Copyright © 2000, 2003 by Cornerstone Publishing

PO Box 26654

Minneapolis, MN 55426

Cornerstone@usfamily.net

First Printing – June, 2000

Second Printing – March, 2003

Newly revised electronic edition – 2007

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in case of brief quotations in critical reviews or articles.

Original book cover design – Rich Busch

Original photo montage – Carl & Karen Johnson

All scripture quotations in this publication are from the Holy Bible, New International Version.

Library of Congress Card Number: 00-105066

ISBN: 0-9623950-4-8

CP- 2000

Original publication printed in United States of America

***

This book is dedicated to my wife, Betsy, who has given me her faithful love and support for the last fifty-one years, and who has helped me immensely in all states of manuscript preparation.

***

I am extremely grateful to Carl Johnson, the original publisher, who has given his permission to make this free electronic version available.

     No book of this scope could be written without the help of many other people. I am indebted to Clarence H. Wagner, Jr. who assisted me with several sections of the book and made his personal library available to me. I am deeply indebted to my associates who patiently read the manuscript and offered their suggestions. These include Neal and Julie George, Earl Davis, Fran Grow and, of course, my wife who labored over the manuscript many months.
     Also, I am indebted to Judy Stone, Anne Davis and others who looked over various sections of the manuscript and offered their good advice. Certainly I wish to express my gratitude to Edmund Lambeth, Professor of Journalism at the University of Missouri, for his patient assistance. Ron Cantrell gave me great assistance in computer graphics and design.
     I am very grateful for the constant prayer support from my dear friends, Bill and Gloria Brereton, without which the book may never have come into existence.
     I am especially grateful to Dr. Marvin Wilson, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Gordon College, Wenham, Massachusetts, who took time from his busy year-end schedule to carefully read this manuscript and offer his valuable suggestions and insights.
     Most of all, I am grateful to God who put Israel on my heart early in 1974. It is God who has sustained my wife and me in Israel now for over fifteen years. It is God who has allowed us to feed upon the heritage of our Father Jacob and to walk upon the land of his promise.
     Perhaps this book will be a partial release of this spiritual burden God has placed upon me.

     Several years ago I remember speaking about Israel at a certain church gathering. At the close of my sermon I was amazed to find that the pastor, who had previously acted friendly towards me, would no longer speak to me or even face me. As I remember, I left that church without receiving another word from him. I had spoken directly from the Bible but this man of God would have no part of the message. Over the years in my Israel ministry I have experienced other such perplexing episodes.
     Perhaps I should not be so amazed at the action of this pastor. I remember in my early ministry that I also had little concern for Israel. It was not until God dealt with me miraculously in 1974, that my eyes were opened to his nation and people. My studies of Israel since that time, and during the fifteen years that I have lived in the land, have been further eye-openers. It is unfortunate that so many millions of otherwise good Christians remain indifferent to the incredibly important subject of Israel.
     It is now apparent that during the lifetime of many of us, God has done a miraculous work of restoring the nation of Israel. We modern and postmodern Christians now have to deal with something that other generations have not had to deal with. We must deal with a partially restored Israel in our midst. Yes, Israel has arisen from dust and ashes, as was foretold long ago by her prophets.
     The rise of Israel is greatly impacting the Church, and many Christians, realizing this, are hungering for a deeper knowledge and understanding of Israel. It is my purpose in this book to share a portion of the things the Lord has shared with me over the years.
     As we seek understanding we must bear in mind that we will never comprehend Israel unless we first understand that she is incredibly unique. For instance, tiny Israel, with less than one-half of one percent of the earth’s population, now commands the second largest press corps in the world. But Israel is not just unique naturally. She is unique spiritually. The Bible tells us that God’s eyes are upon Israel continually.
     The Jews are a special people, as is related to us in the Bible. Just as the Jews are unlike other people, their history is also unlike that of others. It may even be called "redemptive history" or "holy history." It is the most amazing history in the world. Other nations have come and gone but the Jews seem to remain immortal. From Father Abraham; to Moses; to Jesus; to the Holocaust and now to the restoration of the nation, we have a four-thousand-year span of redemptive history.
     However, because Israel is chosen by God, the enemy has been busy. In the last hundred years Islam has raised its head to challenge the existence of Israel and even the existence of the Jewish people. Until fairly recent times, Islam had been of slight concern to Christians and Jews, especially those living in the west. Yet, since the recent Gulf Wars and especially since the events of 9/11, Christians have been forced to take notice of this religion. It now appears likely that Islam may be the biggest spiritual threat in our world today. It is a mortal threat not only to Israel and Judaism, but also to Christianity. The great Islamic battle against Israel and the Bible seems to have its focus in the Middle East. However, in spite of the sworn hatred of millions of Moslems in this area, the nation of Israel was not only born against incredible odds, but has prospered for over half a century.
     Modern Israel is causing us to examine our Bibles more closely. When we look carefully in the scripture we find some shocking facts about our Christian family tree. We learn that our family tree is actually a Jewish one, as is made clear in Romans 11:17-18. Thus we are somehow spiritually connected to Israel. This fact has been carefully hidden from us almost since Apostolic Times. It is now evident that there was a subtle shift from a totally Jewish Christianity of the first century to an almost totally Gentile Christianity of the fourth century. Now after almost sixteen centuries the Church is left, cut off from its rich Hebrew roots, nurturing an animosity toward Israel and the Jews. Instead of the heritage of Israel, the Church is left with the heritage of anti-Semitism. The recent, awful Holocaust was only a natural result of almost two thousand years of Christian anti-Semitic teaching.
     As we look more closely at our Bibles we must ask if the ancient promise to Abraham in Genesis 12:2-3 is still effective? Are individuals and nations still blessed or cursed depending upon their treatment of Abraham and his seed, the Jewish people? We have only to travel quickly through history to see many evidences of this strange fact. When we do, we will see how Jewish genius particularly blessed Holland, America, and many other nations. We will see how nations like Spain, Portugal, England and especially the Palestinian people have all come under a curse because of their treatment of the Jews. Which will it be for us? Will we receive blessing or cursing?
     Has the Church's shabby treatment of the Jews been noticed by God? Does it concern our Messiah? Could it be that the Messiah is involved in Israel and is even re-gathering the nation? There is a great deal of biblical evidence supporting this, especially in the so-called "Servant Songs" of Isaiah 41 and following. If Messiah is gathering and restoring Israel, it certainly places the Church in an embarrassing and awkward position. Not only has the Church failed to help with this messianic work - we have positively hindered it.
     A few centuries ago, as the Bible became available to the common reader, the Church began to wake up. The beginning of the Modern Christian Zionist movement (formerly known as Restorationism) can be traced back to the sixteenth century Puritans. Along the way, common people, presidents, prime ministers, and poets spoke out for the Jews and their homeland.
     Today the rise of Israel is forcing Christians to take another look at the Old Testament. It is also forcing us to take a new look at the New Testament. New archaeological discoveries in the land are shedding light on the whole Bible and broadening our understanding. The rebirth of Israel is helping us better understand Bible prophecy, especially that prophecy related to the end days.
     Although the ancient prophets spoke of the redeemed someday returning to Zion, the terminology has become politically loaded today. Where do God and the Bible stand in the present day conflicts? Disregarding the world's concepts of "political correctness," we must look at God’s special connection with Jerusalem and the Jews. In no uncertain terms God calls himself a Zionist.
     How is all this working out in our modern world? How will it all end? The scripture is very clear that God will deal with all nations. The time for this dealing seems to be close at hand. There will be a "storm before the calm" in world events according to the Bible. Nations will be drawn to Israel for one "final solution" of the world’s Jewish problem. The Mighty God of Israel will then intervene to fight for little Israel in a dramatic manner. Strangely, the Messiah will stand on the Mount of Olives for the specific purpose of delivering Israel from the wrath of the nations. After God has dealt with nations for their hatred and hypocrisy, a wonderful era of peace, real peace, Messianic peace, will rule in our world.

Israel’s Amazing Uniqueness

     How can a little country some fifty miles wide and a mere one-hundred-fifty miles long keep the world in an uproar all the time?
     How can tiny Israel be the constant focus of world news reports, and why should such a small place have the second largest concentration of news bureaus in the world? (1) Why should the little mountain town of Jerusalem always get a lion’s share of world publicity?

      How can the Israeli people, numbering less than seven million, be considered such a mortal threat to the approximately 300 million heavily-armed Muslims in the Middle East? And why would such an august body as the United Nations spend a third of its time dealing with little Israel? (2)
     These things all seem preposterous, but they certainly attest to Israel’s amazing uniqueness as a nation.
     For instance, just "down the road" from Jerusalem is the great city of Cairo and the country of Egypt. Cairo, the largest city in Africa, has over seventeen million people, yet it is rarely mentioned on the evening news. However, almost daily we hear of Jerusalem, whose population is less than three quarters of a million people. The world’s news bureaus do not jostle each other for space in Cairo or in Egypt. The city and country have been of little concern to the United Nations.

     The nation of Israel and its capital city of Jerusalem are minuscule in comparison with other nations and cities of the world. When compared to the US, Israel is about the size of the little state of New Jersey. The nation of France could hold twenty-six nations of Israel.
     Of course, Israel should rightly be compared with countries in her own neighborhood, the Middle East. It is shocking when we realize that the Middle East nations of the Arab League are spread over five million square miles, while Israel consists of less than 8,000 square miles. (3)
     Israel is so small that one can easily drive from the biblical border cities of Dan in the north, to Beersheba in the south, in half a day. We have cause to pity the Israeli jet pilots, who in a few careless moments of maneuvers could find themselves flying over hostile Syria or Saudi Arabia.
     Israel is tiny, but the nation possesses a geographic, political and spiritual importance far out of proportion to its size.

     Israel not only commands a disproportionate amount of media coverage, but the land is a veritable crossroads of the world, connecting the continents of Europe, Asia and Africa.
     In ancient times, people and armies traveled over the roads situated in what is known as the Fertile Crescent. This strip of fertile land ran from Egypt to the other great centers of Assyria and Babylonia. This ancient super-highway system ran directly through Israel. Thus the great nations of the Middle East always struggled between themselves for this passageway.
     One famous ancient route was the Way of the Sea (Via Maris) mentioned in Isaiah 9:1-2, and also in Matthew 4:15-16. This ancient road ran through Capernaum where Jesus established a base for his ministry. The prophet Isaiah, who lived in the eighth century BC, prophesied that a bright light would shine along this highway.
     Israel was not only a land bridge from north to south, but also from east to west. Many ancient caravans bearing spices and other items from the east, traveled through the general area. Also, from the time of Solomon, Israel had periodic access to the Far East via the Gulf of Aqaba and the Red Sea.
     Even today, Israel is still a world crossroads. People from almost every nation live in the country and millions more visit it. The Jews themselves have returned home from more than one hundred nations. On a bus ride, or a stroll through the park, one may see people reading newspapers from virtually every corner of the world.

     The Jerusalem taxi drivers have the very difficult task of communicating with people from every language background. It often seems that as soon as passengers open their mouths, the drivers are able to communicate in the necessary tongues.
     Israel is not just a crossroads for people, but one for birds as well. For instance, twice each year, in spring and again in the fall, millions of birds pass over Israel, as they make their trips to and from Europe, Asia and Africa. In all, there are 121 species of migratory birds, plus another 94 species that come to spend the winter in Israel. There are honey buzzards, storks, pelicans and many more winged visitors. (4) Some of these birds love Israel and decide to stay, much to the chagrin of  Israel's fish farmers.

     The Bible assures us that Israel is the most beautiful land in all the earth. In Ezekiel 20:6 we read:

     On that day I swore to them that I would bring them out of Egypt into a land I had
     searched out for them, a land flowing with milk and honey, the most beautiful of all
     lands.

     The physical setting of Israel is not just beautiful, but it is also extremely interesting and diversified, as we read in Deuteronomy 8:7-9:

     For the LORD your God is bringing you into a good land—a land with streams and
     pools of water, with springs flowing in the valleys and hills; a land with wheat and
     barley, vines and fig trees, pomegranates, olive oil and honey; a land where bread will
     not be scarce and you will lack nothing; a land where the rocks are iron and you can
     dig copper out of the hills.

     Israel has a vast diversity in its terrain. There is cool, snow-capped Mount Hermon in the north, reaching to an elevation of 9,232 ft. (2,841 m.), and there are the blistering semi-deserts of the Negev in the south. Also, in contrast with the heights of Hermon are the depths of the Jordan Rift and the Dead Sea. This body of water marks the lowest habitable spot on earth, at 1,312 ft. (404 m.) below sea level.
     Israel also enjoys a great variety in climate. When Jerusalemites are shivering in the winter cold, they can take comfort in the fact that they are a mere thirty-minute drive from semi-tropical Jericho, and the warm resorts at the Dead Sea.
     Since Israel borders on three deserts, much of the area to the east of its central chain of mountains is desert of some type. This desert runs from the areas around Jericho to the Dead Sea, on to The Wilderness of Zin and then to Eilat.

     The amount of rainfall in the country ranges from about 60 inches (152 centimeters) per year on Mt. Hermon in the north, to less than an inch (2.5 centemeters) for Eilat in the south. (5) The central mountains of Israel may be blasted with snow and cold in the winter months, and yet may swelter with an early spring heat wave. The heat wave, or sharav, blowing in from the desert can quickly drive temperatures into the 90 degree F. range ( 32 C.).
     In Deuteronomy 6:18, Israel is referred to as ha-eretz ha-tovah, or "the good land." Then again in Psalm 106:24, the Psalmist refers to Israel as "the pleasant land." Even in the hot summer, there are cool, pleasant breezes that come up from the Mediterranean in the afternoon. In the winter, even cities with the highest elevations like Jerusalem and Zefat, seldom see temperatures drop below freezing. Roses usually bloom all winter in Jerusalem. There are no tornadoes or hurricanes.

     The uniqueness of Israel really becomes apparent when we look at the country’s flora and fauna. Because of Israel’s geographic position, linking three continents, there is an amazing variety of plant and animal life. For instance, within the tiny land of Israel there are five distinct vegetation zones. This great variety of life has perplexed naturalists as they have labored to make the proper classifications.

     Lambert states, "The rich variety of vegetation zones, make it the meeting ground of plants native to widely differing parts of the earth, plants with such differing origins as Siberia, Western Europe, Inner Asia, North Africa and East Africa." (6)
     Israel at present has some 2500 plant types. For the sake of comparison, Egypt with its rich Nile Delta has only 1500. Britain has 1700, and Norway has 1335. "No other place in the world has such floral wealth concentrated within such a comparatively small area." (7)
     In the Hula swampland one might find the tropical papyrus plant flourishing. Papyrus is an African plant and Israel is as far north as it grows. (8) Or at Ein Gedi on the Dead Sea one might see the Moringa tree, which is a native of Sudan. In the Jordan Valley alone there are some forty varieties of tropical flora.
     In the southernmost tip of Israel at Eilat, the visitor is treated to a magnificent desert climate with its special vegetation. For instance, the Doum Palm (Dome Mitzri - Hyphaene thebaica), normally found in Sudan, grows around Eilat. (9) The Doum Palm has a distinguished look with a trunk that forks out about mid-way up giving it the appearance of having two horns.
     Numerous animals have ventured in from Africa in the south, or from Syria and points further in the north and have made Israel their home. The land of Israel marks the southernmost limit in the range of the Siberian wolf. The little coney has come up to Israel from Africa, and Israel and Syria mark its northernmost limits. Israel also has about twenty-five species of bat, from the three continents of Europe, Asia and Africa. (10)

     At Eilat, the visitor will see what has been called "one of the three richest coral reefs in the world."(11) From Eilat’s underwater observatory one can see a vast array of colorful tropical fish in their natural habitat. A trip to Eilat is a thrilling and unforgettable experience.

     Israel is certainly unique in the natural sense, because of its size, location and diversity of climate and wild life. However, its greatest uniqueness is in the spiritual realm. We see this clearly reflected in the pages of the Bible. The Bible, after all, is our guide and authority, not only in matters of theology, but in matters of our everyday lives.
     For centuries, preachers and biblical expositors have realized that the frequency of words found in the scripture gives us some indication as to the importance of the subjects. As an example, Christianity rests upon three pillars, as Paul tells us in 1 Corinthians 13:13. The pillars are faith, hope and love. When we check out the frequency of these words in the Authorized Version of the Bible, we find that faith appears 257 times, and hope appears 129 times. Love, being the most important of the three, appears 310 times. This is a respectable amount of appearances.
     However when we check out the occurrence of "Jerusalem" in scripture we may be amazed to learn that it appears 811 times - more than faith, hope and love combined. Jerusalem is just one of the many names the city is called in scripture. Also, when we search under the subject of "Israel," we may be shocked to find that it appears 2565 times. We should realize by this that "Jerusalem" and "Israel" are subjects very close to the heart of God.
     In the scripture, the expression "God of Israel" appears over 200 times. This is only one of several expressions like "God of Jacob," and "God of Abraham," which connect the God of the universe closely with the Jewish people and the land of Israel. These are names by which God wishes to be known. However, these names are deemed "not politically correct" by many in our day.
     In the Bible, we read about God’s great attachment to the land of Israel. In Deuteronomy 11:12, we learn that "It is a land the LORD your God cares for; the eyes of the LORD your God are continually on it from the beginning of the year to its end."
     We learn in the Bible that Israel is central in God’s plan for the earth. In Ezekiel 38:12, it is mentioned that the land of Israel is at the very center of the earth. The Hebrew word used here is tabbuwr, and in modern Hebrew it means "navel" or "bellybutton." The earth does have a navel, a place where the umbilical cord between heaven and earth was once attached. In Revelation 21:1-4, the Bible indicates that it will someday be re-attached as this world undergoes a re-creation.
     In Psalm 76:1 we read, "...In Judah God is known; his name is great in Israel." For thousands of years, God has been busy building a salvation infrastructure in the land of Israel. He has done this so that peoples and nations the world over may fully know him.
     In a real sense, "...He has set his foundation on the holy mountain..." (Psa. 87:1). God had to establish the patterns, types, and pictures that would help us understand his great salvation. For instance, the Tabernacle and Temple with all their rites help us understand the sacrifice of Jesus. Without these pictures we would be at a total loss to understand.
     Jerusalem, being the very center or hub of God’s redemptive activity, is extremely important to him. We read in Isaiah 49:16, "See, I have engraved you [Jerusalem] on the palms of my hands; your walls are ever before me."
     Israel and its capital city of Jerusalem are certain to be the focus of last-day activity. This will transpire as sinful man and his systems collide head-on with God and his coming kingdom. We are assured in scripture that God will gather all nations to Jerusalem for battle (Zech. 14:2). At that time the Lord will fight for Israel and afterward the nations of the earth will know that the Lord is God.

     To illustrate her great spiritual importance, Jerusalem is claimed jointly by the religions of Judaism, Christianity and Islam. These claims apply not only to Jerusalem but also to most other parts of the land. Since these religions include more than three billion people, we can see that Jerusalem and Israel are extremely important to half the world’s population.
     Jerusalem has long been the focal point of Jewish aspirations. Over the centuries the Passover seder has ended with the longing and hopeful words, "Next year in Jerusalem!"
     The Jewish National Anthem, Ha Tikva, by Naphtali Herz Imber, also expresses that eternal hope within the Jewish heart in these words translated into English:

     As long as in depth of the heart a Jewish soul is yearning, and towards the east an eye
     is still looking to Zion, our hope is not lost yet, the 2000-year-old hope to be a free
     nation in our land, the land of Zion and Jerusalem.

     In addition to being at the very heart of the Jewish faith, Jerusalem is the cradle of Christianity. The dramas of the birth, death and resurrection of Jesus all took place in the general area of Jerusalem. The Church of the Nativity in the city of Bethlehem marks the place of Messiah’s birth. This city, which is now a part of the Palestinian Authority, is still practically a suburb of Jerusalem. The twin sites, the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem’s Old City, and the Garden Tomb just outside the north city wall, both mark possible places of the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus.

     In modern times, the dark clouds of political turmoil have increased over Israel and Jerusalem. This has been especially true as the Jews have returned home from the nations. Because of Muslim political aspirations concerning the land, Jerusalem and Israel have taken on an increased importance to Islam.
     Although Jerusalem’s Temple Mount has been the location of the Dome of the Rock and Al Aksa Mosque since the seventh century, Jerusalem was a "backwater" so far as its importance to Muslims until the twentieth century. For instance, in the thirteen hundred years that Islam exercised general domination over Israel, Jerusalem was never a Muslim capital city or even an administrative center. The administrative center was at Ramle near the coast.
     Today, because of the increasing political struggle over Jerusalem, Muslims are flocking in greater numbers to the Temple Mount for prayer and pilgrimage, although prior to the twentieth century the Temple Mount had not been a place of Muslim pilgrimage. (12) Thousands of Muslims now gather to the area on Fridays for weekly prayers. The religious struggle over the Temple Mount has greatly intensified in recent years, with occasional flare-ups of violence as Jews and Muslims worship in close proximity.

SITE OF PILGRIMAGE SINCE ANCIENT TIMES

     The Jewish people have made pilgrimage to Jerusalem since ancient times. According to Jewish law, each male was required to come to Jerusalem every year for the three major festivals of Passover (Pe-sach), Pentecost (Sha-vu-ot) and Tabernacles (Suk-kot) (Ex. 23:17). Since Jerusalem sits astride the mountain ridge running through the country, it was necessary to climb up to Jerusalem. The trip was dangerous and difficult. It often had to be done on foot and in the heat of the sun.

     In our Bibles we still have recorded many songs that were undoubtedly sung by pilgrims as they ascended to the city and to the Temple Mount. They were also used in Temple worship at certain times. These "Songs of Ascents," or of "going up," are very descriptive of the journey. They begin with Psalm 120 and continue through Psalm 134.
     It is interesting today that the process by which one becomes a citizen of modern Israel is called "making aliya." In Hebrew it simply means "going up."

     In the Book of Acts we learn that great numbers of Jewish pilgrims had come to the Feast of Pentecost from many different parts of the world. After witnessing the outpouring of the Holy Spirit these pilgrims replied:

Then how is it that each of us hears them in his own native language? Parthians, Medes and Elamites; residents of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia, Egypt and the parts of Libya near Cyrene; visitors from Rome (both Jews and converts to Judaism); Cretans and Arabs—we hear them declaring the wonders of God in our own tongues! (Acts 2:8-11).

     In the fourth century, after Christianity was finally established as the legal religion in the Roman Empire, Christian pilgrims began to make their appearance in Jerusalem. Even Emperor Constantine’s mother, Helena, became a pilgrim in the fourth century AD. It was due to her influence that some of the great churches were built, such as the Church of the Holy Sepulcher and the Church of the Nativity.
     Another pilgrim in the latter part of the fourth century was named Egeria. Archaeologists and Bible scholars still use her written accounts to try and piece together the locations of authentic biblical sites. What a shame it is that many other pilgrims did not visit the land and heed the command of Psalm 48:12-13:

 Walk about Zion, go around her, count her towers, consider well her ramparts, view
 her citadels, that you may tell of them to the next generation.

     Today, millions of modern pilgrims journey by airliner to Israel and then travel by luxurious air-conditioned buses throughout the land. They know few of the hardships of pilgrims in earlier times. However, they are pilgrims nonetheless, with their notepads, recorders, cameras and videos. It is interesting that the bulk of these pilgrims are Christians.

     A visit to the land is important for Christians. The land of Israel has often been called "the fifth gospel." There are four gospels we can read anywhere in the world, but one we can only experience by a visit to Israel. This "gospel" quickly brings the other four gospels into perspective. It does the same for the rest of the Bible. As one enlightened visitor remarked: "I used to see the Bible only in black and white - now I see it in living color."
     When one travels about the land, the stories of the Bible come to life. Almost everywhere one looks or walks in Israel, there is a contact made with the Bible and history. One may drive past Rachel’s Tomb near Bethlehem and be reminded that there she died while giving birth to her son Benjamin (Jer. 31:15; Matt. 2:18). One may see the Temple complex and suddenly realize the accuracy of Jesus’ prophecy that one of those original stones would not be left upon another on top of this Temple platform (Matt. 24:2).
     The land of Israel is no doubt the World’s biggest "show-and- tell." God designed it that way so that we can picture the mysteries of his kingdom.
     As millions of pilgrims arrive in Israel and as Israel and Jerusalem come more and more into the spotlight of the world media, we need to reflect much upon Israel’s great significance. If we believe the Bible we must admit that Israel, with its heart in Jerusalem, is God’s project. It is an age-old project.
     In all the ages God has had only one plan, and that plan is that his glory and his salvation should go forth from Israel to all nations. As one old preacher said, "God plans his work and works his plan." God has never had to change his plan, because he knew the end from the beginning. All this gives Israel and Jerusalem a uniqueness not possessed by other nations or cities. Israel and Jerusalem are truly unique in that they are central in God’s great plan for the earth. God himself says:

     Remember the former things, those of long ago; I am God, and there is no other; I am
     God, and there is none like me. I make known the end from the beginning, from ancient
     times, what is still to come. I say: My purpose will stand, and I will do all that I
     please. (Isa. 46:9-10)

STUDY QUESTIONS:

Give some reasons why God chose the physical land of Israel as a base for his redemptive work.

Is it still important for Christians to visit Israel and Jerusalem in this modern day?
If so, why?

Give two reasons why it might be beneficial to pray for Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).

Why might Israel and Jerusalem become a "bone of contention" to nations and peoples in the future?

NOTES

1.  Ramon Bennett, Philistine- The Great Deception (Jerusalem: Arm of Salvation, 1995) p. 181.
2.  See Editorial, "The UN Impediment," The Jerusalem Post, 9 June, 1991.
3.  Leonard Davis, Myths and Facts, A concise Record of the Arab-Israeli Conflict (Washington, DC: Near East Report, 1984) pp. 248-49.
4.  See "Birds of Passage Pass Over," Dispatch From Jerusalem, September/October,1995, p. 9.
5.  Facts About Israel (Jerusalem: Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Information Division, 1985), p. 5.
6.  Lance Lambert, The Uniqueness of Israel (Eastbourne: Kingsway Publications Ltd., 1980) p. 20.
7.  Goeffrey Wigoder, Israel Pocket Library, Geography (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House Jerusalem Ltd, 1973) p. 137.
8.  Azzaria Alon, Flowers and Trees of the Holy Land (Printed in the Holy Land: Palpot Ltd.,) p. 31.
9.  Uzi Plitman, Clara Heyn, Avinoam Danin and Avishai Shmidah, Plants in Israel, trans. from Hebrew (Masada, Israel 1983) p. 260.
10. Lambert, The Uniqueness of Israel, p. 24.
11. Lambert, The Uniqueness of Israel, p. 25.
12. Eliyahu Tal, Whose Jerusalem (Jerusalem: International Forum for a United Jerusalem, 1994) p. 74

     For ages, the Jews have been called "the chosen people." How did they get such a title? Did they make it up themselves? The Bible has much to say about this. In Deuteronomy 7:6, we read this about the Jews:

     For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has
     chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his
     treasured possession.

     So it was God who chose the Jewish people. We might ask the question, "Why the Jews?" They are certainly not a plentiful people on earth, since they number somewhat over 13 million today, or less than one half of one percent of world population. Nor were they the largest or greatest people of antiquity. When we look at the Bible in Deuteronomy 7:7, we read that quite the opposite was the case:

     The LORD did not set his affection on you and choose you because you were more
     numerous than other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

THEIR CHOICE - A SOVEREIGN ACT OF GOD

     The Bible makes it plain that the choice of the Jewish people was a sovereign act of God. God as the Creator of the universe has the right to choose whom he wills. In Romans 9:21, we see that he can choose the vessels he has made, whether men or nations, for honor or for dishonor.
     God does not play favorites however. The sovereign choice of Israel was for God’s own redemptive purposes on earth. In his wisdom he chose a family to influence families and a nation to influence nations. God chose Israel to introduce his word to the world.

     Then in the fullness of time, God allowed Israel to bring forth his Messiah, in order that all nations could be blessed through him. God’s choice bore with it a great amount of responsibility and it has resulted in an incredible degree of suffering for the Jewish people.
     Because of this responsibility and suffering, there are many Jews today who would just as soon not be the chosen people. They echo the words of Tevye in the famous play, Fiddler on the Roof. After Tevye heard news about an impending persecution, he had another of his little talks with God, complaining to him: "I know, I know we are the chosen people, but once in a while can’t you choose someone else!"
     We see from the scripture that the sovereign choice of the Jewish people goes back to Abram, in Genesis 12:1-3:

     The LORD had said to Abram, "Leave your country, your people and your father’s
     household and go to the land I will show you. I will make you into a great nation and
     I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing. I will bless
     those who bless you, and whoever curses you I will curse; and all peoples on earth
     will be blessed through you."

     This divine choice of Abram and his heirs as a redemptive family in the earth, and later as a redemptive nation, is documented in numerous places in scripture. In Genesis 17:3-9 it is repeated to Abram, whose name is then changed to Abraham. In Genesis 26:2-5, it is repeated to Isaac. Then in Genesis 28:13-15 it is repeated to Jacob. References are made to this covenant in many other places, such as Leviticus 20:26, Psalm 105:8-11 and Amos 3:2.

A UNIQUE AND SPECIAL PEOPLE

     It is clear from scripture that the Jewish people are chosen in a unique and special sense. In the passage we quoted earlier in Deuteronomy 7:6, the Hebrew expression used for "special people" is am se-gu-lah. It has the meaning of "special treasure," or "peculiar or extraordinary people."

     Balaam, who is referred to by the Jews as the first Gentile prophet, has this to say about the Jews in Numbers 23:9:

     From the rocky peaks I see them, from the heights I view them. I see a people who live
     apart and do not consider themselves one of the nations.

     Israel is not considered a part of the nations. In addition, we see an amazing fact about Israel in Deuteronomy 32:8:
    
     When the Most High gave the nations their inheritance, when he divided all mankind,
     he set up boundaries for the peoples according to the number of the sons of Israel.

     This is a puzzling and astonishing verse. It seems to mean that when the Almighty marked out the nations of the world, he did so in reference to the number of Jewish people. Possibly he did this in reference to the Jews who would live in these very nations.
     We learn more in Psalm 148:14 about the special nature of the Children of Israel. The Psalm reads:

     He has raised up for his people a horn, the praise of all his saints, of Israel, the
     people close to his heart. Praise the LORD!

     Of all the people on the face of the earth, only the people of Israel are described as being close to God’s very heart. What a special place and privilege!

     Because of God’s redemptive choice, he did not choose other people in the same way he chose Israel. In Psalm 147:19-20, we are surprised to read:

     He has revealed his word to Jacob, his laws and decrees to Israel. He has done this
     for no other nation; they do not know his laws. Praise the LORD.

     Why does the Psalmist say, "Praise the Lord" after making a statement like this? It is probably because he realized that the Jewish people would keep God’s word intact and deliver it safely to coming peoples throughout history. God once said of Abraham in Genesis 18:19:

     For I have chosen him, so that he will direct his children and his household after him
     to keep the way of the LORD by doing what is right and just, so that the LORD will
     bring about for Abraham what he has promised him.

     The idea here may well be better expressed in the King James Version. It is the thought that God knew Abraham and thus chose him. God knew that Abraham would command his children after him regarding the ways of the Almighty.
     The idea is still prevalent in Israel that one must guard the commands of God and keep them (shomer mitzvot). Many Israelis believe that they must carefully instruct their children to guard the things of the Lord.
     In Deuteronomy 11:19-20, the Jewish people are commanded to teach the word of God when they rise up, when they sit down, and when they walk. They are also taught to write the word of God upon their doorposts and gates. The fulfillment of this command can be seen today in the many mezuzot on the doors of Israel.

     We might wonder what would have happened if God had given his precious word to the nations at large. How would they have handled the word over the last 3500 years? The answer seems to be apparent. We Gentiles have had the word for only a few centuries and we are already busily corrupting it.
     Consider some of the ideas floating around about the scriptures today. Some people are trying to make God feminine. Others are trying to remove every reference to Zion and Israel in order to make the Bible "politically correct." Thank God that he gave the word to the Jewish people. They have faithfully delivered it to us intact.

CAN GOD CAST AWAY HIS PEOPLE?

     Since the early centuries of Christianity, many voices have proclaimed in the Church that God is finished with the Jews. Can such a thing be? According to this theology the Jews failed God, so the Lord has washed his hands of them forever. Can God cast away his people? The scripture is clear on this. God knew beforehand that Israel would not be faithful. He also knows the same thing about us Christians. In Leviticus 26:14-43, Moses speaks in detail about all their coming failures. Yet, in verse 44, God still says of them:

     Yet in spite of this, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them or
     abhor them so as to destroy them completely, breaking my covenant with them. I am
     the LORD their God.

     This is a rather shocking passage of scripture. It simply means that God has never changed his mind about the Jews. Still today, almost 2700 years after the beginning of their exiles in 722 BC, they are still his people. Those Jewish people whom we have known, associated with, and often persecuted are still a special people to God. Whenever we touch them, we touch "... the apple of his eye" (Zech. 2:8).
     God speaks to us of their continuing special nature to him in yet another passage. God, who is the Creator of the vast universe above us and the earth below, declares in Jeremiah 31:35-37:

     This is what the LORD says, he who appoints the sun to shine by day, who decrees the
     moon and stars to shine by night, who stirs up the sea so that its waves roar—the
     LORD Almighty is his name: "Only if these decrees vanish from my sight," declares
     the LORD, "will the descendants of Israel ever cease to be a nation before me."
     This is what the LORD says: "Only if the heavens above can be measured and the
     foundations of the earth below be searched out will I reject all the descendants of
     Israel because of all they have done," declares the LORD.

     When the sun stops shining; when the stars stop twinkling in the heavens; and when the waves of the sea stop roaring, then there might be a possibility that God can reject his chosen people Israel. Until that time they remain chosen and we Christians need to get used to that idea. The New Testament verifies this truth to us in Romans 11:29 as Paul assures us, "...God’s gifts and his call are irrevocable."

     Paul asks and answers his own question about the Jews in Romans 11:1-2. He is almost aghast at the thought that God could forsake them: "... Did God reject his people? By no means! ...God did not reject his people, whom he foreknew..."

CHOSEN PEOPLE - CHOSEN LAND

     God chose a unique and special people, the people of Israel, and a unique and special land, the land of Israel. Once more after two thousand years we see the chosen people inhabiting the chosen land.
     It may surprise many today in our modern world that God gave this special land to his special people. It was given to them as an eternal inheritance. Let us look at this eternal promise to Abraham and his heirs in Genesis 17:8:

     Also I give to you and your descendants after you the land in which you are a stranger,
     all the land of Canaan, as an everlasting possession; and I will be their God.

     Some have objected saying that all God’s promises are conditional. God’s promises do have a conditional nature about them. Each generation may or may not receive the benefits of these promises and covenants, depending upon its faithfulness or lack of it. However, the promises themselves are eternal and this fact is stated plainly in the above passage and in numerous other places.
     In Genesis 15:9-21, God made the covenant with Abram to give him all the land of Canaan, from the River of Egypt to the Euphrates. As was the custom in ancient times, animals were slaughtered in the traditional fashion of a blood covenant. The bloody parts were then laid out so that the makers of the covenant could pass between them. Interestingly, Abram fell into a deep sleep and God alone passed between the parts, signifying that it is God alone who maintains the covenant.
     God is very emphatic about giving the land of Israel to his chosen people forever. Not only do we have the "title deed" fully written out in Genesis 17:8, but in a real sense, the title has been legally recorded and published in the Bible so that the whole world can know of its existence.
     God does not stop here. God even goes to the extreme of swearing an oath about this. We have reference to this oath in Genesis 24:7:

     The LORD, the God of heaven, who brought me out of my father's household and my
     native land and who spoke to me and promised me on oath, saying, 'To your offspring
     I will give this land...’

     This must be something very important for the God of the whole universe, that he would swear an oath about it. Let us pause and try to get this incredible picture.
     Imagine the Almighty standing before all the angels, heavenly beings, principalities, powers and saying something like this: "I God Almighty do solemnly swear that the land of Israel shall be the possession of the children of Israel forever!"
     Now the Bible tells us that there was no one greater by whom God could swear, so he swore by his own great name (Heb. 6:13-14). Perhaps as in the movie O God, he just put his hand on his own shoulder and said, "So help me - me!"

BUT WHAT ABOUT THE ARABS?

     It is important for us to notice that God specifically did not give his land to Ishmael or to his descendants, the Arabs (Gen. 17:21). Of course, Muslims everywhere look to Ishmael as their spiritual father. This is the core of the problem in the Middle East today. Does it mean that God discriminated against Ishmael, the Arabs or the Muslims in general? Absolutely not!
     God greatly loved Ishmael and he loves the Arabs today. God promised to surely bless Ishmael and multiply him into twelve princes and to make him great (Gen. 17:18-20). In fact, God loved Ishmael so much that he has now given him twenty-two sovereign nations that make up the Arab League. He has given the Arab League over five million square miles as compared with only eight thousand square miles in Israel. (2)
     God loved Ishmael so much that he made him incredibly rich. Today, over 57 percent of the world’s oil reserves are located in the mostly Arab Middle Eastern countries. (3) God has blessed Ishmael with abundant land and fantastic wealth, but he has not given him Israel, and he will not do so for all time and eternity.
     Does this mean that the Arabs cannot live in Israel? Of course not! Some Arabs have been living in the land since the Muslim conquest of the seventh century. They have every right to live in the land. However, the issue is not one of living in the land but of sovereignty. The Land was given to Israel, and Israel alone must exercise sovereignty.
     The Bible makes it clear that Gentiles may come and live in the land and even be protected by Israel’s laws (Ex. 12:49; Jer. 12:16). However, we read in Exodus 20:10, that the Gentiles, or aliens, have the responsibility of paying respect to Israel and acting according to the laws and customs of the land.
     If we believe the Bible, we must believe that God is a bit upset by what is happening today. The land of Israel has become a political "hot potato." There is much agitation throughout the Middle East for Palestinian sovereignty in the territory of Israel. This agitation is seen and heard constantly in the media and it resounds in numerous foreign capitals. In very recent times even the US bowed down and began to promote a sovereign Palestinian state alongside the state of Israel. We must understand that this Palestinian state would be carved from the sacred mountainous territory that was given eternally to Israel.
     Many of the nations of the earth and their leaders are now working feverishly to separate the people of Israel from the land of Israel. Through the effort known as the "peace process" Israel has already lost control of Shechem, Hebron, Bethlehem and several other important cities, as well as large tracts of open land in its mountainous area. The Israeli government in recent times has even offered the Palestinians as much as 97 percent of the West Bank area only to have the offer refused. The Arabs opted for 100 percent. This mountainous West Bank is prophesied to be the very area of Israel’s return and resettlement according to Ezekiel (36:1-15).
     What will God eventually do about this problem? In Joel 3:2 we read these sobering verses:

     I will gather all nations and bring them down to the Valley of Jehoshaphat. There I
     will enter into judgment against them concerning my inheritance, my people Israel, for
     they scattered my people among the nations and divided up my land.

     It is clear that judgment is coming for people and nations who do not respect the word of God.

TODAY, GOD IS VERIFYING HIS COVENANT

     If we had lived a hundred years ago we might have had cause to wonder if God would be true to the Jewish people. At that time they were hopelessly scattered over the world. The idea of a Jewish homeland was just the dream of a few visionaries.
     However, today God has moved with a mighty hand to reestablish his chosen people in his chosen land. He has restored their cities, their farmlands, their language, their military power, their government, and many other things. He has done this in spite of much interference and outright opposition of men and nations. In our day God has fulfilled dozens of prophecies such as Isaiah 11:11; Isaiah 43:5-6; Jeremiah 32:15. It is now possible to come to Israel and see for oneself what God has done for his people.

     How ironic it is, that at a time like this, a time of restoration, many are rising up to say that God has broken his covenant with Israel!
     God’s dealing with the Jewish people should be a cause for great confidence among Christians. Quite simply, if God remains faithful to his Old Covenant people, then he will also remain faithful to his New Covenant people. If God is capricious with Israel, then he could certainly act the same way with the Church couldn’t he?
     Thank God that he is a covenant making and covenant keeping God. In Psalm 94:14 we read: "For the LORD will not reject his people; he will never forsake his inheritance."
     In fact, God’s dealing with Israel after all these thousands of years is really a great proof of his existence. "There is a story of Friedrich the Great of Prussia. He was an atheist but had a very pious medical doctor. Once, he demanded of his doctor: ‘Give me proof that there is a God! But hurry up, I have no time!’ The doctor replied immediately: ‘The Jews, Your Majesty!’" (4)

STUDY QUESTIONS:

Why did God choose the Jewish people above all other people?

How does this fit with the scripture in Acts 10:34-35, that God is no respecter of persons?

Are God’s promises to Israel unconditional or are they conditional and based upon Israel’s obedience?

Some Arabs have lived in the land of Israel for centuries, long before Israel became a nation in 1948. Some areas are predominately Arab. Should these Arab people now have a right to declare their own sovereignty? Give a reason for your answer.

NOTES

1. Lance Lambert, The Uniqueness of Israel (Eastbourne: Kingsway Publications Ltd., 1980) p. 57.
2. Leonard J. Davis, Myths and Facts 1985, A Concise Record of the Arab-IsraeliConflict (Washington, DC: Near East Report, 1984)
    pp. 248-49.
3. MSN Encarta Encyclopedia, (Microsoft Corp, 2007). Data for 2004.
4. Goran Larsson, "The Jews! Your Majesty" (San Diego, CA., Jerusalem, Israel: Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies and Research,
    second revised edition, 1989) p. 37.

     The history of Israel is unlike the history of other nations. Since Israel is very special to God and since the nation figures prominently in God’s worldwide redemptive program, the history of Israel may be more accurately called "redemptive history," "salvation history," or even "holy history."
     Trying to summarize the history of Israel is like trying to summarize the history of the world. Because of God’s great redemptive plan, the Jews have been dispersed to almost every place on this globe. They have also lived in virtually every time frame in recorded history.
     Although the land of Israel was given to them as their dwelling place, they have lived outside the land much more than they have lived in it. This fact impacts the study of Israel’s history to a considerable degree.
     Let us take a quick look at the redemptive history of Israel as we attempt to picture it in seven critical events. These events are:

     1) The call of Abram
     2) Birth of the nation (deliverance from Egypt and giving of the law)
     3) Conquest and settlement of Canaan
     4) Rise of the Davidic kingship and its messianic implications
     5) First dispersion and restoration, including Daniel’s view of history
     6) Coming of the Messiah
     7) Second dispersion and restoration, including the Holocaust

SCENE ONE: THE CALL OF ABRAM

     Abram was one of the most remarkable men this world has ever known. He was remarkable in that he introduced the whole pagan world to the unique and incredible concept of the one true God.
     We can imagine that in the pagan land where Abram lived, he often heard the screams of babies as they were burned alive in the fires at pagan altars. He must have often passed the pagan temples, which were the churches and synagogues of his day. As he passed them, he must have seen the open and flagrant adultery and homosexuality, because this was the way people worshipped their gods in Abram’s time.

       People worshipped many gods. In fact, every nation had its own panoply of pagan gods. Ancient Babylon, in the area where Abraham lived, is said to have had 300 gods of heaven and another 600 of earth. This did not count the many spirits, who were also worshipped. (1) The gods of the past were capricious and demonic. Many times the gods were more unrighteous than men.
     God desired to redeem mankind from this dismal environment of idolatry. For God to redeem a whole world it was necessary for him first to redeem a man, then a family, and finally a whole nation.
     Let us look back to the days of Abram. In his day, what was to be the land of Israel was a part of "the Fertile Crescent." On one end of the crescent was the future land of Israel, God’s proposed redemptive base in the world. On the other end of the crescent was Abram, the man who would bring the nation of Israel into being, and who would become the redemptive "father" of all believers everywhere. His name, Abram (exalted father), was thus changed to Abraham (father of a multitude).
     We read in the Bible that Abraham was from Ur of the Chaldees in Babylonia. He hailed from the land of the two rivers, the Tigris and Euphrates. Abraham first lived in Ur and then later his family moved to Haran. While in Haran, God called him to leave his father’s house and his country and to go to Canaan (Gen. 12:1-3). The time of his journey was probably around 2000 BC, and Abraham was seventy-five years old, a time when most people retire to their rocking chairs.
     Abraham crossed the Euphrates, and its tributaries, and set out for the land to which God had called him. In so doing, he inadvertently supplied the name to his future people, the Hebrews. The root for their name in the Hebrew language is aber, and it means "to cross over."
     Abraham crossed over from his idolatrous and depraved world to become the man of God and to bring forth a people to God. The followers of Abraham today, who number into the multiplied millions, are likewise people who "cross over." They cross over the sea from Egypt (flesh) into the realm of the Spirit. They cross over the Jordan to possess the heavenly country God has given.
     Father Abraham arrived in Canaan with Sarah his wife, his nephew Lot, and all their possessions, including their servants (Gen. 12:4-5). His first recorded visit in the land was at Shechem (today’s Nablus). There, by the great tree of Moreh, among strangers, God appeared to him and promised to give the land to his offspring (Gen. 12:7). The everlasting drama of the land and the man had begun.

     Although Abraham was a remarkable man, he was still very much a human being like all the rest of us. There were times when his faith wavered. There were other times when he stood as a giant in the earth. His faith must have wavered when God told him to leave Haran and his father’s house. Somehow, Abraham took his nephew Lot along with him (Gen. 12:4). Lot caused Abraham much heartache. The children of Lot, Ammon and Moab (present day Jordan), have continued to vex Israel to this time.
     Abraham was promised a son by faith, although he was very old and his wife Sarah was far past the age of childbearing. Apparently Abraham had some slight doubts about this promise. At Sarah’s urging he finally took her handmaid Hagar and from her was born Ishmael. Today, over a billion Muslims in the world look to Ishmael as their spiritual father. For the last thirteen hundred years the Muslims have bitterly persecuted the true spiritual seed of Abraham.
     On other occasions Abraham stood as a mighty tower of faith. One of these occasions particularly stands out. After Abraham and Lot were separated, the latter was taken captive as a result of a Babylonian raid into the area. If Abraham had been like most of us he would have probably said, "Thank God, my troubles are over. Lot has finally gotten what he deserves!"
     Abraham didn’t react that way. He called his little group of 318 servants together. We can imagine that Abraham had to give some quick instruction to those of his men who were not trained as warriors. He might have said something like this: "Now guys, this is a bow, and this is an arrow. Please remember to keep the feathers next to you when you try to shoot the thing!"
     It was no doubt a motley crew that Abraham had as an army. Who would think of taking such an army to fight one of the greatest powers of the ancient world. But Abraham was a man of faith in the Mighty God.
     As he led his tiny army through the brush that night in northern Galilee, something incredible happened. The Babylonian army went crazy. We don’t know what they saw or heard. I doubt if we would want to know. They may have heard the war cries of a million angelic soldiers and they may have seen fiery chariots racing through the skies. They panicked and ran for their lives. Abraham and his men collected the vast booty, including Lot and all that belonged to him, and returned home victorious.
     This was to be the first of many such strange victories that Abraham’s people would gain through future centuries. Little would pagan enemies understand that they were not just fighting against Abraham or his seed, but against the mighty God of Israel and his eternal redemptive program.

Tombs of Abraham and the Patriarchs in Hebron
(Courtesy Israel Information Office)

     Abraham became the father of Israel and of all those who believe (Rom. 4:11). His son Isaac carried on the redemptive history to the next generation. After him, Jacob carried on the tradition and brought forth the twelve tribes of Israel.
     Through the envy of his brothers, one of Jacob’s sons, Joseph, was sold into Egypt as a slave. In time, through God’s providence, he rose to great heights of power, becoming second only to Pharaoh. Joseph, through prophecy, had foretold a seven-year famine in the whole land. He had also predicted seven years of plenty before the famine. As a result, Joseph was placed in charge of grain storage and abundant provisions were laid up in Egypt.
     At last, to stave off famine, the whole house of Israel, some seventy souls, came to sojourn in Egypt. The people were treated kindly at first, but after four hundred years, the people were made slaves and they cried out to the God of Abraham.

SCENE TWO: BIRTH OF THE NATION (Deliverance from Egypt and giving of the Law)

     It seemed that Moses had missed his calling in life. He had a great beginning, being adopted into the family of Pharaoh, king of Egypt. Now he had fallen from grace in the Egyptian court, and quite frankly had also fallen on bad times. He now spent his days herding sheep and goats on the back side of the desert of Sinai.
     Moses once thought that he would deliver his oppressed people from Egypt, but now that idea must have seemed remote. Moses’ life was now well spent, seeing that he was already about 80 years old.
     However, God had not forgotten Moses, nor had he forgotten his people suffering down in Egypt. God knew that the sojourn in Egypt was necessary for the Children of Israel. It had also been necessary for Moses. It seems that the faithful of every age have had to endure the "Egypt experience." On one occasion even Abraham had to go down into Egypt and sojourn there for a time. Now the whole nation of Israel was stuck in Egypt.
     It was to be a type of God’s redemption and a messianic type as well. God would later speak of Jesus in Matthew 2:15 saying: "Out of Egypt I called my son." The separation from Egypt is pictured throughout the scripture as a separation from this world and a consecration to God.
     The Living God, who had heard the cries of his captive people, now paid a visit to lonely Moses in the desert of Sinai. There Moses saw the Living God, the "I Am" of scripture. He is the only man who ever did so and lived to tell about it.
     God sent stammering Moses along with his brother Aaron down to Egypt to pay a call on perhaps the most powerful monarch of the ancient world. Moses went with the message "Let my people Go!"
     Again we need to use our imaginations just a little as we picture this shepherd from the back side of the desert coming before mighty Pharaoh. What happened when Moses delivered this message? Pharaoh and his whole court probably had some good belly laughter. After this, Pharaoh said something equivalent to "No way Mo-shea!"
     Pharaoh’s refusal was the beginning of one of the most unusual periods in the history of the world. God with a mighty hand began to plague Egypt.
     The story of the deliverance from Egypt is one of the classic dramas of all time. Never before in history was a nation born in the midst of another nation (Deut. 4:34). Never before had the world seen such a miraculous visitation with astounding supernatural displays.
     Awesome and fearful plagues fell on Egypt. There were plagues of blood and frogs. Mrs. Pharaoh couldn’t go to the bathroom at night without stepping on the squishy, croaking things. There were gnats, insects, pestilence, and boils. We can imagine mighty Pharaoh waddling out gingerly to speak to Moses, having a boil on each foot, and perhaps another one on the very place where he would have sat down.
     There was hail, locusts, and darkness, devastating the land. Finally there was the death of the firstborn in Egypt. That night the people of Israel were spared while Egypt’s firstborn all died. Through Moses, God had instructed his people to slay the Passover lamb and place its blood on the lintels and doorposts of their houses. When this last plague came, the people of Israel were spared. At that last plague the whole house of Israel was freed from bondage.
     The whole drama of salvation is pictured vividly in the plagues of Egypt, particularly the slaying of the firstborn. The slaying of an unblemished lamb, the blood upon the doorpost, the passing over of the death angel and the following deliverance would always stand out as vivid types of God’s salvation through the Messiah. To this day the Jews in their Passover seder annually recount much of this salvation history.
     Later, as Israel was leaving Egypt and as they were in the awkward position of trying to cross the Red Sea without boats, Pharaoh changed his mind and pursued them.
     That night as Moses held his staff over the sea and as the horses of Pharaoh pawed and neighed a short distance away, the east wind began to blow and the sea stood up in columns revealing the dry ground beneath. The people of Israel then began to pass through the sea on dry ground.
     At this, one would think that Pharaoh would have dismounted his chariot, bowed his face to the ground and repented of his evil. Instead, in his insane rage, he dared send his army after the Israelites.
     When Moses and all the people had passed through the sea, and as the whole army of Pharaoh was now in the midst of the sea, the waters suddenly closed upon them. That night there was something like twin tidal waves coming together with such velocity that Egyptian horses and their riders were hurled through the air and into the sea (Exo. 15:1).
     Too often we read the accounts of scripture without truly getting the picture of the awesome works of God. We need again to stop and meditate until we can smell the sea water and hear the cries of the drowning.
     That morning as the bodies of Egyptians washed up on the shores, all the women sang with tambourines. Miriam led them in this chorus: "Sing to the LORD, for he is highly exalted. The horse and its rider he has hurled into the sea" (Exo. 15:21).
     Moses then led the people which God himself describes as "stiff necked" (Exo. 32:9) into the wilderness of Sinai. It was there that the nation, or at least the remnant of the nation, was molded into the people God desired. There in the desert God fed them daily with manna from heaven. In the desert they were given commandments from the mouth of God. In all the history of the world, no people had ever heard God’s voice out of the fire and smoke (Deut. 5:26). This experience made a lasting impression upon the Jewish people.
     The generation that came out of Egypt was not able to enter the land of Canaan due to their lack of faith and vision. However, the following generation began to enter the land that God had long before promised to Abraham and to his children.

A wilderness area where Israel likely ventured
(photo credit Yoni Gerrish)

SCENE THREE: CONQUEST OF CANAAN

     Moses led the people forty years in the wilderness and, finally he led them to the Jordan River. However, God did not permit him to lead them any further. He did help them to experience their first great victories in battle, as they fought against Sihon, king of Heshbon (today’s Jordan) and Og, the king of Bashan (today’s Golan Heights). As a result of these two battles the people began to inherit the land on the east side of the Jordan River. The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the half-tribe of Manasseh settled in this area.
     After the death of Moses, his able assistant Joshua took command. Joshua led the people miraculously over the Jordan River. Again, they walked through on dry ground, even though the river was at flood stage.
     Joshua then led the people in a smashing victory over the city of Jericho. It is thought by some today that Jericho is actually the oldest city in the world. There is presently even a sign to that effect on the outskirts of the city. Even by Joshua’s time, Jericho was heavily fortified and virtually impossible to conquer. Through a great miracle the mighty walls of Jericho fell down. There is no trace of city walls on the ancient mound of Jericho today.
     After the miraculous victory at Jericho, Joshua proceeded to cut the land of Canaan in two just a few kilometers north of Jerusalem. In swift succession he defeated the principal cities and centers of influence in the land of Canaan. These cities included Ai, Makkedah, Libnah, Lachish, Gezer, Eglon, Hebron, and Debir. Joshua accomplished this in one campaign, because the Lord God fought for Israel (Josh. 10:42).
     Later, Joshua fought a confederation of northern kings led by Jabin, king of Hazor. Their warriors were as numerous as sand on the seashore (Josh. 11:4). Hazor was one of the mightiest cities in Canaan and was actually the gateway city into the land from the north. This confederation of kings was also defeated, and Hazor was then burned by Joshua. The burn line from Joshua’s time can still be seen in this ancient city.

     The land was then divided among the remaining tribes and settlement was begun. The battles for the land, however, would continue on for many generations. Sometime after Israel’s settlement in the land, the Philistines, a sea people from the area of Crete, began to settle along the seacoast in the Gaza area. They were destined to become one of Israel’s greatest antagonists.
     In appraising the conquest of Canaan by the Israelites we must stop and marvel. Canaan was a well-developed area with greatly fortified cities that had been built over many centuries. The Israelites were a band of desert wanderers with little skill in the type warfare required to conquer fortified cities.
     The conquest was a series of miracles. God had promised this land to Abraham’s seed long before. As he had promised, God came to fight for Israel. Even nature was incorporated on several occasions to fight against the Canaanites. We see that hornets went on the offensive against them (Josh. 24:12). Hailstones fell from heaven (Josh. 10:11). Even "...the stars fought, from their courses..." against the northern commander, Sisera (Jud. 5:20).
     The entry of Israel into the land of Canaan has been variously set by scholars, with dates ranging from 1550 to 1200 BC. It is clear that the actual settlement was not without its problems. After the death of the great leader Joshua, the people began to turn away from the true God to serve the idols of the Canaanites. Swift punishment came from God, and he allowed them to be harassed by various enemies. When the people cried out to God he sent judges to deliver them from their foes.
     Probably some of the most famous of these judges were Deborah and her military assistant Barak (Judges chs. 4-5), who delivered Israel from another league of Canaanite kings in the north; Gideon (Judges chs. 6-8), who delivered the people from the Midianites; and Samson (Judges chs. 13-16), who began to deliver the people from the Philistines.

The spring where Gideon formed his small army

     In time, the people of Israel began to long for a king like the other nations. Again, God heard their requests and gave them their first king, Saul. Saul began to make a serious attempt to war against the Philistines, who were at this time imposing their rule upon Israel. At last, through his own disobedience, Saul was killed in battle by the Philistines on Mount Gilboa.

SCENE FOUR: RISE OF THE DAVIDIC KINGDOM (and its Messianic implications)

     Even before Saul’s death God had chosen the next king of Israel. This time it was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam. 13:14). Of all the kings who have ever ruled on this earth, David was unique. Even as a child he was able to play on his harp and soothe the deranged King Saul. As a mere child he went forth to fight mighty Goliath, the Philistine giant. This giant was over nine feet tall and was heavily armed. David came against him with a sling and stone, and with the mighty power of God. The giant was slain and Israel won another of her miraculous victories.
     David was gifted as a mighty warrior and leader of men. Saul soon began to envy David, and for many years thereafter, David and his men hid out as fugitives in the various wilderness areas of the country.
     After the death of Saul on Mount Gilboa, and the humiliating defeat of Israel by the Philistines, David became king. He first ruled at Hebron in the south, but he later moved to consolidate his kingdom in Jerusalem about 998-995 BC. For the most part, David ruled very wisely over the people of Israel.

A view of the ancient tel (city) of Bet Shean. The bodies of Saul and
Jonathan were hung here after the defeat on Mt. Gilboa.

    During his reign the kingdom was greatly expanded to include most of the land God had promised Israel. With the direct help of God he scored numerous victories over Israel’s persistent foes. For the first time, even the Philistines began to wilt away before the onslaught of David.

The City of David, at Jerusalem’s ancient model.

     David was not only a mighty warrior; he was an extremely sensitive spiritual person. While other kings of the earth, no doubt, immersed themselves in politics, David immersed himself in God. His many Psalms bear witness to this. In Psalm 63:1, David cries out:

     O God, you are my God, earnestly I seek you; my soul thirsts for you, my body longs
    for you, in a dry and weary land where there is no water.

     Of all men on earth, David may have been the most urgent seeker after God. He worshipped God with a whole-hearted devotion. He longed to dwell in God’s house (Psa. 23:6). He danced unashamedly before the Lord (2 Sam. 6:14). David began a revolution in worship that has had a tremendous affect upon Jews and Christians alike. His Psalms have comforted Israel and the Church for three thousand years.
     It is interesting that as the end-days come upon us, the style of David’s worship is returning to the Church. We may assume that it will also return to Israel. This is in full accordance with the words of the prophet:

     In that day I will restore David's fallen tent. I will repair its broken places, restore
     its ruins, and build it as it used to be (Amos 9:11).

     Once he was settled in his kingdom, David greatly desired to build God a house. Since the days of the wilderness wanderings the "house" of God had been a tabernacle or tent. David spoke to the prophet Nathan about his desire. However, God did not permit David to build his house or Temple. Nathan informed David that God desired to build a house for him instead.
     The divine promises to King David are unique. There has never been a king in history who received such promises. God said to David in 2 Samuel 7:16:

     Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be
     established forever.

     Hence, we have in David the beginnings of an eternal Messianic kingdom. It was not just a natural kingdom, but also one with deep spiritual implications. In time, David the king died. Later, his son Solomon reigned and died. Finally in our day the natural line of David has all but disappeared from among men. Yet, the kingdom of David continues through his heir, the Messiah.
     The kingdom was split in 928 BC upon the death of Solomon. The northern section was called Israel, and the southern section became known as Judah. The kingdom generally disintegrated in both these areas as the people were prone to mix their unique faith with that of their pagan Canaanite neighbors.
     It was in this turbulent period that the mighty voices of Israel’s prophets began to thunder out, starting with those of Elijah and Elisha.
     By the eighth century BC the voice of Israel’s prophets reached a high water mark in Isaiah, Micah and others. Later in 627 BC, Jeremiah began his prophetic work in the southern kingdom of Judah.
     The prophets of Israel have had far-reaching influence and have, over the centuries, touched people in many nations of the earth.

SCENE FIVE: ISRAEL’S FIRST DISPERSIONS AND HER RESTORATION (Including Daniel’s unique view of history)

     It was becoming more and more apparent that Israel was called to live in the middle of a super highway. The only way she could live there was by faith and absolute obedience to God. Unfortunately, both of these qualities were waning in the land. By 722 BC, the northern kingdom of Israel was so weakened by idolatry that it fell to the Assyrian king, Shalmaneser, and the people were carried into captivity.

Remains of the altar Israel constructed to false gods at Dan

     The Assyrians, who had a policy of displacing rebellious kingdoms with people from other conquered provinces, brought in alien people to settle the land. Thus, we have the beginnings of the Samaritans. The ten northern tribes of Israel who were dispersed in the land of Assyria became known in history and legend as the "Ten Lost Tribes." Although these tribes have disappeared from history, the prophets still speak of their resurrection in the end-days (Hos. 1:10-11). It is of interest that several people groups claiming descent from these tribes have immigrated to Israel in recent years.
     The southern kingdom of Judah continued until it was finally conquered by Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia in 586 BC. The beautiful Temple built by Solomon, David’s son, was destroyed and the people were also carried away captive. However, this time they were carried to Babylon. Unlike the dispersion of Israel, the people of Judah soon had an opportunity to return and experience a restoration in the land, just as the prophets had foretold.
     In Mesopotamia the suzerainty soon passed from Babylon to the Media-Persian Empire. The policy of the Persians was opposite to that of the Assyrians and Babylonians, in that they sought to restore captive peoples to their native lands. In addition, God had specifically spoken to King Cyrus that he might let the people of Judah return home. God had even called Cyrus "his anointed" (Isa. 45:10).
     We can be certain that Daniel, who rose to great power both in the Babylonian and Persian empires, had some influence on these events. Daniel prayed earnestly for restoration and he also had opportunities to speak with these kings.

     As a result, the decree of Cyrus allowing the exiles to return was issued in 536 BC (Ezra 1:1-4). Shortly thereafter the first wave of Jewish exiles began the journey home under Zerubabbel.
     We can sense the divine favor riding upon the small company of some forty-two thousand who returned. Although we do not know the names of those who preferred to remain in Babylon, we certainly know the names of many who came home. We even know how many donkeys returned. There were 6,720 of them and they are recorded in God’s book (Ezra 2:67). At this, we might assume that it is better to be a donkey and return home to Israel, than to remain and be a prince in Babylon.
     When we look at this whole period, we have to marvel at how God has worked in history. This sets him apart from the pagan gods, who all failed to work in history. In fact, history worked on them. History consigned their images to its dustbins and their names are long since forgotten. However, the name of the God of Israel is an everlasting memorial (Exo. 3:15). His mighty acts have been repeated by the lips of millions through the ages.
     Upon arrival home, the exiles rebuilt the altar and began also to rebuild the Temple. Their work was greatly hindered by the surrounding peoples in the land, and it was finally stopped altogether by decree of the new king. It was not until the prophetic work of Haggai and Zechariah in 520 BC that the work began again. The Temple was finally completed in 516 BC.
     In the latter days of the Persian Empire, God intervened once more in history to elevate a young Jewess to the heights of imperial majesty by making her Queen of Persia. Queen Esther later found it necessary to go before her husband, the all-powerful monarch, in a bid to rescue her own Jewish people from the plots of evil Haman.
     The historian Josephus sheds some interesting light on her visit to the king. After fasting three days, Esther approached the king without his bidding. In ancient Persia this usually resulted in the death sentence. Josephus says that as Esther saw the king sitting on the throne and looking sternly at her, she fainted, whereupon the king sprang from his throne and lifted her up, placing his scepter in her hand and reassuring her. (2) Esther saved her people and her great influence may well have helped later in re-establishing the people of Israel in the land.
     Perhaps it was somehow a result of her influence that two Jewish luminaries from the Persian Empire came to give much needed assistance to the returned exiles. The first was Ezra the Scribe. Ezra did much to mold Israel into the "people of the Book," a title by which they are known even to this day.
     Later, Nehemiah, who was cupbearer of the Persian king Artaxerxes I, came to Israel with the specific commission from God to rebuild the wall of defense around Jerusalem. He faced immense persecution from the people of the land, the Samaritans and Arabs. Nevertheless, about 444 BC, the wall was completed. Judah was at last firmly established, awaiting the crucial period of history leading up to the appearing of her Messiah.

SCENE SIX: COMING OF THE MESSIAH

     Israel’s most famous son was born during the turbulent period at the turn of the millennium. At this time, due to the oppression of the Romans, messianic expectations were at an extremely high pitch. This unique period in history was chosen by God long before and became known as "the fullness of time" (Gal. 4:4-5). During this special time frame God gave his son Yeshua (Jesus) to the world.
     He was not born in the royal palaces of Herod, but according to the prophecy of Micah 5:2, he was born in the nearby town of Bethlehem. He was born in a lowly stable. His birth and life as the Savior of Israel and of the world are without parallel.
     The coming of this long-awaited Messiah was God’s utmost intervention into human history. The Messiah was not just man, but he was the unique combination of God and man, or the God-man. At last, God had come to live in his world. Jesus fulfilled the word of Isaiah spoken many centuries before in Isaiah 7:14, "...The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and will call him Immanuel" [God with us].
     Jesus, or Yeshua as he is called in the Hebrew language, fulfilled numerous other prophecies in the scriptures. He was born of the tribe of Judah (Gen. 49:10). He was of the house of David and heir to that house forever (Isa. 9:7 & Luke 1:32-33)

     His eternal nature is set forth in Psalm 45:6-7:

     Your throne, O God, will last for ever and ever; a scepter of justice will be the scepter
     of your kingdom. You love righteousness and hate wickedness; therefore God, your
     God, has set you above your companions by anointing you with the oil of joy.

     Also, in Psalm 110:1 we read:

     The LORD says to my Lord: "Sit at my right hand until I make your enemies a
     footstool for your feet."

     We do not believe that God was talking to himself. In these passages God was talking to his Son, the Messiah.
     The historical events surrounding Jesus’ birth also correspond to the Hebrew scriptures. He was preceded by a forerunner (Isa. 40:3-5; Luke 3:2-6). According to Daniel’s prophecy he was born prior to the destruction of the Second Temple (Dan. 9:25-26). Even the slaughter of infants in the Bethlehem area was foretold (Jer. 31:15; Matt. 2:16-18). After his birth he was taken to Egypt because of the wrath of Herod (Hos. 11:1; Matt. 2:14-15).
     Years later when Jesus began his ministry, he was declared to be God’s son (Psa. 2:7; Matt. 3:17). He was not another god, but the physical manifestation of the one true God. Jesus conducted his ministry very much in the pattern of Moses: he fed the people miraculously, he brought healing to them and gave them a new law, one to be written on their hearts. Thus he fulfilled the word of God in Deuteronomy 18:15:

     The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your own
     brothers. You must listen to him.

    

The Sea of Galilee where Jesus conducted most of his ministry

     Yeshua spoke in parables (Psa. 78:2-3; Matt. 13:34-35), bound up the brokenhearted (Isa. 61:1; Luke 4:18), he healed the blind, deaf, dumb and lame (Isa. 35:5-6; Luke 4:18-19). He was adored by small children (Psa. 8:2; Matt. 21:15). Although the religious leaders of his day could remember nothing in scripture spoken about a Messiah from Galilee (John 7:52), he fulfilled Isaiah 9:1-2 which says:

     Nevertheless, there will be no more gloom for those who were in distress. In the past
     he humbled the land of Zebulun and the land of Naphtali, but in the future he will
     honor Galilee of the Gentiles, by the way of the sea, along the Jordan— The people
     walking in darkness have seen a great light; on those living in the land of the shadow
     of death a light has dawned.

     Jesus spent a great deal of his ministry on the northern and northwestern shores of the Sea of Galilee. He even made his base at nearby Capernaum, situated on the Way of the Sea (Via Maris). At Capernaum, along that famous road, the Light of the World was manifested.

The synagogue at Capernaum where Jesus did much teaching
(photo credit Peggy Steffel)

     Unfortunately for Israel, Yeshua was not accepted, but was in fact rejected and despised by the leaders (Isa. 53:3; John 1:11). His good news of salvation was not believed by them (Isa. 53:1; John 12:37), although the common people seem to have heard him gladly. The Jewish leaders did not know the time of their visitation, and now it would be hidden from their eyes (Luke 19:42-44).
     Jesus was betrayed by his close friend (Psa. 41:9; Lk. 22:47) for thirty pieces of silver (Zech 11:12; Matt. 26:14-15).
     During his trial before the religious court he was abused and spat upon (Isa. 50:6; Matt. 26:67). He was tried and accused by false witnesses (Psa. 35:11; Mk. 14:57). To these accusations he opened not his mouth (Isa. 53:7; Mark 15:4-5).
     Later he was crucified with criminals as the scripture foretold (Isa. 53:12; Mark 15:27). He was pierced through his hands and his feet (Zech. 12:10; John 20:27). He was mocked and reproached (Psa. 22:7-8; Luke 23:35). But no bone of his was broken (Psa. 34:20; John 19:32).
     In that dark hour on the cross, even God the Father found it necessary to turn his face away from him (Psa. 22:1; Matt. 27:46). Yet, while he hung there on the cross he prayed for his enemies (Psa. 109:4; Luke 23:34).

An ancient tomb with a rolling stone door

     After his agonizing death, the Roman soldiers cast lots for his clothing just as the Psalmist had spoken long before (Psa. 22:17; Matt. 27:35-36). He was then taken from the cross and buried with the rich as Isaiah had prophesied (Isa. 53:9; Matt. 27:57-60). He did not die as a malefactor, but as a redeemer. Isaiah 53:5 speaks of his death in this way:

     But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the
     punishment that brought us peace was upon him, and by his wounds we are healed.

     His death was not the end. God would not leave his Messiah in Sheol, but he was raised from the dead (Psa. 16:10; Mark 16:6). After appearing on many occasions to his disciples, even to more than five hundred followers on one occasion, he ascended to the Father and took his seat at the Father’s right hand (Psa. 68:18; Mark 16:19; 1 Cor. 15:6).
     It is the fervent belief of the Church that he will come again according to scripture. His feet will stand again upon the Mount of Olives at Jerusalem (Zech. 14:4). He will come when his people can at last speak in sincerity the words of Matthew 23:39:

     For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, "Blessed is he who comes in the
     name of the Lord."

The Mount of Olives where Jesus will stand at his return

     Today, as we look back on the history of two thousand years, we realize that a truly momentous event took place. We are living on a visited planet. The Almighty God, the King of the Universe, came to live on earth as a man. The shock waves of that visit continue to reverberate through the world and through history.

SCENE SEVEN: ISRAEL’S SECOND DISPERSION AND RESTORATION

     Within a generation of Jesus’ death, a disaster of immense magnitude befell Israel. This disaster was predicted by Jesus as he was led to his death in Luke 23:28-29:

      ... Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for me; weep for yourselves and for your
      children. For the time will come when you will say, "Blessed are the barren women,
      the wombs that never bore and the breasts that never nursed!"

     He also spoke of this event as his disciples were admiring the beauty of the Temple. Jesus warned them sternly by saying in Luke 19:43-44:

     The days will come upon you when your enemies will build an embankment against
     you and encircle you and hem you in on every side. They will dash you to the ground,
     you and the children within your walls. They will not leave one stone on another,
     because you did not recognize the time of God’s coming to you.

     During the years from AD 66-73, Israel became embroiled in a futile revolt to throw off the Roman yoke. As the revolt continued, Jerusalem was at last surrounded and shut up by the enemy. The situation became very grave for its inhabitants. The historian Josephus tells of the deaths of countless thousands from hunger. He even relates how a mother roasted her own child and dined upon it. (3)

The fortress of Masada looking down on the Dead Sea. This was Israel’s last stand against the Romans. One of the rectangular Roman camps can still be seen in the right foreground.

     At last the city walls were breached. Then the unthinkable happened, the beautiful Temple was set on fire and destroyed. Later the Romans proceeded to burn and sack the city. Josephus again describes the awful slaughter as one in which streams of blood ran down the streets in such volume as to actually put out the flames. (4) After the fall of Jerusalem the war lingered on until Masada, the last stronghold, fell in AD 73.

The Arch of Titus in Rome, showing captured Temple items brought from Jerusalem
 (Courtesy Israel Information Office)

     Israel’s agony was not ended. Some years later, Simon Bar Kokhba was proclaimed by many to be the messiah. In the years AD 132-135, he led a second revolt against Rome. Once more the Romans cruelly ended this rebellion, but not before multiplied thousands were killed and the slave markets glutted once more by Jews.
     At this time, Rome was determined to put an end to Jewish rebellions. In derision, the land was renamed Syria Palestina. They rebuilt the city of Jerusalem as a pagan city and renamed it Aelia Capitolina. Hadrian, the Roman Emperor, then prohibited the practice of Judaism and Jews were even forbidden to come near the city.
     After the earlier defeat of Jerusalem in AD 70, the Jews had made a valiant attempt to continue on in the land. The Sanhederin was established near the Mediterranean coast in Yavne. From there the sages of the Torah continued their work. After the second revolt, however, the center of Judaism moved to the Galilee. Rome was determined to punish the leaders of the revolt it was necessary for many of them to hide out in the Galilee for several years.
     By the year 210, the work on the Mishna, the compilation of Jewish oral tradition, was completed and soon thereafter the first generations of Talmudic scholars were being produced in Israel. Nevertheless, Jewish life in the Holy Land was a flickering candle. In a few generations the center of Judaism would shift from Israel to Babylon once again. It would for the most part remain in Gentile lands for the next fifteen centuries.
     In the early fourth century, the Roman ruler Constantine declared himself to be a Christian and Christianity began to hold sway in the Middle East. This further encouraged the Jews to disperse to other nations.
     In the seventh century, Islam arose and one of its first acts was the conquest of Palestine including Jerusalem. With the exception of the brief interlude of the Crusades at the turn of the first Christian millennium, the Muslims would control Palestine until the twentieth century.
     After their unsuccessful revolts against the Romans, the Jews began their dispersion to the farthest reaches of the Roman Empire. They now began to make their homes in places like Alexandria, Tarsus, Ephesus, Byzantium, and Rome. By the year 300, they had settled in all parts of the empire except Britain. (5)
     After the fall of the Roman Empire in 476, the Jews began to play a leading part in world trade. They traveled to the farthest reaches of the empire and even as far as India and China through their involvement in the spice trade. (6)
     As the vast areas of Europe became civilized, the Jews settled in these areas also. In early years a thriving Jewish civilization flourished in Spain. The Jews settled in France and Germany. Unfortunately, the lot of the Jews in "Christian" Europe would never be secure. Although they made great and lasting contributions to these societies, time and time again they were expelled from different cities and nations.
     When the new world was discovered, a Jew was one of the first two people to set foot upon it. The Jews followed the wave of discovery and colonization to the ends of the earth and to the islands of the sea. This in itself was a fulfillment of prophecy. It is said in Isaiah 11:11:

     In that day the Lord will reach out his hand a second time to reclaim the remnant that
     is left of his people from Assyria, from Lower Egypt, from Upper Egypt, from Cush,
     from Elam, from Babylonia, from Hamath and from the islands of the sea.

     During all their long centuries in gentile lands the Jews suffered persecution in many forms and were driven from one land to another. They suffered under Crusades, Inquisitions, blood libels, forced conversions, forced baptisms, pogroms, and slanders of many types. Under Islam their lot was only slightly improved.
     In time, the virulent anti-Semitism, which had flourished in the Church since the fourth century, blossomed into severe persecution under the Nazis, beginning in 1933. During the Holocaust that followed, six million Jews lost their lives. From the ashes of that greatest of all disasters, the modern nation of Israel began to rise once more.
     After World War II, the survivors made their way to Palestine to join with the many others who had come earlier from the persecutions of Russia and other places on the globe. The word of the Lord was fulfilled once again:

     This is what the LORD says: "The people who survive the sword will find favor in the
     desert; I will come to give rest to Israel." (Jer. 31:2)

     On November 29, 1947, the United Nations approved the partition plan allowing Israel to become a nation once more after almost two thousand years.
     Israel was declared a state in May 1948 and following this act she was forced into an agonizing War of Independence with her many Arab neighbors. At the close of this war the nation of Israel was successful and once again firmly established among the family of nations.


STUDY QUESTIONS:

How does holy history, or redemptive history, differ from regular history?

Was it unfair for God to almost destroy Egypt in order to bring Israel out of bondage? Why?

What kind of things happened when pagan forces fought Israel in the Bible? Do you suppose such things still happen in Israel’s wars today?

What are some qualities David had that enabled him to become a type of God’s coming Messiah?

How does Daniel’s view of history differ from most views today?

In what ways were Jesus’ claims different from that of all other great religious leaders?

NOTES

1. E.A. Wallis Budge, Babylonian Life and History (New York: Dorset Press, 1992) p. 110.
2. William Whiston, The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, Peabody, MA, 1987)
    p. 301.
3. Whiston, The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged, p. 737.
4. Whiston, The Works of Josephus, Complete and Unabridged, p.748.
5. Martin Gilbert, Jewish History Atlas (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv, Haifa: Steimatzky, Ltd, 1969, fourth edition 1992) p. 17.
6. Martin Gilbert, Jewish History Atlas, p. 22.

     Only a few years ago Islam was of little concern to many living in the western world. It was thought to be a wholly Middle Eastern problem far removed from any effect upon westerners. However, in the last few years, particularly since the 1991 Gulf War, there has been a quickening of interest in this religion. Of course that interest was greatly accelerated with the Islamic attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon in September, 2001.
     North Americans are realizing now that there are some five million Muslims living in their midst. In fact, Muslims are now on the verge of outnumbering Jews in North America, making Islam the second largest religion.
     US citizens are awaking to the fact that mosques are rising in many of their cities, and over 800 mosques and Islamic centers are already built in their country. Episcopalians in the US are no doubt shocked to find themselves outnumbered by the Muslims. Incredibly, the shrill cry of the muezzin is now competing with the ringing of church bells in many communities.
     Europe is also beginning to experience the reality of Islam on the move. Citizens of England are becoming aware that there are more Muslims living there than Methodists, or even evangelical Christians. (1) The French are realizing that Islam is now their second largest religion, with far more Muslims living in their country than Protestants. (2) In the Netherlands the most common boys name has already become ‘Muhammad.’
     People the world over are being forced to "come to grips" with this fast-rising phenomenon. They have had to contemplate the sobering fact that there are now approximately 1.2 billion Muslims in the world. Roughly one out of every five person in the world is a Muslim. With Islam’s rapid birthrate and its vigorous missionary efforts, it has now said to be the fastest growing religion in the world.
     How could a religion develop so rapidly on the modern scene? What are the roots and the history of this religion? Does its rise have spiritual implications for Jews and Christians? Let us look across the centuries in an attempt to answer these questions and many more. Let us trace the roots of Islam to ancient and even biblical times.

THE BIBLE’S ‘OTHER BROTHER’ EPISODES

     The roots of Islam can be traced directly to the Bible. This is illustrated by the fact that the one billion plus Muslims in the world today claim Ishmael as their spiritual father. In Muslim theology, it was Ishmael who was almost sacrificed to God by Father Abraham, and not Isaac. It is also Ishmael who has received the covenants and promises.
     It may surprise us to realize that the present struggle between Islam, Christianity and Judaism began almost four thousand years ago as a family problem. It is an ancient struggle between brothers, between the chosen and the not chosen. We might therefore appropriately call Islam the religion of the other brother. (3)

Bedouin Muslims still prepare food in their tent just
as Abraham’s family probably did.

     Let us further examine these ancient biblical roots. Our first glimpse of the family problem is found in Genesis, chapter 16. We are told here that God had promised Father Abraham an heir. However, the Patriarch was already 85 years old and no heir was born, due to the barrenness of Sarah’s womb. In what might have been a weak moment in Abraham’s faith, he accepted his wife’s offer of her Egyptian slave, Hagar. It was his hopes that perhaps she could bear them a son and an heir. As a result of this arrangement, Ishmael was born. Ishmael was described as a wild man:

     He will be a wild donkey of a man; his hand will be against everyone and everyone’s
     hand against him, and he will live in hostility toward all his brothers (Gen. 16:12).

     It seems that much of the hostility of the Middle East today can be traced back through the ages to this man, especially since he is considered by Muslims everywhere to be the father of their religion.
     This heir apparent to Father Abraham was now on the scene. But God immediately intervened in the situation and assured Abraham a son of his wife, Sarah. When that son was finally born he was named Isaac (laughter), and God swore that he would establish an everlasting covenant with Isaac, giving him the land of Canaan as an eternal possession (Gen. 17:7, 19).
     God still promised to bless Ishmael and to multiply him exceedingly, so that twelve princes would come from him (Gen. 17:20). But in Genesis 17:21, God was very careful to promise that Isaac, not Ishmael, would inherit the land of Israel.
     Over the centuries God has been true to his promises to bless Ishmael. Today there are twenty-two sovereign Arab nations in the Middle East. This Arab League controls over five million square miles of territory, compared to Israel’s approximately eight thousand square miles. The Arab League has well over one hundred thirty million people, compared to approximately seven million in Israel. God has also blessed Ishmael with most of the world’s oil. The Lord has kept his promise.
     God also has kept his promise to Isaac. He has returned Isaac to his ancient possession, the land of Israel, much to the chagrin of Ishmael. The conflict between these two brothers has steadily increased in modern times. It has now become one of the greatest and most serious conflicts on the face of the earth. This conflict has made the Middle East the most volatile area of our world today.
     The story of brothers and half-brothers continued. Later after Sarah died, Abraham took another wife, Keturah, and another six children were born from this relationship. Among these children were other Arab sounding names like Midian, Sheba, Dedan. It is interesting in Genesis 25:6, that Abraham gave gifts to these sons and sent them off to the east country (the desert), away from his son Isaac.
     The antagonisms and feuds between brothers continued with the children of Isaac. His wife bore him twins, Jacob and Esau. Again we have God intervening and making a sovereign choice for his own redemptive purposes. God chose Jacob to inherit the promise as well as all the land of Canaan, or the land of Israel as it is known today. Again, there was bitterness and resentment on the part of the one not chosen. Esau, like Ishmael, moved into the desert in the area of Mt. Seir, or Edom, a land to the southeast of the Dead Sea. There he became the progenitor of multitudes of other Arab peoples.
     All these desert peoples were joined by the children of Abraham’s nephew Lot. Their names were Ben Ammi, the father of the nation of Ammon, and Moab, the father of a people by that name. These two nations, along with Edom, are today combined together to make up the modern Arab-Muslim state of Jordan. Jordan, of course, joined other Arab forces to attack Israel in 1948, 1967 and in 1973.

The mountains of Moab east of the Dead Sea

     The bitter rivalry between all these desert peoples and Israel is a thread running through the remainder of the Old Testament. Time and time again these Arab nations came in fury and bitter hatred to destroy Israel. First there were the Amalekites, then the Moabites or the children of Lot. Later, at different times, most all these Arab descendants of Abraham sought to destroy the seed of Isaac and Jacob.
     Bible history is replete with the attacks of Edomites, Ammonites, Ishmaelites, Moabites, and hordes of other Arabs. When Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians in 586 BC, the Edomites were present assisting in the destruction and bringing down God’s eternal wrath upon themselves (Obad. 1:10-14). Later, as we see in Nehemiah 2:19, Arabs strongly resisted the re-building of Jerusalem under Ezra and Nehemiah.
     When Israel was finally exiled again after the wars of AD 70 and 135, Arab peoples soon began to filter into the land. With the rise of Islam in the seventh century they actually took possession of the land. With "...glee and malice in their hearts..." they claimed God’s heritage as their own (Ezek. 36:5-6).

MUHAMMAD

     What the Arab peoples could not attain in centuries of war against Israel, they at last achieved with the rise of the Muslim faith (Islam) and its prophet Muhammad. For most of the following 1300 years, Islam would dominate the Holy Land as well as the heart of what was the Byzantine Christian Empire in the Middle East. Islam would also dominate Christians and Jews throughout the Middle East and even in North Africa, Spain and other areas. The Bible may speak of this Arab dominion over Israel in these words of Genesis 27:40: "You [Ishmael] will live by the sword and you will serve your brother. But when you grow restless, you will throw his yoke from off your neck."
     Ishmael’s seed found their greatest spiritual and military leader in Muhammad. Muhammad was born of the Quraysh tribe about AD 570 in the city of Mecca. He was born in poverty, and to make matters worse, his father died before his birth. His mother was of an excitable nature and often claimed she was visited by spirits (jinns). She died before her son was two years old. (4) Muhammad was then raised by his grandfather, who died when the boy was six. From this point, his uncle took care of him.

Arab boy looks after goats near Bethlehem

     Since Muhammad was a poor orphan, it was necessary for him to work some as a shepherd. He also spent time with the Bedouin, and from them he learned much about desert survival and self defense. By the time Muhammad was ten he was traveling with his uncle’s caravans. They went on trips as far away as Syria. Payne says of his travels:

     What is certain is that at an early impressionable age Muhammad showed a predilection
     for conversing with priests and rabbis when the caravans stopped at the trading posts,
     and he stored these conversations in his capacious memory. (5)

     When he reached his twenties, he became employed by Khadija, a rich widow, fifteen years his senior. He assisted her with her caravan business and soon earned her approval. In time they were married and Khidija bore him six children, four girls and two boys. Unfortunately, the boys died in childhood. Much later, after Khidija’s death, Muhammad took many wives and concubines, including the nine-year-old daughter of his devoted follower Abu Bakr.
     While still in Mecca, Muhammad started to spend time meditating in nearby caves. About the year 610, he began receiving visions and visitations from the spirit world. Supposedly, the Angel Gabriel came to him and assured Muhammad that he was god’s messenger. He continued to receive supernatural visitations for the rest of his life. When his visions and revelations came, he would often fall down, perspire profusely, and begin to jerk with his eyes rolling backwards. At the onset, he worried that he was demon possessed, and even attempted suicide. His wife Khadija reassured him that he was a real prophet and not demon possessed (6)

The Al Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem

     It was during this period of the prophet’s life that he reported a very unusual visitation of the Angel Gabriel and an ensuing trip on a winged horse to the farthest mosque (Al Aqsa later interpreted to refer to the Temple Mount in Jerusalem). From there he was taken into heaven where he was embraced by god. Those Muslims who believe this account point today to what they claim is Muhammad’s footprint under the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.
     Before Muhammad’s coming, the people of Mecca and that part of Arabia had worshipped for centuries at the Kaaba, a pagan shrine in Mecca. This shrine contained 365 idols, including Hubal the moon god, statues of Abraham and Ishmael, painted angels and even pictures of Jesus and the Virgin Mary. (7) One of the high gods at the Meccan shrine was Allah, who was acknowledged as creator god. Allah had three daughters, Al-Lat, Manat, and ‘Uzza, who were also worshipped. (8)
     After his first visit by the Angel Gabriel, Muhammad began to proclaim that Allah was the true and only god and that he himself was the prophet of Allah. This was an obvious threat to the idolatrous religion of the Meccans and to the revenues from the pilgrimages of the devout. Muhammad was therefore not accepted by his fellow citizens of Mecca. They ridiculed and persecuted him and his few followers. In time the persecutions became so severe that they were life threatening.
     At this dark period, Muhammad and his followers were welcomed in Yathrib, a city some two hundred miles (322 kilometers) north of Mecca. This city was founded by Jews and there was apparently a great deal of messianic expectation there. The men of Yathrib were initially disposed to accept Muhammad as their promised messiah. (9)
     The flight of Muhammad and his followers from Mecca to Yathrib occurred in AD 622, and is called the Hijra (emigration). It marks the beginning of the Muslim calendar. Once there, the city was renamed Medina (Medinat al-Nabi), or city of the prophet.

Payne comments about this period:

     In the suras written at Medina, perhaps under the influence of the Jewish rabbis...
     Suddenly Abraham appears as the founder of the Kaaba, led there by a heavenly
     light, building on the place chosen for him and hearing a voice from the clouds,
     saying: ‘Surrender!’ (10)

     From Medina, the true nature of Islam began to take shape with a shift in emphasis. Muhammad began to turn frequently to the sword as a means of advancing his religion. He began to send out raiding parties to prey on passing caravans. Muhammad’s men were encouraged by their leader’s revelations assuring them that "Martyrdom in battle was to be regarded as the highest prize, the quickest means of entering Paradise." (11)
     Muhammad’s relationship with the Jews seems to have soured as they realized that he was not their promised Messiah after all. Arguments broke out with them and Muhammad’s attitude toward them hardened. During this period, Muhammad proclaimed that prayer should no longer be made facing Jerusalem, but that it should be made facing Mecca.
     Muhammad heard that the Jewish tribe, the Bani Quraiza, southeast of Medina was in collusion with his enemies. He besieged their city and exacted a terrible vengeance upon them, beheading 700-1000 of its men and selling the women and children into slavery. He and his men then looted their possessions. (12) He attacked other Jewish tribes in the area and ultimately forced the Jews from his base, Medina. As Islam grew, the Jews were forced from all of Arabia.
     Although Muhammad was now the uncontested ruler of Medina he longed to include Mecca in his fast growing religious empire. To this end he began to raid the rich caravans of the Quraysh tribe of Mecca. In the year 624, Muhammad and his followers won an important battle over the Meccans at Badr, near Medina.
     Although he lost some other skirmishes, his confidence in a possible victory over Mecca continued to grow. In 628, Muhammad initiated a ten-year treaty with the Meccans. This is known as the Treaty of Hudaibiyah. Two years later when Muhammad felt strong enough, he broke the treaty and conquered Mecca. He then destroyed the idols and rededicated the Kaaba as the shrine of Islam.
     The Treaty of Hudaibiyah became a model for Muslim relations with non-Islamic nations. From that time on it was believed that treaties could be made for expediency, but when it was to Islam’s advantage these treaties should be broken and the lands conquered.

THE DOCTRINES OF ISLAM

     Muhammad died in the year 632, after his doctrine was largely crystallized and his armies set firmly on the path of conquest. The ensuing religion of Islam was based upon Muhammad’s many revelations that later made up the Quran. These revelations were originally scribbled on palm leaves, or on pieces of bone and parchment. They were also committed to memory by some of his devoted followers. After his death, they were collected into one authorized volume. The resulting Quran is considered by Muslims to be the infallible word of their god.

Muslim women wait to enter the Dome of the Rock

     The Muslim faith stands on five pillars. They are Shahada, the simple confession that Allah is god and Muhammad is his messenger; Salat, the formal worship of Allah; Zakat, the giving of alms; Sawm, fasting during the holy month of Ramadan; and the Hajj, pilgrimage to Mecca once in a lifetime. Some feel that a sixth pillar should be added, that of Jihad, which is interpreted as service, exertion or holy war against infidels. (13)
     As to a summation of the Islamic faith, Morey describes it well by saying, "...that it is a form of cultural imperialism in which the religion and culture of seventh-century Arabia have been raised to the status of divine law." (14)
     "Muhammad took the Arab culture around him, with all its secular and sacred customs, and made it into the religion of Islam." (15) He literally gave the Arab people of his day all the things they desired. They had always worshipped at the Kaaba and had made pilgrimage to it, so Muhammad instituted this worship into his religion. Many parts of this ancient pagan worship are virtually unchanged in Islam even today. They had always worshipped Allah along with many other gods, so Muhammad instituted the worship of Allah. They had always believed in polygamy so Muhammad instituted it with some restrictions, however he himself had a total of 22 women as wives and concubines. (16)
     The residents of pre-Islamic Arabia had always fought between clans. Thus Muhammad instituted warfare or jihad as a virtual pillar of his faith, and even made it acceptable to raid unsuspecting caravans, to kill and rape innocent victims. He made it acceptable to break sacred treaties, to loot, to lie and steal in Allah’s name. Muhammad even took his adopted son’s wife, Zainab, and later conveniently got a Quranic revelation to support his action. (17)
     In the western world, a lie is generally considered as something evil. This is not necessarily the case in Muslim theology. Al-Ghazzali, the great Muslim theologian who wrote in the eleventh-century had this to say:

     Know that a lie is not haram [wrong] in itself, but only because of the evil conclusions to
     which it leads the hearer, making him believe something that is not really the case....If a
     lie is the only way of obtaining a good result, it is permissible....We must lie when truth
     leads to unpleasant results. (18)

     The Arab sociologist Sania Hamady adds to this, saying that "many Arabs are "more interested in feeling than facts, in conveying an impression than in giving a report..." (19)
     We may also note that while other religions such as Christianity and Judaism have a linear concept of time and progress, Islam has a cyclical concept. In Islam the ideal is always to return to the era of Muhammad. This can be witnessed particularly in the Islamic revolution in Iran where the clock was turned back in many ways toward the seventh century.

THE SWORD OF ISLAM TRIUMPHS

     After the death of Muhammad, his trusted friend Abu Bakr became the first Caliph or successor. After him were Umar 634-644; Uthman 644-656; and Ali 656-661. As the Arabian Caliphate emerged, the emphasis upon conquest with the sword continued. It is interesting that the first major Muslim drive for conquest outside of Arabia was in the Holy Land. After some preliminary raids as far north as the Dead Sea, the Muslim armies in 634 finally routed Emperor Heraclius and the Byzantines. This battle just west of Jerusalem opened the door to the conquest of Palestine.
     On August 20, 636, the Muslims won a decisive victory at the mouth of the Yarmuk River near the Sea of Galilee. As in many of Islam’s battles, it seemed that their god was with them. On that occasion a great sandstorm frustrated and maddened the Byzantine Christian forces.(20) By the year 638, the Muslims had taken Jerusalem. Later in 692, the Umayyid Caliph, Abd-al-Malik, built the Dome of the Rock on the Temple Mount.
     The great Islamic expert, Bernard Lewis, points out that "The Dome of the Rock, along with the adjoining Aqsa Mosque constituted the first great religious building complex in the history of Islam." (21) Lewis concludes that such impressive building on the Temple Mount was of a polemic nature:

     The polemical purpose of the shrine is reinforced by the choice of Quranic verses and
     other inscriptions that decorate the interior. One verse occurs again and again:‘God is
     one, without partner, without companion.’ (22)

     The rejection of the Christian doctrine of the Trinity is clear, and is made explicit in other inscriptions:

     Praise be to God, who begets no son, and has no partner in [his] dominion: nor [needs]
     he any to protect him from humiliation: yes, magnify him for his greatness and glory!

     Another repeated inscription is the famous Sura 1121 in its entirety: ‘He is God, one, eternal. He does not beget, nor is he begotten, and he has no peer.’ (23)

Dome of the Rock stands as a constant blasphemy against Christianity

     After subjugating Israel, the Muslim armies swept over Syria, the Persian Empire and Egypt. With the last Arabian Caliph, the Caliphate was moved to Damascus, and came under the influence of the Umayyids (661-750). In 750 the Abbasid Caliphate began and became centered in Baghdad. During this period, Islamic civilization reached its zenith. The center of Islamic influence remained in Baghdad until the city was conquered by the Mongols in 1258.
     In an incredibly brief period, the Muslims methodically swept over the remainder of the Middle East, North Africa and as far west as Spain. Finally in 732, they were stopped at the Battle of Tours just outside Paris by the Frankish leader Charles Martel. The Islamic invasion of Europe was temporarily arrested and even reversed. By 1492 the Christian king Ferdinand pushed the Muslims (Moors) out of Spain.
     However, later the Muslims renewed their conquest of Europe. They captured the Christian Byzantine capital of Constantinople in 1453, and then pushed on toward central Europe. The Muslims even began a siege of Vienna in 1529, but were finally driven from most of Europe.

LIFE UNDER ISLAM

     As Islam and its holy war burst out of the confines of Arabia, many peoples were forcefully confronted with this new religion. Generally, polytheists were given the choice of conversion or death. (24) However, Jews and Christians were referred to by Muhammad as "the people of the Book." Accordingly, they came under special consideration.
     In one particular case in Arabia, Muhammad had attacked the Jews at the oasis of Khaybar. Under the treaty made with them in 628, called the dhimma, they became subject peoples to Islam. Their existence was thereafter only for the benefit of Islam. They were doomed to remain second-class citizens. They lived it seemed, for the sole purpose of demonstrating to all the superiority of Islam over conquered religions.
     Jews and Christians were thereafter treated according to the dhimma and were given the name dhimmi. (25) From this point the dhimmi were always at the mercy of the Muslim rulers, and subject at all times to the whims of Muslim mobs. The dhimmi status seemed to always hang in peril. In fact, in 640 the status of the dhimmi was revoked throughout the whole Arabian peninsula and the remaining Jews and Christians were expelled.
     Soon the dhimmi status, for what it was worth, was applied to Jews and Christians in many conquered lands of the Middle East. Dhimmitude began to be more clearly defined by Muslim law and by common practice. There were several things that came to define dhimmitude in Muslim lands. Bat Ye’or, an authority on the dhimmi, in her very informative book by this title, lists three areas where the dhimmi were abused: (26)

1. Oppressive taxation

     In each conquered land, the Jews and Christians were allowed to remain and cultivate the land in exchange for the payment of a tax to the local Muslim ruler. This tax was called the Kharaj. This system was designed to remind the tenants that Islam owned the land. Their national identities and histories were blotted out and soon became virtually nonexistent. They were forbidden to possess arms and thus became totally dependent upon the occupying Muslim power. In some areas, such as Morocco, this system became so oppressive that the Jews of that area were virtual serfs even as late as 1913, and were, literally, the property of their Muslim masters.
     In addition to the Kharaj tax, the dhimmi were subjected to the poll tax or Jizya. This tax had to be paid in person by each subject, and it was often paid in a public and humiliating manner. It was common for the dhimmi to be struck on the head or on the nape of the neck as he paid the tax. This supposedly was to demonstrate the superiority of Islam. (27)
     The dhimmi were also victimized by higher commercial and travel taxes. In addition they were often victims of extortion and blackmail at the hand of their own rulers. Often, greedy rulers required them to pay an avania, or protection money. This was simply a sum of money extorted from the Jewish or Christian communities, under the threat of persecution. This practice of having to pay for their own protection soon became the norm for dhimmi communities in Muslim lands.

2. Social and legal discrimination

     Dhimmi peoples were generally excluded from holding public office, were kept from many professions and high positions, or from being elevated, in any way over Muslims. In virtually all Muslim lands however, some Jews became elevated despite this ban.
     Generally, the most degrading jobs, such as cleaning the public latrines, fell to the dhimmi. Yemenite Jews, until they immigrated to Israel in 1950, were still required to clean the public latrines and remove dead animals from the city streets.
     In the courtroom, the evidence of a dhimmi could never be accepted in testimony against a Muslim. Thus it was often necessary for the dhimmi to hire Muslim ‘witnesses’ for his court appearance. The dhimmi was not allowed to raise a hand against his Muslim masters, even if raised in self-defense. Such a thoughtless act would often result in the death penalty. In many Muslim lands, Jews were routinely beaten and abused in the streets. They could only beg for mercy and attempt to flee their persecutors. They did not dare defend themselves.
     To further clarify their inferior status, the dhimmi were required to wear special clothing. The type of clothing varied from country to country, but always it seemed to be designed to make Jews and Christians appear inferior and foolish. In many countries the Jews were even required to go barefoot. They were also required to walk to the left of the Muslims. They were almost universally forbidden to ride horses, and even when riding donkeys, they were required to dismount upon meeting a Muslim.
     Jews and Christians were often confined to special quarters, and these areas were usually shut up after dark. They were not allowed to enter certain streets of Muslim cities. This practice continued in Persia, Yemen, and North Africa until the nineteenth century. These dhimmi ghettos were frequently the scenes of awful pogroms and persecutions by infuriated Muslim mobs. At the whim of local rulers these pitiful quarters could be confiscated and emptied on short notice. Whether they lived inside or outside of these quarters, the houses of dhimmi could never be taller or more elaborate than the houses of their Muslim neighbors.

3. Religious discrimination

     In Muslim lands, the construction of new churches and synagogues was generally forbidden. The restoration of certain pre-Islamic structures was permitted so long as they were not enlarged or transformed. Dhimmi places of worship were often ransacked, burned or demolished at the whim of the Muslims. This trend has continued right up through modern times. In Saudi Arabia, the government bulldozed the last Christian church in the kingdom in 1987. It was a unique 12th century structure found near the Yemen border.
     Liturgical forms were strictly controlled. It was generally prohibited to ring church bells, sound shofars, publicly display crosses, icons, banners and other religious objects. Early photos taken during the middle of the nineteenth century confirm that even the Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem had been stripped of both its cross and belfry.
     In many Muslim lands, Jews and Christians had to bury their dead without mourning. Dhimmi graves had to be specially marked lest a Muslim should accidentally pray over the grave of an infidel. The cemeteries of dhimmi were not respected since they were considered as being from the realm of hell. Commonly they were desecrated or even destroyed completely, as occurred in Jerusalem during Jordanian rule (1948-1967). At that time the Jordanian army used many Jewish gravestones from the Mount of Olives to line their latrines.
     The dhimmi had to take great care showing respect to Muslim holy places. In North Africa, if Jews and Christians entered a mosque it was considered a capital offense. It was not even permitted for them to look into a mosque when passing by. Any such accusation, whether true or false, could cost the dhimmi his life. This was especially the case in all charges of blasphemy. The dhimmi communities were religiously harassed and sometimes forced to convert. For instance, in Yemen, it was required that every Jewish orphan child be converted to Islam.
     Of course, marriage or sexual relations between dhimmi and Muslim women called for the death sentence, although Muslim men could marry a dhimmi woman. To the Muslim, there was something about the dhimmi that was unclean and impure. This concept affected all Muslim relations with dhimmi peoples.
     Is the dhimmi concept still around, and does it show up in the modern-day concept of jihad? We may think these Muslim concepts are grossly discriminatory in this modern age, but they are still very much alive in Muslim thinking. They are particularly evident in current ideas of jihad. The Islamic idea of world dominion has changed very little since the days of Muhammad. Involved in the Islamic concept is the complete military, religious and political domination of conquered peoples (which should ultimately include the whole world); Arabization of these peoples and nations; the absolute claim to their lands; the suppression of their historical, religious, and political traditions; and the extinguishing of their cultural and social aspirations.
     It is unthinkable for Muslims that conquered peoples should rise up and throw off the yoke of Islam. Such a response is an affront to the Muslim religion. For this very reason the Muslim jihad has raged against Israel. Israel is like a tiny island surrounded by a sea of Islam. Not only was Israel once within the domain of Islam, but until the current immigration wave, over 60 percent of her inhabitants were descendants of dhimmi, whether they were refugees from Arab countries or indigenous to the land. (28)

The Damascus Gate in the Muslim Quarter of Jerusalem’s Old City

     The Muslims have used jihad, which can be expressed in many ways, as a continuous weapon against Israel. It has been expressed through military, economic, political, and educational means. In spite of the current peace agreements, Israel is continually oppressed by active terrorism. In spite of the present peace agreements the economic boycott of Israeli products continues.
     The history and culture of Israel is regularly appropriated by the Muslims, denied and even eradicated whenever possible. Today because of vast Muslim influence in the world, newscasts, newspapers, and magazines are often slanted against Israel. Even educational and reference materials are being slanted and twisted to the Muslim viewpoint.
     Thus the jihad rages on and on, even in this modern day. But for Islam to succeed in its plan of total world domination there must be a people who are willing to play the part of the dhimmi.

ISLAM’S GREATEST INSULT

     In Islam there developed another unusual concept related to all other peoples and nations. This concept is critical for the understanding of events in the Middle East and elsewhere today. The god Allah is to the Muslim the true and only god. All other nations are to be in subjection to this god and to his prophet Muhammad. In fact the very word Islam means "subjection." In Islam there is the concept of dar-al Islam, that refers to the lands under subjugation by Islam. Then there is the concept of dar al- Harb, or the abode of war, referring to all lands under the infidels. (29)
     In Islam there can be no permanent peace with such lands. In addition, all lands once subjected to Allah must remain in Allah’s dominion. In Christianity, the belief is that God will avenge; that he is big enough to take care of himself. In Islam, it is incumbent upon the Muslim to avenge Allah. Thus jihad (holy war) becomes an urgent necessity in order to claim new lands, and especially to reclaim all lands that have been lost to Islam.
     The latter, of course, is the very situation with modern Israel today. With the exception of the brief Crusader period, the Holy Land was in subjection to Islam from the seventh century until the end of World War I. It was bad enough for Islam’s armies to be defeated by Christians in 732, and it was especially irritating for the Muslims to be pushed out of Spain by the Christians in 1492. It was an even further insult for them to become subjects of French and British "Christian" colonialism in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. But the crowning insult to Islam and to Allah was having a hated Jewish state declare itself independent in their midst, and on land that was once claimed by Allah.

The Muslim Arab village of Silwan just south of Old Jerusalem’s walls

     A further insult was having the Jews again lay claim to Jerusalem. By this time Jerusalem had become one of Islam’s holy cities, along with Mecca and Medina. It had also become a focus of Islamic political aspirations. All this was clearly in reaction to the growing Israeli presence. We can begin to sense why a Jerusalem controlled by the Jews seems especially designed by God to send the surrounding Arab nations reeling (Zech. 12:2-3).
     We can now glimpse why the Muslims have fought the establishment of Israel since the days of the earliest pioneers and why they have launched four unsuccessful wars and hundreds of terrorist operations to destroy Israel. Israel, who declared independence and gained crushing victories over confederated Islamic armies in 1948, 1967 and again in 1973, shook the Islamic world to the core. Egypt’s President Nasser well expressed Islamic feeling when he said, "To the disaster of Palestine there is no parallel in human history." (30)
     Abdel al-Rahman al-Bazzar, the former Prime Minister of Iraq and professor of law at the University of Baghdad, had this to add to Nasser’s remarks:

     The great danger of Israel is due to its being an ideological threat to our nationalism
     which challenges our entire national existence in the entire region. The existence of
     Israel nullifies the unity of our homeland, the unity of our nation and the unity of our
     civilization, which embraces the whole of this one region. Moreover, the existence of
     Israel is a flagrant challenge to our philosophy of life and the ideals for which we live,
     and a total barrier against the values and aims to which we aspire in the world. (31)

     How can such a problem, one seething for almost four thousand years, be solved by simply sitting down at the negotiating table? This seems very plausible and appropriate to the western mind, however, Islam can never truly agree to have an Israel in the Middle East. Israel is looked upon as a defilement, something unclean, in the midst of holy Arab nations. The very presence of Israel undermines the credibility of Islam. The Muslims are therefore obligated to declare an eternal jihad against Israel.
     Many, even in Israel, think the nation can somehow appease this ancient hatred by giving up more of their hard won territory. Someone has remarked that if Israel gave up territory until she had only one square meter left on the sea coast, the holy war or jihad would continue until this square meter was brought back into the domain of the god Allah.
     With this perspective we can understand how futile and senseless are all the so-called "peace talks," and the current "peace process." We can see how the 300 million Muslims in the Middle East see tiny Israel as a threat to Islam and why they are constantly building up their armaments. It explains how an Islamic nation like Iran, although it has no common border with Israel, would feel so threatened.

SCENARIO FOR AN ISLAMIC ARMAGEDDON

     When we add to this situation the recent rise of Islamic Fundamentalism, we have an extremely explosive situation on our hands. This fundamentalism that has been largely nurtured by Iran, not only threatens Israel, but it threatens the more stable and complacent Arab states like Saudi Arabia, Jordan, and Egypt. What the oil crisis of the early seventies could not accomplish in bringing all nations to a showdown war with Israel, Islamic Fundamentalism may now begin to accomplish.
     After all, theological motivation is a powerful tool. Just a thousand years ago it was theological motivation that brought hordes of Crusaders on horseback to Israel, all the way from their homes in farthest Europe. We might be wise to consider that the hordes of armies coming from the North and East, which are spoken of by many of the prophets, just might be fanatical Muslim armies. These armies could come from the remote reaches of Azerbaijan, from Iran, from Pakistan, and even from China’s Xinjiang region. Of course, these invaders would always be gleefully assisted by Israel’s Muslim neighbors.
     The horrors of the Book of Revelation seem closer when we realize that some of these radical nations are now equipped with the most sophisticated chemical and biological weapons. Very soon the stakes may be raised to include nuclear weapons.

SOME CONCLUSIONS

     For those who believe that the Bible is the word of God, Islam represents a terrible threat to both Judaism and Christianity. For those who do not believe the Bible, Islam is probably no more important than any other religion.
     It is a time for Bible believers to be vigilant. The threat that Islam imposes should be clear to us by the fact that this religion is firmly planted on the Temple Mount with two of its shrines, The Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa Mosque. This should be a wake-up call for us. Bear in mind, that this is the spot where God will establish his throne (Jer. 3:17). There is no other religion on the face of the earth that boldly makes such a challenge to God. Islam may therefore be called the most dangerous of the earth’s religions. It is uniquely situated for an end-time confrontation with the living God, the God of Israel.
     We can surmise that Islam is the devil’s answer, and somehow a part of his final plan of attack to overcome both Judaism and Christianity. The Dome of the Rock, with its Quranic inscriptions against the Son of God, stands as a constant blasphemy against Christianity. For the Christians and Jews, Islam could well play some part in the "abomination of desolation" spoken of by Daniel long ago.
     Wherever Islam has gained complete sway, as in Iran and in Saudi Arabia, what is called sharia law has been put into effect. This law includes many crude punishments that seem to have passed to modern times from the seventh century. These are punishments like chopping off hands for stealing, and chopping off heads for greater offenses. Perhaps we should pay closer attention to the interesting verse in Revelation 20:4, where it is said:

     And I saw the souls of those who had been beheaded because of their testimony for
     Jesus and because of the word of God. They had not worshipped the beast or his image
     and had not received his mark on their foreheads or their hands. They came to life and
     reigned with Christ a thousand years.


STUDY QUESTIONS:

Why should Islam be considered a greater threat to the Judeo/Christian tradition than all other religions?

Allah, is a designation often used in the Middle East for the God of Judaism and Christianity. Why does this not seem appropriate?

With the Islamic understanding of treaties, based on the treaty of Hudaibiyah, of what value are the agreements western nations are making and desire to make with the Muslims? What value are the agreements being made between Israel and the Palestinian Authority?

Why are Muslim nations compelled to push the Jews out of the Middle East?

NOTES

  1. Robert Morey,  The Islamic Invasion, Confronting the World’s Fastest Growing Religion (Eugene, OR: Harvest House Publishers,
      1992) pp.5-6
  2. Frederick M. Denny, Islam, (San Francisco: Harper & Row, Publishers, 1987) p. 110.
  3. See Jim Gerrish, "Islam, Religion of the Other Brother," Dispatch From Jerusalem , 2nd. Qtr. 1990 page 1. I have drawn heavily on this
      earlier article for my content here.
  4. Morey, The Islamic Invasion, p. 71.
  5. Robert Payne, The History of Islam, (New York: Dorsett Press, c.1959 pub. 1990) p. 12.
  6. Morey, The Islamic Invasion, pp. 71-72.
  7. Payne, The History of Islam, p. 55.
  8. Denny, Islam, p. 21.
  9. Payne, The History of Islam, p. 23
10. Payne, The History of Islam, pp. 71-72.
11. Payne, The History of Islam, p. 37.
12. Morey, The Islamic Invasion, p. 83.
13. Denny, Islam, pp. 56-57.
14. Morey, The Islamic Invasion, p. 19.
15. Morey, The Islamic Invasion, p. 22.
16. Morey, The Islamic Invasion, p. 86.
17. Thomas Lippman, Understanding Islam, An Introduction to the Muslim World, (Penguin Books USA Inc., revised edition c 1982,
      1990) p. 54.
18. Quoted in Samuel Katz, Battleground, Fact and Fancy in Palestine, (New York: Bantam Books, 1973) p. 134.
19. Quoted in Samuel Katz, Battleground, Fact and Fancy in Palestine, p. 134.
20. Payne, The History of Islam, p. 96.
21. Bernard Lewis, The Middle East, 2000 Years of History From the Rise of Christianity to the Present Day, (London: Phoenix Books
      Ltd., a division of Orion Books, Ltd., 1995) p. 68.
22. Bernard Lewis, The Middle East, 2000 Years of History From the Rise of Christianity to the Present Day, p. 69.
23. Bernard Lewis, The Middle East, 2000 Years of History From the Rise of Christianity to the Present Day, p. 69.
24. Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, (Cranbury, NJ: Associated University Presses, English edition, 1985) p. 45.
      This is an excellent work with massive reproduction of original documents. I have drawn heavily upon her information in this section.
25. See Jim Gerrish, "The Dhimmi People:Jews and Christians Under Islam," Dispatch From Jerusalem, 1st Quarter, 1993, pp. 8-9. I have
      reproduced much information from this earlier article here.
26. Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, pp. 51-66.
27. Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, p. 201.
28. Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, p. 137.
29. Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, p. 45.
30. Quoted in Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, p. 122.
31. Quoted in Bat Ye’or, The Dhimmi, Jews and Christians Under Islam, p. 123.

     For centuries the devil, that unseen spiritual enemy, has lied about the people of Israel. It therefore shouldn’t surprise us that he has lied about the land of Israel as well. It is probably the most lied about piece of real estate on the face of the earth today. In this regard, the scripture assures us that the devil is a liar and the father of lies (John 8:44).
     Let us carefully look at the land and try to separate fact from fiction. We need to be prepared however, because peeling off the lies and fiction will be much like peeling an onion.

Israel view from space
(Wikimedia Commons from the NASA files)

     Today we hear much about Palestine, Palestinians, Palestinian rights, and even a Palestinian state. Often the world media shows Palestinian leadership making demands upon a supposed "recalcitrant" Israel.
     It might surprise us to learn that far into the 20th century, Arabs vehemently denied being called Palestinians, while strangely, it was the Jews who were referred to by this title. In the early 20th century, the Jewish English newspaper, The Jerusalem Post was called The Palestine Post, and the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra was then called the Palestine Philharmonic Orchestra. (1) Even today, one of the largest Jewish philanthropic funds for Israel still carries its pre-Israel name, the Palestine Endowment Fund (PEF).
     The esteemed Arab historian, Philip Hitti, stated before the Anglo-American Committee of Inquiry in 1946, "There is no such thing as Palestine in [Arab] history, absolutely not." (2) Another noted Arab leader, Auni Bey Abdul-Hadi told the Peel Commission a few years earlier, "There is no such country [as Palestine]! ‘Palestine’ is a term the Zionists invented! There is no Palestine in the Bible. ‘Palestine’ is alien to us; it is the Zionist who introduced it!" (3)
     In 1939, the Arab historian George Antonius spoke of Palestine as being a province of greater Syria. Even as late as 1974, Syria’s President Assad also claimed Palestine as a part of his country. According to researcher, Joan Peters, the one identity that was never considered prior to the war of 1967 was "Arab Palestinian." (4)
     How could the "Palestinian" identity do such a "flip-flop" in the last part of the twentieth century? Where did the name "Palestine" originate anyway? Is it mentioned in the Bible? Let us attempt to answer these questions looking at the Bible and at the last two millennia of history.

PALESTINE, ITS BEGINNINGS

     By thumbing through the atlas at the back of our Bible we may see maps that read, "Palestine in the time of the early monarchy" [time of David and Solomon]; Palestine in the time of the Maccabees; or Palestine in New Testament times. It might surprise us to realize that all these descriptions contain misnomers. There was no Palestine in the time of David, or in the time of the Maccabees, or in New Testament times. In the New Testament the land was referred to as Israel, not as Palestine (Matt. 2:20). Jesus was not a Palestinian, contrary to what the Palestinian Liberation Organization (PLO) has claimed. (5) In fact, no one had ever heard of Palestine in his day.
     Palestine was a name given to the land of Judea after the unsuccessful ending of the Second Jewish Revolt against Rome in AD 135. It was a name given in derision by the Romans, in an attempt to erase all Jewish connections to the land. The land was re-named after the ancient Philistines, those proverbial enemies of Israel, in an attempt to sever its Jewish connection. At the time, Rome killed or expelled many of the Jews. Because of this, the amazing historical fact is that the Jews were the very first "Palestinian refugees." (6)

     Palestine is therefore not mentioned in the Bible. Those who are using a King James Version will find "Palestine" in Joel 3:4, but in this place the Hebrew clearly refers to the land of the Philistines. Modern translations clarify this by using the designation "Philistia" in this passage.
     The New American Standard Bible does have some interesting title headings that read, "Joshua’s conquest of Southern Palestine" (Josh. 10:29); and "Northern Palestine Taken" (Josh. 11:1), but again these are unfortunate anachronisms supplied by editors, and are certainly not found in the Bible text.

ANCIENT THIEVES

     The Romans were not the first people in history to try and steal the heritage of Israel, they just did the most thorough job of it. The Romans destroyed the land, killed thousands of its inhabitants and sold many of the survivors into slavery. Afterwards, they tried to steal the land away by renaming it. They also tried to steal the city of Jerusalem by placing a pagan shrine on the Temple Mount. The city was renamed Aeilia Capitolina, and Jews were forbidden to enter it.
     The name Aeilia was the family name of Hadrian, and Capitolina was another name for the god Jupiter. This re-naming was an attempt to erase the connection between the God of the Bible and his chosen city, thus supplanting it with pagan domination.
     We see many instances of ancient people trying to take the land of Israel in biblical times. Perhaps the earliest instance is found in Judges 11:13. Here, when the judge Jephthah asked why the Ammonites were threatening invasion, the king answered:

     ...Because Israel took away my land when they came up out of Egypt, from the Arnon
     as far as the Jabbok, and to the Jordan. Now therefore, restore those lands peaceably.

     It didn’t seem to matter much to this ancient king that the Israelites had completely avoided Ammonite territory when they came out of Egypt. They avoided Ammon in order to follow God’s specific command, since the Ammonites were their relatives (Deut. 2:19).
     Many other ancient enemies of Israel also tried to take the land. Most of them tried by force and failed. Some of these were the Midianites, Ishmaelites, Edomites, and Moabites. During the time of the return from Babylon we see an interesting episode. Nehemiah was attempting to rebuild the wall around the devastated city of Jerusalem when he was confronted by the confederation of Geshem the Arab, Tobiah the Ammonite (area of today’s Jordan) and Sanballat (from today’s "West Bank"). They all claimed an interest in the city and demanded a part in its restoration. Nehemiah was certainly not a child of "political correctness." He boldly spoke the truth to these adversaries in words that would petrify today’s political establishment:

     I answered them by saying, "The God of heaven will give us success. We his servants
     will start rebuilding, but as for you, you have no share in Jerusalem or any claim or
     historic right to it." (Neh. 2:20)

     The attacks of surrounding enemies in biblical times are carefully recorded for us in Psalm 83. Also recorded is their clear sworn purpose against Israel. It is said of these enemies:

     With cunning they conspire against your people; they plot against those you cherish.
     "Come," they say, "let us destroy them as a nation, that the name of Israel be
     remembered no more" (Psa. 83:3-4).

     These enemies, like the two Midianite princes Oreb and Zeeb, were saying: ... "Let us take possession of the pasturelands of God." (vs. 11-12).
     This Psalm was probably not completely fulfilled until the miraculous war of 1967. Charles DeLoach in his book, Seeds of Conflict, states that before 1967, the Arab nations had often come against Israel, but prior to that time they had never all conspired together to come against the nation. He adds that even Iraq (ancient Assyria), mentioned in verse 8 of this Psalm, also sent a contingent of 5,000 troops in 1967. According to the prophetic words of this Psalm, they came to help the children of Lot (Modern Jordan). (7)
     In later centuries the Byzantine Christians repeated what the ancient nations and what the Romans had done earlier. They claimed Jerusalem as their own and forbade Jews to enter the city. They built their shrines in Jerusalem and turned the Temple Mount into a garbage dump.
     With the rise of Islam in the seventh century AD, we begin to see the truly diabolical dimensions to this ancient contest. The land of Israel was the first major target of the conquering Islamic armies. Somehow after their conquest, they were strangely compelled to build their Dome of the Rock and Al Aqsa mosque on the Temple Mount. By doing this, they drove their claim deep into the very heart of Judaism.
     For the next 1300 years, with the exception of the brief Crusader episode, Islam would control the land of Israel. To some degree this was a fulfillment of Ezekiel 36:2, 5:

     ... The enemy said of you, "Aha! The ancient heights have become our possession"...
     this is what the Sovereign LORD says: "In my burning zeal I have spoken against the
     rest of the nations, and against all Edom, for with glee and with malice in their hearts
     they made my land their own possession so that they might plunder its pastureland."

     They certainly did plunder the country. During the many centuries of Muslim possession, the land was neglected, ravaged by war, overtaxed, overgrazed by goats, and raided by Bedouin tribes. In more modern times, the Muslim Turks even went to the extreme of taxing the trees. (8) Of course we can imagine what poverty stricken peasants did - they simply cut the trees down. The once beautiful Israel became a howling wasteland.

THE WILDERNESS AND SOLITARY PLACE

     The former PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, in one of his many attempts at revisionist history, sought to paint Palestine as a virtual Arab paradise prior to the coming of the evil Jews. He said, "The Jewish invasion began in 1881...Palestine was then a verdant area, inhabited mainly by an Arab people in the course of building its life and dynamically enriching its indigenous culture." (9) Enough for revisionist history. Let us now take a look at the facts.
     Numerous travelers to the Holy Land in the last three hundred years bear uniform witness to its almost total desolation. Among travelers in the 1700s, were British archaeologist, Thomas Shaw, and French author and historian Count Constantine Volney. Shaw commented that Palestine "was lacking people to till its fertile soil." (10) Volney speaks of the provinces as being laid waste. He gives an example of one province in these words:

     ...the traveler meets with nothing but houses in ruins, cisterns rendered useless, and fields
     abandoned. Those who cultivated them have fled... (11)

     According to Volney’s estimate, the whole population of Palestine in 1785 amounted to no more than 200,000 souls. (12)
     Another traveler, Alphonse de Lamartine, describes the city of Jerusalem in 1835:

     Outside the gates of Jerusalem we saw indeed no living object, heard no living sound,
     we found the same void the same silence...as we should have expected before the
     entombed gates of Pompeii or Herculaneam...a complete eternal silence reigns in the
     town, on the highways, in the country...the tomb of a whole people. (13)

     In 1857, the British Consul in Palestine reported: "The country is in a considerable degree empty of inhabitants and therefore its greatest need is that of a body of population..." (14) By the middle of the nineteenth century one estimate is that the population of Palestine had actually shrunk to between 50,000 and 100,000 people. (15)
     One of the most descriptive and informative accounts of the Holy Land was that given by American author Mark Twain. Twain departed on his tour in 1867, exactly one hundred years before Israel would gain much of the land in the miraculous Six-Day War. Twain commented about the now beautiful Galilee area:

     It is seven in the morning, and as we are in the country, the grass ought to be sparkling
     with dew, the flowers enriching the air with their fragrance, and the birds singing in the
     trees. But alas, there is no dew here, nor flowers, nor birds, nor trees. There is a plain
     and an unshaded lake, and beyond them some barren mountains. (16)

     The off-handed remarks of Twain have shed much light on the condition of the whole area. He and his group traveled from the Sea of Galilee to Mount Tabor. He remarks, "We reached Tabor safely...We never saw a human being on the whole route..." (17) As his Palestinian pilgrimage ended at Jaffa, Twain summarized the whole tour by saying:

     Of all the lands there are for dismal scenery, I think Palestine must be the prince. The
     hills are barren, they are dull of color, they are unpicturesque in shape. The valleys are
     unsightly deserts fringed with a feeble vegetation that has an expression about it of being
     sorrowful and despondent...Palestine sits in sackcloth and ashes. Over it broods the spell
     of a curse that has withered its fields and fettered its energies... Renowned Jerusalem
     itself, the stateliest name in history, has lost all its ancient grandeur, and is become a
     pauper village... Palestine is desolate and unlovely. (18)

THE BRITISH, ISHMAEL AND OIL

     The first aliya (Jewish immigration wave) arrived in Palestine in 1882. This wave primarily consisted of Russians who had just suffered greatly from the terrible pogroms. These new immigrants, like the many that would come after them, arrived as idealists desiring to rebuild their ancient nation with their own hands. They purchased land, drained mosquito infested swamps, planted trees and crops, and began to rebuild their cities. They had some success, in spite of the uncooperative Turkish government that exercised a corrupt and faltering jurisdiction over the land.
     By the end of the First World War, Great Britain forced the Turks out of Palestine and took control in their stead. Also in 1917, the British originated the famous Balfour Declaration, which looked favorably upon the establishing of a Jewish national home in Palestine. The area involved included both sides of the Jordan River. In pursuit of this declaration the League of Nations at its San Remo Conference in 1920, granted to Great Britain what is known as the Palestine Mandate instructing Britain to establish a home for the Jewish people in Palestine. (19)

British Mandate of Palestine
(Wikimedia Commons)

     In God’s great providence, the Jewish people of Palestine now had a legal guardian. We might say that Great Britain was in a unique position of all nations on earth, to work together with God in his age-old plan for the restoration of Israel. It was a great honor that had been accorded to just one other nation in history, to Persia in ancient times. Britain after the war was perhaps the most powerful nation on earth, with massive land holdings and colonies spanning the globe. What a bright future she had in store.
     Unfortunately, Britain did not live up to these high expectations. She terribly bungled her divine assignment. The problem apparently began early with a group of British officials serving in Egypt and Sudan. They began to envision the vast Arab-speaking areas in the Middle East consolidated under British control. (20) This concept was in direct opposition and greatly detrimental to Zionists’ dreams. Almost from its outset the British Mandate began to be twisted toward these ends.
     A few years later, there was the additional enticement of the discovery of oil in the surrounding Arab lands. Soon the British spy Jack Philby was working hand in hand with Ibn Saud of Arabia. His purpose was not only to help Britain get an interest in the vast oil wealth, but to also spy on the Zionist. Loftus puts it simply, "The Jews were an obstacle to the smooth flow of Arab oil." (21)
     One of the very first acts of Britain’s new twisted policy was to lop off three-quarters of the Mandate area and present it to Abdullah ibn-Hussein. (22) This included all the area of Palestine east of the Jordan River, an area formerly parceled out to the Children of Israel by Moses (Num. 32:33). Also in Zechariah 10:10, God speaks of bringing his children home in the end days to Gilead which is a part of this eastern area. This vast area was called Tansjordan (today’s Jordan), and was immediately closed to all Jewish settlement.
     We constantly hear of the "West Bank" in the TV news, as if the Jordan River only had one bank. The "East Bank" that we never hear about was the one stolen from the Jews. It was given to form this first "Palestinian state" of Jordan in the early twentieth century.
     The British then began to pursue their new selfish policy by placing many restrictions upon the Jews. The British ruling group in Jerusalem saw the Balfour Declaration as an impediment to their plans and were determined to undermine it. To this end they helped mobilize the Arab resistance. Suddenly in 1919 the tiny militant Arab movement mushroomed with great explosive force. This movement arose with British backing. (23)
     In pursuit of their shameful plan, the British began to patronize Haj Amin el Husseini, an Arab radical who later became a Nazi collaborator. In 1920, Col. Waters Taylor, Chief of Staff in Palestine, suggested to his Arab contacts that it would be advisable to organize anti-Jewish riots. The riots took place just before Easter in 1920, but only after the British had safely withdrawn their forces from the Old City. The resulting Arab mobs swarmed over the city echoing the cry, "the government is with us." (24)
     The Arab mobs, joined by Arab policemen rampaged, beat, killed, raped and looted for three days. When it was finished, six Jews were killed and 211 were wounded. In the end, the British arrested two Arabs for rape and twenty Jews for organizing their own self defense. (25)
     After the riots, the British pursued their goals head-long by elevating Haj Amin el Husseini, to the position of Mufti of Jerusalem. He later became President of the Supreme Moslem Council, a body also established by the British. The mechanism was now in place for organized persecution of the Jews in their own God-given land.
     Another weapon the British used quite effectively was an opening of the borders of the Mandate to Arabs from all the surrounding nations. The new Jewish industry in the land had created many jobs and made the land very attractive to those impoverished in nearby countries.
     According to author and researcher, Joan Peters, the total population of Western Palestine when Jewish colonization began was between 300,000-400,000 people. This figure included Jews, Christians and wandering Bedouin tribes. Of this figure Peters calculates that about 200,000 Muslims were actually living in Western Palestine (west of the Jordan River) in 1882. (26)
     Besides the 200,000 Muslim Arabs in Western Palestine other thousands were added by natural increase. Then Peters calculates that according to the most conservative figures, 170,000 Arab immigrants entered the land. They were purposely never recorded by the British. (27) Peters remarks of the Arab newcomers that they "...immediately acquired the status of ‘indigenous native population since time immemorial...’" (28)
     The British not only turned their backs upon illegal Arab immigration, they curtailed Jewish immigration and finally brought it to a standstill. They did this at the precise time when the Holocaust was looming in Europe and six million doomed Jews had no place on earth to flee.
     It is shameful that in the twenty-six years of the British Mandate, only about 400,000 Jews were allowed into their very own country by their British guardians. (29) This was the country assured to them by the British Balfour Declaration and the Palestine Mandate.
     All through the period of the Mandate there were various riots and revolts, many of them at best tolerated or at worst instigated by the British. The so-called "Arab Revolt" of 1936-1939, was a cooperative action by the British and the Arabs. (30) After the infamous British "White Paper" of 1939, virtually closing the land to Jewish immigration, the Jewish resistance to British administration began to grow.
     The Jews dropped their resistance during the Second World War and fought along with Britain and the Allies. However, at the close of the war their resistance was continued. In time, the British were forced to cast the now "hot potato" of Palestine back into the hands of the United Nations.

THE PARTITION PLAN AND INDEPENDENCE

     Some three fourths of the proposed area of settlement outlined in the Balfour Declaration had already been given away by Britain in order to form the Arab/Muslim state of Transjordan. The nations, not content with this, would attempt to steal away what remained in western Palestine.
     In 1947 the UN proposed its partition plan for the area. The plan suggested that the Arabs receive most of the mountainous area. According to the Bible, the mountainous area was primarily where the ancient Israelites lived. It might be referred to as "biblical Israel" or Judea and Samaria. Most of the ancient biblical cities like Hebron and Shechem are in this area. The plan proposed that Israel would receive the desert of the Negev and precarious and indefensible strips of land along the Mediterranean coast and in the Galilee. In effect, the proposal called for Jewish and Palestinian states west of the Jordan River.

Palestine, the UN Partition Plan of 1947
(Wikimedia Commons)

     The Jews, betrayed, beleaguered, oppressed and almost annihilated by the Holocaust, agreed to the partition plan. However, the Arabs vehemently opposed it, since they wanted the whole land. The plan was nevertheless approved by the UN on November 29, 1947, thus clearing the way for the establishment of the State of Israel.
     In the days and weeks following the partition, there were riots and murders throughout the land. By the spring, the Arabs cut the road to Jerusalem, isolating and almost starving the city. The fighting continued between Arabs and Jewish defense groups resulting in an increasing toll of human life.
     After the British finally evacuated the land, the Jews moved to declare their independence. On May 14, 1948 the nation of Israel was born. Immediately on May 15, the newborn nation was attacked by the six Arab armies of Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq.

(Wikimedia Commons)

     The Jews had few weapons, because weapons had been denied them by their British guardians. Even with their many limitations they defended themselves and then advanced to gain the coastal areas, the Upper Galilee, and the Negev. In the process, however, they suffered a tragic blow. The army of Transjordan, which had been trained and generously equipped by the British, occupied what is today’s West Bank (biblical Israel) with its Old City of Jerusalem and Temple Mount.
     The Jordanians, in their attempt to obliterate the ancient Jewish presence, exiled the Jews and then destroyed the Jewish quarter, including 58 synagogues. (31) The ancient and hallowed Jewish cemetery on the Mount of Olives did not escape their wrath. Some 75 percent of its tombstones were removed in the building of a hotel and to pave the paths to army latrines. (32) From 1948 until 1967, no Jew could enter the Old City or pray at the Western Wall.
     What an irony we see in the actions of the Jordanians. Their very existence had resulted from the outright misappropriation of three fourths of the original Jewish area of settlement. This area was originally awarded to the Jews, not only by God, but by the nations of the world in the San Remo Conference of 1920. Now it had been given by the British to found Transjordan. It was almost a first act of their administration. Now the Jordanians blatantly stole the area of the West Bank. We can safely say they stole it because not even the Arab nations recognized this occupation. The only nations recognizing it were Britain and Pakistan. (33)
     At the same time, the Egyptians took control of the Gaza Strip. With the carving out of these two areas the stage was set for much of the political wrangling and military conflict that would ensue for the coming half century.
     Although tiny Israel had defended itself against the combined might of six well-equipped Arab armies, there was more to come. In 1956 the Egyptians sealed off the Israeli port of Eilat by blockading the Strait of Tiran. In addition, numerous terrorist attacks were launched from the Egyptian territory of Gaza and the Sinai. Israel responded in what is known as the Sinai Campaign of October-November, 1956.
     The British and French, who were angered by Egypt’s closing of the Suez Canal, were also involved in this campaign. In this action Israel took the whole Sinai, but due to UN and US pressure was forced to withdraw.
     The problem with the Sinai and Egypt was not solved. Although UN forces were stationed in the Sinai, they did not prevent Egypt from returning, setting the stage and repeating the blockade of the Strait of Tiran in 1967.
     In addition to Egypt’s belligerence, the nations of Syria, Iraq and Saudi Arabia moved their troops menacingly toward Israel’s borders. There were united cries of "jihad" (holy war) from the surrounding Arab countries. Israel pre-empted the attack and the miraculous Six Day War of 1967 ensued. Israel again defeated combined Arab armies, gaining the whole Sinai, the Gaza Strip,  the Golan Heights, and the West Bank, including the Old City and Temple Mount.
     Arab nations, slow to learn, would attack Israel again on her holiest day, Yom Kippur, 1973. Then followed endless terrorist attacks launched from all surrounding nations.

Present day map of Israel and administered areas
(Wikimedia Commons)

RISE OF THE PLO

     With the terrible defeat in 1967 and the dreadful loss of Arab prestige, the Arab campaign to obliterate Israel took a new turn. After their humiliation, the Arab nations realized their chances of defeating Israel on the battlefield were slim. The new campaign would seek to wear Israel down with terror attacks while at the same time defeating her in the political realm.
     A ready tool of this new campaign was the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The organization, which was actually formed in Egypt in 1964, was ultimately headed by one who has become infamous to many Jews, Rahman Abdul Rauf Arafat al-Qudwa al-Husseini, alias Yasser Arafat.
     Arafat’s grandparents on his mother’s side were Husseinis from Palestine and were thus connected by blood to the Mufti of Jerusalem, also a Husseini. (34) The Husseini family over the decades has produced several notable adversaries of Israel.
     Arafat was most likely born in Cairo and not in Jerusalem. (35) As a youth he did spend some time in Jerusalem, as a member of an Arab gang. He attacked unarmed Jews, smashed and looted Jewish shops and was involved in other such activities.
     One of his classmates described him as "a fat moody boy who managed to frighten everyone a little...His eyes were hypnotic, and they could stop you cold." (36) One acquaintance of the youthful Arafat described him as "particularly brutal" and one who "grew crazed at the sight of our blood." (37) One of his Egyptian acquaintances described him in this way: "He had a certain charm which he could use to great advantage. But he also had a dark streak, a sort of permanent irrational anger that was always simmering below the surface." (38)
     In 1949-50, Arafat became a member of the Mufti’s youth gang in Gaza. In time he organized several other gangs and became their leader. Finally he became an engineering student at Cairo University. There he joined the extremist Muslim Brotherhood.
     He had a lackluster stint in the Egyptian Army and finally was expelled from Egypt when the radical Muslim Brotherhood was outlawed. His name was actually carried on Egypt’s official blacklist until 1968. After his expulsion he worked as an engineer in Kuwait, doing mostly plumbing jobs.
     It was while in Kuwait that the concept of Fatah was born. The name was a reversed acronym for Harakat at-Tahrir al-Filastin, meaning the Movement for the Liberation of Palestine. It was not necessarily the idea of Arafat, but due to his financial genius and industry he soon rose to the top of the organization. Arafat also was the publisher of the newspaper Our Palestine, which promoted the viewpoint of Fatah. In time, Fatah became a major component of the PLO and ultimately Arafat became Chairman of the whole PLO organization.
     Later, as leader of the PLO, Arafat became directly responsible for some of the bloodiest terror attacks in Israel’s history. The most notable of these are the hijacking and subsequent destruction of three commercial airliners in Jordan in 1970; the murder of 11 members of the Israeli delegation at the Munich Olympics in 1972; the killing of 24 and wounding of 64 Israelis at the Ma’alot school in 1974; The Coastal Road Massacre, killing 21 Israelis in 1978. (39)

THE PLO PATH OF DESTRUCTION

     The PLO became an umbrella organization for the many other terrorist groups that began in the 1960s and 1970s. Most of these groups arose due to splits and wrangling between various PLO officials. Arafat’s Fatah would continue to form the backbone and dominant component of the whole structure.
     An incomplete list of other organizations would include the Palestinian Liberation Army (PLA); Saika; The Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) directed by George Habash; The Popular Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PDFLP) directed by Neyef Hawatmeh; the PFLP- General Command headed by Ahmed Jebril; The Palestine Liberation Front (PFL); The Arab Liberation Front (AFL); and Black September. (40)
     Although there has been deep rivalry between these groups there is one thing they always have in common - their absolute hatred for Israel. They vow to root Israel out of every square foot of the Holy Land, and not just the "West Bank." This fact has been made abundantly clear by the symbols of all these groups. Their emblems picture the whole land of Israel as the object of Palestinian conquest.
     The PLO and its affiliated groups have always relied upon terror to accomplish their end goal. Its former leader, Yasser Arafat, was the first and only speaker to ever address the UN General Assembly while wearing a pistol. He held out an olive branch and gave the world the choice of the olive branch or his gun. Although this was a veiled threat, the whole assembly still broke into wild acclamation. (41)
     Such violence has been expressed by the PLO, that few of their Arab brother nations are willing to give them succor. In 1970, Jordan waged an all out war against the PLO following that organization’s violent bid to take over the country. Afterward the PLO took up lodging in Lebanon, and quickly turned that beautiful country into a war zone. Bashir Jemayel Lebanon’s president-elect stated in 1982:

     In eight years of fighting we have, out of a population of three million inhabitants, more
     than 100,000 killed, more than 300,000 wounded and almost half of the population
     uprooted from its homes... (42)

     Jemayel himself was latter assassinated. Jemayel’s remarks did not mention the rapes, even of young girls, thefts, and many other abuses the people suffered. They did not tell of the churches turned into ammunition dumps, of small children taken by force and trained by the PLO to be killers, of houses confiscated, etc. The PLO made Lebanon a giant training camp for terrorists. Groups like the Italian Red Brigade, the Irish Republican Army, and the Baader Meinhof gang all received training from the PLO in Lebanon. (43)
     One can understand why the Israelis were greeted with joy when they responded to this PLO challenge and invaded southern Lebanon in 1982. The Israelis completely destroyed the PLO infrastructure in Lebanon and would have probably put an end to Arafat and his murderers. Unfortunately, the PLO was rescued because of world pressures and particularly by the intervention of the United States.
     When they were pushed out of Lebanon, the PLO relocated in Tunisia. After their short-sighted backing of Saddam Hussein in the Gulf War, much of the support from rich Arab nations was lost and the whole organization fell on hard times. Yet, somehow the PLO and its related terror organizations seem to be needed by anti-Semitic and oil hungry nations. Beginning with the Madrid Conference of 1991 a rescue program was begun for Arafat. The rescue operation eventually resulted in the Oslo Peace Accords and what has come to be known as the "peace process."

THE "PEACE" PROCESS

     Since the Madrid conference in 1991, and the Oslo Accords in 1993, the "peace process" is the one sure thing that Israelis hear on the radio and TV each day. After almost fifteen years of the ‘process’ the Israeli papers are still saturated with it as if it were some special godsend. It seems that few people have stopped to consider the toll that this "peace" has exacted. By September, 1998, the fifth anniversary of the Oslo Accords, 279 Israelis had been killed in terrorist attacks. This figure was just over the number of Israelis killed in the 15 years before the Oslo Peace Accords began. (44)
     Israel is now in the process of committing a slow suicide by giving away to the Palestinians her precious and sacred heritage of land. Already, the cities of Jericho, Shechem (Nablus), Bethlehem, Hebron and several other urban areas have been surrendered to the PLO. In addition, large tracts of open land have been surrendered. We must remember that this area called the "West Bank" is the land that made up biblical Israel.
     The PLO and other terrorist groups, including Hamas, have always maintained they will push Israel into the sea and take the whole land. This is clearly affirmed in the 1964 Palestine National Covenant, also known as the Palestine Charter. Since June, 1974, the PLO has operated under what is called the Phased Plan. This plan has two points. First, the PLO will create a Palestinian state on whatever area they can get from Israel. Second, they will then mobilize an assault to destroy whatever remains of Israel. (45) The Peace Process fits nicely with these publicly stated PLO goals.

THE BIG LIE

     The PLO has had considerable success in terrorizing Israel and the nations. However, their greatest success has been in the area of propaganda. The PLO has the "Goebbels touch." In fact, they were influenced by some famous Nazi propaganda experts, such as Von Lehrs, who escaped to Cairo after World War II. (46) The former PLO leader, Yasser Arafat, was an expert not only at telling the big lie, but at telling it continually until the whole world believed it.
     An example of this propaganda was seen in the 1982 Israel/ PLO war in Lebanon. As Israel was driving the PLO out of Lebanon the world was told that there were 10,000 Lebanese and Palestinians dead, 40,000 wounded, and 600,000 homeless because of Israel’s bombardment. Apparently no one bothered to check the source of this information. Later it was revealed that it came from Arafat’s brother who was head of the PLO-affiliated Red Crescent. The exaggerations were anywhere from 2000 to 3000 percent. (47)
     Also, as the Israeli army was about to mop up the last stronghold of the PLO in Beirut, US President Ronald Reagan was shown the picture of an armless Palestinian girl who had reportedly lost her arms in an Israeli bombardment. The US president called Israel’s Prime Minister and angrily demanded an end to the bombardment. Israel immediately complied.
     It was not until later that the girl was located and the truth was revealed that she was in fact injured by an earlier Arab attack. It was too late. The damage was already done by the big lie, and Israel was once more the villain in international eyes. (48)
     The big lie tactics are used most expertly in the PLOs many attempts to re-write history. In recent times Hanan Ashrawi, frequent spokeswoman for the Palestinians, has boldly stated for the worldwide TV audience that she is a true descendant of the first Christians, and that they were Palestinians.
     Of course, this statement does not contain a shred of truth, since her Arab people did not inhabit the land of Israel until some six hundred years after the New Testament era. We seldom stop to evaluate the absurdity of such statements. If Ashwari really were a descendant of the first Christians, then her ancestry would actually be Jewish.
     There is a constant attempt by the PLO and by rich Arab nations to influence world-wide news reporting. Perhaps the most alarming attempt though is that of influencing publishers of reference materials. These materials have a very long shelf life and are read by millions of people, particularly by young, impressionable children.
     The Bible warns us in John 10:10 with these words: "The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy..." We can clearly see this pattern in the PLO, Hamas and other groups sworn to the destruction of Israel. They have killed and destroyed by terrorism and finally they have sought to steal Israel’s heritage and history.
     The researcher Bat Ye’or remarks about this:

     The masquerade of Arabs (or "Palestinians") posing as "Jews" transfers to them Israel’s
     historical rights and the merits or sympathy earned after 4,000 years of existence and
     hardships. By robbing the Jews of their past (i.e., the stratagem of substitution), the PLO
     reduces them to a rootless shadowy group, worthy only of Arab toleration. (49)

     Jacques Maritain also remarks:

     It is a strange paradox to behold Israel being denied the only territory of which—
     considering the whole course of human history--it is absolutely, divinely certain that
     people had a title to it. (50)

PALESTINE, A MODERN MYTH

     Arab activist, Musa Alami, once summarized the situation so far as Arab nationalism is concerned. He said, "how can people struggle for their nation, when most of them do not know the meaning of the word?...The people are in great need of a ‘myth’ to fill their consciousness and imagination...." (51) The people got their myth. It is called "Palestine." Someday, "Palestine" might be known as the biggest myth of the twentieth century.
     For decades people and nations, even impressive world bodies, have played their part in supporting and perpetuating this myth. In a sense, they have acted out Anderson’s famous fable - The Emperor’s New Clothes. In that fable, while everyone pretended and swooned over his new clothes, the stark truth was recognized and blurted out by a little child. The emperor was naked!
     The stark truth today is that there was never a Palestinian state in all the annals of human history. There was never a distinct Arab-Palestinian people. The majority are a mixture of Arab peoples who migrated into Israel to seek jobs. These jobs were provided by Jewish development in the area after 1881.
     The Arab-Palestinian identity as it is presented by the PLO and related groups thus far seems to be flawed and even fraudulent. We might ask, "Is it all a political ruse to steal away the heritage of Israel?"

STUDY QUESTIONS:

Why would the expression "Palestine in Jesus’ time" be considered an anachronism?

Why would the name "Palestine" not be particularly appealing to the Jews from the standpoint of ancient history?

According to Nehemiah 2:20, should the restoration of Jerusalem be assigned to the Arab peoples?

What are some of the reasons that caused the British failure in their attempt to establish the Jewish homeland?

Why was the capture of the "West Bank" by Jordan in 1948 a double insult to Israel?

Does the PLO occupation in southern Lebanon give us any indication as to how life in the Palestinian Authority will eventually turn out? If so, what conclusions can be drawn?

NOTES

     It could be said that the Jewish people were literally "programmed" to return to Zion. The idea of Zion has always been attached to the Jewish heart. At the end of the Passover seder, these wistful words are usually spoken: "Next year in Jerusalem!" On Jewish walls there customarily hangs a small plaque with the word mizrah (east) inscribed. Three times every day the devout Jew faces toward the east and prays. He prays for Jerusalem at meals and also in the synagogue.
     Indeed the scriptures themselves would not allow the Jews to forget God’s holy city. In Psalm 137:5-6, we are warned about neglecting Jerusalem: "If I forget you, O Jerusalem, may my right hand forget its skill. May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth if I do not remember you, if I do not consider Jerusalem my highest joy."

EARLY ATTEMPTS AT RETURN

     Through the long centuries of their dispersion, there were many attempts by the Jews to return to Jerusalem and to the land of Israel. Immigration attempts can be traced all the way back to the earliest days after the unsuccessful Bar Kochba Revolt in AD 135. In those days, a few Jewish scholars immigrated to Israel from Babylon. Much later in the eighth century, numerous Karaites, a sect of Judaism, immigrated to Israel.
     In the twelfth century, the renowned Jewish poet, Judah Halevi penned these mournful words:

     My heart is in the east and I am in the far-away west... How little would it mean to me to
     abandon all the bounty of Spain... How precious it would be to behold even the dust of
     the Holy Temple that was destroyed.(1)

     Halevi at last forsook his land and made the hazardous journey to Jerusalem. It is thought today that this beloved poet died in route.
     Benjamin of Tudela, the noted traveler, who visited the country in 1167, reported that there were two hundred Jews living in Jerusalem, with 300 in Ramla, 300 in Ashkelon, and 200 both in Casearea and in Akko. Undoubtedly these decimated numbers reflected the ravages of the First Crusade. In 1211, three hundred Rabbis from France immigrated, settling in Acre and in Jerusalem. (2) Their aliya was followed in 1267 by the famous scholar Nahmanides.
     The living conditions even in Jerusalem in these early times were difficult and discouraging. A Christian pilgrim visiting the land from 1491-92 made this report:

     Christians and Jews alike in Jerusalem lived in great poverty and in conditions of great
     deprivation, there are not many Christians but there are many Jews, and there the
     Moslems persecute in various ways. Christians and Jews go about in Jerusalem in
     clothes considered fit only for wandering beggars... (3)

     Later, some Jews came from Germany, Spain and France. After the expulsion from Spain in 1492, and from Portugal in 1497, many more European Jews began to make their way to Israel.
     The seventeenth century saw a wave of immigration as a result of the false Messiah, Shabbetai Zevi. According to one observer, the Jewish community of Jerusalem had grown to 10,000 persons in 1741. In the eighteenth century the Hasidim, an ultra-orthodox group, began to make aliya to the country. Their immigration greatly benefited Jewish settlement. (4)
     Many other groups trickled into the country in the early nineteenth century. These groups were primarily from Germany, Holland and Hungary.

THE BEGINNINGS OF MODERN ALIYA

     It was not until the 1880s that the real movement toward settlement in Israel began. Before it could take place, a philosophical and even theological groundwork had to be laid. Initially there was fervent opposition to the idea.

The almond tree blossoms

     Among the East European Jews, the restoration was considered only in messianic terms. Many believed that only the Messiah could restore Zion. (5) Two things began to have a bearing on this opinion. First, there were the almost prophetic voices that arose to proclaim the cause of Zion. Second, there were the waves of persecution that made the Jews consider a return to the land.
     The earliest of these voices raised was Moses Hess (1812-1875). Hess wrote his book Rome and Jerusalem in 1862. His idea was that the Jews should be aided by mankind to re-establish their own nation. After Hess, was an Orthodox Rabbi, Zevi-Hirsch Kalischer. His book, Derishat Zion (Quest for Zion) was also published in 1862. In addition to publishing his book, Kalischer advocated the establishment of agricultural colonies in Palestine.
     Due to Kalischer’s influence, the first agricultural colony was founded in Palestine in 1869, by Alliance Israelite Universelle. The colony was given the name, Mikveh Yisrael (Hope of Israel). Kalischer traveled widely to promote Jewish colonization. In doing so, he laid the foundations for what became a popular movement called Houeve Zion (Lovers of Zion). (6)
     Another prophetic voice to arise among the Jews was Leo Pinsker, an Odessa physician. After the Russian pogroms of 1881-82, Pinsker wrote his pamphlet, Auto-Emancipation (freeing oneself). His thesis was that the Jews were obligated to free themselves, and not wait on others to do it for them. His cries, "Now or Never," electrified many Jews and particularly the societies of Houeve Zion. (7)
     It seemed that these prophetic voices were a last and desperate attempt to save Israel’s dispersed from the horrors that would soon engulf them in Europe.

RUSSIAN POGROMS

     In the early 1880s a growing oppression of the Jews began in several European countries. This oppression was particularly strong in Russia. In that country, after the assassination of Alexander II, severe pogroms broke out against the Jews. In the next twenty years over a million Jews fled to the United States. Others however, felt it was time not just to flee, but to find a resolution of the Jewish problem. That resolution focused on the land of Israel. (8)

     From out of the Houeve Zion movement sprang the first wave of settlement in the land of Israel. These settlers gave themselves the acronym BILU, which taken from the Hebrew scripture in Isaiah 2:5 means, "House of Jacob, come let us go!" As expressed by another verse in Isaiah, those who were ready to perish, began to return to the holy mountain at Jerusalem (Isa. 27:13).
     This group marked the beginning of what has come to be known as the First Aliya. The very first group of settlers in 1882 included only 14 people. Life in the desolate land of Israel was very difficult for this small group but they persisted. More new immigrants followed, and by 1884, six settlements were established. These settlements included Gedera and the revival of the previously established settlement at Petah Tikvah (door of hope). (10)

Early Jewish settlers work the land
(Courtesy, Israel Information Office)

     In these early days settlement was greatly assisted by the philanthropist, Baron Edmond de Rothchild, who started four colonies, including Rishon le-Zion (First to Zion). At Rishon, Rothchild began a redevelopment of the ancient wine culture.
     Most of these early settlers suffered severe hardships including a difficult climate and malaria from the surrounding swamps. They also endured attacks from hostile Arabs and harassment from corrupt Turkish officials. (11) Although unfamiliar with the rigors of farming, the early settlers learned its rudiments and did their best. With these early arrivals and with many more who came after them, the words of the prophet Isaiah began to be fulfilled: "As a young man marries a maiden, so will your sons marry you; as a bridegroom rejoices over his bride, so will your God rejoice over you [the land]..." (Isa. 62:5). The land that had been forsaken so many centuries would now be loved and married.

HERZL, THE PROPHET OF ZIONISM

     As early settlement progressed in the land, the Zionist movement began to be greatly accelerated in Europe. The efforts of the Zionist pioneers soon began to focus on one man, Theodore Herzl.

 Theodore Herzl
(Courtesy, Israel Information Office)

     Herzl, born in Budapest in 1860, exhibited a great deal of literary skill and personal charm. At first he had success by writing light, entertaining plays. Later he submitted regular features to the Neue Freie Press, the most important paper in Vienna, his hometown.(12)
     In time the newspaper appointed the promising Herzl as its correspondent in Paris. It was in Paris, the cultural capital of Europe, that Herzl received the shock of his life. He witnessed there the trial of Captain Alfred Dreyfus. Dreyfus, a Jew, was tried on trumped up charges, stripped of his rank and exiled to Devil’s Island. What amazed Herzl was not so much the trial, but the cries of the people that rang out, "Death to the Jews!" (13) These barbaric cries were coming from people who lived in what was considered at the time the most civilized part of the world. Herzl left Paris a shaken and changed man.
     In a fever of inspiration, Herzl wrote his soon to be famous book, Der Judenstaat (The Jewish State). The book drew immediate attention. Some Jews criticized the book while others rallied to Herzl’s cause. Among the stalwarts who helped Herzl were Israel Zangwill, Max Nordeau and David Wolffson.

THE FIRST ZIONIST CONGRESS

     By 1897 the tireless efforts of Herzl plus the rising momentum of Zionism brought about the First Zionist Congress in Basle. The congress was a great success and almost instantly the age-old idea of a restored Jewish state had a political and economic basis. It was no longer just a dream. In his diary, Herzl recorded after the congress:

     At Basle, I founded the Jewish State! If I had said this out loud today I would be greeted
     by universal laughter. In five years perhaps, and certainly in fifty years, everyone will
     perceive it." (14)

     In exactly fifty years, the UN voted to clear the way for the establishment of the State of Israel.

A LANGUAGE RESTORED

     One problem that immediately surfaced as scattered Israel returned to the land was the need for a common language. The Jews came home speaking scores of languages, but they could not speak their own. The ancient Hebrew tongue had simply become a "dead" language. Its usage was limited to prayer, to study, to family or communal observances and to ritual purposes. Some even thought the language was too sacred to be used for everyday affairs. There was an additional problem. Hebrew was now missing thousands of modern words like ice cream, sidewalk, airplane and telephone.
     Today when one rides a bus in Israel and hears little children speaking Hebrew at lightning speed, or when one looks out of the bus window and sees multitudes of Hebrew signs on the streets, he must admit that a miracle has taken place. This miracle focused primarily on one man, Eliezer Ben-Yehuda. Although desperately sick with tuberculosis, Ben-Yehuda was driven to accomplish one great goal in life. His burning desire was to resurrect the Hebrew language. It was almost like a divine call and obsession with him.
     In order to accomplish this goal, Ben-Yehuda and his wife moved to Jerusalem in 1881. Ben-Yehuda, although sick, worked 18 hours a day for the next 41 years to accomplish his goal. Eliezer published a Hebrew paper in Israel and he traveled abroad visiting libraries in search of ancient Hebrew roots. Eliezer was determined to raise the first Hebrew-speaking children in Israel. To this end he forbade anyone to speak with his children except in Hebrew.
     Ben-Yehuda and his wife, Deborah, spoke Hebrew at home and in the street. The biographer, St. John, relates this story of one of their strolls through town:

     One day when Deborah and Eliezer were walking down one of Jerusalem’s narrow
     streets, talking in Hebrew, a man stopped them. Tugging at the young journalist’s
     sleeve, he asked in Yiddish: "Excuse me, sir. That language you two talk. What is
     it?" ‘Hebrew’ Eliezer replied. ‘Hebrew! But people don’t speak Hebrew. It’s a dead
     language!’ ‘You are wrong, my friend,’ Eliezer replied with a fervor. ‘I am alive. My
     wife is alive. We speak Hebrew. Therefore, Hebrew is alive.’" (15)

     Eliezer Ben-Yehuda Lived to gather the necessary materials for his 16-volume dictionary of the revived Hebrew Language. He lived to hear Hebrew become a spoken language once again, and he saw it gain the status as one of the three official languages of the re-born country.

On Israel’s streets today Hebrew is everywhere

FURTHER SETTLEMENT AND DEVELOPMENT

     Following on the heels of the First Aliya, was the Second Aliya, beginning as a result of Kishinev pogroms of 1903. After that there was a Third Aliya beginning in 1919. These waves of immigration were followed by several more as the new century progressed.
     With the Second Aliya the first kibbutz was founded (1909). These collective farms enabled the settlers to pool their resources for better and more efficient farming and for defense against Arab marauders.
     At this time, the first organized attempt at Jewish self-defense was made with the Ha-Shomer, the mounted guards of the Jewish settlements. Also in this period the Jewish National Fund was established as a tool for acquiring and improving the land.
     At the beginning of aliya in 1880, there were approximately 470,000 Arabs and 24,000 Jews in the land. By the beginning of World War I, the Arabs numbered 500,000 and the Jewish settlers (yishuv) numbered approximately 85,000. During this same period over fifty Jewish settlements had been formed. (16)

WORLD WAR I AND THE MANDATE

     Even before the close of World War I, the British and French had made the Sykes-Picot agreement to divide the area of Palestine between themselves.
     At the close of the war, Turkey, the "sick man of Europe," collapsed, and the agreement became a reality. On November 2, 1917, in the famous Balfour Declaration, the British government declared itself in favor of a Jewish national home in Palestine. Soon after the war ended, the League of Nations granted a mandate to Great Britain to establish the national home.

     It quickly became apparent that the newly-assigned guardian was not seeking the Jew’s best interests. This was made especially clear when Britain in 1921 gave away 75 percent of the mandate lands in order to found Transjordan (today’s Jordan).
     As early as 1920, Britain also began to restrict Jewish immigration. Finally, with the British White Paper of 1939, the door of immigration was virtually closed to Jews. Millions of trapped Jews had no place to escape from the Nazis.
     Britain was vigilant to guard against Jewish immigration, even to the point of firing upon "illegal" ships as they tried to deliver their human cargoes to the land. Some of the ships were turned back to face a certain Holocaust. Three ships sank, with two of them losing all aboard. Other "illegal" immigrants were captured and exiled to British colonies. (17)
     While Britain sternly resisted Jewish immigration, she at the same time opened the doors wide to Arab immigration from the surrounding countries.
     In order to protect their interest the Jews were finally forced to organize an underground opposition to Britain.

WORLD WAR II AND THE HOLOCAUST

     In Europe a dreadful thing was taking place. Millions of Jews were trapped by the rapidly moving Nazi armies. The Jews were immediately assigned to ghettoes where they were slowly starved. Soon the Nazis devised the plan of total extermination of the Jewish populations. Camps like Auschwitz, Chelmno, Treblinka and Sobibor, were established to bring about this extermination.
     With all doors of escape closed, six million unarmed Jews were slaughtered. They were starved, worked to death, shot, and finally gassed in unbelievable numbers. Among the Jews murdered between 1939 and 1945, were two million children.
     Could Israel arise from these ashes? The Lord had promised such a thing through his prophet Ezekiel centuries before:

     Therefore prophesy and say to them: 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: O my
     people, I am going to open your graves and bring you up from them; I will bring you
     back to the land of Israel.’ (Ezek. 37:12)

     The historian Paul Johnson remarks about the connection of the Holocaust with the rise of Zion in these words:

     The Holocaust and the new Zion were organically connected. The murder of six
     million Jews was a prime causative factor in the creation of the state of Israel. This was
     in accordance with an ancient and powerful dynamic of Jewish history: redemption
     through suffering. (18)


A NATION BORN IN A DAY

     Israel as a political entity would be resurrected and brought forth. That too would happen as the prophets had spoken centuries before:

     Who has ever heard of such a thing? Who has ever seen such things? Can a country be
     born in a day or a nation be brought forth in a moment? Yet no sooner is Zion in
     labor than she gives birth to her children (Isa. 66:8).

     Although it seemed impossible that a nation dispersed since AD 70, and even as far back as 586 BC and 722 BC could rise again, it indeed happened.
     On November 29, 1947, against all odds, the United Nations voted for the partition plan. The acceptance of this plan by the nations cleared the way for the nation of Israel to be legally established the next year. Neither the American State Department nor the British Foreign Office wanted a Jewish state. For the most part the Russians did not want it, but still found themselves voting for it. Israel thus became a reality. Johnson remarks, "Israel slipped into existence through a fortuitous window in history which briefly opened for a few months in 1947-8." (19)
     Arab opposition to this plan was intense and Arab violence continued until the British withdrew their forces the following year on May 14. On that date Israel declared its independence, with David Ben-Gurion heading the provisional government. The Arabs immediately declared war on the newly-born state. The Jews fought back valiantly. One Jewish weapon that did much damage to Arab morale was the homemade mortar called the ‘Davidka.’  It made a terrifying noise but in the end actually did little real damage with its discharge.

The Davidka at Herut (Liberty) Square in downtown Jerusalem

     Hannah Hurnard, a Christian witness of these momentous days states:

     As Israel again became a nation in the land of Israel, the thirty-seventh chapter of
     Ezekiel was read in Hebrew over the radio --the glorious prophecy of the
     scattered, dry bones that were suddenly joined together with flesh and sinews
     and then received the life of God. We who remained in the country while the
     astonishing miracle happened will never forget with what a noise and shaking
     those bones came together and were formed into one body and nation. (20)

THE WAR OF INDEPENDENCE

     Even prior to Israel’s independence the Arabs had launched repeated and vicious attacks upon the Jews. The Jews had scored many impressive victories in response to these attacks. In April, the "Arab Army of Liberation" was routed by the Haganah. This marked the first military victory by the Jews since the days of Bar Kochba in the second century. (21) As the British departed, there were fierce battles for their deserted positions. The Jews took the cities of Tiberias, Haifa and Safed in the north.
     It was at this time that many of the panic-stricken Arab residents fled their homes, causing the ticklish refugee problem. This problem would plague Israel for many decades to come. The Arabs were encouraged to leave by their own Arab leaders, while the Jews begged them to stay. As many as 65,000 Arabs fled Haifa and 50,000 fled Jaffa. (22)

 
Modern Israel celebrates her independence

     Immediately after declaring their independence on May 14, the new state of Israel was invaded. On May 15, 1948, six Arab armies from Egypt, Syria, Transjordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Iraq attacked Israel.
     The Arab armies were well equipped and trained. The armies of Transjordan were actually trained and staffed by British officers. The Jews were ill trained and poorly equipped. Yet the Jews fought fiercely, realizing that defeat meant annihilation. After only ten days the Jews were able to launch a counterattack.
     Soon large areas fell into Jewish hands. The Arab cities of Ramleh, Lydda and Beersheba were captured. The blockade of Jerusalem was broken. The Israelis gained control of the coastal plain and much of the Galilee. Unfortunately they lost the Old City of Jerusalem, as the Jordanians occupied it along with the remainder of the area that came to be known as the "West Bank."
     By the time of the conclusion of the War of Independence in 1949, the Israelis had won control of most of the land that presently makes up the state of Israel.

THE FLOOD OF IMMIGRATION

     With the end of the war, the Israelis were able to do something they were never permitted to do under prior Turkish or British domination. They were able to bring the sons and daughters home from the nations without any limitation. The very declaration of Independence of the new nation stated: "The State of Israel shall be open to Jewish immigration and the ingathering of the exiles." (23)

A ship loaded with Jewish immigrants arrives in Haifa


The Jews of Yemen come home
(courtesy, Israel Information Office)

     In the short period between May 15, 1948 and the end of 1951, 684,201 new immigrants came home. This was more than the entire Jewish population on the day independence was proclaimed. (24) Possessed with an almost Messianic fervor, some 47,000 Jews of Yemen came home. They were flown out in an airlift known as "Operation Magic Carpet." The Jews of Iraq, over 124,000 strong, were also flown home in an airlift named "Operation Ezra-Nehemiah." Many of the Jews of Iraq (ancient Babylon) had been officially in captivity since 586 BC, and now they were home. The remarkable event prompted the President of Israel to declare that the Babylonian captivity had ended.
     The defeated and embittered Arab nations immediately began to expel their Jewish populations. While an estimated 650,000 Palestinian Arabs were made refugees between 1947-49, an estimated 820,000 Jewish refugees were expelled or fled from Arab lands, in most cases leaving their property behind. (25) Only a few Arab refugees were absorbed by the surrounding Arab states. Instead, these Arab states have kept the refugee problem smoldering since 1949 and have used it for political reasons. In contrast, hundreds of thousands of Jews were immediately absorbed by the new state of Israel.

A bird’s eye view of Tel Aviv in 2007
(Wikimedia Commons by Avi Dror)

     The Jews began to build their land, to establish new cities and farms. In the brief space between 1948 to 1951, the Israelis established 345 new villages of all types. (26)  New industries sprang up as Israel was on the way to building a successful economy and a modern progressive democracy.

Israel's Knesset

NEW STORM CLOUDS GATHER

     Soon after Israel was securely established as a state, Arab belligerence began to flare up once more. The Arab League established a boycott against all Israeli products. That boycott has persisted until the present day. Passage through the Suez Canal and the Straits of Tiran was blocked to all shipping and cargoes bound to or from Israel. To make matters worse, Israel was regularly attacked by Arab fedayeen crossing her borders and launching terror attacks. In the years 1951-1955, there were 967 Israelis killed through such attacks. (27)
     The situation soon became intolerable for Israel. On October 29, 1956, Israel launched a full scale successful attack into the Sinai. This became known as the Sinai Campaign. The attack was launched in cooperation with Britain and France, who were angered at Egypt’s nationalization of the Suez Canal that same year. (28) However, because of US and UN pressure, Israel was forced to withdraw from the Sinai in 1957. The area was then put under UN supervision.

THE MIRACULOUS SIX-DAY WAR

     The tiny nation of Israel was forced to develop her infrastructure, commerce, industry, agriculture, education and government while the threat of war constantly hung over her. Hostile Arab nations could have no rest with Israel in their midst.
     By 1964, at the Arab summit in Cairo and Alexandria, the decision was made to intensify the struggle against Israel. The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) was founded. The Syrians also decided to divert the headwaters of the Jordan river and frustrate Israel’s water development plans. (29)
     After the War of Independence the Syrians became guilty of the repeated sniping and bombarding of Israeli settlements. These bombardments increased in 1966-67 until they could no longer be tolerated.
     Egypt’s President Nasser began to broadcast and publish anti-Israel rhetoric. He soon gathered support from the other Arab nations for an invasion of Israel. Beginning on May 16, 1967 Egyptian forces moved threateningly across the Sinai. Nasser demanded that the UN forces there be removed and the UN complied. By May 25, the armies of Syria, Iraq, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Egypt all moved to the very borders of Israel. The armies of Israel were then outnumbered three to one by the Arabs. (30) Once more the Straits of Tiran were blocked by the Egyptians, denying Israel access to her markets in the Far East.
     Assessing the grave situation, Israel decided to pre-empt the attack. On the morning of June 5, the Israeli air force struck the airfields of Egypt, Jordan, Iraq and Syria. In all, 452 enemy planes were destroyed, 391 of them on the ground. (31) In less than three hours Israel had gained complete air superiority.
     The armies of Israel went on the attack, and in one of the largest armor battles in history, the Egyptian armored power was shattered. Israeli troops raced on and soon reached the Suez Canal. The Egyptian losses were: over 400 tanks destroyed, with another 200 captured; 10,000 men dead, with another 12,000 taken prisoner. (32) Israel captured the Gaza Strip from Egypt and once again Israel took control of the whole Sinai Peninsula.
     The miraculous war progressed on all fronts. Judea and Samaria, which had been under Jordanian control since 1948, fell into Israeli hands. At last the Old City of Jerusalem came under Israeli control.
     The 1967 war was so miraculous that even Israelis were stunned. Tough, battle hardened soldiers wept like babies when the Western Wall was captured. Gen. Shlomo Goren, the Chief Rabbi of the Israel Armed Forces arrived at the wall, with the Torah clutched in his hands. Goren cried, "We have taken the city of God, we are entering the Messianic era for the Jewish People..." (33)
     The Golan Heights, from which Syria had terrorized the Galilee for years, was captured by Israel. In a mere six days the war was over and once again the vastly superior Arab armies were defeated.

ARAB TERRORISM AND THE YOM KIPPUR WAR

     Unfortunately even miraculous wars do not have happy endings for Israel. Arab terrorism continued to plague the land. In the short period between June 1967 and December 1968, there were 159 terrorist raids deep inside Israel. In addition, more than a thousand raids took place along Israel’s borders. (34) From 1968 onward, Palestinian terrorists began to operate against Israel from Jordan. Egypt then began a war of attrition against the Israeli Bar Lev line, a defensive line established on the Suez Canal.
     Soon, Arab armies were again at the door of Israel. In the afternoon of October 6, 1973, Egypt and Syria launched a coordinated attack. They were soon joined by Jordan, Saudi Arabia, Iraq and a contingent from Kuwait. It was Israel’s holiest day, Yom Kippur. On this day, many Israelis were fasting from both food and water. All commerce, transportation and communication had ground to a halt. In the midst of this holy day of prayer and fasting Israel was forced to mobilize.
     It was soon apparent that Israel could lose this war. The Arab armies were lavishly re-supplied from the USSR, but Israel soon began to run out of arms and equipment. Finally Israel was replenished by an emergency US airlift. The war waged on from October 6 until October 24. By that time Israel was the clear victor. The nation was once again saved but at the dreadful cost of 2,378 of its soldiers. (35)

THE MIRACLE CONTINUES

     Israel would know more terrorist attacks and war. She would see eleven of her Olympic athletes slaughtered in Munich in 1972. She would see the miraculous rescue of her citizens hijacked to the Entebbe airport in 1976. Finally in 1982, it would be necessary to invade Lebanon to destroy the massive terrorist infrastructure built there by the PLO.
     In spite of all her adversities the miracle of Israel would continue. In 1989 the hand of judgment from the Almighty began to fall on the Communist world. The USSR had resisted Israel almost since her formation. The Communists had lavishly supplied Arab armies with weapons of all kinds that enabled them to attack Israel over and over. In addition, millions of Jews were being held captive in the USSR.
     Finally, the finger of God touched these Communist nations and beginning in 1989, one Iron Curtain nation after another fell. In the words of Isaiah 43:5-6, God said to the north, "Give them up!" Suddenly Israel was almost overwhelmed with a massive new aliya from the north. In the years between the autumn of 1989 and the end of the century, almost a million new immigrants came home.

New immigrants from the former USSR are welcomed in Israel by members of the
International Christian Embassy 

     God not only brought them from the north, but in the words of Isaiah 43:6, he also said to the south, "Do not hold them back!" Ethiopia in the south had been detaining Ethiopian Jews at the airport for a year. Suddenly in one 33-hour period starting May 24, 1991, almost 15,000 Ethiopians were flown to Israel in one giant airlift.

 Ethiopian immigrants being airlifted
(Courtesy, Israel Information Office)

     According to the prophet Jeremiah this was a greater miracle than when Moses brought the children of Israel out of Egypt. Jeremiah says:

     "However, the days are coming," declares the LORD, "when men will no longer say,
     'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’ but they will
     say, 'As surely as the LORD lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the
     north and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’ For I will restore
     them to the land I gave their forefathers (Jer.16:14-15).

     In what seemingly was a demonic plan to stop the return of God’s people, Saddam Hussein rained down missiles on the cities of Israel in the Gulf War of 1991. Israel was bombarded although she was not involved in this war in any way. It was not difficult to see the fury of Satan in these attacks.
     Against all odds the people of Israel had come home from all the nations of earth to their own heritage. They had returned to the land promised to them forever by God. While the nations of the earth cursed them, those who believed the Lord could only say in the words of Deuteronomy 33:29:

     Blessed are you, O Israel! Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD? He is your
     shield and helper and your glorious sword. Your enemies will cower before you, and
     you will trample down their high places.


STUDY QUESTIONS:

Why did many Eastern European Jews resist the idea of returning to Israel under Zionist leadership?

What shocking truth did Herzl, the father of the Jewish state, realize while covering the Dreyfus trial in Paris?

What part did Great Britain play in hindering the Jewish escape from the Nazi Holocaust?

What parallel fact helps offset the fate of 650,000 Palestinian refugees after the war of Independence?


NOTES

  1. Quoted in, Eliyahu Tal, Whose Jerusalem (Jerusalem: International Forum for a United Jerusalem 1994) pp. 76-77.
  2. Dan Bahat, ed., Twenty Centuries of Jewish Life in the Holy Land, The Forgotten Generations (Jerusalem: The Israel Economist, first
     edition 1975, second edition 1976) pp. 40-41.
  3. Quoted in, Bahat, ed., Twenty Centuries of Jewish Life in the Holy Land, The Forgotten Generations, p. 49.
  4. Goeffrey Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, Immigration and Settlement (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House Ltd., 1973) p. 40.
  5. Solomon Grazel, A History of the Jews (Philadelphia: The Jewish Publication Society of America, 1947) p. 665.
  6. Grazel, A History of the Jews, p. 667.
  7  Grazel, A History of the Jews, p. 669.
  8. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, Immigration and Settlement, pp. 13-14.
  9. Goeffrey Wigoder, ed., Encyclopedia Judaica Vol 2, (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House Ltd.,) pp. 633-635.
10. Goeffrey Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, History From 1880 (Jerusalem: Keter Publishing House Ltd., 1973) p. 14.
11. Grazel, A History of the Jews, p.670.
12. Grazel, A History of the Jews, p. 671.
13. Grazel, A History of the Jews, p. 672.
14. Quoted in, Claude Duvernoy, The Prince and the Prophet (Jerusalem: Christian Action For Israel, First published in French 1966,
      English 1979) p. 58.
15. Robert St. John, Tongue of the Prophets (North Hollywood, CA: Wilshire Book Company, 1952) p.84.
16. Martin Gilbert, Jewish Historical Atlas, 4th edition (Jerusalem, Tel Aviv & Haifa, Israel: Steimatzky, Ltd., 1969, 1992) p. 85.
17. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, Immigration and Settlement, p. 36.
18. Paul Johnson, A History of the Jews (New York: Harper & Roe, 1987) p. 519.
19. Johnson, A History of the Jews, p. 526.
20. Hannah Hurnard, Watchmen on the Walls (Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers, 1997) p. 154.
21. Cecil Roth, A History of the Jews (New York: Schocken Books,1954, fifth printing, 1966) p. 415.
22. Martin Gilbert, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Its History in Maps, third edition, (London: Widenfeld and Nicholson, 1974) p. 46.
23. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, Immigration and Settlement, P. 50.
24. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, Immigration and Settlement, p. 56.
25. Mitchell G. Bard, and Joel Himelfarb, Myths and Facts, A Concise Record of the Arab -Israeli Conflict (Washington, DC: Near East
      Report, 1984, 1988, 1992) pp. 120-121.
26. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, History From 1880, p. 151.
27. Gilbert, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Its History in Maps, p. 60.
28. Gilbert, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Its History in Maps, p. 62-63.
29. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, History From 1880, p. 195.
30. Gilbert, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Its History in Maps, p. 69.
31. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, History From 1880, p. 200.
32. Wigoder, ed., Israel Pocket Library, History From 1880, p. 202.
33. Quoted in, Charles F. Deloach, Seeds of Conflict (Plainfield, NJ: Logos International, 1974) p. 63.
34. Gilbert, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Its History in Maps, p. 74.
35. Gilbert, The Arab-Israeli Conflict, Its History in Maps, p. 93.

     We live in a rootless society. Today many people live far from their physical roots. They are far from their families and sometimes even from their home countries. Thus, there is a great need in our society for people to be a part of something, to feel attached.
     This need was expressed in the 70’s by the American author Alex Haley, in his book Roots. In the book, Haley sought to portray his own roots, generations ago with his slave ancestors from Africa. The book gained wide popularity and was later turned into an eight-part TV miniseries. The miniseries became one of television’s most-watched dramatic telecasts, with a reported 130 million viewers. (1)
     The search for roots, whether it be Alex Haley, the average TV viewer, or modern Christians, is a very important endeavor. Today there are thousands of Christians who are seeking their spiritual roots. Many may be seeking them because of the deadness and disappointment they often find in the churches.
     At present, the Gentile Church in many places is much like a bouquet of cut flowers. It may still look pretty, but it has no roots. There is little nourishment or sustenance. In early centuries, the Church’s rich Hebrew heritage was subtly exchanged for a Greek one, for most of our early church fathers were Greek. In modern times, the church has gone to Madison Avenue and to many other places to find its missing vitality. All these attempts have failed miserably.
     What the modern church has not realized is that the vitality has always been available. There is an unrecognized source of supply - a wellspring of life and learning for the taking. However, we should be forewarned that the continuation of this search may reveal some shocking facts about our own family tree!

SHOCKING FACTS ABOUT OUR FAMILY TREE!

     The Bible makes it clear that Christianity does not stand on its own. It has been a long-hidden secret, but the secret is now out. In fact, the Apostle Paul actually revealed this secret centuries ago. What is the secret? It is this -- Christianity is Jewish! Paul makes it plain that the Gentile Church is "grafted" into the Jewish olive tree and that it does not stand alone. Paul says in Romans 11:17-18:

     If some of the branches have been broken off, and you, though a wild olive shoot, have
     been grafted in among the others and now share in the nourishing sap from the olive
     root, do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the
     root, but the root supports you.

     This is an absolutely astounding statement. How could we have missed it for so many centuries? Paul is saying that in a way unknown to us, Israel supports the whole Church and has always done so. This may be news even for those Israel boosters in the Church. They do not support Israel, but Israel supports them. Israel has been the support of the Church for almost two thousand years, despite the Church’s anti-Semitism and outright persecution of Israel. It was God’s plan that the sap or nourishing juices of the old Hebrew olive tree would supply the Church. In other words, we draw from a very rich heritage.
     Let us stop a moment to consider the picture Paul is using here. The olive tree is one of the longest-living trees on earth. Some believe the giant, gnarled olives trees standing in the Garden of Gethsemane may have been alive at the time of Christ. The olive is also a very hardy tree, and it is practically indestructible. If cut down, it will probably grow back and live another thousand years. (2)

An ancient olive tree in the Garden of Gethsemane

     We see in Genesis 8:11, that the olive tree apparently withstood the flood quite well, because the dove brought Noah a freshly plucked olive twig after the deluge. The olive is a tree that gives great stability, for the gnarled trunk is often quite large and sturdy.
     The tree grows in abundance over most of Israel. It seems to thrive in many different types of soil and in varied weather. The tree grows in the highlands or lowlands; it grows in the wet or dry, cold or hot; and even in the shallow rocky soil around Jerusalem.
     The connection of the olive tree with Israel is an old one. The prophets Jeremiah and Hosea mention it (Jer. 11:16 and Hos. 14:6). In Hosea, God speaks of the beauty of the olive tree. It truly is an attractive tree with its silvery leaves blowing in the breeze. It is particularly delightful when loaded with fruit. The olive is a very fruitful tree, even when it receives a minimum of care. The amazing thing is that its fruitfulness can continue on for many centuries.

Tree hanging with ripe olives
(Photo credit Peggy Steffel)

     In ancient times the main product of the tree, olive oil, was used as a primary food source. It was also used for anointing, for healing and for light. Therefore the olive tree is literally the tree of light, and the light speaks of revelation. The Bible tells us that where there is no revelation, people perish (Prov. 29:18). The anointing and healing, like the light, speak of other greatly needed works of the Holy Spirit. Also, since the days of Noah, the tree has symbolized peace, reconciliation and restoration (Gen. 8:11).
     Today the Church is in great need of all these things. We need the light of new and clear revelation to give us direction in the maze of this modern world. The churches are starving for true anointing and for physical and spiritual healing. We desperately need reconciliation. This is particularly needed in relation to the Jewish people. We must remember that these things are freely provided in our roots and are available for all believers today.

A RICH AND ANCIENT HERITAGE

     Years ago when I went to college as a young man, I was immediately shocked by the remarks of some scholars. Some of them spoke about Christianity as being a very young religion. This information was devastating to me since I had always considered Christianity as being very old. My shock simply grew out of a misunderstanding of my own faith.
     When we realize that Christianity is founded upon Judaism, it is then that we realize how ancient our faith really is. For instance, many Christians are now realizing that the Lord’s Supper is a part of the ancient Passover seder. The seder is certainly one of the oldest continuous religious celebrations on the face of the earth. For this reason, thousands of Christians are lately participating in seders attempting to learn more about the roots and richness of their own faith.
     For the same reasons Christians are now celebrating along with Israel in many of her feasts. Each year in Israel, thousands of Christians come from all over the world to join with Israel in celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This celebration is sponsored by the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem. Christians are also coming to Israel for the Feast of Pentecost (Shavuot) sponsored by Christian Friends of Israel. Participation in these festivals simply makes the old dusty pages of the Bible come to life in the present day.
     There are many Christians who now celebrate the Sabbath (Shabbat) in order to learn more about God’s rest. In Hebrews 4:9 we read, "There remains, then, a Sabbath-rest for the people of God..." For those many Christians living in Israel, this celebration is almost obligatory since the nation of Israel virtually shuts down for the Sabbath. Even some Christian worship services are held on this day just as they may have been in the first century.
     Does this all sound strange? It shouldn’t. After a long winter, the sap is simply rising from the old tree into the engrafted branches. When we carefully read our New Testament we realize that Jesus and the earliest Christians also celebrated these feasts, as well as the Sabbath. For instance, we have a record of Jesus celebrating the Feast of Tabernacles and giving important teachings during the celebration (Jn. 7:14-44).
     Thus Jesus and the earliest Christians celebrated the feast and kept the Sabbath as any good Jews would do. They were simply enjoying and appropriating their rich Hebrew heritage. When we read some of the New Testament books like Hebrews, for instance, we realize that the authors had understanding far beyond what we have today. They thoroughly understood the Hebrew scriptures and the Hebrew heritage. They drew their materials from a gold mine of Hebrew information.
     We do not have to reflect long to realize that our Bible was both written and delivered to us by Jews. There is only one author, Luke, who is probably not Jewish. Our beloved Messiah was not only Jewish but was delivered to us by Jewish parents, announced by Jewish prophets, and he sprang from a totally Jewish culture and setting. Of course, the earliest Church was Jewish to the core. Our teachings and concepts are likewise Jewish.
     When we cut ourselves off from the richness of our Hebrew heritage we become empty. We are left to improvise from the world and culture around us. Perhaps this is partly what the prophet is speaking of in those mournful words of Amos 8:11-12:

     "The days are coming," declares the Sovereign LORD, "when I will send a famine
     through the land-- not a famine of food or a thirst for water, but a famine of  hearing
     the words of the LORD. Men will stagger from sea to sea and wander from north to
     east, searching for the word of the LORD, but they will not find it.

WRONG IDEAS OF ISRAEL AND THE JEWISH PEOPLE

     The land of Israel for many Christians is just that place that the preacher visited last year with his tour and took all those lovely slides. Perhaps once in a lifetime some Christians might venture to the Holy Land, at least if things are peaceful and there is no trouble brewing.
     When the average Christian comes to Israel it is often primarily just to "see where Jesus walked." However, if Jesus is the Messiah, and the Messiah is the restorer of Israel as we read in Isaiah 49:6, we need to wake up to some new realities. We should not only want to see where Jesus walked, but we should want to see where he is walking, in the restoration of the nation. In fact, the land of Israel is called Immanuel’s land, as we see in Isaiah 8:8.
     Christians also often come to Israel with a sense of pride, feeling that they have all the truth and the Jews have none. They express this condescending attitude in numerous ways. A particularly galling one is the disinterest they often show toward the many Jewish historical sites. This betrays a misunderstanding of what it means to be grafted into Israel. If we share a common heritage, then we also share a common history and a common land.
     "Unfortunately, the Church has often spiritualized the concept of land so that the earthly Canaan has evaporated into an ethereal, heavenly Canaan." (3) The Jews can teach us much here. For them it is a mitzvah or good deed to live in the actual land of Israel and to even be buried in the land. Jews have been instructed to leave a corner of their houses unpainted as a way of remembering and longing for Zion. (4)
     When we spiritualize the land of Israel we cut ourselves off from our ancient roots. We separate ourselves from the people of Israel. In doing so, we overlook hundreds of verses in the scriptures that talk of the actual land of Israel and its importance, even for us Christians. We forget that our Messiah is coming back to a literal place, a literal land, a literal people and he will set his feet down on a literal Mount of Olives.
     Unfortunately we have looked upon the Jewish people as a people cursed and cut off from God’s plan. Through our doctrines of triumphalism we feel that we have replaced the Jews entirely. Thus, the Jews per se are of little interest to the average Christian. We often feel that we have all the revelation and they have none. We forget that they were the only people in history to have a direct audience with God. They have much to teach us.

MAINTAINING A PROPER ATTITUDE

     In Romans 11:18-21, Paul warns us about keeping the proper attitude toward Israel.

     Do not boast over those branches. If you do, consider this: You do not support the
     root, but the root supports you. You will say then, "Branches were broken off so that I
     could be grafted in." Granted. But they were broken off because of unbelief, and you
     stand by faith. Do not be arrogant, but be afraid. For if God did not spare the natural
     branches, he will not spare you either.

Christian volunteer picks olives in the Galilee.
 (Photo credit Peggy Steffel)

     After almost two thousand years of belittling, defaming, and persecuting Israel, it is difficult for us to understand and heed his instructions.
     It might be good for us in light of the dismal history of Jewish Christian relations, to stop and consider a few cardinal truths about Israel. Our lineage goes back to Abraham as is pointed out in many places in scripture. We are the seed of Abraham (Gal. 3:29). In Genesis 17:4, God promised that he would make Abraham the father of a multitude of nations (goyiim).
      God never removed all the natural branches (Israel), but only some of them as we see in Romans 11:17. The root of Israel is still holy, regardless of what anti-Semites have taught for two thousand years (Rom. 11:16). Israel is loved on account of the patriarchs (11:28). God’s gift and call irrevocable (11:29). In Romans 9:4-5, we see that to the Israelites pertain many things: "...the adoption as sons; ...the divine glory, the covenants, the receiving of the law, the temple worship and the promises. Theirs are the patriarchs, and from them is traced the human ancestry of Christ..."
     It might even shock us to realize that the New Covenant, in which we take so much pride, is a covenant made with Israel. In Jeremiah 31:31 it is said: "‘The time is coming,’ declares the LORD, ‘when I will make a new covenant with the house of Israel and with the house of Judah.’" We are beneficiaries of this covenant solely because we are grafted into Israel. It is not a covenant made separately with Gentile people.

A very young olive picker tries his hand
  (Photo credit Peggy Steffel)

GETTING TO THE ROOT OF THE ROOTS

     There is, however, an inherent danger in today’s "roots movement." The danger is that we will look to natural Israel and to the Jewish people totally for the roots of our faith. The designation "roots movement" is not biblical in its essence, since there is only one root. In fact, the word "root" is used in the singular throughout Romans 11. The movement would thus more accurately be called the "root movement," or better still, the "Hebrew Heritage movement." We must always remember that the true root is the Messiah. He is the root of Israel and every good thing we see in Israel today is but his disguised presence.
     The scripture makes this plain.  In Isaiah 11:10 we read, “In that day the Root of Jesse will stand as a banner for the peoples; the nations will rally to him, and his place of rest will be glorious.” In Revelation 22:16, Jesus is clearly named as the root: "I, Jesus, have sent my angel to give you this testimony for the churches. I am the Root and the Offspring of David, and the bright Morning Star" (emphasis mine).
     Although the Bible never specifically compares Jesus to the olive tree, the clear implication is there by the fact that He is the root. We know from another related picture that He is the vine. In John 15:5 we read: "I am the vine; you are the branches. If a man remains in me and I in him, he will bear much fruit; apart from me you can do nothing."

When we abide in the root we will bring forth much fruit

     The Apostle Paul gives us end-day Christians this sound advice in Colossians 2:6-10:

     So then, just as you received Christ Jesus as Lord, continue to live in him, ROOTED
     and built up in him, strengthened in the faith as you were taught, and overflowing with
     thankfulness. See to it that no one takes you captive through hollow and deceptive
     philosophy, which depends on human tradition and the basic principles of this world
     rather than on Christ. For in Christ all the fullness of the Deity lives in bodily form,
     and you have been given fullness in Christ, who is the head over every power and
     authority. (emphasis mine)

A BEAUTIFUL BIBLICAL EXAMPLE

     The beautiful story of Ruth expresses for us most clearly what a proper attitude toward Israel should be. (5) This lovely woman seems to illustrate in her life most all the fruit of the Spirit mentioned by Paul in Galatians 5:22-23. Ruth was truly devoted to her Israelite mother-in-law. She loved her with a deep love and commitment that led her to forsake her own heritage and even her own country, in order to be with Naomi.
     When Ruth arrived in Israel it was not with the feeling of superiority that so many Christians have today. Instead, "...she bowed down with her face to the ground..." (Ruth 2:10). She was willing to abase herself to a position lower than a servant girl (2:13). Her attitude was one of continual mercy and generosity as she shared her meager gleanings with Naomi (2:18).
     The life of Ruth was also marked with obedience (3:5), kindness (3:10), holiness (3:10), discretion (3:14), and true love and commitment to Israel (4:15). Ruth said to Naomi: "... ‘Don't urge me to leave you or to turn back from you. Where you go I will go, and where you stay I will stay. Your people will be my people and your God my God" (Ruth 1:16).
     Perhaps in Ruth’s life we get a visual example of what the engrafting spoken of in Romans 11 is all about. If our lives could only be patterned after hers, we could then consider ourselves only as wild branches grafted into the tree of Israel (Rom. 11:17). Ruth was grafted right into the Messianic line. Like Ruth, we would fully understand that it is not we who support the root, but the root supports us (11:18).
     Like Ruth, we would then have no room for pride, supercessionism, or other ideas that we have replaced Israel. There would be no room for boasting and arrogance (Rom. 11:18-21), as our Christian brothers and sisters have been so prone to do. Instead, we would be left with godly fear, (Rom. 11:20) and thankfulness for the Lord’s great mercies to us (11:33-36).

STUDY QUESTIONS:

What are some things that have cut us off from our Hebrew heritage?

What does the olive tree illustrate about our heritage?

Explain the difference between roots and root.

What kind of attitude should we manifest as we approach Israel?


NOTES

1. Grolliers Interactive Encyclopedia, CD-Rom, 1992, 1993, 1994
2. Clarence Wagner, Israel Teaching Letter, Bridges For Peace, July 1995
3. Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham (Grand Rapids, MI: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., and Center for Judaic Studies,
    Dayton, OH., 1989) p. 260.
4. Wilson, Our Father Abraham, p. 261.
5. Jim Gerrish, "Exploring Our Jewish Roots," Jerusalem Prayer Letter, Bridges For Peace, August, 1990.

     Jesus was a Jew. He was born of a Jewish mother, and for that reason alone he could qualify for aliya (immigration in Israel) by present standards. He was born in a Jewish town, circumcised according to Jewish law, worshipped in a Jewish synagogue, and read the Jewish law as was customary. He undoubtedly spoke the Hebrew language. (1) Joachim Jeremias remarks that Jesus was "a prophet who completely remained within the limits of Judaism." (2)
     Jesus has been pictured in the garb and with the skin coloration of virtually every Gentile people on earth. However, prior to recent decades Jesus was seldom depicted with clearly Jewish features or in a religious Jewish context. The theologian Charlesworth states, "...if two facts are unassailable today, they are Jesus’ deep Jewishness--he was a Jew-- and his paradigmatic effect on Jews and Gentiles." (3)

The ancient Galilee boat that could have been used by Jesus and his disciples.

     It would shock many Christians today to see Jesus wearing a tallit (a garment with tassles and fringes). Yet, we can be assured that he wore one. Had he not done so, he would have broken the very Law that he came to uphold. The law concerning the wearing of such garments is found in Numbers 15:37-49. These garments were certainly still worn in Jesus time, because along with the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, a tallit was found almost intact. It can be seen on display today at the Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem.
     On one occasion a sick woman came and touched what must have been the fringes (tzitzit) of this garment, and in so doing, she was healed (Mk. 6:53-56). Perhaps she was depending upon that phrase in Malachi 4:2, "But for you who revere my name, the sun of righteousness will rise with healing in its wings. And you will go out and leap like calves released from the stall." The word for "wings" is from the Hebrew root "kanaph," and can also refer to the wings of the prayer shawl (arba kenafyot) or four wings. (4)


EVIDENCE OF HIS JEWISHNESS

     There is much evidence of Jesus’ Jewishness in scripture if we take time to search it out and consider it. Jesus was born of Jewish parents and into a devout Jewish home. He was circumcised on the eighth day (Lk 2:21). After Jesus’ birth, his mother performed the required purification rites by presenting him at the Temple in Jerusalem and by making the necessary sacrifice (Lk. 2:22-24).
     Jesus’ parents were faithful in journeying to Jerusalem every year for the feast of Passover (Lk. 2:41). When we remember the distance between Galilee and Jerusalem, and when we consider most people traveled on foot, this was in itself a considerable demonstration of their devotion.
     Even as a child, Jesus was deeply attracted to the Temple and was interested in the theological discussions carried on in its precincts. On one of his many trips to Jerusalem, he talked at length with the teachers (Lk. 2:42-49), both answering their questions and asking questions of them. The teachers were astounded at his wisdom since he was only a child of twelve years. His parents were also astounded when they discovered he was not on their caravan headed home. They made a panicky trip back to Jerusalem and were amazed to find him in the Temple.
     We learn also from scripture that Jesus was no stranger to synagogue. In Luke 4:16 we read,

     He went to Nazareth, where he had been brought up, and on the Sabbath day he went
     into the synagogue, as was his custom. And he stood up to read.

     We learn that it was not only Jesus’ custom to attend the synagogue, but apparently it was quite customary for him to participate in the public reading of scripture as well.

The fourth century synagogue at Capernaum. Some scholars think its
supporting basalt foundation belonged to the synagogue in Jesus' day.

     As an adult, Jesus kept the various Jewish holidays and festivals. He ate the Passover meal with his disciples (Matt. 26:17, cf. John 2:23). In John 5:1, Jesus attends some unnamed feast in Jerusalem. We also read in John’s gospel that Jesus went up to Jerusalem to keep the Feast of Tabernacles (John 7:2,14).
    In fact, one of the truly beautiful teachings of the New Testament was made during this festival. It was the teaching related to the giving of the Holy Spirit to Jesus’ followers. Apparently the teaching was based upon one important part of the Temple celebration in ancient times, known as the "Water-drawing Festival." In this celebration, a young cohen (priest) took a golden pitcher to the Pool of Siloam and filled it with water. He then led a large procession of people as they carried lighted torches and made their way up to the Temple. Upon arriving there, the water was poured upon the altar, and the people broke out into jubilant song and dance.

Jerusalem’s ancient model city pictures the Pool of Siloam in right foreground

     The rabbis have connected this celebration with Isaiah 12:3, where it is said, "With joy you will draw water from the wells of salvation." The rabbis also have said of the Water-Drawing Festival, "He that never has seen the joy of the Beth ha-She’ubah has never in his life seen joy." (Mishnah, Sukkah 5.1) (5)
     Jesus seems to have used this feast as the backdrop for his teaching. We read:

     On the last and greatest day of the Feast, Jesus stood and said in a loud voice, "If
     anyone is thirsty, let him come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as the
     Scripture has said, streams of living water will flow from within him." (John 7:37-38).

     The writer John tells us that Jesus was speaking about the Holy Spirit whom his followers would receive.
     It seems that Jesus, being a devout Jew, also kept the lesser festivals. We see him in Jerusalem in winter at the Feast of Dedication (John 10:22). Today we know this winter festival as Hanukkah. Although it was a non-biblical festival, and although it was in winter, with its cold, rain and discomfort, Jesus showed up in Jerusalem for the festival.
     We can be sure that Jesus honored the Law. He says of it in Matthew 5:17, "Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them." Sometimes we get the idea that Christ brought an end of the Law. We probably get that idea by not reading far enough in Romans 10:4. In that verse Paul says, "For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes (NKJV)." He was the end of the law for righteousness, but definitely not the end of the Law.
     He no doubt honored the Sabbath. Had he not done so he would have broken the Law. Jesus did have a running battle with the Pharisees concerning what could and could not be done on the Sabbath. It seems that Jesus made a special effort to heal people on the Sabbath, and that was strictly forbidden by the Pharisees and other religious leaders. However, among the Jews there is the teaching of pecuach nefish. By this understanding, most laws can be set aside to save a life. Perhaps Jesus was operating under this principle or one similar to it in his healings.
     Jesus seemed to have no argument with many Jewish customs. His argument was with the failure of some Jewish leaders to practice what they themselves taught. Jesus also attacked their prideful abuse concerning these customs. In. Matthew 23:2-3, Jesus instructs his followers to heed what the religious leaders were teaching:

     The teachers of the law and the Pharisees sit in Moses' seat. So you must obey them
     and do everything they tell you. But do not do what they do, for they do not practice
     what they preach.

Moses' Seat From the Syagogue of Korazin

     In Matthew 23:5, Jesus speaks of phylacteries (tiny boxes containing God’s word attached to the foreheads and arms of devout Jews), and he speaks about the borders on Jewish garments. Larsson remarks: "Does Jesus condemn the Jewish custom here? Does he say: ‘They make phylacteries and put them on’? No, He says: ‘They make their phylacteries broad.’" (6) Their actions were a thinly disguised attempt to win the praise of men.
     Yes, Jesus was a Jew. He was not a Gentile as we have supposed, and even as we have been taught. It is a rather surprising fact that Jesus avoided preaching and sending out his disciples to Gentiles. With rare exceptions, both he and his disciples ministered only to the House of Israel (Matt. 15:24).

The Northwestern shores of the Sea, looking toward Capernaum, Jesus’ home

     In Jesus’ early ministry we see him instructing his twelve disciples not to enter into the way of the Gentiles or go even into the cities of the Samaritans, but only to the people of Israel (Matt. 10:5-6). This is a surprising statement when we realize that much of the area around the Sea of Galilee was in Gentile hands. Virtually the whole eastern and southern shores of the lake were a part of the Decapolis, a Gentile-Greek area. Jesus seems to have confined his ministry to the northern and northwestern shores of the lake, primarily to three Jewish cities, Capernaum, Bethsaida and Korazin.

The Evangelical Triangle where Jesus ministered

     On one occasion Jesus traveled to the area of today’s Lebanon, in the region of Tyre and Sidon. There he was encountered by a Syro-Phoenician woman who asked him to heal her child. The disciples roughly requested that she be sent away. Jesus replied to her bluntly in Matt. 15:26, "...It is not right to take the children’s bread and toss it to their dogs." The woman persisted in faith and finally Jesus granted her petition.
     Near the close of his ministry when he was facing crucifixion, some Greeks came desiring to see Jesus (John 12:20-22). This was a simple request, but Philip to whom they first spoke had to consult with Andrew about it. Afterwards, both of them approached Jesus. It is interesting that Jesus did not give an answer to the Greeks. Instead he began to speak of his approaching death and how it was necessary for him to die in order to bring forth fruit (12:24). Jesus seems to be saying that his death and resurrection would be necessary before Gentiles would be able to come into the Church. Indeed, this proved to be the case.
     Although we read the Bible, we Gentiles picture Jesus as being totally Gentile. How mistaken we are.

HIS FAMILIARITY WITH JEWISH LEARNING

     It appears that Jesus had a good understanding of rabbinic learning and methodology. David Flusser, who was Professor Emeritus of Hebrew University, remarked, "Jesus was part and parcel of the world of the Jewish Sages. He was no ignorant peasant, and his acquaintance with the Written and the Oral Law was considerable" (7) In another place Flusser pointed out that Jesus had a "...profound Jewish education..." (8)

Study and prayer, major focuses of the Jewish lifestyle

     Flusser mentioned several areas of similarity between Jesus’ teaching and that of certain Jewish Sages. In Matthew 5:27-30, Jesus connects committing adultery with the lustful eye. This is also reflected in the Sages teaching "that the word ‘commit adultery’ has four letters in Hebrew, since a man commits adultery with his eyes, hands, heart and feet." (9)
     There was the concept present in Judaism at the time that to shame a neighbor was to shed his blood. A similar idea is reflected in Jesus teaching in Matthew 5:22, which states that one who insults his brother shall be liable to the council." (10)
     In the Mishna, a saying of the great Hillel is repeated. Hillel lived before and slightly contemporary with Jesus. His words were, "What is distasteful to yourself, do not do to your neighbor; that is the whole law, the rest is but deduction." (Talmud, Shabbat, 31a) How similar is this statement with the words of Jesus in Matthew 7:12, "So in everything, do to others what you would have them do to you, for this sums up the Law and the Prophets."
     In Luke 20:18 Jesus says, "Everyone who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces, but he on whom it falls will be crushed." Brad Young points out how the rabbis have a similar story about a pot and a stone: "If a stone falls on a pot, woe to the pot! If a pot falls on a stone, woe to the pot! In either case woe to the pot!..." (11)
     When Jesus told his parable of the Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-37), he may have had some of the Jewish Oral Torah in mind. He spoke of a priest and a Levite who passed by a seriously wounded man on the road to Jericho. The man was spoken of as "half dead." He may have been beaten to unconsciousness and even have appeared dead. The poor man was later assisted by a despised Samaritan.
     In the Oral Torah, a person is required to bury an abandoned corpse. This was such a stringent requirement that it even applied to the High Priest. Although he was not allowed to become ritually impure even for a death of a member in his own family, he was still required to become impure to bury an abandoned body (met mitzvah), or to give life sustaining assistance. (12) Jesus may have been chiding religious leaders over their failures to keep the Oral Torah.
     We see a connection with Jesus and the teaching of the Jews in the episode of Jesus’ temptation in the wilderness. The devil transports Jesus to the pinnacle of the Temple and tempts him to cast himself off that God may deliver him (Matt. 4:5). Young comments how in a later Jewish midrash, the Messiah is pictured as standing on the roof of the temple and proclaiming redemption to the humble. (13) Apparently the Jews expected this type of demonstration from their Messiah and therefore Jesus was tempted along these lines.
     Jesus certainly followed in the tradition of the Hassidim, or the pious ones in the realm of miracle working. His miracles greatly exceeded all who had gone before him. However, he was a miracle worker in the tradition of Honi the Circle-Drawer and Rabbi Hanina ben Dosa and Abba Hilkia. (14) These men either preceded Jesus or were of the same general period in history. The last two of these miracle workers were also from the Galilee.

JESUS AND THE DEAD SEA SCROLLS

Cave 4 at Qumran where many of the Dead Sea Scrolls were found.

     Since their discovery by a Bedouin boy in 1947, the Dead Sea Scrolls have fascinated the minds of Bible scholars. As more of these scrolls have been translated, scholars have realized that they provide us with unusual insights on Jesus and his times. Charlesworth remarks, "Now placed before our eyes are leather scrolls once written, held, and read by Jews contemporaneous with Jesus." (15)
     The members of the Essene group who produced and preserved these scrolls were Jews. They were a very zealous sect of Jews for sure, but they believed some things that Jesus believed. The main body of this sect lived and worked at Qumran, in fairly close proximity to the highway between Jericho to Jerusalem. Thousands of other Essenes were scattered in various communities throughout Israel. It seems very likely that Jesus was acquainted with them and with their teaching.
     Many of Jesus’ teachings were similar to those of the Essenes. They shared the same adversaries, Romans, Sadduccees, Pharisees, and Zealots. They emphasized the sinfulness of humanity, the need for God’s grace, the approaching end of the age, and even the establishment of a new covenant. (16)
     In the book of Matthew there is a whole Thanksgiving Hymn that is written in the style of the Essene Thanksgiving Hymns. (17) Jesus says in this hymn, "...I thank You, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, that You have hidden these things from the wise and prudent and have revealed them to babes" (Matt. 11:25 NKJV).
     Jesus was much like the Essenes in that he considered humility, purity and simplicity of heart as supreme religious virtues. He regarded all possessions as a threat to the holy life. (18) He believed that evil could be overcome with good (Matt. 5:39-41), just as the Essenes before him had believed. (19)
     Jesus, along with John the Baptist and the Essenes, also practiced baptism. In the Mishnah, living water (water from rivers or seas) was believed to have the highest grade of cleansing for ritual immersion. It is interesting that John the Baptist baptized in the Jordan River. Jesus and his disciples did the same. The Dead Sea sect required repentance before baptism, likewise the early Christians. (20)
     There seem to be other teachings that Jesus and his disciples had virtually in common with the Essenes. The Essenes spoke of themselves as "poor in spirit" and "poor." (21) Jesus also admonished his disciples to be "poor in spirit" (Matt. 5:3). The Essenes prohibited divorce. (22) Jesus’ teaching did the same (Mark 10:2-9).

The Shrine of the Book in Jerusalem, which contains the Dead Sea Scrolls today

     In recent years there has been the discovery of a small gate at the southwest corner of the second wall in Jerusalem. Some have connected it with the Essene gate mentioned by Josephus. If this is truly the Essene Gate, then one may conclude that some Essenes lived in the southwest section of Herodian Jerusalem. Charlesworth points out that it was in this area according to early sources that Jesus probably held his last supper. It was also possibly the home of Jesus’ family. Jesus’ disciples and his family members may have shared the same section of Jerusalem in close proximity with this Jewish sect. (23)

A JEWISH MESSIAH

     Jesus, or Yeshua as he is called in Hebrew, came to this earth as God’s promised Servant to the Jewish people. As a part of his great mission to Israel, he also came to bring judgment or deliverance to the Gentiles (Isa. 42:1). As Matthew says: "In his name the nations will put their hope" (Mat. 12:21).
     Thus, Jesus came first and foremost to the house of Israel (Matt. 10:6). The New Covenant was made with them and not with Gentile people (Jer. 31:31). Gentiles by the grace and mercy of God would be "grafted" into God’s covenant with Israel.
     We Gentiles in our pride and arrogance have done great violence to the scripture and to its proper understandings. We are guilty of greatly distorting the person of Jesus. We have robbed him of his Judaism. In doing so, we have made him contemptible to the Jewish people. We have made him a Gentile like ourselves.

STUDY QUESTIONS:

What if Jesus appeared at your church door wearing a tallit? Do you suppose he would be admitted? Would he receive stares?

How many evidences of Jesus’ Jewishness can you identify?

Was Jesus opposed to the bulk of Jewish customs of his day? Was he even opposed to the general teaching of the Pharisees? Can you find a scripture to illustrate this?

What are some things Jesus seemed to have in common with the Essenes?

NOTES

  1. David Flusser, Jewish Sources in Early Christianity (New York: Adama Books, 1987) p. 11.
  2. Quoted in, Marvin R. Wilson, Our Father Abraham (Grand Rapids, MI: William B.Eerdmans Publishing Co., and Center for Judaic
      Studies,Dayton, OH., 1989) p. 54.
  3. James H. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, New Light from Exciting Archaeological Discoveries (New York: Doubleday, 1988)
      p. 167.
  4. See Clarence Wagner, Jr., "Hem of the Garment, " Israel Teaching Letter, January, 1995.
  5. Herbert Danby, translator, The Mishna, (New York: Oxford University Press, 1933).
  6. Goran Larsson, "The Jews! Your Majesty" (San Diego, CA & Jerusalem, Israel: Jerusalem Center for Biblical Studies and Research,
      1989) p. 19.
  7. Flusser, Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, p.19.
  8. Flusser, Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, p.62.
  9. Flusser, Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, p.25.
10. David Flusser, Jesus (Jerusalem: The Magnes Press, The Hebrew University, 1968 and 1997) p. 91.
11. Quoted in, Brad H. Young, Jesus The Jewish Theologian (Peabody, MS: Hendrickson Publishers, Inc., 1995) p. 221.
12. Young, Jesus The Jewish Theologian, p. 167.
13. Young, Jesus The Jewish Theologian, p. 31.
14. Flusser, Jesus, p. 113.
15. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, New Light from Exciting Archaeological Discoveries, p. 56.
16. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, New Light from Exciting Archaeological Discoveries, p. 59.
17. Flusser, Jewish Sources in Early Christianity, p.41.
18. Flusser, Jesus, p. 94.
19. Flusser, Jesus, p. 98.
20. Young, Jesus The Jewish Theologian, p. 14-15.
21. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, New Light from Exciting Archaeological Discoveries, pp. 68-69.
22. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, New Light from Exciting Archaeological Discoveries, p. 72.
23. Charlesworth, Jesus Within Judaism, New Light from Exciting Archaeological Discoveries, pp. 116-117

     Jesus, the founder of the Church, was a Jew. Not only was Jesus a Jew, but his disciples were all Jewish. They were all born as Jews and they lived as Jews. They worshipped regularly at the Jewish Temple in Jerusalem (Acts 2:46).
     The early church was a Jewish church, with a Jewish constituency and Jewish leaders. Let us consider some evidences of these facts.

BACK WHEN CHRISTIANITY WAS ALL JEWISH

The miracle of the loaves and fishes is represented in this fifth
century mosaic at Tabgha by the Sea of Galilee

     The earliest Jewish Christians were called Nazarenes (Acts 24:5). The biblical designation, Nazarene, is thought to have a connection to the word "Netzer" (branch) found in Isaiah 11:1. Later in the Talmud, Christians were called Notzrim. (1) The name Notzrim has persisted until the modern era, and is the name used to designate Christians in Israel today.
     We know from scripture that Jesus’ followers were first called "Christians" at Antioch during the New Testament era (Acts 11:26). After the first century there seems to have been a split in the group and we hear of some of these believers called Ebionites. Since this name means ‘the poor’ it is thought that they were probably an ascetic group. They made their abode in the region east of the Jordan River.
     This split may have been doctrinal in nature, and the Ebionites may have been the remnants of the earlier circumcision party. They upheld the whole of the Jewish law and vehemently rejected the letters of Paul. They apparently had a flawed view of the deity of Jesus. (2) The sect continued on for several centuries.

The Primacy of Peter Church is also located at Tabgha. This modern
structure is built over the ruins of a fourth century church.

     The earliest Christians kept the Sabbath and Jewish festivals (Acts 13:13-15). Although the Apostle Paul was the disciple to the Gentiles, he was still thoroughly Jewish. He once hurried from Gentile lands to Jerusalem that he might arrive in time to keep the Jewish festival of Pentecost (Acts. 20:16). When he arrived in Jerusalem he underwent a Jewish ceremony of purification in the company of other Jews who had made vows to God (Acts 21:26). It is evident that the earliest Christians showed deep respect toward the requirements of the Jewish law (Acts 21:20).
     The Church in Jerusalem continued as a Jewish Church for several generations. The Historian Eusebius reports that the first fifteen bishops of Jerusalem, until the time of Hadrian (AD 135), were all Hebrews. After the fifteenth bishop, Narcissus, we finally hear of Marcus, who is listed by Eusebius as being the first Gentile bishop of Jerusalem. (3) He also reports that the whole church consisted of Hebrews. (4)

The foundation of the Capernaum synagogue probably goes back to the 1^st century. Peter’s
house was just a stone’s throw away, with Jews and Christians worshipping in close proximity.
(Photo credit Peggy Steffel)

     The Jewish Church flourished in these early years. Lately, several artifacts have been uncovered to illustrate the presence of this Church. In Jerusalem early Christian sarcophagi have been discovered. On the Golan Heights, archaeological evidence of Christian\Jewish symbols has been found by French archaeologist, Dr. Claudine Dauphin. (5)

EARLY RELATIONS WITH GENTILES

     The Church was so thoroughly Jewish from its earliest days that it greatly struggled with the problem of Gentiles. In Matthew 10:5-6, we see that this tension was also reflected in the ministry of Jesus and his disciples.
     We see this problem regarding Gentiles continuing on for some time in the early Church. In Acts 8, we see the evangelist Philip going down to Samaria and proclaiming the Gospel. The Samaritans were a mixed people, the bulk of whom had been brought in by the Assyrians after the fall of the Northern Kingdom in 722 BC. These people believed Philip and many were converted by his preaching.
     However, Philip’s revival in Samaria seems to have provoked a mini-crisis in Jerusalem. The Church immediately dispatched Peter and John to Samaria (Acts 8:14). Peter and John prayed and the new converts received the Holy Spirit. The situation then apparently became acceptable to the Church in Jerusalem.
     Later, Peter had an experience with Gentiles, and this was in relation to the Gentile centurion, Cornelius (Acts 10:1- 11:18). The angel of God appeared to the devout Cornelius in Caesarea, and requested that he send for Peter. While Peter was in Joppa he himself had a vision, and in the vision God showed him many unclean animals and requested that he kill and eat of them. Although Peter was hungry, he still protested that he had never eaten of such non-kosher food. This vision of the unclean animals occurred to him three times. In the vision the Lord spoke to Peter that he should not call anything unclean that God had made clean (Acts. 10:15).
     Just as Peter aroused from his vision, the emissaries of Cornelius knocked on the door. The Spirit instructed Peter that he was to go with them for they were sent by God. As he met the men, they told him about the supernatural events related to their coming. With all these preliminary preparations in mind it is surprising to see what Peter did later.
     When he entered the house of Cornelius, he related how it was against Jewish law for him to be in the house of a Gentile (10:28). He then stated how God had shown him not to call anything unclean that God had cleansed. Then Peter asked the very strange question of Acts 10:29: "...May I ask why you sent for me?" It seemed that Peter, steeped in Judaism, was still unable to comprehend that Gentiles were about to come to the faith.
     As Peter preached, the Holy Spirit then fell on Cornelius and everyone who heard. At this point, the Jews who had accompanied Peter were astonished that the Holy Spirit had come upon Gentiles (10:45). After this episode Peter went to Jerusalem. There the circumcised believers criticized him saying, "...You went into the house of uncircumcised men and ate with them" (Acts 11:3). Peter then had to relate his whole experience to the believers in Jerusalem. After they heard it, they all agreed that God had indeed granted repentance to the Gentiles.
     Later, Paul was called by the Lord specifically as an apostle to the Gentiles (Rom. 11:13). He made much of his ministry and defended the presentation of the gospel to the Gentiles whenever it was threatened. On one early occasion Peter came to Antioch where Paul was. Peter freely ate with Gentiles until some men came from James and the Church in Jerusalem. Then Peter withdrew himself and would not eat with the Gentiles any longer. Seeing his example, other Jews including Barnabas also withdrew. At this, Paul arose and publicly rebuked Peter for his hypocrisy (Gal. 2:14).
     Perhaps the greatest confrontation concerning the Gentiles happened at the Council of Jerusalem mentioned in Acts 15:1-35 and in Galatians 2:1-10. Paul’s ministry to the Gentiles had come under question and he, along with Barnabas and Titus, went up to Jerusalem to present his case before the leaders there. The question was whether or not Gentiles who believed would be required to become circumcised and keep all the requirements of the Law.
     At this conference Peter was able to speak up on behalf of the Gentiles. After him, James, the leader of the Church, gave his opinion that the Church should not make it difficult for Gentiles coming to the faith (Acts 15:19). The question was resolved and it was determined that Gentiles would not have to become circumcised and keep the law. The leaders, James, Peter and John extended the right hand of fellowship to Paul and Barnabas.
     We see that up until this time the Church in Jerusalem was very Jewish. This situation continued on throughout the first century and well into the second century. Gruber remarks about this saying, "In the first century, the most heated, controversial, doctrinal issue of all that the Church faced was: ‘How do the Gentiles fit into all this?’...Today the most heated, controversial, doctrinal issue that the Church faces is: ‘How do the Jews fit into all this?’" (6)

GENTILE CHURCHES PATTERN AFTER JEWS

     It is clear even in the early days of the Gentile church that it was closely connected to the Jewish Church in Jerusalem. Paul apparently patterned the Gentile churches after those in Judea (1 Thess. 2:14). He taught Gentile churches of their great debt to the people of Israel. He even insisted that because of this great debt, the Gentile churches should take an offering for believers in Israel (Rom. 15:27).
     It is a surprising fact of church history that the first general offering mentioned in the New Testament is an offering taken among the Gentiles on behalf of Jews in Israel. It is also surprising that the bulk of stewardship teaching of the New Testament is based upon this offering for Israel.
     Today the world-wide Church raises money for every conceivable program. Unfortunately, the modern Church seldom follows the biblical and blessed pattern of taking offerings for Israel.

A FINAL PARTING OF THE WAY

Church of the Holy Sepulcher in Jerusalem.  When this church was built by the Byzantines,
 Jews were forbidden to live in the city.

     The decision of Jerusalem in Acts 15:5-29 concerning circumcision, undoubtedly helped to widen the growing rift between the Jews and Gentile Christians. Circumcision was, and is today, a critical matter for the Jews. However before AD 70, the Christians were still considered a sect of Judaism. We see this clearly in Acts 2:47, where the Church is described as "...enjoying the favor of all the people..." We see it again in Acts 24:5, where the "Nazarine sect" is mentioned.
     The real problems began to develop somewhere around AD 66-70, with the Jewish revolt against Rome. At this time the Christians in Jerusalem fled to Pella in Perea. Pella was located in the present Jordanian foothills, about 60 miles (96.5 kilometers) northeast of Jerusalem. Later, Pella became an important center for Jewish Christianity. (7)
     The Christians probably fled Jerusalem because of the specific instructions of Jesus. In his prophetic utterance regarding Jerusalem’s destruction, he warned his followers to flee to the mountains when they saw the city being surrounded by armies (Luke 21:20-22). Although some from Jerusalem seem to have returned after the war, we can understand how Christians from this point on, must have been regarded as traitors to the Jewish cause.
     Not only was there a change in the Christian situation, there was also now a drastic change in the Jewish situation. In AD 70, Jerusalem was conquered and the Temple was destroyed by the Roman general Titus. The Jewish Temple, the sacrificial system, and numerous customs and practices of Judaism had come to an abrupt end.
     However, during the siege of Jerusalem, a noted Rabbi by the name of Yohanan ben Zakkai escaped. With Roman permission he began a school at Yavneh (Jabne or Jamnia) near the Mediterranean coast. Rabbi Yohanan, a student of the famous Hillel, began a reformulation of Judaism along Pharasaic lines. The Sanhedrin was re-instituted. Some rituals of the Temple were transferred to the home.
     His school began to stress acts of charity and kindness as a replacement for sacrifice. The reforms brought about by him and his school insured the survival of Judaism, even without a temple or a sacrificial system. Yohanan attempted to base Judaism upon the spiritual and not upon the territorial. (8)
     The reforms of the Yavneh school accomplished many constructive things. The Old Testament canon was defined there. Considerable work was carried on toward establishing the official text of the Hebrew Bible. However, Yavneh was also responsible for one other thing that made the division between Jew and Christian much deeper. Somewhere around AD 90, the Birkat ha-Minim (the Heretic Benediction) was adopted and made part of the Shemoneh Esreh (the Eighteen Benedictions), a prayer that is to be recited every day by devout Jews.
     The Heretic Benediction, which was a condemnation of sects, may not have been drafted specifically against the Christians, but it certainly included them. (9) From this point on it would be exceedingly difficult for Jewish Christians to sit comfortably in the synagogue while their own faith was being cursed.
     The final parting of the way was now close at hand. The stage was fully set with the Bar Kochba revolt against Rome in AD 132-135. Probably because Bar Kochba was looked upon as a messianic figure, and even acclaimed as such by the famous Rabbi Akiva, the Jewish Christians could not be involved. This war "was, for all essential purposes, the final major national blow that severed the two communities." (10)
     After Rome’s second conquest of the Jews, the Emperor Hadrian renamed the city of Jerusalem Aelia Capitolina, after himself. On the Temple Mount he constructed a temple to Jupiter and forbade Jews to enter Jerusalem. Many of the surviving Jewish leaders went into hiding and eventually the Jewish center of learning was transferred to the Galilee. We can understand how contacts between Jews and Christians would become much more difficult after all this.

THE RIFT WIDENS

The Russian Church of Mary Magdalene on the Mount of Olives

     We can clearly trace the events within Judaism that separated Jews and Christians. However, there were also events and movements within Christianity itself that contributed to the separation and even widened it.
     As Christianity rapidly moved out into the Gentile world, it began to adapt itself to the Gentile culture. Its Hebrew roots were at first forgotten and later they were despised.
     This trend is clearly seen in an early controversy over the proper dates of the Passover and Easter celebrations. In primitive times these were celebrated together.
     Early in Church history when Anicetus was bishop of Rome (c. 155-166), he was visited by Polycarp Bishop of Smyrna. Although their visit was cordial, it was apparently arranged to settle a disagreement that had broken out over the proper date for Easter. Polycarp represented the eastern and more ancient tradition of having Easter in connection with the Passover, beginning on the 14th of Nisan. His position carried much weight since he had celebrated these festivals with John the disciple of the Lord. (11) Anicetus represented the Roman and western idea of choosing a separate date for Easter. He was apparently unconvinced by Polycarp’s arguments.
     The Easter and Passover problem didn’t go away. It flared up again about 167 in Laodicea. There was difficulty again in 190, and several church synods were held to try and reconcile the problem. Eventually the decisions were in favor of the Roman practice. The eastern churches of Asia Minor, led by Bishop Polycrates of Ephesus, refused to accept the decision. At this the Roman bishop Victor excommunicated the recalcitrant congregations. (12)
     When Christianity finally gained the ascendancy in the Roman Empire, the Passover problem was legislated from the Roman or Gentile position.

THEOLOGICAL DEVELOPMENTS

      Even with the earliest church fathers, there was a tendency to deprecate the Jewish people and the biblical position of Israel. Wilson remarks, "By the time of Justin Martyr (ca. AD 160) a new attitude prevailed in the Church, evidenced by its appropriating the title ‘Israel’ for itself." (13) Wilson carries this subtle theological trend to its conclusion by saying:

     A triumphalistic and arrogant Church, largely gentile in makeup, would now become
     more and more de-Judaized -- severed from its Jewish roots. This de-Judaizing
     developed into a history of anti-Judaism, a travesty which has extended from the second
     century to the present day. (14)

     In the theological arena, there is probably no other person who has done so much damage to the Hebrew roots of Christianity as Origen (ca. 185-ca. 254), the early church father from Alexandria. Origen has been credited as being the father of the allegorical method of interpreting the scriptures. (15)
     This seems innocent enough at first glance. After all, there is such a thing as allegory in the word of God. In Galatians 4:21-31, Paul speaks of the allegory of the slave woman Hagar and her representation of the covenant of Sinai. It is contrasted with the Jerusalem above, which is free.
     Unfortunately, Origen did not stop with these allegories of scripture. He insisted upon seeing almost all scripture in the allegorical sense. Much like some modern preachers, he could take an Old Testament text out of context and virtually preach whatever he wanted from it. For instance, when Origen saw "Israel" in the scripture, he knew it was a reference to the Church. (16)
     Gruber remarks, "It is Origen’s system of interpretation that produces the anti-Judaic ‘New Israel’ theology where the church replaces the Jews in the plan and purpose of God." (17) "He lost no opportunity, in his sermons, to attack Jewish literalism, and his powerful invective no doubt made its contribution to the later tragic persecution of Jews by Christians." (18)

St Anne’s Church was built by the Crusaders, who also murdered many of Jerusalem’s Jews

     He looked upon anyone who did not accept his system as a "Jew," and as someone who did not belong in the Church. (19) When he spoke of "Jewish myths," he was speaking of the Jews and their supposed literal interpretation of the Bible. He felt that "Jewish" and "literal" were virtually synonymous. (20)
     It is sad when we consider that Origen had a great deal of interaction with the Jews and undoubtedly knew that the Jews did not always rely upon a literal interpretation. It was, in fact, the Hellenistic Jew, Philo of Alexandria, who had greatly influenced Origen with his allegorical interpretation.
        Although Origen was considered a heretic in his lifetime and was later officially branded as such by the Church, his influence lived on and greatly increased.
     Later, Pamphilus led the churches of Palestine to begin a theological school dedicated to promulgating Origen’s views throughout the whole Church. Pamphilus was the esteemed teacher of Eusebius, the church historian. Eusebius, in turn, devoted himself wholeheartedly to defending the views of Origen. Soon at the Council of Nicea, Eusebius helped ensure the triumph of Origen’s heresy. (21)

THE COUNCIL OF NICEA

     With the supposed conversion of the Roman Emperor Constantine, the nature of Christianity began to undergo a rapid and radical transformation. Constantine was eager to consolidate his gains and was determined to quell the various divisions within Christianity. Two problems were particularly difficult, the Arian Controversy, which contested the divine nature of Christ, and the continuing divisions over the proper date and celebrations of Easter.     In the year 325, the Council of Nicea was called together by the new Emperor. Christian leaders, who a few short years before were persecuted and fed to lions, now traveled at state expense and with great fanfare to Nicea. The Emperor himself presided at the council. Eusebius, who was in favor with the Emperor, had great influence in the outcome of the discussions.
     The Arian controversy was dealt with and also a conclusion was finally reached on the Easter celebration. The Church decided to accept the Roman custom of designating a separate day for Easter, quite apart from when the Passover would be celebrated by the Jews. We can understand the embarrassment of this now proud Gentile Church in having to consult the despised Jews on when to celebrate Easter.

Constantine, the new "Christian" ruler of Rome

    The anti-Semitic and anti-Hebraic flavor of this council can best be understood by taking a brief look at some of the statements in the letter of Emperor Constantine to the churches. Here are a few of his statements:

     ...it seemed to every one a most unworthy thing that we should follow the custom of the
     Jews in the celebration of this most holy solemnity, who, polluted wretches! having
     stained their hands with a nefarious crime, are justly blinded in their minds. It is fit,
     therefore, that, rejecting the practice of this people, we should perpetuate to all future
     ages the celebration of this rite, in a more legitimate order....Let us then have nothing in
     common with the most hostile rabble of the Jews....In pursuing this course with a
     unanimous consent, let us withdraw ourselves...from that most odious fellowship. (22)

     The opinion of the Council was not to be taken lightly. Now the Church had behind it the full power of the Roman Empire. Any dissent would be looked upon as criminal. From this point on the sword of the Empire and not the sword of the Spirit would determine church doctrine and practice.
     Gruber remarks that this council was a turning point in the history of the Church. He states that since this council, all Church theology has been built upon this anti-Judaic foundation. Israel was cast aside and the Church officially became the "new Israel." (23) The teaching of contempt for Israel, along with haughty triumphalism would now be the norm - the only proper Christian attitude.
     The early church historian, Eusebius, continued to make the rift wider between Christianity and Judaism. Eusebius in his writings promoted the heresy of Origen. In fact, Eusebius wrote a six volume defense of Origin in an attempt to convince the Church of Origen’s orthodoxy. (24)
     Eusebius believed that in Constantine, the fullness of the kingdom had come, and that the "new Israel" of the Church would now replace the old Israel. For instance, although there was much evidence in the primitive Church for belief in a literal millennium in Israel, Eusebius ignored the evidence and taught that the millennium was a carnal concept. This fit much better with his own views. He thought that this Jewish doctrine was unacceptable for Christians. (25)
     By his writings and influence, he did much to set the theological tone for coming generations. In fact, for the most part, the Greek fathers continuing through the third and fourth centuries would stand generally under the influence and spirit of Origen. (26)

THE CHURCH CUT OFF FROM ITS ROOTS

     The Church of Constantine was now effectively cut off from its Jewish roots. It would receive its sustenance from the Greco-Roman and pagan culture around it. It could no longer be truly biblically-based. As Wilson points out, "It is impossible to be anti-Semitic or anti-Judaic and take the Bible seriously; otherwise one engages in a form of self-hatred." (27)
     The trend would continue to modern times. The de-Judaizing of Christianity is clearly evident in some of our Bible translations. One may open the King James Version of the Bible and be astonished to see how clearly the Church has replaced Israel. As a general rule the Church is substituted for Israel in the headings at the top of the pages. Even in the beautiful passages speaking of the restoration of Israel in Isaiah 49, the heading reads, "Restoration of the Church."
     In its attempt to appropriate the heritage of Israel, the Church has been the real loser. In its bungled attempt, it has almost lost the heritage of Israel altogether. Today the modern Church tries to draw its life from every possible source, yet it withers; it fades; it starves for true nourishment.

STUDY QUESTIONS:

What are some evidences that the earliest Christians followed Jewish practices?

Were Gentile believers readily accepted into the earliest Christian assemblies? Give a scripture to back up your answer.

Name three events that may have contributed to the final separation of Judaism and Christianity.

What were some positive achievements of the Yavneh (Jabne) school?

How did the choosing of the date for Easter help separate the Christian church from its Hebrew roots?

How did the allegorical method of interpreting scripture aid in the growing Christian anti-Semitism?

In what way was the Council of Nicea a watershed in the Church’s relation with Israel?

NOTES

 1.  Marvin Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith (Grand Rapids, MI and Dayton, Ohio: William B.
      Eerdmans  Publishing Company, Grand Rapids, MI and Center for Judaic-Christian Studies, 1989) p. 41.
 2.  Michael Walsh, Roots of Christianity (London: Grafton Books, 1986) p. 101.
 3.  Isaac Boyle, trans. The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Book House, eighth printing 1976)
      p. 192.
 4.  Isaac Boyle, trans. The Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius Pamphilus, p. 130.
 5.  See Dispatch From Jerusalem, July/Aug. 1994 Vol. 19. No. 4, p. 1.
 6.  Daniel Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship (Springfield, MO: General Council of the Assemblies of God,
      Intercultural Ministries, 1991) p. 2.
 7.  Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 76.
 8.  Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 77.
 9.  Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 69.
10. Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 81.
11. Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Vol 2, Anti-Nicene Christianity (Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing
      Company, MI, 1910) p. 213.
12. Williston Walker, A History of the Christian Church (New York: Charles Scribner’s Sons, 1959) p. 62.
13. Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 83.
14. Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 84.
15. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 11.
16. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 11.
17. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 12.
18. Nicholas DeLange, Origen and the Jews, Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations in Third -century Palestine (London-New York
      -Melbourne, Cambridge University Press, 1976) p. 135.
19. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 15.
20. DeLange, Origen and the Jews, Studies in Jewish-Christian Relations in Third -century Palestine, pp. 105-106.
21. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 17.
22. Quoted in, Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 30.
23. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 1.
24. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 9.
25. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 18.
26. Gruber, The Church and the Jews, The Biblical Relationship, p. 12.
27. Wilson, Our Father Abraham, Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, p. 20.

     Since the days of the Patriarchs, the world has suffered a low-grade fever. At given intervals this fever has become a burning sickness inflaming peoples and nations. (1) This lingering, unexplainable, and irrational sickness was only given a name in 1879. It is called anti-Semitism. The disease may be defined simply as prejudice, discrimination, or persecution against the Jewish people. It has been called "...the longest and deepest hatred of human history." (2)
     Obviously, the persecution of Israel was not possible before the covenant was fully established with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. But since those ancient days, peoples and nations have come repeatedly against the people of God in order to destroy them. The Bible is replete with evidence of these attacks.

A Picture of Jewish Suffering at Yad Vashem in Jerusalem

ATTACKS IN ANCIENT TIMES

     While sojourning in Egypt the Hebrews were mightily oppressed by Pharaoh. In his attempt to destroy God’s chosen, he commanded that all the newborn males be slain (Exo. 1:15-16). Had this plan succeeded, it would have ultimately amounted to genocide for the Hebrews.
     Pharaoh oppressed and enslaved God’s people until at last they were miraculously delivered by the hand of the Almighty. After this, the Amalekites, Edomites and Moabites all oppressed Israel as she was just a newborn babe, toddling on her way to Canaan. What makes this strange, is that all these ancient peoples were actually blood relatives of the Hebrews.
     Of particular interest are the attacks of Amalek and Edom. It seems that the roots of present-day anti-Semitism may be traceable back in some degree to these two nations. We will speak more about these nations, but let us here consider their possible impact upon the seething anti-Semitism of Arab nations in the Middle East today.
     The Amalekites were likely the first nation on earth to persecute Israel (Num. 24:20). As the nation of Israel was birthed from Egypt, these relatives attacked them without cause (Exo. 17:8-16). These wicked enemies preyed upon the stragglers, undoubtedly the old and infirm who were tired and weary (Deut. 25:17-18). They set ambushes for Israel (1 Sam. 15:2-3). God’s fierce wrath was therefore aroused.
     Later, God sent King Saul on a special mission to avenge these hateful acts and to utterly destroy Amalek (1 Sam. 15:2-3). He disobeyed, and the seed of Amalek survived. It is ironic that Saul was later killed by an Amalekite.
     God knew that the hate virus in Amalek was extremely dangerous to mankind. He therefore commanded that the whole nation be wiped off the face of the earth (1 Sam. 15:3). Centuries later in Persia, wicked Haman arose to persecute Israel. He almost put an end to the Jewish people in all 127 provinces of this vast kingdom. Persia controlled the Holy Land at that time, and had the plan succeeded, the Jews would have suffered a holocaust of incredible proportions. Jewish tradition declares that Haman was of Amalekite origin.
     The Edomites are another ancient nation needing close scrutiny in this regard. This people may also be a source of modern anti-Semitism in the Middle East.
     The Edomites apparently received the lineage of hatred intact from their father Esau, who had sworn to kill his brother Jacob (Gen. 27:41). Edom continued the tradition of virulent hatred for Israel.
     As Israel was coming out of Egypt, the Edomites refused them passage and came against them with swords (Num. 20:14-21). They later attacked Israel on several occasions and finally assisted in the destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC. At that time they stood at the crossroads and cut down those who were escaping from the Babylonians (Obad. 1:14). It appears that this act may have sealed Edom’s doom.
     But does the spirit of Edom live on? We read in scripture that the Edomites stifled all compassion. The anger of Edom "...raged continually and his fury flamed unchecked," (Amos 1:11). Edom "...harbored an ancient hostility..." (Ezek. 35:5). All this sounds strangely familiar to the sentiments toward Israel of surrounding Arab and Muslim countries today.
     In Obadiah 1:10, God says, "Because of the violence against your brother Jacob, you will be covered with shame; you will be destroyed forever." It is surely interesting that the word for "violence" used here, is the Hebrew word "hamas." Since a group by this very name is now one of the leading antagonists of Israel, we realize how little things seem to change over the thousands of years.
     The birth of Jesus gives us a most enlightening insight into the hatred of Edom. King Herod was absolutely enraged with the news of Jesus’ birth. He even ordered the massacre of all male infants of the Bethlehem area in a vain attempt to kill the Christ child. He was determined to put a quick end to this one who was to be King of the Jews. It should not surprise us in the least to learn that King Herod was not a Jew, but was of Idumean or Edomite origin.
     As proof that the spirit of Edom still lives on today in the Middle East, we should look at a strange passage of scripture in Isaiah 34:5-16. In verse eight we read: "For the LORD has a day of vengeance, a year of retribution, to uphold Zion’s cause."
     This is a future prophetic event. In this passage he tells us that Edom’s streams will be turned into blazing pitch, that her smoke will go up forever and that the land will lie desolate with no one passing through it. There is trouble coming in the future for these Israel bashers even though Edom as a nation has long since ceased to exist.
     In some popular eschatology today, Edom and its city of Petra, are strongly pictured as a place of refuge for the Jews as the Day of the Lord nears. For this reason many Christian pilgrimages now include Petra. The spiritual types and patterns for this conclusion seem mistaken. The scripture makes very plain that Edom is a place of eternal cursing, not a place of refuge and blessing for God’s people.
     Many of the other prophets elaborate on the Edom theme. Ezekiel speaks of Edom as harboring an ancient hatred. Then he says something that should send a shiver up the spine of all Israel bashers today.

     Then you will know that I the LORD have heard all the contemptible things you have
     said against the mountains of Israel... (Ezek. 35:12)

     We understand by this statement that the God of the Universe still hears all the slanders that nations speak against Israel today. He still hears all the slanders spoken by writers and newscasters, and he will recompense them all.
     The Messiah at his coming will deal harshly with Edom, or with its spiritual descendants, whoever, and wherever they are. This account is found in Isaiah 63. In this passage we see the Messiah’s garments stained with blood. By his own confession he says:

     "I have trodden the winepress alone; from the nations no one was with me. I trampled
     them in my anger and trod them down in my wrath; their blood spattered my garments,
     and I stained all my clothing (Isaiah 63:3).

     The Messiah at his coming seems amazed at the nations that there was no one who gave support (v.5). Perhaps the nations and even the Church have been too busy trying to justify and support the enemies of Israel to realize that these modern enemies of that nation may well be God’s enemies just as they were in biblical times.
     We should learn one thing from the Amalek and Edom episodes in the Bible. When God decrees that a nation should be destroyed, we had better believe that such destruction is absolutely necessary.

LATER ATTACKS

     Once they were in the land of Canaan, the attacks against tiny, struggling Israel were virtually endless. The long centuries were filled with wars brought about by all the surrounding nations. Time and again the Edomites, Moabites, Amalekites, Ishmaelites, Ammonites, Midianites, and Philistines came against the people of God.

David and Goliath by Caravaggio
(Wikimedia Commons)

     The persistent attacks upon Israel made no sense. King David often wondered about them. He could never understand why he had so many enemies. One other Psalmist certainly wondered about them. We have his recorded musings in Psalm 2:1-3. Although this Psalm speaks primarily about the Lord and his Messiah, we can see why it would also apply to the Jews and their law:

     Why do the nations conspire and the peoples plot in vain? The kings of the earth take
     their stand and the rulers gather together against the LORD and against his Anointed
     One. "Let us break their chains," they say, "and throw off their fetters."

     The presence of the Jewish people in the world brings fetters to those who are lawless. These chains represent law, righteousness and holiness. The world wants none of these things, but instead desires to cast off these "chains" of Israel.
     There is another and much deeper reason behind anti-Semitism. Anti-Semitism has behind it the secret mystery of iniquity. It is a part of Satan’s diabolical plan to come against the heritage and the people of God. Thus, anti-Semitism is anti-God and anti-Christ in its essence.
     Throughout the painful saga of Israel’s history she was also bitterly attacked by the stronger empires in the area, such as the Egyptians, Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks, and finally the Romans. The attacks of Antiochus IV (Epiphanes) during the Greek era had such demonic overtones that Antiochus became a type of the Beast or antichrist ruler who would arise to persecute the Jews mightily at the end of days (Dan. 8:19-26).
     The spiritual and diabolical roots of this awful disease of anti-Semitism are pointed out for us clearly in the book of Daniel. In Daniel 10:20, when the angel appeared to the prophet, he made an interesting comment:

     ...Soon I will return to fight against the prince of Persia, and when I go, the prince of
     Greece will come;

     This mighty angel of God had been struggling with extremely powerful spiritual entities. The prince of Persia had already delayed him by twenty-one days due to his opposition. Now we learn that the prince of Greece was waiting in the corridors to take his turn at destroying Israel. We see clearly by this that the nations who oppose Israel are driven by mighty supernatural forces.

PAGAN ATTACKS

     Once the nation of Israel was destroyed by the Romans, and its people dispersed in the wars of AD 70 and 135, one would think that the "Israel problem" would be put to rest, and that the world would go on to other concerns.
     Such was not to be the case. The fever and agitation were unabated. Even the pagan writers of that period, such as Lysimachus, Apion, Tacitus, and Juvenal, continued to attack and slander the dispersed Jewish people. (3) Riots and persecutions erupted in various cities of the pagan world.
     All this could be understood much more readily than the attacks that came from another quarter -- from the newly founded Christian Church.

EARLY CHRISTIANS INFECTED

     Perhaps it first stemmed from jealousy or fear, or from some of both. Nevertheless, shortly after Apostolic times, the Church allowed itself to become infected with the ancient virus of anti-Semitism.
     From the second century on, the early Church fathers such as Ignatius, Justin, Irenaeus, and Cyprian began to make inflammatory statements concerning the Jews. Their statements were made in contradiction to what seems to be clear biblical admonitions in Romans 11:17-18, and in many other passages of the New Testament.
     This tendency, although mild at the outset, especially when compared with that which would come later, quickly laid the foundations for early Triumphalism. This was the idea that the Church has superseded Israel entirely.
     Ignatius of Antioch may have been the first Father of the Church to slander the Jews. He wrote to the Magnesians in the early second century that "Christianity... did not believe in Judaism, but Judaism in Christianity." (4)
     Ignatius lived in a time when Christianity was still closely connected to the faith of Israel. Just shortly before his days, the Apostles had celebrated Jewish feasts and kept the Jewish Sabbath. Yet Ignatius has stern words for Christians who would pattern after the Apostles. He remarked:

     If anyone celebrates the Passover along with the Jews, or receives emblems of their
     feast, he is a partaker with those that killed the Lord and His apostles. (5)

     Later, Justin Martyr (100-165? AD) in his lengthy Dialogue with Trypho, said of Trypho the Jew, "You hate and (whenever you have the power) kill us." (6) Justin also in speaking of the writings of Moses said to Trypho:

     They are contained in your Scriptures, or rather not yours, but ours. For we believe them;
     but you, though you read them, do not catch the spirit that is in them. (7)

     Justin also remarked:

     For the prophetical gifts remain with us, even to the present time. And hence you ought to
     understand that [the gifts] formerly among your nation have been transferred to us. (8)

     Later, Irenaeus, Bishop of Lyon (AD 130-202), declared the Jews "disinherited from the grace of God." (9)

St. Irenaeus
(From Wikimedia Commons)

     Beginning as early as the days of Justin Martyr there had been a continuing dispute between Christians in the eastern and western areas of the Roman Empire. This dispute concerned the proper date for the observance of Easter. The disagreement became so acute about 190 that synods were held both in the east and in the west.
     The decision was finally made in favor of the western Roman custom and against the ancient custom of celebrating Easter with the Passover. The churches of Asia Minor refused to accept this decision, whereupon Victor, the Bishop of Rome, excommunicated Polycrates, bishop of Ephesus. (10) It was a precedent favoring Roman understandings and practices that would bode ill for future Church decisions.
     The trend toward Triumphalism continued. Cyprian, Bishop of Carthage (ca. 200-258) was bold enough to demand that all Jews leave his diocese or die. (11) We can see that in a very short time, Triumphalism had taken on deadly proportions.

CONSTANTINIAN CHRISTIANITY

     The fourth century was a critical one for establishing the nature of all future Christian anti-Semitism. Constantine, the new Roman emperor, declared himself a Christian. There is some question as to just how deeply Constantine’s Christianity ran. He continued to use the pagan title Pontifex Maximus on his coins. He also used images of some of the pagan gods, along with the Unconquered Sun, his own favorite deity. In 321, Constantine made the first day of the week a holiday. He named it for his deity, Sunday. (12)
     In the year 325, the first general council of the Church was called together to deal with the heresy of Arianism and to finally establish a uniform date for Easter. Constantine, the new "Christian" emperor exerted great influence upon this council. The resulting work, the famous Nicene Creed, was defined and accepted. The Church also moved to distance itself from Judaism in regard to the celebration of the Lord’s resurrection. Constantine’s letter to the churches is very instructive concerning the spirit of this council. In his letter he referred to the Jews as "...polluted wretches...blinded in their minds...(a) most odious fellowship...parricides and murderers..." (13)
     Constantine made clear the intent of this council by quickly forbidding Jews to proselytize. He also forbade them to live in their own city, Jerusalem. (14)
     Following in the spirit of Nicea, John Chrysostom (349- ca 407), one of the most popular preachers of these times, began his tirades against the Jews. Chrysostom was such a persuasive preacher that he was labeled the "Golden Tongue." In a series of eight sermons he used his golden tongue to attack the Jews. Chrysostom called the Jews "most miserable of all men" "lustful, rapacious, greedy perfidious bandits." He described them as having "the manners of the pig and the lusty goat." He said "they have surpassed the ferocity of wild beasts, for they murder their offspring and immolate them to the devil." Chrysostom went on to say, "...I hate the Jews also because they outrage the law..." (15)

John Chrysostom, a Byzantine mosaic
from the Hagia Sophia 
(Wikimedia Commons)

     At the end of his sermon series, Chrysostom demanded that his hearers pay him interest, apparently meaning that they go out and do something to actually persecute the Jews. (17)
     The questionable teachings offered by these early fathers and preachers continued to inflame the Church in its formative centuries. Church and state also were now working hand and hand toward the systematic isolation and persecution of the Jews.
     Following the example of Constantine, Emperor Constantius set a pattern by confiscating the property of a Christian who dared convert to Judaism. (18) In following years, the Byzantines disrupted synagogue services and forbade Jews to hold governmental posts. Jews were not permitted to beautify or repair their synagogues without permission. They were barred from public functions. Marriage of Jews to Christians was seen as "shameful," and such marriages were prohibited under penalty of death. (19)
     Later Byzantine rulers such as Heraclius, Leo III, and Basil I promoted forced conversions of the Jews. The trend went on in both the eastern and western portions of the empire. In the west, sixth and seventh century Frankish kings, such as Chilperic I and Dagobert I, also promoted forced conversions and baptisms. (20)

THE CRUSADES

     Soon after the end of the first millennium a crowning tragedy developed for the Jews. It came as a result of agitation caused by the Crusades. This tragedy began shortly after the Council of Clermont in 1095, and lasted almost two hundred years. In this council, the Pope called for crusades to liberate the Holy Land from the hand of the Muslims.
     At the beginning of the First Crusade, restless adventurers started testing their swords on the Jews in their midst. In many cities such as Speyer, Worms, Cologne, and Prague, the Jews were massacred. It is estimated that from January to July in 1096, some 10,000 Jews died. This would have probably amounted to about one fourth to one third of the Jewish population of Germany and Northern France. (21)

French Bible illustration from 1250 depicts
Jews being massacred by Crusaders
(Wikimedia Commons)

     When the Crusaders finally reached Jerusalem in 1099, they rounded up its remaining Jews and burned them alive in their own synagogue. While the Jews screamed in the flames, the Crusaders held their crosses high and sang "Christ We Adore Thee!" (22)
    Unfortunately, many more crusades were to come, and they all would tend to follow the same destructive pattern as the first.

NEW WEAPONS OF ANTI-SEMITISM

     In the 12th and 13th centuries, the Church doctrine of Transubstantiation gained wide acceptance. This doctrine affirmed that the actual flesh and blood of Christ became present in the consecrated Host and wine. Miraculous tales in connection with the Host began to circulate and soon the Jews began to be charged with desecration of the Host.
     Another common charge of the Church in this period was that the Jews kidnapped Christian children, killing and torturing them in order to obtain blood for their Passover ritual. No one seemed to know or even care that partaking of blood was totally forbidden by Jewish law, yet the myth persisted even as late as 1936 in Nazi Germany.
    After each blood libel, the Church would rise up in hysterical rage to avenge itself upon the Jews. Blood libels became one of the most vicious weapons used against the Jews, and they left a trail of Jewish blood through the centuries.
     Anti-Semitism continued to take its toll with expulsions of whole Jewish populations from many European states. In the period between the 11th and 19th centuries the Jews were expelled at least 34 times from major Christian cities and states.

     In the year 1215, the Church at its Fourth Lateran Council, ordered Jews to wear distinctive garments. These garments took many forms such as patches of cloth sewn to clothing or the forced wearing of funny hats.

Yellow badge Star of David from the Jewish Museum Westphalia, Dorsten, Germany. The wording is the German word for Jew (Jude), written in mock-Hebrew script.
(Wikimedia Commons)

     Jews were at various times forbidden to engage in trades, to own land, to intermarry with Christians, and even to live in the midst of Christians. As a final insult they were not even allowed to die in the midst of Christians, and Jewish graves were commonly desecrated.
     By 1240, the Jews were forced into disputations with the Christians. As a result of these disputations, the Talmud was burned in Paris in 1242. Jews were also forced to listen to Christian sermons, a practice not abolished until 1848.
     As a result of the Black Death in Europe, the Jews suffered much in what are referred to as the Black Death Massacres. These massacres continued from 1348 to 1350. In this plague, the Jews were the usual scapegoat and were accused of poisoning the wells of Christians.

THE INQUISITION

     The Jews had experienced a "golden age" in Spain, which produced some of the greatest poets, thinkers and inventors in the history of the country. Nevertheless, in 1391 a storm of anti-Jewish persecution swept over the nation. This storm was provoked by certain Christian preachers. As a result, thousands of Jews were killed. For the first and only time in history, the spirit of a whole Jewish people broke, and when faced with the choice of conversion or death, many chose the former. (24)
     Churches were filled with these "new Christians." Unfortunately, the "old Christians" now looked upon the new Jewish converts with suspicion. This was partly due to their rapid rise to important positions in the country, even into the royal court. They were soon given a name of contempt, marrano, which meant "swine." Judaism and marranism were looked upon as having a common source - bad blood. Jews were considered perverse and defiled, whether or not they were baptized. (25)
     Certainly, some continued to be crypto-Jews, who secretly held on to elements of their former faith. This fact also aroused suspicion and helped hasten massive persecution.
     As a result, in 1480 Pope Sixtus IV gave permission for the Inquisition to be established. With the rise of the Christian rulers, Ferdinand and Isabella to the throne, and the defeat of the Moors (Muslims), the situation rapidly turned against the Jewish population. Soon the infamous Thomas de Torquemada became the Grand Inquisitor.
     Many citizens, plus a large proportion of marranos, fell into the hands of the Inquisition. The first act of the Inquisition upon arrest was generally to seize all property of the accused. This, of course did a great deal to prejudice the outcome of any trial. The accused was also forbidden to know the names of his accusers or to use a counsel for defense.

Saint Dominique presiding over an auto da fe (1475).
Image by Pedro Berruguete.
(Wikimedia Commons)

     Almost any innocent act could bring down the wrath of the Inquisition upon a person or a whole family. Simply a regard for personal cleanliness, or special culinary tastes could get one accused of Judaism and cost the person’s life. The failure to wear one’s best clothes on Sunday, failure to eat pork, the lighting of candles on Friday, changing linens for Sabbath, or calling children by Old Testament names, could consign one of the flames.
     The inquisition used the most cruel forms of torture to induce a confession. Roth describes some of them for us:

     The commonest modes were the pulley or strappado, and the water-torment of aselli. In
     the former, the victim’s wrists were tied behind his back and attached to a pulley, by
     means of which he was hoisted from the floor. If this did not prove sufficient to make him
     speak, weights were attached to the feet...The water torture was more ingenious, and
     more fiendish. The prisoner was fastened almost naked on a sort of trestle with
     sharp-edged rungs and kept in position with an iron band, his head lower than his feet,
     and his limbs bound to the side-pieces with agonizing tightness. The mouth was then
     forced open and a strip of linen inserted into the gullet. Through this, water was poured
     from a jar (jarra), obstructing the throat and nostrils and producing a state of
     semi-suffocation. This process was repeated time after time, as many as eight jarras
     sometimes being applied. Meanwhile, the cords round the sufferer’s limbs were
     continually tightened until it seemed as though every vein in his body was at
     bursting-point. (26)

     When the confessions were made, the auto de fe was then arranged. There were times when as many as fifty persons were burned at the stake in one day. It was a gala event for the people and the nobility, with sometimes as many as fifty thousand spectators on hand. Not all the accused were burned at the stake. Some were reconciled to the faith. Roth states, "A man might leave the Inquisition without being burned, the proverb ran, but he was certain to be singed." (27)
     From the time the Spanish Inquisition was founded to the year 1808, one estimate is that 31,912 heretics were burned. Another estimate sets the total of those burned between 1482 and 1525 at 28,540. (28) This does not include the number of those burned in Portugal where the Inquisition also spread.
     Both Spain and Portugal ultimately expelled their Jews. Spain expelled its Jews in 1492, as Columbus was sailing from her harbor to the new world. Expulsions continued on until 1615, with the numbers running somewhere between 300,000 and 3,000,000.
     Roth adds a sad commentary: "Spain was rid at last of that section of her children who, in the ninth and tenth centuries, had raised Spanish culture to its greatest heights." (29)

MODERN ANTI-SEMITISM

     It would relieve us somewhat if we could say that Christian anti-Semitism was confined only to Catholicism or to the dark ages of Christian history. Unfortunately this was not the case. Even the great 16th century reformer, Martin Luther, had a few things to say about the Jews.

     What shall we Christians do with this rejected and condemned people, the Jews?...I shall
     give you my sincere advice. First, to set fire to their synagogues or schools and to bury
     and cover with dirt whatever will not burn, so that no man will ever again see a stone or
     cinder of them. This is to be done in honor of our Lord and of Christendom...Second, I
     advise that their houses also be razed and destroyed...Third, I advise that all their prayer
     books and Talmudic writings, in which such idolatry, lies, cursing, and blasphemy are
     taught, be taken from them. Fourth, I advise that their rabbis be forbidden to teach
     henceforth on pain of loss of life and limb... Fifth, I advise that safe-conduct on the
     highways be abolished completely for the Jews. For they have no business in the
     country-side...Sixth, I advise that usury be prohibited to them, and that all cash and
     treasure of silver and gold be taken from them and put aside for safekeeping...Seventh, I
     recommend putting a flail, an ax, a hoe, a spade, a distaff, or a spindle into the hands of
     young, strong Jewesses and letting them earn their bread in the sweat of their brow. (30)

Luther by Lucas Cranach
(Wikimedia Commons)

     These were just a few of his suggestions. It is of note that Luther's remarks were used in the defense of Nazi war criminals at the Nuremberg trials.
     Anti-Semitism raged on in Christianity until modern times. Jews were finally placed under lock and key in the Ghetto. There were accusations, blood libels, pogroms, slanders. Early in the twentieth century there was the publication of the infamous fabrication Protocols of the Elders of Zion. The stage was being perfectly set for the most horrendous persecution of all.

THE HOLOCAUST

     The bitter seed that had been sown in Christendom for almost two thousand years became ripe during the Holocaust of World War II. In the midst of enlightened Europe, even in the very cradle of the great Reformation, six million Jews were coldly and cruelly murdered while most Christians simply shrugged.

Railroads were used to transport Jews to the gas chambers.
Pictured here is a railroad car to nowhere from Yad Vashem

     The Holocaust or Sho’ah began in Germany on January 30, 1933 as Adolph Hitler and his Nazi party rose to power. Hitler immediately began to implement the radical anti-Semitism that he had earlier expressed in his book, Mein Kampf.
     First of all, the Jews were eliminated from public office, from professions, and from intellectual and artistic life. Even children were barred from public schools. The Nuremberg Laws of 1935 stripped Jews of their citizenship. There were boycotts against Jewish businesses and enforced sales of property and businesses.
     On November 9-10, 1938, Kristallnacht, "the night of broken glass," was staged by the Nazis. Jewish businesses and properties were attacked, synagogues were burned, and in the aftermath, thousands of Jews were rounded up and sent to concentration camps.
     During this period, the Church in general did not raise its voice. The dissident Confessing Church did resist and many of its ministers were arrested. (31) Somehow the Church had forgotten the biblical admonition to love its neighbor. It had also forgotten the admonition of Proverbs 24:10-12 which reads:

     If you falter in times of trouble, how small is your strength! Rescue those being
     led away to death; hold back those staggering toward slaughter. If you say, "But we
     knew nothing about this," does not he who weighs the heart perceive it? Does not he
     who guards your life know it? Will he not repay each person according to what he has
     done?

     The Church not only remained passive to the Jewish plight, but it also on occasions assisted the Nazis. Some diocesan chancelleries actually supplied data from their church records as to the religious background of their parishioners. (32)
     With Hitler’s invasion of Poland in 1939, millions of Jews came under his demonic power. Jews were herded to the ghettoes and into concentration camps. At first, the Nazis envisioned total emigration of the Jewish population from Europe. Later, at least by the beginning of 1941, the decision was made for genocide.

 Several women and a girl in Latvia stand partially undressed, as they await the firing squad
(courtesy Yad Vashem)

     When the Nazis invaded Russia, Hitler gave the order to kill all Jews as well as Communist officials. The Nazi advance into Russia trapped 1,500,000 Jews and the newly formed Einsatzgruppen, set at work on the extermination project. The grisly work was first accomplished through firing squads and mass burials. Later, gas trucks were used, and finally even these were not sufficient for the task.

Doom seems written on the faces of women and children at Auschwitz
(courtesy Yad Vashem)

     The Nazis finally turned to extermination camps, equipped with fake shower rooms for gassing, and with giant furnaces for cremation. One such extermination camp was Auschwitz, an enormous facility in southern Poland. At this one installation, it was possible to cremate 10,000 corpses a day. A total of two million Jews died there. Because of the brutality in the camp, many of the Jews died before they reached the gas chambers. (33)
     The Nazis made a very thorough sweep of Jews in the areas of their control. Johnson remarks:

     There were about 8,861,800 Jews in the countries of Europe directly or indirectly under
     Nazi control. Of these it is calculated that the Nazis killed 5,933,900, or 67 percent. In
     Poland, which had by far the largest number, 3,300,000, over 90 percent, were killed. (34)

     As six million Jews died in the Holocaust most nations of the world turned their heads. Great Britain, a supposedly Christian nation, had already aided Hitler by closing the doors to Palestine. The Jews were thus locked out of their homeland.
     Even Christian America, although it knew of the gassing of millions of Jews, would not intervene to bomb the facilities. Nor would America raise its stingy immigration quotas. On one occasion the SS St. Louis with 907 Jewish passengers tried to enter US waters. It was turned away. Even "Christian" America shut its eyes and sent these Jewish refugees back to the gas chambers. Based on the actions of America and other "Christian" nations, Goebbles could write in his diary, "I believe both the British and the Americans are happy that we are exterminating the Jewish riff-raff." (35)
     Some countries did help the Jews. Denmark refused to cooperate with the Nazis and saved 99 percent of its 7,000 Jews. The people of Holland saved thousands of Jews by hiding them in their homes. The late Christian leader, Corrie Ten Boom, who wrote The Hiding Place, had a part in this great effort. (36)
     The Holocaust, more than any other event in history, illustrates for us the demonic and other-worldly aspect of anti-Semitism. For instance, the trains carrying Jews to their death in Nazi Europe were given priority over everything else, even during the Russian offensive when every train was desperately needed. (37) Although Hitler was conducting a war on many fronts, this illustrates that his most important war was the one against Israel. It also again vividly illustrates the true nature of the awful sickness of anti-Semitism.

SYMPTOMS STILL PERSIST TODAY

     One would think that after the horrors of the Holocaust, the world in general and Christians in particular would have learned about the evils of anti-Semitism and would have eradicated it.
     Strangely though, even today in the modern Church and in the "enlightened" modern world, the disease of anti-Semitism still persists and even flourishes.
     Now that the Jewish people are being re-gathered to their land, anti-Semitism often takes the form of anti-Zionism, of anti-Israel or pro-Arab sentiment. One can note this trend by the numerous times Israel is condemned in the press or on TV, or the times she has been censured by the United Nations.
     Israel, whose population constitutes only one-thousandth of the world’s total, has been the object of an amazing one-third of all UN Security Council resolutions. This international "Israel bashing" reached one of its zeniths in 1975 when the UN declared Zionism to be racism. In effect, it declared illegal the biblical hope of returning to Zion. This hope had been nurtured through the ages, both by Israel and by many in the Church. Fortunately, this resolution was rescinded a few years after it was passed.
     As the Jewish people return to their ancient home and become more and more concentrated in their land, this trend toward anti-Zionism will undoubtedly increase.
     The prophet Zechariah declares that someday all the nations of the earth will be whipped into one last frenzy and will surround the tiny nation of Israel in order to take care of this "problem" once for all (Zech. 14:1-3). At that point God himself will personally intervene and demonstrate to the nations their folly.
     We would think that surely now the Church would separate itself from this madness. Yet, even today in the modern Church there remains a persistent coolness and an unexplainable hardness toward the Jewish people and toward the nation of Israel.
    Various new strands of Triumphalism, today named Replacement Theology or Restoration Theology are on the upswing. Although it seems almost incomprehensible, some Christian groups in recent years even have gone so far as to express open support for the PLO. How could such attitudes prevail in light of biblical teaching?
     Perhaps my query in this regard is summed up best in these simple lines written by two different people. The first part was written by William Norman Ewer, a British writer. Later the sequel was written by Cecile Brown, an American businessman. The little lines go:

How odd
Of God
To choose
The Jews

But not so odd
As those who choose
A Jewish God,
But spurn the Jews (38)

STUDY QUESTIONS:

Who were the first people to persecute the Jews after they became a nation? Why was this ironic?

Was it fair for God to curse Amalek and to order the obliteration of that nation? What would have likely happened if he had not done so?

In what way does the hatred of Amalek and Edom possibly live on today?

Briefly describe how the tiny and seemingly harmless seed of anti-Semitism grew from the days of the church fathers, through the era of Constantine and into the Middle Ages.

How did the new church doctrine of transubstantiation become a threat to the Jewish people?

Can you name two church-sponsored persecutions of the Jews?

A great teacher or leader may be correct in many beliefs but wrong in others. What great church leader illustrates this fact?

What was the basic sin of the church during the Holocaust?

Now that the Holocaust is over and the nation of Israel is established, how does anti-Semitism best express itself?

NOTES

     When God called Abraham long ago he said to him in Genesis 12:2-3:

     I will make you into a great nation and I will bless you; I will make your name great,
     and you will be a blessing. I will bless those who bless you, and whoever curses you
     I will curse; and all peoples on earth will be blessed through you.

     Not only will God keep his covenant with Abraham and Israel, but he will also bless the nations through Israel. This is a fact that has been little understood by the nations, or even by Gentile Christians for that matter. We sometimes realize how the Jewish Bible and the Jewish Messiah are blessings to us and to the nations. However, we are not often aware how the Jews themselves have been a blessing to the nations by their very presence. (1)

HOW THE JEWS BLESSED ANCIENT NATIONS

     We do not have to look far in history to see that some ancient nations were blessed by the Jewish people. We may never fully know the impact of Jewish or Hebrew influence in antiquity because records of this nature are virtually nonexistent. However, we do have biblical records that substantiate some of this influence.
     First of all, we see that Jacob the Patriarch blessed Pharaoh (Gen. 47:7). Then there was the story of Joseph. This son of Jacob was sold into slavery by his own brothers, and later arose to dizzying heights of power in Egypt. Soon he became second-in-command in one of the consistently strongest monarchies of the ancient world. He wore Pharaoh’s own signet ring and was put in charge of the whole land of Egypt (Gen. 41:41-45).
     Joseph rose to this position because of the providence and plan of God. God had enabled him to accurately interpret Pharaoh’s dreams, telling of an awful seven-year famine that was to come upon the land. Joseph was thus appointed as Pharaoh’s right-hand-man to insure that bountiful provisions were stored up in the seven plentiful years, which Joseph had also foreseen.
     We can confidently say that because of Joseph, Egypt was spared from seven years of terrible famine that might have brought an end to the nation. In Genesis 41:57, we see how the surrounding nations were also blessed and spared, for they came to Egypt to buy grain.
     We can certainly say that at least one Jew brought great blessing to the land of Assyria in biblical times. His name was Jonah. This prophet was commissioned by God to go the mighty capital city of Nineveh. His task was to warn the people of the disaster about to overtake them because of their sins. Jonah ultimately went, even though Assyria was a bitter enemy of Israel. We read in Jonah 3:5, that "The Ninevites believed God. They declared a fast, and all of them, from the greatest to the least, put on sackcloth." Because of their repentance, God spared the capital city of Assyria.

Jonah preaching to the Ninevites by Gustav Dore
(Wikimedia Commons)

     It is also interesting to note that Jews rose to the highest positions of authority in ancient Babylonia and Persia. The result was that these nations were blessed.
    One sterling example of this influence is seen in the life of Daniel the prophet. As a young man, Daniel was carried away from his home in 605 BC by the Babylonians. He gained influence so rapidly in Babylon that when Ezekiel was brought to the city a few years later, Daniel was already a legend (Ezek. 14:14 & 20). Daniel interpreted dreams for kings (Dan. 2:31-45; 4:9-27); he, along with his three Hebrew companions, sat as advisors to the king of Babylon. In Daniel 1:20, we read that their wisdom was "ten times better" than all his other advisors.
     Daniel publicly rebuked kings for their idolatry (Dan. 5:22-24); he was so miraculously delivered by God that a whole nation stood in awe of him and the king made a proclamation that all the vast empire should acknowledge the God of Daniel (6:26-27). He foretold historic events down to the end of time with uncanny and amazing accuracy. He even predicted that the Messiah of Israel would come before the Second Temple was destroyed in AD 70 (9:24-27).
     Daniel did something that probably not too many people accomplished in the ancient world. He survived the fall of one nation and immediately rose to great power in the political framework of the succeeding nation. This was by the will of God, but we learn from Josephus, the Jewish historian, that it may have been facilitated by the fact that Cyrus the Persian had read portions of Isaiah. (2) In that prophetic work Cyrus is mentioned by name and even referred to as "the Lord’s anointed" (cf. Isaiah 44:28 and 45:1).
     It would certainly impress any ruler to learn that a prophet had called him by name several hundred years before he was born. Probably this information caused Cyrus to have warm feelings toward the Jewish people in general, and perhaps toward Daniel in particular. In all likelihood, Daniel may even have had something to do with Cyrus reading Isaiah.
     When we consider his remarkable life, we are forced to conclude that Daniel was an incredible person and that he was a blessing to both ancient Babylonia and Persia.
     The Media-Persian Empire became one of the mightiest empires in the ancient world. We read in the Bible that ancient Persia stretched over 127 provinces from India to Ethiopia (Esth. 1:1). It is almost incredible how much influence the Jews continued to have in this vast empire.
     Ezra the Scribe, a Jew, was able to have great favor in the court of Artaxerxes I (Longimanus: 465-424 BC). By royal decree Ezra was given permission to lead a contingent of the Lord’s people back home to Israel. Ezra was able to take along a considerable amount of treasure offered by the king himself and his advisers. He went with a good deal of political power to appoint magistrates and judges over the land of Israel (Ezra 7:12-26). Not only did Ezra teach and help establish the people of God, but he also helped bring order in the far-flung kingdom. At that particular time, Egypt represented a threat to Persia, and the Jews may have helped to bring stability in the area. (3)    Another interesting Jewish person connected with the Persian court was actually the cupbearer to king Artaxerxes. He was an able administrator by the name of Nehemiah (Neh. 1:11). Probably of all the men of influence in Persia, the cupbearer might have been the greatest. Nehemiah would have been "...one with the closest access to the king, and one who could well determine who got to see the king." (4) He used this great opportunity to guide the king, so that the monarch might work together with God, and allow the city and wall of Jerusalem to be rebuilt.
     Much Jewish influence for good in ancient Persia had probably come about a few years earlier by the Cinderella-type marriage of a young Jewish girl named Hadassah. In God’s unbelievable plan, little Hadassah, or Esther, was elevated to great heights to become the Queen of Persia during the reign of Ahasuerus (Xerxes I, 486-465 BC).

Queen Esther by Edwin Long (1878). Painting in the
National Gallery of Victoria, Melbourne.
 (Wikimedia Commons)

     She used God’s wisdom to guide the nation away from the disastrous course of xenophobia and civil turmoil. How interesting it is that in the next generation, her stepson issued the famous decrees that sent both Ezra and Nehemiah on their missions to restore Israel.
     There are probably other stories of Jewish influence for good in the ancient world. Many of these stories will not likely be told until the great books are opened in the next world. However, let us turn our attention to more recent centuries. In modern times the influences of Jews and their blessings to the nations can be readily documented as they are often preserved in historical records.

SOME NATIONS BLESSED IN MODERN TIMES

The Ottoman Empire

     In modern times, we can clearly see a pattern, that those nations who have blessed Israel have been blessed. For instance, in 1492, when the Jews were expelled from Christian Spain, many of them were accepted in what we call Turkey today. It was then called the Ottoman Empire. Later, in 1497 and 1498, they were joined by Jews fleeing Portugal.
     It is interesting indeed that as the Jews arrived in the Ottoman Empire, it began to experience the apex of its political power and expansion. This trend continued on through the reign of Suleiman I (The Magnificent: 1520-1566). Suleiman is known for building the present wall around the Old City of Jerusalem. It is noteworthy that the Ottoman Empire began with such momentum that it lasted until our era, coming to its demise at the end of World War I.
     According to the famed Jewish historian, Cecil Roth, the Jewish exiles from Spain found a warm welcome in the Ottoman Empire. Roth quotes a remark supposedly made by Sultan Bajazet: "What! call ye this Ferdinand ‘wise’ -- he who depopulates his own dominions in order to enrich mine?" (5) The Sultan then went on to greatly encourage Jewish immigration.
     Roth continues to describe how the Jewish influence grew in the fast-rising Ottoman Empire. He mentions that because the Turks were essentially a military and agricultural people, they were not interested in the sedentary life style. Thus, the trade of the vast empire was left in the hands of Jews, Armenians and Greeks.
     The Jews were exceptionally well equipped in this area. The Jewish immigrants brought with them their skill in languages, their knowledge and their fortunes. Soon Jews controlled much of the international trade in the eastern portion of the Mediterranean basin.
     The Jewish artisans quickly made a name for themselves as they introduced trade secrets brought from Spain. Soon gunpowder was introduced to the army and navy of the Ottoman Empire. There were also other armaments manufactured by Jews. (6)
     The Jews first settled in Constantinople, and rapidly that Jewish community grew to be the largest Jewish settlement in that part of the world. Soon it was rivaled and passed by Salonica, which because of Jewish enterprise, went on to become the greatest mercantile center of the Mediterranean.
     The Jews were thoroughly experienced in European languages and were quite familiar with conditions on the continent. Thus the Jews began to play a very important and even crucial role in international politics. One person to gain international prominence was Joseph Nasi. He was not only influential in the Ottoman Empire, but he was solicited by the powers of Europe as well. He was powerful enough in international politics that he was able to avenge the Jewish expulsion from Spain by encouraging the Netherlands to revolt. (7)

     As Roth states,

     The Jewish people must always remember the Turkish Empire with gratitude because,
     at one of the darkest hours of its history, when no alternative place of refuge was open
     and there seemed no chance of succor, Turkey flung open its doors widely and
     generously for the reception of the fugitives, and kept them open. (8)

     The obvious lesson of the Ottoman Empire is that when the Jewish people are received, blessing to the nation ensues. We see this pattern clearly repeated in other modern nations.

The Netherlands

     In 1497, Portugal followed the lead of Spain, and also expelled its Jewish population. These Portuguese Jews along with some of the dispersed Jews from Spain made their way to the Netherlands. These Jews were known as Marranos (a derogatory term for converts to Christianity). Again, as in the case of the Ottoman Empire, there were many merchants, industrialists, and scholars in this group, and the Netherlands was enriched by their coming.
     The Jews of the Netherlands, like their relatives in the Ottoman Empire, were very knowledgeable in languages, administration, and also in international relationships. They began to play an expanding role in the economy of the rising nation. (9)
     It seems very curious that the tiny Netherlands began about this time to explode into a worldwide commercial empire, even rivaling England. It became a great colonizing influence in the new world, far out of proportion to its size. Its centers of influence reached from New Amsterdam, Brazil and Guyana in the Americas to Africa, India and the Dutch East Indies.

     Martin Gilbert in his Jewish Historical Atlas, remarks:

     The most active period of Jewish commercial enterprise coincided with the widest
     expansion of the Dutch empire 1600-1700...Within two hundred years of their expulsion
     from Spain, the Jews who settled in Amsterdam had built up a trading empire on a scale
     previously unimaginable. Their successes made an important contribution to the golden
     age of Dutch commercial enterprise. (10)

     Amsterdam continued to become an established center of world trade. The city’s Jews held an important place as shareholders in the famous East India Company. The Jews also gained prominence in industries such as printing, sugar refining, tobacco, silk and diamonds. In time, the diamond industry became an exclusively Jewish one in the Netherlands. (11)
     Generations later, during the time of the Holocaust, many people in Holland stood by the Jews and sheltered them from the Nazis. A stroll down the Avenue of Righteous Gentiles at the Holocaust Museum in Israel reveals this. There are more memorials to citizens of Holland than any other nation.
     Today it seems that Jews, as well as Christians from Holland, make up an unusually large and influential representation in the land of Israel.

The US

     An outstanding example of Jewish influence for good has been seen in the United States. No doubt, because of its strong Puritan influence in the colonial period, the Jews were looked upon with admiration. The Puritans felt that "...the interests of the Gentiles themselves are bound up with God’s designs toward Israel." (12) The Puritans studied Hebrew and longed for the restoration of Zion.
     This warm feeling of the Puritans toward the Jews affected many areas within the rising nation. Even today, this influence can still be seen in the seals and insignias of the great early American universities, Columbia, Dartmouth and Yale. At the top of Columbia’s seal is the Tetragrammaton (four letter name of God) in Hebrew. Dartmouth displays the Hebrew "El Shaddai" the name of God. Yale’s seal is virtually covered with the biblical Hebrew words "Urim Ve-thummim" (Light and Truth). (13)
     Early American colonists began to name their children after biblical characters. Also their cities, such as Bethlehem and Salem, began to take on biblical names. Their preachers spoke often of Zion and their political leaders began to make pronouncements concerning the Jews.
     America’s initial warmness to the Jews soon paid rich dividends. This began to happen even by the time of the American Revolution. At that dark hour Washington’s troops were languishing in the cold and snow. To make matters worse, the new congress did not yet have power to raise taxes, so the war effort tottered on the brink of disaster.
     At this low ebb in American history, it was a Jew who stepped forward to rescue the nation. His name was Haym Salomon. A few years ago in 1975, the US Post Office issued a commemorative stamp in honor of this great but almost forgotten man. The stamp printed on front and back read:

     Financial Hero - Businessman and broker Haym Salomon was responsible for raising
     most of the money needed to finance the American Revolution and later to save the new
     nation from collapse.

     Salomon not only made loans to the new government, but he made them to several of its statesmen as well, like James Madison, Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe. Salomon loaned the government at least $600,000. Other estimates range as high as $800,000. The loans were never repaid to the Salomon heirs. Should they be repaid today with interest, these loans on the higher figure would come to over two and a half trillion dollars. (14)
     Haym Salomon, the Jewish immigrant to the colonies, was so devoted to his new adopted land that he invested all his fortunes in it. He died leaving his small family without financial means.
     As the doors of America were flung wide open to Jewish immigration in coming years, the nation was greatly blessed by the Jewish presence. Ironically, many other nations who had themselves persecuted the Jews, were also blessed from the overflow of Jewish blessings to America.
     In merchandising, names like Levi Strauss, Sears Roebuck, Gimbels and Macys eventually sprang up on the American scene. There was Edwin Land with his development of the instant Polaroid picture. There was Emile Berliner with his development of the Grammaphone, that made the modern recording industry possible. (15)
      In entertainment the Jew, David Sarnoff, was a pioneer in radio network broadcasting and founded the National Broadcasting Company. He went on to pioneer in television broadcasting and was later awarded the title "The Father of American Television" by the Television Broadcasters’ Association. (16) William S. Paley built the mighty Columbia Broadcasting System. "Between 1941 and 1945, CBS devoted over six thousand hours to war reports and dramatizations. For this Paley was awarded the Legion of Merit and the French Croix de Guerre." (17)
     In the field of movie entertainment there were names like Samuel Goldwyn, co-founder of MGM Studios, and Adolph Zukor, founder of Paramount Picture Corporation. Other Jewish names in the early movie industry are Louis B. Mayer, Lewis Selznick, William Fox and Marcus Loew.
     America and the world began to be soothed by the sweet music produced by its Jews. There was Irving Berlin who wrote what has been called the nation’s second national anthem, "God Bless America."

Irving Berlin watching auditions
at the St. James Theatre
(Wikipedia Commons)

     It may be a little embarrassing for some Christians to realize that the top-selling song of all times, "White Christmas" was written by Berlin, the Jewish composer. An additional embarrassment is that Berlin also wrote our most popular Easter, song entitled "Easter Parade." (18)
     The song of the old south, "Swanee" was written by the Jew, George Gershwin, and popularized by another Jew, Al Jolson. (19) There were Rogers and Hammerstein with their "Oklahoma," "Sound of Music," South Pacific," and "Carousel." America could also boast of greats like Benny Goodman, the "King of Swing." She could boast of great violinists like Jerome Kern and Fritz Kreisler. Americans and the world could enjoy the orchestral directing of Bruno Walter, Arthur Fiedler and Leonard Bernstein.
     Because of Jewish skill and learning, America was able to launch the world into the Nuclear Age. The brilliant physicist, Albert Einstein, helped convince the US President to launch the Manhattan Project, which ultimately brought about the development of the atomic bomb. It was the Jew, J. Robert Oppenheimer, who successfully directed this project. Another Jew, Edward Teller contributed greatly to the project, and later went on to develop the Hydrogen bomb. Later, the Jew, Hyman Rickover developed the Nautilus, the world’s first atomic powered submarine.
     Many of these Jewish discoverers and inventors agonized greatly over the potential for destruction in nuclear weapons. However, they consoled themselves that such weapons of mass destruction would possibly limit future wars. The discoveries in the nuclear field have spurred the peaceful usage of atomic energy and thus have blessed many nations.
     On the political and judicial scene in the US, many Jewish people have been outstanding. These names include New York Mayor LaGuardia, advisor to presidents, Bernard Baruch, Senators Abe Ribicoff, Jacob Javits, Rudy Boschwitz, Howard Metzenbaum and Barry Goldwater. They also include Secretary of State, Henry Kissinger and Chairman of the board of governors of the Federal Reserve System, Arthur Burns. There were the famous Supreme Court justices Benjamin Cardozo, Louis D. Brandeis and Felix Frankfurter. (20)
     America has truly been blessed by the presence of Jewish people in the nation!

JEWISH BLESSINGS TO THE WHOLE WORLD

     The Jews, at present, account for less than one percent of the earth’s population. Yet, they have had a profound effect upon modern civilization in all areas. The Jews have been responsible for the rise of the three great monotheistic religions in our world. Their thinkers like Einstein and Freud have had a great influence upon the modern era.
     It seems that in every age the Jews have had to acquire skills that were transportable. They never knew when they would be forced to leave a city or a country and flee to parts unknown. Thus the Jews have leaned heavily upon academic skills, including science, mathematics and medicine.
     This tendency among the Jews has brought great blessing to the nations. Although the Jews are such a tiny fraction of the earth’s population, from 1901 to 1990 they won an astonishing 22 percent of the Nobel Prize awards in science. (21) Their endeavors in the area of medicine are even more astonishing. (see inset)
     It is ironic that while the Jews have been generally treated as parasites by their host nations, they have nevertheless managed to bring blessings to their begrudging hosts as well as to the whole world.
     The Jews through history have provided the philosophers, musicians, scientists, physicians, financiers and statesmen to bless their host nations. Someone once said that other ancient peoples left only monuments but the Jews have left ideas. They seem to have done this wherever they have gone. These ideas have greatly influenced history.
     For instance, the great age of exploration in the fifteenth century, launched primarily by Spain and Portugal, was largely made possible by Jewish contributions. We must remember that ocean exploration was a frontier just as new in that day as space exploration is in our day.

     The Jews through the ages have been outstanding in many fields of science, mathematics and medicine (see inset). In Modern times the German mathematician, Karl Jacobi (1804-1851) developed the theory of elliptic functions. Georg Cantor (1845-1918), also of German origin, founded the theory of sets, and also the theory of transfinite numbers. He revolutionized the whole area of mathematics and is known as one of the greatest mathematicians of all time.
     Sir William Herschel (1738-1822) was one of the great astronomers of the modern era. He not only discovered the planet Uranus, but was the founder of modern stellar astronomy. Eugene Goldstein (1850-1930) is associated with the discovery of gamma rays. Austrian physicist Lise Meitner (1878-1968) shared in the discovery of nuclear fission, with her primary work being in the relationship between beta and gamma rays. Albert Michelson (1825-1919) established the speed of light. The paradoxical results of his experiments led to Einstein’s formulation of the general theory of relativity in 1916.
     Leo Arons (1860-1919) invented the mercury vapor lamp. Gabriel Lipman (1845-1921) developed color photography. Charles Gerhardt (1816-1857) was the developer of the molecular theory and also was first to make an effective classification of organic compounds.
     One of the many ironies of Jewish history occurred in Germany. That nation had produced an unusual amount of Jewish chemists. There was Adolf Frank (1834-1916) founder of Germany’s potash industry. Frank was also influential in developing the nitrogen fixation industry by forming calcium cyanide. There was Adolf von Bayer (1835-1917), who discovered the phthalein class of dyes and passed his patents to the giant I.G. Farben-industrie, which became infamous in the Holocaust. Lastly there was Fritz Haber (1868-1934), who developed the synthetic production of ammonia. This was a great benefit to Germany’s supply of nitrates for the war. For his efforts Haber was later exiled. Nevertheless, it was Jewish genius that formed a large basis of the German chemical industry, and it was particularly that industry which was used to destroy the Jews. (23)