Archeologists Uncover Byzantine Era Monastery in Israel - Julie Stahl CBN News

Archeologists Uncover Byzantine Era Monastery in Israel

01-25-2016

CBN News

ROSH HA'AYIN, Israel – Israel's growing construction sites have uncovered some ancient treasures in unlikely places.

Before any construction work begins, the Israel Antiquities Authority conducts what it calls a salvage excavation. In Israel's central plains, a building boom dots the skyline with cranes in places like Rosh Ha'ayin.

"We started digging here and we didn't know what we are going find," excavation director Amit Shadman told CBN News. "But after three months we exposed a pretty nice and large monastery."

The discovery of many impressive rural churches and monasteries in the area show that Christianity spread rapidly around the fifth century.

  

The Byzantine church is paved with a colorful mosaic, but Shadman says the most important find is the Greek inscription at the entrance.

"It's exactly the same as it is today," he explained. "People want to know that they gave the money, and you have to understand that it's very expensive to build a complex like this."

The inscription reads, "This place was built under Theodosius, the priest. Peace be with you when you come. Peace be with you when you go. Amen." It's the equivalent of a donors' plaque in a modern building.

Up to 30 monks would have lived at the compound. Shadman believes they were also farmers.

Archeologists uncovered living quarters, stables and an olive oil press, which he says would not have been built without the help of the church.

"The main thing of this monastery is to take care of the rural area," Shadman said.

The IAA team also uncovered an even older structure nearby: a 2,700-year-old farm house.

"This area from the beginning was used for farming and for agriculture," Shadman continued.

Sometimes archaeologists must move the antiquities and they often rebury them. But this ancient monastery and farmstead are slated to become part of a park.

"I can tell you that this site, we're not going to destroy it," Shadman said. "We will plan to keep it and leave it like a green area."

Watch report here: CBN News video - Monastery discovered in Israel

Iran, Gay Rights Shadow Pope Francis' Historic US Tour

Pope Francis

Iran, Gay Rights Shadow Pope Francis' Historic US Tour

By Caitlin Burke

CBN News Reporter

Wednesday, September 23, 2015

Pope Francis began his historic U.S. trip this week, with thousands turning out to see him in the nation's capital. Upon his arrival Tuesday, he was greeted by the first family and then taken to the Vatican embassy.

He is now the fourth head of the Catholic Church to visit the United States. While Pope Francis and the current administration have many areas of common ground, he could bring up some sensitive political topics, like the Iran nuclear agreement and the relationship between the U.S. and Cuba.

The pope's first full day in the U.S. includes a visit to the White House.

The Wall Street Journal reports the Vatican has objected to some of the guests the Obama administration has invited, including transgender activists, an openly gay Episcopal bishop and a pro-abortion nun.

"It's something that we see he's trying to push his own political agenda and the Vatican of course found this offensive and really the pope doesn't want to be used as a political tool for the Obama administration," Arina Grossu, director of the Center for Human Dignity at Family Research Council, said.

Franklin Graham also took exception to the president's actions.

"Is there no end to the lengths the president will go to in order to push his sinful agenda?" he said in a Facebook post.

After his meetings at the White House, the pope will take part in a parade through the National Mall. Later in the day, he'll hold a canonization at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

On Thursday, will come one of the biggest events of the pope's visit to the U.S. - a speech to a joint session of Congress where he'll be talking about climate change.

10 Ways to Pray for Muslims for the Next 5 Days

10 Ways to Pray for Muslims for the Next 5 Days

By Caitlin Burke

CBN News Reporter

Tuesday, September 22, 2015

More than 2 million Muslims began the annual hajj pilgrimage, Tuesday, in Mecca, Saudi Arabia.

The hajj consists of five intense days of ritual and prayer in Islam's holiest city. The pilgrimage to Mecca is among the five main pillars of Islam and must be carried out by every adult Muslim who is physically and financially able, at least once in their lives.

By performing the hajj, pilgrims believe the series of rituals and prayers will erase their past sins. Muslims believe the hajj traces the paths of the Prophets Abraham, Ishmael and Mohammed.

During the hajj, many Christian organizations are encouraging people to pray for the Muslims in Mecca.

Missionary David Garrison told CBN News there are already a huge number of Muslims coming to Christ in the Islamic world.

"There's never been a time of greater conflict between the house of Islam and the West," Garrison said. "And yet, at this very time is when the Holy Spirit is drawing Muslims to faith in Christ. What I hope is simply that brothers and sisters around the world, who recognize the work of the Holy Spirit, would see that this is our moment to be loving and kind and witnessing and praying for Muslims, because God is in fact doing a great work, in our day."

The ministry organization Christar published an article educating Christians on what's taking place each day of the hajj. They have suggested a different prayer for each specific day.

Day One:
Participants wash and put on plain white garments that represent the equality of all pilgrims. They travel to the tent city of Mina, where they spend the night.

1. Pray that the spiritual focus of this time will cause many Muslims to think about what they believe.

2. Ask God to bring believers into the lives of those who take part in the hajj this year.

Day Two:
Pilgrims continue to Arafat, where they stand or sit from noon to sunset, invoking Allah for mercy and seeking forgiveness for sins.

3. Pray that Muslims will experience the true forgiveness that is available through Christ alone.

At sunset, pilgrims leave for Muzdalifah, where they spend the night under the open sky.

4. As many pilgrims stay up all night to pray, ask God to reveal Himself to them.

Day Three:
Pilgrims take part in the "stoning of the devil," throwing seven stones at a wall representing Satan. Muslims believe that Abraham threw stones at the devil to resist the temptation to sacrifice his son Ishmael.

5. Pray that Muslims will be delivered from Satan's lies.

Men shave their heads or cut their hair, while women cut the ends of their hair, as a sign of humility and purity.

6. Pray that many Muslims will understand that true purity is possible only through Christ.

Pilgrims slaughter an acceptable animal or pay to have an animal sacrificed in their name.

7. Pray that many Muslims will understand that Jesus, the true Lamb, died as a substitutionary sacrifice for sin.

Pilgrims circle the Kaaba (a cube-shaped building at the center of the most sacred mosque in Mecca) seven times, and run or walk seven times through tunnels between the hills of Safa and Marwah.

8. Pray that God would show many pilgrims that works and rituals cannot save them.

Day Four:
Pilgrims "stone the devil" again by throwing stones at each of the three walls. This ritual also symbolizes the repudiation of a person's own "internal despot," or low desires and wishes.

9 Pray that many Muslims will realize that they are unable to turn from sin on their own.

Day Five:
After a final stoning of the walls, pilgrims return to Mecca for a farewell circuit around the Kaaba, and the pilgrimage is over.

10. Ask God to open the eyes of Muslims to see that we are born in sin, and that salvation is a free gift, not something we can obtain by works.

#WomenBetrayed: Anti-Planned Parenthood Fury Spreads

#WomenBetrayed: Anti-Planned Parenthood Fury Spreads

By Caitlin Burke

CBN News Reporter

Tuesday, July 28, 2015

From protests in America's streets to the halls of Congress, cries to defund Planned Parenthood are growing.

"There's no reason for Planned Parenthood to get any federal money, and basically the things they're doing are unacceptable to a vast majority of people prolife or pro-choice," Rep. Rand Paul, R-Ky., said.

The outcry comes as the prolife group Center for Medical Progress released a third video Tuesday, called Planned Parenthood's Black Market in Baby Parts."

It follows on the heels of two earlier videos by CMP showing top Planned Parenthood officials haggling over the cost of the body parts of aborted babies.

Meanwhile, the nation's largest abortion provider is defending itself, saying the footage in question has been "highly selectively edited."

"The folks behind this, in fact, are part of the most militant wing of the anti-abortion movement that has been behind, you know, the bombing of clinics, the murder of doctors in their homes, and in their churches. And that's what actually needs to be looked at," Planned Parenthood President Cicile Richards said.

Republican presidential hopeful Carly Fiorina said that's no defense, and far from the actual issue.

"This has nothing to do with whether you're prolife or pro-choice," Fiorina said. "This has to do with the moral foundation of our nation."

"If a woman was sitting outside of Planned Parenthood in, for example, her OBGYN's office looking at this ultrasound at precisely the same point in her pregnancy, her doctor would be saying, 'Look at your baby; look at its heart beat; look at its fingers and toes.'"

Under increased scrutiny, it appears Planned Parenthood may also be misrepresenting sponsorship.

Some of the biggest companies they have listed as corporate sponsors deny any association to the abortion provider, according to a Fox News report. Among those companies are Coca-Cola, Ford, and Xerox.

As the controversy continues to grow, protests are planned in more than 50 cities Tuesday.

Demonstrators will be marching under the banner #WomenBetrayed, and will be urging people to demand their states investigate, prosecute, and defund Planned Parenthood.

Watch CMP's latest video on Planned Parenthood below. WARNING: Some of the footage is disturbing: