When a Scorpion Meets a Camel

{image_1}Legend has it that a scorpion and a camel were sitting on the shores of the River Nile one hot summer’s day. The scorpion asks the camel to allow him to sit on his hump in order to ride to the other side. Scorpions, as is commonly known, can’t swim. Reluctantly the camel agrees. Half way across, the scorpion stings the camel. Realizing they’re now both going to drown, the startled camel asks the scorpion, ”Why?” With a grin, the scorpion answers, ”Welcome to the Middle East.”

The Harvests of a Fruitful Land

{image_1}The Bible describes the land of Israel in humble terms as a land of only seven species (Deut. 8:8): two grains and five fruits. However, despite being a land that is half desert, modern Israel produces 95% of its own food needs, has become a major exporter of fresh produce (especially citrus), and is a world leader in agricultural technologies. Though Israel produces over 40 types of fruit and groves abound, especially in the North, one can’t describe what the Land looks like without mentioning its vineyards and grey-green olive groves.

Capturing Carbon with Algae

{image_1}With the help of algae, Israel is turning carbon dioxide emitted by power plants into fuel and nutraceuticals [a word blend of “nutrition” and “pharmaceutical,” a food product that benefits health]. Seambiotic is an Israeli clean-tech company enlisting algae in the business of carbon capture. The company has five business deals in the works in the United States, Italy, and in China. It is also working with NASA in the United States to develop a commercially feasible biofuel variety from algae that has a higher freezing point than other plant-based biofuels from corn or sugarcane.

Filter Device Prevents Stroke

{image_1}A revolutionary, minimally invasive heart repair procedure, now being investigated in America and already being performed by European doctors, could save the lives of older people who might not be able to withstand open-heart surgery to repair their heart valves. However, up to 15% of all patients undergoing this procedure—called TAVI (transcatheter aortic valve implantation)—suffer a stroke on the operating table.

Running Cancer Interference

{image_1}To fight cancer, it sometimes helps to think outside the box, utilizing methods and strategies from other disciplines, like football. One football-coaching tactic to prevent the rival team from getting to the goal line is to send out players to run interference, keeping opposing players out of the way so that teammates can deliver the ball into the end zone.

The Captive Is Set Free

{image_1}One of Gilad Shalit’s comments during his first interview upon his release was that he had imagined himself in captivity for many more years. And he was not alone. Although there was tremendous momentum worldwide to secure his freedom, many, if not most, authorities on the subject viewed it as a hopeless situation.

The Shuk—A Feast for the Senses

{image_1}No other place on Earth has quite the color and flair that Jerusalem does, and arguably, no other place in Jerusalem has quite the color and flair of Mahane Yehuda, Jerusalem’s largest open-air market, locally referred to as the shuk. A gem in the golden setting of central Jerusalem, the shuk dazzles with its feast of sights, sounds, smells, and tastes. The famous outdoor market bristles with activity daily—except for Shabbat, the Sabbath—as vendors display their wares to shoppers from dawn to dusk, and spice-laden fragrances permeate the alleyways.

Drawing Near to God—Korban

{image_1}Although myriads of scholars have studied it, hundreds of authors have written about it, and generations of Bible believers have tried to make sense of it, few things in Scripture remain as misunderstood as the sacrificial system. The Torah (Gen.–Deut.) spends a great deal of time instructing the Israelites in the parameters of animal sacrifice to be performed in the Tabernacle and later in the Temple. Whether in dealing with various minor sins, the birth of a child, or celebrating the deliverance of the Lord, sacrifice was an integral part of the everyday life of ancient Israel.

The Lost Tribes of Israel: Biblical and Historical Background

October 10, 2011

The Jewish people are unique among all the peoples of the earth. Their covenant relationship with God sets them apart, as does their adherence to the Torah (Gen.–Deut.). However, their ability to maintain their Jewish identity, the tenants of Judaism, and even unity as a people during millennia of dispersion and relentless religious persecution is unparalleled in human history.

The Return of a Lost Tribe of Israel to Zion

{image_1}We are living in extraordinary times. The hand of G-d in the affairs of man is evident, and there is no greater proof of this than the ingathering of the exiles from the four corners of the earth. “Bring My sons from afar, and My daughters from the ends of the earth,” declares the L-rd (Isaiah 43:6). Over the past sixty years, since the founding of the State of Israel, that is precisely what He has been doing, as Jews from Russia, Ethiopia, and elsewhere have all heard the sound of the great shofar [ram’s horn] and come to Jerusalem.

Bible Boot Camp for Christians – in Israel

{image_1}There are quilting bees and spelling bees, but now there’s a Bible Bee—the Holy Land Bible Bee, the product of Israeli ingenuity for English-speaking Christians. The term that the contest has been given, “bee,” is quite fitting, as its origin may come from the Old English word “ben” for “prayer.” But for North Americans, it was a popular term used during colonial times, when spinning bees, corn husking bees, apple bees, and logging bees were common. They were get-togethers of the larger community for a common purpose that usually included a social event.

Caiaphas Family Ossuary Found Authentic

{image_1}Three years ago, the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) Unit for the Prevention of Antiquities Robbery acquired an ossuary with an Aramaic inscription on the top edge just below its lid: “Miriam daughter of Yeshua son of Caiaphas, priests [of] Ma'aziah from Beth ’Imri.” Dr. Boaz Zissu of Bar Ilan University and Professor Yuval Goren of the Tel Aviv University were commissioned to check its authenticity. At the end of June this year, they published the results of their examination—it is, indeed, genuine and ancient.

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