AN ANCIENT MYSTERY — THE HOARD OF ANCIENT SILVER SHEKELS



The Tyrian Shekel

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One of the largest hoards of ancient coins ever found was discovered in Israel in the spring of 1960 at a village called Isifa on Mount Carmel. The hoard consisted of 3,400 Tyrian Shekels, 1,000 Half-Shekels, and 160 Roman Denarii minted during Augustus’ reign. The bulk of the Shekels and Half-Shekels were dated from 20-53 AD.  

At first glance this strange mix of coins at first seems to defy logic. At the time these coins were hidden, the Shekel was not in regular circulation.  And both the Gospels and Josephus indicate that the coinage of that era was almost exclusively Roman. This means that the hoard could not have belonged to a private owner, or come from a bank or military strong box.  

PAYING THE TEMPLE TAX

In the middle of the first century, the only use for Tyrian Shekels was payment of the prescribed Temple Tax. Every male Jew of 20 years of age and above had to pay a yearly tax of half a Shekel to support the Temple in Jerusalem. If we assume that the Mount Carmel hoard represents a shipment of taxes due the Temple, the question of its strange composition becomes clear.   

Consider first that they were predominantly Tyrian Shekels which were of sufficient quality for Temple use. The Half-Shekels, however, were minted in Antioch by the Romans and were under weight. Therefore the Misnah stipulated that an agio, or small additional percentage, of 4-8% was required along with the Half-Shekel to bring it up to full value. In other words, if you paid for two people with a Tyrian Shekel, you were home free, but if you paid just for yourself with a Half-Shekel you had to add in the agio. This is proven by Matthew 17:24-28 in which Peter is told to catch a fish with a Shekel in its mouth…a sufficient tax for both himself and Jesus.  

Interestingly enough, the 160 Denarii represents an agio of exactly 8% on the 1,000 Half-Shekels found in the hoard. The presence of the Augustinian Denarii is explained by the fact that the inflated Denarii of Nero were rejected by the Temple treasury. Only the full-weight Denarii of Augustus were considered acceptable payment.  

UNRAVELING THE RIDDLE

If one assumes that the hoard represents a shipment of taxes destined for the Temple, the answer to not only where they came from, but also when it was concealed becomes clear.  

Fact One: The hoard represents the Temple-Dues of 7,800 male Jews of more than 20 years of age, or a community of approximately 30,000 Jews.

Fact Two: According to the Mishnah, the Temple Tax for all of Palestinia was due at the Temple by the beginning of April. Egypt and Phoenicia were due in June, and Babylon, Mesopotamia and all other regions in September.

Based on this timetable, the entire Temple Tax could not have reached its destination before the outbreak of the Jewish-Roman War in the summer of 66 AD. Assume for a moment that the taxes from Galilee for the year 67 AD were delivered to the Temple in April as required. From the defeat of Cestius Gallus in November of 66 AD until the beginning of the operations of Vespasian the following May, the country was free of the Romans.  

However the transport of the Temple Tax from Phoenicia, which was due in June, probably reached Jewish territory in late May of 67. By then, Western Galilee was already occupied by Vespasian and the main roads to Jerusalem through Megiddo and Samaria were barred by the Romans.

Now assume that the convoy transporting the Temple Tax decided to bypass Megiddo by going over Mount Carmel to Narbata and from there to Jerusalem. However they found this way closed by a Roman detachment under the command of Cerealis.

HOPING FOR A QUICK END TO THE WAR

Continuing this supposition, we can assume that the couriers hoped that the new Roman army under Vespasian would be defeated like that of Cestius Gallus. The leaders of the convoy then decide to conceal the money until the way to Jerusalem opened up again. Since they were coming from Phoenicia, they chose the first acceptable spot they came to — the Jewish village nearest the border between Phoenicia and the Jewish territory, a spot known today as Isifa. They then selected a spot near the ancient synagogue there, concealed their treasure, and set about waiting for things to blow over.

However, their hopes were dashed when Jerusalem was conquered and the Temple destroyed. The hoard of coins on Mount Carmel remained buried until it was discovered in 1960. Now we know that fate of the coins, but we can never know the fate of the men who buried them/

Until next time, we wish you Peace And Blessings.

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ALEXANDER THE GREAT'S LEGACY IN THE HOLY LAND

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Today’s post concerns an archeological find at the Hellenistic port of Tel Dor, about 19 miles south of Haifa, Israel. Megan Webb, from Philadelphia, was digging in an area that had once held a large public building when her trowel unearthed a gemstone shown above with an etched portrait of Alexander the Great. It is a partial setting from a ring. 

Dor was a major port city on the Mediterranean shore until the establishment of Caesarea by Herod the Great during the Roman period. Alexander the Great passed through Dor in 332 BC, following the occupation of Tyre, on his way to Egypt. It seems the city submitted to Alexander without resistance. Dor then remained a center of Hellenization in the land of Israel until it was conquered by Alexander Janneus, Hasmonean king of Judah, in 100 BC. 

“Despite its miniature dimensions – the stone is less than a centimeter high and its width is less than half a centimeter – the engraver was able to depict the bust of Alexander on the gem without omitting any of the ruler's characteristics,” notes Dr. Gilboa, Chair of the Department of Archaeology at the University of Haifa. “The emperor is portrayed as young and forceful, with a strong chin, straight nose and long curly hair held in place by a diadem.” 

The Tel Dor researchers have noted that it is surprising that such a work of art would be found in Israel, on the periphery of the Hellenistic world. “It is generally assumed that the master artists – such as the one who engraved the image of Alexander on this particular gemstone – were mainly employed by the leading courts in the capital cities, such as those in Alexandria in Egypt and Seleucia in Syria. This new discovery is evidence that local elites in secondary centers, such as Tel Dor, appreciated superior objects of art and could afford ownership of such items,” the researchers stated. One wonders who the ring in question belonged to.

Right about now you may be saying to yourself, “All this is quite interesting, but where does Alexander the Great fit in with Early Christianity?” Well, he doesn’t…and yet he sort of does. Let’s look at some of the facts. Alexander died in 323 BC, the same year he passed through Dor. Following his death the empire he’d just created was broken into pieces by his generals, the Diadochi (plural of Latin Diadochus, from Greek: Διάδοχοι, Diadokhoi, successors). 

Coin Featuring Portrait of Seleucus I

Two of the important Diadokhoi were Ptolemy I, founder of the Ptolemaic Dynasty in Egypt and progenitor of Cleopatra, and Seleucus I, founder of the Seleucid Dynasty which, at its peak, controlled over 1.2 million square miles from the Near East to Mesopotamia, Persia and today's Turkmenistan, Pamir and parts of Pakistan and India. Seleucus named multiple cities in his kingdom after his father Antiochus. He established two capitals. One was Seleucia on the Tigris River and the other was Antioch of Syria. A series of wars between later Ptolemaic and Seleucid rulers weakened both empires to such an extent that the Romans defeated the Ptolemy’s and Parthia eventually overthrew the Seleucids.  

But before the Roman and Parthians came onto the scene, another interesting event occurred. Antiochus IV, Epiphanes, decided to destroy all worship of the one true God in Israel. To accomplish this end he slaughtered many thousands of tpeople. Women who had their babies circumcised were executed and their dead babies hung around their necks (I Maccabees 1:60-61). Antiochus believed that such visible acts of extreme cruelty would discourage the Jews from worshipping their God. However, he underestimated the enduring faith of the Israelites and this miscalculation cost him dearly. Not long after he defiled the Temple, the first stirrings of a revolt surfaced in an unexpected part of the empire, led by a relatively unknown Jewish family. It would grow into a bloody struggle for Jewish independence which has come to be known by several names…The Maccabean Revolt, The Hasmonean Period, or simply The Period of Independence.  

It began in the little village of Modein, which was 17 miles NW of Jerusalem. An aged priest named Mattathias, lived there with his five sons: John, Simon, Judas, Eleazer, and Jonathan. Antiochus sent some of his officers to the village in 167 BC to force the Jews living there to offer sacrifices to the pagan gods. Mattathias, as a leader in the city, was commanded by the officers to be the first person to offer a sacrifice as an example to the rest of the people. He refused with a noble speech reminiscent of the words of Joshua in Joshua 24:14-15 (I Maccabees 2:15-22).  

Fearing bloody reprisals against the people, a certain Jew stepped forward and volunteered to offer the sacrifices in the place of the priest. Mattathias, overcome with zeal to defend his God, killed the man as well as the officers of the king. He then tore down the altar to the pagan gods and ran through the village shouting, “Let everyone who is zealous for the Law and who stands by the covenant follow me!”  

Matthias’ son, Judas, was possibly one of the greatest military minds in all of Jewish history. Even though greatly outnumbered, Judas and his rebels defeated general after general in battle. He overpowered General Appolonius near Samaria, routed General Seron in the valley of Beth-horan, and in a tremendous victory south of Mizpah, he conquered three generals and a combined army of 50,000 troops with only 6000 poorly equipped Jewish rebels. The people of Israel began to call him Judas Maccabeus (Judas the Hammer) because of his great daring and success in hammering the enemy forces into the ground.  

Anyone wishing to read the complete story of their revolt can find it in I and II Maccabees in the Bible. The Hasmoneans ruled independently for the next 100 years. During this time they reasserted the Jewish religion, and expanded the boundaries and influence of Israel. In 63 BC the Roman general Pompey captured Jerusalem and Israel became a client state of Rome under the Hasmoneans. Their dynasty ended in 37 BC when Herod the Great, with Roman backing, overthrew the Hasmoneans and thus set the stage for the birth of Jesus of Nazareth and the subsequent rise of Christianity.  

Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings. 

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REVIVING ANCIENT TRADITIONS of ISRAEL

Blowing the Shofar (Ram's Horn) Begins the Ceremony

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Renewing a tradition of ancient Israel, hundreds of women gathered again to celebrate the Tu B'Av (the 15th of Jewish month of Av) holiday on the biblical site of Shiloh in the region allotted to the tribe of Benjamin. For centuries the young women of Shiloh would go out to the vineyards and orchards and dance on the joyous holiday of Tu B'Av. This month a group of Israeli women returned to the orchards in a multifaceted celebration of dance organized by the Benjamin Regional Council.

LINKS TO THE EARLIEST OF TIMES

This tradition of dancing in the vineyards and orchards began very early in Jewish history. It is recounted in Judges 21:16-23. We are told that, since the Benjamites had no wives, the other tribes sent maidens to Shiloh to dance in the vineyards. While they danced, the Benjamite men hid amid the surrounding vegetation. When each of them saw a young woman they wanted, they caught her, and married her. Hence the Benjamites secured wives and the other tribes were absolved of any responsibility.

Shiloh played an interesting role in ancient Israel. During the period of the Judges the sanctuary of God, designated a temple, was first built in Shiloh (Judges 18:31). Samuel’s parents also went to Shiloh and his mother, Hannah, prayed to the Lord and offered to consecrate the child he would give her. (1 Samuel 1:9-24). And the Ark of the Covenant was stored in the temple at Shiloh prior to it being captured by the Philistines. (1 Samuel 4:3-17).

A HISTORY OF DANCING BEFORE THE LORD

The Jews as a people have a long history of singing and dancing to the Lord. Miryam, the prophet and sister of Moses and Aaron, took a tambourine in her hand; and all the women went out after her with tambourines dancing, as Miryam said to them: “Sing to Adonai, for He is exalted! The horse and its rider he threw into the sea!” (Exodus15:20) We know that David danced as the Ark was brought into Jerusalem. (2 Samuel 14-17). Several Psalms also reference singing and dancing before the Lord.

The women at Shiloh participated in various dance workshops including modern dance, belly dancing, flamenco, and finally a central dance in the main square overlooking the site of the ancient Mishkan (Tabernacle) of Shiloh.

BENEFITS FOR THE PARTICIPANTS

One participant in the festival described the experience to Israel National News. “The workshops were amazing,” she said. “I learned how to dance Flamenco style from a true expert. The Noga dance troupe, comprised of religious women, put on a talented and surprisingly modern performance. Afterwards, it was really uplifting to dance together with my good friends. It was so much fun.” 

Festival organizer, Tamar Asraf said, “For a moment, hundreds of women were able to stop the race of life, to connect to themselves, to remove the partitions, and to renew the holiday of Tu B'Av where it all began – here in Shiloh.” 

Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings 

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FALSE MESSIAHS, DANIEL’S PROPHECY, & SABBATICAL YEARS



A Potential Mashiach Gathering Followers

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Today we look at the very interesting phenomena of the Sheker, or False Messiah. Jewish yearning for the Mashiach seems reached a fever pitch in the years prior to and in the years after the birth of Christ. Why? Well, part of the reason could have been the oppressive conditions under Roman rule, but the expected fulfillment of Daniel’s prophecy was probably also a factor.  

THE BIBLICAL CONTEXT

The Law of Moses commanded that every 7th year be a Sabbatical Year. As the name suggests, the Sabbatical year is tied to the biblical concept of the Sabbath, the seventh day of the week and a time of rest. The Jubilee and Sabbatical years provided a form of regular debt release to stabilize social and economic gaps that naturally develop within every society. 

According to the Hebrew Bible, during the seventh year all land had to be left untilled and unplanted, and debts from close neighbors that were unpaid during the previous six years were cancelled. These laws of land use and debt remission are not necessarily originally connected but appear to have been grouped together under a single general category of the Sabbatical year or Shemittah (Exodus 21:2-6, Exodus 23:10-11, Leviticus 25:1-7, 18-22, and Deuteronomy 15:1-11, 12-18) by the time the Bible was written. 

In particular these laws addressed three specific concerns. First, they controlled overuse of the land. The laws also covered debt concerns. Because of drought and other cyclical crop failures, the poor needed to have a way to start over rather than languish in poverty. A similar consideration led to the introduction of Bankruptcy Laws in modern society. And, lastly, they addressed land ownership and management concerns that affected families in inter-generational settings. Other ancient near-eastern texts from the laws of Hammurabi and Ras Shamra (Ugarit) suggest similar concerns, but none of them have formulations as advanced or as specific as the laws of the Hebrew Bible. 

THE HISTORIC REALITY

Jeremiah foretold that God would withhold His blessings and protection, because the nation of Judah had fallen away. He said Judah would be conquered and taken into a captivity which would last for 70 years (Jeremiah 25:12; 29:10). This was later fulfilled when Babylon conquered Judah and took them into captivity.  

There is a belief that the observance of a Sabbatical year had apparently been neglected for most of Israel's history, so the Lord decreed they would spend one year in captivity for every sabbatical year they had failed to keep. They had missed 70 sabbatical years during their 490 years as a nation. The first deportation took place in 605 BC and the return occurred in 535 BC — 70 years. 

Some validation for this belief can be found in the system of Rabbi Hillel, who lived in the First Century. He created a legal fiction (a prosbul or transference) that allowed for the repayment of a debt through a transfer of that debt from a personal loan to an institutional loan, thereby technically meeting the Sabbatical requirements, but allowing for repayment after the Sabbatical year. This prosbul is an example of the ways in which some Jews in the time of Christ ostensively met the spirit of the law, yet circumvented them in practice. Hence, his criticism of the Pharisees. 

However, Daniel’s prophecy not only looked back in time, it also looked forward. It promised a Messiah who would come to make atonement for iniquity. The general consensus is that the some groups of Jewish teachers believed that the arrival of the Messiah was imminent. (Recall the meeting with Herod the Great after the Wise Men appeared searching for the Christ Child.) We also must keep in mind that the Sadducees accepted only the Torah, so the Temple aristocracy would have rejected any Messianic claims.  

A LONG LIST OF FAILED ATTEMPTS

The list of Messianic Pretenders, or Shekers, can be short or long depending upon the criteria used. (One list continues into the Twentieth Century.  Its most recent entry being an Hassidic Rabbi who died in the 1990’s.) For our purposes, the real interest lies with those who arose just prior to, or shortly after, the birth of Yeshua of Nazareth. This yields a list of thirteen individuals beginning with Athrongeus and ending with Simon bar Kokhbar in 132 AD.  

My novel, WITNESS chronicles the rise and fall of the two earliest pretenders, Judas the Galilean and Athrongeus of Judea. Of the two, Judas had the greater impact. The Roman army executed most of Judas’ followers after his uprising. He, however, lived to fight another day. Retreating into the Galilean hills with a handful of supporters, he waged a guerilla war against the Romans for many years. The party of the Zealots arose from his movement. 

Jacob & Simon, both sons of Judas the Galilean, are listed among the Messianic Pretenders. They were crucified by the Roman Governer Tiberius Julius Alexander in 47 AD. Seventy years after Judas’ revolt in Sepphoris the Zealot party seized control of Jerusalem, which led to the the famous Jewish Revolt and the city’s destruction by the Romans in 70AD. 

Another Messianic Pretender is mentioned by Gamali’el in his speech to the Great Sanhedrin recorded in the Acts of the Apostles. (Acts 5:34-39) “But a Pharisee in the council named Gama'li-el, a teacher of the law, held in honor by all the people, stood up and ordered the men to be put outside for a while. And he said to them, "Men of Israel, take care what you do with these men. For before these days Theu'das arose, giving himself out to be somebody, and a number of men, about four hundred, joined him; but he was slain and all who followed him were dispersed and came to nothing. After him Judas the Galilean arose in the days of the census and drew away some of the people after him; he also perished, and all who followed him were scattered. So in the present case I tell you, keep away from these men and let them alone; for if this plan or this undertaking is of men, it will fail; but if it is of God, you will not be able to overthrow them. You might even be found opposing God!” 

The Bar Kokhbar Revolt marked the last attempt by the Jews to establish a nation in ancient Israel. Though the Temple had been destroyed in 70AD, Jews still inhabited the territory in and around Jerusalem. Simon bar Kokhba ―Simon Son of a Star― is referenced in the Babylonian Talmud, in Cassius Dio’s Roman History, and in Eusebius’ Ecclesiastical History. He led a major Jewish revolt that took the Romans three years to put down. Coins minted during his reign are stamped “Year one of the redemption of Israel.” His defeat led to the absolute leveling of Jerusalem and the expulsion of all Jews from the Holy Land. His critics referred to him as bar Kozeba – Son of Disappointment.

The Unfortunate End of a Failed Revolt

WHAT MOTIVATED THESE MEN?

It’s tempting to write these people off as rabble-rousers and riff-raff. Surely, some of them were. We see that same phenomena in modern society. How often does a city’s celebration of a championship team devolve into a riot in which shops are vandalized and looted? Clearly a share in the potential spoils motivated some of the followers of these failed rebellions.  

However, to paint them all with such a broad brush seems unfair. Place yourself in their shoes. You’re dissatisfied, angry about the Roman occupation and a devout follower of the Judaism. You believe the prophecies of a coming Mashiach with all your heart. Who is he? Where is he? It suddenly occurs to you that maybe…just maybe, God is calling you to this task. After all, many Biblical heroes were reluctant heroes at best. How can you find out whether or not you’re the long awaited Mashiach? The only way is to test the vocation. If you succeed, the call is true.

Unfortunately, such a process forces you to place your life on the line.  

A CLOSING THOUGHT

Interestingly enough one, if not two, of Judas the Galilean’s followers apparently found a home among Yeshua’s disciples. Luke refers to the first as Simon Zelotes (Simon the Zealot). In Matthew and Mark the KJV identifies him as a Canaanite. This is an incorrect translation of the Hebrew word Cananean, which in Greek becomes Zealot.  

It has been suggested that the name Judas Iscariot derives from the Greek word sikarios ― dagger bearer. The Sicarii were a band of fanatical nationalists who broke with the Zealots and assassinated perceived enemies with their daggers.  

On Friday we’ll be examining the First Century game known as Tabula.

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings.

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KING SOLOMON’S MINES

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The term King Solomon’s Mines conjures up all sorts of images. Perhaps it does for you as well. The book, yes it was a book long, long before it ever became a movie, has been memorialized in film three times.  

It’s interesting to compare the three posters. It’s amazing how positively chaste Deborah Kerr looked in the 1950 version. Very in keeping with the Victorian time period in which the novel was set. Note also that she got star billing, not Stewart Granger who played the film’s lead character. In1985 Sharon Stone received equal billing with Richard Chamberlain, but her attire had become decidedly skimpier. Then there’s the 2004, made-for-TV version in which all the focus is on Patrick Swayze. Poor Alison Doody is so well hidden that no one but her immediate family even would have even known she was in it.  

THE ORIGINAL ALLAN QUATERMAIN

Perennial favorites such as King Solomon’s Mines continue to fascinate. Not only do you have a serial character who continues for decades, but Hollywood can’t seem to get enough. The novel was written by Victorian adventure writer and fabulist Sir H. Rider Haggard. It tells the story of a search of an unexplored region of Africa by a group of adventurers led by Allan Quatermain. It is considered to have been the originator of the Lost World literary genre. 

It was published in September 1885 amid great fanfare. Billboards and posters around London announced it as The Most Amazing Book Ever Written. By the late 19th century, explorers were uncovering ancient civilizations around the world and King Solomon's Mines captured the public's imagination. It became an immediate best seller. It also became a cash cow for Haggard and his publisher. Eighteen Quatermain books were eventually published under titles such Hunter Quatermain’s Story, The Monster, The Treasure of the Lake, The Ancient Allan, and Allan and the Ice-gods. 

A WHOLE NEW GENRE OF FICTION

This new genre would eventually inspire Edgar Rice Burroughs’ The Land That Time Forgot, Arthur Conan Doyle's The Lost World, Rudyard Kipling's The Man Who Would Be King and HP Lovecraft's At the Mountains of Madness, even Michael Crichton's Congo. It also created the recurring male character who leads an exotic life, breaks all the rules, but succeeds anyway…think James Bond, Indiana Jones, etc., etc., etc. 

GOING FROM FICTION TO REALITY

Enough nostalgia; this post isn’t about old books or movie heroes, it’s about the real for sure mines of King Solomon the Wise, the man who built the First Temple in Jerusalem. For nearly 3,000 years the location of these mines, and whether they existed at all, has remained a mystery. No longer.  Researchers using carbon dating techniques at a site in Khirbat en-Nahas (Arabic for Ruins of Copper) in southern Jordan have verified that copper production took place there around the time King Solomon ruled the Israelites.

Aerial View of the Mine Site

Copper? What happened to all the gold and diamonds and ivory and other neat stuff, you ask? This is where we separate fact from fiction. Sorry to say, it was never there to begin with. Haggard also sent Quatermain to darkest Africa on his quest instead of the Middle East. He’s not the only novelist who played fast and loose with the facts, but why quibble with success? Especially success on a scale such as this. 

VALIDATING BIBLICAL HISTORY

Thomas Levy of the University of California San Diego, who led the research, said their work placed copper production at Khirbat en-Nahas in the 10th century BC in line with the biblical narrative of Solomon's rule. “…this research represents a confluence between the archaeological and scientific data and the Bible."

As you can see from the map, Solomon’s influence encompassed the entire region. Khirbat en-Nahas is an arid region south of the Dead Sea, which the Old Testament identifies as the Kingdom of Edom. As early as the 1930’s, archaeologists linked the site to the Edomite Kingdom, but their claims were dismissed in subsequent years because it was believed that the area was unsettled in Solomon’s time. “Now ... we have evidence that complex societies were indeed active in 10th and 9th centuries BC and that brings us back to the debate about the historicity of the Hebrew Bible narratives related to this period,” Levy said 

It's not every day that science and the Bible come together to tell a piece of history. Modern dating methods have determined that huge mines in Jordan are 3000 years old, supporting the idea that they were the Biblical mines of Edom ruled by King David and his son Solomon. 

USE OF CARBON DATING

The results of carbon dating on samples of charcoal used to smelt the ore were extremely consistent and leave no doubt as to the period during which the mines were active. This new evidence suggests that the site, one of the oldest, largest, and best preserved mines in the world, really is the one mentioned in the Bible.

Looking Down into the Dig

The team sampled charcoal from successive layers throughout a 20-foot-deep stack of smelting waste. The carbon at the base of the pit, the transition point between virgin earth,  is 3000 years old. This indicates that smelting activity began there around 1000 BC. This initial phase is estimated to have lasted about 50 years. After that a large building was constructed on the site and copper production continued until about 800 BC.  

PROOF POSITIVE

In what would have been the floor level of the building, archaeologists found two ancient Egyptian stone and ceramic artifacts: a scarab and an amulet. Since neither one of them is made of local materials, they are believed to have been brought in during the military campaign of the Egyptian Pharaoh Sheshonq I, known as Shishak in the Old Testament. 

They are dated around the time of the building's construction when an abrupt change in the rate of copper production occurred. This is believed to be evidence for the role Sheshonq I may have played in the disruption of the largest known copper factory in the eastern Mediterranean. The unanswered question is who actually controlled the mines…David, Solomon, or the region’s Edomite leaders. Either way, it’s a fascinating discovery. 

Next time, we’ll return to our Foods of the First Century with a post on Ancient Grains. 

Until then, we wish you Peace and Blessings. 

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THE MESSIAH'S MANSION - A REPLICA OF THE ISRAELITE'S TABERNACLE

The Tabernacle of the Israelites that they Built in the Desert

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Recently my wife and I visited a traveling exhibit known as the Messiah’s Mansion. The exhibit is a full-size reconstruction of the original Tabernacle that the Jews constructed. The Model is built to the description of the plans given by God to Moses after he led the Israelites out of Egypt. The Messiah’s Mansion exhibit is a project of the Oklahoma Academy in Harrah, Oklahoma and, like the Jews wandering in the desert, it travels across the United States.

By the way, the development and construction of the Tabernacle is carefully documented in the Bible. It begins in Exodus 35 and continues through to the end of the Book. Because the Jews lived a nomadic lifestyle, their Tabernacle consisted of a series of tents that could be broken down, transported, and then set up again at the next location. Not unlike the taking down and setting up process the students do at each stop.

The Tabernacle Enclosed by TentCloth

A docent leads each tour group through a series of five stops, or stations. At each stop Nathan, our student guide, explained the area we were seeing and its role in the ancient sanctuary. Particular items that played a pivotal part in the ancient Israelite services are identified and discussed.

FIRST STOP
This first stop prepares the visitor by presenting an overview of the general layout and purpose of the ancient Tabernacle.

The Outer Courtyard - The Place of Scarifice

SECOND STOP
Next, the tour moves to the outer courtyard, the place of sacrifice. Here they have a replica of the Altar of Sacrifice and the Laver.

In the interest of time, they dealt with only one sacrifice, the Sin Offering, and one offering, a lamb. In reality a number of offerings and sacrifices are enumerated in Leviticus. Depending upon the occasion and their financial status, a person could bring a bull or calf, a lamb, a goat, pigeons (doves), honey, or meal. There were Sin Offerings, Peace Offerings, Trespass Offerings, Burnt Offerings, Meal Offerings, and Thank Offerings with particular specifications and requirements for each.

Inside the Holy Place Open only to Priests

THIRD STOP

The third stop takes the visitor into the Holy Place, the inner court that could only be entered by the Levite priests. It contained three items. The Table of Showbread, called Shewbread in the King James Version. The Showbread (haPānīm‎, literally Bread of the Presence), refers to the cakes or loaves of bread which were always present along with wine on a dedicated table, within the Temple in Jerusalem. The bread was changed each Shabbat. And, prefiguring the Eucharist, priests entered the Holy Place and consumed the bread and wine before replacing it with fresh loaves. On the Pilgrim feasts the bread was brought before the people and they were told to “look upon their God.” The Holy Place an Altar of Incense and the Golden Candlesticks.

The Ark of the Covenant in the Holy of Holies

STATION FOUR

The final stopping point is the Holy of Holies, the inner sanctum of the sanctuary where the Ark of the Covenant was kept along with Aaron's staff and the Ten Commandments. No one but the High Priest could enter this area, and he could enter only on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement.

Close-up of the Relics in the Ark

STATION FIVE

The tour concludes with a Question & Answer session and closing statements.

To me, the most interesting part was to see how closely both the First (Solomon’s) and the Second (Herod’s) Temple adhered to the structural layout of this first Tabernacle built in the desert by Moses.

I feel it necessary to mention that the Messiah’s Mansion is an outreach of the Seventh-Day Adventist Church. The last thing I want to do is get into a doctrinal discussion of who believes what and whether they’re right or wrong. I did not go to criticize or scrutinize anyone’s beliefs. I went to see a display of the ancient Tabernacle used by the early Israelites and was pleased with what I saw.

For anyone interested in obtaining more information about this display of the Messiah’s Mansion and a current tour schedule can visit their homepage at http://www.messiahsmansion.com/.

Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.

RESEARCHERS UNCOVER GOLIATH'S HOMETOWN OF GATH

David Confronts Goliath with his Sling

Hello My Friend and Welcome.

Hold on to your hats. We’re about to use the WABAC (Way Back) Machine to travel back in time 3,000 plus years. And even if you’re too young to remember Mr. Peabody and Sherman, who were regulars on the Rocky and Bullwinkle Show, you’ll still be allowed to accompany us on this adventure.

Three of the five cities of the famous Philistine Pentapolis have long been known—Ashkelon, Ashdod and Gaza. A fourth, Ekron, has recently been confirmed by an inscription, locating it at modern Tel Miqne in Israel. Gath, the fifth, has remained somewhat of a mystery. But now, after 13 years of work, archaeologists believe they have uncovered the ruins of a Philistine temple in the ancient city of Gath buried beneath one of the largest mounds in Israel.

Walls & Pillar Bases of the Temple

This is an exciting find because, according to the Bible, Gath is the hometown of the giant Goliath.As every schoolchild knows, David, the simple shepherd boy, and future king of Israel, defeated the fearsome Philistine giant with only a sling and five smooth stones (1Samuel 17). David’s triumph over Goliath has become one of the most beloved and well-known stories in the Bible. Along the way, Goliath’s name has become associated with anything big.  

Later in the Second Book of Samuel, the defeat of Goliath occurs in another battle with the Philistines at Gob and is attributed to the otherwise unknown Elhanan son of Jaare-Oregim the Bethlehemite who had a spear with a shaft like a weaver's rod (2Samuel 21:19). When the story of Elhanan’s victory is repeated in the Book of Chronicles, this inconsistency is corrected when it states that Elhanan killed Lahmi, the brother of Goliath (Chronicles 20:5).

The mound containing the temple is located about halfway between Ashkelon and Jerusalem, near Kiryat Gat along Israel’s southern coastal plain. The temple contained a number of ritual items that have been dated back to the 10th century BC. Interestingly, the design of this temple, with its two central pillars, is reminiscent of the architectural image that is described in the Biblical story of Samson who pulled down the Philistine temple of Dagon on himself and the Philistines. At the very least, the discovery indicates that the story of Samson reflects a type of temple in use in Philistia at the time.

The Site of Ancient Gath and the Temple of Dagon

The team working at the site found impressive evidence of an earthquake in the 8th century BC, reminiscent of the earthquake mentioned in the Book of Amos 1:1. The walls were moved from their place and collapsed like a deck of cards as a result of the powerful earthquake, estimated to have had a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale. They also uncovered further evidence of the destruction of the city by Hazael, King of Aram Damascus, around 830 BC, as mentioned in Kings II 12:18.

I have to admit there’s nothing I like more than reporting work like this that validates so many Biblical facts and claims. Do I need to see stories like this to accept the Bible as a historically accurate document? No. Will stories such as this convince a skeptic who refuses to believe what the Bible says? Probably not. However I can’t help but find it interesting to see the many, many times science validates the Bible accounts.

King Silas with David Shepherd from KINGS

On a related topic, I wonder if you’re familiar with the 2009 mini-series called Kings? It’s a modern day, alternate-reality drama about a hero who rises to become the King of his nation, and loosely based —remember that caveat— on the biblical story of King David. They touched on some of the Biblical characters when they name the cast. For instance, there is a black minister named Rev. Ephram Samuels who fills the part of the prophet Samuel.

One of the co-stars (Christopher Egan) plays Capt. David Shepherd. A mild mannered soldier from the outback, he finds himself in a decisive battle in which the King’s son has been captured by the enemy forces of Gath. He mounts a one-man attack against one of their super tanks, appropriately enough called the Goliath.

When he blows it up, the enemy flees and he’s able to free the King’s son. In the process he becomes a national hero. He also falls in love with the King’s daughter who seems to have taken some sort of vow. Was she supposed to represent Michal? It’s hard to say. The King’s son, Jack, bears little resemblance to Jonathan of the Bible. Some caution is needed. This is a network show and contains scenes that some viewers may find disturbing.

Here’s a trailer to help you decide.

Until next time, we wish you Peace and Blessings.