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Biblical Israel: Sepphoris

By Marc Turnage

Sepphoris was the capital of the Galilee during the first part of the 1st century A.D., when Jesus was a boy. Located four miles north of Nazareth, Sepphoris sat in the Beth Netofa Valley, which provided a main east-west roadway in the Lower Galilee from the northwestern part of the Sea of Galilee to Akko-Ptolemias on the Mediterranean coast. Sepphoris consists of an upper and lower city. Within Jewish history, Sepphoris served as the location where Judah the Prince compiled the rabbinic oral teachings into the Mishnah, the earliest body of rabbinic teaching. It was written in Hebrew.

Excavations at Sepphoris uncovered evidence of settlement even as early as the Late Bronze Age and Iron Age I. It seems, however, that a continuous settlement existed at the site from the Persian Period (5th century B.C.) through the Crusader Period. Excavations reveal that during the Roman Period, the western part of the upper city contained Jewish residents, as indicated by the presence of Jewish ritual immersion baths and two oil lamps decorated with menorahs. The upper city also contained a theater set into the northern scarp of the hill, overlooking the Beth Netofa Valley. It could hold about 4500 spectators. Some assign the date of the theater to the 1st century A.D., but most archaeologists date it to the early to mid-2nd century A.D. 

One of the center pieces of the site of Sepphoris is a Roman villa built in the 3rd century A.D. The villa contains a beautiful mosaic floor in its dining room, a triclinium. The center of the mosaic contains scenes depicting the life of the Greek god Dionysius (the god of wine and revelry), including a drinking contest between Dionysius and the hero Heracles. Surrounding the Dionysius scenes are scenes of hunting with wild animals and naked hunters including various flora. In this band of scenes, on the southern end of the mosaic, appears a depiction of a beautiful woman, with either a hunter or Cupid, next to her head. If it is Cupid, then the woman likely is intended to be the goddess Aphrodite. 

Excavations in the lower city have revealed a city planning typical to the Hellenistic-Roman world, a cardo (a north-south street) and a decumanus (an east-west street). Some archaeologists date this urban planning to the 1st century A.D.; others date it to the 2nd century A.D. The cardo and decumanus are flanked by colonnaded sidewalks for pedestrians, with mosaic pavements. Within the lower city, homes, public buildings, as well as a lower city market, have been uncovered. 

Excavators discovered a synagogue in Sepphoris that dates to the 5th century A.D. Its floor is a mosaic that depicts the sun god Helios with his chariot of horses surrounded by a zodiac. Biblical scenes were also depicted although this part of the mosaic was damaged, but it seems to have depicted the story of the binding of Isaac (like the synagogue in Beth Alpha). It remained in use until the 7th century A.D. 

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

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Weekly Devotional: Daily Bread

When the children of Israel wandered in the wilderness, God provided for their daily sustenance by giving them manna: “I am going to rain bread from heaven for you. The people are to go out each day and gather enough for that day” (Exodus 16:4 HCSB). 

They could only gather enough for each day, except on the sixth day they gathered a double portion for that day and the Sabbath (verse 5). God told Moses that the reason they could only collect enough for the day was “I will test them to see whether or not they will follow My instructions” (verse 4). 

Before they entered the Promised Land, Moses called them to remember the journey that had brought them there. “Remember that the LORD your God led you all the way these forty years in the wilderness, to humble you and test you, to know what was in your heart, whether you would keep His commandments or not. So He humbled you, allowed you to hunger, and fed you with manna which you did not know nor did your fathers know, that He might make you know that man shall not live by bread alone; but man lives by every word that proceeds from the mouth of the LORD” (Deuteronomy 8:2-3 NKJV). 

The hardships of the wilderness tested Israel’s commitment and obedience to God, but God still provided daily for their needs and sustenance. They only received the provisions that were absolutely necessary for each day. In this way, He taught them to trust Him.

We live in a world that values the “self-made” person. Our rugged, self-absorbed individualism flies in the face of biblical spirituality. God’s actions in the Bible repeatedly remind His people of their need and dependence upon Him. He is the giver and sustainer of life. He provides our daily bread. 

If we let it, our world—with its busyness, anxiety, and worry about tomorrow—pushes God to the edges of our lives. We seek to be self-reliant, planning for tomorrow because tomorrow depends upon us—or so we think. The message of the manna screams to us: God is the source of your daily provision; He takes care of you. Our responsibility: follow His instructions. 

Do we only turn to God when we need something from Him? Do we merely see Him as the One who delivers us when we’re in a bind? Or, do we recognize Him as the source of our daily bread and overall existence? 

Each day, do we remind ourselves that He provides the things we need for our sustenance, and that we are daily to seek to obey His instructions? Have we learned the lessons of the hardships of the wilderness?

PRAYER

Father, thank You for providing our daily bread. God, You are the source of our life; today, may we seek to obey Your instructions. Amen.

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The Famous Ben-Yehuda Street: A Walk Into Jerusalem’s History 

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

In the last decade, Jews making Aliyah have immigrated to their ancestral homeland from 150 countries in the diaspora that reaches from Asia, to America, to Ethiopia, Europe, and beyond. Israel’s capital bustles with a mosaic of some 950,000 Jews living in Jerusalem, which is crisscrossed with 3,000 streets. 

One of the most famous of these—Ben-Yehuda Street—is a vibrant downtown area crowded with locals and tourists enjoying conversations, shops, street musicians, and restaurants. The street signs stand as more than silent markers, though; they symbolize a fascinating 3,000-year history with names like Street of the Prophets (Rehov HaNevi’im), the Via Dolorosa (Jesus’ route to His crucifixion), Herzl Street (after Theodore Herzl, leader of the Zionist movement), and two streets named to honor Prime Ministers David Ben-Gurion and Golda Meir. 

Jerusalem’s Ben-Yehuda Street became a pedestrian mall in 1983. The street is known as “Midrechov” in the Hebrew language—a descriptive combination of two words—midracha (sidewalk) and rechov (street). This famous street was already named “Ben-Yehuda” in what was called Palestine under the British Mandate, long before the modern state of Israel was established in 1948. It carries the name of the man whom God used to revive the Hebrew language, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. His brilliant legacy is a story of miracles.  

Ben-Yehuda was born Eliezer Yitzak Perelman in the Lithuanian village of Luzhkya on January 7, 1858. He was raised in a religious home and he learned Hebrew as a child. In those days, Hebrew was not spoken widely; it was found mostly in religious articles, Scripture, and Jewish seminaries. An excellent student, Perelman attended a religious school and wanted to become a rabbi. Gradually his tastes changed—he abandoned his religious interest and opted for a secular education. He did not, however, abandon his passionate interest in Hebrew, and like many other secular Zionist Jews Perelman developed a great interest in a Jewish national homeland. He hoped to see spoken Hebrew once again woven into Jewish society. Other classical languages had experienced a revival; so why not Hebrew, he reasoned.

While Zionism provided the context for his focus, he once described hearing a voice as a teenager that confirmed his life’s work. “Suddenly—it was as if the heavens opened and a light shone forth—a pure and gleaming ray flashed before my eyes, and a mighty inner voice called in my ears.” At that moment, Perelman believed he was being instructed to revive Israel’s language in the land of the fathers! 

As his project developed, Perelman explained, “Just as the Jews cannot really become a living nation other than through their returning to their ancestral land, so too, they are not able to become a living nation other than through their returning to their ancestral language.”

I find it interesting to note the historical time period. Ben-Yehuda immigrated to Israel in 1881, prior to Theodore Herzl’s First Zionist Congress in Basel, Switzerland, in 1897. These two astonishing, determined men—the Father of Modern Hebrew and the Father of the Modern Jewish State—were born only two years apart: Ben-Yehuda (1858-1922) and Hungarian-born Herzl (1860-1904). Neither of these history-changing men lived to see their reborn homeland.

In preparation for his family’s new life, Perelman changed his name to the Hebrew name Ben-Yehuda. Devoting himself to building written Hebrew into a national language, he developed a strategy that was simple yet intensely demanding: Only Hebrew was to be spoken in his home, the first household of its kind. His son, Ben-Zion Ben-Yehuda, was the first modern Hebrew-speaking child. Plenty of opposition arose from Jerusalem’s ultra-Orthodox, who accused him of invading the holy Torah. They eventually excommunicated him. The Hebrew word for hardship—telaah—surely applies to Ben-Yehuda and his family.

Due to Ben-Yehuda’s endurance and determination, Hebrew—which hadn’t been used in everyday language since biblical times—was set for a revival, becoming Israel’s spoken tongue 2,000 years later. As years passed, the lexicographer often worked 18-hour days developing new words. He founded a periodical to list words and called it Hatzevi, which means “Gazelle.” Other families joined up and Zionist educators gladly used Hebrew as a practical solution for new immigrants. The focus on new immigrants learning Hebrew in Israel continues to this day in government-run and private facilities.

In 1890, a Hebrew Language Council was founded and set up by Ben-Yehuda, who drafted its purpose and methods. The group examined Hebrew literary vocabulary from thousands of years ago: Aramaic; Hebrew roots, to create innovative word forms; Arabic roots; and non-Semitic words already in common use. The early committee developed into the Academy of the Hebrew Language, pioneered by 23 scholars and writers in multiple related fields. The Academy actively operates at Hebrew University today.

Imagine for a moment Ben-Yehuda’s early days in the 1890s. First, he had already studied Hebrew, and when he and his wife Deborah disembarked their ship in Jaffa, he was elated to speak enough Hebrew to talk with a Jewish innkeeper and a wagon driver. After their son was born in 1882, everyday terms like ice cream, bicycle, spoons, trees, book, and many hundreds of words for children were added. Plus, the emergence of electricity, telephones, agriculture, manufacturing, and other modern developments required even more words. A language renaissance was unfolding under his roof in Jerusalem! 

Over the years, on Hebrew University’s campus, the Academy of the Hebrew Language has confronted the need for thousands of new words due to Israel’s near-daily discoveries in health, science, technology, and politics. This year, the Academy added 500 new words to the Hebrew dictionary that reflect changes in modern society. For example, half of the 500 words are related to politics—words such as embargo, activism, capitalism, and disinformation. The addition of “symptomatic” and other health terms is due to COVID-19.

A brief official history shows that in 1922, under the British Mandate that governed Palestine, Hebrew was declared the official language for the Jews just a month after Ben-Yehuda’s death. Then in 1948, the modern Jewish state deemed Hebrew and Arabic as official languages. In July 2018, Israel enacted a law that made Hebrew its only official language and gave Arabic a “special status.” 

In 2010, Israel’s Knesset officially declared 21 Tevet, Ben-Yehuda’s birthday, as National Hebrew Day. Tevet, a 29-day month, is the fourth month on the Jewish calendar and occurs on the Gregorian calendar in December/January. Evangelicals may want to celebrate Eliezer Ben-Yehuda’s birthday too, due to our emerging interest in Hebrew roots since Judaism is the birthplace of Christianity. We are keen to learn what we view as deeper meanings in Hebrew words and translations. 

The Hebrew word, Shalom, is a case in point. Often “peace” is preferred when translating this term into English. Yet as a root verb, the word is replete with rich meanings that include wholeness, health, well-being, safety, tranquility, and rest. 

The fact that our Jewish Savior spoke and read Hebrew makes it deeply meaningful. Hebrew is the language the Lord spoke when transmitting the Torah to Moses and which the prophets used. Acts 26:14 describes Jesus speaking Hebrew to Saul on the Damascus Road, and the redeemed Paul spoke to Jerusalem’s Jewish believers in Hebrew. It is the foundation of the New Testament, which includes 283 direct quotes from the Old Testament. The Gospel writers and disciples spoke the language and only read Old Testament scrolls since the New Testament had not yet been written. The Old and New Testaments are one book, foretelling our one Jewish Savior, in one magnificent book of unconditional love!

On the CBN Israel Facebook page, look for the “Hebrew Word of the Day” and its meaning. You may be like me. I do not speak Hebrew, but I started making a list of the various words being posted throughout the week. In Matthew 24:35 Jesus declares, “Heaven and earth will pass away, but My words will never pass away.” It is so valuable for us to learn the words of the Hebrew Scriptures and the central language that Jesus Himself would have spoken. 

Please join CBN Israel this week in praying for the Jewish nation and people: 

  • Pray with awe that God inspired 40 different writers spanning 1,500 years to write the 66 books of the Bible with His same themes of love and redemption. 
  • Pray for the Academy of the Hebrew Language in their decisions to add new words.
  • Pray for immigrants to Israel who find it challenging to master the Hebrew language.
  • Pray that Christians will pursue the deeper Hebrew meanings to enrich their faith.

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.

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Biblical Israel: Mount Nebo

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 4th 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 2,500 feet above sea level, and none of its peaks are lower than 2,100 feet above sea level.

The two most important peaks are Siyagha in the north (2,130 feet) and Mukhayyat (2,370 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

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Family in Crisis: Amelia’s Story

Years ago in Russia, Amelia married young and had a daughter. The difficult labor left Amelia temporarily paralyzed, but she recovered. Then, sadly, her husband left her. Devastated, Amelia moved ahead, immigrating with her daughter to Israel, near Tel Aviv. Eventually, she remarried and gave birth to twin boys.

Again, the births took a toll on her and triggered temporary paralysis. Doctors then determined that Amelia had multiple sclerosis (MS). Added to that, her second husband abandoned her—leaving her to care for their twins alone.

She is now 48 and takes numerous medications just to keep the MS under control. Her daughter is 27, and Amelia works hard to take care of her 9-year-old twin sons. Surprisingly, she and her second husband reconciled during the pandemic. He has a full-time job and helps with expenses and Amelia’s care. Yet, living in a fourth-floor apartment, she can’t manage the stairs alone and has to rely on her husband or friends if she needs to go out. She misses her independence.

But friends like you were there. Through CBN Israel, donors gave her food vouchers to provide healthy meals. And we’re helping the family find an affordable apartment with an elevator—so Amelia can go out without assistance. She says, “Thank you! I have felt isolated for so long.”

Your gift to CBN Israel can offer compassionate aid to many families in need—as well as terror victims, aging Holocaust survivors, lone soldiers, and more. 

We’re seeing so many lives in crisis across the Holy Land. Your support can deliver food, shelter, medical care, and hope to those struggling to survive—while also reporting news and stories from Israel. 

Please be a part of this special effort that’s blessing so many!

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Weekly Devotional: What the Lord Requires of You

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.

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Liberating Art From BDS and Lies About Israel

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.

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Serving Holocaust Survivors and the Elderly

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!

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Biblical Israel: Southern Steps

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

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Weekly Devotional: Give Life

“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. 

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