On the road to St. George Monastery south of Jerusalem to Jericho, Israel

On the road to St. George Monastery 

south of Jerusalem to Jericho, Israel

in the Judean desert

(Photos by Steve Martin, in my Chevy Spark rental car)

May 4, 2017

'Ghost Churches' on Jordan River May Finally Be Reopened, But With an Explosive Caveat - ORI LEWIS/REUTERS CHARIMSA NEWS

The site where many believe John the Baptist baptized Jesus. (alicia bramlett/Flickr/CC)

'Ghost Churches' on Jordan River May Finally Be Reopened, But With an Explosive Caveat

1/18/2017 ORI LEWIS/REUTERS  CHARIMSA NEWS

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Ghost churches on the western bank of the Jordan River, near where Jesus is believed to have been baptized, could be reopened to pilgrims as part of a project to remove booby traps and land mines.

The river banks were once a war zone between Israel and Jordan and were littered with thousands of mines and unexploded ordnance. The two neighbors made peace in 1994, but it took many years before some mine-clearing began.

Both claim that the site where John the Baptist and Jesus met is on their side of the river. The Gospel of John refers to "Bethany beyond the Jordan" without further details.

In 2002, Jordan opened its site, showing remains of ancient churches and writings of pilgrims down the centuries to bolster its claim. UNESCO declared it a World Heritage Site in 2015.

The site in the Israeli-occupied West Bank opened in 2011 and has stairs for pilgrims to descend into the muddy river. It has more visitors than the Jordanian site but its churches, mostly built in the 1930s, has remained strictly off-limits.

The Halo Trust, a Scottish-based charity that has cleared minefields worldwide and was once sponsored by the late Princess Diana, is looking to raise $4 million to make western site safe.

It says it will need two years to clear the small churches along 100 hectares (247 acres) of land that belongs to the Roman Catholic and Eastern Orthodox churches, and that Israeli, Jordanian and Palestinian authorities support the endeavor.

The mined area is about a kilometer (half-mile) from the cleared area at Qasr al-Yahud where Christian pilgrims already flock to be baptized.

"Over 450,000 tourists from all over the world come to visit this site every year and Halo believes that after (the church area) is cleared and rebuilt, the local economy will benefit," Halo's West Bank project manager Ronen Shimoni told Reuters.

Christians are also baptized on the Jordanian side, where several churches from different denominations have been built in recent years to welcome pilgrims.

Qasr al-Yahud is near the Palestinian town of Jericho and about a 30-minute drive from Jerusalem.

Halo says some of the seven abandoned church buildings were boobytrapped by Israel after it captured the West Bank in a 1967 war, making the work for the group's team of 35 to 40 sappers, mainly from Georgia, more complex.

At the time, Israel planted the explosives to help secure its frontier against infiltration from Jordan.

"We are expecting to find around 4,500 targets. Most are anti-tank mines, but there are also anti-personnel mines and a few hundred unexploded ordnances, abandoned explosives, and improvised devices inside the churches," said Michael Heiman of Israel's Defense Ministry. 

© 2017 Thomson Reuters. All rights reserved.

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Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog - Why did the Russian Prime Minister just visit Jerusalem and Jericho?

New post on Joel C. Rosenberg's Blog Why did the Russian Prime Minister just visit Jerusalem and Jericho? Moscow is moving aggressively to fill the vacuum Obama created in the Middle East. by joelcrosenberg (Jericho, West Bank) -- Make no mistake: the Kremlin is not waiting for the Trump-Pence administration to staff up and figure out its policies in the epicenter. Russian President Vladimir Putin and Prime Minister Dmitri Medvedev are moving aggressively to meet with Middle Eastern leaders, court them, woo them, sell them weapons, sell them nuclear technology, and whisper in their ears that Moscow -- not Washington -- is the friend and ally they can trust over the long haul. Last week, just days after the stunning American elections, I arrived in Jericho to host a conference of Palestinian pastors and ministry leaders and their wives. As it happened, when my wife and I arrived at the hotel where the conference was to be held, we found it surrounded by heavily armed soldiers. There were new checkpoints on all the nearby roads. There were snipers on the roof. There were armed bodyguards everywhere, and the lobby was filled with dozens of advisors and protocol officers, standing around smoking cigarettes and drinking coffee. Why? Because Medvedev was on his way to meet with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas (aka, Abu Mazen). Over the course of several days, the two leaders discussed the future of Moscow's relationship with the Palestinians, and specifically the Kremlin's offer to host peace talks between Abbas and Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu. Abbas also used the occasion to name a street in Jericho after Medvedev to thank him for all the money the Kremlin has poured into the Palestinian Authority in recent years. Medvedev's first stop on this Mideast tour was in Israel where he met privately with Mr. Netanyahu. Officially, they marked the 25th anniversary of the establishment of formal diplomatic ties between Israel and the Russian Federation. But they also discussed Netanyahu's concerns about Russian military involvement in Syria, and the growing Iranian threat to the region, even as Moscow keeps selling Tehran nuclear technology and advanced military equipment. The Russian premier also met with Israeli President Reuven Rivlin (who himself recently visited Moscow). Medvedev also toured Yad Vashem, and visited the Western Wall. This was Medvedev's first state visit to Israel and the P.A. He was last here as a private citizen in 1990. So why did Medvedev decide to come to the epicenter now -- for the first time in two and a half decades -- and just hours after the American presidential elections? The answer is obvious: the Russians want to be the dominant global power in the Middle East. Putin and Medvedev see an enormous vacuum in the Middle East created by President Obama's steady and foolish retreat, and they are making all kinds of moves to fill that vacuum with Russian money, arms and technology before the next President decides exactly what U.S. foreign policy in the region will be. Consider just a few examples of Russian efforts in the region: Earlier this year, Russia agreed to loan Egypt $25 billion to build a nuclear reactor. Last year, Russia signed a $10 billion deal to build a nuclear reactor for Jordan. In August, Russian delivered its advanced S-300 air defense missile system to Iran. This month, Russia announced it may sell an additional $10 billion in arms -- notably tanks and fighter jets -- to Iran. In February, Iran announced it wanted to buy at least $8 billion in Russian arms. In January, Russia agreed to sell 46 attack helicopters to Egypt. In 2014, Russia signed $3.5 billion deal to sell arms to Egypt. Last week, Turkey indicated it wants to buy the state-of-the-art S-400 air defense missile system from Russia. President-elect Trump and Vice President-elect Pence have their work cut out for them. Russia is going to be the big global story in the coming years -- Putin is a Czar in the making, he's an imperialist, he's dangerous. It's not yet clear Trump sees the Russian threat clearly -- so it's going to be interesting to see who Trump brings onto his national security team. Pence sees the Russian challenge clearly. I've discussed it with him, and I'm confident he will offer the new President wise counsel. I'm also encouraged that Trump has asked Rep. Mike Pompeo to be the new Director of the Central Intelligence Agency. Pompeo also gets it. He's a West Point graduate, served honorably in the U.S. armed forces, sits on the House Intelligence Committee, and will bring a wealth of experience to the CIA. I had the opportunity to meet privately with Pompeo in his Capitol Hill office for an hour or so earlier this summer and was very impressed. He's a smart pick, and an encouraging one. Regarding General Mike Flynn, the incoming National Security Advisor, I don't know him personally, but am studying him carefully. We'll see who Trump picks to run State and Defense -- I'm praying they are leaders who truly see the Russian threat and are prepared to give the new President wise and thoughtful counsel. —————————– You can now pre-order my next novel — Without Warning — which will release on March 14, 2017. Click here for details. Order The First Hostage today — the new political thriller about genocidal ISIS leaders plotting a terrorist attacks against Israel, Jordan and the United States — available in paperback, hardcover, e-book and audio formats. Order THE THIRD TARGET today , the first in this new series — now out in paperback — the New York Times best-selling novel about ISIS capturing chemical weapons in Syria and plotting genocidal attacks on the U.S. and our Mideast allies. ———————-—- Subscribe (free) to the RSS feed (click here) and receive every new posting on this blog directly via email. Make an investment in The Joshua Fund (www.joshuafund.net), our non-profit organization to help Christians care for Syrian refugees, educate and mobilize Christians to bless Israel and her neighbors in the name of Jesus, care for the poor and needy in Israel (both Jews and Arabs) with food and other humanitarian relief, care for Holocaust survivors, and strengthen the Church in the epicenter. Read our latest Donor Report, and prayerfully consider making a tax deductible, secure, on-line contribution. Thanks so much! Follow on Twitter — @joelcrosenberg joelcrosenberg | November 21, 2016 at 3:00 pm | Categories: Epicenter | URL: http://wp.me/piWZ7-6d4

Will Biblical Mystery Site Gilgal Reveal its Secrets Before Palestinian Dump Destroys It? - Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

An aerial view of the mysterious Gilgal “foot” pattern. (Courtesy of Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)

Will Biblical Mystery Site Gilgal Reveal its Secrets Before Palestinian Dump Destroys It? [PHOTOS]

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz August 8, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Yericho. And those twelve stones, which they took out of the Jordan, did Yehoshua set up in Gilgal.” Joshua 4:20 (The Israel Bible™)

The true nature of Gilgal, a site that figures prominently throughout the Bible, remains a mystery. Five possible sites exist, but one of them is in danger of being destroyed before it can reveal its secrets. The site overlooking the Jordan Valley is endangered by a foreign-funded garbage dump serving the Palestinian Authority.

The Hebrew word “Gilgal” (a camp or stone-structure), is mentioned thirty-nine times in the Bible and clearly contains great significance. Despite being so prominently mentioned, the location of Biblical Gilgal is still undetermined.

Gilgal is described as serving several purposes in the Bible, usually referring to dividing the land between the tribes. Joshua was commanded to set up 12 stones as a monument in Gilgal east of Jericho, and the Jews who came out of the desert were circumcised there.

And the people came up out of the Jordan on the tenth day of the first month, and encamped in Gilgal, on the east border of Yericho. Joshua 4:19

One of the possible sites of Biblical Gilgal. (Courtesy of Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)

Another location given for Gilgal is near Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim, much further north than Jericho, seeming to indicate these are not the same place, though they share the name ‘Gilgal’.

Thou shalt set the blessing upon mount Gerizim, and the curse upon mount Ebal. Are they not beyond the Jordan, behind the way of the going down of the sun, in the land of the Canaanites that dwell in the Arabah, over against Gilgal, beside the terebinths of Moreh? Deuteronomy 11:29

One of the possible sites of Biblical Gilgal. (Courtesy of Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel)

Many auspicious events occur at Gilgal, including the crowning of both Saul and David. Elisha was established as a prophet there. But no specific location is ever given.

A unique theory by archaeologist Professor Adam Zertal of the University of Haifa may offer a different solution, one that explains why the location of Gilgal is left unclear in the Biblical text.

While excavating on Mount Arbel in the Galilee, Professor Zertal discovered what seemed to be the Altar of Joshua, something his professors at Tel Aviv University, a secular institution, had taught him never existed, instead promoting the belief that the Bible was not a valid source for archaeological studies. When he reached the conclusion that the site was undeniably the Biblical Altar of Joshua, Zertal was forced to reevaluate everything he had been taught.

Bible in hand, the non-religious Zertal set out to rediscover Israel. He was fascinated by several large stone-ringed enclosures in the Jordan valley. Zertal discovered five such stone enclosures in the Jordan valley and the hill country west of it. The discoveries led him to suggest that the Biblical term ‘Gilgal’ described, not a specific location, but a type of structure. for battle, and religious rituals. Zertal saw a direct connection between the distinctive “foot” shape of the Gilgal enclosures and the Biblical concept of taking ownership over a territory by walking on it.

Every place whereon the sole of your foot shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness, and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even unto the hinder sea shall be your border.” Deuteronomy 11:24

One of the Gilgal sites Zertal discovered is currently in danger of being destroyed by the construction of a Palestinian garbage dump. Though too far west to be the site ascribed to Joshua, it dates back to the Iron Age and is believed to have been first built in the 12th century BCE. The site is near the settlement of Rimonim, overlooking the Jordan Valley, about a 20-minute drive from Jerusalem.

The location of the endangered Gilgal site. (Google Maps)

The Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel has launched a campaign to protest the project. Ariel Filber, the Director for the Society in Judea and Samaria, explained the reasons for the protest to Breaking Israel News.

“The spot is about 200 meters from this Gilgal site. The heavy equipment, all the tractors that will work in building and servicing the site, they may inadvertently damage the Gilgal site,” Filber said. “It has happened before.”

“The site also stands on a fault that leads down into the valley,” Filber explained. “It is in danger of polluting the valley below, the city of Jericho and the Bedouin villages in between.”

The rare Gilboa Iris (Wikimedia Commons)

Construction of the dump would also endanger a rare flower, the Gilboa Iris, that grows only in the immediate area.

“The project is being financed by the Bank of Germany. The dump is substandard and wouldn’t be allowed in Europe or Israel,” Filber told Breaking Israel News. “Because it is Yehuda and Shomron (Judea and Samaria), it does not come under the civil authority, and so there is no civil authority to prevent it.”

The Society, in conjunction with Green Now, an Israeli environmental NGO, is organizing a protest rally at the site on Friday.

As important as Gilgal is to understanding our Biblical heritage, it remains a mystery to archaeologists. Only two of the five possible sites have been excavated by scientists. Tragically, this site is in danger of being pushed out of the way to create a mountain of garbage before it can reveal its secrets.

Why is Israel Cutting Power to Jericho? - Israel Today

Why is Israel Cutting Power to Jericho?

Thursday, March 31, 2016 |  Israel Today Staff

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Palestinians

Israel will no doubt be condemned by those failing to take the whole situation into account, but it has been compelled to cut power to the ancient city of Jericho over a massive unpaid electric bill.

The Palestinian Authority currently owes the Israel Electric Company over 1.7 billion shekels ($450 million).

In yet another effort to force the Palestinian leadership to pay up, power will be cut intermittently to Jericho in the coming days.

An Electric Company official was quoted by Israel National News as saying the Jericho power outage would be “open-ended.”

But Israel has tried in the past to get the Palestinian Authority to honor its debts, only to roundly condemned by the US State Department.

The episode just confirms for many Israelis why the two-state solution as it stands will not lead to peace. A Palestinian state will remain wholly dependent on Israel for even basic needs like electricity, but will fail to pay for those services, confident that the international community would never allow Israel to demand recompense.

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UN and US Demand Israel Return “Confiscated” Land by Abra Forman - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

The Judean plain. (Shutterstock)

UN and US Demand Israel Return “Confiscated” Land

By Abra Forman   BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS  March 16, 2016

“And the LORD appeared unto Avram, and said: ‘Unto thy seed will I give this Land’.” Genesis 12: (The Israel Bible™)

The US State Department spokesman and United Nations Secretary-General both released statements on Tuesday condemning Israel’s recent appropriation of about 600 acres of land in Judea, accusing the Jewish state of illegal settlement activity which the State Department said will “undermine the prospects for a two-state solution.”

“We strongly oppose any steps that accelerate settlement expansion, which raises serious questions about Israel’s long-term intentions,” State Department spokesman John Kirby said at a news briefing.

The UN’s Ban Ki-moon issued a similar statement through spokesman Stephane Dujarric, who declared, “Settlements are illegal under international law and the secretary-general urges the government of Israel to halt and reverse such actions in the interest of a just and comprehensive peace and a just final status agreement.”

The criticism came after Israel declared 234 hectares, or 580 acres, of West Bank territory to be state land. The area is located south of Jericho and close to the Dead Sea.

It is the largest land “confiscation” since 2014, when Israel declared 4,000 dunams of land in the Bethlehem area to be government property.

All of the “confiscated” lands are located within the Biblical borders of Israel, which stretched east to west from the Dead Sea to the Mediterranean. However, these are not boundaries respected by international law.

In a report by Peace Now, a leftist Israeli NGO, on the “land grab”, the organization said that Israel’s intention was to prevent Palestinian expansion and build up Jewish settlements in the area.

“Control over this area is meant to split the West Bank in half and prevent the possibility to establish a viable and contiguous Palestinian State,” read the report, which also stated that the declaration of appropriation had been made and signed during US Vice President Joe Biden’s Israel visit on March 10.

Issues of building in the so-called settlements – Jewish communities located in Judea, Samaria and the Golan – have loomed large in Israel’s relations with the US, which has repeatedly condemned such expansion and urged Israel to freeze construction in the settlements.

The position of the US, the UN and other international bodies is that the freezing of settlements is necessary to make peace in the region, which they believe can be reached through the implementation of a two-state solution.

Israel, however, does not see the settlement issue as the main obstacle to peace, pointing instead to the fact that though the PA has been offered many generous deals, it has rejected all of them.

Most recently, the PA refused a deal which would give it security control over much of the West Bank, incorporating all of Area A, which includes most large Palestinian cities and villages. The IDF will continue to operate in the area as usual.

Dutch Sheets: We Must Trust God and Not Ourselves - CHARISMA MAGAZINE

Dutch Sheets: We Must Trust God and Not Ourselves

1/21/2016 DUTCH SHEETS  charisma magazine

Join us on our new podcast each weekday for an interesting story, well told, from Charisma News. Listen at charismapodcastnetwork.com.

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The new year is such a wonderful time, offering us the opportunity to look back on the road we've walked, and then dream with God to set bigger goals and tread higher ground. With the closing of 2015, troubles abound in our nation and abroad; even so, some still find themselves joyfully celebrating great victories in the Lord.

God has blessed us with His goodness and hope for what lies ahead. While reflecting upon these things, the Lord reminds me of a paramount principle He long ago seared upon my heart. It is a fundamental truth that can help us stay in God's will and fulfill His intended purpose for our life.

Horses and Chariots

When an alliance of enemy armies threatened Joshua and the people of Israel in their quest to possess the land promised to them, God encouraged them not to be afraid, promising to deliver the enemy into their hands. But the assurance of victory was accompanied by a set of critical instructions for maintaining their success. The Lord told them to hamstring the horses and burn the chariots they had acquired as spoils of war (Josh. 11:6).

To hamstring a horse is to cut a particular tendon so as not to kill or completely maim the horse, but certainly render it useless for engaging in battle or pulling chariots of war. Disabling the horses and destroying the chariots was God's way of ensuring Israel would not become self-sufficient and dependent on their own military strength and ability for winning future battles. Instead, they would be reminded to trust Him.

The Lord set this safeguard in place because there was a tendency among the people of Israel, as there is within all of us, to lean on Him in times of great need, yet fall back on our own abilities and strengths when our struggles wane. Psalm 106 illustrates this unfortunate truth. After God so powerfully delivered Israel from slavery, they quickly forgot His miraculous works and did not seek His counsel (verse 13).

History repeated itself after Israel's conquest of Jericho when they set out to take Ai, a small and seemingly weak city. Having become overconfident and self-sufficient after miraculously winning the battle at Jericho, they did not seek the Lord's counsel for taking Ai. Attempting to go against the enemy in their own strength and ability, they suffered a most humiliating defeat.

Friends, especially after we've experienced times of great success, breakthrough, or promotion, we cannot forget our source of strength! We must rely on the Lord even more, with all the "more" He entrusts to us.

Lean on the Lord

In this season, God is attempting to give us a greater understanding of His authority and strength for breakthrough in our personal lives and family, for all of our labors, and for this nation as a whole. But we won't grasp the concept of operating successfully in God's delegated authority if, even unconsciously, there is any form of self-sufficiency in us. We must recognize that each day we need God's wisdom for our decisions and His strength for everything we undertake.

There are times in life when we are traveling upon what seems to be familiar ground. In those instances, it is important that one not give place to presumptuous self-sufficiency with a "been there, done that" mentality. Even in the seemingly easy times, we must be careful to heed the words of Proverbs 3:5-8:

"Trust in the Lord with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will direct your paths. Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the Lord and depart from evil. It will be health to your body, and strength to your bones" (MEV).

Boast in the Lord

There are other times when the Lord will take us into situations where we feel a degree of intimidation, facing challenges that seem beyond our natural abilities. Following the example of the apostle Paul, we go to the Lord and say, "Lord, I want to glory in my weakness, because You then can be strong in me" (2 Cor. 10:17, 12:10; Ps. 20:7; Joel 3:10b).

Our greatest asset can be our area of weakness if we allow it to drive us to God, His vast wisdom, His limitless ability and His magnificent strength, rather than trust in our own.

"Thus says the LORD, 'Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, and let not the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches; but let him who glories glory in this, that he understands and knows Me, that I am the Lord who exercises lovingkindness, justice, and righteousness in the earth. For in these things I delight, says the Lord.'" (Jer. 9:23-24, MEV).

"But the people who know their God will be strong and take action. The wise among the people shall instruct many" (Dan. 11:32-33).

The Lord desires to accomplish great exploits through those who take time to know Him intimately and hear what's on His heart. He will cause them to rise up in great strength and take bold, strategic action that leads from victory to victory, bringing glory to His name.

New Strength for the New Year

Let's make this simple yet vital principle our plumb line for moving into the New Year: Trust God, not ourselves. In doing so, we won't forget the Lord after witnessing great miracles. We won't let our guard down or act in presumption after experiencing victory. And we won't become like a weakened Samson who awakened from sleep thinking, "I will shake myself free and overthrow my enemies as I've always done," not realizing that the Lord had departed from him (Judg. 16:20). 

In this new year, God is releasing grace to trust Him more. Lean into it, take hold of it. As you strengthen yourself in the Lord, He will add strength to your abilities and release creative thoughts, wise solutions, divine appointments, great favor, good contracts and timely sales. Struggling ministries will soar in God's strength and families in need of help will experience breakthrough. The Lord will even bring good from your past defeats.

In this coming year, let's work hard and be diligent, being mindful of His faithfulness, and look to Him for all we need. My friend, put your trust in Him!

Dutch Sheets is an internationally recognized author, teacher and conference speaker. He travels extensively, empowering believers for passionate prayer and societal transformation. Dutch has pastored, taught in several colleges and seminaries, and served on the board of directors of numerous organizations. Dutch's greatest passion is to see America experience a sweeping revival and return to its godly heritage. He is a messenger of hope for America, encouraging believers to contend for awakening in our day and reformation in our lifetime. Dutch has written over 20 books, many of which have been translated into over 30 languages. Please visit dutchsheets.org.

For the original article, visit elijahlist.com.

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