Israel's indigenous record through the lens of Jerusalem, archaeology or emerging events. BS'D
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Wednesday, January 29, 2025
Abraham Accords Mark II!
Tuesday, January 21, 2025
Torah In Middle Bronze Age Archaeology
Jewish Male Circumcision At 8 Days Old |
Israelite rituals that preceded the Old Testament were transcribed into it and many have been retained through the ages including by today's contemporary Orthodox Jews. For example; post wedding celebrations are held by families and friends each day for seven days, the practice was first described by Jacob's father-in-law. Or male circumcision on the eighth day after birth was instituted by Abraham for his son Isaac. Or the passage of Levite priesthood that continues to be passed from father to son in todays Jewish communities. Each of these rituals began hundreds of years before Moses transcribed the Old Testament. Ongoing practice of Biblical traditions underlie the authenticity of orthodox Judaism.
One such glaring example relates temple worship and was recently discovered in a stone temple carved in the bedrock of Mount Moriah's eastern slope - we will call this complex Temple Zero since it precedes Jerusalem's First and Second Temple. Carbon dated evidence from the bedrock surface proves that Temple Zero was not used for worship after1535 BCE, at the time Jacobs Family emigrated from the region. The small number of artifacts discovered in Temple Zero and their periods obfuscated clues as too how the site was originally used, but its original Middle Bronze Age, bedrock bound, features strongly relate to Biblical writings, Jewish laws, customs and traditions.
View the videos captured on the recent tour of Temple Zero |
The most essential and uniquely Jewish feature, is Temple Zero's western orientation, precisely defined by the altar platform (Room 1 above) and matzevah (room 4). No other Middle Bronze Age cultic structure with a western orientation exists in Israel. All other cults, of this time, faced east to pay homage to the sun. Monotheism, attributed to Abraham and the high priest of Salem, Malchi-Tzedek to whom Abraham tithed, turned against the sun.
More than six hundred years later this orientation found its way into the western facing structure and priestly practices in the Holy of Holies of the Tabernacle that Moses built, then into Jerusalem's permanent Temples. Finally synagogues of the world expressed this by facing prayer structures toward the Temple Mount in Jerusalem and priestly services turned their backs to the entrance. The cultic origins of Christianity enshrined the orientation of its priests and altars toward the rising sun in the east and in modern churches priests face toward the entrance.
Until the temple in Jerusalem is rebuilt, the daily Orthodox ritual is to verbalize the prescribed sacrificial offerings of Jerusalem's temples. However, well before contemporary prayer was instituted, the Book of Leviticus, as evidenced by the 2000 year old burnt Leviticus scroll described sacrificial rites in detail, yet Temple Zero already facilitated many of these. Mostly these sacrificial rites are expounded in Jewish law requiring animals, wine, flour, oil and water. These laws describe that purity was retained only in stone or bedrock vessels. The construct and features of Temple Zero facilitated these rituals hundreds of years before the Leviticus text was transcribed by Moses.
The main elements of Jewish sacrifice includes oil, flour, wine and young domesticated sheep. Only unblemished animals could be sacrificed for the holy altar, this always biased selection to younger animals. Carved low in the bedrock of the room 5 (see below) that was once used to process slaughtered animals for the offering altar, we found a place to tether animals. The tether was low (~30cm) to the ground which supports its primary use for younger, smaller animals.
Animal tether. Simulated use seen in image below |
Olives would have been pressed to protect purity by flowing oil into a bedrock or a stone vessel that was not connected to a pipe or channel, typically used for vollumous production. These features are evident in the oil press (room 2) carved into the bedrock of the mountain. Once pressed oil would have been cupped out of the bedrock vessel into a stone vessel and immediately poured over refined or parched flour and offered with a sacrifice.
Pouring liquids onto corners of the altar included wine, water or blood that once flowed into a liquids channel to a pit or onto dust that was cleared daily and deposited outside the area of the temple. During slaughter blood from the animals neck was captured in a convex based stone vessel. At the base of the altar, a convex vessel would rest in its concave counterpart carved in the bedrock (see Room 1 below) in preparation for sprinkling blood of the sacrificed animal on the altar.
The South-East (SE) corner of the foundation of the First and Second Temple altar drew on a tradition (Zevachim 53b) sourced in the biblical verse that it was in the tribal territory of Judah, the other corners were in Benjamin: “Benjamin is a wolf that tears apart; in the morning he devours the prey, and in the evening he divides the spoil” (Genesis 49:27). Now, based on Ronny Reich's declaration that the Gihon Spring was known as Ein Shemesh, the tradition conclusively followed the altar at Temple Zero.
These rich features on the bedrock of Temple Zero support the Jewish origins of our pre-Biblical Israelite (Jacob) heritage and are uncannily aligned with the declaration in Deuteronomy 33:4 that:
תּוֹרָ֥ה צִוָּה־לָ֖נוּ מֹשֶׁ֑ה מוֹרָשָׁ֖ה קְהִלַּ֥ת יַעֲקֹֽב׃
The Torah Moses charged us with is the heritage of the congregation of Jacob.
Thursday, October 10, 2024
This Discovery Will Eventually Change The World!
The organic samples were extracted nearest the remnant plaster that formed an open drain, running from the elevated reservoir, above and along the bedrock down the slope into the rooms. The date of the samples closest to the underside of the drain and those immediately above it exclusively overlaps the orthodox biblical chronology of Jacob's last 30 years in the homeland of his ancestors. After that he and his family immigrated to Egypt. This means the water system was constructed and only ever used during this time. Once Jacob left for Egypt, unattended, the water system and the entire rock-cut-temple went out of use and was consumed by falling sand and natural debris on the steep slope.
The water system was built to flush water onto the floor to clean blood and excrement from a room that was used to slaughter and process animals and another used to offer animal sacrifices on stones forming an altar. Between these rooms, a room with a standing stone or matzevah that, relative to the dating of the water channel, is undoubtedly the one Jacob erected as his Covenant at Beth El on Mount Moriah, after which he assumed his name Israel (Genesis 35:7-15).
Count the fused stones on the front? |
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Compare the view from the back! |
Senior archaeologist Ronny Reich opened his recent book "Excavations in the City of David" with a chapter, "A moment in which to be born", by explaining that the spring, east of the city, bellow the rock-cut-temple was never called Gihon, instead the Bible called it En Shemesh (Sun Spring). The spring is a perennial, intermittent gusher, resembling a pump, sometimes gushing, other times flowing, descriptively a gihon (meaning; bursting forth or gushing in Hebrew). To this day the morning sun shines brightly on the spring's entrance.
Ronny used En Shemesh to reconcile a difficult passage from the Book of Joshua that defined Israel's tribal boundaries. We found that it perfectly describes the prerequisite intersection of the altars raised bedrock foundation, on the northern boundary of tribe Judah with the southern boundary of tribe Benjamin.
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Note the South East corner of the altar foundation |
The altar of the first temple, at the summit was not selected by Solomon, but by his father David. 1 Chronicles 21:17 (also 2 Samuel 24) tells us: David said to God, “Was it not I alone who ordered the numbering of people? I alone am guilty and have caused severe harm, but these sheep, what have they done? O Lord my God, let your hand fall upon me and my father’s house, and let not your people be plagued. Then the prophet Gad told David to go up to the summit of Mount Moriah and set up an altar and sacrifice on it. David acquired the summit from the Jebusite King who prior to David controlled the lower southern section of Mount Moriah. The summit of Mount Moriah became the temple mount as we know it today. David’s altar location was selected to rectify his personal sin.
The discovery of this altar, further down Mount Moriah, above En Shemesh or the Gihon Spring, as it is known today, must be the location associated with Jacob, his father Isaac and grandfather Abraham. These dueling locations present very complex questions that have now emerged before us.
The temple location is the forefront of Israel’s wars. Homes of violent Islamic Jihadists contain images of the Golden dome and Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount. Every Jew believes, by tradition, that the Temple Mount once contained the site where Jacob’s father was bound and offered as a sacrifice by his grandfather. With this discovery perhaps Israel will shift from its Temple Mount tradition toward Mount Moriah's rock-cut-temple, defined by its compliant location, altar's raised foundation, matzevah, that is undoubtedly Jacob’s and its western orientation in order to build its final Temple on Mount Moriah.
Monday, September 2, 2024
Be More Jewish - Rising From The Ashes!
PODCAST (10min) - Future Israel
For Israeli's, October 7 2023 changed everything! So shocking were the events of terror that the longest war in Israel's history has since ensued. Sentiments of shock, sadness and anger generated mixed emotional responses from a nation burying their dead and dealing with the day to day realities of war. Within a few weeks, citizens of Israel, secular, religious, left and right, concluded that the Two State Solution was dead. Such was their unusually unified resolve that by July 2024 the Knesset unanimously passed a resolution outright rejecting Palestinian statehood.
After 60 years of pro-Palestinian propaganda, that accentuated Israel's political divide over land, for the benefit of non-Israeli citizens and residents, October 7 birthed the unambiguous, uncompromising Sovereign Jewish State of Israel. In the absence of territorial controversies, with the exception of a few revival attempts led by former Prime Ministers Olmert and Barak, the overwhelming national 'dinner table' debate has swung toward the future of Israel's national identity. One day it may be argued that the debate about Judicial Reform, preceding October 7, was a precursor that ultimately led the nation to resolve its identity crisis.
It is glaringly obvious that religious nationalists, serving in the army, have suffered more deaths and injuries in the war than any other representative group. That fact has not been lost on anyone. On the front lines, their commitment, dedication and self sacrifice is increasingly apparent and appreciated, yet their representation in the higher echelons of Israel's military machine are few. But, the old guard will yield and religious nationalists will eventually obtain more control.
The shift in the Defense Force rank and file reflects changes taking place at every level of society. Participation rates among ultra orthodox Haredi communities will improve, but religious nationalists are fully engaged. In the past 7 years ultra secular communities have lost representative power to ultra religious nationalist groups. The last bastion of secular resistance may eventually come from the air force where members, especially elite pilots, are predominantly secular.
For secular Israeli's uncertainty abounds, but the demographic sands are shifting fast and transition of authority is inevitable. So, what will a future Israel look like? In the absence of territorial concessions, to untrustworthy neighbors, all roads lead to Israel securing its ‘river to the sea’ land. As the idea of 'Palestine' fades, Arab documented aliens will demand they transition to Israeli residency and residents to citizenship. No doubt this will threaten Israel's present, comfortable Jewish dominance.
The multi decade process described above must first provide Jews secure, permanent sovereign power over their indigenous land of Israel. Only legislative restructure and constitution can guarantee the future Jewish State of Israel from dilution to Arabs presently living under the last vestiges of Palestinian Authority. Here we return to the dinner table debate to illustrate how this may work.
The religious who are naturally more comfortable with their Rabbinical authorities, are infiltrating the echelons of defense and government. To resolve the impasse of judicial reform, in the face of an intransigent Supreme Court, religious nationals are being pressured to reform government. Part of that reform exposes the differences between religious nationals and Haredim for control over Israel's religious courts and its brand of orthodoxy. This emphasizes The Religious Ministry where control over the presently mandated Electoral Committee for National Rabbinical representation in cities of Israel sits.
The Electoral Committee for Rabbis of Israel dates back to foundation and is the States only other mandated election beside municipalities and the Knesset. Rabbinical reform in Israel has also become a target of more liberal groups and those intent on Jewish law being interpreted to practically accommodate the needs of secular society.
Rabbinical reform, targeted, by referendum, to modify the electoral legislative framework of Rabbi's, could conceivably catapult elected Rabbis into a newly established upper house of government. Such a case would immediately elevate the Rabbinical court of Israel. By this legislative reformation an upper house of elected Rabbi's would assume the present authority of the Prime Minister's cabinet to approve new laws drafted by the Knesset.
Under this scenario the Rabbinical upper house would exclusively sign off on any draft law introduced by the elected members of the Knesset. This framework, alone would guarantee Israel's Jewish sovereignty. A Rabbinical upper house of the Knesset, that was sympathetic to the nations religious court, would mitigate the present judicial reform impasse at the Supreme Court. Finally such a representative body would establish the permanent state of Jewish Sovereignty, a final form of government in readiness for the anointment of a King and building of Israel's final, permanent temple in Jerusalem. May the pomp and ceremony begin, BezH" soon!
Friday, August 23, 2024
Upending Revisionist Bias
A standing stone, to commemorate a covenant and a set of clay tablets are sufficient proofs to reset the academic bias that has altered our understanding of Biblical history for the past 200 years. The bias was perpetrated by early French, German and British archaeologists that established the now broadly accepted views of Egyptian Pharaonic chronology. Their dating clashed with Biblical dating, by around 1-200 years, leading many to support the claim that the Bible was loosely constructed by 4 authors and its dates lacked credibility. These academics opposed the traditional Jewish view that the Bible is the word of God as transcribed by Moses. Now, we have proof to discredit their biased claims and restore the Bible to its rightful place.
In 2010 excavations at the City of David on Jerusalem's Mount Moriah began to reveal the hidden rooms of a stone temple that baffled everyone. It took another 12 years before a carbon dating study by Weismann Institute and Cambridge University firmly established the date the water channel for the facility was built. The water channel flushed water onto the floors of 2 of the 4 main rooms that were carved out of bedrock. These rooms constitute a temple complex, which we have called Temple Zero because it proceeds the First Temple built by Solomon by at least 600 years.
According to Biblical chronology, Jacob left his parents for their ancestral home in Harran (Syria-Turkey border) where he was sent to find a wife and build a family. Commentators calculate he first spent 14 years learning with Noah's great, great grandson Ever. Before making his final departure he encountered the place of his famous stairway to heaven dream, the place he would name, Beit El, in 2185 (Since Creation) or 1576 BCE (CODEX JUDAICA) (Genesis 28:11).
The second refutation takes place after Israel's long exile and journey, back from Egypt, that took them away for 250 years. Joshua led Israel in numerous battles to conquer settle Israel's tribes in their allotted portions of land. Joshua ruled 32 years in the land.
The Amarna letters span Egyptian Pharaoh's Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, through possibly Smenkhkare or Tutankhamun around 150 years. At least letter #254 must have been written during the overlap of Amenhotep III and Joshua's 32 year reign, which according to the Biblical record ended in 1245 BCE. But, the 100 year gap between Amenhotep III and Joshua would need resolution. Known as The Labaya tablet, #254 and others reference Pharaoh in his 32nd year of reign leaving only Amenhotep III who held power for 36-38 years during the Amarna period. According to the classic chronology Amenhotep III died in 1351 BCE.
Sunday, June 23, 2024
Israel 's Point Of No Return!
...then it was Jerusalem Day. Yeshiva students bussed in, kids gathered in parks, families, tourists, flags and song. Walking, as they have done in previous years, Minister of Internal Security Itamar Ben Gvir and Deputy Mayor Arieh King. If this were a political rally, fake news would have claimed 100,000+ attended, but it was not. Around 40,000 came to express gratitude, celebrating the miracle of Israel's rapid victory in June 1967 that reunited Jerusalem with its Jewish people.
Meanwhile, Israel's activist political organizations are shifting emphasis from hostages to anti-government rhetoric, years in advance of the next scheduled election. Their hope; to lure offshore state actors and Jews into their desired political realm. To that end Anti-government protest organizations like Hofshi Israel, for Benny Gantz Blue and White party, estimated more than 150,000 people attended their June 22 rally, calling it the biggest since the Gaza war began. Although Israelis treat these impossible numbers with disdain, Iranian and Arab opposition media promote them to a naive, sheepish world to develop the perception of a fractured Israel.
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
The Oppressors Imposition
Victimhood has well served Qatar’s Muslim Brotherhood push to impose an unfortunate identify on people living under the Palestinian authority and Hamas. In the past decades the Palestinian cause has actively grown its distinctive brand beginning with its unique Palestinian keffiyeh followed by the flag of its national ideology. In the 1960's it was popularized by the founder of the modern movement for Palestine Yasser Arafat. He wore it on all occasions until it became symbolic of the Islamic cause which obtained foundation when it was embraced by Democrats in the USA under President Barack Obama.
Thursday, March 21, 2024
Programmed Haredi Opposition vs. GDP Contribution
The programmed attack, by so many Israelis, on Hareidim (the religious who wear black), those who dedicate their early life to Torah study and often continue into institutionalized Yeshiva life, is relentless. Their basis for attack is largely unwarranted except for the compounding fact that institutionalized Haredim default to extend Torah study and through it justify their avoiding compulsory service in Israel's defense force (IDF). These people are supported by their Rabbinical heads, much to the ire of Israel's secular and other religious communities.
The Haredi Torah enterprise is an extremely successful machine, funded and financed by massive flows of foreign and domestic private sector philanthropy and government funding. Among those who exit institutionalized Torah study, some become independently wealthy and continue to finance and support the institutions and their people.
I have tried to aggregate the total of all private sector philanthropy dedicated to Haredi communities, but the government does not openly promote this statistic. In my estimate it warrants inclusion in the annual economic reporting of domestic GDP because it would certainly be a significant private sector contribution, likely to exceed $1 billion annually. Unreported GDP of this magnitude underlies ignorance among the wider community of Israelis.
What motivates the private sector to support such an enterprise is complex, but Haredim present the most successful model for Jewish continuity of any other Jewish segment, worldwide, by far and that may be the ultimate reason.
Further, Haredi enlistment into the IDF is very low and the problem exacerbated by institutionalized sectors of Haredi community who are typically older than 21, and who continue married life, centered around the Yeshiva, without ever pursuing regular forms of employment. Arab sectors of Israeli society who also have very low enlistment rates also drain taxpayer funding through educational institutions of Israel. The problem is not limited to Haredim, yet they remain the target of attack.
Efforts are underway to improve Haredi enlistment, but its high time the Haredi leaders and Israel's government fight for improved transparency so the nation can become more aware of their important economic contribution to the country.
Friday, March 8, 2024
Purim, Randomness and Quantum Mechanics
Purim in Tel Aviv |
Einstein stated, "God does not play dice with the universe." In his clarifying letter, he wrote: "God tirelessly plays dice under laws which He has Himself prescribed.”
This dual particle-wave quality demonstrates the fundamental limitation of the observer to predict experimental results, Richard Feynman called it "a phenomenon" where the observer affects the outcome.
Strangely the Jewish holiday of Purim celebrates drawing the random lot, as in a "lottery", that was played by Israel's chief villain to decide the date he would annihilate the Jews of Persia. The festival obliges Jews to reach a mind set, typically induced by excessive alcohol, where the cursed villain Haman and blessed hero, of the Jewish people, Mordechai are identical. Strangely, while inebriated, Jews must remain cognoscente that Haman was the villain. This mental juggling act can get tricky for some, especially after a few drinks and atonement on this occurs through unadulterated expression of joy.
So why, on this most festive day of the entire calendar do Jews celebrate the miracle in the "lottery", surely there are other much more meaningful aspects of this redemption from collective disaster?
Based on thousands of years of teachings, consistent with Torah, the Rebbe precisely describes the lofty, apparent randomness of the "lottery"! In classic Kabballah and Chassidus, the studies of Jewish mysticism and philosophy, the world and its Creator are defined, often invoking scientific analogies. For the uninitiated these are difficult to comprehend, but here in his Maamar, Al Kein Karu (highly recommended reading), on the story of Purim, the Rebbe transcends all complex spiritual barriers.
The lottery describes a lofty spiritual level like that experienced on the calendars holiest day, Yom Kippur, literally meaning a day like (ki) a "lottery" (pur). The classic meaning is a day like Purim where "like" defines Purim's lofty status over Yom Kippur. Opposite to Purim, atonement on Yom Kippur is granted for conflicting the Will of the Creator and takes place through affliction and fasting. Similarly, on Yom Kippur lots were cast to decide which of two identical goats would be sent to Azazel, the evil side and which one would be offered up on the Holy Temple Altar.
Since these items, goats, villain or hero should be either physically or spiritually identical ones intellect cannot reach a meaningful decision thus the will or desire to make an informed decision submits. Reverting to a higher order, the decision rises to the level of lot or lottery.
Masterfully The Rebbe elaborates on the Biblical sources that teach how choosing, on these high holidays, resembles the systematic order of creation. Here, 'lottery" presides above will or desire, but even more lofty, the possession of a free-choice. Therefore, in deference, The Creator, who granted free-choice to Man, Woman and the Jewish People, presides, including over particles and waves as The Master of Free-Choice. The Ultimate Observer affects infinite outcomes because every expression is probable, identical until, in our world, its momentarily not.
Haman and Babylonians knew about spiritual systems, he knew that his lot fell in the month Moses, the leader of the Jewish people died, he didn't know it was also the month of his birth. Only the lottery would afford him a random chance to destroy the Jewish people. In his arrogance he failed to recognize that free-choice granted by The Master of Free Choice affects all outcomes through His continuous expression that manifests as time and space.
King Achashverosh (his name intimating controller over alternating modes of speaking-silence) who who had been influenced by his Jewish Queen, Esther (her name intimating her concealment), lifted his decree against the Jewish people and placed Haman's future into his Queen's hand. The gallows Haman prepared for Mordechai were instead used on Haman and the Jewish people were saved from certain annihilation.
Spooky science at a distance? Then watch this.
Sunday, January 21, 2024
Two State Impossibility!
These mixed clans were the Arab underclass, vulnerable to corrupt or criminal gang leaders who exploited their absent nationhood with disastrous affect. Since the 1970's rival quasi-political groups, that became Fattah and Hamas, sold themselves as political parties that could establish and lead a cohesive, prosperous Palestinian nation. As we know that did not occur, most of their rhetoric promoted self-serving opportunities for individual economic gain at the people's expense.
The failure to self-govern opened the door to virulent orators, benevolent dictators and criminals who exploited global antisemitism or anti-Israel sentiment to deflect abstract failure, blame Israel and raise funds for the so called anti-Jew 'Palestinian cause' and enrich themselves. Despite support of global liberal democracies, these Arabs have not elected representatives for more than 15 years, yet sponsorship from nations has been abundant. Not surprisingly western nations compromised their long upheld democratic values and joined others to back anti-Zionist protagonists who suppressed the voices of these disparate Arab clans under the thin Palestinian veil.
Since the late 1970's Fattah and Hamas leaders, of these 4 million broken people, pushed the armed struggle against Israel to the front of their radicalized political agenda's. The events of Simchat Torah 5784 (October 7, 2023) brought the ugly reality of 'Palestinian' people to a shocking head and apparent realization. Now, Israel has been forced to expand its active responsibility for the security of its citizens and resident aliens, between the river and the sea.
Israeli hostages, presently captive in Gaza, are mostly from liberal Kibbutz families of the South. Many have worked tirelessly over decades to assist Gaza residents to gain work opportunities in Israel. Now those families are desperately trying to shift their nations priority to the plight of loved ones, against the nations preferred priority to defeat Hamas. These families will be politically exploited as globalists fund sponsorship of more domestic unrest and bring Israelis to accept the priority of hostages over destruction of Hamas.
The so called nation of "Palestinian People" does not exist and never will, but the plight of the Arabs who presently live under these corrupt authorities must be presented with options for better lives. Despite attempts by foreign actors to recognize a Palestinian state, Israel will ultimately offer residents pathway to status as an Israeli resident alien followed by a multi-year probationary citizenship and ultimately citizenship to the United nation of Israel.
Now Israel is, for the first time, facing its toughest challenge, rising anti-Semitism, anti-Zionism and anti Israel pressures. It will face rising domestic security costs and heightened domestic rhetoric while it comprehends and prepares for a secure, one state future in which Jewish Sovereignty, from the river to the sea, will finally be constitutionally guaranteed by the equivalent of a Jewish senate.