Holy of Holies that was captured in Shilo by the Philistines. Later King Hezekiah who blocked the waters of the Gihon and who constructed the foundations of a city wall that penetrated the ground at this site may have uncovered this previously buried complex. Its recent re-discovery revealed that soft earth had been packed to purposely preserve the entire site.

Patiently I wait to discover more.

Sharon's Prophecy

During the past US presidential election, President Barak Obama chose Egypt as his first foreign destination and Governor Romney made his election promise to first visit Israel. There could not have been a more starkly defined difference between the prophetic views of these two leaders. Obama believing he possessed the capacity to alter facts on the ground by redefining the Islamic ideal and Romney believing Israel represents the ideal.

In a previous article I emphasized the present day cold war that is masked by the Arab Spring and implored readers not to be fooled by Russia’s role in Syria, Iran or their historical engagement in Iraq and Afghanistan. It struck me that a result of the economic competition between the Soviet Union and the Allied forces at the end of the Second World War was the wall that divided Berlin and Germany for more than 40 years. It also became apparent that the German wall enabled a cultural and political divide that may bear some relationship to the wall built by Israel’s previous Prime Minister Ariel Sharon.

For many years I have questioned why Sharon, despite all of his policy statements and political ambitions unanimously reversed everything he apparently stood for to build the wall that today divides Israel and Jerusalem. Was it security, demographics, immigration? I asked these questions over and over again sometimes of his closest advisers. I tried on many occasions to discover the justifications for his action including his resolve as Prime Minister to walk on the Temple Mount in a declaration of Jewish sovereignty over the sacred site. Recently, whilst considering Russia’s role in the Syrian conflict, I found an answer that may just have motivated him to act so boldly and it may have a bearing on Obama, the 44th President.

Notwithstanding Israel’s direct efforts to dispel Iran, Russia’s recent $4bn arms deal with Iraq is indicative of shifting alignments endorsed by the USA to share trading benefits to deter Russian insistence on continuing Syrian and Iranian trade. In return its likely the Russians have agreed to reduce their support to those countries - a fact that may become apparent and pivotal in months to come.

Thinking through the Sharon era, I am increasingly convinced he considered that Russian economic pursuit would fuel Middle East geopolitics including by their using Israel as a scapegoat for improving Russian arms trade. The pent up Muslim fervor orchestrated around the Palestinian issue that fueled Israel’s second intifada and that which inspired and followed 9/11, provoked President Bush to alter the balance of power in the region. Since settlement of such a war would require declaration of land and economic rights for the prevailing parties, its possible "Sharon’s wall", built in advance of the encroaching cold war, would declare Israels future concession before serious conflict arose. Thus, it would take the wind out of the Islamic insurgency's sails.

In actual fact, Sharon’s wall may eventually lead to conditions for unification of Israel and Jerusalem in much the same way East and West German constituents demanded of Reagan and Gorbachev. The 45th President of the USA is likely to preside at a time when future conditions for lasting peace truly emerge. There is an ancient Jewish prophecy and teaching that the 45th King of Edom, considered to be the leader over the people of the USA, will inaugurate over the final process of Jewish redemption. This heralds a time of great hope and lasting prosperity in the world. We hope and pray!

See my most recent article - Israel's Forthcoming Miracle!

Solving the Riddle of Beit-El and Beit-el - Part 2.

At Pesach I wrote an article  explaining the Haftorah of the second day hints at important aspects that could help to locate Beit El, which relates to the final redemption of the Jewish people. The haftorah of last day Sukkot outside of Israel, in many ways the mirror of Pesach in the Jewish Calendar, tells the story of Joshua leading Israel’s return to redeem their land.

Motivated by the deepest convictions, the nation, Israel after enduring 250 years of exile were finally returning. The first alien city encountered, once the nation crossed the Jordan River into the defined borders of its land, was Jericho, which as commanded by God was to be destroyed entirely. Its the second city of Ay (Ai) that Israel was commanded to attack that presents a particular interest to the theory proposed.

As described in the image above, (1) under the cover of darkness Joshua led an army of 30,000 men up the Judean mountains to (2) a camp below, or south of the then Canaanite city home to Beit El. Before daybreak, Joshua moved 25,000 through the valley between Beit El and Ai (today known as the Kidron Valley), where (5) a rear guard ambush party of 5000 troops remained, whilst the balance (3) climbed to the top of the hill (to the north - today known as Mount of Olives) across the valley that separated them from the city of Ai. At daybreak Joshua crossed the valley to taunt the guards and residents of the city, who on a previous occasion had successfully chased Joshua’s, much smaller, first invading party. The gates of the city were open and a similar pursuit soon began, only this time Joshua planned it to be a trap. By the time the army of Ai and Beit El had chased (6) Israel some distance, the ambush party (5) came up the rear attacking the city and setting it alight. Once the pursuers of Ai saw and realized their city was burning, they retreated and in their retreat, Joshua turned his retreating troops on them. In a pincer movement they were trapped between Israel’s main army and Israel’s rear guard ambush troop. The people of Ai were defeated and the city destroyed.

Looking South East toward Ai circled in the background

The suggestion here is a significant departure from the confusion brought by King Yerovam, which has plagued the Jewish people for thousands of years. An adoption of this theory would require a reconsideration of many previous interpretations. Centering the source of Israel’s holy connection to the location at the correct Beit El at the Canaanite city that became the City of David has been a long time coming.

Israel and the nations - the detailed sources

Drawing on the sources identified in this paper I conclude; Israel’s relationships with the nations has particular relevance to Islam since it is the only mainstream religion that conforms to Torah’s universal laws as evidenced by the fact Halacha (Jewish law) permits a Jew to enter and pray in a mosque.

Parshat Yitro deals with the mystical and psychological relationship between the source of the minds Insight and Wisdom and its reflection from the attribute of Understanding[1] as it relates to the re-incarnation of Cain in Yitro and Abel in Moshe. The Zohar quotes; Yitro and her (Moshes wife) two sons came to Moshe and Moshe went out to meet him. To explain Rabbi Shimon quotes Isaiah 2:3 “ Many people will go and say ‘Come let us go up to the mountain[2] of HaShem, to the house of the God of Jacob, He will teach us His ways and we will walk in His paths.’ For Zion will come from Torah and the word of HaShem from Jerusalem”.

The Zohar goes on to explain “To the house[3]” – Jacob, who called this place “house”. “Mountain and house” – although all is a single rung [70a] one transcends the other[4]. “Mountain” – for other nations, when they come to enter under Her wings, “House” – for Israel, to be with them as a wife with her husband in one dwelling, in joy, crouching over them like a mother over her children. “…Moses father-in-law, and his sons and his wife came to Moses to the wilderness…”[5]. Since it is written “to Moses to the wilderness” the Zohar explains it to be the “Mountain of Elokim” – a place for converts to convert and whoever comes and attains it and is called “ger tzedeq”[6].

Rashi derives from the phrase “he encountered” that Yaakov prayed at the site of the Beis Hamikdash, and instituted the maariv prayer. There is a Midrash that cites the verse “Give praise to the Lord our strength; blow a teruah to the G-d of Yaakov”[7]. This Midrash asks why Yaakov is singled out here, and answers with a parable. Once a king had three friends to whom he showed a site where he intended to build a palace. The first looked and said, “You mean on that hill,” and the king left him. The second said, “You mean in that field,” and the king also left him. The third friend looked and said, “There’s going to be a palace over there.” The Midrash says that Avraham called the Beis Hamikdash a mountain, Yitzchak called it a field and Yaakov, on the other hand, called it a house, as when he awoke he declared, “this is none other than the House of Hashem.” The Midrash then relates that Hashem said that because Yaakov called it a house even before it was built, it would be called by his name.[8][9]

The Midrash Rabba quotes Rebbi Elazar in the name of Rebbi Yossi Ben Zimri who suggests that the ladder of Yaakov’s dream was rooted in Be’er Sheva, stretched to Beit E-l and had its center at Jerusalem. (Midrash Rabba Bereishit 69:7). The “house” Jacob speaks of is associated with Luz and Beit El, the location of Jacob’s dream, the monument he anointed to God (matzevah), the place Isaac was offered as a sacrifice, the mountain of God identified by Abraham and the field in which Isaac prayed.

Avraham always believed that Avraham and Hagar’s son Yishma'el would be included among the Chosen People. We find signs of this in many places. When Sarah suggested exiling Yishmael and Hagar, "It was very bad in Avraham's eyes, because of his son"[10]. It required a direct mandate from God to force Avraham to send Yishmael away. A more poignant proof is the Midrash cited by Rashi[11] regarding God's command to Avraham to sacrifice Yitzchak.[12]

When did Abraham have a son from Sarah? When he prayed on behalf of Abimelech[13]" [14]

Hagar, also “ha ger” translated “the convert” and Sarah’s concubine with whom Abraham had Ishmael, praises the Seeing God for recognizing her and showing her how to be humble[15]. The term used is אָֽמְרָ֗ה – [a]M[e]Ra[h] the meaning of which is drawn from its 15 occurrences in the Torah. It comes from a primitive word root that can mean answer, appoint, avouch, boast about self, call, declare, challenge, certify or command and it could reflect truth or untruth. In context the occurrence reflects Sarai’s encounter with Hagar, Avraham’s encounter with Avimelech over Sarah[16], Rivkah’s advice preempting Yaakov to take the first blessing of Yitzchak[17], Leah’s birth of Reuven[18], Tziporah’s action to save Moshe’s life[19], Hannah, Elkana and the birth of Shmuel[20] and Elisha’s miracle breaking the drought in Shomron[21]. In addition in Proverbs[22] - Wisdom, understating and evil[23], Kohellos[24] - Shlomo seeking one man’s wisdom, Lamentations[25] - faith and plea for help, Yechezkel[26] - the pleasure businessmen of Tyre obtained on hearing the temple was destroyed, Hoshea[27] - on illicit relationships and childbirth and punishment for harlotry and ultimately its relationship to Peace[28].

The present dynamic of Israel to the nations of the world is like The Temple Mount compared to the neck of the Mount Moriah on which the Temple Mount it is located – in the daily recitation of blessings before Sh’ma – “…break the yolk of nations from our neck and speedily lead us upright to our land” refers to the trappings of Israel’s exiled state and the last request made before entering the higher mind states designated for the Sh’ma and Shmoneh Esrei (Amidah) prayers. The future dynamic of Israel to the nations of the world is the Temple compared to its location on the neck of Mount Moriah.

The mystery of Parshat Yitro alludes to the higher order of Wisdom’s reflection from Understanding and the negation of ego to correctly interpret and benefit from it. Its inner meaning is alluded to in the twin girls born with Abel and the twin girl born with Cain, where Abel gazed on the (reflected) image of the Divine presence and for this he received death.

If Israel interprets the reflection of its wisdom in the manner of Yaakov’s middle line of Tifferet, it will learn that the neck is the designated place through which the correct vision of the head can pass and when this occurs the yoke of nations will be removed once and for all.

[1] Yitro - Apples from the Orchard Rabbi Wisnefsky on The ARI and Rabbi Vital
[2] Zohar [Matt] Yitro pg:388 mountain of H” - Avraham
[3] Zohar [Matt] Yitro pg:388 house Jacob – on the identification of the sire of Jacob’s dream as the Temple.
[4] Zohar [Matt] Yitro pg:388 Mountain and house…”both allude to Shekinah mountain alludes to accessibility whilst house alludes to intimacy and She welcomes converts under Her wings…
[5] Exodus 18:5
[6] Zohar [Matt] Yitro pg:389 that place – accessible - such a person is linked with Shekinah
[7] Tehillim 81:2
[8] http://www.northhendon.co.uk/sedra/pages/5764/vayeitzei5764.pdf
[9] http://www.parsha.net/pdf/Bereishis/Vayeitze59.pdf
[10] Bereishit 21:11
[11] Bereishit 22:2, based on Bereishit Rabba 55:7
[12] http://www.vbm-torah.org/archive/sichot/bereishit/07-60vayetz.htm
[13] Bereishit 20:18
[14] Pesikta Rabbati 39
[15] Genesis 16:13
[16] Genesis 20:5 and 21:16
[17] Genesis 27:6
[18] Genesis 29:32
[19] Exodus 4:26
[20] 1 Samuel 1:22
[21] 2 Kings 6:28
[22] Proverbs 9:4
[23] Proverbs 30:16
[24] Ecclesiastes 7:27
[25] Lamentations 3:24
[26] Ezekiel 26:2
[27] Hosea 2:5
[28] Hosea 2:12

Overt and covert - you can’t make this stuff up!

At the recent attack on the US embassy in Yemen they chanted "O Jews, Khyber, Khyber. The army of Muhammad will return!” President Obama, Joe Biden and Hillary Clinton compared to President Bush, Dick Cheney and Condoleezza Rice could not be more contrasted. Overt leaders are scrutinized according to their more public declarations. Covert leaders perceive their private declarations shield them. However, the death of American Ambassador to Libya, Chris Stevens expresses the disdain this lawless war has for overt and covert leaders of the American administration. The nature of this war is better reflected in the agreements Al Qaeda negotiated to launch their operations in the mountainous regions through which the Khyber pass links Afghanistan and Pakistan. Here the Pashtun people and their Taliban student fighters mount their continuing attacks; loyal only to those who provide their present temporal relief.

Climbing out of a bear pit with the bear may be easier than taming the beast outraged over social condition, legal imposition and moral composition. The insurgencies to which we subscribe are fuelled by ideological benefactors intent to prevail over tribal culture and the American administration is complicit. In 630 CE Prophet Muhammad’s army defeated the Jews fortressed in the Khyber pass. The battle paved the way for the conquest of Mecca and the establishment of Islam. After the Prophet’s death, Caliph Omar marched on Jerusalem where Akiva, a Jewish convert to Islam, advised the location of the destroyed Jewish Temples where Omar built his shrine. The shrine was erected over the place of the Holy of Holies and a subsequently built church and exists today as the Dome of the Rock on Jerusalem’s Temple Mount.

While Obama bows to Saudi Kings and the Bush family court their wealth, Sunni and Shiite blood flows in streets where ideology and culture clash, yet successive administrations have failed to recognize the importance of symbolic ‘game changing’ cues. Prime Minister Netanyahu’s latest demand for ‘red lines’ exposes the pathetic state of diplomacy in a modern world where enemies hide amongst friends to spit in the face of ideologists intent on dominating culture. When insurgency matters and life is cheap there is no end to the enemy! Complexity is rife and no more so than in the Jewish roots of the staunch Pashtun people, the symbolism of Caliph Omar’s shrine on the Temple Mount or the Saudi Kings Sunni reign over Mecca, Islam’s holiest site. Red lines are an absolute necessity in the face of such ambiguity especially when Shiite Iran is intent to prevail over Sunni Arabs including by proving their usefulness against Israel. No amount of coaxing, befriending, wheeling or dealing will contain the pent up anger and resentment that targets opposing ideology.

Covert operations of the Obama Administration intended to deliver planned results often play into the hands of cultural regimes that respond unexpectedly to make their insurgent views known. Such insurgency is the nature of modern terror, any opposition to it must be founded in unwavering support of suitable counter culture, yet American presidents repeatedly fail to recognize the importance of Israeli symbolism to American cultural survival. How much begging and pleading does Mr. Netanyahu need to offer to make the point? Not only are red lines on Iran important, red lines on pretty much everything else are equally important. Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, Turkey, Yemen, Libya, Europe, Russia and China you name it, every one of these countries must understand that America means business and Israel is its chosen example over anything else in the region. For those who have visited Israel, its more than 40% Muslim population is a microcosm of a future Germany, Italy, France, England and America, a future with rapidly expanding Islamic constituents. Are these countries going to function as judiciously and how will their cultures and cultural icons be preserved?

Preservation of cultural identity is the color of our modern world. We must retain the freedoms necessary to respect and regard that which best serves each regions constituent cultures allowing those cultures to flourish. Notwithstanding counter insurgencies, established cultures cannot withstand long term ideological imposition to behave covertly. The Meranos of Spain and Portugal who were persecuted to convert to Christianity during the Spanish Inquisition still light candles in their kitchen cupboards before the Jewish Sabbath without knowing why they do it. Its time for overt leadership to ensure the red lines are drawn and widely publicized so that the preservation of our rich human heritage can prevail and if President Obama doesn’t understand that, Prime Minister Netanyahu has an obligation to expose his weakness.

Three Festivals!

Rabbi Menachem Leibtag explains, that Torah narrates the story of Jacob out of its chronological sequence. He teaches that Jacob and his family had met his brother Esau with his army on the way back to Jacob’s parents traditional home in Hevron. If we accept the sequence of events as they are told in the Torah, which leaves the reader with the impression Jacob first lived in Shechem (in the north), we must struggle to explain why Jacob did not immediately proceed to Beit-El to fulfill his vow and then to Hevron to reunite with his parents.

Torah tells us that Jacob made shelters for his livestock in Sukkot, a word that means ‘temporary dwellings’ and could express a place known for gatherings of people who lived in tents. Much confusion exists about the timing of Jacob and his family’s arrival in Sukkot, however Rabbi Leibtag goes to great length to bring all the sources that support his chronological correction.

A reordering of the events would therefore be;

1. Jacob and family leave Haran (home of his father-in-law) in the north
2. Jacob encounters Esau at the Yabbok river
3. Jacob moves south passing through Shechem on his way to Sukkot
4. Jacob anoints the matzevah, builds a mizbeach (altar) at Sukkot the place he originally named Beit-El that was Luz
5. Jacob moves south to his parents home in Hevron
6. Rachel dies on the way during Benjamin’s childbirth at Bethlehem
7. Jacob arrives in Hevron
8. Jacob moves to Shechem
9. Dina is raped by Shechem
10. Shimeon and Levi slaughter the male residents of Shechem
11. Joseph is sold into slavery
12. Isaac dies in Hevron

The order suggests Sukkot is located on the route of Jacob’s travel between Haran and Hevron. Shalem, the holy place of high priest Malchitzedek or Shem was located in the middle of this route in modern day Jerusalem. It was also the likely site Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice.

The Torah phrase ‘Shalosh Regalim’ is used to describe the beating by Bilam of his donkey in his attempt to curse Israel and the same phrase is used for the three pilgrimage festivals. Pesah corresponds to Abraham, who hosted the three angels in his tent on Pesah, on the same day he discovered the water aquifer in the cave of Machpelah connecting Hevron to Shalem. On Shavuot, when Israel received the Torah at Mount Sinai a Shofar was sounded, the Shofar was the horn of the ram that Abraham offered in place of Isaac, thus establishing a connection between Shavuot and Isaac. When Jacob returned to the Land of Israel from exile he built a house and booths for his cattle, the place became known as “Sukkot” , thus the holiday of Sukkot corresponds with Jacob.

Bilam’s prophecy describes a messianic future where the world ascends to Jerusalem during these festivals. The water source, the sacrifice of Isaac and Sukkot are one location where sacrifices for these three festivals are offered.
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The convincing evidence being discovered in the City of David reveals that the site of Jacob’s focus has been discovered and is presently being excavated. The image above describes the present discoveries including the matzevah or monument and provides an indication of the booths Jacob may have constructed in the bedrock for his animals.


The matzevah which can be seen in the second booth from the left was erected by Jacob on his exit from Israel and anointed by him ~21 years later on his return to Israel. The monument, around 45cm wide, 30 cm high stands erect in an elevated frame sitting ~6 cm above the bedrock.

No artifact like it has been discovered anywhere in Israel in a location that is also directly associated with artifacts of worship.

The evidence in the three festivals hints directly at the place Jacob memorialized his entry and exit point from Israel, Pesah marks Abrahams discovery of living waters that flow to the Gihon Spring, Shavuot marks the sacrificial place of Isaac at the living waters of the Gihon Spring and Sukkot is the festival of living waters originating at the Gihon Spring.

These holy days are thought to be a correction for the Israel’s sin of the golden calf that caused Moses to break the first set of tablets on which the Ten Statements were transcribed. That event took place on the Hebrew date 17th Tammuz, which is also the date the walls of Jerusalem were breached and the day temple services officially stopped. Those services cannot be restarted until the location at which Isaac was offered as a sacrifice is re-discovered.

The Honey Bee Paradox

Shavuot celebrates the day the nation of Israel received its Torah (The Bible) and is associated with blossoming trees, flowers, milk and honey. Honey is the only kosher bi-product to come from a non-kosher producer, so what paradox were Israel’s greatest scholars and mystical thinkers trying to convey as to uniquely regard it in Jewish law?

In a recent documentary on ‘shapes in nature’ mathematician Marcus DuSautoy discussed honeycombs hexagon shape, which he declared to be nature’s most efficient because of the number of sides a hexagon can share with a neighbor.The beehive’s symmetrical compartments differ from anything else in nature where order is usually affected by disorder or entropy resulting in the rugged irregular appearance of natural objects. For example the disorder in nature can be seen in trees and their branches, or mountains, or even snowflakes where one in a million approaches perfect symmetry, but almost all never quite make it.

The interest in symmetry and its relationship to the natural world has a long history. The Ancient Greeks became obsessed to discover nature’s underlying building blocks and Plato identified five perfect symmetrical shapes well before modern science could see molecular structures. Several thousand years earlier the great mystics had already reached their conclusions about nature and symmetry. The most sophisticated and earliest living document used by the Greeks in their quest for insight into nature was Hebrews uniquely alphanumeric Torah - The Bible. Here’s a glimpse of their discovery in the numerical values derived from the value of its 22 letters in the first 7 words of its opening verse (read from right to left);

"In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth" =   2701, which equates with the addition of numbers 1+2+3+...73, known as the "triangle" of 73 it can also be expressed as ‘73 X 37 (37 is 73's midpoint)’.

The large triangle is the 73rd drawn with 2701 bricks or blocks. It contains the inverted 37th triangle drawn with 703 blocks, and three 36th triangles each with 666 blocks.

The three sides of the 37th triangle (in the middle) intersect the 73rd’s sides at each midpoint (37th).

The edges of the 36th triangles are drawn with 216 blocks also equal to the 6x6x6 cube - the only known cube with a superficial area equal to its volume.

The 6th word = 407 + 7th word = 296 (each a multiple of 37) = 703. According to Kabbalah - Yesod (6th) and Malchut (7th) are the attributes of Foundation and Kingship - the manifestation of the upper worlds in the lower.

The hexagram of 73 'stars' above contains the inner hexagon of 37
- 18 (purple) stars representing 666 and 19 (tan) stars representing 703 - the whole number midpoints of the 36th and 37th triangles.

The words in the opening line of Torah exhibit symmetry that is not visible in nature where disorder prevails. So, why reflect perfect order in the opening verse in which the natural world is created, a seeming contradiction to natural disorder? This paradox fascinated Greek thinkers who through their observations of the material world revealed mathematic and scientific distortions that would undermine the logic of Torah’s unified spiritual proposition.

Whilst the Greeks were leading the world to adopt a more material philosophy to explain logical reasons for the Honey Bee's hexagonal hive, Israelites were focused on emphasizing their spiritual origins. Ancient Jewish spirituality drove the materialistic Greek intelligentsia crazy. They could not comprehend why Jews would follow a text promoting belief in and homage to a monotheistic God no-one could see, touch or render. Eventually the maddened Greeks capitalized on Jewish disunity conquering and defiling Israel’s holy temple in Jerusalem where their God might dwell.

In the natural world, the Torah represents God by His female attributes referred to as the Queen and the Jewish assembly is strongest when She is in their presence. This spiritual logic is reflected in the actions of worker bees that perfect natural disorder by subjecting themselves to serve the greater purpose of their queen. Indeed , this is the archetypal model for their successful existence. And so it is true with the Jewish people, for the more Jews subjugate to this principle of spiritual unity and symmetry, the more unified their nation becomes and when they embrace this psychological disposition, the nations of the world, the plants and the trees, reap benefits.

The honey bee paradox parallels the exclusive Jewish paradox that kosher honey emerges from bees that can never be made kosher and can now be understood. In nature, where disorder is the trending characteristic, order is achieved through reverence. In the unifying principle of monotheistic deference, which Torah proposes in its opening words, disorder is brought to order. The bee is a worker devoted to lifelong service of its queen and the Jew pursues the same dedication to the unending presence of the Queen that constitutes the Kings presence in our world and only through the Nation of Israel. Therefore, the bee represents the model ‘state of being’, an impure vessel producing that which is pure. The vessel never becomes kosher, however through the bees unquestioning commitment and service to queen, pure honey, the product of the bees effort is awarded its unique recognition in the Jewish laws of Torah.

The Neck And The Site Of The Temple

Jewish scholarly works frequently relate the 'neck' to the Temple's location in Jerusalem. Verse 4:4 in the Song of Songs, can be translated from its 22 letter Hebrew origin to: "Your neck is the Tower of David, built as an ornament." Rabbi Chaim Vital, a student of 15th century Rabbi, Yitzchak Luria -- known as The Ari, quotes this verse in order to explain the secret meaning of Exodus 12:40 which describes the children of Israel as they left their state of exile, "And the dwelling of the Israelites in Egypt was 430 years."

To elucidate Rabbi Vital attributes five constrictions that distinguish God from His infinite state to establish the finite natural order. Rabbi Vital explains that God uses His name "Elo(h)im" which connotes constriction and is, therefore, representative of His natural manifestation. The numerical value of this name equals 86. Rabbi Vital brings this together by multiplying the 5 states of constriction by 86 which equals 430. Moreover, 86, God's constricted state also equates to the Hebrew word meaning "The Natural."

Returning to the Song of Songs, a few lines after the quote relating the Tower of David to the neck, the following line appears; "I have come into my garden, my sister, my bride." Rabbi Menachem Schneerson, drew inspiration from this for his inaugural work, Basi LeGani, which was written following the death of his father-in-law and presented upon his acceptance as the seventh and final Rebbe of Lubavitch. Basi LeGani describes the brilliance of release from exile relating its realization to the Temple in which God's name, in His ultimate state, is exclusively revealed. The physical Temple is simultaneously that deeply spiritual place discovered by an individual in which God, in His ultimate expansive state reveals one's truest and most soulful power.

The neck is the body's constricted conduit; at the front it houses, vessels for speech, nourishment, blood and breath, at the rear the protective spine feeds brain signals to the heart and body. In the time it takes for the brain's signal to pass through the neck Jewish mystics suggest the transfer of thought to physical action is at risk of disruption. For speech, synchronizing quickly formed brain signals to words from the larynx and mouth is often problematic. Overcoming this potential shortcoming is a free choice, moreover it is a choice in which one's state-of-mind is critical to the outcome.

In these verses, the Hebrew word used for the neck's ornament is 'talpiot' which is allegorically expressed by the sages as a contraction of two words that mean, "the heap (that was and will again be) beautiful" or "the mount (which and to which) all mouths (will) pray." The mystical interpretation of the ornament as an adornment to the neck could fill many books, but I wish to focus here only on its geo-physical implication.

In Jerusalem's City of David there exists a 'heap' or 'mound,' the subject of much excavation over the past 30 years. Today, this heap is known as the Tower of David and it is built over Jerusalem's only perennial spring known as Gihon. Recently, substantial excavations at this location revealed archaeological features so powerful they could literally rock the world. The findings contain bronze-age bedrock structures extensively used for sacrificial worship and, fortified to protect their sanctity. Around these structures all of Jerusalem eventually grew.

At this excavation a small, single monument, a sliver of stone that, remarkably (since no other like it has survived) remains standing after more than 3500 years. Supported in a frame of 12 stones, it marks the spot where Jacob slept on the night he fled from his home and the spot where he returned to accept the name Israel. Whilst this small stone is indeed monumental, its 12 supporting stones (according to Midrash) would have been extracted from the adjacent fully intact altar ramp. This altar was used well before Abraham offered his son Isaac, and that makes the site earth-shattering because, according to the scholarly works, yet contrary to all expectations, it would also mark the spot for Jerusalem's third and final Temple.

Topographically, the exposed bedrock of this sacred mountain, visible in its entirety in the bronze-age, would have resembled a head and neck when viewed by Abraham from his southern approach. Additionally, the location of the Tower of David at the present excavation would approximate the place on which an ornament adorning the neck would lie. King David re-conquered this mountain on which a fortified city had previously been founded. From the City of David, he planned the first Temple, never knowing, realizing or revealing its true location. David's son, Solomon, eventually built the Temple where his father planned, on the head of the mountain within the approximate boundaries of today's Temple Mount where the second temple was also built.

If we pay attention to the overwhelming preponderance of evidence from the Bible's exegesis, the location of the Tower of David as the neck's ornament marks "the heap (that was and will again be) beautiful" or "the mount (which and to which) all mouths pray", yet this is the site which King David denied us when determining his plans. Therefore, in reconstructing the evidence, it is likely that, 200 years later, King Hezekiah realized this, diverted the water of the Gihon, extended the city walls, and built around the Tower of David to mark, protect and hide this holy site for future generations. In doing so, his grief almost killed him.

The shocking revelations at this location will surely be a significant catalyst to change the status quo and existing states of mind. As such it presents enormous difficulties and challenges especially among religious Jews who are likely to constrict and dismiss this revelation reverting to their customary or orthodox interpretations of the Temple's location. In many ways our realization of the rectified state-of-mind and its expression through speech is the final redemption in which we all accept that knowledge constitutes a completion of our exiled state and if we learn to embrace all inputs as a holistic convergence, we get to experience and realize our ultimate and aggregate potential.

Mystics and scholars of the Hebrew Torah who left a trail of clues did so to promote this rectified state of exile emphasizing the holistic perspective; a world devoid of happenstance where every occurrence has its Divine purpose. Their written facts stare in Israel's face unequivocally declaring its sole and exclusive right to the land of its people. Other than for momentary abandonment because of acts of aggression against Israel since the time of Joshua more than 3000 years ago, Jerusalem has been held by Jews. Now Israel and its leaders must boldly pursue its inherent, often unexpected wisdom to dismiss with conviction and fortitude international leaders who demand Israels exiled state continue. Now is the time to finally take its rightful place as the nation by whom other nations are inspired and to complete the glorious mission started by Jacob so many years ago.

The Exiled State - Shaping the Narrative!

Christianity made sure Easter always coincides with Passover. Passover lasts 7 days, but outside of Israel an additional day is celebrated, which in the orthodox services emphasizes the present state of exile and the future redemption of Jewish people. Israel’s national and mystical history associated with this day is as deep as heaven’s spiritual oceans and a study of the Biblical texts reveals the extent of the nation’s ancient connection to its land.

No other nation is sufficiently privileged to have retained its written record in such a well preserved state as that of the Jewish people. Its Torah (Bible) records a story transcribed by Moses who brought it to the Jewish people some 3400 years ago and the document records historical periods and the mystical construct that pre-dates its authorship. At a minimum the record retains its relevance by the continuum of ancestral Levite priests who, to this very day, trace their family lineage from a father to son. During Passover and throughout each of the past 3400 years these direct ancestors of Moses and his brother Aharon, the first high priest of Israel, have participated in religious services to bestow blessing upon the world.

In the period that followed the exodus by Israel and others that fled Egypt with them, the self described chosen people undertook the difficult task building their national commitment to a closer, unified, monotheistic state of being through common customs, practices and religious belief. The initiation lasted 40 years until all males who were over 20 years at the exodus, had passed on. Other than for leaders Joshua and Caleb, no other male remnants were permitted to enter the permanent land of Israel chosen for and by the chosen people.

The fledgling nation crossed over the Jordan River and first made their way to the city of Shechem (modern Nablus), land that was once occupied by Kanaan a nephew of Egypt’s founder Ham. This was Israel’s northern entry point to its promised land. Some 300 years prior, Jacob (who later changed his name to Israel) had once settled there and his sons led by Levi and Shimeon, in almost premeditated preparation for their future family nations arrival, massacred the Prince of Shechem and his kingdoms 24000 male adult inhabitants, a revenge act for his rape of their sister. It is also the location where Joseph was sold by his brothers before being transported as a slave on a caravan to Egypt. There, the new nation entered, formally memorialized their return and buried Joseph’s bones making Shechem his final resting place.

One would expect such well documented history to sufficiently establish an entitlement of a people to its land, however the the modern narrative of Nablus or Shechem ranks among the world’s greatest examples of imperial fraud, deceit and denial. Notwithstanding, the depth of Israel’s connection to this city, its enemies hate every undeniable historical fact for fear that exposure will overturn their ambit claims. Whilst most cannot reconcile detailed matters already past, we are fortunate enough to be living in the dynamic digital era where writers and editors painstakingly recall the past, flavoring it to suit their insurgent desires and no more so than @Wikipedia where this living record is being written.

In Wikipedia’s world, rules of editorial engagement are defined in an effort to promote accurate representation, but abuse and misuse is common. The editorial prize in a popular or politically charged subject like Nablus ensures attention to editors who best manipulate the truth to meet the ideological demands of their peers and benefits come quickly to those who get the mix right. Support from other editors aggregates to the ideological victor who receives commendation for their targeted editorial contribution and participation. The ideologically charged Nablus narrative is evident in its Wikipedia page, supported by one of its primary editors Al Ameer son - http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Al_Ameer_son. This editor has been awarded no less than 20 awards from his fellow contributors, he is a member of the ‘Early Muslim Military History Task Force’ and helped promote Yasser Arafat to Featured Article status.

Like the Roman name Palestine or Egyptian Kanaan, editorial defenders of Wikipedia’s Nablus narrative open their article with this disclaimer; “This article is about the city of Nablus in the northern West Bank, and its predecessor, the Roman city of Flavia Neapolis. For the biblical city of Shechem, at the same location, see Shechem.” From here on the authors deny Shechem a place in their Nablus narrative, suppressing its Biblical and archaeological history, in order to deliver the indoctrination of Roman origin that follows their reduced font disclaimer in their - ‘see Shechem’ link. The Wikipedia narrative denies the city its Israelite origin and promotes the perpetual suffering their denial imposes.

Joseph’s Tomb and its Torah inscribed twin mountain backdrop are a fundament of Israel’s connection to its land. Wikipedia’s Shechem entry describes the 2000 year history of Nablus preceding its Roman occupation and connects it to the Egyptian archaeological record when events catalyzed the unification of the Israel’s tribes out of which the modern Israeli nation grew. Shechem, after whom the city was named, raped Joseph’s same age sister Dinah to whom daughter Asenath was born and who, many years later, married Joseph with permission from Egypt’s Pharaoh. The marriage of Joseph, (mother Rachel) and granddaughter Asenath, (Rachel’s sister Leah's granddaughter), unified Israel’s matriarch’s and made Shechem Joseph’s father-in-law - another aboriginal fact the Nablus editors would rather ignore. Out of this marriage sons Manasseh and Ephraim were born and due to Joseph’s special status in Israelite history became entitled to 2 of the 12 permanent tribal memberships.

Whilst displacement of important elements of a city’s narrative denies its history, it also serves those affected to strengthen their ancient tribal connection against the growing weight of public opinion motivated by distortion. This is the common trait of natives displaced in South Africa, North America and Australia and is not uncharacteristic to the rights of Israelis to their origin city in the land they first occupied. It also strikes at histories various attempts to deny the history of Jewish people usually as a forerunner to their elimination and eradication. The Israelite people are so deeply rooted in their land, there is no place some ambit historical claim can deny them. Therefore, its enemies defer to deceit and denial in order to defend their occupation of Israel’s land and to continue the exile of its people.