Showing posts with label tower of David. Show all posts
Showing posts with label tower of David. Show all posts

Wednesday, February 3, 2016

"No Longer Be Uprooted from their Land" ✡ ReJEWvenate this Winter! - ISRAEL365

And I will plant them on their land, and they shall no longer be uprooted from upon their land, that I have given them, said the Lord your God.

AMOS (9:15)
 

טווּנְטַעְתִּים עַל אַדְמָתָם וְלֹא יִנָּתְשׁוּ עוֹד מֵעַל אַדְמָתָם אֲשֶׁר נָתַתִּי לָהֶם אָמַר יְ-הֹוָה אֱ-לֹהֶיךָ

עָמוֹס ט:טו


t'-vun-ta-teem al ad-ma-tam v'-lo yi-nat-shu od may-al ad-ma-tam a-sher na-ta-tee la-hem a-mar a-do-nai e-lo-he-kha

Today's Israel Inspiration

The Hebrew month of Shevat, in which we celebrate the festival of the trees, always falls in the winter season. How strange to celebrate bare, frost-covered trees at this frigid time of year! Yet during the month of Shevat, deep within the bare tree, new life is awakening, and the sap of the tree begins to rise. The rejuvenation of the trees sends us a powerful message. We all experience cycles of low energy and stagnation in our lives. The message of Shevat is not to despair for there will always come an opportunity for growth. Tap into the potential of this special Hebrew month of Shevat, and plant a tree to grow and blossom in the Land of Israel.
 

Gazelle Valley: Israel's First Urban Nature Reserve

In the busy city of Jerusalem, a few dozen Gazelles are given the chance to roam free, protected by Israel’s first urban nature reserve. The 250-acre reserve is open to all visitors, whether person or animal, making it a great new destination.

Judean Date Palm Sprouts from 2,000 Year Old Seed

With only six seeds discovered in excavations at Masada, researchers set out to cultivate a Judean date palm, a species not seen here for more than a millennium. Here are the incredible results!

Gold Plated Bookmarks with Biblical Quote Engravings

Two 24 karat fine gold plated bookmarks available from Etz Chayim. The words Eshet Chayil, which are written on one bookmark means “woman of valor.” A woman of valor is someone who is filled with wisdom and creates an atmosphere of love in the home. The other bookmark contains the words Ein Od Milvado, which means “there is none besides Him.” The sentence proclaims that there is only one God, and no other gods exist. Both items have deep meaning and are woven into the material with beautiful designs into a bookmark that can be used for marking where you are reading in your most prized pieces of biblical text or literature.

Today's Israel Photo

A snow-covered flower blossoms in the Land of Israel.

Yesterday's Photo Trivia

Thanks to all who responded to yesterday's photo trivia. If you guessed the Tower of David at Jerusalem's annual light show, then you're absolutely right!

Thank You

Today's Scenes and Inspiration is sponsored by Grace Foo of Singapore. Todah rabah!

“Always Enjoy Your Emails”

It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!
 
I always enjoy your emails in the USA- Robert Gerber

Hello & warm greetings from the Frozen Far North: Minnesota! I love reading about Israel & Jerusalem. Such an extraordinary & blessed place! Jerusalem looks like a truly awesome city to visit, such a vibrant, modern society amid such ancient (& holy!) historical buildings. The very long history is the most interesting to me. The struggles & victories, the Hand of God at work through it all.... Y'all are so blessed! I wish y'all the very best & pray for the safety & protection of the people of Israel. May the Lord God Almighty bless y'all & keep y'all well & thriving! Shalom, my friends! ~Kate
Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com
Copyright © 2016 Israel365, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for daily Israel Scenes and Inspiration on our website,www.israel365.com.

Our mailing address is:
Israel365
34 Nahal Ein Gedi Apt #17
Beit Shemesh 9909875
Israel

Wednesday, September 9, 2015

Learn Everything about Rosh Hashanah in our eBook! ✡ "To Love the Lord"

To love the Lord, your God, to listen to His voice and to cleave to Him, for He is your life and length of your days.

DEUTERONOMY (30:20)
 

לְאַהֲבָה אֶת יְ-הֹוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ לִשְׁמֹעַ בְּקֹלוֹ וּלְדָבְקָה בוֹ כִּי הוּא חַיֶּיךָ וְאֹרֶךְ יָמֶיךָ

דברים ל:כ


l'-a-ha-va et a-do-nai e-lo-he-kha lish-mo-a b'-ko-lo u-l'-dav-ka bo ki hu kha-ye-kha v'-o-rekh ya-me-kha

Today's Israel Inspiration

Today's verse offers a prescription for life. Love God, and listen to Him- that is all that is necessary, and it seems so simple! Sometimes, we complicate life ourselves and need to take the time to refocus. The new year is the time to reset our priorities and get back to the business of serving God and directing our lives towards these goals. Learn more about what Rosh Hashana is all about in our inspiring eBook "Hear the Call."
 

Where All Our Prayers Ascend

This phenomenal video shows exactly where all of our prayers ascend to Heaven!

Hear the Call of the Shofar

On the High Holidays it is Jewish belief that all of mankind comes before God for judgement and to be inscribed either in the ‘book of life’ or the ‘book of death’. The Shofar plays a big role in the direction of our year!

Nano Bible Gentle Star of David Necklace

In the incredible Nano Bible, the spirit and technology of Israel have come together to produce the world’s smallest bible, printed onto a single 5mm x 5mm surface, and set into a beautiful piece of silver jewelry so that you can take the Bible with you wherever you go.

Today's Israel Photo

Pomegranates in the Land of Israel by Zvi Moss, our incredible 13 year old photographer. A Jewish custom on Rosh Hashanah is to eat from a pomegranate and recite a prayer, "may our merits be as abundant as the seeds of the pomegranate."
 

Yesterday's Photo Trivia

You got it! Yesterday's photo showed the Tower of David, which despite its name, actually has no connection to King David! Located near the Old City’s Jaffa Gate, the citadel is a medieval fortress with archaeological artifacts from nearly every period of the Holy City’s rich history.
 

Thank You

Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel!
 

“I Am Always Inspired By You”

It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!
 
I live in St. Louis, Missouri, USA  and I look forward to your inspirational e-mails every day. The stories and Scriptures you share have touched my heart in many ways... Shalom, Alice Geer

Thank you for every news you sent from far east to me in Zambia in Africa. I am always inspired by you and always pray for the nation of Israel. Blessings, Aaron Mulenga
Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com
Copyright © 2015 Israel365, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for daily Israel Scenes and Inspiration on our website,www.israel365.com.

Our mailing address is:
Israel365
34 Nahal Ein Gedi Apt #17
Beit Shemesh 9909875
Israel

Thursday, April 2, 2015

Herod's Palace: Site of Jesus' Sentencing?

Herod's Palace: Site of Jesus' Sentencing?



JERUSALEM, Israel -- These are busy days in Jerusalem, as the city marks both Pesach (Passover) and Holy Week, leading up to Easter.

Inside the Old City walls, discoveries at Herod's Palace have caught the attention of Jewish and Christian scholars. More than 2,000 years of history are recorded in one building, where Pontius Pilate may have sentenced Jesus.

At the western edge of the Old City, near the Jaffa Gate, the Tower of David stands above the walls.

In 1999, archaeologists found a building while working on the Tower of David Museum. It turned out to be the site of King Herod's Palace. Records on its walls go back to the First Temple period, even before the time of Jesus and the Roman governor who sentenced him to the cross: Pontius Pilate.

For years, experts suggested that Pilate had handed down his death sentence from the Antonia Fortress in the northeastern part of the Old City, where the Roman Praetorian Guard was housed.

But recent evidence uncovered at the site of King Herod's Palace at the Tower of David, indicates that the luxury-loving Pilate was more likely to have pronounced judgment from there.

Israeli archaeologist Amit Re'em directed excavations at Herod's Palace.

"It's only logical to assume that the local Roman government here in Jerusalem -- Pontius Pilate -- sat also in the palace of Herod because he needed all those facilities, all this luxury," Re'em told CBN News.

Re'em is familiar with the long history on the walls of the palace. It includes graffiti scrawled by prisoners held by British authorities, who used it to incarcerate people in the 1940s before their mandate over the region ended.

Pointing to the sides of the cavernous edifice, Re'em said, "Until now, those impressive walls are the only remains from Herod's Palace."

"We do not know what happened to the superstructures, to the palace itself. Maybe it was destroyed in a big revolt, maybe it was destroyed by the Romans, maybe it was destroyed by the Crusaders or the Ottomans," he speculated.

Especially for Christians, the meaning is intensified as the faithful around the world remember the Lord's crucifixion and resurrection.

David Pileggi pastors Christ Church, just a few steps away from the Tower of David Museum. He believes it's almost a foregone conclusion that Jesus would have been brought to Pilate at the palace.

"We don't know exactly where Jesus was tried, where he had his interview before Pilate, but we do know it's somewhere in Herod's palace," Pileggi said.

"We know the palace of Herod the Great eventually became Roman property after Herod's death, and that every year Pontius Pilate would come from Caesaria to Jerusalem here, during the time of the Passover, to oversee the security of the city during the festival that the Jews called the Feast of Jerusalem," he continued.

"And it was at this time, if there was going to be trouble in Jerusalem, it would be during the Passover holiday," he explained.

In a way, according to Pileggi, the Tower of David Museum encompasses the entire life story of Jesus.

"Scholars have been saying for a half a century that the life of Jesus begins at the Tower of David, or what was then Herod's Palace. That's when the Magi [the Wise Men] came to visit King Herod. And his life ends, basically, when Pontius Pilate sentences him to death, pretty much in the same location. So there are some very interesting ironies in this story," Pileggi said.

Pileggi also cautions that Christians shouldn't give in to the notion of feeling sorry for Pilate because of the biblical account that he found Jesus had done nothing wrong.

He described Pilate as a wicked and cruel ruler. Legend from the early Church has it that Pilate was later exiled by the Romans to the south of France, where he committed suicide. Pileggi asserts it would be "poetic justice" if he did.

Israeli archaeologist Renee Sivan was also working at the site when Herod's Palace was discovered. Sixteen years later, she told CBN News she still is struck by the power and opulence of the place and the often tragic history of cruelty and brutality inside the city walls.

"Jerusalem is like an onion," she said. "You peel it, peel it, peel it and it never ends. And then you cry a bit, but not too much. That is what happens here."

Pileggi calls the Tower of David Museum the best in the city, and says tourists would do well to start their journey there.

"It really helps to unpack the complex history and geography and culture in this city," he said. "Now we have the extra bonus of having the very place where Jesus was sent to execution by Pontius Pilate, and this will help Christians better visualize those monumentous events that happened to Jesus the Messiah -- Jesus of Nazareth -- in the last week of his life."

Meanwhile, just a couple of miles away from the Tower of David Museum stands the Mount of Olives, where scripture says Jesus will come again.

Thursday, December 18, 2014

"The Lord Answered the Prayers" ✡ Join a New Prayer Group!

David built an altar there to the Lord, and he offered elevation-offerings and peace-offerings. The Lord then answered the prayers of the Land and the pestilence ceased from Israel.

II SAMUEL (24:25)
 

וַיִּבֶן שָׁם דָּוִד מִזְבֵּחַ לַי-הֹוָה וַיַּעַל עֹלוֹת וּשְׁלָמִים וַיֵּעָתֵר יְ-הֹוָה לָאָרֶץ וַתֵּעָצַר הַמַּגֵּפָה מֵעַל יִשְׂרָאֵל

שמאול ב כד:כה


va-yi-ben sham da-vid miz-bay-akh la-a-do-nai va-ya-al o-lot u-sh'-la-meem va-yay-a-tayr a-do-nai la-a-retz va-tay-a-tzar ha-ma-gay-fa may-al yis-ra-ayl

Today's Israel Inspiration

The offerings described throughout Scripture are often hard to relate to in our modern times, but the Hebrew word for sacrifice sheds light into their deeper significance. The Hebrew word for sacrifice is קרבן / kor-BON which has at its root,  ק-ר-ב meaning, ‘to come close.’ Sacrifices were meant to bring people closer to the Eternal One. Now that we no longer have sacrifices, it is prayer through which we can connect and come close to our Father in Heaven.
 

8 Nights of Light

With over 2 million views and a White House performance, this upbeat music video by the Maccabeats will really get you into the Hanukkah spirit!
 

200 Countries Unite to Pray for Jerusalem

Prayer gatherings were recently held across the globe in over 200 countries as part of the Peace and Safety of Jerusalem and Israel initiative.
 

Beautiful Menorah for 25% Off!

Bring the light of Hanukkah into your home with this elegant pewter Menorah. With its rounded, smooth branches, it makes a gorgeous and meaningful gift from the Holy Land. Expedited Shipping to the U.S.

Today's Israel Photo

Hanukkah lamps decorate the streets of Jerusalem near the Tower of David.
 

Thank You

Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day.
 

“Your Website is a Blessing to Me”

It’s great to hear from so many of you - stay in touch and let us know where in the world you are enjoying Israel365!
 
I want you to know how much your website is a blessing to me. Shalom, Allan D.

I enjoy receiving your emails which I view with interest. Gordon J.
Shalom,
Rabbi Tuly Weisz
RabbiTuly@Israel365.com
Copyright © 2014 Israel365, All rights reserved.
You are receiving this email because you signed up for daily Israel Scenes and Inspiration on our website,www.israel365.com.

Our mailing address is:
Israel365
34 Nahal Ein Gedi Apt #17
Beit Shemesh 9909875
Israel

Thursday, June 19, 2014

Israel's History - a Picture a Day - scenes from the Holy Land

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


Posted: 18 Jun 2014 

Tiberias and the Sea of Galilee (circa 1890, colored slide, Presbyterian 
Research Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand)
The Presbyterian Church Archives Research Centre holds a fascinating collection of 144 glass Lantern slides of various scenes from the Holy Land. The majority appear to have been taken in the latter years of the 19th century.

See Part I here.  

 

The Tower of David's Citadel at Jaffa Gate, Jerusalem. The clock tower on the left was built in 1908 and torn down in 1922, enabling the dating of the picture. (Presbyterian Research Centre, Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand)
 
 


Western Wall (1867, (Presbyterian Research Centre, 
Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand) and here




The picture of the Western Wall is from the Presbyterian Research Centre, but it also appeared in the Israel Daily Picture two years ago.  It was taken by Frank Mason Good in 1866/67 and published by the Palestine Exploration Fund.

Note in both photos the single figure praying and the buckets (?) hanging on the wall.









Hebron and the Cave of the Patriarchs (circa 1890)

Jacob's Well, near Nablus (Shechem) and 
Joseph's Tomb. (1868)

























Click on photos to enlarge.
Click on captions to view the original photographs.

Mobile users: visit www.israeldailypicture.com