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Israel Trivia: The Facts About Israel’s Biblical Heartland

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Trivia games—still enormously popular today—first came into vogue on college campuses in the 1960s. Later, TV game shows like Jeopardy! caught on, followed by the Trivial Pursuit game that was officially released in 1981. Numerous trivia apps now generate hours of enjoyment.

The United States leads the trivia world of facts, with 1.3 billion downloads in 2022 alone. One of the best things about playing trivia is that doing so can help increase our knowledge, our team building, and our memory. That is why many corporations, like Spotify, Nike, and Amazon, use trivia applications.

As Israel advocates, we can have fun while utilizing Israel-focused trivia facts to increase our knowledge and oppose the unabating torrent of lies against Israel. Here are a few sample questions, before we explore historical facts about the world’s biblical heartland.

The answers for these trivia questions appear at the end of my column. Enjoy challenging yourself first!

  1. What are the two geographic names of the biblical heartland?
  2. What is the name of the walk in Jerusalem that takes visitors through the 14 stations of the cross?
  3. What year did the Romans destroy the Second Temple? 
  4. How many ancient synagogues have archeologists discovered in Israel’s Golan Heights? 
  5. What is the name of Israel’s legislative body?
  6. What is the Hebrew name for the Western Wall?
  7. What does the acronym IDF describe?
  8. What year did the Israeli government order 8,000 Jewish citizens to leave Gaza, turning it completely over to Palestinians?
  9. How many Arabs are Israeli citizens?
  10. After which war did Israel reunify its capital, Jerusalem?
  11. What year was the U.S. Embassy returned to its capital?
  12. What is the term for Jewish people immigrating to Israel?  
  13. Who is referred to as the Father of Zionism? 
  14. Who is credited with re-establishing ancient Hebrew into Israel’s modern language?
  15. Who is the current prime minister of Israel?

Whether or not you scored well, persistence will reward your knowledge. Prayers plus facts are needed now more than ever for the biblical heartland, Judea and Samaria, located in Israel since ancient times.

The Islamic Regime and its proxies remain intent on wiping Israel and her people off the map. That is why the Israel Defense Forces have expanded protection for Judea and Samaria—due to enclaves of Hamas terrorists in the Palestinian-occupied cities and villages. These terrorists use cars, knives, guns, IEDs, and highly sophisticated weapons they have smuggled into the heartland to murder Jews and anyone else in the way. 

An article in August 2024 from the Jewish News Syndicate reported that since January, more than 3,000 terror attacks in Judea and Samaria have killed 14 people and wounded 155 others. The IDF has changed the status of Judea and Samaria, now classifying it a “combat zone”—and Israel’s most critical front after the Gaza Strip.

The world calls the biblical heartland the West Bank. A quick trivia question: “Why and when did the name West Bank originate?” Answer: About 75 years ago, the name given to describe land on the west side of the Jordan River.

Facts about the biblical heartland have a far more significant value than the dictionary meaning of the word trivia, which is “unimportant facts or details that are considered interesting rather than serious or useful.” Based on the spoken word of God penned by ancient Jewish scribes, the Old and New Testaments are one book—and proclaim Judea and Samaria as the bedrock of Judaism and for our Christian faith. Israel’s capital, Jerusalem, is in Judea.

Looking at a map of Israel, we see that the heartland is still loaded with names from the Bible. Add your own trivia list of facts to several I have included here.

  

God told Abraham, the first Jew, to pitch his tent in Hebron, near the tree of Mamre, around 1,800 B.C. In Judea, Hebron is considered the oldest Jewish community in the world!

Judea and Samaria correspond to the ancient Northern and Southern Kingdoms. Judea lies south of Jerusalem, and Samaria to the north.

The Old Testament foretold the Bethlehem field in Judea as the birthplace of Jesus. The New Testament confirmed it.

Shiloh, in Samaria, was the religious and military capital of Israel for 369 years in the 12th and 11th centuries B.C. It was the location of the Tabernacle housing the Ark of the Covenant. In Shiloh today, walking in the ancient steps of Hannah, Elkana, Eli, Samuel, and King David is an archaeological and holy experience connecting the 3,500-year Jewish history to their ancestral homeland.

The memorable New Testament story of Jesus and the woman at the well with her joyful encounter with the Messiah happened in Samaria.

In the 1967 Six-Day War when Israel was attacked, the Jews triumphed and won their ancient heartland from Jordanian occupation (1950-1967). Upwards of 500,000 religious and secular Jews now live throughout Judea and Samaria. Click here to explore many more facts both ancient and modern. 

Although most call Judea and Samaria the “West Bank” it does not change the fact that this is the biblical heartland. Threats from the terrorists of the Islamic Regime and its ungodly understudies will not triumph over the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob! “The land I gave to Abraham and Isaac I also give to you [Jacob], and I will give this land to your descendants after you” (Genesis 35:12). Israel’s Independence Day, May 14, 1948, certified God’s ancient promises.

This is the Holy Land where Jesus will return, rule, and reign forever! 

Enjoy another Israeli game! Trivia: Are You Smarter Than DBG? Who was DBG? Israel’s first Prime Minister, David Ben Gurion! He originated the “Bible Quiz” Chidon HaTanach, a worldwide competition for all ages. The final quiz is annually televised in Jerusalem on Israel’s Independence Day, Yom Ha’atzmaut

Trivia Answers:

  1. Judea and Samaria
  2. Via Dolorosa
  3. A.D. 70 
  4. Thirty
  5. Knesset
  6. Kotel
  7. Israel Defense Forces
  8. 2005 
  9. Approximately two million
  10. Six-Day War, 1967 
  11. 2018 by President Donald Trump
  12. Aliyah 
  13. Theodore Herzl
  14. Ben Yehuda
  15. Benjamin Netanyahu 

We welcome you to join our CBN Israel team to pray from Jeremiah 32:17—“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.” 

Prayer Points: 

  • Pray for citizens’ safety in modern-day Judea and Samaria. 
  • Pray for many small businesses such as Lev Haolam, which makes beautiful products that can be ordered and shipped.
  • Pray for the IDF as they protect Israeli communities in the biblical heartland.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide.  In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

However, a genuine problem is looming in the United States. An October headline shouted, “Apathy Among Christian Voters Could Be ‘Gamechanger’ in 2024 election.” The Barna Group’s research notes that out of 104 million people of faith, an estimated 32 million self-identified churchgoers who regularly attend church will not cast their ballots. As you will see, it is seriously time for us to follow the examples of Moses and Esther.

Comparing the U.S. percentage to Israeli voting habits, 70 percent of Israelis vote for their Knesset (Parliament) for their parties, which leads to the coalition for a prime minister! Israelis closely engage in vigorous, often contentious politics and discussions in their homeland. 

Politics in the U.S. has regressed into toxic verbal landscapes not seen in decades along with two assassination attempts against former President Trump. Many prefer to turn off the media and wrap themselves in a cocoon of disengagement.

Sharp divisions between American Democrats and Republicans show up in new uncharted issues—plus COVID-19 aftermaths, climate disasters totaling $93 billion in 2023 alone, and now traumas due to devastating hurricanes in the last two months. These catastrophic events—and more—add further complexities and questions for Americans.

Israelis fighting their justified seven-front war are reeling with grief from October 7 in their brave, exhausting, and ongoing war against the Islamic Regime and its proxies. IDF soldier deaths are increasing amid the ground war in southern Lebanon—and then last week’s Hezbollah drone targeting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s home increased Israeli anxieties.

All to say, the challenges for the United States and our ally Israel are problems that only God can and will solve, in His timing. 

Meanwhile, what is our role as Christians? Do we sit idly by in disgust and disillusionment amid constant breaking news disruptions? Are we angry most of the time? Have we retreated from our freedoms?

Let us replace our outrage with outreach, and our apathy with action, to engage effectively with our culture by honoring our freedom to vote, especially here in the United States. Israelis honor their freedom with high voter turnout. Let us imitate them!   

You may be surprised to know that the Bible provides us with outstanding role models and expectations as citizens. With the research indicating that as many as 32 million church-going Christians may not vote, it is important to learn from biblical leaders engaged in politics.

If you are choosing not to vote, I want to point you toward four biblical leaders in the hope that you will overcome your reluctance to cast your ballot in this upcoming election and make your voice heard in the political context.

God used Joseph in lifesaving ways by positioning him in his role as Pharaoh’s prime minister. Joseph accepted his future with wise decisions and brilliantly carried out his prominent position in politics, resulting in his Jewish family surviving the famine. Similarly, around 400 years later, God placed Moses in a key position in Egypt, not on Pharoah’s staff but as an ancient lobbyist. In his role, Moses appealed to Pharoah many times to “let my people go.” Finally, his appeals were answered and the Jewish people set out on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. 

Queen Esther also functioned as an ancient lobbyist. God placed her, a young Jewish orphan, in an influential position as a wife to King Ahasuerus. With prayer and courage, she made requests to him that saved the Jewish people from Haman’s genocidal plans.

And yes, although Babylonians captured Daniel and his friends from Jerusalem, God elevated Daniel to a highly esteemed position on King Nebuchadnezzar’s staff. Daniel served as the king’s premier counselor and held devotedly to his Jewish faith in a foreign, idol-worshiping land. He overcame his fear with faith even in the lion’s den.

Joseph, Moses, Esther, and Daniel deserve a second look into how God used them in a political context to change history.

A fact not widely known is that Israeli-Americans—dual citizens—number up to 500,000. They vote by absentee ballot in U.S. elections. Like those in the United States, when it comes to Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, they will vote for their favorite candidate. Republicans and Democrats have branch offices in Israel with their get-out-the-vote campaigns. Israel’s U.S. Embassy provided voting guidelines on January 26, 2024, emphasizing the importance of absentee ballots and detailing the instructions for the process.

Regarding perfect candidates and governments on earth, these do not exist. That is, until Isaiah 9:7 is reflected upon. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”

While earthly governments oppress and operate in a quagmire of self-interests, even in a democracy, Heaven’s country will outshine them all. God Himself will be our government. Perfection will overtake imperfection. Love will overtake hate. Joy will overtake sorrow when the government rests upon His shoulders.

A few bullet points to consider: Voting is a privilege. Our military has sacrificed for our freedoms so let’s not take those freedoms for granted. No candidate is perfect. Before you vote, pray and consult the Lord. Be aware that propaganda is at an all-time high. Be cautious about what you read and hear.

Vote for the candidates that reflect your values the most. Consider the quality of life for you, your family, and your friends. Closely examine candidate policies.

We welcome you to join our CBN Israel team this week to pray with lofty expectations about a perfect government in Isaiah 9:6: “And the government will be upon His shoulders.”

Prayer Points:

  • Pray for U.S. elections and protection for Presidential, House, and Senate candidates.
  • Pray that Christians will abandon their apathy and choose to vote.
  • Pray that all vote counting will go smoothly.
  • Pray for Israeli civilians, the IDF, and Lebanese Christians in the war against evil.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide.  In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

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Bringing Fresh Food and Produce to Israelis in Need

It’s hard to function well when you’re battling hunger. Yet, in Israel today, 20 percent of the population suffers from nutritional insecurity. Sadly, the most vulnerable tend to be the elderly, children, at-risk youth, and single parent families, usually living below the poverty line.

For many, it means skipping meals, going to bed hungry, or eating cheap, processed foods high in sugar and fat. This can lead to poor health, malnutrition, diabetes, and obesity. And low-income families often can’t afford fresh fruits and vegetables that are high in nutritional value. 

Meanwhile, according to a recent report, 2.2 billion pounds of nutritious food are wasted each year in Israel, even as 522,000 families struggle to put healthy meals on the table. In fact, 35 percent of all food produced in Israel ends up destroyed and not consumed, adding to environmental problems of waste disposal. Is there a smart way to solve both issues?

Fortunately, friends like you are an important part of a sustainable solution. Through CBN Israel’s strategic partnership with one of the country’s largest food banks, caring donors are rescuing quality foods, fruits, and vegetables that would otherwise go to waste, and bringing them to households that desperately need them.

This valuable project mobilizes tens of thousands of volunteers, hires professional pickers, and deploys drivers and vehicles to collect excess produce from fields, orchards, and packing houses. The rescued produce is then redistributed free of charge to partner non-profit organizations that bring it to local families and individuals.

And this is just one of the ways your gifts to CBN Israel can help those trying to survive in the Holy Land during these challenging times. You can supply groceries, housing, and other essentials to soaring numbers of refugees, Holocaust survivors, and war victims.

Please join us in reaching out to the people of Israel at this crucial time!

GIVE TODAY

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Biblical Israel: Lachish 

By Marc Turnage

Lachish was one of the largest cities within the kingdom of Judah. Located in the Judean lowlands (Shephelah), it sat in the southern branch of the Beth Guvrin-Lachish Valley system, which provided an east-west corridor between the hill country (the area around Hebron) to the coastal plain (towards Ashkelon). Ample water meant that settlement prospered at Lachish in all periods and enabled the cultivation of the land around it. Even today it is in a very fertile area of the Judean lowlands known particularly for its cultivation of grapes. 

The ancient site of Lachish encompasses about thirty-one acres. It first appears mentioned within ancient sources in the 18th century B.C. in an Egyptian document. Excavations at the site have uncovered twenty layers of settlement, which underscores the site’s importance and prominence. 

According to 2 Kings (14:19; 2 Chronicles 25:27), Amaziah, king of Judah, fled to Lachish following a revolt against him in Jerusalem. The rebels killed him at Lachish. During the Assyrian invasion of Judah in 701 B.C., under Sennacherib, the Assyrian army laid siege to Lachish (2 Kings 18:14, 17; Isaiah 36:2; 37:8; 2 Chronicles 32:9). While besieging Lachish, Sennacherib sent a force against Hezekiah in Jerusalem. 

Excavations at Lachish have revealed the extent of the Assyrian siege. In addition to the biblical account, Sennacherib documented his conquest of the city on wall reliefs, with which he decorated his palace in Nineveh. Both Sennacherib’s wall relief and the archaeological excavations show that the Assyrians built an earthen siege ramp that was used to bring siege engines against the walls of Lachish. Excavations uncovered a number of iron military implements like arrow heads. Archaeologists found a large number of slingshot stones. 

The Assyrian siege devastated Lachish and the kingdom of Judah, but they did not conquer Jerusalem. Lachish was rebuilt after the Assyrian siege but was again destroyed by the Babylonian conquest of the kingdom of Judah in the 6th century B.C. This conquest destroyed Jerusalem as well. During the Babylonian conquest, the prophet Jeremiah notes that the only cities remaining to Judah were Jerusalem, Azekah (in the Elah Valley), and Lachish (34:7). 

Excavations at Lachish uncovered a number of inscriptions written on broken pieces of pottery. One of them, a letter, notes that the people of Lachish could no longer see the signal fires of Azekah, which lay to the north. Azekah had fallen, and the Babylonians were coming to Lachish. 

Excavations at Lachish also yielded a number of royal, Judean, storage jars and jar handles bearing a stamp with the Hebrew phrase, lemelek, meaning “belonging to the king.” These type of storage jars have been found at certain sites throughout Judah and date to the reign of King Hezekiah. Excavations at Lachish have uncovered more of these storage jars than any other site in the kingdom of Judah.

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: The Path of Wisdom

“My son, if you accept my words and store up my commands within you, listening closely to wisdom and directing your heart to understanding … if you call out to insight and lift your voice to understanding, if you seek it like silver and search for it like hidden treasure, then you will understand the fear of the Lord and discover the knowledge of God” (Proverbs 2:1-5 HCSB).

A key difference between us, as modern readers of the Bible, and the ancient readers of the Bible is that we tend to think and express ourselves and our ideas in more abstract ways.

Wisdom for us often refers to a cognitive ability or theoretical exercise. We may say that wisdom represents our ability to use our knowledge, but it remains abstract and disconnected from daily life. 

However, in the Bible, wisdom is a spiritual and practical skill that one learns and can acquire through discipline.

In other words, we can train ourselves to be wise—in fact, from the Bible’s point of view, we cannot be wise unless we actively seek wisdom and practice it in our everyday lives.

Read the passage above (Proverbs 2:1-5). Circle how many times the author said “if.” The “if” statements require action on our part: “If” you will do this, “then” you will understand.

So how does one find knowledge? Accept, treasure, seek, and search; cry out for it. Pursue it. This is not something abstract. Rather, it requires our intentional action. 

When the author speaks about “directing your heart,” the heart within the Bible does not refer to the seat of emotions; rather, it refers more to what we think of as our cognitive center, our “mind.”

Wisdom, then, is not something we feel; it is something we seek, learn, practice, and do.

Moreover, seeking wisdom does not mean simply learning about the commandments; it means that we internalize them, think about them, meditate on them, and do them. 

Within the Bible, true wisdom comes from internalizing the commandments and doing them. One who does this fears the Lord, and that is how knowledge and wisdom are acquired.

PRAYER

Lord, today, let me pursue Your words and learn Your commandments. Let me mediate upon them, so that I might acquire wisdom and fear You. Amen. 

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Simchat Torah: Celebrating the Torah

By Julie Stahl

“For seven days you must present special gifts to the LORD. The eighth day is another holy day on which you present your special gifts to the LORD. This will be a solemn occasion, and no ordinary work may be done that day” (Leviticus 23:36 NLT).

On the day following the seven days of Sukkot, Simchat Torah is celebrated, which literally means, “rejoicing with the Torah.” The Bible says on that day to have another “holy convocation” on which sacrifices are offered to the Lord and no work is permitted.

Simchat Torah is a celebration marking the conclusion of the annual cycle of public Torah readings, and the beginning of a new cycle.

Simchat Torah is a component of the biblical Jewish holiday of Shemini Atzeret (“Eighth Day of Assembly”), which follows immediately after the festival of Sukkot in the month of Tishrei (mid-September to early October on the Gregorian calendar).

Every year, synagogues read through the entire Torah in designated weekly portions. The yearly reading cycle ends with Deuteronomy and begins again in Genesis on the day of Simchat Torah.

“We read the Torah in a continuous cycle, because the circle is both a symbol of eternity and equality. Just as God is eternal, the Torah is also eternal. Just as God created all humanity in His image, we too must treat all humanity accordingly,” Rabbi Welton says.

“There’s an ancient Jewish custom to dance for hours around the bima (“lectern”) on Simchat Torah in a circle symbolizing the eternity of the Torah and its Author,” he adds. It’s also common in Israel for many to dance in the streets.

In Israel, both Simchat Torah and Shemini Atzeret are celebrated on the same day, while outside of Israel in the Diaspora, they are celebrated as two days—first Shemini Atzeret, then Simchat Torah.

According to Rabbi Welton, Simchat Torah is not mentioned in the Talmud and only appears during the Middle Ages in historical contexts.

Julie Stahl is a correspondent for CBN News in the Middle East. A Hebrew speaker, she has been covering news in Israel full-time for more than 20 years. Julie’s life as a journalist has been intertwined with CBN—first as a graduate student in Journalism at Regent University; then as a journalist with Middle East Television (METV) when it was owned by CBN from 1989-91; and now with the Middle East Bureau of CBN News in Jerusalem since 2009. She is also an integral part of CBN News’ award-winning show, Jerusalem Dateline, a weekly news program providing a biblical and prophetic perspective to what is happening in Israel and the Middle East.

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How Will Israeli Americans and American Christians Vote?

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Candidates running for President, House, and Senate seats in the 2024 United States elections are saturating the country with ads and appearances on airwaves, social media, events, and conversations. Scores of texts and emails are overwhelming our mobile phones and computers, and our mailboxes are stuffed with duplicate fundraising letters for political donations.

In less than two weeks—on November 5—Americans will finish their early and final voting, which sets the stage for the next four years in our nation and the world.

However, a genuine problem is looming in the United States. An October headline shouted, “Apathy Among Christian Voters Could Be ‘Gamechanger’ in 2024 election.” The Barna Group’s research notes that out of 104 million people of faith, an estimated 32 million self-identified churchgoers who regularly attend church will not cast their ballots. As you will see, it is seriously time for us to follow the examples of Moses and Esther.

Comparing the U.S. percentage to Israeli voting habits, 70 percent of Israelis vote for their Knesset (Parliament) for their parties, which leads to the coalition for a prime minister! Israelis closely engage in vigorous, often contentious politics and discussions in their homeland. 

Politics in the U.S. has regressed into toxic verbal landscapes not seen in decades along with two assassination attempts against former President Trump. Many prefer to turn off the media and wrap themselves in a cocoon of disengagement.

Sharp divisions between American Democrats and Republicans show up in new uncharted issues—plus COVID-19 aftermaths, climate disasters totaling $93 billion in 2023 alone, and now traumas due to devastating hurricanes in the last two months. These catastrophic events—and more—add further complexities and questions for Americans.

Israelis fighting their justified seven-front war are reeling with grief from October 7 in their brave, exhausting, and ongoing war against the Islamic Regime and its proxies. IDF soldier deaths are increasing amid the ground war in southern Lebanon—and then last week’s Hezbollah drone targeting Prime Minister Netanyahu’s home increased Israeli anxieties.

All to say, the challenges for the United States and our ally Israel are problems that only God can and will solve, in His timing. 

Meanwhile, what is our role as Christians? Do we sit idly by in disgust and disillusionment amid constant breaking news disruptions? Are we angry most of the time? Have we retreated from our freedoms?

Let us replace our outrage with outreach, and our apathy with action, to engage effectively with our culture by honoring our freedom to vote, especially here in the United States. Israelis honor their freedom with high voter turnout. Let us imitate them!   

You may be surprised to know that the Bible provides us with outstanding role models and expectations as citizens. With the research indicating that as many as 32 million church-going Christians may not vote, it is important to learn from biblical leaders engaged in politics.

If you are choosing not to vote, I want to point you toward four biblical leaders in the hope that you will overcome your reluctance to cast your ballot in this upcoming election and make your voice heard in the political context.

God used Joseph in lifesaving ways by positioning him in his role as Pharaoh’s prime minister. Joseph accepted his future with wise decisions and brilliantly carried out his prominent position in politics, resulting in his Jewish family surviving the famine. Similarly, around 400 years later, God placed Moses in a key position in Egypt, not on Pharoah’s staff but as an ancient lobbyist. In his role, Moses appealed to Pharoah many times to “let my people go.” Finally, his appeals were answered and the Jewish people set out on their 40-year journey to the Promised Land. 

Queen Esther also functioned as an ancient lobbyist. God placed her, a young Jewish orphan, in an influential position as a wife to King Ahasuerus. With prayer and courage, she made requests to him that saved the Jewish people from Haman’s genocidal plans.

And yes, although Babylonians captured Daniel and his friends from Jerusalem, God elevated Daniel to a highly esteemed position on King Nebuchadnezzar’s staff. Daniel served as the king’s premier counselor and held devotedly to his Jewish faith in a foreign, idol-worshiping land. He overcame his fear with faith even in the lion’s den.

Joseph, Moses, Esther, and Daniel deserve a second look into how God used them in a political context to change history.

A fact not widely known is that Israeli-Americans—dual citizens—number up to 500,000. They vote by absentee ballot in U.S. elections. Like those in the United States, when it comes to Donald Trump or Kamala Harris, they will vote for their favorite candidate. Republicans and Democrats have branch offices in Israel with their get-out-the-vote campaigns. Israel’s U.S. Embassy provided voting guidelines on January 26, 2024, emphasizing the importance of absentee ballots and detailing the instructions for the process.

Regarding perfect candidates and governments on earth, these do not exist. That is, until Isaiah 9:7 is reflected upon. Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on David’s throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever.”

While earthly governments oppress and operate in a quagmire of self-interests, even in a democracy, Heaven’s country will outshine them all. God Himself will be our government. Perfection will overtake imperfection. Love will overtake hate. Joy will overtake sorrow when the government rests upon His shoulders.

A few bullet points to consider: Voting is a privilege. Our military has sacrificed for our freedoms so let’s not take those freedoms for granted. No candidate is perfect. Before you vote, pray and consult the Lord. Be aware that propaganda is at an all-time high. Be cautious about what you read and hear.

Vote for the candidates that reflect your values the most. Consider the quality of life for you, your family, and your friends. Closely examine candidate policies.

We welcome you to join our CBN Israel team this week to pray with lofty expectations about a perfect government in Isaiah 9:6: “And the government will be upon His shoulders.”

Prayer Points:

  • Pray for U.S. elections and protection for Presidential, House, and Senate candidates.
  • Pray that Christians will abandon their apathy and choose to vote.
  • Pray that all vote counting will go smoothly.
  • Pray for Israeli civilians, the IDF, and Lebanese Christians in the war against evil.

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide.  In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

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Victim of Terrorism: Jenia’s Story

In the crossfire of the Ukraine war, Jenia lived her worst nightmare in a moment—watching her husband die right in front of her in a rocket attack. Devastated, this elderly widow fled to Israel, making Aliyah to become a citizen and start over in a new country by herself.

She settled in Kiryat Gat near the Israel-Gaza border, but arrived with nothing, and needed help to get furniture, a washing machine, and other essentials. To make matters worse, since the October 7 invasion and attacks, she was now caught in the middle of another war and suffers from post-traumatic stress. Who could she turn to?

Jenia is so grateful that friends like you were there for her. Through CBN Israel, caring donors provided her with basic furniture and a new washing machine. They are also delivering nutritious groceries to her, which helps stretch her budget. And as Jenia deals with the horrors of war and losing her husband, they are offering her counseling and trauma care.

“Thank you so much for your help!” Jenia exclaimed. “I lost everything and felt so alone. But your kindness has been such a blessing to me as I try to rebuild my life.”

Your generous gifts to CBN Israel can be a blessing to others who are struggling and feel alone. You can bring vital assistance to immigrant families, Holocaust survivors, single moms, and terror victims. Because of you, they will receive the aid and compassion they need right now.

And as the war with Iran and its terror proxies continues, the needs are soaring. Your support can provide crucial food, shelter, and financial assistance to those who are hurting—while reporting on headlines stories from the Holy Land.

Please join us at this critical time!

GIVE TODAY

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Biblical Israel: Yodfat

 By Marc Turnage

The Galilean village of Yodfat lies in the hills three miles north of Nazareth, Jesus’ hometown, across Beit Netofa Valley, an easy day’s walk. Its primary industries were textiles and pottery manufacturing. The inhabitants of Yodfat herded sheep and goats for the purpose of converting their wool into fabrics and textiles. Archaeologists discovered a number of loom weights in the area, which indicates that an industry of textiles came from Yodfat.

Yodfat provides an important window into the world of Jesus. During the First Jewish Revolt (A.D. 66-73), the first century Jewish historian Josephus relates that he commanded the Jewish forces in Galilee. He fortified villages throughout Galilee including Yodfat. 

The Roman army laid siege to the village building a siege ramp for soldiers to cross over its wall. As the Roman forces besieged Yodfat, Josephus and some of his men hid in a nearby cave. He convinced them to commit suicide rather than surrender to Rome. When the moment came for his death, however, he changed his mind and surrendered to Rome. He was taken to the camp of the general Vespasian. Roman forces destroyed Yodfat. It was never rebuilt.

Yodfat provides a time capsule into the Galilean world of Jesus in the first century. Archaeological excavations at Yodfat show the social strata of a Galilean village. A home with beautifully painted frescoes was discovered similar to other wealthy homes excavated in Jerusalem. The finds also indicate the presence of both merchant and artisan classes, who owned and distributed, manufactured and produced textiles and pottery. We can also assume the presence of poor people as well, but they do not leave remains within the archaeological record.

The excavations at Yodfat speak to the religious life of first century Galileans. While a synagogue has not yet been discovered, archaeologists uncovered Jewish ritual immersion pools (mikva’ot). These stone vessels indicate a concern for Jewish ritual purity laws. The animal bones discovered at the village show a distinct avoidance of pigs in accordance with Jewish law. The archaeology of Yodfat indicates that the people living in this area were Jews concerned with observance of Jewish law.

These were the Galileans to whom Jesus taught, healed, and ministered. Yodfat was destroyed a little over 30 years after Jesus’ crucifixion. When we touch the site of Yodefat, we touch the Galilee of Jesus and his disciples. The pottery that litters the ground of this site is the kind of pottery used by Mary in Nazareth. Yodfat’s close proximity to Nazareth suggests that Jesus would have known this Galilean village, and likely visited it. And it offers a view of the hills and valleys that Jesus and his disciples traveled.

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: Remember Where You Have Come From

“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” (Deuteronomy 8:2 NKJV).

Remember! One of the most frequent commands throughout the Bible is “Remember!” Remember the road you’ve traveled, the struggles and trials you’ve faced. And remember Who brought you along your path.

Remember Who provided for you, cared for you, and calls you to remember and obey His commandments. Remember.

We often turn to God in our times of need. When relationships, circumstances, finances, diagnoses, and life are too overwhelming, then we turn to God. We cleave to Him through those wilderness times of our life, relying upon His presence and provision.

But, once He brings us through those times and we find ourselves upon a firm footing, standing in the Promised Land, how quickly do we forget, rely upon ourselves, and ultimately turn from His ways? Remember.

The festivals that God gave Israel within the Old Testament served two purposes: 1) They were connected with the agricultural cycle, particularly the harvest times, and 2) they called the people to remember what God did for them in the wilderness, how He led them and provided for them. 

The agricultural nature of the festivals called upon the Israelites to remember Who sent the rain in its season so the crops could grow, and ultimately Who was responsible for their sustenance and provision. The connection with the wilderness wanderings called upon the people to remember a time when their need for God and His provision was more acute, to remember where they came from.

During the fall harvest festival, Sukkot, God instructed the children of Israel to construct temporary shelters, or booths, that they lived in for the duration of the festival:

“Live in temporary shelters for seven days: All native-born Israelites are to live in such shelters so your descendants will know that I had the Israelites live in temporary shelters when I brought them out of Egypt” (Leviticus 23:42-43 NIV). 

Dwelling in booths was to remind future generations—those that did not experience the hardships and uncertainty of the wilderness—how God provided for His people.

When later generations found themselves living prosperously in the land, the booths reminded them of a time in their history when their forefathers lacked such prosperity, and in that moment, they should remember God, Who brought Israel out of Egypt. 

What is the ultimate goal of this remembrance? We find it in the passage from Deuteronomy quoted initially: “Remember … whether you would keep His commandments or not.”

We confront our limitations and smallness in times of need. We realize how finite we are. It becomes easy to turn to God in those moments. And, as a loving Father, He comes to us. But when we find ourselves in times of prosperity, it’s too easy to think we stand alone on our own two feet, and turning from God and His commandments becomes easy.

Remember where you have come from. Remember where He has taken you. Remember His commandments and purposes for your life. Remember that He is your Savior and King.

PRAYER

Father, thank You for taking us through the wildernesses of our lives and providing for us. May we always—in good times and in bad—remember You and all that You have done for us. Amen.

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Uncovering the United Nation’s Covert Operations in Lebanon and Gaza

By Arlene Bridges Samuels

Last week, during Yom Kippur, Judaism’s holiest day of the year, Hezbollah fired another barrage of rockets into Israel from its southern Lebanon stronghold. One million Israelis rushed into bomb shelters to wait out the intermittent but heavy attacks. A day later, an Iranian drone armed with a missile crashed into the roof of an IDF dining room south of Haifa—murdering four Golani Brigade soldiers and injuring dozens more. Israel’s defensive war has resulted in yet another level of intense anguish for its beleaguered people.

Early on, Israel discovered how Hamas used UNWRA (TheUnited Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees) as a cover for terror. Now, with Israel’s fight against Hezbollah in Lebanon, compelling evidence is also emerging about UNIFIL (United Nations Interim Force in Lebanon), the so-called peacekeeping” force. It seems that the Islamic Regime’s twin terror proxies, Hamas and Hezbollah, have repurposed the United Nations roles in UNRWA and UNIFIL as tools of hate against Jews and their homeland.

Because of Iran’s backing and support, Hezbollah is the most well-armed terrorist organization in the world. They use UNIFIL soldiers as well as men, women, and children as human shields in yet another violation of international law. (Consider how that practice contrasts with Israel’s policy of protecting civilians.) Right beside UNIFIL soldiers, Hezbollah built bunkers and tunnels designed solely for attacks and invasions into Israel. UNIFIL ignored these deadly projects in total violation of UN Security Council Resolution 1701, intended to resolve the 2006 Lebanon War by withdrawing Israeli forces and disarming armed groupsincluding Hezbollah.

Sound familiar?

Acclaimed author and journalist Douglas Murray, embedded in Gaza with the IDF and now in southern Lebanon, reports his eye-opening firsthand experiences: How is it possible that the kind of heavy digging needed to create these tunnels could have happened literally right under the noses of the UN? Were they not looking? Did they even care?

They decided not to look, Murray says, The international peacekeeping force has been a joke for years.

As the Israel Defense Forces have sought to destroy the Iran-financed arsenals, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has broadcast a strong message to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres: The time has come to remove UNIFIL from Hezbollahs strongholds and war zones.Guterres’s repeated refusals have resulted in Hezbollah using UNIFIL as human shields. Your refusal to evacuate UNIFIL soldiers,” emphasizedNetanyahu, “turns them into Hezbollahs hostages. This endangers both them and the lives of our soldiers.

Thus far, UNIFIL soldiers have been injured during the fighting. Netanyahu assures Guterres that Israel is intent on preventing harm but directly challenges the secretarygeneral, Remove them [the UNIFIL soldiers] from the area. This needs to be done immediately, now. We must understand that leaving UNIFIL in place means more injuries and deaths among these (supposed) peacekeepers and gives the biased United Nations more reasons to blame Israel.

Israel’s defensive measures are exposing the moral corruption of two misguided United Nations programs: UNWRA and UNIFIL. They have grown into diseased operations undermining Israel under the purview of the United Nations, including the UN Security Council. Ten percent of UNWRA’s staff were affiliated with Hamas, and on October 7, 2023, according to a Telegram channel, 3,000 UNRWA staff celebrated Hamas’s massacres. The Biden administration rightly canceled U.S. tax dollars funding UNRWA; the U.S. had been its biggest donor.

Most of us are familiar with Hamas and UNRWA by now. However, why is UNIFIL stationed in southern Lebanon with a contingent of 10,000 soldiers from 50 countries?

In 2006, the UN Security Council voted on Resolution 1701 to establish a buffer zone in southern Lebanon for a permanent ceasefire between Hezbollah and Israel after the Second Lebanon War. UNIFIL was tasked with monitoring southern Lebanon, especially along the almost 70 miles of the Lebanon/Israel border. Called the Blue Line, it is not a border; it is only a temporary “line of withdrawal” set by the UN.

UNIFIL “peacekeepers” were intended to be temporary overseers to enforce these lofty ideas, noting that any crossing of the Blue Line violated UN Security Council Resolution 1701. Significantly, they were assigned to prevent any “sales or supply of arms and related materiel to Lebanon.” However, Hezbollah has made sure that UNIFIL completely failed. During a period of more than 20 years, Iran shipped billions of dollars’ worth of weapons into southern Lebanon by land, sea, and air.

You may wonder why Israel is now warning civilians to leave their homes in southern Lebanon. Former Israeli Prime Minister Naftali Bennett informs us: Many Shiites in Lebanon have a unique revenue stream: In their home they have a special ‘Rocket Launcher Room. Theyre paid monthly rent by Hezbollah to host this launcher and be prepared to shoot rockets at Israel communities on demand.

Bennett goes on to express his astonishment while serving as a company commander fighting Hezbollah in the 2006 Second Lebanon War. Who the heck turns their home into a terror base? The IDF is now systematically destroying these death machines. Any man who turns his home into a death launch pad puts his family in severe danger, and only he is responsible for the consequences. Enough is enough!”

Estimates for missiles and rockets range from 40,000-120,000. Professor Andreas Krieg at Kings College London warns that, although the IDF has destroyed many short- and mid-range missiles, The crown jewels of its [Hezbollah’s] missile capability are not stored overground but underground. Larger missiles with bigger warheads and longer range put Israel in greater danger, and Krieg adds that “the damage in Israel will be so considerable that there is no stepping back from the abyss anymore.”

Use his quote as a prompt for our prayers and faith, referring to Isaiah 9:7, where God assures Israel’s future no matter what is happening today: Of the greatness of His government and peace there will be no end. He will reign on Davids throne and over His kingdom, establishing and upholding it with justice and righteousness from that time on and forever. The zeal of the LORD Almighty will accomplish this.”

Resolution 1701 makes us wonder: is the United Nations a direct accomplice for UNRWA and UNIFILnot simply to repeatedly verbalize accusations of Israel as the only problem in the Middle East? Moreover, are they so morally corrupt that they not only allow but support Jew hatred with rampant violence against the world’s only Jewish state?

Furthermore, how strong is the Islamic Regime’s hold on the UN? Why are Iran’s presidentscurrently Masoud Pezeshkianwelcomed each year to the UN General Assembly? Why is Pezeshkian allowed to freely come and go in New York City while the Ayatollahs endanger former President Trump’s and others’ lives with illegal gangs of Iranians welcomed into our nation’s southern border? It is long past time for the United Nations to abandon its toxic bias. Might the USA invite the UN to leave our country?

Most of the United Nations is a hornet’s nest of evil that enables the Shia Islamic Regime to press on and resurrect a modern caliphate. The Ayatollah’s apocalyptic goal is to rule the world with impunity like they oppress their own population now. They will not stop until they are stopped.

Those of us who are grateful to the God of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Jesus also owe a debt of gratitude for God’s people and His land defending themselves and all freedom-loving people.

Our CBN Israel team welcomes you to join us in prayer this week, trusting God’s intervention on behalf of His chosen people by remembering Isaiah 49:16: See, I have engraved you on the palms of My hands; your walls are ever before Me.”

Prayer Points:

Pray for families of the IDF’s Golani Brigade that was murdered and injured by an Iranian drone action.
Pray for Christians to forward Israel facts using reliable sources such as CBN Israel, CBN News, All Israel News, and Stakelbeck Tonight.
Pray for the IDF in southern Israel for their safety and success.

Pray for the IDF in Gaza and for miracles to rescue all hostages, alive or deceasedespecially those used by terrorist Sinwar as his human shields.

 

Arlene Bridges Samuels is the weekly feature columnist for CBN Israel since 2020. Working on the staff of the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC) as their SE Regional Outreach Director for nine years, International Christian Embassy Jerusalem USA engaged her as the Leadership Outreach Director part-time for their project American Christian Leaders for Israel. Arlene is an author at The Blogs-Times of Israel, is published at AllIsrael.com and The Jerusalem Connection, and has traveled to Israel since 1990. By invitation, she attends Israel’s Government Press Office Christian Media Summits as part of Christian media worldwide.  In 2024, Arlene and her husband Paul co-authored Mental Health Meltdown: Illuminating the Voices of Bipolar and Other Mental Illnesses. www.TheMentalHealthMeltdown.com.

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