Israeli Chief Rabbi's Car Stoned by Palestinians - ISRAEL TODAY

Israeli Chief Rabbi's Car Stoned by Palestinians

Tuesday, October 20, 2015 |  Ryan Jones  ISRAEL TODAY

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Israel’s Sephardic Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef, visited Joseph’s Tomb on the outskirts of biblical Shechem (now known as Nablus) on Sunday evening to examine damage caused to the holy site the week prior by Palestinian rioters.

Yosef told Jewish Orthodox media that “what happened here is simply the actions of ISIS. What [kind of] people can destroy such a holy place? We, the Jewish Nation, guard their sacred sites, and their mosques, and they without shame treat such a holy place as Joseph’s Tomb this way?”

Joseph’s Tomb, the traditional burial place of the biblical patriarch and a prominent site of Jewish worship, was severely damaged by a fire set by a Palestinian mob late last week. Various reports suggest Palestinian Authority police not only did little to stop the destruction, but actually participated.

It wouldn’t be the first time the Palestinians had damaged and destroyed Joseph’s Tomb, which Israeli Jews are permitted to continue visiting under the currently signed peace agreements.

As the chief rabbi was leaving the site, he and his escort were set upon by a Palestinian stone-throwers. Yosef and his people were unharmed, but damage was sustained by several of the vehicles.

Amazingly, almost none of this was deemed newsworthy by the mainstream international media. One can only imagine the headlines if Jews burned a prominent Muslim holy site and then stoned one of the world’s leading imams when he came to inspect the damage.

PHOTO: A Palestinian mob destroys Joseph’s Tomb at the start of the Second Intifada in 2000 (Flash90)

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Love For His People Editor's Note: Thanks for sharing the truth, ISRAEL TODAY and Ryan Jones. Glad to have met you in 2013 at your Jerusalem office. I hope to see you again in May, 2016. 

Steve Martin, Founder

Why Christians Should Care about the Attack on Joseph's Tomb

Why Christians Should Care about the Attack on Joseph's Tomb

By John Waage

CBN News Sr. Editor

Saturday, October 17, 2015

As a prelude to another so-called "day of rage" in Palestinian controlled areas, Palestinian youths in the late hours Thursday torched Joseph's Tomb near the city of Nablus, which is biblical Shechem in Samaria. They inflicted heavy damage to the site.

This is just the latest in a series attacks against one of the most revered sites in the Jewish faith, and it should also mean a great deal to Christians as well.

Christians have strong ties to Israel and the Jewish people. Dr. Cornelius Bekker is the chair of biblical studies at the College of Arts and Sciences at Regent University. He explains this eternal relationship. Click play to watch.

Three times in scripture, Joseph's resting place is mentioned, adding to the significance in the Lord's eyes.

In Genesis 50, when Joseph is about to die after risiing to the highest level of authority in Egypt, he told his brothers, "I am about to die. But God will surely come to your aid and take you up out of this land He promised on oath to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob."

Genesis 50 continues: "And Joseph made the sons of Israel swear an oath and said, 'God will surely come to your aid, and then you must carry my bones up from this place.'"

The book of Exodus records that Moses fulfilled that oath when the Israelites left Egypt for the Promised Land, and Joseph's bones were brought to Shechem.

In the New Testament book of Hebrews, the renowned chapter 11 describes the great acts of faith of the patriarchs and includes Joseph.

"By faith Joseph, when his end was near, spoke about the exodus of the Israelites from Egypt and gave instructions about his bones."

The desecration of Joseph's Tomb is not an event to be taken lightly in the spiritual realm, and it should be widely condemned worldwide. This is only the latest in a number of attacks, not only on the site itself, but on faithful Jews who come to pay homage there.

Palestinian Chairman Mahmoud Abbas is largely responsible for sustaining an environment of overt hostility to the Jewish people and to the history held sacred by Jews.

To his credit, he condemned this attack and said the Palestinians would help rebuild it.

The next step for Abbas and for Western leaders in Washington and European capitals, as well as at the United Nations, is to consistenty condemn such acts and to shine a light on the celebration of hatred for Jews in the education and media systems of the Palestinian Authority and Hamas.

That is what creates a climate of rage that sends a generation out to destroy sacred places.

That is not something that the "peace process" can solve. No amount of Israeli territorial concessions in places such as Joseph's Tomb will quell such acts of destruction.

Watch here: Joseph's Tomb Torched

Palestinian rioters set fire to Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus - TIMES OF ISRAEL

Palestinian rioters set fire to Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus

PA forces douse the flames and disperse some hundred rioters, who caused heavy damage to the West Bank holy site

BY TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF October 16, 2015, 4:54 am

Screenshot from the fire started by Palestinian rioters at Joseph's Tomb in Nablus, in the West Bank, on October 16, 2015.

The Walla website also reported that PA security forces had brought the fire under control and dispersed the rioters. The blaze caused major damage to the women’s section at the site, the website said.

There were no reports of any injuries in the incident, which followed a day of relative calm in Israel and the West Bank after weeks of deadly Palestinian terror attacks and clashes.

A large group of Palestinians set fire to the compound containing Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus.

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Channel 2 television said Palestinian Authority security forces dispersed the hundred-strong crowd and managed to douse the fire at the tomb, believed to contain the remains of the biblical patriarch Joseph. Israel Defense Forces troops arrived at the scene once the confrontation was over and the fire was out, the television station reported.

“The burning and desecration of Joseph’s Tomb last night is a blatant violation and contradiction of the basic value of freedom of worship. The IDF will take all measures to bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice, restore the site to its previous condition and ensure that the freedom of worship returns to Joseph’s Tomb,” IDF Spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said in a statement Friday morning.

Israel has bolstered its troop presence in Jerusalem and the West Bank in the wake of the violence. As in previous weeks, only women, of all ages, and men over the age of 40 will be allowed to enter the flashpoint Temple Mount for Friday prayers at the Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Watch videos: Torching of Joseph's Tomb - TIMES OF ISRAEL

Joseph's Tomb torched - Foreign Ministry: Only Israel can protect holy sites - THE TIMES OF ISRAEL

Foreign Ministry: Only Israel can protect holy sites

Dore Gold says Palestinian attack on Joseph’s Tomb recalls actions of extremist Muslims from Afghanistan to Libya; rightists call to retake control of sacred shrine

BY TIMES OF ISRAEL STAFF October 16, 2015, 11:45 am

Jews at prayer in Joseph's Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus as IDF soldiers stand guard. (Abir Sultan/Flash90)

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Israel’s Foreign Ministry on Friday morning criticized the torching of the compound containing Joseph’s Tomb in the West Bank city of Nablus by some 100 Palestinian youth, charging that the act showed that only Israeli could protect religious sites.

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Foreign Ministry Director General Dore Gold said the incident proved that “only Israel can protect the holy places of all religions in Jerusalem.”

“The Palestinian attack on Joseph’s Tomb recalls the actions of extremist Muslim groups from Afghanistan to Libya,” he said in a statement.

“Israel condemns in no uncertain terms the harm to Joseph’s Tomb committed for the sole reason that it is a place where Jews pray. The torching of Joseph’s Tomb clearly demonstrates what would happen to the holy places in Jerusalem if they were placed in the hands of the Palestinian leadership.”

Screenshot from the fire started by Palestinian rioters at Joseph’s Tomb in Nablus, in the West Bank, on October 16, 2015.

Earlier, a right-wing minister and the head of a settlement council groupcalled for Israel to retake control of the shrine, believed to be the burial place of the biblical patriarch.

“We saw, in great pain, the difficult pictures from Joseph’s Tomb and are shocked at the harm done to a place holy to the Jewish people,” Avi Roeh, chairman of the Yesha Council settlement advocacy group, said in a statement Friday morning.

“It turns out yet again that there is no alternative to Israeli sovereignty when it comes to protecting holy sites. We demand the return of Israeli control at the site, and opening it to Jewish worship on a permanent basis,” he added.

Agriculture Minister Uri Ariel, of the Jewish Home party, echoed the call, and blamed “Palestinian incitement” for the incident.

Uri Ariel (Flash90)

“Torching one of the places holy to the Jewish people is a new low, and a result of Palestinian incitement. While the Palestinians brazenly lie about us harming the status quo on the Temple Mount, they go out and burn and desecrate the sacred places of Israel, and that won’t be forgiven,” he said in a Facebook post, adding, “I call on the prime minister to return control of Joseph’s Tomb to Israel.”

Avigdor Liberman, former foreign minister and head of the right-wing party Yisrael Beytenu, also chimed in on the incident, declaring that the arson showed that the Palestinian Authority was no different than the Islamic State.

“Palestinian youths are torching sacred and historical sites, just like Daesh [the Arabic acronym for the Islamic State] has done in Syria and Iraq.

“Abu Mazen [Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas] was not and will not be a partner for peace,” he added.

The center-left Zionist Union party, meanwhile, also blasted the incident, calling it a “despicable act” by those who are “trying to add fuel to the fire.”

According to Channel 10, Palestinian officials reportedly told their Israeli counterparts — in a phone conversation this morning — that the Palestinians will repair the damage caused to the shrine.

PA security forces had brought the fire under control and dispersed the rioters, according to Walla news. The blaze caused major damage to the women’s section at the site, the website said.

The Israel Defense Forces has also announced that it will make the necessary repairs in order to allow worshipers to continue visiting the holy site.

“The burning and desecration of Joseph’s Tomb overnight is a blatant violation and contradiction of the basic value of freedom of worship. The IDF will take all measures to bring the perpetrators of this despicable act to justice, restore the site to its previous condition and ensure that freedom of worship returns to Joseph’s Tomb,” IDF spokesman Lt. Col. Peter Lerner said.

The incident came after several weeks of deadly unrest including a wave of near-daily terror attacks that have claimed the lives of eight Israelis since the beginning of this month. In addition, several dozen Israelis have been wounded in the attacks.

Israel was also bracing for a “Day of Rage” Friday across the West Bank and East Jerusalem, which was announced by Hamas on Thursday.

Demonstrations were planned in several West Bank cities, including Ramallah, Nablus, Hebron and Bethlehem, and police were on high alert in Jerusalem for possible riots after Friday prayers on the Temple Mount.

Spiritual and Physical Battle Over Joseph’s Tomb Pivotal Element in Final Divine Deliverance

By Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz September 1, 2015 BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Now Jacob came safely to the city of Shechem, which is in the land of Canaan, when he came from Paddan-aram, and camped before the city. He bought the piece of land where he had pitched his tent from the hand of the sons of Hamor, Shechem’s father, for one hundred pieces of money. Then he erected there an altar and called it El-Elohe-Israel.” (Genesis 33:18-20)

Palestinian burn Joseph’s Tomb on October 17, 2000. (Photo: Abed Omar Qusini/Flash90)

A terrorist plot to kill Jews at the site of Joseph’s Tomb near Nablus was recently uncovered by Israeli Security Forces. Aside from the physical ramifications of the threat, the Biblical implications of an attack on such a significant holy site plays an important role in the present stage of the Messianic process.

The Biblical personality of Joseph is an integral part of the messianic process. According to Jewish tradition, there are two aspects of the Messiah: the Messiah from the House of David and the Messiah from the House of Joseph. Writing on Aish.com, Rabbi Pinchas Winston explains why the battle raging right now for Joseph’s Tomb is a crucial element for the unfolding of the ultimate redemption.

“The Talmud points out (Succah 52a), there are meant to be two Messiahs – redeemers of Israel. The first one, according to tradition, will descend from the line of Joseph, and die in battle, while paving the way for the final Messiah, who will descend from the line of David.”

In a previous Breaking Israel News article, it was explained how each day of creation corresponds to a millenia. According to the Hebrew calendar, we are now in the year 5775. Rabbi Winston teaches that, according to Jewish mystical teachings, Joseph corresponds to the years 5000-6000 in the Hebrew calendar. Further, Joseph is connected to the Godly attribute of Yesod, meaning foundation.

Our present era, the era before the final redemption, is divinely connected to creating the foundation on which the Messiah will arrive. Spiritually, the current millennia of the Jewish calendar is linked to Joseph.

The Zohar (Vayakhel 220a) teaches that the area around Joseph’s Tomb will be the first to be destroyed in the war of Gog and Magog, and will therefore be the first to see the resurrection of the dead, which will then spread to the rest of the world.

In yet another startling connection between the redemption and Joseph’s Tomb, Rabbi Winston explains how the name Shechem plays a role in the coming of the Messiah. The name Shechem (שכם) is composed of the word Shem, a euphemism for God’s name, separated by the letter Kaf, which symbolizes intellectual blindness. The Talmud (Sanhedrin 97a) teaches that when falsehood rules the minds of men, this is actually one of the signs that Messiah is not too far away.

The site is holy to Jews as it is the grave-site of Joseph and his two sons, Menashe and Ephraim. Joseph died in Egypt but his bones were brought out from Egypt when the Children of Israel left during the Exodus (Joshua 24:32). Joseph and his sons were buried in Shechem in a parcel of land purchased by the Jews.

Jews recite prayers in Joseph’s Tomb in the city of Nablus on Feb 25, 2010. (Photo: Abir Sultan/Flash 90)

Joseph’s Tomb has been under the jurisdiction of the Palestinian Authority since 1995 as part of the Oslo Accords. Jews are only allowed access to the holy site once per month in specially coordinate visits with Israeli security officials. Despite heavy security, attacks are not uncommon and have resulted in bloodshed and death.

Palestinian violence at Joseph’s Tomb is not in response to any constant Israeli military presence or attempts to establish a Jewish presence there. Palestinian rioters object to Jewish prayer at the site, going so far as to burn the building to the ground in 2000, claiming it was better to destroy the tomb rather than to allow any other religion access to it.

The importance of Joseph’s Tomb to Islam is unclear. In 2008, PA President Mahmoud Abbas declared the site holy to Islam, though he did not cite any source or reason. The actions of the Muslims have prevented anyone, including themselves, from praying there, as they have frequently vandalized the site and filled it with burning garbage.

The recently uncovered terror plot at Joseph’s Tomb reveal not only the physical battle surrounding the holy site, but the spiritual battle too. Despite attempting to spiritually and physically conquer the divine claims Jews have over the Land of the Bible and its holy cities, the Messianic process that has clearly begun in our time cannot and will not be stopped.

Read more at http://www.breakingisraelnews.com/48046/resurrection-ground-zero-physical-spiritual-battle-josephs-tomb-judea-and-samaria/#0UhskupiFTT9gTCa.99

Joseph's Tomb -- What a Difference a Century Makes - Israel Daily Picture,

Joseph's Tomb -- What a Difference a Century Makes

Posted: 23 Feb 2014 



The Tomb of Joseph in the valley between Mt. Gerizim and Mt. Ebal outside of Shechem (Nablus) Picture taken from Mt. Ebal (circa 1900).  (Keystone-Mast Collection, California Museum of Photography at UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside)

According to the Book of Joshua (24:32), “The bones of Joseph which the Children of Israel brought up from Egypt were buried in Shechem [Nablus] in the portion of the field that had been purchased by Jacob.” 

Joseph's Tomb today is in the middle of Nablus, controlled by the Palestinian Authority. Jews' access to the shrine is  severely limited, and the tomb has been attacked and vandalized on several occasions. (Google Earth)

The very first posting in Israel Daily Picture in June 2011 featured century-old pictures of Joseph's Tomb that we found in the Library of Congress archives. Virtually every 19th and early 20th century collection we've viewed contains pictures of the tomb.  The online Keystone-Mast collection at the University of California - Riverside archives adds many more photos of Joseph's Tomb for the public's view.

Joseph's Tomb and Mt. Gerizim behind it.  (Keystone-Mast Collection, California Museum of Photography at UCR ARTSblock,  University of California, Riverside, circa 1900)

Joseph's Tomb (circa 1900) Keystone-Mast Collection, California Museum of Photography  at UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside)

Joseph's Tomb, alone in the valley. Keystone-Mast Collection, California Museum of Photography  at UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside)

Turkish guard inside the tomb. The Library of Congress archives dates this picture as 1900. Keystone-Mast Collection, California Museum of Photography  at UCR ARTSblock, University of California, Riverside)

Hand-colored photographic slide of Joseph's Tomb,  dated between 1880-1900. (Chatham University) Source: Israel Daily Picture

Another Photographic Treasure Trove Discovered: 120-Year-Old Colored Slides from Chatham University, Part 1

Israel's History - a Picture a Day (Beta)

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Another Photographic Treasure Trove Discovered: 120-Year-Old Colored Slides from Chatham University, Part 1 Posted: 19 Nov 2013 02:21 PM PST The Western Wall in Jerusalem (hand-colored, Chatham University Archives, circa 1890) The photo's caption reads "Jesus' Waiting Place." A case of bad handwriting? Other photographers of the time captioned their pictures, "Jews' Wailing Place." In the need for library and archival preservation, modern technology is certainly a friend of antiquity.  Vintage photographs, some stored for over a century in old libraries, are now being digitized and often posted Online.  Such is the case with this treasure of "Holy Land Lantern Slides" we found in Chatham University's archives. Chatham University, a 150-year-old women's undergraduate school in Pittsburgh, digitized their slides in 2009.  According to Rachel M. Grove Rohrbaugh, the school's archivist and public service librarian, "most of the slides roughly date to circa 1880-1900.  We don’t have specific information on the photographer(s) or how they were used here at Chatham, but they were likely used for instruction in world history or cultural studies." View of Hinom Valley in Jerusalem (Chatham University Archives, circa 1880). The photo, probably taken from near the Jaffa Gate, shows the Montefiore windmill, built in 1858, and the Mishkenot Sha'anaim homes beneath it. Are the blades of the windmill blurry because they were moving? That could provide a date for the photo: The mill stopped turning in 1876. Kerosene lanterns designed to  project slides  (YouTube) We thank Chatham University Library for permission to publish these well-preserved hand-painted lantern slides.   In the 1880s, before movies or electricity, pictures such as these were projected in front of classes or audiences using a kerosene-lit lamp fitted with special lenses. The slides were produced by optical manufacturers who sold the lanterns. The makers of the Chatham slides were identified by Chatham's archivist as T.H McAllister Co. and Williams, Brown, and Earle, of New York and Philadelphia respectively.  Joseph's Tomb in Nablus (Shechem) (Chatham University Archives, circa 1880) Inside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. The moat on the right of the picture indicates the picture was taken prior to the 1898 arrival of the German emperor. when the moat was filled in. What does the large sign at the end of the road read? (Chatham University Archives) An enlargement of the picture shows a sign, "Mission to the Jews," inside the Jaffa Gate of the Old City of Jerusalem. German, Anglican, and Scottish Protestant church missionaries were very active in the Holy Land in the late 19th century.  At the time, this intersection of the Old City was probably one of the busiest ones in Jerusalem. Click on the pictures to enlarge. Click on the captions to view the originals. Next: Part 2 of the Chatham Collection