Israel’s First Mass Wedding

Despite the war, a mass wedding for 50 couples from the war-torn Galilee area, with 5,000 guests, took place in Tel Aviv’s old port Hangar 11 on August 14, the day the cease-fire began.

“This is the first time in Jewish history an event like this has happened,” said Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Yona Metzger, who supervised the event.

The War and Its Aftermath

“ America is fighting a tough war against an enemy whose ruthlessness is clear for all to see. The terrorists attempt to bring down airplanes full of innocent men, women, and children. They kill civilians and American servicemen in Iraq and Afghanistan, and they deliberately hide behind civilians in Lebanon. ”
President George Bush, September 12, 2006

Digging at Dor

In July, Teri and I went on our first archaeological dig, for five days. The dig was probably a once-in-a-lifetime experience for me, as I’m not a young person anymore, and the work is physically quite demanding. However, I’m really glad I did it once and hope that my tale might encourage you to also consider going on a dig sometime.

Dor, an ancient natural seaport just north of Ceasarea, has been dug for 20 years. It is mentioned in the Bible several times. Joshua won it in battle (Josh. 11:1–12), and it became part of the tribe of Manasseh (Josh. 17:11–13). David’s unfortunate census included Dor (2 Sam. 24:1–7).

Lebanon in the Bible

• “Lebanon” means “the white one,” probably referring to the snow-capped peaks of the Lebanon Mountains.

• The Hittite word for cypress or juniper is close to the Hittite name for the Lebanon Mountains, so “Lebanon” could refer to the trees of Lebanon.

• It is mentioned 71 times in the Old Testament.

Hizbullah welcomes World War lll

Iran’s Hizbullah, which claims links to the Lebanese group of the same name, said it stood ready to attack Israeli and United States interests worldwide.

More on Megiddo Prison Find

In the January-February issue of the Dispatch, we wrote about the oldest Christian church discovered in Megiddo prison, which includes an inscription in a mosaic that says, “The God-loving Aketous has offered this table to the God Jesus Christ as a memorial.” It is the first time, anywhere in the world, that the name of Jesus has been found in a mosaic.

Secular or Religious

Israel is a unique place, where the secular and the religious mix at all levels of society, often causing cultural clashes. There are rifts in Israeli society between the two groups, who don’t agree on a wide variety of issues affecting everyday life. Israel has a mainly secular government, but the chief rabbis and the rabbinical court control many aspects of life, including marriage, divorce, burial, and conversion to Judaism. There is not a clear separation of Church and State in Israel like in many western countries.

Iranian TV encourages boycott of zionist products

The Iranians have called for a boycott on “Zionist” products. Household brand names like Coca Cola, Pepsi, Calvin Klein, and Nestles have been listed as pro-Israel companies with Zionists among their biggest shareholders. Viewers were told PEPSI stands for “Pay Each Penny to Save Israel.” Also on the Iranian TV hit-list are McDonalds, Timberland, Revlon, Garnier, Hugo Boss, and L’Oreal.

Negev Algae For Bio-Fuel

Everyone is searching for affordable, alternative energy sources to take us into the next century. Israeli scientists are well acquainted with the energy-producing capacity of algae and are applying that knowledge to fuel the future.

Over 150 species of algae are used commercially to provide food for humans and livestock, serve as thickening agents in ice cream and shampoo, and ward off disease in pharmaceutical drug form. Unaltered, algae encompass different groups of living organisms that capture energy through photosynthesis, converting inorganic substances into simple sugars.

Water in the Desert

After several years of lying idle, excavations have resumed at Kibbutz Ramat Rachel and have yielded significant results. Ramat Rachel is located southeast of Jerusalem between the Old City and Bethlehem. Burial caves, a Byzantine church, a palace from the Judean Monarchy period, and pottery from the post-Babylonian exile period were found in previous digs.

Freeze-Dried Blood for Soldiers

An Israeli firm is developing a small product with big implications: personal packs of freeze-dried blood which soldiers can carry into battle for their own medical care on the field. The packs will look like the freeze-dried coffee you find in the supermarket, according to Lieutenant Colonel Amir Blumenfeld, head of the IDF Medical Corps’ Trauma Unit. The little packs will be included in each soldier’s mandatory personal kit.

Monitoring Diabetes Painlessly

Doctors agree that the most essential way to treat diabetes and prevent long-term health complications is for every patient to manage their disease carefully by testing glucose levels regularly. But the majority of diabetic patients are doing no such thing.

The problem is the test itself––a painful pin pick of blood from the finger. Now an Israeli company, OrSense, has come up with a solution––a non-invasive glucose monitor that allows a diabetic patient to test his or her blood glucose levels without spilling a drop of blood.