A New Museum at Masada

{image_1}The story of Masada, Herod the Great’s desert fortress (built between 37 and 41 BC), comes to life in a new museum. The display, spanning one century, combines archaeological findings with a theatrical setting, exploring Masada’s cultural, architectural, and artistic place in the Roman–Hellenistic period. Nine scenes are divided into three main topics: the relationship with Rome, Herod’s and the rebels’ Masada, and the Roman army.

Christians Under Islamic Rule

{image_1}Christians can only continue living safely in the Gaza Strip if they accept Islamic law, including a ban on alcohol and on women roaming publicly without proper head coverings, an Islamist militant leader in Gaza told WND (WorldNetDaily). He said Christians in Gaza who engage in “missionary activity” will be “dealt with harshly.”

Pilots Get Virtual View

{image_1}Fighter pilots have a lot to pay attention to. In addition to their targets ahead, they have to focus on an array of complicated flight instruments. Traditionally, this has meant occasional glances away from the destination or target, which can lead to potential distractions when every moment counts. But thanks to the new Helmet Mounted Display System (HMDS—developed by Israel’s Elbit Systems and its US subsidiary Vision Systems International (VSI)—pilots can keep their eyes where they should be, on their targets.

A Promise Of Oral Insulin

{image_1}When Dr. Miriam Kidron, a scientist from Hadassah University Hospital in Jerusalem, first announced that she and a group of fellow researchers planned to bring oral insulin for diabetics to market, most people thought the idea was ridiculous. It took 25 years of research, but now Kidron is proving her detractors wrong.

Israeli Engineers Develop Mobile Bomb Shelters

{image_1}With residents of Sderot and its vicinity suffering a daily Kassam bombardment, Israeli ingenuity has developed mobile bomb shelters that can be deployed and redeployed. Josh Adler, the cofounder of Operation Lifeshield, and his partner, recent US immigrant Shep Alster, were volunteering in the north of Israel during last summer’s Second Lebanon War when they saw the need for mobile shelters.

PA Money has “Disappeared”

{image_1}The incoming Finance Minister of the Palestinian Authority [PA] has admitted that hundreds of millions of dollars transferred to the PA have “disappeared.” Salam Fayed, who formerly worked for the World Bank and the US Federal Reserve, told the Daily Telegraph that he has no idea where the more than US $700 million granted the PA since the Hamas terror group rose to power has gone. “Palestinian Authority spending is out of control, salaries are being paid to workers who never turn up, and nobody can track where the money is going,” the paper quoted Fayed as saying.

Thwarting Iran’s Nuclear Efforts… with Diplomacy?

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Diplomatic efforts to resolve a standoff with Iran are working, US Secretary of Defense Robert Gates said at a press conference with Defense Minister Amir Peretz in Tel Aviv in April. The United States has been one of the leading powers demanding sanctions on Iran. “The international community is united in telling Iran what it needs to do with respect to its nuclear program,” Gates said.

Jordan to Join Nuclear-Power Club

{image_1}Amman is the latest Middle Eastern capital to announce it intends building a nuclear power plant. The country wants an operational facility by 2015. Other countries already embarked on a path toward atomic energy are Iran, Egypt, Yemen, and the Gulf Cooperation Council members (Saudi Arabia, Oman, Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and the United Arab Emirates). Syria would also like to produce nuclear energy, but admits it is a long way from reaching its goal.

Jesus’s Coffin Claim Sensationalism

{image_1}Not so long ago came Dan Brown and Tom Hanks with The Da Vinci Code. Now another film by award-winning director James Cameron seeks to discredit what millions of Christians around the world hold so dear. Cameron, along with Israeli filmmaker Simcha Jacobovici, claims that a burial cave found in a Jerusalem neighborhood holds the remains of Jesus and several of His family members. Ten small coffins, known as ossuaries, were found in the cave with the names of several persons inscribed on them, including, according to the filmmakers, Jesus, His mother Mary, brother Joseph, Mary Magdalene, and Judah, who they claim to be Jesus’s son.

Tram to the City with No Name

{image_1}Imagine setting out for work to prepare the ground to make way for the new Jerusalem tram line. This kind of work is undertaken by many throughout the world every day, but when you are digging in Jerusalem, anything can happen, and it did! Workers have unearthed the remains of an ancient Jewish city from the first century AD; it is under Shuafat, a modern-day Arab suburb of Jerusalem. That is some tram ride!

Shi’ism on the Rise

{image_1}Since September 11, 2001, interest in Islam has increased dramatically. People want to better understand this threat that is determined to dominate the world. In our January–February 2007 issue, our commentary The War on Terror: A Religious Mission” briefly highlighted the rivalry between the two major factions within Islam: the Sunnis and the Shi'ites. Most people do not realize the importance of understanding these two groups. We thought this article posted on The Media Line gave an excellent explanation.

Dirty Water to Clean Water––Instantly

{image_1}The Sulis Personal Purification System takes all the ingredients needed to transform dirty water into clean water––be it for stranded hikers, soldiers in the field, or victims of disasters––and has miniaturized the technology to fit into the top of a cork that can be plugged into virtually any size bottle, container, or tap.

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