It was on this day in 1948 that the so-called “Road of Valor,” a road cut through the Judean hills connecting Jerusalem to Tel Aviv, was officially opened. This road was built in order to relieve the siege that Jerusalem was under during the Israeli War of Independence. Because of the siege, hundreds of thousands […]
It was on this day in 1941 that so-called life certificates were distributed to a few fortunate Jewish residents in the Vilna Ghetto. Unfortunately, those who did not receive these certificates were sent off to extermination camps like Auschwitz and Treblinka. These little yellow certificates were, in reality, work permits. This work allowed for the […]
It was on this day that Roman ensigns, emblems and images were removed from the Temple courtyard by order of Pontius Pilate. The Jews were incensed at the presence of these things in the Temple court and were threatening a war unto death. Apparently, Pilate thought it wise to remove these emblems, many of them […]
If no rain had yet fallen by this day in ancient Israel, a day of fasting and prayer was called in order to petition the Creator to send rain. This rainy season is what the Bible refers to as the latter rain. “And it shall be that if you earnestly obey My commandments which I […]
Today is the first day of the month called Kislev. According to rabbinical reckoning, this day was considered the official beginning of winter, ending one season and beginning another. In Creation, we see the cyclical nature of God’s design and, consequently, the cyclical nature of God’s Word. We also see how there are cycles in […]
Today is the final day of Cheshvan. As we have learned, this month is representative of darkness and gloominess. Tomorrow begins a new month called Kislev, which is the month that Hanukkah, the Festival of Light, is celebrated. So, as we transition from a month of darkness to a month of light, let us take […]
If you keep up the news, you have probably discovered that the more news you absorb, the more distressed you become. Some people can’t watch news programs without becoming agitated, aggravated, angry, or even depressed. It would probably do us good to wean ourselves off all the bad news; maybe we should quit listening to […]
Dotting the mountainsides of northern Israel are various castles, fortresses and other strongholds. Once such stronghold is called Nimrod’s Castle. Actually, it has nothing to do with Nimrod but is a sprawling Crusader fortress, a stronghold, that sits atop a mountain in the upper Galilee. Another fortress, or at least the ruins of a fortress […]
According to some traditions, it was on this day that Noah and his family departed from the ark, just a little over a year after entering into the ark. Scripture records this in Genesis 8:18, 20-21: “So, Noah went forth, and his sons and his wife and his sons’ wives with him. Then Noah built […]
We recall, today, that the month of Cheshvan is considered to be a time of darkness and gloominess. We also recall that, according to Isaiah, the Galilee was a place of spiritual darkness that was shone a great light as Christ ministered in that area. “Now when Jesus heard that John had been cast into […]
It was on this day in the year 109 B.C. that King John Hyrcanus destroyed the city of Samaria, the capital of the Samaritans. Eventually, this day became a national holiday in Judea. However, the ancient sect of Samaritans has survived to this very day. For centuries, they were considered as an internal threat to […]
When traveling in the Middle East, certain things become very clear very quickly. One of those things is the value of water. It’s badly needed. It’s scarce and, consequently, a very valuable commodity. The value of water is accentuated by the fact that, in Israel, water was needed for a person to immerse himself in […]
