THE CULTURE (c) Morris E. Ruddick (SIGN)

Morris & Carol Ruddick

THE CULTURE (c) Morris E. Ruddick Before we start digging into the dynamics of entrepreneurship, I want to cover some background about Jewish culture. This background will provide keen insights into the uniqueness of entrepreneurship from a Jewish perspective. In a world where business is too often equated with large corporate enterprises, it is important to remember that usually these organizations began with much more humble beginnings. Likewise, the world tends to place the qualification for business success on the amount of money produced. Investors want to know how fast startups can reach certain thresholds. From a long-term, big-picture outlook, such mind-sets, or ways of looking at business represent a perception that tends to be skewed, with the priorities out of balance. The foundations of Jewish culture provide a much greater emphasis on the bottom-up way of looking at business. It is more concerned with the role of small businesses in building the community, of being the backbone of a trust society. This by no means negates the benefits than can be derived from sizeable enterprises, but points to the responsibility shared by each member of the community, which is the result of centuries of a Torah-defined culture. Embracing the dynamics comprising Jewish business secrets is going to require a different way of thinking. Understanding the culture will provide important insights into the way Jewish people think. The way of thinking that results from Jewish cultural foundations is a more creative way of thinking. Jewish culture foundationally is Eastern. The Cultural Identity One of the key strategies employed by Jews and reinforced by the teachings of Jesus was that of being a culture within a culture. Jesus described this truth as God's people being a light on a hill that cannot be hidden. This is a context resulting in a different way of thinking. The edge we observe in Jewish business typically draws from this distinctiveness. Yet it bears a compatibility between their cultural and entrepreneurial foundations. One of the most dramatic stories in Jewish writings illustrating this dynamic is the story of Joseph the Patriarch. Joseph was the great-grandson of Abraham. Abraham exhibited the model in which the community was supported, built and maintained by the mix of the spiritual and the entrepreneurial. The Jewish community orientation provides the means of self-sufficiency. Not to be confused with counterfeit theocratic and dictatorial zealots, Abraham operated a God-centered, entrepreneurial community. It is a model based on the type of leadership that serves. This wisdom was passed on to Abraham's son Isaac. So, the story of Joseph is an apt illustration of the strategy of God's people operating as a culture within a culture. The story of Joseph is one of family intrigue. Joseph was the eleventh of twelve brothers. Not only was he the favorite of their father, but his spiritual acumen far outweighed that of his older brothers. Joseph walked with God and was extremely prophetic. When Joseph was but 17 years of age, he and his brothers bore much responsibility for running the family business. Nevertheless, contrary to the foundations exhibited by their forbearer Abraham, Joseph's brothers were consumed with jealousy. The abbreviated story is that his brothers reacted to his paternal favor and spiritual wisdom and deceived Joseph and sold him into slavery and told their father that Joseph had been killed. Yet God, who always knows the end from the beginning had the big picture in mind. He was preparing to use Joseph to avert disaster caused by earlier deceitful behavior of his brothers with another local community. So Joseph's sale into slavery took him to Egypt. In Egypt, Joseph became a servant in the household of a high-level government official by the name of Potiphar. Joseph's stewardship as a slave in this man's house was such that scripture describes it with the words: "The Lord was with Joseph and he was a successful man and everyone saw that the Lord was with Joseph and made all that he did to prosper." The Cultural Impact Joseph was bringing the culture established by Abraham into the way he operated as a slave in Potiphar's house: he was being blessed and was extending that blessing to the way he stewarded his responsibilities. Joseph was soon entrusted with the responsibilities over all of Potiphar's household. The distinction of the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob being with him was evidenced by the way God blessed and prospered his efforts. Joseph stewarded his responsibilities faithfully. The Egyptians, who did not believe in the God of Israel came to see the reality of God through the life and results brought about by Joseph. However, there then came a time when Joseph experienced spiritual backlash. A grasp of the dynamics of the spiritual world is vital to any who follow God. It entails the age-old conflict between good and evil. Within each generation are those who are drawn to God and the good. However, there also are those whose path is lined with compromise and deceit, who in the final analysis hate God. Joseph ran into such a conflict and despite his upright way of doing things for Potiphar, he was unrighteously accused of something he didn't do and was put into prison. Going from bad to worse. Joseph who had lost his family, along with his freedom in being made a slave was now imprisoned. Prisons in those days were pretty rough. Despite the circumstances, Joseph once again was seen as being trustworthy and capable and the keeper of the prison soon put him over all the other prisoners. In all of these hard circumstances Joseph maintained his cultural identity, along with his attitude and behavior unwaveringly honoring the God of his fathers. The result was God blessing him in these difficult circumstances with Joseph extending these blessings to those he served. God was with him and this fact was evident to everyone around him. The Impact of the Gift I've previously mentioned the ancient Jewish writings that say: "A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men." This is what happened to Joseph. While still in prison, but being in charge of the other prisoners, two men from the king's (Pharaoh's) court were imprisoned. One was the king's baker. The other was the king's wine taster. One night, each of these men had dreams. Together with being incarcerated, their dreams troubled them deeply. They mentioned the dreams to Joseph. Joseph, through his prophetic gift, interpreted both dreams accurately. Pharaoh's wine-taster was soon restored to his position, according to Joseph's interpretation of his dream. Then began a time of Joseph waiting on God's timing. Roughly two years later, Pharaoh also had some troubling dreams. The wine-taster told him about Joseph and Joseph was sent for, to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. During his thirteen years of slavery and prison, Joseph learned to depend on God. The prophetic gift that riled his brothers had been finely honed. So when Joseph was brought from the humble surroundings of his prison dungeon to Pharaoh's palace, he had no illusions other than to begin by telling Pharaoh that only through God was he able to interpret Pharaoh's dreams. So it was that Joseph outlined what the dreams meant together with the strategy of the response Pharaoh should take. Pharaoh was amazed. His response was: "Can we find such a man as this, a man in whom is the Spirit of God. Inasmuch as God has shown you these things, there is no one as wise and discerning as you are. You shall be over my house and all my people shall be ruled according to your word. I am setting you over all the land of Egypt." The Impact of Destiny In the next seven years, in accordance with his interpretation of Pharaoh's dreams, Joseph diligently amassed and stored huge amounts of grain. Then according to the dreams, severe famine hit.  Joseph's greatest exploits then took place during the time of great crisis, during the famine. His preparation and role as a prophetic steward, simultaneously discerned from God, but honoring both Pharaoh and God, illustrate the importance of a number of significant Jewish business secrets. Joseph heard from God and despite personal hardship, he never wavered in culturally identifying himself as God's ambassador. His identity was not determined by position, status or wealth. Then, when his circumstances got worse, his response was to dig in and move even closer to God. One of the greatest prayers of the psalmist are the words: "Teach me your ways O Lord and I will walk in Your truth. Unite my heart to fear your name." Joseph walked in God's truth with an undivided heart. Joseph's anticipatory response to the time of crisis required an alliance with one who combined favor toward Joseph, a spiritual openness, along with the authority and resources needed for the strategy to avert disaster. Only God could have orchestrated all this. When the famine hit full-force, the money failed. The only thing of value was grain, which Joseph had stored in abundance. Operating according to the mantle of his great-grandfather Abraham, to be blessed to be a blessing, Joseph cornered the livestock market, then the real estate market and in the process, the people stayed fed. During the peak of the famine, when the situation had digressed into desperation and lawlessness for those outside the realm, Joseph brought the people into the safe confines of the city and kept them fed. That included the members of his family who had betrayed him. Once the famine subsided, Joseph returned the land to its owners in return for a 20 percent subsidy of their annual harvests. Joseph was a major example of how good overcomes evil. Joseph demonstrated how stewardship and an identity and faith in God can influence and release God's authority to harness the spiritual climate and resources of a society that doesn't have a knowledge of God. Joseph then managed the largest wealth transfer the world had ever seen. In the process, he redeemed his wayward, betraying brothers while also bringing God's blessings to his adopted nation. Foundations of Cultural Destiny These foundations of Jewish culture didn't stop with Abraham and Joseph. Moses outlined the framework for the Abrahamic model to inoculate God's own from the subtle wickedness of the world and become a society of the righteous, living for God. David demonstrated the priority of discerning and acting on God's heart as the path to leading God's people and then shaped a society of diverse factions of God's own into a Kingdom that would prompt awe for God and His people from all those around them. Jesus then raised the bar to the standard of these foundations and opened the gates to the authority that governs the mix of cultures, economies and seats of power. In so doing He established the Kingdom dynamic for applying righteous power in a corrupt world. The Dynamic To better grasp the dynamic behind Jewish business secrets we need to look at each of these very significant factors: the God-centered, entrepreneurial community, overcoming evil with good in establishing the right spiritual climate, operating a society of God's people that prompts awe, then piercing the veil of the spiritual and becoming a steward of the authority that governs the right balance between culture, the economy and power. Accomplishing these things within a community will take something more. It means assuming community responsibility. Most Jewish people understand this and we will talk about community in more detail as this series progresses. Community, according to the standards outlined by Moses, is both a gift of God and a strategy. It is a significant element of what we're discussing with Jewish business secrets. Let me explain with a story that came from a community of believers that we brought our program to in Western Africa. During our visit, we were invited to a traditional African wedding held by a seasoned Pentecostal community. The wedding service itself was about three hours long. During that time, not only did the bride and groom take their vows, but so did the parents. The parents committed themselves to helping the young couple through the stages of being newlyweds and into the time when they began having children. This entailed the parents making public vows and signing a community register noting their commitment. There was more. An older woman, a great grandmother considered wise in the ways of the community was assigned as a mentor to the wife, as was an older man to the son. They would befriend them and visit them regularly during the first year of the marriage. I was told this community had not had one divorce in 30 years. This community had tapped the wisdom of the Jewish secret  of being a culture within a culture. In so doing, they protected themselves against the subtle and not too subtle inroads of witchcraft and ancient evil practices that were known to infiltrate and infect their culture. This example is very Jewish in practice, as it should be. Most Orthodox Jewish communities are set up in this way. During a flight I shared with an Orthodox Jewish woman, I told her about our God's economy program. She affirmed the importance of community by telling me how the Orthodox community her daughter was a part of in Israel had rallied around her daughter when her husband had died. It didn't stop with the initial days of mourning. It was a responsible social system that not only supported the widow emotionally and provided meals through the months of difficult transition, but helped her gain employment at the business of one of the members of the community. The social system she described was designed to care for the needs of their own, to ensure there were never any hungry or homeless, or any left alone. As it was written after the time of Jesus: "Do good to all men, but especially to those who are of the household of faith." Jewish writings state that there should be no poor among us. These are a part of the foundations. This woman's daughter, as were the newlyweds in the African community of believers were recipients of ancient wisdom, foundations that endure. Bridging the Gap What Jesus set in motion was not a new religion. What he established was built upon the foundations of the Torah and the prophets. The culture was the same, but Jesus raised the bar to all that had been started by Abraham, Joseph, Moses, David and then elaborated on by the prophets. He demonstrated closing the breach between the natural and the spiritual. He revealed the secret of creativity in opening the gates into the spiritual realm and releasing the authority from His secret of abiding with God to those who would believe. He showed why the Torah indicates that God's people would be the head and not the tail through his parable of the talents, in explaining how increase is the expected result of good stewardship. Jesus rejected the phoniness and misuse of power of the religious elite and explained things in a way that everyday people could bridge this gap between the natural and spiritual and tap this creativity. He then faced and overcame the greatest obstacle, death, to open the gates to this realm for any who would believe. As has been noted, culturally Jewish foundations are a lot more Eastern than Western. In this journey of unfolding Jewish business secrets, you're going to become more aware of how these foundations not only overcome evil with good, but enhance the illusive dynamic we refer to as economics, as well as how through the wisdom of God's economics, culture and power come into balance. Jewish cultural foundations that were set in motion by Abraham, were brilliantly anointed and written out for future generations in the books of Moses. Very few cultures have the level of a systematic record of their heritage like the Jews. As already mentioned, at the core of their identity is that of being a prophetic people of God. These things align Jews in the way that they think and view the world around them. All this goes back to the illumination I got after observing the rampant poverty in Ethiopia, of how the spiritual and economic can progressively make community not only a safe-place, but a place that nurtures opportunity for its members.  It begins and has a focus of the simple things, of the most basic family-owned enterprises that become the heart of a society that takes care of its own. Larger enterprises within this cultural setting retain the responsibility and community focus. The history of the Rothschild banking empire is one of a network of institutions, which had very simple beginnings. It has been run by a single family that supported one another and had an overriding commitment for the good and safety of the Jewish community. So in summarizing, what clearly exudes from the many facets of Jewish culture is captured in the writings of Moses, that if the conditions of the House of Israel's identity and obedience to God's principles and instructions are met, then the Lord would make them to excel above all the other societies on the earth. That premise explains not only their many amazing historical exploits, but more recent Jewish accomplishments detailed in studies such as "The Golden Age of Jewish Achievement," authored by Steven Pease. In a word, it is disproportionate achievement and the mark of the leadership mantle that has influenced the societies of which Jews have been a part over the millennia. This word influence is a vital part of Jewish leadership. At the core of these exploits are the foundations impacting the way they think. Jews view things with a different perspective than most other peoples of the world. We'll look closer at these things, such as the creative thinking that comes from these foundations, but for now we're setting the stage to be able to better understand God's economy and the form of entrepreneurship that comprises our focus of Jewish business secrets. As it has been written by the psalmist: "Blessed is the man who fears the Lord, who takes great delight in His instruction. All goes well for the generous man, who lends freely and conducts his business fairly." ___________________________________________________ Morris Ruddick has been a forerunner and spokesman for the higher dimensions of business leadership since the mid-90s. As founder of Global Initiatives Foundation and designer of the God's Economy Entrepreneurial Equippers Program, Mr. Ruddick imparts hope and equips economic community builders to be blessed to be a blessing where God's light is dim in diverse regions around the globe. He is author of "The Joseph-Daniel Calling;" "Gods Economy, Israel and the Nations;" "The Heart of a King;" "Something More;" "Righteous Power in a Corrupt World;" "Leadership by Anointing;" and "Mantle of Fire," which address the mobilization of business and governmental leaders with destinies to impact their communities. They are available in print and e-versions from www.Amazon.com, www.apple.com/ibooks and www.BarnesandNoble.com. Global Initiatives Foundation (www.strategic-initiatives.org) is a tax-exempt 501 (c) 3 non-profit whose efforts are enabled by the generosity of a remnant of faithful friends and contributors whose vision aligns with God's heart to mobilize economic community builders imparting influence and the blessings of God. Checks on US banks should be made out to Global Initiatives and mailed to PO Box 370291, Denver CO 80237 or by credit card at http://strategicintercession.org/support/ Likewise, email us to schedule a seminar for your group's gathering on the Joseph-Daniel Calling or on anointing the creative in business. 2016 Copyright Morris Ruddick -- sign@strategicintercession.org Reproduction is prohibited unless permission is given by a SIGN advisor. Since early 1996, the Strategic Intercession Global Network (SIGN) has mobilized prophetic intercessors and leaders committed to targeting strategic-level issues impacting the Body on a global basis. For previous posts or more information on SIGN, check:http://www.strategicintercession.org Morris Ruddick Global Initiatives Foundation www.strategic-initiatives.org www.strategicintercession.org Global Initiatives is a 501 (c) 3 tax exempt organization

Global Initiatives Foundation, PO Box 370291, Denver, CO 80237

What If…There Was No Resurrection? - Now Think On This by Steve Martin

What If…There Was No Resurrection?

Now Think On This

Steve Martin

“But if there is no resurrection of the dead, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, then our preaching is vain, your faith also is vain.” (1 Corinthians 15:13-15 NASU)

What if…there was no resurrection, and Jesus’ body decayed in the tomb, just like everyone else who died?

What if, when Miriam came to anoint Yeshua’s body with spices, as was common, that He was still there? And later His bones were found in an ossuary?

What if it really was a hoax, as the Temple priests wanted the world to believe, and the word spread about the disciples hiding His body so they could say that Jesus had been resurrected from the dead, was true?

If it were so, and there was no resurrection on the third day as Jesus had prophesied, then…

…the 12 disciples were complete fools in traveling the world, telling He was alive, and then martyred for nothing.

…Saul from Tarsus saw someone, or something, other than the resurrected Lord, on his way to Damascus to kill believers, and then too was completely mistaken for all his believing years, speaking a false Gospel of hope throughout the Roman Empire.

Years after his encounter of the Lord on that day, he wrote to the Corinthians, describing how not only would their faith be in vain, but “Moreover we are even found to be false witnesses of God, because we testified against God that He raised Christ, whom He did not raise, if in fact the dead are not raised. For if the dead are not raised, not even Christ has been raised; and if Christ has not been raised, your faith is worthless; you are still in your sins. Then those also who have fallen asleep in Christ have perished. If we have hoped in Christ in this life only, we are of all men most to be pitied.” (1 Corinthians 15:15-19, NASU)

If the resurrection were not so, then “we are of all men most to be pitied.”

What if there were no resurrection?

Then all the men and women through the centuries, who perished by sword, fire, rocks, arrows or bullets, who had proclaimed the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus Christ, would not be in heaven, but rather now suffer in eternal hell with all the other non-believers through the ages.

If Jesus had not been raised from the dead, what are we doing, looking to salvation from our sins, if the Perfect Sacrifice had not happened? What hope do we ourselves have for eternity?

“But the fact is that the Messiah has been raised from the dead, the firstfruits of those who have died. For since death came through a man, also the resurrection of the dead has come through a man.” (1 Corinthians 15:20-22 Complete Jewish Bible)

This had been predicted by the Jewish prophets centuries before, that the Messiah would come, and be the One to fulfill the Hope of Israel.

From Isaiah 53:1-12:

“Who has believed our message?

And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed?

For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot,

And like a root out of parched ground;

He has no stately form or majesty

That we should look upon Him,

Nor appearance that we should be attracted to Him.

He was despised and forsaken of men,

A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief;

And like one from whom men hide their face

He was despised, and we did not esteem Him.

Surely our griefs He Himself bore,

And our sorrows He carried;

Yet we ourselves esteemed Him stricken,

 Smitten of God, and afflicted.

But He was pierced through for our transgressions,

He was crushed for our iniquities;

The chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,

All of us like sheep have gone astray,

Each of us has turned to his own way;

But the Lord has caused the iniquity of us all

To fall on Him.

He was oppressed and He was afflicted,

Yet He did not open His mouth;

 Like a lamb that is led to slaughter,

And like a sheep that is silent before its shearers,

So He did not open His mouth.

By oppression and judgment He was taken away;

And as for His generation, who considered

That He was cut off out of the land of the living

 For the transgression of my people, to whom the stroke was due?

His grave was assigned with wicked men,

Yet He was with a rich man in His death,

 Because He had done no violence,

Nor was there any deceit in His mouth.

But the Lord was pleased

To crush Him, putting Him to grief;

If He would render Himself as a guilt offering,

He will see His offspring,

He will prolong His days,

And the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand.

As a result of the anguish of His soul,

He will see it and be satisfied;

By His knowledge the Righteous One,

My Servant, will justify the many,

As He will bear their iniquities.

Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great,

And He will divide the booty with the strong;

Because He poured out Himself to death,

And was numbered with the transgressors;

Yet He Himself bore the sin of many,

And interceded for the transgressors.”

Because His grave is empty and indeed the resurrection did take place, our faith is on solid ground, and will stand come what may. The testimony of millions, from the first century through today, will ever proclaim that Jesus Christ lives and continues to save the hearts and souls of mankind. Your trust in Him is yet another fact that the world can see to believe also.

The “what if” became the “fact is”, with Jesus being the solid rock to stand on. Truth will always win out in the end.

Now think on this,

Steve Martin

Founder

Love For His People, Inc.

 P.S. I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. They might need it. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

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Now Think On This - In the New Year of our Lord 03.25.16 - #252 –“What If There Was No Resurrection?” – Friday at 4:30 pm

All previous editions of Now Think On This can be found on this Blog, and on the website: Now Think On This

Again, I would be most grateful if you'd share this encouraging word with your family and friends. You can easily use the social media icons below. Thanks! Steve

Shabbat Shalom ✡ "A People That Shall Dwell Alone" - ISRAEL365

For from the top of the rocks I see him, and from thehills I behold him: lo, it is a people that shall dwell alone, and shall not be reckoned among the nations Numbers 23:9 (The Israel Bible™) כִּי-מֵרֹאשׁ צֻרִים אֶרְאֶנּוּ וּמִגְּבָעוֹת אֲשׁוּרֶנּוּ  הֶן-עָם לְבָדָד יִשְׁכֹּן וּבַגּוֹיִם לֹא יִתְחַשָּׁב במדבר כג: ט kee may-rosh tzu-reem er-e-nu u-mig-va-ot a-shu-re-nu hel am l'-va-dad yish-kon u-va-go-yeem lo yit-kha-shav

Shabbat Inspiration Today's verse describes an attempt by the wicked Balaam to curse the Jewish people. His plan was foiled by God, and instead he utters a reluctant compliment, “Indeed this is a people that dwells alone and is not counted among the nations.” For better and for worse, the Jews have always been set aside from among the nations and singled out for special treatment. Israel receives an utterly disproportionate amount of coverage by the media, most of it negative, yet there is an inherently positive lesson in this solitude: the people of Israel are singled out for a holy purpose. They are chosen by God to remain faithful to Him and to fulfill the Biblical mandate of teaching His truths to the world. Now you can wear a personal reminder of God's words and biblical truths. Our beautiful collection of Nano jewelry is engraved with words of Scripture from the Land of Israel. Get beautiful jewelry that inspires faith in God » What You Don't See on the News about Israel and the Palestinians Why do hundreds of thousands of Palestinians cross into Israel each year? While the world focuses on the conflict, here are some of the things you haven't heard. Watch here » Weekly Torah Portion: A How-To Guide of the Sacrificial Offerings This week's portion describes all of the sacrificial offerings in the Holy Temple, with insight into how they affect our lives today. Read more » "Jewish Soul" Music CD This album of Jewish soul music captures the multifaceted talent of Cantor Deborah Katchko-Gray. From traditional-sounding chazzanut to the more exotic Yemenite songs, from the familiar synagogue Shabbat tunes to her creative and unique, more artistic pieces, the ten tracks of this CD encompass a spectrum of Jewish sound. Cantor Deborah’s stirring “Hineni” will haunt and move you, while her folksy English songs like “We Came to Sing in Jerusalem” will leave the listener humming and uplifted. Let her beautiful voice and gifted music inspire you! Get this Great Gift » Today's Israel Photo Today's beautiful photo by Yehoshua Halevi features Mount Hermon, the country’s highest point with a 2,814-meter peak. It served as the northern boundary of the Promised Land (Deut. 3:8). See more photos by Yehoshua Halevi » Thank You Please help us continue to spread the beauty and significance of the Land of Israel! Sponsor a day in honor of a loved one » “Cannot Wait to Get My 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! Stay in Touch » Cannot wait to get my e-mails. So encouraging and at this moment a great help for my daughter and son in-law as they are going through a difficult financial time. You are a Blessing to everyone all over the world. Shalom, Elizabeth Johanna G., South Africa. I'm very happy everyday with Israel365 news... I'm an evangelical Christian man in France and I support Zionism and Israël, by my prayers to G.od and His great goodness and love... Everyone of the Israel365 team, stay blessed... Gilbert and Mireille Shabbat Shalom, Rabbi Tuly Weisz RabbiTuly@Israel365.com

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Ancient Byzantine Church Uncovered in Gush Etzion by Michael Bachner - BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

Excavation Site of Byzantine Church in Migdal Oz 23.3.16 The cave and crypt with the newly discovered mosaic. (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

Ancient Byzantine Church Uncovered in Gush Etzion

By Michael Bachner March 25, 2016  BREAKING ISRAEL NEWS

“Even them will I bring to My holy mountain, and make them joyful in My house of prayer; their burnt-offerings and their sacrifices shall be acceptable upon Mine altar; for My house shall be called a house of prayer for all peoples.” Isaiah 56:7 (The Israel Bible™)

A colorful mosaic and various archaeological artifacts have been recently unearthed at the site of a large, uniquely structured Byzantine basilica in Gush Etzion, south of Jerusalem.

The discovery was made at the Khirbet Bureikut archaeological site in Migdal Oz, where the Byzantine church was originally discovered in 1977, and indicates that the inhabitants there were very wealthy. The newly discovered mosaic indicates that the church was originally built in the fourth century, according to Hananya Hizmi, Head Staff Officer of Archaeology of the Civil Administration in Judea and Samaria.

Excavation Site of Byzantine Church in Migdal Oz 23.3.16.
Haim Shkolnik (L) and Hananya Hizmi (R) with the newly discovered mosaic. (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

“We started to expand the excavation at the end of 2015 to find out where all this wealth came from, since this area was probably isolated from major communities during the Byzantine era,” Haim Shkolnik, who led the excavation on behalf of the Archeology Staff Officer, told Tazpit Press Service (TPS).

Artifacts recently discovered at the excavation include over five kilograms of glass items, pottery fragments, around 50 coins, including one of Alexander Jannaeus, and a handle with the seal of the Three Biblical Magi.

Some of the newly discovered artifacts. Excavation Site of Byzantine Church in Migdal Oz 23.3.16 (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

“The findings at the church indicate great wealth,” Shkolnik informed TPS. “There were many types of marble and glass used and it had drainage channels, a rare feature for Byzantine churches. It also had an underground crypt with two staircases leading down to it, which is also a very rare feature.”

According to Hananya Hizmi, the church was built on a cave from earlier times. “The cave was converted to a crypt and used to buried martyrs,” he said. “The Basilica has a prayer hall, aisles, a narthex running across the structure and an atrium with a big water hole. The church is built of massive stone blocks, suggesting that it was built on an earlier structure.”

“The church is different in its design from what was normal at the time,” said Shkolnik. “It was possibly founded by monks arriving from Syria, as was common in the fifth century.”

The practice of worshipping in the cave began in the fourth century and the cave was converted to a crypt when it was expanded in the 5th century and the church was built. The basilical complex was built during the Byzantine era. According to Shkolnik, the findings indicate that it had been a major pilgrimage site. The place ceased to serve as a church after the early Muslim conquest.

Excavation Site of Byzantine Church in Migdal Oz 23.3.16 (Photo: Hillel Maeir/TPS)

“We found evidence suggesting that they shattered many of the church items, contrary to what some believe about the ‘enlightened’ Muslim conquest,” Shkolnik noted.

The place also saw some activity in the ninth century, but that activity ceased until it was renewed by the Mamluks in the 14th century. The site was then abandoned until it was excavated in 1977.

The Archaeology Staff Officer is the body responsible for enforcing the antiquity laws in Judea and Samaria. It has Jewish and Palestinian employees and is in charge of protecting and developing over 2,500 archeological sites found in the region.

Rick Joyner & Jorge Parrott: Go & Preach the Gospel (Prophetic Perspectives)

Rick Joyner & Jorge Parrott

Jorge Parrott, MorningStar Missions Director

Watch here: Rick Joyner & Jorge Parrott: Go & Preach the Gospel (Prophetic Perspectives)

Go And Preach the Gospel

Rick Joyner

Jorge Parrott

Thursday, March 24, 2016

 Rick interviews Jorge Parrott, MorningStar Missions Director, about various missional work going on around the world through the efforts of MorningStar’s Missions Department and its missionaries. Jorge tells how you can get involved.