End of a 2,700-Year Exile: Israel Marks 8 Million Shekels for Return of India’s Lost Tribe By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

End of a 2,700-Year Exile: Israel Marks 8 Million Shekels for Return of India’s Lost Tribe

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz May 26, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Thus saith the Lord GOD: I will even gather you from the peoples and assemble you out of the countries where ye have been scattered and I will give you the land of Yisrael.” Ezekiel 11:17 (The Israel Bible™)

MK Rabbi Dov Lipman and Israel Retruns Founder Michael Freund at Ben Gurion Airport together with the Bnei Menashe children who made Aliyah in 2014. (Photo: Nir Kafri)

It is truly a blessing to the nation when their tax dollars go towards bringing about a Biblical prophecy. This was the case when the Israeli government set aside eight million shekels to settle 712 members of the Bnei Menashe, a religious group from India which claims Jewish roots, in the Holy Land. The decision was reported in Israeli media on Sunday.

The Bnei Menashe tribe, which numbers around 9,000 members, last had contact with the Jewish people thousands of years ago, according to their oral history. They are distinct and separate from the community of Indian Jews known as Bnei Israel, who arrived in Israel in 1952. The Bnei Israel did not need to undergo conversion and genetic testing has recently substantiated their unbroken genealogical connection with Israel.

The Bnei Menashe live in northeast India, in an area situated between Myanmar and Bangladesh. Also known as the Shinlung, the Bnei Menashe have an oral tradition, passed down for 2,700 years, which describes how the Assyrians invaded the Northern Kingdom of Israel in 721 BCE and took them into slavery.

According to their tradition, they escaped slavery and fled to Persia, and then Afghanistan. The Bnei Menashe later migrated toward Hindu-Kush and Tibet, eventually reaching Kaifeng in East Central China around 240 BCE.

In 100 CE, the Bnei Menashe were expelled from China. Some fled down the Mekong River into Vietnam, the Philippines, Siam, Thailand and Malaysia. Others went to Burma and west to India.

The Bnei Menashe have always observed mitzvot (Torah commandments) and lived as Jews in every respect, and there are over 50 synagogues throughout northeastern India. Several hundred members of the community have already immigrated to Israel, and thousands more clamor to join them.

Israel’s Absorption Ministry gave responsibility for the aliyah and resettling of the 712 Bnei Menashe members to Shavei Israel, a non-profit outreach organization that helps people around the world who are descendants of Jews in order to strengthen their connection with Israel. Shavei will make arrangements with the local Indian government and fly the community from India to Israel. After the Indian Jews arrive, the organization will also be responsible for all aspects of their integration.

Michael Freund, founder and chairman of Shavei Israel, first heard of the Bnei Menashe 15 years ago when he was working as a deputy in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s communications office. Freund received a letter from the Bnei Menashe, claiming they were the long-lost descendants of the tribe of Menashe, and one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. They asked for his help in returning to the Promised Land.

Shavei Israel founder and director Michael Freund (Photo: Michael Freund, Facebook)

Though Israel is eager to help long-lost brethren return to their homeland, the absorption process is difficult and has not always been successful. Almost the entire population of Ethiopian Jews was brought to Israel in multiple airlifts, but their integration into Israeli society suffered serious shortcomings.

Freund explained the challenge of resettling long-lost Jews in Israel. “When we started Shavei, I saw the need for establishing a comprehensive absorption model together with the government,” Freund told Breaking Israel News.

“A lot of time and planning went into this model. We consulted with experts in the field and as a result, the Bnei Menashe are considered a model for success,” Freund explained. “All of the communities have asked for more immigrants from the group, and other communities have heard of the success of the program and have asked to take part.”

Over 3,000 Bnei Menashe and tens of thousands new immigrants from other communities have make aliyah to Israel, with the help of organizations like Shavei and the Israeli government.

The prophetic project has diplomatic implications, as it brings Israel and India even closer. In October last year, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called the Bnei Menashe a “living bridge between our two peoples” in his speech at the special Knesset session in honor of the president of India, Pranab Mukherjee.

Israeli Brewery Recreates Jesus-Era Beer From 2,000-Year-Old Recipe - Abra Forman BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Israeli Brewery Recreates Jesus-Era Beer From 2,000-Year-Old Recipe

By Abra Forman April 20, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Go thy way, eat thy bread with joy, and drink thy wine with a merry heart; for God hath already accepted thy works.” Ecclesiastes 9:7 (The Israel Bible™)

Using new technology and ancient grains, an Israeli brewer has managed to recreate the beer that Jesus and his contemporaries may have enjoyed 2,000 years ago.

The project began when Itai Gutman, the owner of Herzl Brewery, read an article about geneticists in Tel Aviv who had discovered the genome of an ancient strain of wheat grown and consumed in Israel during the era of Jesus. A “light bulb” lit up, said Gutman in a video posted by ILTV Israel Daily, and he contacted the researchers right away.

“Within a few days I had several kilograms of this material, we just started to process and eventually is this beer that we’re drinking,” he said.

He brewed a five-gallon batch of the beer, and was very surprised by the results, which included notes of honey and berries.

“The flavor was surprising. This is something that we never expected. We got kind of this red fruit, kind of a raspberry flavor, and there is no fruit additions into it and it’s only because of the grains we used,” Gutman explained.

The beer also has an unusually low alcohol content of only three percent (the average brew contains between four and six percent), which may explain why wine, and not beer, was the drink of the Bible. (Wine is about four times as potent, with an alcohol content between 12 and 14 percent).

However, while beer is not mentioned in the Bible, it was certainly present in ancient Israel. Beer was very popular in neighboring Egypt, and archeological finds prove that it made its way into northwards into Canaan. In 2015, an excavation in Tel Aviv turned up Egyptian beer-making vessels over 5,000 years old.

Interestingly, the fermenting process of the ancient Egyptian beer included fruit concentrates, indicating that the fruity flavor was popular across the region in ancient times.

“The historians, they say that beer is coming from around this area of the world, from the Middle East area, Mesopotamia and what was there back then,” related Gutman. According to the theory, he continued, Romans brought the beer to Europe, leaving wine as the main alcoholic beverage of choice in Israel.

Gutman and his friends have consumed most of the batch made from the 2,000-year-old-recipe. He has no plans to bottle or sell the beer, likely because of its strange taste, though there is little doubt that many would be interested in experiencing the unique flavor of Jesus-era beer.

Israeli brewery creates beer from the time of Jesus

2,000-Year-Old Bronze Artifacts Tied to Temple Unearthed Near Sea of Galilee By Michael Zeff - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

The incense shovel after having been cleaned in the Israel Antiquities Authority metallurgical laboratories. Photo: Clara Amit (Photo: Israel Antiquities Authority/TPS)

2,000-Year-Old Bronze Artifacts Tied to Temple Unearthed Near Sea of Galilee

By Michael Zeff April 6, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And Aaron shall burn thereon incense of sweet spices; every morning, when he dresseth the lamps, he shall burn it.” Exodus 30:7 (The Israel Bible™)

An ancient bronze shovel and jug tied to the religious rituals of the Second Temple were discovered in archaeological excavations at Magdala – an important Jewish town dating back to the period of Roman antiquity, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) announced on Tuesday, April 5.

During an ongoing excavation project, a group of volunteers from Chile discovered an ornate bronze incense shovel and a matching bronze jug believed to have stored incense or coals for ritual use.

“The incense shovel that was found is one of ten others that are known in the country from the Second Temple period. From early research it is thought that the incense shovel was only used for ritual purposes, for the embers and incense that were burnt in ritual ceremonies,” Dina Avshalom-Gorni, the Chief archaeologist on behalf of the IAA, told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).

The incense shovel as it was found in the excavation. ( Eyad Bisharat, Israel Antiquities Authority/MFA)

According to Avshalom-Gorni, incense shovels are known worldwide as ritualistic and religious implements in ancient religions, and their use has permeated into Judaism. The book of Exodus states: “You shall make the altar…you shall make pots for it to receive its ashes, and shovels and basins and forks and firepans; all its utensils you shall make of bronze,” a quote which ties these artifacts to the rituals of the Jewish Temple, at least symbolically.

“We know that these are certainly sacred tools, perhaps pertaining to the local synagogue discovered on this site, a synagogue which was quite grand and rich and important in the region,”  Avshalom-Gorni explained to TPS. “It’s a rare and exciting find.”

The site is located near the town of Migdal along the western shore of Sea of Galilee. Migdal, or Magdala as it was known by its Latin name, was a large Jewish fishing and trade town in the Early Roman period. It is mentioned in Jewish sources, and at the time of the destruction of the Second Temple it served as a main military base for the ancient Jewish historian and general Josephus.

Another famous denizen of the city, according to the Christian tradition, was the penitent prostitute Mary Magdalene—named for her birthplace Migdal.

The jug as it was discovered in the excavation. (Photo: Eyad Bisharat/Israel Antiquities Authority/TPS)

In recent years the IAA has been leading extensive excavations at the site, overseen by the archaeologists Dina Avshalom-Gorni and Arfan Najar, in partnership with the Anahuac University of Mexico’s Dr. Marcela Zapata-Meza and with the help of volunteers from Mexico, Chile, Spain and Italy.

“It is a very impressive site and is open to the general public. The land actually belongs to a private developer from the Catholic Church, who planned to build a hotel for pilgrims on that plot,” Avshalom-Gorni explained.

According to Israeli law, before approving construction on any building project in the country IAA experts must first survey the plot to assure it will not damage an archeological site.

The stone with the menorah symbol which was discovered in the synagogue at Magdala. (Photo: Yael Yulowich, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority/MFA)

“We began exploratory digs in 2009 and little by little it became evident to us and to the Catholic Church that we have discovered a major site which was dated to the exact time of the ministry of Jesus in the Galilee, and the home of Mary Magdalene,” she added.

The landowner then decided to turn the location into an open-air museum alongside the ongoing excavations, which continue to produce thrilling archaeological finds.

Hiker finds 2,000-year-old gold coin in northern Israel - THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

A 2,000-year-old coin featuring a portrait of the emperor 'Deified Augustus.' (Samuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)

Hiker finds 2,000-year-old gold coin in northern Israel

Only one other example of token honoring Emperor Augustus known to exist; finder turns it over to Antiques Authority

BY STUART WINER March 14, 2016  TIMES OF ISRAEL

READ MORE ON:  IAA Israel Antiquities Authority,  Emperor Trajan,  Emperor Augustus,  archaeology in Israel,  Galilee,  Roman EmpireWRITERS

Stuart WinerStuart Winer is a breaking news editor at The Times of Israel.

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A hiker recently found a 2,000-year-old Roman gold coin of which there is only known to be one other example, the Israel Antiquities Authority said Monday.

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The coin carries an image of the Emperor Augustus, founder of the Roman Empire, who ruled from 27 BCE until his death in 14 CE, and was minted by Emperor Trajan in 107 CE.

Only the British Museum in London has another coin like it, which, until the recent discovery, was thought to be the only one in the world.

Laurie Rimon, of Kibbutz Kfar Blum, was hiking with friends in the eastern Galilee in the north of country when the group arrived at an archaeological site. Rimon saw something shiny lying on the ground in the grass and, after picking it up, realized she was holding an ancient gold coin. The group contacted the IAA, which quickly sent a representative out to the location.

Laurie Rimon with a 2,000-year-old coin she found whilef hiking. (Samuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)

Danny Syon, a senior numismatist at the IAA, explained that Trajan ordered coins struck with images of previous Roman emperors to honor their memory.

“On the reverse we have the symbols of the Roman legions next to the name of the ruler Trajan, and on the obverse – instead of an image of the emperor Trajan, as was usually the case, there is the portrait of the emperor ‘Augustus Deified,’ Syon said. “This coin is part of a series of coins minted by Trajan as a tribute to the emperors that preceded him.”

“It was not easy parting with the coin,” Rimon admitted. “After all, it is not every day one discovers such an amazing object, but I hope I will see it displayed in a museum in the near future.”

Nir Distelfeld, an inspector with the IAA Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery, praised Rimon for turning over the coin.

“This is an extraordinarily remarkable and surprising discovery. I believe that soon, thanks to Laurie, the public will be able to enjoy this rare find.”

The IAA plans to reward Rimon’s honesty by presenting her with an official certificate in appreciation of her good citizenship.

Distelfeld urged members of the public who find ancient artifacts to contact the IAA immediately and arrange for a representative to meet them in the field so that the site of the find can be excavated.

“That way we can also gather the relevant archaeological and contextual information from the site,” he noted.

Symbols of the Roman legions next to the name of the ruler Trajan on a 2,000 year old gold coin found in northern Israel. (Samuel Magal, courtesy of the Israel Antiquities Authority)

According to Donald T. Ariel, head curator of the coin department at the IAA, “The coin may reflect the presence of the Roman army in the region some 2,000 years ago – possibly in the context of activity against Bar Kochba supporters in the Galilee – but it is very difficult to determine that on the basis of a single coin.”

Bar Kochba led an ultimately doomed Jewish rebellion against Roman rule in the land of Israel during 132-136 CE.

“Historical sources describing the period note that some Roman soldiers were paid a high salary of three gold coins, the equivalent of 75 silver coins, each payday. Because of their high monetary value soldiers were unable to purchase goods in the market with gold coins, as the merchants could not provide change for them,” Ariel said.

“While the bronze and silver coins of Emperor Trajan are common in the country, his gold coins are extremely rare,” he continued. “So far, only two other gold coins of this emperor have been registered in the State Treasures, one from Givat Shaul near Jerusalem, and the other from the Kiryat Gat region and the details on both of them are different to those that appear on the rare coin that Laurie found.”

Trajan was emperor from 98 CE until his death in 117 CE. During his reign the empire reached its greatest size and he sponsored construction projects whose remains can be seen to this day.

Archaeologists Find 2,500-Year-Old Evidence to Support Women's Rights in Israel - CBN NEWS

Archaeologists Find 2,500-Year-Old Evidence to Support Women's Rights in Israel

3/7/2016 CBN NEWS  charisma news

Israeli archaeologists recently discovered a rare 2,500-year-old seal during excavations inside the City of David. (CBN)

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Israeli archaeologists recently discovered a rare 2,500-year-old seal during excavations inside the City of David. 

What made the seal so significant is that it showed the woman who owned it had legal status, allowing her to conduct business and possess property.

"Finding seals that bear names from the time of the First Temple is hardly a commonplace occurrence, and finding a seal that belonged to a woman is an even rarer phenomenon," researchers said. 

The discovery affirms how the Bible looks at the role of women. 

The book of Proverbs (31:13-23) states that an ideal wife is responsible for providing for the needs of her household when her husband is engaged in public and legal affairs at the city gate: "She seeks wool and flax, and works with willing hands ... Her husband is known in the gates, when he sits among the elders of the land."

Archaeologist Yana Tchekhanovetes told CBN News about the discovery: 

"Inside this building as a result of very gentle work that includes sifting of the finds. Sifting of the airs in order to find all the tiny artifacts, we discovered among other stuff two Hebrew seals; one with the name of a man, Sa'aryahu ben Shabenyahu and another one with the name of a woman, Elihana bat Gael." 

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