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By Nicole Jansezian

As an architect, Talya Baruchi defines home from many different perspectives.

“When you plan a home, you plan a house, four walls, you plan the street, you plan for the people and a public area,” she explained. “Back in my town near the Gaza border, I only have four walls to go back to. Here, I have a home.”

Talya was anxious about having to return home to Maagalim where sirens still sound daily alerting of incoming rockets.

“There’s no routine in my area yet and that is something I can’t make in my home.”

Along with some of their neighbors, Talya and her young son were welcomed at a moshav in the hills outside Jerusalem where CBN Israel set up a food truck for free lunches for evacuees and is helping to pay for the costs of temporary lodging and shelter.

“What we have here is home, we have routine,” Talya told CBN Israel.

CBN Israel provided a daily food truck where residents can gather for a free meal in the middle of the day at Yad Hashmona, the moshav where Talya is staying.

The food truck project has provided more than just food—it has become part of the “public space” that makes a home and has enabled evacuees to connect with each other and share the traumas and challenges of being forced from their homes.

“The kids that have now been a month out of their house,” said Daniel Carlson, director of CBN Israel. “They are still getting missile attacks almost on a daily basis. There’s no school. There’s no normal life.”

Israelis that have been evacuated from the north and south have had to make a new routine and new home for themselves in different towns and neighborhoods around the country. While the government has been slow to provide support, many organizations—including CBN Israel—have pitched in and are welcoming the evacuees.

CBN Israel hosted a festival at Yad Hashmona with bouncy castles, carnival food, and a movie—Superbook—for the displaced children staying there giving them a few moments to disconnect from the war. 

CBN Israel held a similar event for evacuees staying at a conference center in Israel’s coastal plain, which still comes under daily rocket fire, and in the southern city of Eilat where many evacuees are staying. The festival included a food truck, cotton candy, music, and bouncy castles and an airing of Superbook in Hebrew.

Carlson said the music had to be kept at a certain decibel in order to be able to hear sirens.

“With all that’s going on, this just gives them some time to forget and be kids again,” Carlson said.

Talya thanked CBN for being present during her hour of extreme need.

“We can see their logo everywhere around the hotel,” she said. “And to see the logo here now, it warms my heart that there are people who think of us, that we can be better off in this strange situation, in this dark situation, who want the best for us.”

Nicole Jansezian is the media coordinator for CBN Israel. A long-time journalist, Nicole was previously the news editor of All Israel News and All Arab News and a journalist at The Associated Press. On her YouTube channel, Nicole gives a platform to the minority communities in Jerusalem and highlights stories of fascinating people in this intense city. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., she lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Tony, and their three children.

Omer, Gal-Lee, and their one-year-old daughter live on Israel’s Gaza border, and are used to occasional rocket alerts. But on the morning of October 7, something was different.

Waking to the sound of bombs raining down, the couple jumped out of bed, grabbed their baby, and ran to their shelter. Gal-Lee held her little girl close, while Omer shut the doors. As he closed the iron window, he heard AK-47 rounds fired. He looked at Gal-Lee and said, “Get to the car—we’re leaving.” They fled just in time. Five minutes later, Hamas invaded their kibbutz.

More than 1,000 armed Hamas terrorists had broken through the fence and spread into the nearby communities. During their escape, the couple saw the damage to their own home through their baby monitor. Kibbutz Re’im and other communities in the area were decimated.

Fortunately, friends like you were there to help Gal-Lee, Omer, and others evacuate to safety. Through CBN Israel, donors provided them with food, water, and temporary shelter far from the frontlines—to heal from the trauma and find hope for the future. Gal-Lee shares, “It’s showing us a light at the end of the tunnel, knowing that people support us. They hear us. They are mourning with us. And they will help us build back our homes from the ashes.”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can rush vital aid to war victims, while also delivering food and essentials to aging Holocaust survivors, single mothers, and immigrants.

And as the war continues, your support to CBN Israel can be a lifeline to so many in need. You can provide groceries, housing, financial help, and more to those in the Holy Land who need our assistance.

Please join us in blessing this special land and its people today!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

Three miles southeast of Bethlehem sits Herodium, the palace-fortress built by Herod the Great (Matthew 2). Overlooking the birthplace of Jesus, Herod’s fortress guarded the eastern roads through the wilderness from Bethlehem to Ein Gedi. It also served as a reminder of the difficult political situation in which the Jews found themselves within the first century. Herod represented Rome—the pagan empire that exploited the resources of the land of Israel for its benefit. 

Herod built the artificial cone shaped hill to commemorate his military victory against the last of the Hasmoneans, Mattithias Antigonus, who was aided by the Parthians. Herod won a skirmish as he fled Jerusalem, and later built Herodium, the palace-fortress he named after himself, on this site. Herodium consists of two complexes: the palace-fortress and the lower palace. The palace-fortress consists of a circular double wall, with four towers (the largest of which faces to the east). Inside the structure, Herod built a private bathhouse, a triclinium (“U” shaped) dining room, reception halls, and living quarters. 

Archaeologists have recently uncovered the large entry gate into the palace-fortress. Jewish rebels during the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66-73) and the Bar Kochbah Revolt (A.D. 132-136) occupied Herodium. The Jewish rebels of the First Revolt converted the dining room into a synagogue. It was one of the last rebel strongholds to fall to the Romans in the First Revolt. Letters sent to the Jewish garrison at Herodium from the messianic leader of the Bar Kochbah Revolt, Shimon ben Kosiba, were discovered in caves along the shores of the Dead Sea. 

Josephus records that Herod the Great was buried at Herodium. After he died in Jericho in 4 B.C., his body was brought to Herodium where it was interred. Archaeologists discovered Herod’s tomb in 2006. They uncovered an ornate mausoleum on the northern side of the conical shaped hill of the palace-fortress. Pieces of Herod’s sarcophagus were also discovered. It had been smashed in antiquity. Excavations next to the tomb uncovered a stairway that led from the bottom of the hill to the entry gate of the palace-fortress, as well as a small theater. The box seating of this theater contained ornate decorations including plaster molding and beautiful frescoes. Herod constructed this theater, most likely, for the visit of Marcus Agrippa, both a close friend of his and of Caesar Augusts (Luke 2).

The lower palace consists primarily of a large bathhouse and pool complex. Roman style bathhouses consisted of four main areas: changing room, cold bath, tepid bath, and a warm/hot room that could either function as a steam room or a dry sauna. The bathhouses at Herod’s palaces had these features. The pool at Herodium was heated as well as the bathhouse. 

There is a certain irony that within the shadow of Herodium, the angels proclaimed the good news of the birth of Jesus to the shepherds in the field. Herod’s fortress and monument to himself overlooked the very place where it would be announced that a new king would be born and that he would be Israel’s Messiah. And, it also stood watch when Herod’s soldiers killed the young boys seeking to remove the threat of the child born to Mary and Joseph. 

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

At Christmas, we can rejoice that God has not turned a blind eye to the suffering of the righteous or a deaf ear to the cry of the afflicted. His love and mercy extend to all mankind.

This shines forth in the angel’s wonderful proclamation to the shepherds in Bethlehem: “Do not be afraid, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy which will be to all people. For there is born to you this day in the city of David a Savior, who is Christ the Lord.” … And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” (Luke 2:10-11, 13-14)

We often sing, “Angels we have heard on high, sweetly singing o’er the plains” at Christmas. The season would not be complete without “Gloria in excelsis Deo!”—Glory to God in the highest. Yet how often do we actually reflect upon the true meaning of those words that the angels declared? 

Their magnificent words of praise underscore the reality of God’s nearness in the birth of Jesus, as well as embodying Jewish redemptive hopes of the first century. 

They also give voice to the hope for redemption shared by Jews and Christians through the centuries. With the advent of Jesus, God draws near to His people—His goodwill is for everyone. His reign dawns through those who receive and obey Him. He demonstrates that He is Immanuel—God with us.

The angels told the shepherds that this good news would be for all the people. God’s goodwill is not simply for a select or chosen group of people; it extends to everyone, “for He causes His sun to rise on the evil and the good, and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous” (Matthew 5:45 NASB). 

His merciful will reaches out to all mankind to bring peace, healing, and wholeness. Through the gift of His only beloved Son Jesus, God has drawn near to demonstrate what His will is.

God’s will is for all humankind. In the birth of Jesus, His glory, peace, and favor draw near to everyone. This is the good news that the angels proclaimed: God is for us! And so we can declare with the angels,“Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill toward men!” 

Scripture is quoted from the NKJV except as noted.

PRAYER

Father, this Christmas, as we reflect on Your nearness and goodwill toward us, may we extend Your mercy and goodwill to everyone around us, even those who are away from You. And, in so doing, may we truly proclaim with the angels: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, goodwill.” Amen. 

By Nicole Jansezian

Amos Brill has been helping people celebrate life since he was a child deejaying parties and organizing events from his parents’ basement. His business, “Ma’atefet Events,” is a natural extension of his personality.

But after the Hamas invasion on October 7, and for the first time since he founded his company, Brill is concerned about the future.

“When the war broke out, the company was at its highest point. We were booked through Hanukkah and were looking at a record year,” he told CBN Israel. “Now, my calendar is empty. Zero.”

Brill’s warehouse was full of deflated bouncy houses and other inflatables and party props collecting dust in Rishon LeZion, a coastal city outside Tel Aviv.

But through a quick partnership between Brill and CBN Israel, this equipment has come off the shelves for special events featuring Superbook, the animated biblical series, a life-size Gizmo mascot, bouncy castles, and fun games for children who have been living in hotels and temporary shelters after being evacuated from their homes since the war began.

“Children need to move around and play,” Brill said. “The moment we did this project for them, it was like a breath of fresh air. They were on cloud nine. The parents couldn’t stop thanking us. They came to me to say thank you, but I told them the thanks goes to CBN Israel and Superbook.”

With no work right after October 7 and the entire nation grappling with the unfolding tragedy, Brill wanted to help Israelis impacted by the war, and so he voluntarily set up some of his bouncy houses for kids in different venues.

However, after a few weeks of funding such activities on his own, he took an honest look at his dwindling bank account. He unfortunately had to place some of his staff on unemployment, and others were called up to reserve duty. Brill prepared to shut his doors.

That’s when CBN Israel stepped in.

“I had the inspiration to call CBN Israel, so we met and immediately decided to do something big,” Brill told us.

CBN Israel agreed to sponsor 30 special events featuring the Superbook movie, “David and Goliath,” around the country for children evacuated from their homes. Brill outfitted his van to display the Superbook and CBN Israel logos and took the show on the road.

“One of the best things you can do to get out of trauma, to get out of a painful situation, especially for children, is activity and movement,” Brill said. “What we provide is the opportunity for movement—a lot of it. Instead of sitting in front of screens and iPhones, the kids get to jump, play sports, and get out of the hotel rooms and into a different place.”

“This would not be possible without CBN Israel,” Brill said.

With CBN Israel’s partnership, not only are the children—and their parents—given a reprieve, but Brill’s company has been able to survive another few weeks. His workers felt they were giving back to fellow citizens in need, and his suppliers also benefit from the business he is able to give them.

“Something amazing came out of this—not only were we helping the community and the evacuated children, but also CBN Israel helped us from a financial perspective,” Brill said. “We’re not in the same place we were before as a thriving business, but I’m able to pay the salaries and… there are many economic ripples in this partnership as well.”

“It’s such a wonderful collaboration, and I’m so grateful to CBN Israel and Superbook for their help,” he said.

Nicole Jansezian is the media coordinator for CBN Israel. A long-time journalist, Nicole was previously the news editor of All Israel News and All Arab News and a journalist at The Associated Press. On her YouTube channel, Nicole gives a platform to the minority communities in Jerusalem and highlights stories of fascinating people in this intense city. Born and raised in Queens, N.Y., she lives in Jerusalem with her husband, Tony, and their three children.

October 7, 2023, changed the lives—and expectations of survival—for all Israelis. Since that day, the Hamas attacks have displaced over 250,000 people. Finding themselves under constant threat of rockets and terrorists, many moved into bomb shelters, afraid to go out. And they were running out of food.

“We do not have a safe room, so we ran to the basement,” explained Daria. “I tried to stay calm, to keep my kids from seeing how terrified I was.”

After escaping the Russian invasion of Ukraine the year before, Daria and her family had moved to Israel and sought refuge in Ashkelon, near the border with Gaza—only to come under siege from Hamas. “We left one war and ended up in another.”

Another victim, an elderly shut-in, was in bed when terrorists attacked. “One rocket hit the building next door—the whole first floor was gone,” she said. “My daughter wrapped me in a blanket and helped me get to a hospital. Then she found this apartment, and we moved here.

But thanks to kindhearted friends like you, CBN Israel’s team of brave volunteers walked down Ashkelon’s ravaged streets, searching for families like these who were trapped in their homes and in shelters. Caring donors made it possible to deliver bags of nutritious groceries to their door—letting them know they are not alone.

Daria was thrilled. “A very big thank you to all the people helping families like mine in such a difficult situation. We try to stay inside as much as possible. This was a big deal to us.”

And the elderly woman exclaimed, “My daughter and I are very grateful! Yesterday, we couldn’t leave the house, and you brought us food. I can eat today—thank you very much!”

Your gifts to CBN Israel can provide a lifeline to those caught in the crossfire—while offering compassionate relief and hope to others in the Holy Land who need our help.

Please join us in blessing those in crisis at this perilous time!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

Bethlehem gains its notoriety as the birthplace of Jesus (Matthew 2:1; Luke 2:1-7); however, by the time of Jesus’ birth, the village already had quite a history. Bethlehem first appears in the Amarna Letters (14th century B.C.) as a Canaanite town. Its name comes from this period and means “house” or temple (“beth”) of Lahmu, a Canaanite deity; it did not, as is commonly assumed, mean “house of bread.” Bethlehem played an important role in the Old Testament, as it was the home of David (1 Samuel 16). 

Bethlehem’s location along the central watershed route that ran north-south through the Hill Country accounts for much of its importance. Located five-and-a-half miles south of Jerusalem and thirteen-and-a-half miles north of Hebron, it served as a major juncture of roads coming from east and west that connected to the watershed route. Its strategic position and close proximity to Jerusalem led Rehoboam, king of Judah, to fortify it as part of his defenses of Judah. So, too, Herod the Great built his palace fortress Herodium to the east of Bethlehem, guarding a road that ascended to the Hill Country from En Gedi in the first century B.C. 

Bethlehem sat at the eastern end of the Elah Valley (1 Samuel 17), whose western end opened onto the Coastal Plain, the land of the Philistines. Thus, when the Philistines moved into the Elah Valley (1 Samuel 17), Bethlehem was their goal, which explains the interest of Jessie and his son David in the conflict taking place in the valley. During the wars between David and the Philistines, the Philistines eventually set up a garrison at Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:14-16; 1 Chronicles 11:16), indicating David’s struggles to control the major roadways of his kingdom. 

David’s connection to Bethlehem derived, in part, from its location within the tribal territory of Judah, in which it was the northernmost settlement of Judah (Judges 19:11-12). In the fields around Bethlehem, David’s ancestors Boaz and Ruth met, and the prophet Samuel anointed David in Bethlehem, at the home of his father Jessie (1 Samuel 16). 

In the first century, Bethlehem remained a small town on the southern edge of Jerusalem. The proximity of these two locations is seen in the stories of Jesus’ birth (Matthew 2 and Luke 2:1-38). Early Christian traditions, as well as the earliest Christian artwork, depict the birth of Jesus within a cave in Bethlehem. Homes in the Hill Country often incorporated natural caves into the structure. Animals could be kept within the cave, having the main living space of the family separated from the animals by a row of mangers. 

Following the Bar Kochba Revolt (A.D. 132-136), the Romans expelled Jews from Bethlehem and its vicinity as part of their expulsion of Jews from Jerusalem, which was renamed Aelia Capitolina. The Emperor Hadrian built a pagan sanctuary to Adonis above the cave identified as the birthplace of Jesus. The church father Tertullian confirmed that at the end of the second century A.D. no Jews remained in Bethlehem. 

In the fourth century, the Emperor Constantine—as part of his move toward Christianity—built three churches in Palestine (which is the name the Romans called the land at this time). One, the Church of Nativity, he built in Bethlehem over the traditional site of Jesus’ birthplace. Begun in A.D. 326, the church incorporated the traditional cave identified as Jesus’ birthplace into the building. St. Jerome came to Bethlehem and lived in caves around the church at the end of the fourth century to learn Hebrew from the local Jewish population, so he could translate the Old Testament from Hebrew into Latin (the Vulgate). A Samaritan revolt in 529 partially destroyed the Constantinian church. The Emperor Justinian ordered its rebuilding, which the modern Church of Nativity reflects with minor modifications.

Very little archaeological work has been done in Bethlehem. Most comes from around the Church of Nativity, but no systematic excavations have been carried out. The modern city of Bethlehem impedes the ability of much archaeological activity; thus, very little is known about Bethlehem’s archaeological past. 

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

“And it came to pass in those days that a decree went out from Caesar Augustus that all the world should be registered. This census first took place while Quirinius was governing Syria. So all went to be registered, everyone to his own city” (Luke 2:1-3 NKJV).

Luke places the birth of Jesus with the census of Quirinius (2:1-2). This event held bitter feelings for the Jewish people. Rome officially annexed Judaea as part of its empire with the census of Quirinius.

The Jewish people of the land of Israel were brought under pagan, Roman rule. In response to the census, a stream of Jewish philosophy emerged which taught that submission to Rome was a sin, since God alone was Israel’s king. The response to Roman rule was: Take up the sword, resist, and spill Roman blood; this is the path of redemption.

In the midst of this turmoil, God sent His Son, born to Joseph and Mary. He fulfilled His promise not through the resistance movement and bloodshed, but through a child, who would grow up to call upon those seeking redemption to repent.

Turmoil has the ability to make us yearn for God’s assistance. It can also lead us to seek our own means to make it happen. God is never deaf to our cries of help, yet He often uses means that we find ourselves blind to because of the turmoil of our circumstances.

Jesus entered a world of turmoil. Rome had taken over. The people of Israel cried for God’s redemption. The question became, how would He achieve it?

Some sought armed resistance as the path, yet God’s redemption entered the world through a baby born to a pious family. A baby who would grow up and tell people that the kingdom of Heaven (God) has come near and that returning to God through the death and resurrection of Jesus Christ is the pathway to receive God’s salvation.

This baby would grow up and one day offer His life as the ultimate sacrifice to bring about that redemption, but God would raise Him from the dead as evidence that His salvation has come near.

The Christmas season often heightens our feelings of turmoil. Financial troubles. Being alone. And many people feel sadness and turmoil during this season. The message of Christmas is that God steps into our turmoil. He is near. He does not abandon us. Yet we don’t always see Him or understand His purpose.

Into the turmoil of the first century, God sent forth His Son, who called upon the people to return to Him and to His ways. And He calls us to do the same today.

PRAYER

Father, even in the midst of our own turmoil and frustrated hopes, may we lean into Your presence realizing that You never forsake us. May we see that You still come to us inviting us to return to You and submit ourselves to Your plans and purposes. Amen.