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By Marc Turnage

Mount Nebo is in the Transjordan (the modern Kingdom of Jordan) in the biblical territory of Moab. From here, Moses viewed the promised land, which he was not permitted to enter due to his disobedience in the Wilderness of Zin (Numbers 20).

God also buried him on Mount Nebo (Deuteronomy 34:1-8). The two and a half tribes that remained east of the Jordan River (Reuben, Gad, and half of the tribe of Manasseh) name Mount Nebo as part of the territory they requested from Moses. Its situation near to the southern end of Gilead (see Deuteronomy 34:1) and within Moab meant that, like other locations along this border, at times it came under the control of Israel and at others the Moabites laid claim to it.

Near to the mountain was a village also named Nebo (Numbers 32:3; 32:38; Isaiah 15:2; Jeremiah 48:1). The preservation of the name of the city aided later travelers and pilgrims in identifying Mount Nebo, which has been identified as such since the 4^th century A.D. Byzantine pilgrims routinely visited Mount Nebo and left descriptions as to its location.

Mount Nebo is demarcated by two wadis on the north (Wadi Ayoun Mousa) and south (Wadi Afrit), and the Jordan Valley to the west. It’s highest peak stands at over 2500 feet above sea level, and none of its peaks are lower than 2100 feet above sea level.

The two most important peaks are Siyagha in the north (2130 feet) and Mukhayyat (2370 feet). Both yield evidence of human presence for thousands of years. From both locations, one has a dramatic view of the Dead Sea, the Jordan Valley and Jericho, and the wilderness of Tekoa to Jerusalem.

Excavations on Siyagha revealed a basilica with mosaics and a monastery that developed around it. So too, excavations on Mukhayyat revealed several Byzantine churches as well.

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

As you read the Bible, have you ever felt overwhelmed with everything that’s in it? Do you ever wonder, how can I possibly live this way? If you have, don’t feel bad; you’re not alone. 

The biblical authors themselves recognized the need to boil things down into their essence. There may be 613 commandments in the Law of Moses, but what does God really want from me?

The prophet Micah sought to summarize what God desires from us: “He has shown you, O man, what is good; and what does the LORD require of you but to do justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God?” (Micah 6:8 NKJV).

Micah’s summary did not offer propositions for us to believe, or durations of spiritual activities (i.e., pray for a half-hour, read your Bible for an hour). His instructions focus primarily on how we treat others and then our submission to God. In other words, he focuses more on how we actually live; not just what we believe or confess. 

Biblical faith takes the form of active obedience. It is not a series of logical propositions we agree with, or ritual activity that appeases God. It’s obedience to Him, which is usually manifested in how we care for and treat those around us. That is the essence of biblical faith and spirituality. That is what God desires of us.

When Jesus was asked about the greatest commandment, He responded citing Deuteronomy 6:5, “You shall love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your strength,” and added the second is like it, “Love your neighbor who is like yourself” (Matthew 22:37-39; Mark 12:28-31; Luke 10:25-28). 

Jesus’ summary of what God wants from us, like Micah, centers chiefly on how we live in relationship to God and those around us.  

We can often make things too complicated. We try to achieve some special spiritual revelation (often attributing that to our heightened spirituality). While the Bible contains a lot of instruction, it expresses the earnest desire to help us clearly understand what God desires. 

We see this in the words of Micah and Jesus: love God and love each other. Do you want to please God? Then, simply, do this!

PRAYER

Father, in everything I say and do, may I be consumed with love for you and those around me. Amen.

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Entertainment industry insider Lana Melman is a formidable trailblazer. After two decades in executive positions at CBS, Columbia Pictures Television, Warner Brothers, and Paramount, and as a scriptwriter and executive producer, Melman turned her attention to combating a manifestation of anti-Semitism: anti-Zionism. 

In 2015, she transformed her extensive contacts in Hollywood and New York City into a robust network of resistance to the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. She founded the organization Liberate Art to equip others to understand—and then expose—the BDS movement for its cunningly obscured goal of destroying Israel by using entertainers as pawns while claiming to help Palestinians. Recently, I enjoyed an informative, delightful breakfast with Lana where I learned about her impressive background, her insights into the true motives of BDS, and what we can do to educate others about the pervasive threat it poses.   

Her book, Artists Under Fire: The BDS War Against Celebrities, Jews, and Israel, belongs on the bookshelf of everyone who cares about Israel. Published in April 2022, the book takes readers behind the scenes in a fascinating yet sobering journey. Chock-full of valuable information and written in an engaging style, Artists Under Fire is well researched, as evidenced by its 27-page bibliography. However, Lana is a remarkable source in her own right, opening doors for her readers into a world of glamour and celebrity, with her personal stories about a bold and necessary movement she is leading. 

Melman authored her book as an educational tool to explore the goals and tactics of BDS, and then rally others to oppose a specialized brand of anti-Semitism called the cultural boycott campaign. BDS is best known for its economic warfare: targeting companies that do business in Israel and attempting to pressure them financially into withdrawing. Fortunately, 37 states in the U.S. have already passed legislation to counteract economic warfare against Israel. However, the lesser-known cultural boycott campaign can be especially damaging, as it generates a vast social media presence based on its efforts to prevent global celebrities from giving concerts in Israel. Indeed, BDS activists also aim their protests and lies against Israeli musicians performing in international venues. 

The Palestinian-led BDS and its militants seem to relish trying to cancel performances of any genre of music and the arts. Their motives are not based on peaceful protest and dialogue. They prefer threatening and intimidating celebrities who have millions of followers. In fact, adding up the follower base of 11 famous entertainers, it totals about a billion fans on one social media platform alone.

Here’s how it works: The BDS culture boycotters go into action when they learn that a concert is scheduled for Israel. The artists are “media magnets” and become victims of slander and sometimes-credible threats from BDSers who go on the hunt for entertainers. As Melman points out in her book, the threat of BDS lies in “attacking artists of all kinds and hijacking their names and likenesses to spread anti-Israel and anti-Jewish propaganda to billions of people.”

The BDS contingent uses lies wrapped in emotion and shame. Some of their favorite taglines toward celebrities are, “You will not be safe in Israel.” “If you cared about children, you would not go to Israel.” “Israel is committing Palestinian genocide.” “We will destroy your fan base.” 

Rising stars often suffer the same intimidation. For example, Israel hosted the 2019 Eurovision event that drew contestants from 41 countries with a viewing audience in the hundreds of millions. BDS was busy with fearmongering, saying, “We know where you live”—trying to force contestants to withdraw. Fortunately, the artists stood firm, and no one canceled! 

The BDS movement has unfortunately done a good job of harnessing the immense and far-reaching power of social media. Lies often travel faster than facts. Nevertheless, out of hundreds of bands, superstars, and comics who perform in Israel every year, only a few artists cancel their appearances there. Most choose to forge ahead—despite the BDS-devised slurs that defame them through petitions, op-eds, open letters, bots, threats, memes, and hostile protests at concerts.

One of the favorite strategies of BDS agitators is to photoshop war photos (it seems any war will do) and repurpose an artist’s popular song to accuse them of supporting Israel—which BDS falsely calls an apartheid, colonialist country that persecutes Palestinians. Using such duplicitous tactics, BDS activists are even known to pressure charities whom entertainers support in order to force concert cancellations. 

Founded by Palestinian organizations in 2005, BDS has continued to expand its lies and smear campaigns, yet their efforts are mostly a failure. Thankfully, other Palestinian influencers have a wiser perspective. Khaled Abu Toameh, a highly respected award-winning Arab journalist, authored an article just last week with a title that speaks to immense despair: “Palestinians Commit Suicide as Their Leaders Live in Hotels and Villas.” 

Bassem Eid, another respected Palestinian media commentator, claims nations that have signed on to the BDS agenda have become “part of the conflict rather than part of the solution.” He adds that “BDS has nothing to offer”—that it can’t find people jobs so they can earn a decent living. BDS fanatics are pushing for a world without a Jewish state—not widespread humanitarian help for Palestinians who know that corruption and hypocrisy are rampant among their leaders and who long for change. 

My focus here is not on the kinds of music we prefer or reverence as evangelicals. Instead, it is a hard look into the dangerous BDS narrative against entertainers, the nation of Israel, and Israeli artists. Some of the stars I mention may not be to our liking. However, the key is to counter BDS lies with the help of the advice found in Melman’s book. 

Some of the biggest stars in the world—such as the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Bono, and Paul McCartney—enjoy their enthusiastic Israeli audiences. Prior to McCartney’s 2008 concert in Tel Aviv, a radical Islamist cleric threatened the superstar: “If he values his life, Mr. McCartney must not come to Israel. He will not be safe.” Let’s applaud McCartney and others who refuse to cancel their appearances! In 2019 Jennifer Lopez tweeted, “The motherland Israel!!! First time here. I’m in love!” 

Soon, Spain’s Placido Domingo and Canada’s Justin Bieber will be going to Israel, and Bieber returns in 2023 for his third trip. Others on the Israeli music circuit are Celine Dion, going in 2023, and Lionel Richie, who gave a concert in March. “My friends have been trying to convince me to come for 40 years,” Richie said. “Now I know why.” For Paul Anka, Israel is a regular stop. His most recent Las Vegas revue was in July.

Actors and influencers like Helen Mirren, Kathie Lee Gifford, Michael Douglas, and Will Smith visit the Holy Land and comment in glowing terms. After one of her trips to Israel, supermodel (now business mogul) Kathy Ireland spoke at the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) at their annual Policy Conference. To the thousands gathered there, she declared that  Americans and the world owe Israel “an unpayable debt.” While on AIPAC staff that year, I enjoyed meeting Kathy in person after her appearance. As a devoted Christian, she represented the Christian community so well. 

For those of us in the evangelical community, we are uplifted that some of our favorite Christian artists are touring and giving concerts in Israel. Chris Tomlin led a tour and series of worship concerts in 2019 and later commented on Twitter, “Israel, you have my heart.” In 2020, Hillsong staged three concerts that Trinity Broadcast Network aired for millions of viewers. A slate of international worship artists, including Joshua Aaron, will appear during the Feast of Tabernacles in October held annually by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem in Israel. In June 2023, Gallelujah is planning a festival of concerts in the Galilee for three days, featuring top Christian stars Brandon Lake, For King and Country, and Rebecca St. James. 

It is indeed encouraging to note the numerous ongoing celebrity visits and performances. Nevertheless, social media defamation about Israel takes on a life of its own, adding layers of worldwide lies against the Jewish state. As long as such lies continue, we must meet them with truth. 

Artists Under Fire is a great read, a guidebook providing practical ways our involvement can produce results by telling the truth about BDS. Everyone can help to “liberate art.” As Lana Melman suggests, keep it simple, yet take the offense to tell the truth about BDS. Don’t get bogged down in verbal wars. For your favorite artists, give a thumbs up to those who are performing in Israel. In social media, share posts that expose BDS for what it is. 

Melman observes that “the cultural boycott campaign politicizes art” and degrades artists as peace ambassadors and change agents. She urges everyone to embrace the fact that “It only takes a few good men and women to make a difference. Be one of them.” In our evangelical community, we know God always trains up a remnant. Let’s redeem social media by using tools of truth, support our favorite artists, and thank the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and our Lord Jesus Christ for creating music, songs, instruments, and voices to fill our hearts with hope and praise for His unconditional love!  

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

• Pray that books like Artists Under Fire will be best sellers and be used to oppose hatred against the Holy Land.
• Pray that Christians and the Jewish community would work together to ignite more activism in support for Israel. 
• Pray for entertainers to follow the big crowd of performers who keep their concert dates in Israel, which defeats the BDS cultural boycott campaign. 
• Pray for endurance and safety for artists under threat.

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.

For Holocaust survivors and the elderly in Israel, growing old can be lonely—especially for those who are widowed or have no family. Often beset by health and financial challenges, many live in low-income housing on a meager stipend. Their struggles with depression and isolation can be debilitating. And as more old friends pass away, they may lose a sense of belonging. 

Yet compassionate friends like you are showing seniors across Israel they are not forgotten—including those in Nof HaGalil near Nazareth. Here, CBN Israel has partnered with the Alma Center for the Elderly, which assists both seniors who are independent and those requiring complex nursing care. The Center offers them a place to connect with others and enjoy nutritious meals. 

Sadly, the COVID-19 lockdowns limited the ability of the Alma Center to serve the area’s elderly. But now, through CBN Israel, caring supporters are helping to rebuild the center’s sense of community. 

Donors purchased needed kitchen equipment, increasing their capacity to feed more clients coming there—people who often can no longer prepare food for themselves. And they provided exercise and weight training equipment, which fights the physical effects of aging and increases mobility. Plus, they installed a security gate and camera—to ensure safety by monitoring visitors, as well as preventing patrons with dementia or Alzheimer’s from wandering outside the grounds.

Your gift to CBN Israel can help partner with other groups who share our vision, as well as offering direct aid, such as food and housing, to those who are struggling. So many in Israel need our help. Your support is crucial in reaching out to single moms, refugees, terror victims, and more with compassionate relief. 

Together, we can bring hope to this special land!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

Pilgrims to Jerusalem in the first century A.D. approached the Temple Mount from the south. After ritually purifying themselves, either in the Pool of Siloam, at the southern end of the City of David, or in one of the ritual immersion baths located along the southern end of the Temple Mount, pilgrims ascended onto the Temple platform via the southern steps that led through two sets of gates referred to as the Huldah Gates. 

Entering through the Huldah Gates, one came into a double-vaulted entrance hall that led into an ascending tunnel that exited onto the Temple Mount platform. Upon exiting the tunnel, the pilgrim found him or herself standing on a pavement of colorful stones on the southern end of the Temple Mount platform facing the sacred precinct and the Temple itself.

Today visitors to the southern steps of the Temple Mount see remnants of the two sets of gates. The western most of the gates preserves the remains of a double gate, which served as the exit for pilgrims to the Temple. The eastern most set of gates is today a triple gate sealed, most likely, during the Crusader period. This gate was also originally a double gate, and through it, pilgrims entered the Temple. If a pilgrim was in mourning, they reversed their course, entering through the exit and exiting through the entrance, so that other pilgrims could comfort them saying, “May He that dwells in this house give you comfort!”

We hear of Jewish Sages sitting on these steps teaching their students and interacting with pilgrims entering and exiting the Temple. Today, most of the steps have been reconstructed, but a few of the original steps remain exposed. The steps leading up to the Huldah Gates follow a pattern of long, short, long, short. This arrangement makes it difficult for the pilgrim to ascend the steps either running or in great haste. Thus, one must approach the sacred Temple, the house of God, in a circumspect manner. 

South and east of the southern steps archaeologists uncovered a large and unique Jewish ritual immersion bath, a mikveh. Its proximity to the Temple, as well as its unique construction, have led some to suggest that this served the priests for their ritual purification. Other ritual immersion baths have been discovered along the southern end of the Temple Mount, which served Jewish pilgrims who immersed and purified themselves prior to entering the Temple (see Acts 21:24).

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 mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life, but the mouth of the wicked conceals violence” (Proverbs 10:11 HCSB). Do the things you say, the things you communicate, act as a source of life to people? If not, then we may need to check our hearts. 

The Bible makes clear that what comes out of our mouth proceeds from the heart. Jesus said, “For out of the abundance of the heart the mouth speaks” (Matthew 12:34 NKJV).

The psalmist makes the request, “Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in Your sight, O LORD, my strength and my Redeemer” (Psalm 19:14 NKJV).

He recognized the connection between what he meditated upon in his heart and the words that proceeded from his mouth. He desired that both would find favor in the eyes of God. 

In modern English we metaphorically use the word “heart” to refer to our emotions and feelings; within the world of the Bible, the “heart” represents the “mind” and our cognitive reason. So, for both Jesus and the psalmist, our words reflect what we think about, and from those thoughts come words either acceptable or dishonoring to God. 

In each of these instances—Proverbs, Matthew, and Psalms—the words referred to pertain to what we say to others and how we speak to people. Our words to others betray the condition of our heart, what we meditate on, and whether or not we truly please God.

Our age of social media has made it possible for nearly everyone to express themselves digitally. Many people now have a platform to comment about the events of the day and to “give people a piece of their mind.” What do your words say about your heart?

Too often people justify words that actually dishonor God by appealing to their attempts to defend God. Do our words identify us as righteous? Do our words offer a source of life to those around us? 

We live at a time when words have been weaponized, even by those claiming to follow God. However, the Bible is clear: Your words tell the tale of your heart. Those who are righteous, their words give life. Give life with your words today.

PRAYER

Father, let the words of my mouth and the meditations of my heart be acceptable before You, O Lord, my rock and my redeemer. Amen. 

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

What a triumph! It made headlines around the globe. Ten thousand Jewish athletes from 62 countries traveled to Israel for the Maccabiah Games, which took place from July 21-26. Appropriately dubbed the “Jewish Olympics,” the event featured athletes competing in 42 different sports in three cities: Jerusalem, Netanya, and Tel Aviv. Jewish athletes formed international friendships, toured their ancestral homeland, and celebrated the 21st year of games—held every four years.

Featuring age groups with juniors, college, and masters, the games allowed spectators to enjoy, for example, 14-year-olds running on a track and field team, an 80-year-old table tennis player, or 107 chess players—famous or rookies—competing for medals in Jerusalem. The multi-sport event included basketball, golf, surfing, fencing, water polo, wheelchair basketball, swimming, and equestrian events. In 2022, the games hold the distinction of being one of the three largest sporting events in the world, along with the Olympics and the FIFA Soccer World Cup. Many Olympic gold medalists, world champions, and world record holders have competed in the Maccabiah Games over the years.

It’s been a long time since Jewish athletes were mostly prohibited from competing in sports events. Today’s games are the result of a Zionist teenager’s dream and persistence. Yosef Yekutieli (1897-1982), whose family emigrated from Belarus to British Mandate Palestine in 1906, had been inspired to reverse the exclusion of Jewish athletes after attending the 1912 Olympics in Stockholm. He lobbied for years to see his dream of having a Jewish Olympics come true. That dream eventually grew into a reality that rectified Europe’s 19th-century ban blocking Jewish athletes from international sports. 

The first Maccabiah Games were held in 1932—well before the modern Jewish state joined the family of nations in 1948. During this debut, crowds in the streets of Tel Aviv welcomed 390 athletes from 16 countries. That sporting event carried an interesting nickname, the “White Horse Olympics.” Famously, Tel Aviv’s first mayor, Meir Dizengoff, rode his white horse to lead the parade of athletes. 

Just a few years ago, a fascinating historical film came to light. It had been made by Harry Hay from Newark, New Jersey, when he toured Israel decades ago. It includes the parade of athletes at the first Maccabiah Games. The Holy Land was still under the British Mandate and called Palestine. His film was titled A Holiday in Israel in 1932. The filmmaker’s handwritten title noted, “Israel’s sons and daughters come far—from the ends of the earth.” Indeed, Mr. Hay’s description could be considered prophetic now that thousands of Jewish athletes recently competed and walked the streets of modern Israel!

Hay’s son John, who settled in Scotland, inherited the box of film. The film remained unknown for 75 years until John decided to convert it to a DVD. It is now archived in Jerusalem, where it is officially recognized as a record of social and historical interest. You may also view it on YouTube. The first World Maccabiah (Jewish Olympics) begins in Section 10 at the 8-minute, 54-second time frame. It includes the parade of athletes, yet unfortunately not Mayor Dizengoff riding his white horse.

During Tel Aviv’s 100th anniversary in 2009, the city unveiled a statue of Dizengoff on his horse. It is located across the street from 16 Rothschild Boulevard, Dizengoff’s long-ago residence that he donated as a museum. Later, it became an art gallery—the very one where Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, read Israel’s Declaration of Independence on May 14, 1948. Now called Independence Hall, the building is under renovation until 2023 and well worth an inspiring visit.

Looking into more of the first game’s history, the planners connected it to the 1800th anniversary of the ancient Bar Kokhba Revolt against the Roman Empire. The first games took place from March 28 until April 6, 1932. Resurrection Sunday was celebrated on March 27, and Passover began on April 20.

When viewing the historic film, I found it interesting that Jewish athletic delegations from Egypt, Syria, Lebanon, Poland, and Germany participated in that sporting event. Who could have predicted the coming horrors of the 1930s, 1940s, and beyond? Hitler was appointed Chancellor in 1933, and Dachau was built the same year. Nazi policies snatched freedoms month after month from Jews and other Nazi-reviled populations. Following Israel’s 1947-49 War of Independence, Arab nations expelled 800,000 Jews. Israel resettled the Jewish refugees who chose to come to their homeland.

Following closely after several Maccabiah games, Hitler held the 1936 Summer Olympics. Some countries called for a boycott, and heated discussions were held in the U.S., but the boycott failed. Ultimately, 49 countries participated—including the U.S. delegation of 312 athletes, the second largest behind Germany’s 348 members. 

Estimates are that 100,000 spectators filled the stadium on opening night with a dazzling array of swastika flags, strains of Wagnerian music, and the lighting of the Olympic torch from the relay that began in Greece and involved 3,000 runners. The chant, “Heil Hitler,” often broke out, proclaiming Hitler’s supremacy.

In a book entitled, Holocaust and Human Behavior, a lesson plan of Holocaust education for students, it is mentioned that German law required every child to say, “Heil Hitler!” in every greeting whenever they encountered anyone—multiple times a day! The study also describes “heil” as meaning “salvation.”

Hitler’s propaganda extravaganza during his 1936 Nazi Olympics—the first sporting event to be televised—dazzled tens of thousands and lulled too many people into apathy and denial from August 1–16 of that year. For those 16 days, the Nazis hid the evil already expanding in Germany. Once the Olympics were over, they boldly put up the anti-Jewish signs again and terrorized the Jews with arrests and murder.

How wonderfully different Israel’s 21st Maccabiah Games were! They resounded with the joy of the worldwide Jewish community of athletes, their families, and coaches. Their skills were displayed, and celebrations took place on the land that God deeded to them 3,000 years ago. Israel, the world’s only Jewish nation, not only welcomes them for visits but also Aliyah (i.e., immigration to Israel). Although surrounded by enemies, Israel is the primary country that provides safety when the Jewish community across the world feels threatened. The Maccabiah Games are a victory over hate, welcoming all Israeli athletes to take part—whether they’re Arab or Ethiopian, or if they’re disabled in some way. 

At the games this year, Israelis and the Maccabi World Union helped 40 Ukrainian athletes attend the games and also funded their uniforms. This is the true nature of Israel, an imperfect people like the rest of us, yet showing compassion as best they can. 

As Bible-believing evangelicals who are fully aware of the slander and lies against the Jewish people and the Jewish state, we have a responsibility to befriend Israel, a nation valuable to us and to the world. Prayers are foundational. Sharing truths and facts about Israel are necessities. Let us make sure we are part of helpful solutions not dazzled by lies.

Join with CBN Israel this week in praying for the nation and people of Israel:

• Pray that the Lord will help us know the role He wants us to play in being a blessing to the Jewish nation and people. 
• Pray that Christian advocacy for Israel will increase, grow to record levels, and expand its influence worldwide. 
• Pray for the 10,000 athletes returning to their countries, that they will stand with Israel and have a much deeper connection to their ancestral homeland.
• Pray for Israelis that they will gain encouragement from the 21st Maccabiah Games.  

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.

Janna’s life is hard and lonely. Immigrating to Israel from Ukraine years ago, this elderly woman lives alone in a small apartment in Sderot—which is often bombarded with rocket attacks from Hamas-ruled Gaza. And she survives on a small pension that barely covers the basics. 

Tragically, Janna was recently diagnosed with cancer, and is undergoing chemotherapy. She tries to stay positive for visitors, even after a difficult chemo session. But lately, the war in Ukraine has weighed heavily on her heart—especially hearing reports of violent attacks in Donetsk, where she was born and raised. The headlines are personal to her and add to her stress. 

Plus, she lives with increasing financial worries. With her meager income, she has to make tough decisions about spending, and struggles to afford rent, electricity, groceries, and medicine—let alone unexpected expenses. And living in rundown, low-income housing, with a landlord that neglects upkeep, the cracks in her ceiling have led to water leaks and unsafe mold. 

But thanks to friends like you, help arrived through CBN Israel, who saw her living conditions. Caring donors covered repair costs, including mold removal, patching cracks, and a fresh coat of paint. They also provided vouchers for nutritious food, medicine, and essentials. Janna was thrilled and no longer felt alone, saying, “Thank you so much for your love and kindness!” 

And your gift to CBN Israel can help many in need across Israel know they are not alone, by offering them food, housing, financial aid, and more. With so many crisis situations in the Holy Land, your support can give hope and help to Holocaust survivors, refugees, and single moms. Please join us in blessing others today!

GIVE TODAY

By Marc Turnage

The only gate on the western side of the modern Old City of Jerusalem is Jaffa Gate (so named because the road leading to Jaffa goes through this gate). Inside Jaffa Gate stands the Citadel or the Tower of David. This structure has nothing to do with David, which can confuse modern visitors to Jerusalem. 

The buildings and tower that stands today are built upon the highest point of the city at the end of the Old Testament Period and in the first century. In fact, the wall of the city in these periods turned to the east at this point going towards the area of the Temple Mount. The wall followed a shallow ditch that ran west to east along Jerusalem’s northern boundary. This offered the city’s only natural protection on its northern approach. 

In the first century, Herod the Great chose this strategic location to build his palace in Jerusalem. Its elevated position enabled him to look down over the Temple Mount. Because of the city’s vulnerability to the north, he built three large towers on the northern end of his palace. He named them Phasael (after his brother), Mariamme (after his beloved Hasmonean bride), and Hippicus. The base of one of these three towers forms the base of the Tower of David. 

Herod had palaces throughout his kingdom—Jericho, Caesarea, his palace-fortresses at Masada, and Herodium—but his Jerusalem palace was his largest and most splendid. He decorated it with all kinds of colorful, inlaid stones. Remains of two large pools have been excavated. He built two large building complexes within the palace, one he named Caesareum (after Caesar Augustus, his friend and benefactor) and the other Agrippeum (after Marcus Agrippa, Augustus’ number two man). Herod’s palace had its own aqueduct that provided for its water needs. The aqueduct originated south of Bethlehem. In this palace, Herod would have questioned the wise men seeking the baby Jesus (Matthew 2).

After the death of Herod in 4 B.C., his son Archelaus controlled the lands that included Jerusalem, but when Archelaus was removed by Rome at the request of the Jewish people in A.D. 6, his territory came under the direct rule of the Roman governors. The Roman governors lived in Herod’s palace in Caesarea on the Mediterranean coast. Paul was brought into Herod’s palace in Caesarea, into the Roman governor’s residence (Acts 23:35), which Luke refers to as “the praetorium of Herod.” 

The Roman governors resided in Jerusalem during the Jewish festivals to keep civic order, and they stayed at Herod’s palace. Jesus was brought before Pilate in Jerusalem to the praetorium, which Mark’s Gospel refers to as “the palace” (Mark 15:15). The most likely location in Jerusalem for this encounter was in the palace of Herod the Great. The mention in John’s Gospel of the lithostratos, which is a Greek term meaning “an inlaid stone floor,” further suggests Pilate’s location within Herod’s palace, which Herod had decorated with colorful stones. 

The earliest Christian traditions that follow Jesus’ journey from being beaten to his point of execution follow a route that begins in the area of Herod’s palace to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher, as attested by the Bordeaux Pilgrim. In this way, Herod’s palace serves as a key location at Jesus’ birth and his death.

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

In Psalm 42, the psalmist describes his yearning for God: “As a deer longs for streams of water, so I long for You, God” (Psalm 42:1 HCSB). 

He imagines a deer thirsty from the heat seeking out the refreshing water of the stream, and he says that he thirsts after God in the same manner. What brought about this yearning in his heart?

We realize upon reading the psalm that the psalmist is not in a great place in his life; in fact, he is being led off into captivity. He comments that his tears have been his sustenance night and day. Those around him look at his circumstances and question, “Where is your God?”

In the midst of his present circumstances, he recalls those times of great joy and celebration as he joined the festive crowds traveling to Jerusalem and the Temple. His memory of these festive times stands in stark contrast to his current situation, where he finds himself in an uproar and downcast. 

Yet even in the midst of his present circumstances, the psalmist encourages himself to hope and trust in God, convinced that he will see the Lord’s salvation.

He then proceeds to describe how he feels washed over by his circumstances. He feels forgotten by God and oppressed by his enemies. Toward the end of the psalm, those around him still mockingly question him, “Where is your God?” His circumstances have not changed. 

The striking feature of the psalmist in this psalm is that regardless of his situation he never loses sight of who God is—the One who commands His covenant loyalty—and because he knows who God is, he never despairs that God will eventually right his circumstances.

In other words, his situation never dictates his reality or perception of God. He recognizes that God answers those who cry out to Him. He responds to those who long for him as the thirsty deer does the streams of water.

Have you ever felt overwhelmed by your circumstances? Have you ever felt forgotten by God? Do  those around you scream, “Where is your God?” Don’t allow your situation to dictate what you know about God.

The God of the Bible is the true, living God. His ear is not deaf to our cries, nor is His arm short to save us in our time of trouble. Do we have the confidence to say like the psalmist, “Put your hope in God, for I will still praise Him, my Savior and my God”? 

PRAYER

Father, my soul thirsts for You as a thirsty deer longs for streams of water. Regardless of my circumstances, You are my rock and my salvation. Amen.