Another amazing find in Jerusalem

It seems that new archaeological discoveries from Jerusalem are being reported almost weekly. The latest find is rather fascinating. It was humorously identified by the Israeli Antiquities Authority as the original "store credit." And that's probably a good way to describe it!

What they discovered was a clay seal containing two Hebrew words from the time of Herod's temple. The seal appears to have been a type of marker or "proof of purchase" used as part of the temple services. The inscription on the seal, written in Aramaic, reads "pure to the Lord," using the first two letters of the name Yahweh as the abbreviation for "Lord."

The seal illustrates a temple practice mentioned in the Mishnah, which reads in part, "Whoever required libations would go to Yohanan who was in charge of the stamps and give him money and would receive a stamp from him in return. He would then go to Ahiyah who was in charge over the libations, give him the stamp, and receive the libations from him."

In other words, a person would pay for a specific ritual sacrifice at the "cashier's office" and receive a "proof of purchase" token that he or she would then take to the priest to exchange for the actual offering. This seal appears to be the first actual example of the "stamp," or clay impression, that served as the "proof of purchase" token.

The find is significant for two reasons. First, it helps illustrate and visualize the day-to-day workings of the temple. And second, it serves as one more small reminder that a Jewish temple indeed stood on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. That seems obvious to those of us who believe the Bible. But in the convoluted world of Middle East politics, it helps counteract the propaganda claiming the Jews have no legitimate connection to the city or the Temple Mount.

Declaration of Religious War?

Earlier today Hamas issued a warning that Israel's closure of the Mugrabi Bridge to the Temple Mount is a "declaration of religious war on Muslim Holy Sites." Lest you think this is propaganda from a single extremist terrorist group, it follows an earlier statement by Palestinian negotiator Saeb Erakat who said Israel's plan to replace the current bridge “shows their determination to Judaize Jerusalem and to take over the city’s Muslim holy places."

These statements are false and hypocritical, and those making them know that's the case. They're intended to inflame the Muslim world and put pressure on Israel. We've talked about this gate several times on our program, most recently this past weekend. Here are the facts for those who don't know the full story.

The Mugrabi Gate is the only gateway unto the Temple Mount that is open to non-Muslims, and it's located next to the Western Wall plaza. In 2004 the ramp up to the gate partially collapsed after a heavy winter rain. Israel constructed a temporary wooden bridge to the site that sits on metal scaffolding. (See the picture above from bibleplaces.com, which provides an excellent visual of the structure!) The bridge was only intended to provide temporary access until a more permanent replacement was designed and built.

In 2007 Israel tried to replace the temporary bridge with a more permanent replacement, but work was halted when charges were made that Israel was damaging the Muslim holy sites. (Note in the picture that the bridge is outside the Western Wall and doesn't get close to any of the Muslim Holy sites!) Israel halted work while the UN investigated. They concluded the charges were false, but asked Israel to once again postpone work on the new bridge. Israel agreed, and the temporary structure remained in use for another four years.

The problem now is that Jerusalem's city engineer has declared the current temporary structure to be unsafe and in danger of collapse. Israel's most recent decision to close the current bridge and replace it with a more permanent structure centers on safety. Like any responsible government, their primary concern is that a bridge used by thousands of tourists every week has been shown to be structurally unsound. Unfortunately, the Palestinian leadership appears to care more about scoring political points than they are about the safety of those forced to use a bridge that is structurally unsound. But one can be sure that when the bridge finally does collapse, they will be quick to blame the Jews!

This is another example of the appalling lack of leadership that characterizes both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority. My advice to both groups is simple: Stop acting like demagogues and start acting like responsible leaders. The bridge is unsafe and needs to be repaired, and it is outside the Temple Mount area. Get over the fact that Israel is the one fixing it!

The Sword and the Menorah

These three images are from an Associated Press article reporting on today's announcement about the latest archaeological finds in Jerusalem. I'll be talking more about this discovery on Saturday's program, but I thought you might enjoy seeing these pictures now. The one picture shows the drainage tunnel that has now been uncovered in Jerusalem. It ran along the street that extended from the Temple Mount down to the Pool of Siloam. The other pictures show the sketch of the menorah on a piece of stone as well as the remains of a Roman sword, still in its leather scabbard. These were both found in this tunnel. They are the latest in a string of amazing discoveries still being made in Jerusalem!

A Bell from a Priest's Robe

In the Book of Exodus God gave specific instructions concerning the garments to be worn by the priests. One detail seems, at first, to be somewhat unusual...decorative bells and pomegranates that were to be fastened to the bottom of the priests' robes.

Here's the specific command from Exodus 28:33-35:
"And you shall make on its hem pomegranates of blue and purple and scarlet material, all around on its hem, and bells of gold between them all around: a golden bell and a pomegranate, a golden bell and a pomegranate, all around on the hem of the robe. And it shall be on Aaron when he ministers; and its tinkling may be heard when he enters and leaves the holy place before the LORD, that he may not die."

Archaeologists in Jerusalem may just have discovered one of the bells described in this passage! While excavating a drainage ditch from a street that ran along the western end of the Temple Mount, they uncovered a small golden bell (see above) that had evidently fallen off a priest's garment and rolled into the ditch. The bell had a loop on top to allow that would allow it to be fastened to the hem of the robe.

The bell that was discovered is from the Second Temple period, nearly 1,500 years after God first gave the command to Moses. It's another reminder that the Jewish people in the New Testament era were still being careful to follow the guidelines laid down by God for temple worship.

If you would like to read more about this amazing discovery, click here.

Mary Gardner

The woman killed in the recent Jerusalem bombing was Mary Gardner. Most news media are reporting she was a British tourist or student. That's not quite the whole story.

Mary Gardner was a Scottish believer who served with Wycliffe Bible Translators doing Bible translation in Togo. She was in Jerusalem studying at the Home for Bible Translators & Scholars founded by Halvor and Mirja Ronning, wonderful believers whom I first met in 1984. Mary was studying in their program, offered in cooperation with Hebrew University, to gain greater proficiency in Hebrew. She was dedicated to providing the most accurate translation of God's Word for the people of Togo.

In the language of the day, Mary Gardner was "collateral damage" of a bomb intended to kill and wound Jews. Because she was living in Jerusalem she just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. Or that's how it might seem to those who don't believe God is sovereign. Mary's death was not a surprise to God.

This side of eternity we will not fully understand why God would choose to take His servant home before she had completed her translation. These are the times when we must walk by faith and trust that God can indeed cause all things to work for good, even when we struggle to discover what that good might be.

This is a time for followers of Christ to unite in prayer. Pray for Mary's parents who must deal with the tragic loss of their daughter. Pray for Mary's colleagues at Wycliffe who are also grieving. Pray for the people of Togo, and ask God to raise up someone to take her place and complete this translation of His Word. Pray for the people of Jerusalem who have been impacted by the bombing, and ask God to use the story of Mary's life to point others to Him.

And pray for the peace of Jerusalem. Ask God to thwart the plans of those seeking to take innocent life in the name of false religious beliefs.

Disruption in Jerusalem

Most people reading the title of my post might wonder if another terrorist incident might have taken place. It has not!

But today, our group--along with hundreds of others--struggled through a severe disruption in Jerusalem. And the cause? The Jerusalem marathon!

The municipality laid out a course that took thousands of runners through some of the most historic parts of Jerusalem. The only problem was that the circuit produced a large area within the center of the city that was totally closed to traffic. Any buses or taxis inside the circuit were trapped from 6 a.m. until 2 p.m. They couldn't leave!

Our driver was very smart. He drove his bus outside the race route last night. We had to walk to the Old City for our morning tour, but we connected with our driver at St. Stephen's Gate for our afternoon tour to the south of the city. A friend of mine was not as fortunate. His driver had received word that the part of the route near their hotel would not close until 7 a.m. Unfortunately, that information was incorrect. Their bus was trapped, and they were forced to "improvise" for much of the day.

I took the picture above showing the marathon in progress. This was taken just inside Jaffa Gate and shows the runners as they entered the Old City of Jerusalem.

Another amazing day!

Report from Jerusalem

I just returned to my hotel after a day of touring in Jerusalem. Our group was at Yad Vashem--Israel's Holocaust museum--when we received news of the first bus bombing to take place in Jerusalem in seven years. We had spent the afternoon in West Jerusalem, the general area where the bombing occurred, but we did not hear the bomb go off. The news, however, spread very quickly via mobile phone, so we were aware of what had happened within a few minutes of the attack itself. The most immediate impact on our group was the rapid increase in security at Yad Vashem and on the streets...and the traffic jam in Jerusalem that resulted as the police searched for the bomber.

For family and friends, let me also add some additional details to help you look beyond the media coverage of this event to more accurately understand the current situation here in Israel. The bombing took place near the convention center at a public bus stop. It was specifically intended to target Israelis using public transportation.

As I write this post, the news being reported is that one person was killed and about thirty-five wounded. One preliminary report said the woman killed might be an American citizen. If this is true, it's possible she was a resident of Jerusalem since few tourists use public transportation. Police are still searching for the bomber who may have placed the bomb at the bus stop and then detonated it remotely, possibly with a cell phone. Reports are still sketchy since the event happened just a few hours ago.

Do I still feel safe here in Jerusalem with our group? Yes I do. The incident, as horrible as it is, was specifically designed to target Israelis. The bomb was detonated at a public bus stop used by local riders of the Egged bus system. Tourist sites--and tourist buses--were not the target.

Will this incident impact tours? It probably will...but not in ways you might expect. We have already changed the touring schedule for our current Moody trip for the next two days. The basic change is that we have dropped our planned visit to Bethlehem. I personally would have no problem traveling to Bethlehem, but as a tour leader I will always err on the side of caution. Until the current situation settles down, we will not be visiting Palestinian-controlled areas.

Will Israel respond? Almost certainly they will. There are already reports of Palestinians being arrested in East Jerusalem and in the West Bank. Israel will do everything possible to find and punish those responsible for this attack. Much like the U.S. response to the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Israel will do whatever is necessary to protect the safety and security of its citizens.

I'll report back as new details come available.

Hysteria and Archaeology

Israel National News has reported on the restoration of a 2,000-year-old drainage tunnel in Jerusalem. Anywhere else this would be a fascinating piece of historical and archaeological trivia, but in Jerusalem it becomes an international incident.

The drainage tunnel dates back to the time of the Second Temple, and the tunnel extends from just south of the Temple Mount down the Central Valley toward the Pool of Siloam. Part of the tunnel is now open to the public. I actually had an opportunity to walk through a small part of the tunnel while it was still being excavated, and it was amazing.

These excavations shed light on Josephus' description of the fall of Jerusalem to the Romans in A.D. 70. Josephus wrote that some Jews tried to hide underground but that the Romans broke up the ground to find and kill them (Wars 6.9.4). No doubt this drainage tunnel was one of the underground spots where these Jewish refugees tried to hide, and in places the stone blocks covering the tunnel had been pried up, confirming the thoroughness of the Roman search for survivors. This archaeological dig helps bring that tragic period of history to light.

Sadly, the archaeological significance of the dig might be overshadowed by hysteria spawned by politics. Charges have already been raised that the dig is threatening the Al Aqsa Mosque. Egypt's Ahram Online captures the hysteria in its caption for the story: "Israel's Aqsa mosque dig-project complete."

But does the project threaten the Al Aqsa mosque? Look carefully at the Google Earth photo I've included with this post. I have labeled the Dome of the Rock, the Al Aqsa mosque, the Western Wall, and the Davidson Archaeological Center (which is where the northern end of the tunnel is located). I've also traced the approximate route the tunnel takes on its 600-meter journey down the Central Valley toward the Pool of Siloam. Note that the excavations do not extend under the Temple Mount, nor to they threaten the Al Aqsa mosque.

Watch for stories about this discovery in your local news. And if they report the excavations threaten Islamic holy sites, please write or call them to point out their error. Reports containing such false statements can lead others to believe such statements are true...when they are not.

Putting "Occupied Territories" in Perspective

Yesterday, Israel's cabinet voted to allocate 85 million shekels (ca. $23 million) to upgrade the Western Wall area to better accommodate the nearly eight million visitors to the site each year. If you have not been to Israel, the Western Wall is sometimes referred to as Wailing Wall. It's a holy site for religious Jews because historically it was the closest spot to their former temple where they could go to worship.

The Palestinian Authority immediately condemned Israel's decision, claiming "Israel does not have permission to make changes in the occupied territories, especially in Jerusalem." And perhaps this statement best defines the level of insanity that passes for diplomacy in the Middle East.

Is the Western Wall in the territory captured by Israel in 1967? Yes. Is it occupied territory? Not any longer. Let me explain. The Western Wall is actually part of the retaining wall built by Herod the Great as part of his temple renovations that began just prior to the birth of Jesus. The wall was built by Jewish artisans to help support the buildings that were part of their Jewish temple complex.

Though the Jewish people were expelled from Jerusalem in A.D. 70 and A.D. 135, their heart-song was always to return. And over the centuries thousands did. By the end of the 1800s the majority population of Jerusalem was Jewish. The picture above was taken by G. Erick Matson sometime between 1900 and 1920. It shows Jewish men and women praying at the Western Wall. So many Jews lived in this part of the Old City that it was--and still is--known as the Jewish Quarter.

When Israel became a state in 1948, it was attacked by several surrounding nations. Jordanian forces attacked the Old City of Jerusalem and forced the Jewish inhabitants to surrender. Those inhabitants were then expelled from the Old City, and the Jewish Quarter (including the Western Wall) came under Jordanian Control. I believe at that point it became occupied territory. In the 1967 Six-Day War Israel captured the Old City and liberated the Jewish Quarter.

The Western Wall is a Jewish possession. They built it, they inhabited the area around it until being expelled in 1948, they recaptured it in 1967, and they have every right to maintain and upgrade it to benefit those who visit the site. Don't let the phrase "occupied territory" get applied to this piece of land!

Two sides to every story

I'm a lifelong Bugs Bunny fan, and a situation today reminded me of the 1950 cartoon, "Homeless Hare." In that cartoon Bugs fights to defend his rabbit hole from a construction worker trying to build a high-rise building over it. Bugs wins in the end...and tells the audience why his home was worth fighting for. "After all, a man's home is his castle."

So what made me think of that classic cartoon? Actually, it was a visit by former President Jimmy Carter to a group of protesters in East Jerusalem. Carter, and other members of a group called "The Elders," spoke to the protesters in the Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood of Jerusalem. According to an account of the meeting in the Jerusalem Post, "Carter addressed the crowd, stating that he does not believe that destroying houses or evicting families from homes they have inhabited for generations are just actions that can lead to peace."

And now perhaps you can see why the Bugs Bunny cartoon came to mind. On the surface it would appear that Carter was voicing a classic American value--one shared with the likes of Bugs Bunny--when he stood to support those protesting the forced eviction of families and the destruction of their homes.

But is this the whole story?

In an interesting twist, I also came across another story today about the destruction of 22 Arab houses in the area of Silwan in Jerusalem. The article, in Arutz Sheva, was an interview with Edna Friedman who holds the Israeli Heritage portfolio in the Jerusalem municipality. She provided a different perspective on why the homes in Silwan were being demolished. "For centuries, including under Ottoman, British and Jordanian rule, the Gan Hamelech compound was open, forested space – preserved by the ruling powers for its historic and archaeological value....Beginning in 1967, however, Arab squatters began building illegal structures in the compound, and today there are some 120 buildings there. It is these illegally built squats that are at the heart of the controversy in the Silwan neighborhood today, as demonstrators riot against Israel's intentions to clear the site of the illegally built structures...."

So the buildings being destroyed in Silwan are not homes that had been inhabited for generations. They are relatively recent, and they were constructed illegally. That's certainly a different perspective than one would get from listening to President Carter. But isn't it still wrong to single out just the homes of Arab residents? It might be, were that true. But it's not.

Friedman sets the record straight. "This is not about discrimination against Arabs, but I believe that the law must be enforced for everyone. If the authorities can move against Beit Yehonatan, a Jewish-owned building in the neighborhood, on the grounds that it is too tall and that zoning laws prohibit a multi-story building, certainly the laws have to be enforced against Arabs who built homes illegally."

I'm disappointed President Carter chose to present just one side of the story in the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians. The situation is complex...and simplistic generalizations won't help resolve complex issues.