The Exiled State - Shaping the Narrative!

Praying at Joseph's Tomb - Shechem - Nablus

Christianity adjusts solar dating for Easter to permanently coincide with the lunar dating of Passover. This holiday lasts 7 days, but outside of Israel an additional day is celebrated, which 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, but a study of the Biblical texts reveals the extent of the nation’s ancient connection to its land.

No other nation is privileged to have retained such a well preserved written record and language as that of the Jewish people. Its Torah (Bible) records its story, as transcribed by Moses some 3400 years ago documenting the historical and legal whilst retaining the mystical construct that predated its authorship. At a minimum it records the continual practices by at least the ancestral Levite priests who to this very day carry forward rituals through their family lineage. During Passover and each of the past 3400 years these direct ancestors of Moses and his brother Aharon, Israel's first high priest, have participated in annual religious services to bestow blessing upon the world.

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

The fledgling nation crossed over the Jordan River first making their way to the city of Shechem (modern Nablus), in the land that was once occupied by Kanaan a nephew of Egypt’s founder Ham. This was Israel’s northern entry point where some 300 years prior, Jacob (who adopted his name Israel) had once settled. At that time his sons led by Levi and Shimeon, in almost premeditated preparation for their future nations arrival, massacred the Prince of Shechem and his kingdoms 24000 male adult inhabitants, a revenge act for his rape of their sister. It was also the location Joseph was sold by his brothers before being transported as a slave on a caravan to Egypt. On arrival from Egypt the new nation Israel buried Joseph’s bones that they had carried on their journey.

One would expect such well documented history to sufficiently establish an indigenous entitlement of a people to its land, however the the modern narrative of Nablus is arguably the world’s greatest imperial fraud and ongoing denial. Notwithstanding, the depth of Israel’s connection to Shechem, its enemies hate every undeniable historical fact for fear that exposure will overturn their ambit Nablus claim. Whilst most cannot reconcile detailed matters already past, the dynamic digital era assists. But, writers and editors who painstakingly recall the past, re-write it to suit their insurgent desires and no more so than @Wikipedia.

In Wikipedia’s world, rules of editorial engagement are defined in an effort to promote accurate representation, but the abuse and misuse by the commons is common. The editorial prize in a popular or politically charged subject like Nablus ensures attention by editors who manipulate the truth to meet the ideological demands of their peers and benefits come quickly to those who succeed. Editorial support 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 its primary editor 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 Emperor Hadrian's Roman name Syria-Palestina that replaced Judea, 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 importance, in order to deliver the indoctrination of Roman origin. 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 fundamental to Israel’s connection to its land. Wikipedia’s Shechem entry describes the 2000 year history preceding its Roman occupation, connecting it to the Egyptian archaeological record when events catalyzed the unification of 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, with permission from Egypt’s Pharaoh married Joseph. The marriage of Joseph (by mother Rachel) and Asenath (by Rachel’s sister Leah's daughter Dinah), unified Israel’s matriarch’s, and made Shechem Joseph’s father-in-law, another aboriginal fact the Nablus editors ignore.

Whilst displacement 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. This is the common trait of natives displaced in South Africa, North America and Australia and is not uncharacteristic of the rights of Israelis to their origin city in the land they first occupied. 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.

Its time Jews the world over realize their rights, the same rights those that exile them afford to themselves and others. The time for applying double standards to Israel has finally passed over, exiled, banished forever and modern technology is playing its part!

Beit El of Binyamin on which border - Yehuda or Ephraim?

Three cryptic chapters written by the Prophet Shmuel (Samuel) at the end of The Book of Judges relate to the earliest period after Yehoshua (Joshua) led Israel in the conquest of their land and the establishment of the temporary mishkan (sanctuary) at Shilo. After Yehoshua and the elders of that generation, only the rear-guard tribe of Dan had not conquered and settled their allotment. It was then that these most gruesome chapters occurred. Strikingly the inter-relationships of each chapter emphasizes the competitive warring culture especially among the tribe of Yehuda (Judah), Binyamin (Benjamin) and Ephraim, with particular emphasis to the location of Beit El.

Simply, Beit El means House of God, but it was more than 400 years after the events of these chapters that they were compiled into a book at around the time the tribes of Israel finally agreed to a single site for their temple in Jerusalem. These chapters capture the preceding political, economic and social upheaval to define the temple's penultimate location on Binyamin’s southern border with Yehuda or its northern border with Ephraim.

The chapters begin with Micayhu (Micah) a man who lived with his mother in the Mountain of Ephraim close to Ephraim's southern boundary with Binyamin (18:2). There Micah developed a unique religion devoted to a significant silver idol. It was not a copy of nation gods rather it incorporated the name of God written by Moses and once used to recover the coffin of Joseph from the water of the Nile river in Egypt. He recruited a Levite boy, from the tribe of Yehuda who had lived in Beit Lechem (in the territory of Yehuda) to serve as his priest. The Levite boy Jonathan ben Gershom ben Menashe [Bava Basra (109b)] was the disenfranchised grandson of Moses and was well known to all the tribes. The superscript ‘n’ in Menashe was written by Prophet Shmuel to emphasize the evil actions of the Levite, expecting that with repentance the ‘n’ would be removed to revert the (Hebrew) letters to the name of his paternal grandfather Moshe (Moses).

The second chapter explains how the tribal leaders of Dan were unable to conquer their difficult allotment in the south along the coastal route occupied by Philistine Egyptian allies. Absent support from the other tribes they were embittered, so they traveled through Israel from Ashkelon (south) to conquer and declare Laish in the north (near the Golan) their land. Along the way, they stopped at Micah’s Beit el - house of god where they recognized the Levite. They took him and the idol and located it’s religious center further north close to the temporary sanctuary of Moses at Shilo (also referred to as Beit El). Most tribes, busy settling and defending their land, had abandoned their prescribed tri-annual religious pilgrimage to Shilo as such they were losing touch with the religion prescribed by Moses.

The chapters conclude when a Levite from the mountain of Ephraim (Shilo) went to Beit Lechem (Yehuda) to reconcile and recover his unfaithful concubine. On their return toward sunset, they passed Yevus (Jerusalem also known as Beit El - previously Luz)  because it was occupied by the heathen. They continued north through Binyamin to Gibeah where they sought overnight accommodation with an old resident. That night some Binyamite residents demanded the concubine, the Levite capitulated, they gang raped her and left her on the doorstep of the old residents home, where she died during the cold night. The incensed Levite took her back to Mountain of Ephraim where he dissected her body in 12 pieces and despatched a piece to each tribal leader demanding they support his request to force the leaders of Binyamin to hand over the perpetrators. When the Binyamite leaders refused, Israel’s eleven other tribes united in a civil war that killed more than 25,000 male members of the tribe of Binyamin, which was almost eradicated.

The juxtaposition of these three locations, Beit El at Shilo, Beit el of Micah and Beit El at Yevus provide further evidence of the cryptic message left by Prophet Shmuel. These tumultuous events underlie the vicious competition for the economic and spiritual benefits that would come by locating the nation's one and only temple on the southern (tribe Yehuda) or northern (tribe Ephraim) border of the land of Binyamin that separated them. The ultimate socio-dominant tribe would prevail in its conquest and Binyamin, wedged between the shoulders of Yehuda to its south and Ephraim to its north, would play a vital role and pay a hefty price. Competition and lobbying amongst the tribes to establish the site of a permanent temple plagued Israel, so much so that it took more than 400 years before King David was able to declare its location, after that King Solomon built it. The immediate response following King Solomon was upheaval. Yerovam ben Nabat divided the nation, re-established Beit el in the Mountains of Ephraim and directed almost half the nation to worship alien gods under his rule. At that time Yerovam ben Nabat led the 10 northern tribes to secede and plunged Israel into its protracted state of exile. To this day, thousands of years later the tribes are yet to be reunified.

Impressive and enormously complex, is the connection made by Prophet Shmuel, at the time of King David through Jonathan the Levite boy from Beit Lechem of Yehuda. This was none other than Moses grandchild and in a nation where bloodline counts, he was construed by the Prophet with the evil root in the soul of Ephraim's brother Menashe. Later, he or his reincarnate was named Shebu’el who repented and was appointed King David’s treasurer. However, under King Solomon the treasury was immediately headed by none other than Yerovam ben Nabat. Through Jonathan, Shmuel intricately connected Judges to Kings, to deliver the key that Jonathan who served David also became the false prophet in Shomron (after King Solomon) at the time of King Yerovam ben Nabat. Shmuel brilliantly emphasizes the economic woe these treasurers brought on the nation in pursuit of their false temples.

In an article I wrote after Pesach 2012 I deconstructed the cryptic Jonathan element of Shmuel’s message. Together these time separated 'Jonathans' spanning Judges and Kings, the period in which the Mishkan stood, make it abundantly clear that Shmuel intentionally wrote them as the key to decode his message and reveal the importance of the ultimate location of the permanent Beit El. The repetitive theme of these distinct time periods and the events that relate to Beit El and Beit el amplify the nation's great need to decipher the ultimate location in order to once again be unified.

Israels Forthcoming Miracle!

My friend Eliyahu recalled his experience during the early 90’s when he miraculously escaped a posting to a military unit of the Russian Army destined to train Syrian ground troops in Damascus. The Assad Alawite military regime had become the extended arm of Russian resistance to rebels in Chechnya. Locking down Sunni radicals in Syria would prevent their recruitment by Chechens intent on striking hard against Russian interests. The Russians were delaying them down - in Syria. President Obama’s policies changed the character of the Syrian lock-down, now Russia struggles openly to keep the Assad regime alive and Chechen allies at bay. 

Having failed to shake Russian economic ties to Iran, President Obama’s Russian opposition moved to Ukraine where Americas developing options were limited by entrenched Russian political support juxtaposed against a weak EU consensus. As Putin reads Obama’s every move, his dispatch of Russian troops to Ukraine raised, to a crescendo Obama’s convergence toward an Obama / Kerry peace in the Middle East. Such a prospect would strike disaster for Russian dominance of Chechen rebels, who may rapidly obtain support from Syrian rebels that would otherwise be victorious against Assad.

The elevated risk provides an economic boom to US and Russian defense industries, while Israel and its Palestinian Authority nemesis provide the reactionary sparks necessary to keep gargantuan diplomatic maneuvers generating much needed heat. A little while back I wrote an article that the late Ariel Sharon, preemptively stopped these potential machinations spilling over into complexities that could have led to World War III, in Israel’s back yard. He built a separation barrier, a land demarcation preventing the amassing of Arab refugees spilling over into Israel. Instead Jordan, Lebanon and Turkey received hundreds of thousands, possibly millions of refugees from Syria. 

Israel’s relatively simple ‘Palestinian’ problem is no longer the focal point of this wider conflict. Prime Minister Netanyahu has influenced Obama to prioritize and engage the Iranian / Russian issue, elevating it as the most volatile and vile relationship. Now, its too late for Obama to turn back. Although risks are significant and could quite easily spill over to serious regional conflict, the theater is likely be on Russian soil. As US - Russian brinkmanship approaches the red zone and Israel turns on its massive new supply of natural gas to Europe, the time for an Obama sponsored peace is premature. Frustrations will become increasingly evident as Israel’s political divide dig their heels, insisting on the core, fundamental issue - Israel is the one and only Jewish State, something their so called peace partners cannot accept! 

Now is the time for the world to recognize and make way for the perpetual Israel/Jewish State, not racial inequality as its detractors promote, but equality under a sovereign democracy. As Israel powers on economically and Jewish immigrants return from Ukraine, France and other volatile regions, the major world powers may be readying themselves for a serious military escalation that could shake financial markets and destabilize governments. However, Israel the global anomaly, will be the brightest light and warring nations will scratch their heads wondering how these global affairs were organised to enable Israels’ miraculously favorable outcome.

Under The Ashera - the idolators tree!

How old was Jacob’s daughter Dinah at the time she was raped by the Prince Shechem? It's important to resolve because it infers and emphasizes the urgency of Jacob's desire to first return to Beit El, the place to which he became obligated during his original exile. On his return after a 20 year hiatus from the holy land, was Beit El his intended destination or did he first inhabit Succoth and Shechem as the Torah simply expresses? Perhaps that took place many years later as the Torah can be chronologically construed. In an earlier article I promoted the view of Rabbi Menachem Leibtag who supports the latter.

The sages say (Sofrim 21:9) Dinah was 6 years old when she gave birth to Aesnath; progeny of that rape. We are told (Berakhot 9:3, 14a) the embryos of Dinah and Joseph were miraculously swapped, which would imply they were born in the same year. In a contradictory explanation we are told (Sechel Tov B:34:3) Dinah was 8.5 years and Jacob 99 which extends the standard chronology 2 years. Now, Joseph was born in 2199 and Jacob emigrated to Canaan six years later in 2205. Whilst living in Shechem Joseph, at 17 (2216) was sold to slave traders. To experience Jacobs destination mindset, we must reconcile these conflicts.

In a short paragraph (Vayishlach 33:17) between re-entering the land and the story of Dinah, beginning with their arrival in Shechem we are told of Jacob’s temporary travel and dwellings in Succoth (mentioned 3 times). Then, between the story of Dinah in Shechem and their planned return to Beit El, another short paragraph (35:4), we are told Jacob took all their idolatrous deities and hid them under a tree that was near Shechem (the Hebrew word asher is used 3 times). Jacob’s father Isaac was specifically commanded by his father Abraham not to be exiled. Therefore, just imagine how disconcerting Jacob’s imminent exile would have been at the time he made his covenant to return to the place he named Beit El. Now we can begin to understand how important it was for him to first complete God's instruction to return to Beit El (35:1) after first stopping along the way to hide (but not destroy) the deities in Shechem. 

This chronological retelling emphasizes Beit El’s importance to Jacob and suggests Dinah was indeed older than 6 when they returned to Shechem after a few years living in their temporary dwellings. During this time I maintain they lived no more that six months at Beit El where Jacob began to fulfill his BeitEl promise, constructing protective walls around the matsevah (monument). Then, after Deborah, who was sent by Jacob’s mother to accompany their return, passed away Jacob continued his journey to his parents home in Hebron. Along the way, outside of Bethlehem Rachel died whilst giving birth to Jacob's last child Benjamin. The balance of time was spent in Hebron where Jacob grieved for Rachel and his mother Rebecca who had also passed away.

We are left to speculate the reasons that compelled Jacob to return to Shechem. His entourage who suffered through family tragedies, had once hidden their idolatrous deities near the tree in Shechem. Perhaps they longed to return to their deities, perhaps Rachel’s death in someway connected them to the deities, some of which she had stolen from her father. Perhaps Jacob, who unknowingly cursed Rachel to die for that act felt compelled to return to the place they had been hidden.

Tragedy followed them to Shechem. From there Jacob’s growing family fell back into exile, to Egypt where the tragedies lasted 210 years. Then, Moses forged a nation during their 40 year journey and Joshua brought them back to Shechem where they buried Joseph and erected the monumental stones on which the Torah was written in 70 languages. The Jewish nation that started with Jacob 380 years earlier stood on mount Ebal and Gerizim, in the heart of Shechem to recognize their blessings and curses in the hope these tragic events they had brought through idolatry were behind them forever.

Today the matsevah on which Jacob made his covenant and to which he returned to assume his name Israel, can be found at the City of David and although many are still confused as to its authenticity, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind!

Under The Ashera - the idolators tree!

There remains a conflict of opinions regarding the age of Jacob’s daughter Dinah at the time she was raped by the Prince of Shechem. Its important to resolve because it infers with it the emphasis and urgency with which Jacob desired to first return to Beit El, the place to which he became emotionally obligated during his original exile. On his return, was Beit El his intended destination or did Jacob first inhabit Shechem as the Torah’s simply expresses. Or, perhaps that took place many years later as the Torah can be chronologically construed. In an earlier article I promoted the view of Rabbi Menachem Leibtag who supports the latter.

The sages say (Sofrim 21:9) Dinah was 6 years old when she gave birth to Aesnath; progeny of that rape. We are told (Berakhot 9:3, 14a) the embryos of Dinah and Joseph were miraculously swapped, which would imply they were born in the same year. In a contradictory explanation we are told (Sechel Tov B:34:3) Dinah was 8.5 years and Jacob 99 which extends the standard chronology 2 years. Now, Joseph was born in 2199 and Jacob emigrated to Canaan six years later in 2205. Whilst living in Shechem Joseph, at 17 (2216) was sold to slave traders. To experience Jacobs destination mindset, we must reconcile these conflicts.

In a short paragraph (Vayishlach 33:17) between re-entering the land and the story of Dinah beginning with their arrival in Shechem, we are told of Jacob’s temporary travel and dwellings in Succoth (mentioned 3 times). Then, between the story of Dinah in Shechem and their planned return to Beit El, another short paragraph (35:4), we are told Jacob took all their idolatrous deities and hid them under a tree that was near Shechem (the Hebrew word asher is used 3 times). Jacob’s father Isaac was specifically commanded by his father Abraham not to be exiled. Therefore, just imagine how disconcerting Jacob’s pending exile would have been at the time he made his covenant at the place he named Beit El. Now we can begin to understand how important it was for him to first return to Beit El after stopping along the way to hide (but not destroy) the deities in Shechem. 

This chronological retelling emphasizes Beit El’s importance to Jacob and suggests Dinah was indeed older than 6 when they returned to Shechem after a few years living in their temporary dwellings. During that time I maintain they lived six months at Beit El constructing the protective walls around the matsevah (monument) and sacred spaces Jacob dedicated. Then after Deborah, who had previously been sent by Jacob’s mother to accompany their return, passed away Jacob continued his journey to his parents home in Hebron. Along the way Rachel died, outside of Bethlehem whilst giving birth to Jacob's last child Benjamin. The balance of time was spent in Hebron where Jacob grieved for Rachel and his mother Rebecca who had also passed away.

We are left to speculate the reasons that compelled Jacob to return to Shechem. His entourage and the people that journeyed with them and suffered through family tragedies, had once hidden their idolatrous deities near the tree in Shechem. Perhaps they longed to return to their deities, perhaps Rachel’s death in someway connected them to the deities, some of which she had stolen from her father. Perhaps Jacob, who unknowingly cursed Rachel to die for her act felt compelled to return to the place they had been hidden.

The tragedies were to follow them to Shechem. From there they drove Jacob’s growing family back into exile to Egypt where the tragedies lasted 210 years. Then, Moses forged a nation during their 40 year journey and Joshua brought them back to Shechem where they buried Joseph and erected the monumental stones on which the Torah was written in 70 languages. The Jewish nation that started with Jacob 380 years earlier stood on Shechems mountains Ebal and Gerizim to recognize their blessings and curses in the hope these tragic events they had brought through idolatry were behind them forever.

Today the matsevah on which Jacob made his covenant and to which he returned to assume his name Israel, can be found at the City of David and although many are still confused as to its authenticity, there is absolutely no doubt in my mind!

How many stones?

This single mysterious stone could change the course of Jerusalem's future. If its significance is upheld it will certainly be one of the most hotly demanded locations in the world. Presently buried underground, excavations will shortly expose it to the public view. It's location dates back to the oldest time in Jerusalem's history, the early bronze age, but the stone is more likely middle bronze age - the time of Jacob.

If you count 12 stones, then this may just be the famous stone of Jacob's dream. 

2014 Image

The stone is located on a high-ridge above the Gihon Spring. To find out more see the video below and explore the previous articles. 

2024 Image

Click for more of ancient Israel's hidden secrets.

Earthquake at the Temple Mount!

Israel's experience with earthquakes is minimal, but anticipation is growing that the big one prophesied for Jerusalem is about to strike. During the festival of Sukkot Jews reading the Haftarah are reminded about the foreseen quake. Prophet Zechariah's words are read every year on the first day of Sukkot, but most translate this in its traditional form without much further analysis. A big quake will split the Mount of Olives somewhere along its north-south axis and a Valley will open. However, a closer reading reveals an alternative complexity.

Click to Enlarge

The land, in two movements along the axis will shift east, west and north, south opening a chasm along the ridge of the Mount of Olives that expands into a new valley, stretching and flattening the land in between and re-aligning along the Kidron Valley floor (see squiggly white line in the image). This could mean the black line in the distance (north) that marks the walk-bridge that once was used by the High Priest to avoid impurities conveyed by the dead bodies buried between the Temple Mount and Mount of Olives, will be adjusted. The grave sites on the South Western apex of the Mount of Olives facing the City of David, will move toward it.

The chasm that will be the new valley will run somewhere along the white line, which was relevant to a previous article I wrote regarding the location of the city of Ay (Ai). For those that are familiar with the landscape, the Seven Arches Hotel (immediately below the West Arrow) marks the spot Joshua’s army once awaited his ambush party sent to decoy the residents of Ay into the desert, east toward the Dead Sea after which he attacked and burned the city.

A re-alignment of the entire landscape makes sense only if the site of the future Temple in Jerusalem also shifts south to occupy the high ridge above the Gihon Spring at the City of David, which is documented in this video link. Many possibilities exist, but a static reading and understanding of Israel’s prophetic writings and teachings should not be taken for granted. In any event realization of Zechariah’s prophecy is not associated with the disaster one would normally attribute to an earthquake of this magnitude. However, its implication for Jerusalem, Israel and the world will be significant.

Excavation Update from City of David

Montague Parker Map - click to enlarge

Immediately adjacent to and above the recently announced Spring Citadel comes exciting new results from The City of David that includes the discovery of a new wall, which was mapped by Montague Parker almost 100 years ago. (see video) The map details many other features not yet seen in any of the excavations. The present site, approximately bounded by the rectangular area marked on the map, is expected to yield new discoveries.  

The circled area is most interesting to  me because it is immediately west and northwest of  the area marked ‘G’ (south) adjacent to the (colored) matzevah or monument that was discovered several years ago and which I have written about extensively.  

Some of the labyrinth of interconnected tunnels and walls around Area ‘B’ have recently been confirmed and can been seen exposed as the ground levels being excavated start falling. Behind (north) of the area marked ‘B’ also highlights the excavation boundary known as the ‘Crack’ which is visible in the next image and was one of the reasons Israeli authorities agreed to proceed with the excavation, primarily to avoid potential danger of landslides.

The Crack looking north

The Crack; ground level now excavated ±2.5 meters lower, looking south at the top of the ancient wall section (probably area ‘B’) exposed for the first time in thousands of years.

Excavated ±2.5 meters down - looking south

Below the visible ground levels in this image lies what I believe will be the most important discovery in post temple Jewish history. In the following image immediately adjacent and south of the room marked ‘G’ lies the room that includes the Matzevah or monument

The most important discovery from pre temple Jewish history?

Nothing equivalent to the image that follows has ever been discovered in Israel. It is unique because it's built on bedrock, is not a grave marker and is located in an area previously used for sacrifices. The stone monument appears to be a granite type rock distinguished by its variegation.

The Matzevah or Monument - Genesis 28:22

In the room adjacent to and south of the Matzevah room are the now famous ‘V’ markings carved directly into the bedrock.

For my theories on this area and its relationship to Biblical and Jewish history I suggest the following reading;

http://israelfact.blogspot.com.au/2013/03/a-hypothesis-for-mizbeach-of-akeida.html

http://www.scribd.com/doc/141272607/Jerusalem-Origin-The-Thesis

Days of Repentance!

I was alerted to a tradition maintained for thousands of years, a daily prayer of repentance said by orthodox Jews, but not on Sabbaths and festivals. The event that caused King David to write Psalm 25 immediately invoked my fascination. Every day this psalm is read as a personal plea for forgiveness, but I question its broader implications. Strangely this psalm is read immediately following the most sacred point of the daily prayer ritual, so the reader is expected to traverse the highest point of spiritual elevation to the lowest point of repentance. It seems odd these extremes would be juxtaposed; perhaps to draw the reader back to the reality of their human condition? So why this psalm when many others could have been selected?

The event that inspired its writing, toward the end of King David’s reign, caused the death of 70,000 people who lived in Israel's north. David’s ill-fated, self motivated decision to conduct a national census was singled out and blamed. David had chosen this divinely inflicted plague over punishments by human hands. In the aftermath David and others sighted the angel of death poised to destroy Jerusalem, but it stopped, well short of the three days David had agreed, via Prophet Gad to endure on his people as punishment for his census oversight. Immediately the Prophet told him to build an altar where David had seen the feet of the angel standing on the top of Mount Moriah on the threshing floor that belonged to the King of the Jebusites who was still living in Jerusalem's City of David. Why was the nation inflicted when the fateful census was his decision alone?

Here we must turn to commentaries that also ask whether the altar he built was for personal or national use? In those days it had already been decreed that no national altars could be built outside of the temporary sanctuary. Furthermore the Ark of the covenant and elements of the temporary sanctuary had already been transported to the City of David many years prior. However, an altar had not been formally erected and all tribal leaders knew once erected, the altar would mark the spot for the permanent temple. Custom has it that the location of David and Gad’s altar, on the threshing floor, became the beacon by which plans for the permanent temple were finalized by David. His son Solomon completed the temple construction, which was once located somewhere near the site of today’s golden Dome of The Rock on the Temple Mount. According to Jewish law the future permanent altar can only ever be at the very same location Abraham offered Isaac as a sacrifice, not by any other measure.

Although it may be logical to argue the daily recitation of Psalm 25 reminds that national disloyalty or disrespect for the nation's leader could cause a decision that will bring harm, these traits do not constitute sin. It’s more likely the daily recitation is associated with a recurring event that specifically requires repentance. As you will see from my blog links in the article body, I maintain a view consistent with commentaries that the absence of Israel’s national temple each day is as if each person individually destroyed it. Therefore I conclude, in addition to the many other proofs I have already brought, that Psalm 25 was written because King David knew the altar’s location he selected would lead to the temple’s destruction.

Until we discover the correct and permanent place of the altar and rectify the problem, this psalm will continue to be recited by and for each reader and for that fateful national decision.

Gedaliah who, the determined Jew?

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob re-claimed Canaanite occupied land which amplified competition among the local tribal kings and regional powers. Ancient Canaanites were never dull, especially in the south which was hotly contested by invaders from north, south and east. Egyptians and Libyans controlled the coastal trade route through Gaza to Megiddo. Inland along the flat plains to the northeast competitions was against their Hittite family and eventually returning Israelites under Joshua wrested control of most of the land. Then came the Assyrians, Babylonians and Persians advancing from the north to control access into Egypt and north Africa. Alternative access along the Jordan river and Dead Sea, although important, was often far more hostile. 

During their 250 year sojourn in Egypt, Jacob’s small family grew to a slave-community of millions living in the eastern Nile delta. After departing the delta, during their 40 year nomadic journey to the promised land they built a temporary sanctuary and nurtured their wounded national identity. Their exodus vacated Egypt's Nile delta which became exposed to infiltrators. Torah, the Hebrew Bible, became Israel - the new nation’s constitutional and cultural manifesto. By the time Moses died, he had forged Torah’s principles of law and worship into their collective national psyche, but its open framework enabled fiercely competitive intra-tribal identities to express themselves in priority to apparent national interests.

Moses tasked Joshua to conquer the promised land for the 12 tribes of Israel to settle. Joshua accomplished this by leading each tribe through successive victories over 31 regional kings, each a descendant of Canaan son of Egypt’s founder, Mitzrayim the son of Ham. Ham’s brother Shem was granted the land of Canaan by their father Noah. Their brother Yafeth was given land north and east of Canaan in modern Iraq and Iran. The three regions belonging to Ham (Egypt), Shem (dubiously Canaan) and Yafeth (Mesopotamia) constituted the fertile crescent. The division of this valuable land established the basis for significant regional rivalry.  

Dan was the last tribe Joshua assisted to settle their land. It was a difficult allocation for the hotly contested (south of modern day Tel Aviv) important Egyptian coastal trade route through Gaza, Ashkelon and Ashdod. The 64,000 eligible members of Dan were made up from only one family known as the Shuchamites, the descendants of Dan’s son Chushim.  Dan's initial land grant was small and they may have been expected to expand south into land occupied by the Philistines (descendants of Mitzrayim’s grandson) to accommodate their growth. However, a previous tribal pact entered by Abraham and Isaac provided Philistine immunity in Gaza and their Hittite and Jebusite cousins the Jebusites obtained immunity in Hevron and Jerusalem. After Joshua, toward the end of the period of Israel’s Judges, Samson, a judge from the tribe of Dan married a Philistine woman - Delilah, which changed the course of history at the time. 

Absent a new ruler or king there was little cohesiveness among the incongruous tribes of Israel. Their victories over local kings and dominance over trade routes heightened competition with other tribes and led to regional tensions between Egypt and their burgeoning northern Hittite and Assyrian foes. The Hittites and Assyrians, predecessors of the Babylonians and Greeks, descended from Yafeth and shared a common Cuneiform language. Dissatisfied and left to fend for themselves, the seniors of tribe Dan snaked a path north through Israel's tribal territories in search of easy to conquer land. During the same period Pharaoh Merenptah was pushing north through Israeli tribal land to attack the northern Hittites at the Battle of Kadesh. Tribal Dan, known to the Egyptians as the Shasu, conquered Laish in Israel’s north and settled the area between the Golan Heights and Damascus. Dan's territory was split between the south west (Gaza) and north east (Golan) of Israel. Dan, the disgruntled rear guard of Israel were left exposed to conflict, contact and trade with Israel's foreign invaders and neighbors.

Around 350 hundred years later King David consolidated Israel’s disparate tribes briefly establishing a united kingdom and paving the way for his son King Solomon to finally realize the dream of Israel at peace with a permanent temple in Jerusalem. However, peace between the tribes endured only Solomon’s reign. Immediately thereafter the northern tribes under Yerovam split from those in the south under Rechavam and Dan's divided territory straddled the divided nation. Around 500 years later the continued national division led to the prophecies of Yeshayahu (Isaiah) and Yirmiyahu (Jeremiah) who predicted the destruction of Jerusalem by the Assyrians and its ultimate destruction by the Babylonians under Nebuchadnezzar.

Under the Assyrians Nebuchadnezzar appointed Gedaliah, a righteous Jew to rule as his proxy, but he was murdered at a feast set by Ishmael ben Nethaniah of the tribe of Yehuda and the remaining Jews who had not already been exiled to Babylon were killed or fled to Egypt. Orthodox Jews observe the fast of Gedaliah immediately after Rosh HaShana in the 10 days of repentance preceding Yom Kippur, perhaps to recall some or all of Israel's sordid, competitive, self effacing  history. The month from which the temple's destruction commenced was eventually named after Tammuz the Babylonian deity for food and agriculture and became the lowest point of the the Hebrew calendar.

Peace does not come easy, not for a lack of trying, but for lack of the unification King David tried so hard to realize in the middle of Israel's history. Now at the end of that history Jews the world over are having to find new and creative ways to consolidate their disparate views as the world compresses and apparent circumstance forces their hand to accept the essential ingredients that unify, forge and strengthen their national identity.