Tisha b'Av 5776
Undoubtedly correct. Wonder when the caption was added. My Great Uncle worked there in the 1930's....
Anyway, today is Tisha b'Av, the day that we commemorate the destruction of the two Holy Temples, the day that God told us would be a day for crying for generations (in response to the spies lying about the land of Israel - see Numbers 13-14), and the day that many other disasters and tragedies in Jewish history have taken place.
This year, Tisha b'Av was pushed off to the 10th day of Av, and it coincides with the day that the Jews of Gush Katif in Gaza were expelled from their homes eleven years ago.
A longer lists of the tragedies is
here.
Labels: First Temple, Gaza expulsion, Gush Katif, Second Temple, Tisha b'Av, Western Wall
UNESCO chief blasts 'Palestinian' attempt to have Western Wall declared a Muslim holy site
As the 'Palestinians' decry Israel for supposed 'changes to the status quo' on the Temple Mount, they are attempting to create one of their own by orchestrating a UNESCO vote (you will recall that they are members of UNESCO - that's why the US hasn't paid dues in four years) declaring the Western Wall (pictured) to be an Islamic holy site. UNESCO director general Irina Bukova is not pleased, and
blasted her own board today for bringing the matter to a vote.
“We all have responsibility to UNESCO’s mandate, to take decisions that
promote dialogue, tolerance and peace,” said Bokova. “This is especially
important for young people, who should be nurtured and educated for
peace.”
She issued her statement on Tuesday, in advance of
Wednesday’s highly publicized vote by UNESCO’s Executive Board in Paris
on a draft resolution, which “affirms that the Buraq Plaza [the Western
Wall] is an integral part of al-Aksa Mosque/al-Haram al-Sharif.”
A
statement put out by her office said that Bokova “appeals to the UNESCO
Executive Board to take decisions that do not further inflame tensions
on the ground and that encourage respect for the sanctity of the Holy
Sites.”
Her office added that the discussion “could be seen to
alter the status of the Old City of Jerusalem and its Walls, inscribed
on UNESCO’s World Heritage list, and that could further incite
tensions.”
The “protection of culture heritage should not be taken hostage, as this undermines UNESCO’s mandate and efforts,” Bokova said.
She
has consulted with nations on the 58 member board to encourage them to
pursue constructive dialogue that promotes tolerance and mutual respect
such as outlined in the mandate of the United Nations Educational,
Scientific and Cultural Organization.
Jerusalem is a city that is
holy for Jews, Christians and Muslim and it should be a place of
dialogue for all three faiths, she said.
Bokova called on “all
parties to ensure that cultural heritage, including religious, is
preserved and accessible to all and to resume dialogue in the spirit of
mutual understanding.”
The six-page draft resolution – submitted
by Egypt, Tunisia, Algeria, Morocco, Kuwait, and the United Arab
Emirates on behalf of the Palestinian Authority broadly condemns Israeli
actions in Jerusalem, the West Bank, and Gaza.
At no point does
the resolution mention the Jewish historical connection to Jerusalem,
which dates back to biblical times. Nor does it reference the Temple
Mount or the Western Wall, which was part of the retaining wall King
Herod built for the Temple Mount more than 2,000 years ago. It also
relies solely on Arabic names for the holy sites on and around the
Temple Mount.
Israeli Ambassador to UNESCO Carmel Shama Hacohen
called the resolution “a total Islamization” of a site that is revered
by both Jews and Muslims.
Funny that we have not heard equally vehement opposition to this resolution from US President Hussein Obama, Secretary of State Kerry, UN Ambassador Power or National Security Council Chief Rice.
I wonder why the self-proclaimed 'most pro-Israel administration evah' has not come out against this. /sarc
Labels: Barack Hussein Obama, First Temple, Irina Bukova, Jerusalem, John Kerry, Kotel plaza, Old City of Jerusalem, Palestinian Authority, Samantha Power, Second Temple, Susan Rice, Temple Mount, UNESCO, Western Wall
10-year old Russian tourist finds 3,000 year old seal in Temple Mount dirt
You will recall that the Muslim Waqf
used bulldozers in an attempt to erase any trace of the Jewish Temples on the Temple Mount, and that Israeli archaeologists had the dirt trucked to a site near Mount Scopus where they have been
carefully sifting through it for years.
Last week, a 10-year old Russian tourist found a
3,000-year old seal from the times of King David and Solomon.
The Temple Mount Sifting Project, which for more than a decade has been
sifting through the tons of topsoil discarded by the Jerusalem Waqf
Islamic trust, announced that the young Russian tourist, Matvei Tcepliaev, found a 3,000-year-old seal dating to the eras of Kings David and Solomon.
Archaeologists believe the 10th century B.C. artifact is the first seal of its kind found in Jerusalem.
The Temple Mount Sifting Project announced that the seal’s age would
place it in “the historical period of the Jebusites and the conquest of
Jerusalem by King David, as well as the construction of the [First]
Temple and the royal official compound by his son, King Solomon.”
The discovery not only offers further evidence of the Jewish
connection to Jerusalem but also of the biblical narrative about the
reigns of David and Solomon, as described in the two Books of Samuel and
1 Kings.
That would be the narrative that the 'Palestinians' deny.
Jonathan Tobin in Commentary Magazine explained the political context of the fight over archaeological evidence:
By trashing an area that was loaded with precious
artifacts buried over 30 centuries, the Palestinians hope to convince
the world that Jews have no claim to Jerusalem, let alone any part of
Israel, including the areas inside the 1967 lines.
The significance of the seal is that it shows the level of activity
that is consistent with it serving as the site of the capital of ancient
Israel. Since denying the existence of David’s Kingdom might hurt the
case for Zionism’s legitimacy, destroying evidence of that history is
key to their agenda. […]
Try as they might to call the Old City “traditionally Palestinian” or
“Arab East Jerusalem,” all you need to do to confirm Jerusalem’s Jewish
roots is to start digging.
The Sifting Project noted in its announcement of the discovery that
the seal is “particularly significant,” because it was found on the
Temple Mount which has never been excavated:
The discovery of the seal testifies to the administrative
activity which took place upon the Temple Mount during those times.
[….] Upon the base of the seal appear the images of two animals, one on
top of the other, perhaps representing a predator and its prey.
Additionally, the seal is perforated, thus enabling one to hang it from a
string.
The Sifting Project which is run by Bar-Ilan University and the City
of David Foundation invites tourists to help comb through the 400
truckloads of dirt dumped in a valley outside the Old City of Jerusalem
in 1999 by the Islamic trust.
Volunteers have also discovered hundreds of 10th century B.C. pottery
sherds and a rare bronze arrowhead believed to be from the same period.
Chag Sameyach (Happy Holiday) everyone! I will be back on Monday night because the restrictive part of this holiday is only one day here in Israel.
Labels: archaeology, First Temple, Temple Mount
Khameni tweets photo of Obama committing suicide
Shavua tov, a good week to everyone. For those who do not know, today is Tisha b'Av, a day that commemorates the destruction of the two Jewish Temples in Jerusalem 1,940 and 2,601 years ago. For a list of the tragedies that have befallen the Jewish people on this day, go
here.
I just returned from afternoon prayers at the Kotel (Western Wall - the sole remnant of the Temple that is standing) myself.
Iran's Ayatollah Ali Khameni is celebrating in his own way:
What could go wrong?
Labels: Ayatollah Ali Khameni, Barack Hussein Obama, First Temple, Gaza expulsion, Second Temple, Tisha b'Av
A mathematical analysis of Gaza's casualties
I just came back from the place you see in the picture below, and it was much less crowded than in past years. In fact, the crowds this year were so small that the buses actually came in the Dung Gate and parked right outside the parking lot. I cannot remember the last time that happened on Tisha b'Av - usually you have to walk outside the walls of the Old City.
Lots of people dump irrelevant links to their own blogs into my comments (which is one of the reasons I moderate comments), but today I got one that was really good and I urge you all to read it. It's called Math v. Anti-Semitic Propaganda and you can find it
here.
Labels: civilian casualties, First Temple, Gaza, Hamas, IDF, Operation Protective Edge, Second Temple, Third Temple, Tisha b'Av
Tisha b'Av 5774
Monday night and Tuesday are Tisha b'Av, the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.
Five tragedies befell the Jewish people on Tisha b'Av
in ancient times, the two most important of which were the destruction
of the two Holy Temples:
- It was decreed that the generation which left Egypt
would remain in the desert for 40 years and not enter the land of
Israel, after believing the inaccurate report of 10 of the 12 spies in
the year 2449 (the current Jewish year is 5774).
- The first Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed on 9 B'Av in the year 3339.
- The second Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed on 9 B'Av about 1944 years ago.
- The city of Betar was captured and tens of thousands of Jews were killed in the year 3893.
- The wicked Turnus Rufus plowed the site of the Bet
Hamikdash and its surroundings and renamed it Aelia Capitolina, also in
the year 3893.
Since these tragedies occurred on 9 B'Av, it was decreed as a day of fasting and mourning.
Other tragedies that happened on 9 b'Av include:
- 4,000 Jews were expelled from England by King Edward I in the year 5050 (18 July 1290)
- 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain by Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon in the year 5252 (2 August 1492)
- Word War 1 started in 5674 - 1 August 1914 - with Germany declaring war on Russia
- The Jews of Gaza were to have been expelled from
their homes on Tisha b'Av nine years ago, but the Israeli government
postponed the expulsion for a day in an effort to avoid making this
list.
You can find out more about Tisha b'Av, including online audio and visual programs and a live webcast, for which you can register
here.
Posting tonight and on Tuesday (especially early in the day) may
be a little lighter than usual. I don't fast well, and must sleep
tonight or I will get caffeine addiction headaches.
For those of you who are fasting, have an easy and
meaningful fast, and may this day be a holiday next year instead of a
day of mourning.
Labels: First Temple, Gaza expulsion, Second Temple, Tisha b'Av
When Jews give up holy sites
Indeed.
Labels: archaeology, First Temple, Second Temple
Special for Tisha b'Av: Virtual tour of the Temple Mount
You can find a virtual 360-degree panoramic tour of the Temple Mount
here (Hat Tip:
Dani K).
Labels: First Temple, Second Temple, Temple Mount, Third Temple, Tisha b'Av
Why Jews commemorate our defeats
Twelve and a half years ago, Mrs. Carl and I and the then-baby took a week-long trip to Spain using frequent flier mileage and compensation from Iberia for sending my luggage to Cuba a couple of years before (really!). For the Sabbath we were in Madrid and stayed in a hotel called the Trafalgar, because it was the only hotel that was in walking distance to the Chabad emissary, who was the only Kosher place to eat on the Sabbath.
The emissary had 20-30 people at his table, some of whom were Brits, and I can recall that when I mentioned the name of the hotel where we were staying, one of the Brits remarked that it was odd that the Spaniards chose to remember their defeats. Well, it's not so odd. We Jews do the same thing. It's called
Tisha b'Av.
On that date the following awful events occurred:
586 BCE – The First Temple was destroyed by the Babylonians
70 AD – The Second Temple was destroyed by the Romans and the Jews
fled into the Diaspora – mostly areas surrounding the Mediterranean
including Spain.
133 CE – Simon bar Kochba Revolt with remaining Jews warring against the Romans brutally butchered in the final battle at Betar.
1290 – July 18 King Edward I expelled the Jews of England
1492 – August 2 – Expulsion of Jews from Spain as a result of the
Inquisition. Among them a likely Jew, Christopher Columbus, who, with
his Jewish navigators, took his 3 ships to look for riches in the New
World.
1941 – August 2 – The German Nazi SS murdered 600 Jews in Targivica,
Ukraine with the Ukrainians participating joyously as “Willing
Executioners.” (Hitler’s Willing Executioners by Daniel Jonah Goldhaggen 1996 No. 1 bestseller)
So why do we remember our tragedies? Watch the video
here to find out.
I will be offline for parts of today and tomorrow, because synagogue services are longer, because I need to contemplate the destruction, and because blogging while sitting on the floor is not easy. When I return from the afternoon prayers at the Kotel tomorrow, I will blog more regularly.
A reminder that the Kotel (Western Wall) is the outside wall of the Temple Mount on which the Temple actually stood, and visiting it on Tisha b'Av can be particularly moving.
May we be privileged to see the Third Temple on the Temple Mount, speedily and in our time.
Labels: First Temple, Kotel plaza, Second Temple, Temple Mount, Third Temple, Tisha b'Av, Western Wall
Muslim Temple denial continues
As I am sure most of you are aware, today is the first day of Chanuka, which celebrates the Jewish people retaking the Second Temple from the Greeks more than 2000 years ago. If you'd like to wish me a Happy Chanuka by sending some Chanuka gelt, please click the PayPal link on the right.
The Muslim world, meanwhile, continues to
deny the very existence of the two Jewish Temples, and to do all it can to destroy the vast amounts of evidence of their existence.
The story of Hanukah is the archetypal story of the fight for
religious freedom. It has been adopted and celebrated by American
presidents at the White House for more than a decade, as an American
tribute to the biblical roots of the country’s national dedication to
freedom. For 2,000 years religious Jews, Christians and Muslims, and
later secular scholars, have all believed that the temple ruins lie
beneath the two Muslim mosques that were later built upon the Temple
Mount by conquering Arabs after the death of Muhammad — and that the
surviving pre-Islamic “Wailing Wall” is the outer wall of the Temple
courtyard that existed in Roman times during the ministry of Jesus.
However, 13 years ago, the late Yasser Arafat (and since then his
political heirs have taken up the cause) abruptly decided that there is
no evidence that there ever was a Jewish Temple in Jerusalem and,
therefore, that Jews — and ipso facto Israelis — have no right to claim
Jerusalem as their religious, historical and political capital. A wave
of Temple denial is now sweeping the Arab and Islamic world and many
fellow intellectual travellers in the journalistic and archaeological
world are joining the bandwagon.
The historical, archaeological and literary evidence for the
existence of the sacred Jewish temple underneath and beside the two
Mosques that now bestride the Temple Mount is overwhelming. It includes
thousands of scholarly articles and books supported by scores of
archaeological digs and studies of historical documents. The best
introduction to the topic is Cambridge Professor Simon Goldhill’s most
readable book, The Temple of Jerusalem.
For over a decade the Muslim authorities (the Waqf) who now control
the Temple Mount have been despoiling its archaeology through illegal
excavations and site destruction. Nevertheless, the physical evidence
that they have discarded, and which Israeli archaeologists pore over
like forensic scientists at a crime scene, shows signs of the temple’s
existence, the most recent being coins minted by the Hasmonean rulers of
Judea who were the royal and priestly heirs of the Maccabees, as well
as coins minted during the first Jewish revolt against the Romans in 70
AD. It was these pagan conquerors who burnt the temple and brought its
sacred treasure back to Rome, and whose golden menorah was beautifully
reproduced on the Arch of Titus. A three-dimensional copy of this
menorah now stands in front of the Israeli parliament in Jerusalem,
walking distance from where the original once stood, 2,000 years
earlier.
As the Bible is rarely taught in our schools and universities, and as
it has, at the same time, become popular to argue that only the winners
write history (that it is to say there are no historical facts), let us
see how some of the biggest winners in Middle Eastern history have
written about the Temple in Jerusalem. I mean the religious and secular
scholars of the conquering Muslims who made the land of Israel part of
their Islamic empire until the Turks lost it to the British during the
First World War.
Read the whole thing.
Labels: Chanuka, First Temple, Second Temple, Third Temple
Learn to yearn
The mourning for the Holy Temples shifts up a gear tonight with the onset of the Jewish month of Av and the '9 days' (which last ten days this year thanks to the 9th being a Sabbath). For those of you who are wondering what it's all about,
this might help.
Labels: First Temple, Second Temple, Third Temple, Tisha b'Av
Tisha b'Av 5771
Monday night and Tuesday are Tisha b'Av, the ninth day of the Jewish month of Av, the saddest day on the Jewish calendar.
Five tragedies befell the Jewish people on Tisha b'Av in ancient times, the two most important of which were the destruction of the two Holy Temples:
- It was decreed that the generation which left Egypt would remain in the desert for 40 years and not enter the land of Israel, after believing the inaccurate report of 10 of the 12 spies in the year 2449 (the current Jewish year is 5771).
- The first Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed on 9 B'Av in the year 3339.
- The second Bet Hamikdash (Holy Temple) was destroyed on 9 B'Av about 1941 years ago.
- The city of Betar was captured and tens of thousands of Jews were killed in the year 3893.
- The wicked Turnus Rufus plowed the site of the Bet Hamikdash and its surroundings and renamed it Aelia Capitolina, also in the year 3893.
Since these tragedies occurred on 9 B'Av, it was decreed as a day of fasting and mourning.
Other tragedies that happened on 9 b'Av include:
- 4,000 Jews were expelled from England by King Edward I in the year 5050 (18 July 1290)
- 300,000 Jews were expelled from Spain by Isabella of Castile and Ferdinand II of Aragon in the year 5252 (2 August 1492)
- Word War 1 started in 5674 - 1 August 1914 - with Germany declaring war on Russia
- The Jews of Gaza were to have been expelled from their homes on Tisha b'Av six years ago, but the Israeli government postponed the expulsion for a day in an effort to avoid making this list.
You can find out more about Tisha b'Av, including online audio and visual programs and a live webcast,
here.
Posting on Tuesday (especially early in the day) may be a little lighter than usual (many of Monday's posts were scheduled in advance - including this one. I don't fast well, and must sleep tonight or I will get caffeine addiction headaches).
For those of you who are fasting, have an easy and meaningful fast, and may this day be a holiday next year instead of a day of mourning.
Labels: First Temple, Gaza expulsion, Second Temple, Tisha b'Av
