ARTICLES

By Stephen Faircloth

Three miles southeast of Bethlehem rises Herodium, an artificial mountain built by Herod the Great. Its massive silhouette stood watch over the very fields where shepherds received the angelic announcement of Christ’s birth. While Bethlehem welcomed a humble child laid in a manger, Herodium proclaimed the power, ambition, and pride of an earthly king. Two kingdoms, two ways of ruling, stood face to face on that first Christmas night.

Herod built Herodium to celebrate a military victory over Mattithias Antigonus, the final Hasmonean ruler. After overcoming his enemies near this very hill, Herod transformed the landscape itself, shaping a cone shaped mountain and crowning it with a lavish palace fortress. From here, he guarded the routes that stretched from Bethlehem into the Judean wilderness and toward En Gedi. Herodium announced Rome’s dominance and Herod’s authority to anyone who passed below.

Inside the circular double walled fortress, Herod created a world of royal splendor: a private bathhouse, ornate dining halls, reception rooms, and comfortable living quarters. Archaeologists have uncovered its monumental entry gate, as well as the remains of its towers, including the great eastern tower that once surveyed the region. A lower palace and immense pool complex spread across the base of the mountain, complete with Roman style bathhouses where warm, cool, and tepid rooms reflected the luxury of the imperial world.

Herodium, however, played a role far beyond Herod’s lifetime. Rebels during the First Jewish Revolt converted his dining hall into a synagogue, and fighters in the Bar Kochbah Revolt also used the fortress. Letters from their leader, Shimon ben Kosiba, were discovered in caves near the Dead Sea, showing the strategic importance of this site long after Herod’s reign.

Josephus recorded that Herod was buried at Herodium. In 2006, archaeologists uncovered his mausoleum along the northern slope, along with the shattered fragments of his once elaborate sarcophagus. They also discovered a Roman theater nearby, likely constructed for the visit of Marcus Agrippa, a friend of both Herod and Caesar Augustus, the emperor named in the Nativity story.

Yet the most striking truth of Herodium is not its engineering or grandeur. It is the contrast between Herod’s kingdom of power and the kingdom born beneath its gaze. The fortress that boasted of human greatness towered over the fields where angels proclaimed, “Glory to God in the highest,” announcing a Savior who would rule not by force, but by love. While Herod sought to preserve his throne through violence, even ordering the massacre of Bethlehem’s young boys, Jesus came to bring peace to the humble, healing to the broken, and salvation to the world.

Herodium reminds us that every Christmas invites a choice. Will we live by the values of Herod’s kingdom, striving for control, status, and security in what we build? Or will we follow the way of Christ, who descended in humility so that we might be lifted up? One kingdom is built on pride and fear. The other is built on hope, sacrifice, and the faithfulness of God.

The mountain of Herod still stands, but the kingdom of Jesus is the one that endures forever.

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

This week’s Torah reading is Parashat Vayishlach (Genesis 32:4-36:43). Read on Shabbat, December 6, 2025 / 14 Kislev 5786. The following is a special devotional drawn from this week’s reading.

He instructed them: “This is what you are to say to my lord Esau: ‘Your servant Jacob says, I have been staying with Laban and have remained there till now. I have cattle and donkeys, sheep and goats, male and female servants. Now I am sending this message to my lord, that I may find favor in your eyes’” (Genesis 32:4-5).

Jacob stands at a moment of great tension. He approaches the brother he wronged years earlier, uncertain of how he will be received. Fear presses in from every side, yet Jacob still takes steps toward reconciliation. He sends messengers, prepares his household, and turns to God in prayer. He refuses to hide from the past. Instead, he walks toward it with humility, aware that only God can shape the outcome.

This portion reveals the depth of Jacob’s inner struggle. That night he wrestles until daybreak and receives a blessing that changes his identity. His name becomes Israel, a reminder that he has contended with God and endured. When Jacob finally meets Esau, he expects hostility but receives compassion. Esau runs to him, embraces him, and weeps. What Jacob feared would destroy him becomes a moment of healing. God transforms the encounter into grace.

Vayishlach speaks to the places in our lives where fear, regret, or old wounds still linger. We often anticipate the worst, imagining rejection or judgment. Yet God can prepare hearts in ways we cannot see. He works behind the scenes, softening what has hardened and healing what seemed beyond repair. Jacob reminds us that courage and repentance open doors for God to act with mercy.

Some may be carrying memories that still hurt or relationships strained by misunderstanding. Let this portion invite you to bring those burdens before God. He meets us in the struggle just as He met Jacob in the night. Others may find themselves in a season of calm or blessing. For you, this story becomes a call to extend compassion to those who approach with fear or pain.

Set aside a moment this Shabbat to consider where God may be inviting you into reconciliation or inner renewal. Ask Him for courage to take the first step and for faith to trust His work in the hearts of others. Let your actions reflect the hope that God can turn even the most fearful meeting into a moment of grace.

PRAYER
Lord, thank You for meeting me in my struggles and fears. Give me courage to seek reconciliation where it is needed and humility to trust Your work in every situation. May Your mercy guide my steps and shape my heart. Amen.

By Stephen Faircloth

Nazareth, the hometown of Jesus, rests quietly on the Nazareth Ridge in the Lower Galilee. From its limestone heights, the village overlooks the sweeping Jezreel Valley to the south and the fertile Beit Netofa Valley to the north. Though small and unassuming, Nazareth occupies a remarkable place in the story of God’s redemption.

The New Testament gives Nazareth its first mention (Matthew 2:23; Luke 1:26), telling us that Mary lived there and that Joseph brought his family back to Nazareth after their return from Egypt. It is in this humble village that Jesus grew up, learned His earthly trade, worshiped at the synagogue, and began to be known as “Jesus of Nazareth” (Matthew 21:11). Luke also records how Jesus read from Isaiah in the Nazareth synagogue and declared the Scripture fulfilled in their hearing, provoking strong reactions (Luke 4:16-30).

Although few earlier written sources mention Nazareth, archaeology reveals that the area had been occupied for centuries. Excavations show evidence from the Middle Bronze Age through the Iron Age II, and into the Hellenistic and early Roman periods. Tombs discovered from the first century B.C. through the first century A.D. mark the village’s boundaries, since Jewish burial practices required tombs to lie outside inhabited areas. From these finds, scholars estimate that Nazareth in Jesus’ day covered roughly sixty acres and housed perhaps five hundred people.

Nazareth was not isolated. Only 3.8 miles north stood Sepphoris, the capital of Galilee during Jesus’ youth. The close proximity suggests that the people of Nazareth interacted economically and culturally with a major urban center. Moreover, Nazareth’s location between two valleys that carried international trade routes means Jesus likely grew up hearing many languages and seeing travelers from across the region. His early life unfolded not in obscurity but in a village that stood near the crossroads of cultures.

Archaeologists have uncovered what may be a Jewish ritual immersion bath from the early Roman period, a discovery that could point to the location of Nazareth’s synagogue. This site, along with early Christian remains, lies within the modern Basilica of the Annunciation, completed in the 1960s. According to later Jewish tradition, the priestly family of Hapizez settled in Nazareth after the destruction of the Temple in A.D. 70, a detail confirmed by an inscription from Caesarea.

By the fourth century A.D., Christian pilgrims were already making their way to Nazareth. They were shown a cave believed to be the home of Mary, a place long venerated and continuously honored with churches from the Byzantine era onward. Today, Nazareth remains a major pilgrimage site anchored by two historic churches: the Catholic Basilica of the Annunciation and the Greek Orthodox Church built over the ancient spring.

Nazareth teaches us something profound about the ways of God. He often chooses what is small, quiet, and easily overlooked to carry out His greatest work. The Messiah emerged not from a royal city or cultural capital but from a humble Galilean village. God’s purposes often grow in hidden places, taking shape long before the world takes notice.

What places or seasons in your life feel small or overlooked? Nazareth reminds us that God delights in working through humble beginnings to accomplish extraordinary purposes.

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.

By Stephen Faircloth

The Jordan Valley forms one of the most dramatic and defining landscapes in the land of Israel. Stretching from the Sea of Galilee in the north to the Dead Sea in the south, it follows the path of the great Syro-African Rift, a vast geological fracture that runs from Syria to central Africa. This deep scar in the earth creates a narrow corridor marked by extremes of beauty, climate, and history.

Here the Jordan River winds its way southward, leaving the Sea of Galilee and meandering more than two hundred miles over a direct distance of only sixty. The twisting course reflects both the shifting terrain and the powerful pull of gravity as the river descends to the lowest place on the surface of the earth. Today, this valley forms part of the modern boundary between Israel, Jordan, and the West Bank, yet in ancient times it served as a vibrant artery that connected regions, peoples, and cultures.

The Jordan Valley long provided one of the main travel routes between the western hill country and the heights of Transjordan. Merchants, shepherds, armies, and pilgrims crossed this corridor as they moved east and west. It also offered a clear north-south route for those journeying between Galilee and Judea. In the first century, many Jewish pilgrims from Galilee used this very road when traveling to Jerusalem for the festivals. The Gospels describe Jesus Himself walking this route on His final approach to the Holy City, passing through Jericho and teaching along the way (Luke 19:1-11).

The northern section of the valley, stretching from the Sea of Galilee to south of Beth Shean, received generous rainfall in antiquity. This made it one of the most fertile regions in the land, rich with agriculture and dotted with thriving settlements. Further south, however, the climate shifts dramatically. The high ridges of Samaria block the moisture from the Mediterranean, transforming the landscape into a harsh and arid expanse. Yet even here, along the riverbanks, thick vegetation grows, nourished by the flowing waters.

Throughout biblical history, the valley hosted towns and cities of great importance. Beth Shean guarded the northern approach from the Jordan; Jericho, one of the world’s oldest cities, dominated the central valley; and sites like Pella, Deir Alla (biblical Succoth), and Rehov served as key administrative and religious centers. Together they formed a chain of life and culture that tied the eastern and western regions together.

The Jordan Valley also appears again and again in Scripture. It is the place where Israel crossed into the Promised Land, where prophets traveled and taught, where John baptized his followers, and where Jesus began His public ministry at the Jordan River. It is a landscape of passage, transformation, and new beginnings.

To stand in the Jordan Valley today is to sense the weight of this history. The winding river, the shifting climates, and the ancient cities all whisper the stories of those who walked before us. This valley was not only a route on a map. It was, and remains, one of the central lifelines of the biblical world, shaping the journeys of prophets, kings, and the Messiah Himself.

Stephen Faircloth is the President of CBN Israel, an initiative dedicated to sharing the true story of the Jewish nation and inspiring a global community of Christians to stand with Israel and support her people in need. Our vision is to reshape the global conversation about Israel by fostering understanding, hope, and healing between Jews and Christians around the world. For more than 50 years, the Christian Broadcasting Network has supported Israel. By joining CBN Israel, you become part of this enduring legacy, transforming lives today and strengthening Christian support for Israel for generations to come.