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The menorah refers to the seven-branched candelabra which God commanded Moses to have fashioned as part of the vessels of the Tabernacles (Exodus 25:31-40; 37:17-24). Artisans fashioned the menorah from a single ingot of gold, with the lamps carved separately from gold. Within the First Temple, the Temple of Solomon, ten golden menorot (plural, menorah) stood in the Temple building, five on the northern wall and five on the southern wall. It is not certain whether these lamps had branches, like the menorah of the Tabernacle. The Babylonians took the menorot from the Temple when they destroyed it and Jerusalem.

The rebuilding of the Temple in Jerusalem required the Judeans to refashion the vessels of the Temple including the menorah. The Jewish writer Jesus ben Sira mentions the golden menorah in the Second Temple in the early second century B.C. The Seleucid king, Antiochus IV, removed it when he converted the Jewish Temple into a Temple to Zeus. Judah the Maccabee made new vessels as part of his purification of the Temple, after he reconquered it from the Seleucid Greeks. It remained in the Second Temple until the Romans destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple. They took the menorah with them to Rome and placed it in the Temple of Peace. Rome’s celebration of the conquest of Judaea appears on the Arch of Titus in Rome where the menorah is shown being conveyed into Rome.

The menorah became a Jewish symbol during the Second Temple period. The last Hasmonean ruler, Mattathias Antigonus, stamped a menorah upon his coins. Archaeologists have discovered menorah graffities in homes and on stones. The menorah stood in the interior of the Temple building, not the Holy of Holies, but the preceding hall. Within the Holy Place, the menorah stood with the incense altar and the table of shewbread. Twice a day priests entered the Temple to tend the lamps of the menorah and offer incense on the altar, at the time of the morning and evening sacrifices. The graffities discovered in Jerusalem depict these three elements together: the menorah, the incense altar, and the table of shewbread.

Archaeologists uncovered a unique stone in a first century synagogue in Magdala, on the shore of the Sea of Galilee. This stone, which archaeologist suggest was a base for a Torah reading stand, bears images from the Jerusalem Temple. The iconography of the stone comes from the Temple. It depicts the menorah and incense altar; some suggest it also shows the table of shewbread, which would be consistent with depictions of the menorah in this period.

After the menorah was taken to Rome, it became a more prominent Jewish symbol appearing in synagogue art throughout the Jewish world. The menorah was the earliest Jewish symbol identifying the presence of Jews. Many today think of the Star of David as a Jewish symbol, but this is modern. Ancient Jews made their mark with the menorah. Some mistakenly refer to the nine-branched candelabra used at Hanukkah as a menorah. It is not. It is a Hanukkiah, the special candelabra for Hanukkah.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Last week, Iran International television news made history in a first-of-a-kind broadcast by featuring an Israeli prime minister—Benjamin Netanyahu—speaking directly to the Iranian people. On March 9, journalist Pouria Zeraati held an exclusive interview with Netanyahu, in which Bibi praised the protestors’ bravery on the streets of Iran and called the Islamic regime a “common enemy.” He expressed his personal admiration for the Woman, Life, Freedom resistance movement, describing it as “a miraculous achievement” by not bowing down to tyranny. 

Netanyahu’s comments are timely, since Iranian protestors have risked their lives to spread their demands for freedom from the hateful Ayatollahs and their nearly 190,000 enforcers in the Islamic Revolutionary Guard Corps (IRGC). The regime’s ruthless reaction has, since September, led to more than 500 deaths and 22,000 arrests. One hundred and ten Iranians are set to face a death sentence, joining four other dissenters who have already been executed. On March 13 the Ayatollahs alleged that they now have granted amnesty to 80,000 prisoners, including some 22,000 protestors who had been arrested. That remains to be seen.

In his Twitter account, British-based Iranian journalist Zeraati also reported that the Islamic regime has poisoned school children, declaring that the regime’s message is “loud and clear, they will do whatever it takes.” The numbers are frightening to parents, with school poisonings having occurred since November in more than 100 schools. The Iranian Health Ministry claims that 13,000 students have been treated. While difficult to prove, it is easy for Iranians to view the poisonings as direct warnings from the Islamic regime’s oppressive history. 

The Israeli Prime Minister made remarks about ancient Persia and future ties between Israel and Iran. In 539 B.C., Cyrus the Great allowed the Jews to return to Jerusalem from their exile in Babylon. Looking to the future, Netanyahu envisions a renewed and strengthened friendship between Israel and Iran. He noted that prior to the Islamist takeover, their friendship had been strong. Obviously, his remarks are based on stopping Iran’s nuclear weapons capability—which threatens the Middle East, United States, and the world.

My friend Marziyeh (Marzi) Amirizadeh is an author and Iranian activist who was formerly imprisoned in Iran for sharing her Christian faith and giving out thousands of Bibles. Now that she’s an American citizen, her expert opinion is that many Iranians inside the country watched Netanyahu’s broadcast captioned in Farsi. She reports that the viewers reacted positively and admire Israel’s prime minister. As usual, since the protests began, the Ayatollahs have plotted internet disruptions and blackouts, thereby handcuffing freedom of speech on social media. However, Marzi notes that Iranians watch three major news media outside Iran: Iran International, Voice of America, and Manoto TV. 

Netanyahu concluded his remarks with two more messages. To Western leaders, he paraphrased Moses’ demand to Pharaoh—“Let my people go!”—by challenging the Islamic regime, “Let YOUR people go.” He added a no-nonsense point to the Ayatollahs: “We’ll be here long after you’re gone.”

Netanyahu described stopping Iran’s quest for nuclear weapons as the  “quintessential heart of my foreign policy.” His clear statement is evidenced by the ramped-up military exercises in the last few months with the United States military. On January 26, the U.S. Central Command and Israel Defense Forces completed Juniper Oak 2023 with a massive military exercise in the Middle East described as the biggest joint drill on record. Now, as of March 12, the Red Flag 23-2 exercise is underway for two weeks, hosted by the United States Air Force at Nevada’s Nellis Air Force Base. Israel has sent seven F-35I fighter jets and two Boeing 707 refueling planes for the drill. Joint military operations with Israel are common in both Israel and the United States. Israel has participated in five previous Red Flag drills at the U.S. base. 

I consider the joint midair refueling as one of the most significant drills, since Iran’s nuclear development sites are 1,200 miles from Israel. One drill focuses on an Israel Air Force (IAF) tanker refueling American fighter jets, with the U.S. in turn refueling Israeli aircraft. These refueling exercises make it possible for the IAF to reach Iran for the purpose of targeting Iran’s nuclear complexes—and only the nuclear complexes. 

Clearly Netanyahu speaks for Israel, which has no quarrel with the Iranian population themselves (more than 86 million people). Prior to the 1979 Islamic revolution, 80,000 Jews lived in Iran. Tens of thousands fled. Reports vary, but few in the Jewish community remain in Iran, and approximately 250,000 Jews of Iranian ancestry live in Israel. 

The Abraham Accords instituted dynamic and exciting changes in the Middle East. However, multiple levels of other sweeping changes in that region are advancing. It is essential to remain aware and prayerful for our greatest ally Israel, the suffering of the Iranian people, and wisdom for Israeli and American leaders’ decision-making. While the military alliance between Israel and the United States is vigorous, the U.S. influence in the Middle East is lessening.

One example stands out. China is now a kingmaker in the Middle East. In a secret four-day meeting, they brokered a deal in Beijing between the Islamic Republic of Iran and Saudi Arabia. Chinese leaders agreed last Friday to reopen the embassies in both countries after seven years of weighty tensions. Although the deal revives the Saudi-Iran security cooperation pact of 2001, a hidden element may be at work. The deal is not official for another two months, and much could change. It is possible that Saudis would still rather connect more closely with Israel in order to rely on the Jewish state’s security against Iran. Plus, Saudis are not fond of the current U.S. administration and may be sending a wake-up message to a compromised Mr. Biden.

Aside from the seeming Chinese successes, Russia and Iran have agreed on the sale of Russian fighter jets for Iran’s recently revealed underground air force base. They named it “Eagle 44.”  EAGLE 44? I view that as the Islamic regime’s arrogance in appropriating one of the United States’ national symbols. 

We live at a time when Isaiah 5:20 is epidemic. “Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who put darkness for light and light for darkness.” As believers, let us make sure that we pay persistent attention to our Lord Jesus, the Light of the world, amid darkening world events. We can rely on Him to help us navigate life steadied by Him. We also know that in His time, the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus will settle every conflict regarding Israel, His Land, and His people, the Jews. May God have mercy on us as we await that day. 

Please join with CBN Israel this week in prayer for Israel and the Middle East:

• Pray for Israeli and all Arab leaders in the Middle East to make wise decisions about the Islamic regime’s threats. 
• Pray with thanks for the beneficial bonds between the U.S. and Israeli military.
• Pray for strength for the Iranian people to endure as they seek their freedom. 
• Pray for Israel’s internal peace amid controversial opinions about reshaping their Supreme Court.

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her part-time as Outreach Director for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, guest columnist at All Israel News, and has frequently traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a board member for Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on Facebook.

As a single mother, Anna lived with her little boy in Eastern Ukraine when the war broke out. She recalled, “We were totally unprepared… We had to hide in the basement— it was cold and scary.” After weeks of living in fear with her son, she decided it was time to escape.

A rescue train organized by their Jewish community took them to western Ukraine. From there, the Israeli government allowed Jewish refugees to immediately make Aliyah—Israeli citizenship for Jews—and return to their ancestral homeland of Israel as immigrants. 

When they arrived, a government grant enabled them to rent an apartment. Yet, Anna needed a refrigerator and couldn’t afford one. She was alone and jobless in a new country. 

But friends like you were there. Through CBN Israel, caring donors gave her a refrigerator—plus, food vouchers, groceries, and basic furniture! Anna shared, “What a headache it is to live without a fridge… You got it for us quickly. It was a big relief, and we’re very thankful.” 

Today, just a few months later, Anna is working part time and earning an income. We visit her and her son regularly, and she adds, “Your words, your prayers, and your support help restore my faith. These acts of kindness show that there is still good in the world.” 

And your gift to CBN Israel can share God’s goodness with many in need—by bringing them nutritious meals, essentials, financial help, and more. Your support can reach out to Holocaust survivors, immigrants, terror victims, and others with nowhere to turn. 

Please join us as we bless others in this special land!

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Replacement theology refers to the faulty belief that God replaced Israel as His chosen people with the Church. According to those who hold this view, God’s promises to Israel now belong to the Church, and His plans no longer extend to the Jewish people or Israel. The origins of this belief are ancient. They stem from social and theological forces.

Ancient Judaism attracted non-Jews. Most chose not to identify fully with Judaism, which required a man to undergo the rite of circumcision. So too, the Jewish commandments proved too hard for non-Jews and alienated them from their families and civic identities. Non-Jews attracted to Judaism were called God-fearers (or God-worshippers).

The Jewish followers of Jesus attracted non-Jews as well. The Jewish followers of Jesus decided non-Jews could remain non-Jews, but they had to avoid meat sacrificed to idols, prohibited sexual unions, and bloodshed. Jesus’ community required them to adopt a Jewish morality without fully converting to Judaism. They lived Jewishly without being fully part of the Jewish community. This was Paul’s position as well.

Non-Jews stood on the edge of the synagogue, not fully part of the community. This created an inferiority complex, a sense of being an outsider. Such feelings can produce resentment over time. They can be overcome by the outsiders concluding they represent the true faith. Jews failed, and God rejected them. Their laws were null and a hinderance to salvation. Scattered evidence of this logic appears among non-Jews prior to the rise of Christianity, but with the rise of Christianity, these ideas became more widespread as Christianity showed itself as the true religion and Israel’s replacement.

An apocryphal work known as Fifth Ezra reflects this belief. This work likely dates to the second century A.D. Preserved in Latin, it was originally written in Greek. The author proclaims, “What can I do about you Jacob? You would not listen to me, Judah. I will turn to another nation and give it my name in order that they may keep my decrees. Because you have forsaken me, I will forsake you…I am going to deliver your houses to a coming people who, though they have not heard me, believe; [those] to whom I showed no signs will do what I decreed. They did not see the prophets, yet they will keep in mind their time-honored [admonitions]” (1:24-25, 35-36).

Justin Martyr (about A.D. 100-165) also embraced this belief. In his Dialogue with Trypho a Jew, he interpreted Genesis 9:27 as, “Accordingly, as two peoples were blessed—those from Shem, and those from Japhet—and as the offspring of Shem were decreed first to possess the dwellings of Canaan, and the offspring of Japhet were predicted as in turn receiving the same possessions…so Christ has come calling men to…a living together of all the saints in the same land whose possession He promised, as has already been proven.

Whence men from all parts, whether slave or free, who believe in Christ and know the truth in His and the prophets’ words, know that they will be with Him in that land, there to inherit the things that are eternal and incorruptible” (139:4-5). Justin elsewhere described Gentile Christians as the “true Israel” (Dialogue 11:5; 120:5). The idea emerged quite early within Gentile Christianity that God had rejected the Jews, and their laws were not relevant.

It is critical that Christians understand the dangers of these distorted beliefs. For centuries, sermons and writings espousing replacement theology have planted the seeds of anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. Not only did this lead to widespread discrimination and violence against the Jewish community in much of Western society; it left the door wide open for six million Jews to be murdered in the Holocaust. 

While not all Christian groups accept this theology, it has seen a resurgence in recent years within many Christian circles, and it is absolutely imperative that we oppose and root out this toxic thinking. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

By Marc Turnage

The Sea of Galilee is the lowest freshwater lake on earth. It sits 600 feet below sea level. It is a lake, and not a sea; thus, the Evangelist Luke correctly describes it often as a lake (5:1; 8:22, 33). 

The Lake of Galilee sits in the Jordan River Valley, which is part of the Syro-African Rift Valley. The Jordan River flows through the lake from the north where its three headwaters converge south of the ancient site of Dan to form the Jordan River and flow south into the lake. The river continues out of the south end of the lake on its southward journey towards the Dead Sea. The modern exit of the Jordan River on the south end of the lake is not the ancient exit of the river; the modern exit was created for the dam used to regulate the flow of water out of the lake.

Hills surround the lake on its western, northern, and eastern sides. To its south, one finds the continuation of the Jordan River Valley. On its northwest and northeast corners sit two fertile valleys into which water runoff from the surrounding hills flow. The northwest valley is known as the Gennesar Valley, which the first century Jewish historian Josephus says was the name given to the lake by the locals (see Luke 5:1). The valley on the northeast side of the lake is the Bethsaida Valley, so called for the ancient site of Bethsaida, the home of Jesus’ disciples Peter, Philip, and Andrew, which was located in the valley along the shoreline of the lake. 

The Bethsaida Valley, while fertile, has three large water tributaries, including the Jordan River, flow through it, which made it more challenging for travel by foot. Two of these tributaries flow out of the Golan Heights feeding the water of the lake along with the Jordan River. Between the Gennesar Valley and Bethsaida Valley ninety-five percent of Jesus’ ministry recorded in the Gospels took place. He fed the 5,000 in the Bethsaida Valley (Luke 9:10). Within this area, one finds the villages of Capernaum, Chorazin, and Bethsaida, which Jesus cursed (Luke 10:13-16). 

South of the Gennesar Valley sits the modern city of Tiberias, which was built by Herod Antipas, the son of Herod the Great, in the year 19-20 A.D. Antipas moved his administration from Sepphoris to Tiberias, which was where he resided during the ministries of Jesus and John the Baptist. 

The lake itself provided a fishing industry for the locals. The water off the Bethsaida Valley provided excellent fishing, especially for the local tilapia. People used the lake not only for fishing, but also for travel. Both Josephus and the Gospels indicate that people traveled around the lake by boat much more than they did by foot.

The Gospels record the sudden storms that occur on the lake. The topography of the surrounding hills and canyons create wind funnels across the lake, particularly the northern part of the lake. Storms on the Lake of Galilee are serious, especially the wind storms that blow in from the east off the Golan Heights down onto the lake. The easterly wind storms that hit the land of Israel are quite severe, and even in the present day, can cause damage to property and agriculture, even the loss of life. These easterly winds are known as sharkia, from the Arabic “shark” (east). They are most prevalent from October-May. They turn the lake’s waters into churning, violent swells, easily 10 to 12 feet high. 

The Lake of Galilee provides the setting for many of the stories in the Gospels, sayings and actions of Jesus. On its shores, He taught the people about the kingdom of Heaven and performed many miracles. 

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

To build bridges and to bring healing, we must diagnose the disease. Jews have suffered at the hands of Christians for two thousand years. Modern Christians often retreat into claims of, “Those weren’t true Christians,” or “I support the Jews and Israel,” or even “My church are not Nazis.” Such defensive claims fail to grasp the role Christian theology played in the atrocities of the past. They also refuse to see how such theology remains within most branches of Christianity today.

So how do we build bridges?

We begin with ourselves. We learn. Jesus belonged to the world of ancient Judaism. He did not seek to create a new religion. What does it mean that He was a Jew? We do not need to be. But He was not like us. We acknowledge. We investigate the history of Christian anti-Judaism and anti-Semitism. We do not simply learn the facts. We discover their penetration into our theologies. Before we can build, we must properly understand the depths of these roots within Christian movements.

We hold ourselves accountable. Preaching and teaching need to reflect the reality of the ancient Jewish identity of Jesus and His early followers, including Paul. Separating them from their Jewish identities impacts how Christians relate to Jews and Judaism. It influences, even in subtle ways, the fermentation of Christian anti-Judaism. When we have done these things, we equip ourselves to listen and communicate with Jewish people.

To date, the Catholic Church is the only branch of Christianity to address the questions of Jews, Judaism, and Israel in a post-Holocaust world. They did this in the Second Vatican Council. Protestant Christianity has not. But even more significant, Protestantism has not confronted the anti-Judaism at the heart of its theology. To perform such a surgery may be impossible.

We cannot pass by the deep scars Jewish people bear because of Christianity. We cannot pass over them with trite affirmations. We must recognize we confront two thousand years of history and doctrine when we do this. But when the Jesus of history becomes the Christ of the Church, then Christians will know how to speak to Jews. When we hear Jesus’ words within the world of ancient Judaism, we can convey His solidarity with His people, to His people. We can lend our voices intelligently to call out and challenge anti-Semitism within our world. We can see Jews as more than the object of conversion and mission.

We cannot condemn the Holocaust and continue to blame the Jews for the death of Jesus in our Easter services. We cannot claim the crusaders who murdered Jews in the Rhineland as “not Christian” and continue to use the term “Pharisee” as a pejorative term for who and whatever we do not like in the Church. If we truly want to build bridges, healing bridges, between Christians and the Jewish people, we need to understand the questions to ask of ourselves before we try to listen to the voices of others.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Undeterred by recent bloodshed, Christian lovers of Israel walk with wonder in Jesus’ footsteps. In those footsteps, they also enhance the Israeli economy as they patronize hotels, restaurants, public transportation, and souvenir shops—businesses large and small, benefitting both Jews and Arabs. 

Despite rising hostilities and violence within Israel between Jews and Palestinians, I am aware of at least four current Christian tour groups, led by pastor friends and others, who have slated visits on their 2023/24 calendars. These tourists represent a simultaneous escalation of Good News and support from evangelicals. 

To enhance their understanding of this region, in the last 15 years evangelicals have added the borders of Gaza, Lebanon, and Syria to their itineraries. They step off tour buses eager to hear a briefing by an Israeli security expert—while standing in Israel overlooking Iran’s terror proxies only yards away. This area serves as an important location for gathering facts and sending up prayers. Having traveled to Israel upwards of 25 times now, I treasure each trip and always learn more about the world’s only Jewish nation. 

Biblical Judea and Samaria are called the “West Bank” by most media in referring to the Jordan River’s west bank. However, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob calls it His land in Leviticus 25:23: “The land is the Lord’s land, and it is His to assign and dispose of.” In Deuteronomy 32:43, God declares a special message for us non-Jews: “Rejoice, O Gentiles, with His people. … He will provide atonement for His land and His people.” Clearly, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob did not forget us. He grafted Gentiles onto the ancient olive tree, nourished by its Jewish roots through our Savior, a Jew, the only Son of God born into the earthly Jewish culture.

Indeed, for evangelicals God’s repeated words in Scripture are obviously what we hold in the highest esteem. Nevertheless, it is vital that we understand some facts on the ground to better articulate our advocacy for this Jewish country. 

Regarding Jews who live in Judea, Samaria, or the West Bank (what some call “Occupied Palestine”), let us explore the nomenclature of “settlers” and “citizens” through the lens of two heartbreaking murders that were carried out just days ago, on Sunday February 26. 

A traffic jam turned into a terrorist “opportunity” to murder two brothers—Hallel Yaniv, 21, and Yagel Yaniv, 19—who lived in Har Bracha in Samaria. A Palestinian shot the brothers dead, scattering bullets into their car during the traffic jam on Highway 60 near the town of Huwara, home to 7,000 Arabs. Route 60 runs through Huwara to the turnoff to Har Bracha. The mainstream media are calling Har-Bracha a “settlement,” while referring to Huwara as a “town.” In modern terms, Har Bracha is 40 years old and situated on Mount Gerizim in Samaria (Shomron in Hebrew). It is a religious community with a population now exceeding 2,000, with some 350 Jewish families and growing. Herein lies part of my point.

In today’s Israel, to me the word “settlement” implies “poaching” and “temporary” with no connection to the 3,000-year-old Jewish homeland. I have visited many Israeli “settlements” that are towns of varying sizes. Businesses, schools, medical facilities, grocery stores, and synagogues line the streets. If you live in a small U.S. town or in the suburbs of any American city, this kind of place is easy to visualize, where much of what you need for daily life is near your home. 

Mount Gerizim, where the town of Har Bracha is located, is mentioned in Deuteronomy 11:29. “When God your Lord brings you to the land which you are about to occupy, you must declare the blessing on Mount Gerizim.” Today, Har Bracha is known for its Torah-honoring lifestyle. It enjoys public and religious schools, businesses, community services, a library, pizza shop, clothing store, day-care centers, six kindergartens, and flourishing vineyards that create a successful winery. Har Bracha is blessed with about 1,000 children, ranging from newborns to 18-year-olds. But as of Monday, February 27, two of its native sons who served in the Israeli Defense Forces are buried on Mount Herzl, Israel’s national military cemetery. 

“There are no words to describe such a disaster. Instead of taking children to the [marriage] chuppah, we bury them.” The anguished words of Yagel and Hallel’s mother, Esti Yaniv, reflect the emotions of too many Israeli parents whose sons and daughters have died in military service. “We have a huge hole in our hearts. Nothing will ever fill this hole—not construction, not protests, nothing.”

On Israel’s Memorial Day in 2022 (Yom HaZikaron), 24,068 names were remembered, engraved on the hearts of all who loved them. Terror victims are also recognized—4,2016 in 2022. Sadly, more names will appear on Yom HaZikaron the evening of Monday, April 24, until the evening of Tuesday, April 25, 2023. 

In Israel’s Six-Day War (June 5–10, 1967), despite being beset by the combined might of Egyptian, Jordanian, and Syrian armies, Israel’s military miraculously reunited east Jerusalem with west Jerusalem. They won back Judea and Samaria, their ancient heartland, which Jordan had occupied along with east Jerusalem in the aftermath of Israel’s 1948 War of Independence. 

Under Jordanian rule, they outlawed Jews from their holiest sites, the Temple Mount and Western Wall (Kotel). Isaiah 66:8 eloquently describes Israel’s modern-day victory: “Who has ever heard of such things? Who has ever seen things like this? Can a country be born in a day, or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in labor than she gives birth to her children.”

Upwards of 500,000 Jews now populate Judea and Samaria—approximately 5% of Israel’s Jewish population. According to a list of various towns in Judea/Samaria, 2019 shows Ariel with a population of 120,456 and Shiloh with 4,783. Simply looking at these numbers and names helps make my case for the rights of Israelis to live in their biblical heartland. After all, Shiloh was for 369 years the location of the Tabernacle containing the Ark of the Covenant prior to Solomon’s Temple, the First Temple built circa 990–931 B.C.E. 

Vested with a 3,000-year-old land deed, the Bible is the most popular document in world history. I contend that the so-called West Bank belongs to Jews as the rightful residents. Citizens of Israel, these people are productive, proud, and brave to live in their biblical heartland amid the opposition of the Palestinian Authority and most of the world. 

Israelis are not attempting to kick Palestinians out of towns and villages. They simply want peace. 

Settlers? Settlements? Let us delete those descriptions from our vocabulary and replace them with “citizens” and “Israel’s biblical heartland.” 

Please join CBN Israel this week in prayer for the nation and people of Israel:

• Pray for all Israeli families and friends who have lost loved ones in terrorist murders during January and February.
• Pray for wisdom for Prime Minister Netanyahu, who is attempting to manage the multiple crises surrounding him. 
• Pray for the Israel Defense Forces who serve on the frontlines in Judea and Samaria to quell the violence. 
• Pray for media to report fairly and factually—not inflaming even more violence.

Arlene Bridges Samuels pioneered Christian outreach for the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). After she served nine years on AIPAC’s staff, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as Outreach Director part-time for their project, American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, a guest columnist at All Israel News, and has frequently traveled to Israel since 1990. She co-edited The Auschwitz Album Revisited and is a volunteer on the board of Violins of Hope South Carolina. Arlene has attended Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summit three times and hosts her devotionals, The Eclectic Evangelical, on Facebook.

Religious Jews recite the Shema twice daily, in the morning and in the evening. It receives its name from the first word of Deuteronomy 6:4—Hear (in Hebrew, Shema). The Shema consists of three portions from the Pentateuch—Deuteronomy 6:4-9; 11:13-21; and Numbers 15:37-41. They are read in this order.

While Deuteronomy 6:4-9 commands the Israelites to speak of God’s commandments upon rising and lying down, as well as walking along the way and sitting in your homes, we do not have evidence of the practice of reciting the Shema in the period of the Old Testament. The first century Jewish historian, Josephus, mentions Jews reciting the Shema once or twice a day within their homes. Jewish tradition also mentions the priests in the Temple reciting the Shema as part of the daily offerings. With it, they recited the Ten Commandments.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 commanded the Israelites to “bind them as a sign on your hand and let them serve as a symbol on your forehead.” Deuteronomy did not specify how exactly one did this, but by the first century, Jewish men wore tefillin on their forehead, between their eyes, in adherence to this command.

Archaeologists uncovered tefillin at the site of Qumran, on the northwest corner of the Dead Sea, where most of the Dead Sea Scrolls were discovered. These leather cases contained pieces of written parchment. The writings do not correspond to the biblical text required in later rabbinic tradition, but it does include Deuteronomy 6:1-9. Tefillin fragments were also discovered in Wadi Murabba’at from the second century A.D.

One of Jesus’ contemporaries claimed, whenever one recites the Shema, he accepts upon himself the kingdom of Heaven (the reign of God). Jesus identified the “Great Commandment” as Deuteronomy 6:5, which is part of the Shema. The Shema affirms God’s oneness and His kingship. By reciting it, it places the individual in submission to His rule and reign, an obedient servant.

Deuteronomy 6:4-9 also commanded the Israelites to write these commands “upon their doorposts.” The word for “doorpost” in Hebrew is mezuzah. By the third century A.D., Jews interpreted this command by fixing boxes containing parchments inscribed with Deuteronomy 6:4-9 and 11:13-21 upon the doorposts of their houses. Jewish homes to this day will have mezuzot on the doorposts of their homes, and religious Jewish men will don the tefillin on the hands and foreheads for certain times of prayer.

Jews inscribed jewelry with the Shema to serve as amulets and sources of protection. A silver armband from Egypt, dating from the mid-sixth to mid-seventh century A.D., bears the inscription of the Shema and Psalm 91:1—a verse used to protect Jews from evil.

The Shema provides the doxology of Judaism. It is central to Jewish faith and daily practice. Jewish worship and the home are centered on the Shema.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast

The Israeli communities neighboring Hamas-ruled Gaza have endured years of rocket and terror attacks from across the border. From there, terrorists have fired rockets and missiles for years, and their range, arsenal and accuracy are only intensifying. 

Israel’s government does everything it can to offer security and protection for all of its citizens. Yet in a number of places along the Israel-Gaza border, it has been difficult to keep up with the demand for outdoor bomb shelters. 

Imagine picking up your children or grandchildren from elementary school and suddenly hearing a red alert siren—giving you less than 10-15 seconds to find shelter from an incoming rocket. That’s the nightmarish reality for thousands of people who live in close proximity to Israel’s dangerous border with Gaza. 

But through CBN Israel, compassionate friends like you have helped make it possible install dozens of brand-new outdoor emergency bomb shelters for communities in strategic locations that will help save lives. 

“I feel so blessed and honored to witness such wonderful human kindness in times like these,” says Daniel, the head of security for one kibbutz near the border. “This community is so important to me, and the bomb shelter you donated is giving our people more peace of mind than you know. I am so thankful for your generous heart!” 

And your generous gift today can help many other terror victims, lonely refugees, and families in need—providing encouragement and generous aid. Thank you for caring! 

At this crucial time in the Holy Land, your support can be a lifeline to those who are in crisis. You can bring groceries, financial help, safe housing, job training, and more—while sharing vital news and stories from Jerusalem. 

Please help us reach out and make a difference! 

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Kosher can refer to food, places where food is prepared, scrolls, tefillin, and mezzuzot. It refers to an object’s acceptability accorded to Jewish law. When most people use the term “kosher,” they refer to food. Kosher food refers to specific types of animals which meet the criteria of Jewish dietary laws.

God forbade certain animals to the Israelites in the Torah. Those who chew their cud and have cloven hooves are permitted. Pigs, camels, fish without scales, hares, and shellfish are forbidden (see Leviticus 11 and Deuteronomy 14:1-21). The development of Jewish Oral Torah increased the manner and nature of the rules applying to dietary regulations. One needs to understand there are levels of kosher dietary laws.

Certain animals are strictly forbidden, like pigs. But kosher has come to apply to the way permitted animals are slaughtered. God told Noah and his descendants not to eat meat with blood in it. Therefore, kosher slaughtering of meat requires the blood to be drained. For meat to be considered truly kosher, it must be slaughtered according to Jewish law. Kosher wine must be prepared in a certain way, and under the supervision of a rabbi.

During the Roman period, most non-Jews worshipped idols, which included offering some of the food to the idol. The Sages typically forbade Jews from eating food prepared by non-Jews to avoid the possibility of consuming food offered to an idol. For this reason, religious Jews will not drink wine from a bottle not opened in front of them at a non-Jew’s residence.

Within the rabbinic period, the biblical prohibition of boiling a kid (a young goat) in its mother’s milk became the basis for the dietary separation of meat and dairy in kosher consumption. Thus, one does not mix meat and dairy with a meal. Kosher restaurants will either serve meat or dairy or have part of the restaurant designated as dairy and the other as meat. Orthodox Jewish homes will often have separate plates and sinks designated for meat and dairy. Some food, like fish, have the status as “pareve” meaning “neutral.” They can go either with meat or dairy.

Different Jewish people adhere to different levels of kosher dietary restrictions. Some avoid the foods forbidden in the Torah and do not mix meat and dairy. Others adhere to a stricter form of kosher requiring their meat to have been butchered according to Jewish law, with no blemishes or tearing. They require the food prepared in a kosher kitchen and the wine to be made under the supervision of a rabbi.

Marc Turnage is President/CEO of Biblical Expeditions. He is an authority on ancient Judaism and Christian origins. He has published widely for both academic and popular audiences. His most recent book, Windows into the Bible, was named by Outreach Magazine as one of its top 100 Christian living resources. Marc is a widely sought-after speaker and a gifted teacher. He has been guiding groups to the lands of the Bible—Israel, Jordan, Egypt, Turkey, Greece, and Italy—for over twenty years.

Website: WITBUniversity.com
Facebook: @witbuniversity
Podcast: Windows into the Bible Podcast