2. DISCLAIMERS:
Because I am willing
to criticize Israel’s choices
about Palestine, that
I am not an expert on makes my views different
Israel and Palestine. from most Americans,
including almost all
I am, however, an American Jews, who tend
expert on my to not criticize Israel.
experiences in Israel
and Palestine. My views are unpopular.
My views come from Many people would
my experience of judge me negatively for
what I saw and heard my views.
on my trip as well as
research and news AFSC/Quakers tend to
watching before I hold similar views to
went. mine.
3. I want there
to be a State
of Israel.
I also want
justice and
equality for
Palestinians.
It is my view
that Israel
has policies
against
Palestine
that do not
lead to
peaceful
outcomes.
4. BUT BEFORE THERE WAS ISRAEL…
The region that
now contains
present-day
Israel and
Palestine was
controlled by
the Ottoman
Empire (Turkey)
from 1517 –
1917.
In 1917, that
same area was
controlled by
the British in
something
called the
British
Mandate.
http://www.defence.pk/forums/mil
itary-photos-multimedia/48357-
palestine-ottoman-empire.html
5. The land had been populated with Arab Muslims, Arab Christians, and some
Jews. They lived together in relative peace and equality for many centuries.
6. MEANWHILE BACK IN EUROPE…
Life in Europe
for Jews from
the Middle
Ages through
the Holocaust
was extremely
difficult at best
and at worst,
very deadly.
Jews faced
discrimination
and the
possibility of
violence
almost
constantly.
7. Some Jews did enjoy prosperity and safety (i.e. in Germany before
WWI), but it always seemed fragile, as if Jews had to rely on others to
ensure their safety.
World Response to WWI vs. WWII
German Jews leaving Germany in the 1930s, German Federal Archives. (photo: courtesy Ethan Bensinger)
http://www.timesofisrael.com/yekke-renewal-a-new-project-traces-the-remnants-of-german-jewish-culture/
8. ZIONISM
•Zion is a Biblical term that refers to the land Jews believe was given to them by
God.
•Since the mid1800s, some European Jews wanted to establish a Jewish nation in
the Middle East, a place with historical and Biblical connections for Jews.
•The people who wanted this Jewish nation and worked hard to make it happen
are called “Zionists”.
• The man who really championed the Zionist cause was Theodor Herzl.
9. ZIONISM
• Jews from Europe began moving to “Zion” starting in the
mid 1800s.
• They set up homes, farms, and businesses mostly
peacefully, sometimes not so peacefully.
• After WWII, creating a Jewish state for the millions of
European Jews who were pouring out of the concentration
camps had a lot of urgency.
• Nations around the world, especially the allied nations of
the U.S. and Great Britain supported the idea of creating a
Jewish state.
10. "A land without a people
for a people without a land."
• Zionists used this phrase to suggest that no one was living in what would
become the State of Israel.
• It makes the land seem empty of people and available for others.
• In fact, there were nearly 1 mm people living in the area that would
become Israel.
• They had homes, farms, families, businesses for generations.
• These people are called Palestinians. They were a mix of lots of religions:
Christians, Muslims, Jews, Druze, Samaritans…
• In 1945, they did not have their own nation. They lived under the British
Mandate.
11. •In 1947, The U.N. separated the land into an Arab and Jewish state, but the
Arabs did not accept the partition and war broke out.
•In the War of 1948 that led to the founding of Israel, about 725,000
Palestinians were forcibly removed from their farms and out of their homes.
•They are not allowed to
return to their land ever.
•Israelis call the War
“The War of
Independence”;
Palestinians call it
“Nakba”
(The Catastrophe).
• In protest, Arab countries
refused to recognize
Israel and live in peace.
www.theatlantic.com
12. •Each side believes different versions of the same history.
• In Israel, where 1.5 mm Palestinians live, their version of history is not taught or even
acknowledged in the Israeli school system.
•It’s as if it didn’t happen!
•So Palestinian students in Israel told us that they do not learn about the Nakba at all.
13. THE RESULTS
After Nakba, Palestinians wound up in three places:
1. Living in refugee camps/surrounding towns in Palestine.
Approx. 4 mm. in West Bank, Gaza, and East Jerusalem
Some families live in the camps 3 or 4 generations later!
2. Moving abroad (called the Diaspora).
Approx. 5 mm. worldwide
3. Living in the Al Jalazone
State of Israel as Refugee Camp,
Arab Israeli citizens. Ramallah.
1.5 mm.
wikipedia
14. Demographic Realities
Israel’s population today: 7.5 mm…includes 1.5 mm Arab
Palestinians
SO….6 mm Jews live in Israel
Palestine’s population today (WB/Gaza/E. Jerusalem): 4mm
SO…add 1.5 Arab Israelis + 4 mm = 5.5 mm Palestinians
Many people say that by 2020, Arabs will outnumber Jews…if
policies do not change, this will mean that a minority will rule
over a majority…similar to South Africa in 80s.
The Jewish priority is on increasing Jewish population:
making aliyah Jews moving to and becoming citizens
of Israel
Biblical reasoning “it’s where we belong..”
Economic reasoning
Political reasoning
15. THE LEGACY
1. An unending cycle of bad relations between the two groups
(****not all Israelis and Palestinians agree among themselves).
2. Bad feelings fuel bad actions based on mistrust and fear,
especially the fear of violence.
3. Many Arab and Muslim neighboring countries are angered by
their perception of what’s happening to fellow Arabs.
4. Palestinians feel especially wronged for historic as well as current
reasons.
5. Israel is more powerful and has the backing of the United States.
In my view, it abuses its power over Palestinians in a way that is
unjust.
6. The State of Israel’s main concern is security for its citizens.
7. Palestine’s main concerns are ending the Israeli Occupation and
all its injustices, the Right of Return, and becoming a recognized
nation.
54. Making Militarism Visible
In Israel militarism is everywhere.
Wherever you look you are bound to
come across its manifestations. But
what you may not see is how
embedded militarism is in Israel’s
collective perception. Militarism isn't
just about the presence of soldiers in
civil society, it is about the presence of
militaristic thinking in the way Israelis
view the world and the way they think
about it.
"Towards Tomorrow" by A. Ettinger
Photo Editor: A. Milner. Purchased 2001
55. “…Neither shall they learn war…”
Isaiah 2, 4
This presentation is an
introduction to some of the
aspects of militaristic perceptions,
both visible and more subtle, that
shape the lives of Israelis.
This is one perspective, but you
are encouraged to form your
own.
Photo: Activestills.org
56. Militaristic Surroundings
Wherever you go in Israel,
you are likely to come
across soldiers, often
carrying guns. This is a
fact of everyday life in
Israel.
Guns and soldiers are a
natural part of our
surroundings, as much as
cars and trees.
Photo: Esti Tsal
57. Militaristic Surroundings
Most Israelis, seeing
combat soldiers in a
bus station, will
probably think about
the hardships of
combat service, and
feel sympathy and
pride.
Photo: Esti Tsal
58. Militaristic Surroundings
Yaakov Turner, a
former Air Force
commander and
former mayor of
the city of Be'er
Sheba, used this
fighter airplane as
a city decoration.
Photo: Sergeiy Sandler
59. Militaristic Surroundings
Cannon relics are an
integral part of many
children's playgrounds.
The idea here is that it is
normal, even valuable,
for kids to be around war
memorabilia.
Photo: Tal Hayoun
60. Militarized Education
Hundreds of
soldiers, stationed in
schools, are serving
as teachers and
youth guides. They
are sent there to
assist the teachers
and also to directly
promote military
service among the
students.
Taken from the IDF personnel website
http://www.aka.idf.il/chinuch/gallery/?catid=42929
61. Militarized Education
The army operates
extensive programs,
including a basic training
week, visits from officers
and school trips,
designed to promote
military service. The
students are compelled
to participate as these
are considered regular
school activities.
Photo: Activestills.org
62. Militarized Education
All schools promote
military service as an ideal
form of service to the
country.
A paramilitary ceremony in a
renowned Haifa high school,
held jointly by the school and the
adjacent military academy.
Cadets and students, marching
together on the playing field.
Photo: Activestills.org
63. Militaristic Education
The curriculum is full of
naturalizing or positive
references to wars and the
military, reaffirming the bond
between Israelis and their
army.
This is a worksheet for kindergarten
children, asking them to draw a line
between state images, peace
symbols, tanks, fighter planes and
the IDF symbol, and the
corresponding number.
Courtesy of Amir Terkel
65. Militarized Parenting
Parents have a very specific
role in relation to the army:
support.
This ad represents, and
appropriates, this idealized
relationship.
this ad reads:
Baking from the heart
When my boy comes home from the
army, he deserves extraordinary pastry.
Shimrit (Baking Yeast)
66. Militarized Parenting
The mothers' role in particular
is not just to support, but also
to worry. It's a role designated
for those who have no say in
the matter.
This ad reads:
“My boy is a combat soldier. The tension,
the stress, the phone calls… I asked my
pharmacist for Calmanervin, and it helped
me relax. I'm back to functioning as I
should.”
Ad by Lichtenson, 2000
67. Militarized Parenting
Fathers, on the other hand,
are expected to prepare their
children for military service;
not in the sense of actual
training, but by example, by
sharing stories of their positive
experiences, the camaraderie
of soldiers, amusing
anecdotes of life as a soldier,
etc.
Photo:
http://kennysideshow.blogspot.com/2
008/11/other-election-circus.html
68. Militaristic Economy
•Israeli society is heavily invested in its security. A glance at the
budget is all you need to see its priorities. The security budget is not
only the largest budget item, it is the most untouchable one.
Data taken from the Treasury department website
http://ozar.mof.gov.il/budget2007/index2008.htm
69. Militaristic Economy
•Israel's security spending is enormous even when compared to
other countries.
A 2009
comparison of
the security
budget as a
percentage of
GDP.
Israel USA Great Germany Canada NATO Global
Britain average average
Source: Yedioth Achronot Newspaper, 1/12/2009
70. Militaristic Economy
•Having a militaristic economy has its benefits. The Israeli security-
industrial complex is one of the largest and most profitable in the
world. Israel frequently innovates and tests weapons and security
technology, making a company like Plasan-Sasa its "2010 Exporter
of the Year“.
"Plasan's solutions for military vehicles, fixed- and rotary-wing aircraft, civilian vehicles, and
personal protection systems include a suite of technologies skillfully integrated into a complete
protective system." taken from:
http://www.plasansasa.com/content/survivability-solutions
71. Militarstic Economy
The economic benefits work both
ways. Financial companies rely
heavily on aligning their brand
with the army and soldiers.
The ad, printed during the Second Lebanon War, reads
as follows:
I.D.F.
Biggest on security
Mega Supermarket Chain embraces and supports all
IDF soldiers.Thanks for everything.Take care of
yourselves!
Mega
Biggest on savings
72. Militaristic Gender
Do guns make
women equal? Can
we achieve equality in
an organization that
habitually casts
women in supporting
roles?
What happens to
women who want to
integrate in a male-
centric
establishment?
Photo: Rachel Papo 2004
www.rachelpapo.com/serial1.html
73. Militaristic Gender
A humorous postcard There are many hard ...Like push-ups for
intended to things in the army... instance...
congratulate recruits.
Military service is
often considered a
male rite of passage,
and a place for
women to snag a
husband.
"Condom
included!”
Illustration by
A. Albanogen, 2000
74. Militaristic Gender
Advertisers use deep-seeded
cultural preferences to promote
their products. In this case
they're using machismo to sell
underwear to soldiers.
"Warm Regards"
"Boxer shorts for soldiers."
Package cover, Lodjia, 2000
75. Militarism and Equality
The recurring
demolitions of the
Bedouin village of Al-
Araqib go on as most
Israelis aren't even
aware of them, and
would probably
support them. In a
society living on its
sword, violence is the
solution of choice.
Al-Araqib village demolition 27/7/2010
76. Militarism and Equality
A Palestinian
woman and
daughter sitting on
the remains of their
demolished house
in Lod, south of Tel
Aviv. Those who
aren't part of the
mainstream, like
Palestinians, are
left to fend for
themselves. by activestills.org
Taken
on 14/12/2010 i
77. Militarism and Identity
One of the most famous
Israeli idioms, inscribed on
one of the more famous
monuments, the roaring
lion, commemorates the
battle of Tel Hai, on March
1, 1920 and Joseph
Trumpeldor's last words:
"It is good to die for our
country".
78. Militarism and Identity
Every school has a memorial
for its graduates who have
died in action. Little Yasmin
passes this one every day
on her way to kindergarten.
What is she supposed to
learn about herself from this
monument?
Photo: Amir Terkel 2009
79. Militarism and Identity
A soldier and a
settler rejoicing in
Hebron. Israel's
Jewish identity and
its militaristic
tendencies play a
significant, and
interconnected role in
the ongoing
occupation of
Photo taken from the
"Breaking the Silence"
Palestine
exhibit
80. Militarism and Identity
An Israeli bride
celebrating her
wedding day by
posing for a photo
with an IDF mobile
artillery piece at a
kibbutz near the
northern Gaza
Strip. What does
the future hold for
her?
AP Haaretz 29/9/2005
81. “Study War
No More”
This version of the
exhibit was
created by Albert
Givol and Ruth
Hiller, with the
help of many New
Profile activists
and friends.
A New Profile Workshop on Militarism and Education in the Alternative Summer Camp 2006.
84. Looking up to
West Jerusalem.
To go in the Old City,
you descend.
To walk in Biblical Jerusalem, you
would need to be two-three stories
below street level.
85. The major architect of Biblical Jerusalem is King Herod.
Here is his tomb in the distance.
86. Is Old City in Israel or Palestine?
Israel annexed East Jerusalem (contains the Old City) in 1967. BUT…
The international community does not recognize that annexation.
87. Arabs in East Jerusalem do not consider themselves
to be citizens of Israel. Arabs have "residency"
in Jerusalem, but not citizenship Israel.
For all intents and purposes, the Old City is in Israel.
233. Tova Hartman, Founder
Proponent of “Devotional Resistance” uses what she calls the
self-correcting mechanisms found within Judaism.
“The faith is wounded and wounding.”
How could it be holy if someone is offended?”
234. “At first people said, ‘YOU fix it’ not “LET’S fix it together.”
A core practice at Shira Hadasha is to ensure that everyone
has a place to eat Sabbath dinner.
235.
236.
237.
238. Ophir Yarden
Director of Education of the Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel
Senior lecturer in Jewish and Israel studies at Brigham Young University’s
Jerusalem Center
303. Some scholars dispute that Jesus was born in
Bethlehem (no census records, Jesus of Nazareth).
Revisionist history to fit Messianic prophecy???
304. Matthew and Mark are the two gospels with accounts of the birth of Christ.
305. Mark speaks of the shepherds Matthew speaks of the Wise
Men
and angels.
(why 3? The gifts?)
In our imagination of Christmas,
we have blended the accounts.
306. There are 167,000 Arab Palestinian
Christians in the West Bank.
10,000 in Gaza; 123,000 in Israel.
307.
308.
309.
310. The Church of the Nativity:
Shared by two Christian sects.
311. Considered to be the oldest continuously
operating Christian church in the world.
319. In the 380s, St. Jerome
Translated the Bible
(Vulgate edition!)
from Hebrew and Greek
into Latin.
It took him 30 years,
and he did it from
this basement.
414. Founded in the mid 1500s by five
Christian families from what is today
Jordan, Ramallah (it means “God’s
hilltop”).
Nighttime population: 50,000
Daytop population: 150,000
It’s majority Muslim, but here are still
many Arab Christians in Ramallah.
416. Quakers have been in
Ramallah since 1869
(during the Ottoman
Empire) by
Eli and Sybil Jones
(Rufus Jones’s
relatives)
A 14 year old Arab girl asked them to start a school, and they did!
419. On the Wall: Yassir Arafat (former President of the PLO)
and Marwan Barghouti, considered the leader of the 1st and 2nd Intifadas, He is
currently imprisoned in an Israeli jail.
450. This sign is ironic. Placed on a wall in town by locals
after the date Palestine obtained member nation status at the UN.
451. How do you know you are in an Palestinian neighborhood?
These black water tanks on the rooftops!
452. The water agency pumps water to homes about twice per week.
when you run out, you run out. Sometimes neighbors
will share, creating poor water pressure and even more scarcity.
456. Ramallah is only 7 miles from Jerusalem, the de jure capital of Palestine.
Politics makes Ramallah the de facto capital.
Tons of NGOs, consulates, international aid groups have their HQ here.
548. Luke 1:26 And in the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of
Galilee, named Nazareth, 27 To a virgin espoused to a man whose name was Joseph,
of the house of David; and the virgin's name was Mary. 28 And the angel came in
unto her, and said, Hail, thou that art highly favoured, the Lord is with thee: blessed
'art' thou among women. 29 And when she saw him, she was troubled at his saying,
and cast in her mind what manner of salutation this should be. 30 And the angel said
unto her, Fear not, Mary: for thou hast found favour with God. 31 And, behold, thou
shalt conceive in thy womb, and bring forth a son, and shalt call his name
Jesus. 32 He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord
God shall give unto him the throne of his father David: 33 And he shall reign over the
house of Jacob for ever; and of his kingdom there shall be no end. 34 Then said Mary
unto the angel, How shall this be, seeing I know not a man? 35And the angel
answered and said unto her, The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power
of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be
born of thee shall be called the Son of God. 36 And, behold, thy cousin Elisabeth, she
hath also conceived a son in her old age: and this is the sixth month with her, who
was called barren. 37 For with God nothing shall be impossible. 38 And Mary said,
Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word. And the
angel departed from her.
549.
550.
551.
552.
553.
554.
555.
556.
557.
558.
559.
560.
561.
562.
563.
564.
565.
566.
567.
568.
569.
570.
571.
572.
573.
574.
575. Mount Tabor is located in the Jezreel Valley. Har Megiddo
(Armageddon), is across the Jezreel Valley.
Mount Tabor is the site of the Mount Tabor Battle between
Barak (under the leadership of the Israelite judge
Deborah), and the army of the Caananites in the mid 14 th c.
BCE (Kings Chapter 4)
576. Many Christians think it is also the site for the Transfiguration of
Jesus.
On the mountain, Jesus begins to shine with bright rays of light.
Then the prophets Moses and Elijah appear next to him and he
speaks with them. Jesus is called Son by a voice (assumed to be
God) coming from the sky.
577.
578. NABLUS AND ENVIRONS
Israeli checkpoint on the road to
Nablus, pop. 250,000
At various points since 2000, Israel
has blocked off Nablus Road, the
main artery. Once part of the Silk
Road.
579. Leaving Ramallah to Nablus, you pass by
Jelazone Refugee Camp. Sadly, I do not
have any pictures. Built to house 2,500,
now holds 14,000. Tear gas experience.
Israeli military installation looking over
Palestinian village.
584. Palestinian village of Lubban. Note
that it is built on the shoulders on
the hill and not the top. More
sustainable for agricultural heritage.
Closer to water sources and closer
to valley below the hill.
585. This is the 20 year old Israeli
settlement of Ma’ale Levona
overlooking Lubban. These folks
commute to Jersusalem to work in
service sector jobs. Water
pumped up the hill.
586.
587. Israel subsidizes settlements: land, mortgage loans, roads, electricity, water provision,
lowered tax bills, and SECURITY.
Very expensive for Israel. One estimate: $16,00/year/household to maintain settlements.
Some settlers are “ideological”. Most are what they call “economic settlers” seeking a
comfortable and affordable suburban lifestyle.
605. This Cannanite Temple and village dates back
5,000 years. It’s one the best examples from
the middle bronze era in the world.
606. The site sites in Shechem, the shoulder of the
mountains. One mountain is called Mt. Ebal (fire) the
other Mt. Gerzeim (water). Which is this one?
607.
608. Notice how the town comes right up to the edge.
The PA does not have a lot of money for archeology projects.
644. This Samaritan village is quite prosperous compared to nearby Arab villages.
They are interfaith go-betweens on all kinds of business deals!
645.
646.
647.
648. Only women can convert to becoming Samaritan, but it’s not
easy being a Samaritan woman.
Women are not
equal to men.
After delivering a
boy baby, the
Mother is
considered impure
for 40 days. If it’s a
girl, it’s 80 days!
A Snowball’s Chance Max Carter During the first week of our stay, we experienced weather that was nothing short of Apocalyptic! Bitter cold, driving rain, and unbelievable wind. But five days after our arrival, we awoke to a beautiful, gentle snowfall that covered Jerusalem in a blanket of white several inches deep. The students experienced their first “buddha thallij” (snow ice cream) and the fact that North carolina isn’t the only place where everything is cancelled on account of a little snow! Our travel plans and programs for two days were cancelled, but it allowed for a leisurely stroll thorugh the snow-hushed streets of the Old City and onto the plaza of the Western Wall. There we engaged in a friendly snowball fight with Israeli soldiers and random Palestinians both of whom had uncanny aim! The snow was a great equalizer, with all joining in the fun of the rare occasion. Even when I witnessed a Palestinian youth pelt an ultra-Orthodox Jew with a snowball, other Palestinian boys grabbed the hurler and stopped him from throwing any more – and other “Haredi” prevented the one hit by the snowball from retaliating. Peace is possible.
1. Jesus is condemned to death 2. Jesus carries his cross 3. Jesus falls the first time 4. Jesus meets his mother 5. Simon or Simon of Cyrene helps Jesus to carry the cross 6. Veronica wipes the face of Jesus 7. Jesus falls the second time 8. Jesus meets the women of Jerusalem 9. Jesus falls the third time 10. Jesus' clothes are taken away 11. Crucifixion : Jesus is nailed to the cross 12. Jesus dies on the cross 13. Jesus is taken down from the cross ( Deposition or Lamentation ) 14. Jesus is laid in the tomb .
The care over the church is shared by no less then six denominations. The primary custodians are the Greek Orthodox, Armenian Apostolic and Roman catholic church, with lesser duties shared by Coptic, Ethiopian and Syriac Orthodox churches.
The famous immovable ladder is a bizarre outcome of this religious stubbornness pushed to extremes. Some time in the first half of the 19th century, someone has placed a ladder up against the wall of the church. No one is sure who he was, or more importantly, to which sect he belonged. The ladder remains there to this date. No one dares touch it, lest they disturb the status quo, and provoke the wrath of others. The exact date when ladder was placed is not known but the first evidence of it comes from 1852. The ladder hasn't moved since.
Luke 19:37-42 New King James Version (NKJV) 37 Then, as He was now drawing near the descent of the Mount of Olives, the whole multitude of the disciples began to rejoice and praise God with a loud voice for all the mighty works they had seen, 38 saying: “ ‘ Blessed is the King who comes in the name of the LORD!’ [ a ] Peace in heaven and glory in the highest!” 39 And some of the Pharisees called to Him from the crowd, “Teacher, rebuke Your disciples.” 40 But He answered and said to them, “I tell you that if these should keep silent, the stones would immediately cry out.” Jesus Weeps over Jerusalem 41 Now as He drew near, He saw the city and wept over it, 42 saying, “If you had known, even you, especially in this your day, the things that make for your peace! But now they are hidden from your eyes.
Mark 14:30 New King James Version (NKJV) 30 Jesus said to him, “Assuredly, I say to you that today, even this night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny Me three times.”
The East Gate and the Prince 44 Then He brought me back to the outer gate of the sanctuary which faces toward the east, but it was shut. 2 And the LORD said to me, “This gate shall be shut; it shall not be opened, and no man shall enter by it, because the LORD God of Israel has entered by it; therefore it shall be shut. 3 As for the prince, because he is the prince, he may sit in it to eat bread before the LORD; he shall enter by way of the vestibule of the gateway, and go out the same way.”
The Prayer in the Garden 39 Coming out, He went to the Mount of Olives, as He was accustomed, and His disciples also followed Him. 40 When He came to the place, He said to them, “Pray that you may not enter into temptation.” 41 And He was withdrawn from them about a stone’s throw, and He knelt down and prayed, 42 saying, “Father, if it is Your will, take this cup away from Me; nevertheless not My will, but Yours, be done.” 43 Then an angel appeared to Him from heaven, strengthening Him. 44 And being in agony, He prayed more earnestly. Then His sweat became like great drops of blood falling down to the ground. [ b ] 45 When He rose up from prayer, and had come to His disciples, He found them sleeping from sorrow.
The location is the holiest site in Judaism and is the place Jews turn towards during prayer Judaism regards the Temple Mount as the place where God chose the Divine Presence or the Holy of Holies to rest (Isa 8:18); It was from the Holy of Holies that the High Priest communicated directly with God. it was from here the world expanded into its present form and where God gathered the dust used to create the first man, Adam . The site is the location of Abraham's binding of Isaac , and of two Jewish Temples . According to the Bible the site should function as the center of all national life—a governmental, judicial and, of course, religious center (Deut 12:5-26; 14:23-25; 15:20; 16:2-16; 17:8-10; 26: 2; 31: 11; Isa 2: 2-5; Oba 1:21; Psa 48). During the Second Temple Period it functioned also as an economical center. From that location the word of God will come out to all nations, and that is the site where all prayers are focused. According to Jewish tradition and scripture (2 Chronicles 3:1-2), the first temple was built by Solomon the son of David in 957 BCE and destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The second was constructed under the auspices of Zerubbabel in 516 BCE and destroyed by the Roman Empire in 70 CE. Jewish tradition maintains it is here the Third and final Temple will also be built.. Among Sunni Muslims, the Mount is widely considered to be the third holiest site in Islam. Consists of the Al Aqsa Mosque and the Dome of the Rock The location of Muhammad 's journey to Jerusalem and ascent to heaven Been there since about 700 CE The Dome is one of the oldest Islamic structures in the world, after the Kaabah . The Al Aqsa Mosque rests on the far southern side of the Mount, facing Mecca . The Dome of the Rock currently sits in the middle, occupying or close to the area where the Bible mandates the Holy Temple be rebuilt. In light of the dual claims of both Judaism and Islam, it is one of the most contested religious sites in the world. As part of the Old City, controlled by Israel since 1967, both Israel and the Palestinian Authority claim sovereignty over the site, which remains a major focal point of the Arab-Israeli conflict . In an attempt to keep the status quo, the Israeli government enforces a controversial ban on prayer by non-Muslim visitors. The Second Palestinian Intifada is often cited as being sparked by a visit made to the Temple Mount by Israeli opposition leader Ariel Sharon. He toured the site, together with a Likud party delegation and a large number of Israeli riot police, on September 28, 2000. The visit was seen as a provocative gesture by many Palestinians, who gathered around the site. Demonstrations soon turned violent, with both rubber bullets and tear gas being used. This event is often cited as one of the catalysts of the Second Intifada
As an American Jew, I was eager to go visit the Western Wall in Jerusalem, the holiest site in Judaism. I went to the women’s side, and I begged God to let me feel a sense of Divinity. Among the Orthodox women rocking back in forth in prayer, some with their faces wedged between the pages of their prayer books, I got nothin’. Almost every day on our trip I went back and I begged some more. Yes, I felt a spark of connection to my deceased grandparents who had once been at the same spot, and it’s true that was powerful. But, an enthralling sense of the Divine? Not so much. When you look around the Western Wall complex, you see loads of 20 year old Israeli soldiers carrying enormous M-16s in defense of the site. The Western Wall exists in a context and for me, that context is one of militarism. On the other side and just above of the Western Wall is the third holiest site in Islam, Haram Al Sharif. A five minute walk away is holiest site in Christianity, The Church of the Holy Sepulchre. I found it very sad that amid all this spiritual density what I felt most of all was not a sense of the Divine, but rather manufactured separation and fear.
A Close en-"Counter" For the first several days we were in Jerusalem, I did shopping for our group of eight students at a little grocery in the Christian Quarter near our guest house. Each time, I dealt with the same man behind the counter. Finally, he asked me where I was from, and I said that I was from the States, but that I once taught at the Friends Schools in Ramallah. He smiled and asked if I knew the former Principal there, Peter Kapenga, and I said that I did. When I asked how he knew him, he responded by saying that they had discussed a book about the Palestinian/Israeli struggle, "The Hour of Sunlight," together. I told him that I knew the book and had reviewed it favorably for an international Quaker journal - and that I had recommended it to the students to read before our trip. I then asked him if he knew the author, Sami alJundi. "I AM Sami al-Jundi," he replied! Needless to say, I arranged for him to meet with our group!
The King David Hotel bombing was an attack carried out on July 22, 1946 by the militant right-wing Zionist underground organization Menachim Begin and the Irgun on the British administrative headquarters for Palestine, which was housed in the King David Hotel in Jerusalem . [1] [2] [3] 91 people of various nationalities were killed and 46 were injured.
Mamilla ( Hebrew : ממילא ) was a neighbourhood of Jerusalem established in the late 19th century outside the Old City , west of the Jaffa Gate . It was a mixed Jewish-Arab business district. Between the 1948 Arab-Israeli War and the 1967 Six-Day War , it was located along the armistice line between the Israeli and Jordanian-held sector of the city and many buildings were destroyed by Jordanian shelling. The Israeli government approved an urban renewal project for Mamilla, apportioning land for residential and commercial zones, including hotels and office space. The Mamilla Mall opened in 2007.
“ The Bypass Road” Roads, tunnels, the barrier walls needed to travel to Jerusalem w/o going through Bethlehem because it’s perceived to be too dangerous since the Second Intifada
Gush Etzion is a cluster of Israeli settlements located directly south of Jerusalem and Bethlehem in the West Bank , Palestinian territories . The core group includes four Jewish agricultural villages that were founded in 1940-1947 on property purchased in the 1920s and 1930s, and destroyed by the Arab League before the outbreak of the 1948 Arab-Israeli War . These settlements were rebuilt after the 1967 Six-Day War , along with new communities that have expanded the area of the Etzion Bloc. The international community considers Israeli settlements in the West Bank illegal under international law , but the Israeli government disputes this. In 2011, Gush Etzion consists of 22 settlements with a population of 70,000. Efrat established in 1983; Meir moved there in 1993 10,000 residents Son is the manager, IDF 9 kids “ seeking a certain quality of life and community”
A symbol of the resilience of the Jews who determined to resettle the land after the 1967 War.
Sheikh Jarrah is a predominantly Palestinian neighborhood in East Jerusalem on the road to Mount Scopus . After the 1948 Arab-Israeli War , it straddled the no-man's land area between Jordanian -held East Jerusalem and Israeli -held West Jerusalem until the neighborhood was occupied by Israel in the 1967 Six-Day War . It is currently the center of a number of property disputes between Palestinians and Jewish Israelis.
The Siege of the Church of the Nativity in Bethlehem lasted from April 2 to May 10, 2002 in Bethlehem in the West Bank . As part of Operation Defensive Shield , the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) occupied Bethlehem and tried to capture wanted Palestinian militants . Dozens of them fled into the Church of the Nativity and sought refuge. Further more, there were some 200 monks and other Palestinians who arrived at the site for different reasons, and were held as hostages by the gunmen. [3] After 39 days, an agreement was reached, according to which the militants turned themselves in to Israel and were exiled to Europe and the Gaza Strip .
About us: At Tent of Nations, our mission is building bridges between people, and between people to the land. At Tent of Nations, we bring people of various cultures together to build bridges of understanding, reconciliation, and peace. As part of this mission, we sponsor educational projects at Daher’s Vineyard, our organic farm, located in the hills southwest of Bethlehem, Palestine. Our farm is a center where people from many different countries come together to build bridges of trust and hope. The long-term goal of The Tent of Nations is to prepare youth to make positive contributions to their future and society through the values of understanding, tolerance, and respectful coexistence. These goals are achieved through education-awareness campaigns, youth empowerment , and work camps . The Tent of Nations is located on a piece of land south west of Bethlehem 10 km away from the city near the village of Nahalin. This land is under threat of confiscation by the Israeli military, therefore we set projects which aim to demonstrate solidarity with the local people and to keep the land productive, keeping the Tent of Nations projects alive.
Neve Shalom/Wahat al-Salam (“Oasis of Peace” in Hebrew and Arabic) is the only community in Israel where Jews and Arabs have chosen to live and educate their children together. The village was founded in 1972 by Father Bruno Hussar, a Jew by birth and a Catholic by conversion, who envisioned a manifestation of the Old Testament prophecy that “My people shall dwell in an oasis of peace.” (Isaiah 32:18). Over 30 years later, this “Oasis of Peace” consists of 55 families, half Jewish-Israeli and half Palestinian-Israeli, who have created an environment of trust, understanding, and respect in a community located midway between Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Welcoming people of all faiths, this community is governed by a democratically elected mayor and council. By fostering tools of bilingualism and binationalism, the residents of the village exert a positive influence on the conflict that surrounds them. Through the village’s three main educational institutions and other programs the community’s influence extends beyond its own borders, setting an example that Palestinians and Jews can live together equally with mutual respect for each other.
Jesus Walks on the Sea 22 Immediately Jesus made His disciples get into the boat and go before Him to the other side, while He sent the multitudes away. 23 And when He had sent the multitudes away, He went up on the mountain by Himself to pray. Now when evening came, He was alone there. 24 But the boat was now in the middle of the sea, [ a ] tossed by the waves, for the wind was contrary. 25 Now in the fourth watch of the night Jesus went to them, walking on the sea. 26 And when the disciples saw Him walking on the sea, they were troubled, saying, “It is a ghost!” And they cried out for fear. 27 But immediately Jesus spoke to them, saying, “Be of good cheer! It is I; do not be afraid.” 28 And Peter answered Him and said, “Lord, if it is You, command me to come to You on the water.” 29 So He said, “Come.” And when Peter had come down out of the boat, he walked on the water to go to Jesus. 30 But when he saw that the wind was boisterous, [ b ] he was afraid; and beginning to sink he cried out, saying, “Lord, save me!” 31 And immediately Jesus stretched out His hand and caught him, and said to him, “O you of little faith, why did you doubt?” 32 And when they got into the boat, the wind ceased. 33 Then those who were in the boat came and [ c ] worshiped Him, saying, “Truly You are the Son of God.”
The Gospel according to St. Matthew5 The Beginning of the Sermon on the Mount 1 And seeing the multitudes, he went up into a mountain: and when he was set, his disciples came unto him: 2 and he opened his mouth, and taught them, saying, The Beatitudes Lk. 6.20-23 3 ¶ Blessed are the poor in spirit: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 4 ¶ Blessed are they that mourn: for they shall be comforted. Is. 61.2 5 ¶ Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth. Ps. 37.11 6 ¶ Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness: for they shall be filled. Is. 55.1 , 2 7 ¶ Blessed are the merciful: for they shall obtain mercy. 8 ¶ Blessed are the pure in heart: for they shall see God. Ps. 24.4 , 5 9 ¶ Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God. 10 ¶ Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake: 1 Pet. 3.14 for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. 11 ¶ Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake. 1 Pet. 4.14 12 Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets 2 Chr. 36.16 · Acts 7.52 which were before you. The Salt of the Earth 13 ¶ Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savor, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men. Mk. 9.50 · Lk. 14.34 , 35 The Light of the World 14 ¶ Ye are the light of the world. Joh. 8.12 ; 9.5 A city that is set on a hill cannot be hid. 15 Neither do men light a candle, and put it under a bushel, but on a candlestick; Mk. 4.21 · Lk. 8.16 ; 11.33 and it giveth light unto all that are in the house. 16 Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. 1 Pet. 2.12 Jesus' Attitude toward the Law 17 ¶ Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil. 18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled. Lk. 16.17 19 Whosoever therefore shall break one of these least commandments, and shall teach men so, he shall be called the least in the kingdom of heaven: but whosoever shall do and teach them, the same shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven. 20 For I say unto you, That except your righteousness shall exceed the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees, ye shall in no case enter into the kingdom of heaven. Jesus' Attitude toward Anger Lk. 12.57-59 21 ¶ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not kill; Ex. 20.13 · Deut. 5.17 and whosoever shall kill shall be in danger of the judgment: 22 but I say unto you, That whosoever is angry with his brother without a cause shall be in danger of the judgment: and whosoever shall say to his brother, Raca, shall be in danger of the council: but whosoever shall say, Thou fool, shall be in danger of hell fire. 23 Therefore if thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee; 24 leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. 25 Agree with thine adversary quickly, while thou art in the way with him; lest at any time the adversary deliver thee to the judge, and the judge deliver thee to the officer, and thou be cast into prison. 26 Verily I say unto thee, Thou shalt by no means come out thence, till thou hast paid the uttermost farthing. Jesus' Attitude toward Adultery 27 ¶ Ye have heard that it was said by them of old time, Thou shalt not commit adultery: Ex. 20.14 · Deut. 5.18 28 but I say unto you, That whosoever looketh on a woman to lust after her hath committed adultery with her already in his heart. 29 And if thy right eye offend thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Mt. 18.9 · Mk. 9.47 30 And if thy right hand offend thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee: for it is profitable for thee that one of thy members should perish, and not that thy whole body should be cast into hell. Mt. 18.8 · Mk. 9.43 Jesus' Attitude toward Divorce 31 ¶ It hath been said, Whosoever shall put away his wife, let him give her a writing of divorcement: Deut. 24.1-4 · Mt. 19.7 · Mk. 10.4 32 but I say unto you, That whosoever shall put away his wife, saving for the cause of fornication, causeth her to commit adultery: and whosoever shall marry her that is divorced committeth adultery. Mt. 19.9 · Mk. 10.11 , 12 · Lk. 16.18 · 1 Cor. 7.10 , 11 Jesus' Attitude toward Oaths 33 ¶ Again, ye have heard that it hath been said by them of old time, Thou shalt not forswear thyself, Lev. 19.12 but shalt perform unto the Lord thine oaths: Num. 30.2 · Deut. 23.21 34 but I say unto you, Swear not at all; Jas. 5.12 neither by heaven; for it is God's throne: Is. 66.1 · Mt. 23.22 35 nor by the earth; for it is his footstool: Is. 66.1 neither by Jerusalem; for it is the city of the great King. Ps. 48.2 36 Neither shalt thou swear by thy head, because thou canst not make one hair white or black. 37 But let your communication be, Yea, yea; Nay, nay: for whatsoever is more than these cometh of evil. Love for Enemies Lk. 6.27-36 38 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth: Ex. 21.24 · Lev. 24.20 · Deut. 19.21 39 but I say unto you, That ye resist not evil: but whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also. 40 And if any man will sue thee at the law, and take away thy coat, let him have thy cloak also. 41 And whosoever shall compel thee to go a mile, go with him twain. 42 Give to him that asketh thee, and from him that would borrow of thee turn not thou away. 43 ¶ Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbor, Lev. 19.18 and hate thine enemy. 44 But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you; 45 that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. 46 For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? 47 And if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? 48 Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect. Deut. 18.13
Tabgha ( Arabic : الطابغة , al-Tabigha ; Hebrew : עין שבע , Ein Sheva ) is an area situated on the north-western shore of the Sea of Galilee in Israel . It is the traditional site of the miracle of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes ( Mark 6:30-46 ) and the fourth resurrection appearance of Jesus ( John 21:1-24 ) in Christianity . Until 1948, it was the site of an Arab village.
Feeding the Five Thousand 30 Then the apostles gathered to Jesus and told Him all things, both what they had done and what they had taught. 31 And He said to them, “Come aside by yourselves to a deserted place and rest a while.” For there were many coming and going, and they did not even have time to eat. 32 So they departed to a deserted place in the boat by themselves. 33 But the multitudes [ a ] saw them departing, and many knew Him and ran there on foot from all the cities. They arrived before them and came together to Him. 34 And Jesus, when He came out, saw a great multitude and was moved with compassion for them, because they were like sheep not having a shepherd. So He began to teach them many things. 35 When the day was now far spent, His disciples came to Him and said, “This is a deserted place, and already the hour is late. 36 Send them away, that they may go into the surrounding country and villages and buy themselves bread; [ b ] for they have nothing to eat.” 37 But He answered and said to them, “You give them something to eat.” And they said to Him, “Shall we go and buy two hundred denarii worth of bread and give them something to eat?” 38 But He said to them, “How many loaves do you have? Go and see.” And when they found out they said, “Five, and two fish.” 39 Then He commanded them to make them all sit down in groups on the green grass. 40 So they sat down in ranks, in hundreds and in fifties. 41 And when He had taken the five loaves and the two fish, He looked up to heaven, blessed and broke the loaves, and gave them to His disciples to set before them; and the two fish He divided among them all. 42 So they all ate and were filled. 43 And they took up twelve baskets full of fragments and of the fish. 44 Now those who had eaten the loaves were about [ c ] five thousand men.
he Shrine of the Báb is a structure in Haifa , Israel where the remains of the Báb , founder of Bábism and forerunner of Bahá'u'lláh in the Bahá'í Faith , have been buried; it is considered to be the second holiest place on Earth for Bahá'ís, after the Shrine of Bahá'u'lláh in Acre .
1/15/13 Kali Natha Yoga in the State of Israel: Under a crescent moon, a blanket of stars, a red neon cross, and the call to prayer. Om Shanti Shanti Shanti. I am grateful for a million reasons tonight.
While in the Galilee, we stayed at the lovely guest accommodations of the Mar Elias Educational Institution in Ibillin, a place where we've done volunteer work each summer for many years. During our work project in 2004, we helped prepare a new building constructed on a site carved out of the side of steep hill; that building now houses those guest quarters, and our bus was parked at the base of the sheer rock face left from the slicing away of the mountain. On the morning we were to leave, I pushed the students to board the bus by 8:30 a.m. for a busy day's itinerary. Being college students, they begged for a later departure, but I insisted, and we motored away at 8:40 with only a minimum amount of kvetching! That evening when we arrived at our next destination, I received an e-mailed photo of the enormous boulders that had fallen from that rock face - exactly on the spot where the bus had been parked only minutes before! We missed being flattened by a hair's breadth! G-d may not only have the hairs of our head counted - but also the optimal time for college students to make like a "hare" and skedaddle away from pancake time!
Kibbutz - a communal farm in Israël, cooperatively owned, with members who receive no pay but who gain housing, clothing, medical care, and education from the cooperative. Kibbutz Snir now offers wages… Established in 1967 Approx. 500 people live there
The Israeli West Bank barrier is a separation barrier ( see " Names of the barrier " ) under construction by the State of Israel along and within the West Bank . Upon completion, the barrier's total length will be approximately 700 kilometres (430 mi). [1] 90% of the length of this barrier is a fence with vehicle-barrier trenches surrounded by an on-average 60 metres (200 ft) wide exclusion area, and 10% of the barrier is an 8 metres (26 ft)-tall concrete wall. [2] The barrier is built mainly in the West Bank and partly along the 1949 Armistice line, or "Green Line" between Israel and Palestinian West Bank. According to the Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, 8.5% of the West Bank area is on the Israeli side of the barrier, and 3.4% is on the other side but "partly or completely surrounded". [3] Israel argues that the barrier is necessary to protect Israeli civilians from Palestinian terrorism, including the suicide bombing attacks that increased significantly during theSecond Intifada. [4] There has been a reduced number of incidents of suicide bombings since the construction of the barrier. According to statistics published by the Israeli government, between 2000 and July 2003, when the "first continuous segment" of the barrier was built, 73Palestinian suicide bombings were carried out from the West Bank, killing 293 Israelis and injuring over 1,900. However, from August 2003 and the end of 2006, only 12 attacks were carried out, killing 64 Israelis and wounding 445. [5] Supporters argue that this is indicative of the barrier being effective in preventing such attacks. [6] Opponents of the barrier object that the route substantially deviates from the Green Line into the occupied territories captured by Israel in the Six-Day War of 1967. They argue that the barrier is an illegal attempt to annex Palestinian land under the guise of security, [7] violates international law, [8] has the effect of undermining negotiations (by establishing new borders), [9] and severely restricts Palestinians who live nearby, particularly their ability to travel freely within the West Bank and to access work in Israel. [9] In a 2004 advisory opinionresulting from a Palestinian-initiated U.N. resolution, the International Court of Justiceconsidered that "Israel cannot rely on a right of self-defence or on a state of necessity in order to preclude the wrongfulness of the construction of the wall". The Court asserted that "the construction of the wall, and its associated régime, are contrary to international law". [10]
I do not want to talk about the fact that while I was in Palestine, my group had some belongings (a laptop, a camera, cash) stolen. I feel like Palestinians get a bad rap, branded as untrustworthy at best and as inherently violent at worst. I don’t want to add to those false stereotypes. Let me focus instead on the immediacy and professionalism of the police officers in Ramallah. On the kindness of our Palestinian friends from Guilford College who stuck by us and helped translate and navigate the system. On the stranger in the police station who, upon hearing our story, said with supreme sincerity, “This thief does not represent us. Please come to my house for coffee so we can show you how we really treat others.” On the pharmacist who offered to pay for a group member’s purchase as a means of “making it up to us”. On the uniform sense of discouragement of our Palestinian hosts who struggled to reconcile a theft with their cultural imperative to care for foreigners. Theft occurs in a context. Ever since Palestine attempted and succeeded in obtaining member status in the United Nations back in November, many countries including the United States have penalized it by withholding payments and aid. Thus, the Palestinians government, which accounts for nearly 80% of Palestine’s employment, cannot pay peoples’ wages. We heard that Palestinian workers are only getting partial wages if they are getting paid at all. I can only imagine what the United States crime rate would be if people did not receive their expected wages.
When you mention Ramallah to an Israeli, what comes to mind is an episode of violence that erupted in the fall of 2000 at the start of the second Intifada. Depending on which side tells the story, two Israeli reservists either accidentally entered Ramallah or they were there intentionally to spy. They were taken into custody by Palestinian Authority cops in the local police station right next to RFS. The two Israelis were killed in their custody (unclear if it was an all-out lynching), but no matter, it was certainly horrible. About 20 minutes afterwards, the Israelis sent in an Apache helicopter and blew up the police station! Today the spot is the bus station. This event further intensified the ongoing conflict between Israeli and Palestinian forces. During the second intifada, Ramallah was placed under long and tedious curfews. The Israeli army would come in in their tanks and flatten anything in its path including thousands of privately owned cars. The streets actually still bear the signs of the tanks scratching the surface of the blacktop. Also says something about how the roads are not apt to be fixed.
He was Chairman of thePalestine Liberation Organization (PLO), President of the Palestinian National Authority(PNA),[2] and leader of the Fatah political party and former paramilitary group, which he founded in 1959. Arafat remains a highly controversial figure whose legacy has been widely disputed. He was "revered by many Arabs," and most Palestinians, regardless of political ideology or faction, viewing him as a freedom fighter who symbolized their national aspirations. However, he was also reviled, especially by many Israelis, who viewed him as a terrorist responsible for hundreds of bombings and deaths.[4][5] Critics have accused Arafat of mass corruption, secretly amassing a personal wealth estimated to be USD $1.3 billion by 2002 despite the degrading economic conditions of the Palestinians.[6]
John 4 1-26 4 Now Jesus learned that the Pharisees had heard that he was gaining and baptizing more disciples than John— 2 although in fact it was not Jesus who baptized, but his disciples. 3 So he left Judea and went back once more to Galilee. 4 Now he had to go through Samaria. 5 So he came to a town in Samaria called Sychar, near the plot of ground Jacob had given to his son Joseph. 6 Jacob’s well was there, and Jesus, tired as he was from the journey, sat down by the well. It was about noon. 7 When a Samaritan woman came to draw water, Jesus said to her, “Will you give me a drink?” 8 (His disciples had gone into the town to buy food.) 9 The Samaritan woman said to him, “You are a Jew and I am a Samaritan woman. How can you ask me for a drink?” (For Jews do not associate with Samaritans. [a] ) 10 Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God and who it is that asks you for a drink, you would have asked him and he would have given you living water.” 11 “Sir,” the woman said, “you have nothing to draw with and the well is deep. Where can you get this living water? 12 Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well and drank from it himself, as did also his sons and his livestock?” 13 Jesus answered, “Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, 14 but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” 15 The woman said to him, “Sir, give me this water so that I won’t get thirsty and have to keep coming here to draw water.” 16 He told her, “Go, call your husband and come back.” 17 “I have no husband,” she replied. Jesus said to her, “You are right when you say you have no husband. 18 The fact is, you have had five husbands, and the man you now have is not your husband. What you have just said is quite true.” 19 “Sir,” the woman said, “I can see that you are a prophet. 20 Our ancestors worshiped on this mountain, but you Jews claim that the place where we must worship is in Jerusalem.” 21 “Woman,” Jesus replied, “believe me, a time is coming when you will worship the Father neither on this mountain nor in Jerusalem. 22 You Samaritans worship what you do not know;we worship what we do know, for salvation is from the Jews. 23 Yet a time is coming and has now come when the true worshipers will worship the Father in the Spirit and in truth, for they are the kind of worshipers the Father seeks. 24 God is spirit, and his worshipers must worship in the Spirit and in truth.” 25 The woman said, “I know that Messiah” (called Christ) “is coming. When he comes, he will explain everything to us.” 26 Then Jesus declared, “I, the one speaking to you—I am he.”
1 Kings 17:1-6 New International Version (NIV) Elijah Announces a Great Drought 17 Now Elijah the Tishbite, from Tishbe [a] in Gilead, said to Ahab, “As the LORD, the God of Israel, lives, whom I serve, there will be neither dew nor rain in the next few years except at my word.” Elijah Fed by Ravens 2 Then the word of the LORD came to Elijah: 3 “Leave here, turn eastward and hide in the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan. 4 You will drink from the brook, and I have directed the ravensto supply you with food there.” 5 So he did what the LORD had told him. He went to the Kerith Ravine, east of the Jordan, and stayed there. 6 The ravens brought him bread and meat in the morning and bread and meat in the evening, and he drank from the brook.
Claims to religious/historical sites are means to determine who owns the land. Joseph's Tomb has witnessed intense sectarian conflict. Samaritans and Christians disputing access and title to the site in the early Byzantine period often engaged in violent clashes. After Israel captured the West Bank in 1967, Muslims were prohibited from worship at the shrine and it was gradually turned into a Jewish prayer room. After 1993 and the Oslo Accords, Joseph’s Tomb came under the authority of the Palestinian National Authority(PNA), but it remained under IDF guard with Muslims prohibited from praying there. At the beginning of the 2 nd Intifada in 2000, just after being handed over to the PNA, it was looted and razed. Following the reoccupation of Nablus during Israel's Operation Defensive Shield in 2002, Jewish groups returned reclaimed it. Recently the structure has been refurbished, with a new cupola installed, and visits by Jewish worshippers have resumed but only at night. A few months back, a settler came during the day and the Palestinian cop on duty shot him. The settler was a relative of a govt. Figure; the cop was put in jail. The cop on duty when we were there said an Israeli shot the Jew from above to create the appearance that the cop had done it in order to provoke the conflict. Revising history. Max baptizing the Jews. Hah hah hah but not really.
Luke 10:25-37 New International Version (NIV) The Parable of the Good Samaritan 25 On one occasion an expert in the law stood up to test Jesus. “Teacher,” he asked, “what must I do to inherit eternal life?” 26 “What is written in the Law?” he replied. “How do you read it?” 27 He answered, “‘Love the Lord your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength and with all your mind’ [a] ; and, ‘Love your neighbor as yourself.’ [b] ” 28 “You have answered correctly,” Jesus replied. “Do this and you will live.” 29 But he wanted to justify himself, so he asked Jesus, “And who is my neighbor?” 30 In reply Jesus said: “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho, when he was attacked by robbers. They stripped him of his clothes, beat him and went away, leaving him half dead. 31 A priest happened to be going down the same road, and when he saw the man, he passed by on the other side. 32 So too, a Levite, when he came to the place and saw him, passed by on the other side. 33 But a Samaritan, as he traveled, came where the man was; and when he saw him, he took pity on him. 34 He went to him and bandaged his wounds, pouring on oil and wine. Then he put the man on his own donkey, brought him to an inn and took care of him. 35 The next day he took out two denarii [c] and gave them to the innkeeper. ‘Look after him,’ he said, ‘and when I return, I will reimburse you for any extra expense you may have.’ 36 “Which of these three do you think was a neighbor to the man who fell into the hands of robbers?” 37 The expert in the law replied, “The one who had mercy on him.” Jesus told him, “Go and do likewise.”
The Monastery of the Temptation an Orthodox Christian monastery located in the West Bank, along a cliff overlooking the city of Jericho and the Jordan Valley. First constructed by the Byzantines in the 6th century CE above the cave traditionally said to be that where Jesus spent forty days and forty nights fasting and meditating during the temptation of Satan. It is built upon the summit of the Mount of Temptation, rising 350 meters above sea level. It currently serves as a tourist attraction and its land is under the full jurisdiction of the Palestinian National Authority, but the monastery is owned and managed by the Greek Orthodox Church of Jerusalem.
Tell es Sultan The oldest inhabited city. Housed up to 2,000 people. 23 civilizations. 12,000 years Agriculture and urbanization’s birthplace*** Oasis in the Great Rift Valley 10,000 BCE - Nauftian period – agriculture and dom. Animals 8,500 – 5,000 BCE – Neolithic era – art, representations of human form 6,000 BCE – pottery, food storage, cloth, yarn, soap, dairy 3,500 BCE – urban city states/the wheel, copper, bronze, clay jars, threat of attack 2,300 BCE – burned by nomads 2,000 BCE – Middle Bronze Age Caananites rebuilt – gardens, date palms, water network, grains, olives, oil, wine 1550 BCE – Jericho’s destruction, ghost town for 900 years, abandoned during Biblical era New Jericho – town to the South built by Herod
Qumran Essenes left the 2 nd Temple in Jerusalem approx. 2,000 years ago Scholars believed they left bc they thought that Judaic culture around the Temple was not pious enough. Essenes were radical purists, ritual bathing is huge Had notions about Forces of Lightness fighting against the Forces of Darkness, and so purification was needed to prepare for this coming battle. Famous for the Dead Sea Scrolls. They hid them in a cave in the hills above the main living area in order to protect them from the Romans in 70 CE. The Dead Sea Scrolls are a collection of 972 texts discovered by Bedouin shepherds between 1946 and 1956 that consist of biblical manuscripts from what is now known as the Hebrew Bible found on the northwest shore of the Dead Sea, from which they derive their name. The texts are of great historical and religious significance and include the earliest known surviving copies of biblical documents , as well as preserving evidence of great diversity in late Second Temple Judaism. They are written in Hebrew, Aramaic, Greek, and Nabataean, mostly on parchment, but with some written on papyrus and bronze. [2] These manuscripts have been dated to various ranges between 408 BCE and 318 CE