Wonderful photos

Gorgeous Pictures Of The Holy Land From 120 Years Ago



But "Shepherds hang out..."? That doesn't seem to follow the theme...

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Obviously

it seems to be 'old things' day here on Silent Servants...

Ancient Seal Found in Jerusalem Linked to Ritual

(I include myself in that beginning statement I made.)

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It's a new era in Israel

But some people want to keep it in another era, the era of the Temple...

When women and girls are the enemy

"
Gender is the new battleground as ultra-orthodox Jews try to impose their conservative values in Israel, writes Ruth Pollard in Jerusalem."

Fanatics are fanatics are fanatics, and they all end up using the same tactics. Life may be sacred for these people, but property certainly isn't...

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No one else can do this

but in Israel, for the Rabbis, it's ok...

The Jewish Ayatollahs and Their Hatred of Non-Jews

But it's not ok to say this, because, you know, any criticism of anything Jewish is racist. You know that.

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'Shalom' is a perfectly good word

The Hebrew hotline: Keeping an ancient language modern

"Modern Hebrew, which can now be heard everywhere on the streets of Israel, has continued to evolve since it was reintroduced as a living language."

In some ways a losing battle, much like Quebec's, I expect. Think 'le hot dog'...

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A new discovery

1,500-year-old church found in Israel

What was thought to be a synagogue is actually a church. There's some good captioned photographs with the article as well.

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I don't understand

how people can let themselves get into this kind of thing...

Ratzon's 'wives' begin lengthy treatment

"Experts say children, women belonging to Goel Ratzon's 'polygamist cult' may never recuperate"

Perhaps it's just me and my skeptical, and fairly cynical, self, but I don't see how this can happen. Perhaps being negative all the time keeps me safe?

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It will be interesting

to find out who is behind these various acts of vandalism...


Israeli premier denounces attack on a mosque

Is someone framing Jewish settlers, or are fundamentalist Jews trying to strike back at who they see as their historical enemies?

Nothing is ever easy in the Middle East...

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From last Wednesday's newspaper

a photograph of a good person...



The caption reads "A Jewish immigrant from Russia feeds cats at the marina in the southern city of Ashkelon, Israel."

And he's obviously not friendless...

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I shudder for America



Sarah Palin, Christian Zionist?

Mind you, if she runs, and further, if she gets elected, the American people will only get what they ask for, and deserve.

I'm bothered because I live next door to them...

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Fanaticism,

bigotry and prejudice exist in every religious group...

Mouths filled with hatred

And fanatics often do disgusting things that reflect badly upon their religion or race...

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Oh, no!

More violence. I'm getting a bit cynical, though.

Rocket fire from Lebanon sparks Israel retaliation

The next news reports will be of various commentators chastising Israel for their violence. Somehow, the Palestinian extremists never seem to get the blame. That's kind of like blaming the U.S. for their violence against Japan after Pearl Harbour...

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A balanced view


Israeli envoy to Vatican sees goal as harmony

He has some interesting things to say about Pope Pius XII, from his position as Israeli envoy to the Vatican. Neither evil, nor terribly brave. The Pope was very much a victim of such a terrible, terrible situation...

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Of course.

Muslim cleric unrepentant about upstaging pope

"A Muslim cleric who commandeered the stage at a meeting with Pope Benedict XVI to rail against Israel's harsh treatment of Palestinians said Tuesday he spoke out because he was representing Islam."

I guess everyone knows that the Islam he represents doesn't believe in behaving in a normal, dignified manner, but only in ranting, railing, demonstrating, being violent and issuing fatwas. I'm surprised he didn't complete the list. See if he gets invited again...

The only thing I disagree with

is the use of the word 'missioning'...

'Vatican to stop missioning Jews'

We're going to have to get all the people who use that word together in a room and conference them on the proper use of the language. Even if language is full of evolvement and changation.

Anyway, good for the Pontiff!

A nice article

about a beautiful country, where our faith began...

Why I Love the Holy Land (and Why You Should, Too)


Perhaps some day... (who am I kidding?)

He has a point...

Netanyahu to Obama: Stop Iran—Or I Will

"You don’t want a messianic apocalyptic cult controlling atomic bombs. When the wide-eyed believer gets hold of the reins of power and the weapons of mass death, then the entire world should start worrying, and that is what is happening in Iran."

Can you imagine if the Aum group had had a nuclear weapon instead of Sarin gas? Well, Iran having nuclear weapons is many, many, many times worse...

Is this real?

Or is it propaganda?


An Israeli soldier writes to a family of Gaza

"A soldier of the Israeli Defense Forces writes to the family in whose home he took shelter during the conflict in Gaza."

Whichever it is, there is much truth in it. If the politicians and zealots were truly interested in peace and creating a country for their people, this wouldn't be happening. I can only pray for them all...

Right.

Bin Laden urges jihad against Israel

The murdering fanatic forgets that there's been a jihad against Israel since the founding of the state. No other country in the world has had to work so hard, daily, to protect itself from its enemies, than does Israel. He's not doing the Arab countries any favours. What a showboat...

They do this quite a bit

'Concentration camp' remark threatens Pope's visit to Israel

I wonder if they just don't think about these things, or just don't care. The Pope himself has enough experience in a high profile position to know what he should and shouldn't say, and one would think any of the Church bigwigs speaking in public about them would too. Or perhaps they're just speaking truth to politicians and diplomats who don't take these things too well. Whichever, 'Concentration Camp' has come to mean just one thing in our culture, and that's 'death camp'. One shouldn't use it to mean anything else anymore, especially when talking to Israelis and Jewish people...