A Young Adult’s Glimpse into the Heart of God

{image_1}Standing upon the Naphtali Ridge in Israel and gazing into the Hula Valley, dozens of young adults find themselves catching their breath with smiles upon their faces. Their thoughts recall the roaring of quad bikes tearing down windy trails of mud and passing olive groves. Finally, ascending the steep cliff to the loud acceleration of engines brings the convoy of bikes to a spectacular view. However, what inspired them to come to Israel in the first place is another thing, which is the desire to discover the heart of God and His zeal for Zion.

City of David— Bringing the Incredible to Light

{image_1}Every ancient stone and meter of soil in Jerusalem is bathed in history. Over the years, the land of Israel has been revealing its extraordinary treasures, confirming the integrity of the biblical text.

Symbolic Objects

{image_1}After visiting Israel or becoming interested in the Hebraic roots of their faith, many Christians are drawn to symbolic objects used in Judaism. Studying about them can bring rich understanding of God and His ways. Since most Christians are not familiar with them, we are going to identify and define a few. They are all biblically based.

Life in Israel’s Biblical Heartland

{image_1}Small huts and houses on windswept hilltops. Men wearing kippas [Jewish head covering] and sporting beards. Women with their heads covered surrounded by children. These are what we found in the Itamar, an Israeli community in the heartland of the disputed West Bank [Judea and Samaria]

Comfort My People — Nacham

{image_1}The second section of the book of Isaiah, sometimes called “The Book of the Consolation of Israel,” begins, “‘Comfort, yes, comfort My people!’ says your God” (Isa. 40:1). But, how does one comfort God’s people? A study of the word “comfort” will instruct us. The root form of the Hebrew word is nacham, meaning to be sorry or to be moved to compassion or pity but can also be translated as “repent or regret.” How can it be translated with words that seem so far apart in meaning to us? How can comfort be related to repentance?

Revolutionizing Diabetic Care

{image_1}In people with diabetes, the pancreas doesn't produce or release insulin as it should, so the body can't metabolize sugars properly. That means blood sugar levels have to be monitored continuously, even at night when diabetics' blood sugar can get dangerously out of control. But nighttime monitoring and dosing is a sleep-stealing activity, particularly for parents of diabetic children.

Hydroelectricity without a Raging River

{image_1}What could be simpler than generating electricity for municipal water monitoring systems from the flow of the water itself? That's the breakthrough idea of Israel's HydroSpin. Hydroelectricity is among the cleanest of today's clean energies, a wonderful way to produce power in places blessed with raging rivers. Israel isn't [such a place]. But HydroSpin, based at Kibbutz Lavi in northern Israel, has come up with a new way to power a “smart water network” (SWAN) by marshalling the flow of water in pipes.

Ground-breaking Cancer Vaccine

{image_1}Vaxil BioTherapeutics, a biotechnical company near Tel Aviv, has produced a ground-breaking therapeutic vaccine for cancer patients which could prevent about 90% of cancers from coming back. Vaxil was founded in 2006 by Dr. Lior Carmon, and the vaccine is now in clinical trials at the Hadassah University Medical Center in Jerusalem.

Dark Clouds Rising in the Middle East

{image_1}Traditionally, storm clouds visit Israel only in the winter months. But this year, storm clouds of war, conflict, and threats are brewing—and they may reach Israel and the region anytime. In some cases, rain drops are already falling and raising concerns of hurricanes to come. Iran’s nuclear program continues to be at the forefront of Israel’s concerns, but a host of other dangers are making for a very dark horizon.

Menorah “Bread Stamp” Found

{image_1}A 1,500-year-old ceramic stamp bearing an image of the seven-branched Temple menorah was discovered near the city of Akko at Horbat Uza. The Byzantine Period (sixth century AD) item was discovered in excavations prior to the construction of a railroad track. It belongs to a group of stamps called “bread stamps” because they were usually used to stamp baked goods.

Ancient Seal Confirms Temple Practices

{image_1}Newspapers around the world reported in December the discovery of a tiny object of fired clay, about the size of a button, stamped with an inscription in Hebrew: deka leyah, meaning “pure for God.” The object was discovered in excavations organized by the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) beneath Robinson’s Arch on the Temple Mount’s western wall. According to the archaeologists in charge of the excavation, the object was used to mark things brought to the Temple as ritually pure.

Islam’s Genocidal War on the People of God

First the Saturday people…

{image_1}A recent article in Israel National News stated it is a “truism” that anti-Semitism is an extremely prevalent phenomenon in the Muslim world today. The author went on to make a strong case for the origins of that anti-Jewish prejudice in Islamic theology.