Levitt

FEBRUARY 2019

The Destruction Of Sodom And Gomorrah (1852), oil on canvas by John Martin (1789–1854), Laing Art Gallery, Newcastle upon Tyne, England
Brethren, my heart’s
desire and prayer to
God for Israel is that

L E T T E R they might be saved.

— R o m ans 10:1

Is
inside: Whapt.12
Here sy?

Sodom:
Science Proves
the Bible  ... Yet Again
By Stoyan Zaimov / ChristianPost.com
Why Do Non-Jews
To
Index

Scientists have found that a “superheated Fight For Israel?

blast from the skies” destroyed cities near Israel Today
the Dead Sea 3,700 years ago, which Biblical If Israel is a racist
analysts say echoes the destruction of Sodom. state that only
The findings were revealed recently by benefits its Jewish
archae­ologist Phillip Silvia of Trinity South- residents, then
west University in Albuquerque, New Mexico. why are so many
non-Jews ready to
Photo: Nir Gal/IDF Spokesperson’s Unit

Scientists used radiocarbon dating and

lay down their lives for it?
unearthed minerals that instantly crystallized
And not just the millions of Bible-­
at high temperatures at what used to be cities
believing Christians around the
and farming settlements north of the Dead Sea,
world who share a deep devotion to
suggesting that a massive airburst, possibly by
Israel’s well-being. There are a great
a meteor, destroyed communities in a 15-mile-
many non-Jews living in the Holy
wide circular plain.
Land who put it all on the line every
Silvia said that following the cataclysmic day to keep the Jewish state safe.
event, people did not return to the region for
Their stories are not often told since
600 to 700 years.
they contradict the popular narrative
Researchers have been studying five large that Israel is an apartheid state that
sites in Middle Ghor (present-day Jordan), oppresses its minorities. But an
(continued p.2) apartheid state doesn’t open up
its top military combat units to its
REMEMBER:
Valentine’s Day is Thursday, February 14. (continued p.9)
Sodom continued from cover
which are believed to have
been continuously occupied
for at least 2,500 years, until
they suddenly collapsed.
Some of the strongest
evidence for a low-altitude
meteor explosion was found
at the remains of the Bronze
Age city Tall el-Hammam,
where radiocarbon dating
shows that the mud-brick
walls of nearly all structures The Dead Sea (Possibly, a low-altitude meteor explosion around
were suddenly wiped out 3,700 years ago destroyed cities, villages, and farmland north of
3,700 years ago. the Sea, rendering the region uninhabitable for 600–700 years.)

Other finds show that the outer layers of pieces of pottery melted into glass, a
result of extremely high temperatures.
Other archaeological research, such
as a 2013 article by Dr. Steven Collins,
reveals that the Tall el-Hammam site
offers evidence that it could have been
the Biblical city of Sodom.
The fiery destruction of Sodom and
Gomorrah is famously depicted in
Genesis 19, which says that “God
destroyed the cities of the plain” with To
Index
“dense smoke rising from the land, like
smoke from a furnace.” The Biblical
Dr. Steven Collins at Tall el-Hammam — the site account also mentions that God over-
of historic Sodom in the Jordan Valley threw “all those living in the cities”
along with “the vegetation in the land.”
Silvia and Collins authored a paper in 2015 in which they argued that “the
physical evidence from Tall el-Hammam and neighboring sites exhibits signs of
a highly destructive concussive and thermal event that one might expect from
what is described in
Genesis 19.”
“The destruction not
only of Tall el-Hammam
(Sodom), but also its
neighbors (Gomorrah
and the other cities of
the plain) was most
likely caused by a
meteoritic airburst
event,” the authors
added. 1

Overhead view of excavation at Tall el-Hammam

2
 FEBRUARY 2019
CONTENTS
Levitt
L E T T E R

Teaching Parsons: Hebrew Lesson

4 How Rabbis Avoid 16 The Way of Perfect Peace
the Messiah (part 1) 4
21 The Slave Bible 16
Studio Co-host
6 He’ll Make A Way 22 Letters to ZLM

Science
8 Rescuers Vos, Baniecka 24 Eradicating Mosquitoes
6
On the Ground in Israel
Medicine
10 Our Shield In
26 Preventing Peanut
Time Of Terror Allergies in Children
Ask the Chaplain
10 27 Crossword Puzzle
12 What Is Heresy?
TJF Report 28 Select Briefs
13 Breaking Down Walls 30 The West’s History
A Note from Mark 12 with Islam
14 Harvesting Archaeology
Low-Hanging Fruit 32 2,000-year-old
15 ZLM Bulletin Board “Pilate” Ring
14 34 4 Myths About Hamas
35 Jewish Humor

Passing the Torch

ISRAEL TODAY
As Aviel Schneider took up the editor’s
pencil, Ludwig, the founder of
Israel Today, told his son:
“You do things differently, and
that’s good. It’s only natural. I
was born in a different land than
you, and in a different time. We
all knew that the world around
us was changing, but also that
the Bible and God’s promises
remained the same. Life is a
journey in which trends and the
way we present things change.
At the same time, the direction
remains the same.”
I imagine that Zola gave Mark Levitt
similar advice in 2006, after being
left: Zola Levitt (1938–2006)
diagnosed with lung cancer. – Editor 1 right: Mark Levitt

ZOLA LEVITT MINISTRIES . PO BOX 12268 . DALLAS TX 75225-0268 . (214) 696-8844 . WWW.LEVITT.COM
3
How Rabbis Avoid the Messiah
Classic Zola
from 1995
24 years ago

Detail of Talmudic Discussion, oil on panel by Carl Schleicher (1825–1903)

To
Index
In avoiding the Bible’s evidence of the Messiahship of Jesus, some Jewish
scholars have created Biblical confusion. One such instance is a [1995] article
in The International Jerusalem Post by Moshe Kohn, who teaches Jewish law
and history and, once in a while, Scripture. His scriptural teaching on the
Feasts of Israel made me a bit suspicious, particularly his use of dots (ellipses)
Back to
in quoting the Bible. I want to point out how rearranging the schedule of p. 20
Jewish festivals has resulted in obscuring their obvious fulfillment in the
person of Jesus Christ.
You may wonder how this matter relates to us Christians in today’s world.
It is one piece of evidence in how the Jewish people have been led to
depend on sources outside of Scripture (in this case, the Talmudic Sages)
to determine God’s instructions for their lives. Over the ages, scholars and
sages have molded Judaism to exclude the idea of Jesus as Messiah, even
to the extreme of altering their own festivals.

The Four Feasts

First, we should briefly review the very meaningful first four Feasts given to
Israel in Leviticus 23.
• Passover occurs on the fourteenth day of the first month (Nissan).
• Unleavened Bread occurs on Nissan 15.
• First Fruits occurs on the following Sunday.
• Pentecost occurs fifty days after First Fruits.

Christians are familiar with this schedule and especially thrill to learn that our
(continued next page)

4
 Detail of Talmudic Discussion
by Carl Schleicher

Lord fulfilled each feast in the appropriate manner:

• He was crucified on Passover,
• buried on Unleavened Bread,
• raised on First Fruits, and
• He sent the Holy Spirit on Pentecost.
I believe that the Lord will go on fulfilling the Feasts with the Rapture on the
Feast of Trumpets, the Second Coming on the Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur),
and setting up the Kingdom on the Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). This elegant
and important Bible study is available in our booklet The Seven Feasts of Israel
(described on p. 20).

The Consternation of the Rabbis

Early on, in the first century, the Jewish people must have seen these amazing
coincidences, and evidently great numbers were won to the Lord. After all,
on the Sunday of First Fruits, the unsaved Jews and the Messianic Jews must
have passed each other on the sidewalks as they went to their various fes-
tival worship services. Surely
a Messianic Jew would point out
how the Sunday of First Fruits
so perfectly represented the
resurrection of Yeshua. “But now
is Christ risen from the dead, and
become the first fruits of them
that slept” (1 Corinthians 15:20).
The rabbis must have been in To
Index
consternation trying to answer
the very persuasive arguments of
Believers in the Lord. Scripture
is Scripture, after all. Torah is
Torah. (The Torah equals the first
five books of the Bible and is
deeply respected by the rabbis.)
The first task in avoiding those
embarrassing questions was to
find an escape from First Fruits
Detail of Curses Against the Pharisees,
and Pentecost. painting by James Tissot (1836–1902)
Next month, we’ll examine how
the rabbis approached that task. 1

NON SEQUITUR by Wiley GoComics.com/NonSequitur

(See Mark 10:25.)

5
He’ll Make A Way
Kirsten Hart
Studio co-host of
Zola Levitt Presents

People praying under bushes growing out of the Western Wall

A highlight of any Zola Tour is visiting The Wall (HaKotel in Hebrew), the
Western Wall of the Temple Mount. Until the Temple Mount is open to Jews To
to pray, HaKotel is the closest the Jewish people can get physically to where Index
the Holy of Holies in the Temple is believed to have been located. Every day,
thousands of people pray and worship there. Orthodox Jews say their prayers
alongside Christian men and women in a stunning picture of faith in the God
of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

What God Provides

Mount Moriah (the Temple Mount) is
where God told Abraham to offer Isaac
as a sacrifice thousands of years ago. In
a world that considered child sacrifice
necessary for pleasing small “g” gods,
God asked Abraham to kill his promised
son, Isaac. Abraham, being the very first
Hebrew, had no laws or “traditions” to
consult. He didn’t know what God would
require of His followers. What must have
gone through Abraham’s head and heart
when God told him, “Take your son … to
the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there
as a burnt offering on a mountain I will
show you” (Genesis 22:2)? Depression?
Confusion? I would have been angry.
Really, really angry.
I can imagine Abraham grumbling all “Abraham Offering Up Isaac” from
the way up the mountain, “So much for Story of the Bible, 1873
(continued next page)
6
 Caper bushes growing
on the Western Wall

the whole ‘Father of Nations’ deal.” And what

conversation besides verses 7–8 could he have
had with Isaac, his young-adult son?
We all know the story. Isaac is literally bound and
lying on the altar. (How did Abraham explain doing
that?) Then, Abraham, knife in air, ready to plunge it
into his beloved child, hears the voice of an angel. His
faith is confirmed: God does provide a sacrifice. Abraham sees
a ram, caught in a thicket. And God made a way when there seemed to be
no way out.

What We Take Away

Everyone who visits the Western Wall takes away a unique experience. Some
place a tightly folded prayer slip into a crevice between the ancient stones.
Some shed tears of sorrow or joy. What do I take away? This: The reminder
that God always makes a path for us, even though we don’t see a way out.
I easily recall that promise as I look around HaKotel because from between
those stones (with no soil) grow caper bushes. Those edible bushes growing
out of rocks provide a visual reminder that God can do miracles for us today.
How awesome for the God of the Universe to provide a living picture of
provision on an ancient stone wall!
If God can provide a way for Abraham and Isaac, He can do the same for you.
Whatever you’re facing this month, God can make a way even when there
seems to be none. Even if you’re that close to giving up, He can open a door
you never thought possible. Abraham trusted God in the midst of a seemingly
hopeless situation. You must trust Him too. To
Index
I pray shalom and blessings to you and your family. 1

An Epic Love Story

study booklet by Myles Weiss
The God of love is a matchmaker who desires a Bride for His
Son, the Bridegroom of Heaven. This Bride, the Church, will
consist of both Jews and gentiles. Yeshua’s sacrifice enables
gentiles to be grafted into the life of Israel and share in the
promises of God. Understanding the role of Israel — God’s
timepiece — is crucial to preparing for the Lord’s return.
This readable booklet tackles topics including:
1. Is Jesus Coming Soon?
2. Why Did Judaism and Christianity Part Ways?
3. God’s 9 - 11
4. Turning Points in the Modern Era
5. The Olive Tree as a Modern Parable

7
Rescuers (continued from last month)
BY JONATHAN BLAUSTEIN (r) NYTimes.com
We continue our profiles of “Rescuers,” non-Jewish Europeans who risked torture
and death to save Jews during the Holocaust. Documented by Malka Drucker,
a children’s book author, and Gay Block, a fine art portrait photographer, we
hope that these stories will inspire others to stand strong in difficult times.
(Our monthly series began in the November 2018 Levitt Letter, p. 10.)

Rescuers

Photo: courtesy Gay Block

Johtje and Aart Vos
Aart and Johtje (nee Johanna
Kuyper) Vos lived in Laren, an
artist colony near Amsterdam,
and their home became a reli-
able stop on the underground.
Her grandfather had been the
prime minister of the Nether-
lands, and Johtje and her family
were devout members of the
Dutch Reformed Churche.
Throughout the war, Johtje
and Aart saved 36 Jews — as
many as 14 at a time. “We had
mattresses all over the floor,
and they had to be camou-
flaged in case the Germans To
Index
came,” Johtje said.
The couple lived on a dead-end
street that backed up to the
woods, easing the task of trans-
porting refugees discreetly. Aart
constructed a tunnel about 55
yards long from the back of the
Vos house into the woods. The Johtje (1909–2007) and Aart Vos (d. 1990)
righteous couple also received
help from a local police chief who would give advance warnings about
Gestapo raids.
“Holland was like a family and part of that family was in danger,” Aart
recalled. “In this case, the Jewish part. The Germans were threatening our
family. We weren’t thinking, ‘What shall we do?’ We just did.”

Rescuer
Zofia Baniecka
Warsaw residents Zofia Baniecka and her family were integral to the Polish
resistance even after Zofia’s father was killed by a Russian bomb in 1941. In
addition to relaying guns and other materials to resistance fighters, Zofia
and her mother rescued over 50 Jews in their home.
Unlike some other rescuers, she and her mother evaded detection the
entire time they fought the Nazis. “I was never interrogated,” Zofia said.
“I was just lucky … because I kept people and guns in my house from the
(continued next page)

8
Photo: courtesy Gay Block

winter of 1941 until the Polish

uprising in August 1944.
“Many people saved my belief
in humanity, and that is why
it is important for people to
know about this time in Poland
during the war — that there
were those of us who did try to
save Jews,” she said. “It is nec-
Zofia Baniecka (1917–1993) essary for the children to know
that there were such people.”
In the 1980s, Zofia actively participated in Poland’s Solidarity movement.
To
These stories of courageous gentiles/Christians will continue in next Index
month’s Levitt Letter. 1

Why Do Non-Jews Fight For Israel? continued from cover sidebar

minorities, nor does it bitterly mourn when blood bond with the Jewish nation, and
they fall on the field of battle. are willing to make the ultimate sacrifice
But that’s what happens day-in and for the good of the State of Israel..” 1
day-out in the Holy Land. The IDF military
censor prevents our reporting on a recent
incident related to this matter, despite the
fact that every Israeli and every Palestinian
knows about it, and the foreign press
has itself reported on some of the details
without repercussion. Suffice it to say
that when minority soldiers fall defending
this nation — these Christians, Druze, and
Muslims — they are mourned by every
Israeli just as deeply and sincerely as any
of their Jewish comrades.
So, let the mainstream media claim what
they will. A growing number of minority
communities realize that they share a The IDF includes all sectors of society Photo: Miriam Alster

9
Our Shield In Time Of Terror
On the Ground
in Israel
Sarah Liberman

Operation Northern Shield, the current IDF defense operation

I remember the day when we, the general Israeli

public, came to know that tunnels had been
dug from Gaza into the sovereign State of Israel.
It was the morning that a young Israeli soldier
guarding the border fence between Israel and
Gaza was abducted. Gilad Shalit would remain
To
in captivity for over five years. On the morning Index
of June 25, 2006, early news of an attack on
an Israel Defense Forces (IDF) army base in
the area of Kerem Shalom near Gaza, started
streaming in via the media. It was confusing, A Hamas operative climbs out of one
as reporters kept repeating “The event is not of the major tunnels (notice the work
on the sides of the tunnel) Back to
over,” though the attack had since ceased. p. 29
As the day wore on, we learned that Hamas (the terrorist organization that
would seize power in Gaza in 2007) had attacked a base some distance from
where Shalit was abducted. Hamas had managed to cause an explosion at the
base, and during this diversion, the tank in which Shalit was sitting farther
down the border fence was attacked, killing several soldiers. The diversion Back to
worked: All attention focused on the attack at the base. p. 34

A terrible feeling of panic and horror spread through the Land as we learned that
Hamas was able to capture a soldier and
take him to Gaza, alive. We knew about the
cameras that monitor the border fence 24/7
and observers who watch that feed live, in
real time. Those observers said that they
watched three men cross the fence into Gaza
and assumed they were Hamas terrorists.
The three men quickly disappeared. How did
they vanish and where did they go?
More details arrived. Though the base attack
Hamas tunnels can accommodate came from within Israel, there was no sign
two-way motor traffic (continued next page)

10
of a border breach. Instead, the terrorists had emerged
from an underground tunnel 100 yards from the base. This
element of surprise gave Hamas the upper hand. Gilad was
taken to the opening of a different tunnel (on the Gaza side) and
quickly moved deep into Gaza
City.
A new reality set in. There were tunnels,
lots of them, that crossed the border into
Israel, and any number of terrorists could
appear from them at any time. This threat
had to be neutralized. Military “Operation
Protective Edge” in 2014 was designed, in
part, to destroy these tunnels.
Sophisticated reinforcement of Hamas tunnel
Israel recently launched a new operation —
“Northern Shield” — revealing the existence of a similar threat, this time from
the north, along Israel’s border with Lebanon. For nine long years, residents of
northern border towns such as Metulah and Yiftach have complained to au-
thorities that they hear digging noises at night. They even recorded them for
the media. I remember hearing the recordings: sounds of heavy machinery
and methodical thuds. But they were told that tunnels were unlikely because
of the rocky hard soil in the northern mountains.
Yet, these tunnels do exist. The IDF says they have known about them since
2014. The tunnels were dug by Hezbollah, another terror organization, using
knowledge gained by Hamas. But these tunnels are sophisticated, connecting to
electricity, water, and communications. While each tunnel in Gaza’s sandy soil is
estimated to cost several million dollars, the terrain and soil in the north is much
To
harder and very rocky. Hezbollah’s tun- Index
nels are also larger and deeper, costing
significantly more. Hezbollah planned
to use the tunnels to attack Israel and
capture Israeli civilians living in towns
close to the fence.
“Northern Shield” brought a collective
sigh of relief. The people in the border
towns felt a sense of “I told you so,”
but also comfort that this important
threat is finally being addressed.
IDF soldier surveys disrupted Hamas tunnel construction
The northern tunnels are numerous
and will take time to find and destroy. (Israel plans to leave some intact
to show ambassadors, UN forces, etc.) This time, Israel had the element of
surprise, and Hezbollah now suffers a big loss, both militarily and financially.
This new operation could easily ignite a war in this very sensitive situation.
Matthew 24:6 tells us: “And you will hear of wars and rumors of wars. See
that you are not alarmed, for this must take place, but the end is not yet.”
Yet, we Israeli Believers have a different promise to look to and pray over
regarding this situation. It is found in Isaiah 29:17 — “Is it not yet a very little
while until Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field
shall be regarded as a forest?” As we continue to watch and see how this
political and military scenario plays out, let us pray according to THIS promise,
and understand that God Himself is our “Northern Shield.”
See related articles on p. 28 and p. 34. 1

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 Ask the Chaplain

What Is Heresy?
Dr. Todd Baker
Zola Levitt Ministries
Staff Theologian

Q.
What is heresy and
why is it a threat
to the Church?

A.
Heresy is any belief that contra­
dicts essential (ortho­d ox)
teaching*. Church heresy
misinterprets or twists Scripture out of
context to create a doctrine or belief
that contradicts what the Scriptures
actually and truly mean (2 Peter 3:16).
Athanasius at the Council of Nicea, Anonymous,
Example: Arius (256–336 a.d.), the William of Tyre manuscripts, 13th century
father of Arianism, denied the deity
of Jesus Christ by twisting certain verses of Scripture out of context. In the
end, he contradicted Bible passages where Jesus and the Apostles clearly
affirmed that Jesus/Yeshua was God (see John 1:1–2, 14, 8:58; 20:28;
Romans 9:5; 1 Timothy 3:16; Colossians 2:9).
The opposite of heresy is orthodoxy, which comes from the Greek word orthodoxia
(ορθοδοξια) and means “right doctrine.” Used within the context of Biblical truth,
Back to
“orthodoxy” means all revealed Bible teaching that is given in Scripture as theo- Cover
logically defined by the seven ecumenical councils of the Christian Church from
325 to 787 a.d. Believers accept the creeds adopted by those councils because
they are subordinate to the doctrine that Scripture has revealed. We call the body
of orthodox Biblical doctrine the historic essentials of the Christian faith. They
include the deity of Christ, the Trinity, salvation by faith alone, the inerrancy of
To
the Scripture, the physical resurrection of Jesus Christ, His physical return, etc. Index
Heresy is the denial or contradiction of those historic essentials.
From the moment of its inception, the Church has continually fought the emergence
and threat of heresy. Two of the first heresies were Legalism and Gnosticism.
Legalists believe that one can keep the Mosaic Law to earn salvation. Apostle Paul
fought Legalism in Galatia. Gnostics deny Christ’s physical incarnation and
resurrection from the dead. Apostle John refuted Gnosticism in his epistles.
Several times in the past, heresy has gained prominent positions in the Church.
However, Yeshua HaMashiach (Jesus Christ) promised the Church’s indestructi-
bility in Matthew 16:18, where He indicated that the truth of God’s Word would
preserve the true Church from being destroyed by the powers of Hell with false
doctrine and heresy.
Indeed, when the Church edged toward embracing Arianism in the early 4th
century, God raised up Athanasius (296–373 a.d.) to defend the orthodox, Bibli-
cal view that Christ is God in the flesh (God incarnate). Thankfully, the Church
condemned for all time Arius and his heresy at the Council of Nicea in 325 a.d.
The word heresy comes from the Greek word hairesis (αίρέσεις), which means
“division” or “faction” (1 Corinthians 11:19). Originally, the word meant a sect
or dissenting group that separated from the whole community. Eventually,
those factious groups came to be known for teaching false doctrine and her-
esy, hence, the cause of their separation. This is exactly the twofold nature of
heresy: deception and division. The Bible condemns false doctrine and false
teachers. Heresy is a danger to the Church because it is a work of the flesh and
fundamentally counters the Biblical Gospel (Galatians 5:20). Those who preach
contrary to the true Gospel are under the condemnation of God, which Paul
made clear in Galatians 1:8–9. 1
* Resource: The Baker Compact Dictionary of Theological Terms
12
 ShaliachReport To The Jew First

Breaking Down Walls

Dr. Todd Baker
ZLM Staff Theologian
TJF Team Leader

The To The Jew First team had a very Itai told me that
Rm. 1:16
effective ministry in Tiberias, ancient many such signs exist
Jericho, and Jerusalem. In Jericho — throughout the “disputed
where God miraculously brought down territories” in Israel under PA (Pales-
the imposing walls (Joshua 6) — I met tinian Authority) control.
Muhammad, a Muslim open to the Word, I explained to Itai that this PA policy
at the entrance to the ancient ruins. I barring Jews mirrored the Nazi policy
showed him a Gospel tract in Arabic of Judenfrei that they implemented
that illustrates the life of Jesus from His when killing or deporting Eastern
pre-existence to His Second Coming. European Jews. Once the Nazis had
removed all Jews from a particular
area, it was declared “Judenfrei” —
free of Jews.
Our group pointed out to the three
young Israelis that God has regath-
ered the Chosen People into their
ancient homeland of Israel. He gave it
to them forever and will never allow
them to be removed or uprooted from
Muhammad and Todd the land again (Genesis 17:7–8; Amos
9:14–15).
God promised to regather the Jews in
After I correlated those details to His Word, and He is doing it now, in
show Muhammad from Scripture some these last days. We told the three that
To
of the Messianic prophecies that Jesus He also promised to send the Messiah Index
fulfilled, Muhammad was more than to be a Jew from Israel to save from
happy to accept a Hebrew copy of the the punishment of sin those who
Bible that he could read alongside the believe Him. God kept this promise
Arabic tract. He stated that he would too, when He brought His Son Yeshua
take the Bible home and read it, and the Messiah into the world.
thanked me many times for giving it All three Israelis were remarkably
to him! May God tear down any walls receptive to our Jewish Gospel mes-
of resistance in this man’s heart and sage and accepted Complete Hebrew
give him the faith to truly believe that Bibles, Messianic study materials, and
Jesus is the Son of God come to die for Gospel tracts in Hebrew. Each thanked
man’s sins and give us eternal life. us for the Bibles and truth about
The following day was a placid Yeshua, and expressed gratitude for
Sabbath in Jerusalem. The Lord did our love and support of Israel. 1
not disappoint this day, either. Our
six-member outreach team passed
out six Hebrew Bibles to several
Arab and Jewish people.
Meeting three Israelis (pictured at
right) outside our hotel, we told
them how shocked and disappoint-
ed we were to have seen a big
red sign at the entrance to Jericho
warning that Jewish citizens of Itai, Eden, & Nadav with Todd
Israel are not welcomed in the
city and any who enter risk death!

13
Harvesting Low-Hanging Fruit
A Note From Mark
by Mark Levitt
ZLM Director

Easy-to-reach fruit that grows on other Believers. Lately, I have been

a tree’s lower branches inspired contemplating how a Believer’s
the expression low-hanging fruit to walk with the Lord is comparable
describe targets or goals that can to a marriage in that we can derive
be easily achieved. abundant benefit with basic effort.
You’re already familiar with examples Some Believers seem to be over-
of low-hanging fruit for improving achievers at reaching for the highest
your health. Feeling better physically limbs of spirituality while neglecting
often begins with improving your the fruit they could harvest while
diet, sleep, and exercise. Consuming standing on the ground.
less sugar and white flour, drinking
more water, sleeping just an hour
more per night, and taking a brisk
daily walk could make a world of
difference for maintaining God’s
temple. (1 Cor. 6:19)
What then, generally speaking, is
the low-hanging fruit of sustaining Some Believers seem
a stable, happy marriage? The
answers, of course, vary with
to be overachievers at
circumstances, but the following reaching for the highest
have worked for mine. limbs of spirituality while
My wife and I make it a point to neglecting the fruit they
see off and then warmly welcome could harvest while
To
each other back home. Taking a standing on the Index
few minutes to apply foot lotion at ground.
bedtime also scores easy points.
Doing the laundry is easier for
me than grocery shopping, and
I’d rather wash dishes than cook. This ministry very effectively offers
Since the missus works full time, low-hanging fruit for the neediest
my shouldering my share means and hungriest to harvest. Libraries
we eat out less often and have and businesses that offer free
better meals than if she did every- Internet wi-fi enable ZLMers to
thing singlehandedly. access years of Zola Levitt Presents
It should go without saying that programs and Levitt Letters. Ortho­
communication is key to any team’s dox Jews researching rumors about
success. Marriage is so much happier Yeshua being their Savior can
when we stay on the same page via discreetly explore levitt.com’s FAQs
texting, etc. regarding where we’re and archives. Grandmothers who
going to be and when. “Find My can’t drive to church or fly to Israel
Friends” is a free app that clues us can see on-location Bible teaching
when the other is working late or via their television screens and
stuck on an errand. computer monitors. All for free; all
on low branches — easy pickin’s,
Many Levitt Letter readers are old
thanks to you! 1
hands at healthful living, marriage
maintenance, or both. The basics of
spiritual sustenance include regular
Bible reading, an active prayer
life, ministry, and fellowship with

14
ZLM Bulletin Board
Atheist “Christian” Pastor
The atheist Rev. Gretta Vosper does
not believe in God, Jesus Christ, or
the Holy Spirit, but she continues to
“minister” to her congregation at a
United Church of Canada in Toronto:
“We’ll be out from underneath that
heavy cloud. Now we’ll be able to
really fly.” We agree. Without the
Holy Spirit, Vosper and her congre-
gation are free to fly into the pits
of hell. Vosper’s professed atheism
faced an unprecedented ecclesiastical court
hearing until a deal was reached (exact terms not disclosed).

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According to the Pew Research Center,
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provide for their own financial
while non-Muslims have grown by just 5%.
needs and their loved ones’. To
Disproportionally impacting local and Index
A gift annuity offers you a
national politics, their voters will swing
way to further the causes that
domestic elections, elect progressively
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following: 1) Lifetime payments
few centuries ago, Syria was more
taxed at rates lower than for
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and estate tax savings, and
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Where? Answers About Gift Annuities,
A recent New York email us at staff@levitt.com
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article extolled
“Five Places to go in
Jerusalem” … with no “Come Home!”
mention of Israel. The
Times apparently experienced dementia Zola
regarding which country boasts Jerusa- Tours to
lem as its capital. The same Times edition
managed to peg Oslo as Norway’s
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capital. And earlier pieces identified
“Dusseldorf, Germany” and “San Jose,
Costa Rica.” See page 36
for details

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15
 HebrewLesson
by John Parsons
The Way of Perfect Peace Hebrew for Christians
A Classic Lesson in Handling Worry Hebrew4Christians.com

When we lose sight of the truth that God is in complete control of all things,
we tend to grow anxious. Feeling worried comes from focusing on ourselves,
a perspective that can make us feel alone, forgotten, and even victimized in
this world. Worry moves us to defend ourselves, to seek refuge in our own
devices, and to forfeit the will of God according to the dictates of lesser fears.
The sages say it is not permitted to worry: “To worry is a sin. Only one sort of
worry is permissible: to worry because one worries.” We should worry that
we worry because worrying indicates our hardness of heart and unbelief.
God’s name YHVH ( ‫ )יהוה‬means “Presence,” “Breath,” “Life,” and “Love.” So
why be anxious for “tomorrow”? We really only have this moment, but this
moment is entirely sufficient when we walk in the light of God and seek to
know Him in all our ways.
The first part of the “Shema” (Deut. 6:4–9) admonishes us to remember the truth To
of God “when you sit in your house, when you walk in your ways, when you lie Index
down, and when you rise up.” “In all your ways know Him;” that is, in all that
you put your hand to do, look for God’s Presence and guidance (1 Cor. 10:31).
This is something you must do: As King David stated, “I have set the Lord always
before me: because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved” (Psalm 16:8).
“Let the peace of God rule in you” (Col. 3:15).
The Name of the L ord is “I-AM-WITH-YOU-ALWAYS,” which implies that
we always live within His Presence and care, even if we are sometimes not
conscious of this truth (Matthew 28:20). As it is written in the prophets, hen al
kapayim hachotikh: “Behold I have engraved you on the palms of My hands”
(Isa. 49:16). Remember the One who stretched out His hands and died for
your healing; remember that He said, “Do not be anxious about tomorrow …
each day has its own trouble” (Matthew 6:34). Again, “do not be anxious
for any reason, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanks-
giving let your requests be made known to God, and the healing peace of
God — the very Shalom of Heaven —  which surpasses all understanding, will
guard your hearts and your minds
Courtesy: The Jerusalem Connection

in Yeshua the Messiah” (Phil. 4:6–7).

“He’s got the whole world in His
hands.” We experience inner
peace when our minds are settled
on Him (Isaiah 26:3). 1

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16
ZLM Store FEATURED
ITEM
Return To Eden DVD Set
Ten 30-minute programs on 2 DVDs
Return to Eden tells the Bible’s story from Genesis
to Revelation. The Lord bridged the relationship gap
(caused by mankind’s sin in the Garden of Eden)
by creating a special relationship with a people
and a land that eventually led to the Messiah.
David and Kirsten Hart present this series that
features teaching from Dr. Jeffrey Seif, interviews,
insights from worship leader Sarah Liberman,
and music composed by Zola Levitt.
Out of Eden Adam and Eve’s sin led not only to
man’s expulsion from the Garden of Eden but, more
importantly, to the loss of personal fellowship with the
Lord. To bridge this relationship gap, God instituted the
sacrificial system.

Back to Eden The journey to restoring a relationship with God has no shortcuts. God tested
Abram’s faith. The Tabernacle allowed people access to the Holy God by providing the setting
for sacrifice necessary to atone for sin.

Recreating Paradise For 369 years, the Israelites could approach the Lord via the To
Index
Tabernacle in Shiloh. The Menorah symbolizes not only the Jewish people but also the
Tree of Life.

Eden and Old Testament History The Lord wants to restore fellowship with His creation
and is rebuilding us and making us a testimony to His faithfulness.

Eden and New Testament Prophecy Sin leads to loss, and rebuilding can take generations.
In the end, the Lord will renew His relationship with His people and dwell with them forever.

Eden and Israel Solomon’s Temple was a reconstitution of the Garden of Eden. Today,
the Lord is bringing the Jewish people back to their ancestral homeland.

Jesus and the Return to Eden When Messiah returns, New Jerusalem itself will be the
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Paradise Restored Adam and Eve started in the Garden of Eden paradise. Believers will
spend eternity with the Divine in a similar paradise. The choice one makes now to accept Jesus
or not dictates where one will spend eternity.

Bonus Interviews – Part 1 Extended interviews with: Doron Keidar, Cry for Zion;
Dr. Seth Postell, academic dean of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya; and Guy Erlich,
owner/director of Balm of Gilead Farm.

Bonus Interviews – Part 2 Extended interviews with: David Parsons, vice-president

of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem; singer Pat Boone; and Yehuda Glick,
member of Israel’s Knesset.

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 ZLM product ORDER FORM
We Accept
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�� A Christian Love Story (pictured).................................. $3______
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�� The Bible Jesus Read.................................................... $10______
�� Broken Branches: Has the Church Replaced Israel?
(Zola on Replacement Theology) (pictured)......... $6______
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�� In the Footsteps of the Rabbi....................................... $14______
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�� Israel’s Right to the Land (p. 23).................................. $2______ Index
�� Once Through the New Testament............................... $9______
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18
 ORDER FORM continued
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ZLM Store FEATURED
ITEMS

The Seven
Feasts of Israel
Study booklet, teaching CD,
and DVD (7 programs on 2 DVDs)
An explanation of the commandments of Jehovah
to Moses on Mount Sinai regarding the festival
days and their deep significance. The elegant
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convocation and how each one has been or will
be fulfilled in prophecy.
Passover/Unleavened Bread The Messiah,
clearly presented.
First Fruits — The Resurrection The true and
elegant origin and meaning of Easter.
Pentecost The real festival of the Harvest,
fifteen centuries old when the Holy Spirit
came. An uplifting look at a great miracle.
Trumpets The Rapture in its original form.
Atonement An awesome day of confession
and repentance. To
Index
Tabernacles Thanksgiving, Old Testament style!
Hanukkah/Purim The delightful festivals of
joy when Israel rejoices in the blessings of
the Lord.
Back to
(Please see the related “Classic Zola’” article p. 5
on p. 4.)

NON SEQUITUR by Wiley GoComics.com/NonSequitur

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20
The Slave Bible
BY BECKY LITTLE (r) History.com

inset: The Slave Bible on display

background: The Museum of the Bible exhibit in Washington, D.C.

When slavery was legal, its proponents often justified it with the Bible;
To
specifically, a verse that tells servants to obey their masters (Ephesians 6:5). Index
Abolitionists could and did use a lot of verses to argue against slavery, but
you wouldn’t find those in the heavily-redacted Slave Bible.
Most of the Old Testament is missing, and only about half of the New Testament
remains. The reason? So that the enslaved Africans in the Caribbean islands of
Jamaica, Barbados, and Antigua couldn’t read or be read anything that might
incite them to rebel.
The Slave Bible was actually titled Parts of the Holy Bible, selected for the
use of the Negro Slaves, in the British West-India Islands.
It’s not clear who the Slave Bible’s editors were, but “they really highlighted
portions that would instill obedience,” explains Anthony Schmidt, a curator at
Washington, D.C.’s Museum of the Bible, where a copy of the Slave Bible is on
display. There are only two other known copies.
The first Slave Bible was published in 1807, three years after the Haitian
Revolution ended. That revolution was the only slave revolt in history in
which enslaved people successfully drove out their European oppressors
and formed a new nation.
The Slave Bible doesn’t include Moses leading the Israelites to freedom, but
it does include Joseph’s enslavement in Egypt. Passages that emphasized
equality between groups of people were also excised. This included: “There
is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither
male nor female: for ye are all one in Christ Jesus” (Galatians 3:28). The
Slave Bible also doesn’t contain the Book of Revelation, which tells of a
new Heaven and Earth in which evil will be punished. 1

21
 Some letters have been edited for space.

Letters
to ZL M
For ministry products and TV programs, visit the
web store and video archives.

In Need of Prayer
Dear ZLM,
I’m sorry for all the
letters I sent you over the
years. I have struggled with
some mental and emotional
problems in the past and take
medication for depression.
I realize that this doesn’t
excuse my peculiar letters to
you, but I wanted to explain
my situation.
I’m doing better now
and hope something good
can come out of my letters.
I apologize again and won’t
write any more. But I will
keep sending my monthly To
donation by mail. Thank you, Index
E.H.

Dear E.H. —
I thank you for your faithful giving, but no apology is necessary for
any letters that you regret. You can rest assured that writing to us about
your psychological issues has landed you on our office’s prayer board. Our
staffers enjoy reading novel letters and emails that highlight the traits of
our fellow Believers’ individuality. Even correspondence with rants can
provide constructive criticism that we take to heart and act upon.
The something good that has stemmed from our praying for you is that
you’re doing better! Thanks for letting us know. Of course, you’re welcome
to keep writing even if our small staff can’t always respond. Short of that,
you might find keeping a daily or weekly journal helpful. Another option:
Clicking on “Discussion” at levitt.com offers free Messianic fellowship
opportunities at ZolaBoard. Blessings for your continued recovery as you
seek God’s guidance and love.  — Mark

Kosher Diet Advised, Not Required

Dear Mark Levitt,
I have a lawsuit against my former prison because they discontinued
serving me kosher meals. I plan to name you as an expert witness, so please
expect to be contacted by my attorney. I will donate 10% of any award to all
the Messianic ministries who have been discipling me.  — M.P. (CA)
(continued next page)

FEBRUARY 2019 . ZLM . PO BOX 12268 . DALLAS TX 75225-0268 . (214) 696-8844 . WWW.LEVITT.COM
22
Dear M.P. —
An unsaved
rabbi would be
a better expert
witness than I
for your purpose,
though I’m
flattered you’ve
attempted to
appoint me. You
will want to seek
an Old Testament-­
only rabbi who is
either Orthodox
or Conservative. (Most Reform Jews don’t keep kosher and probably wouldn’t
testify that you should, even if you’ve converted to Judaism.) Be sure to confirm
that you’ve jumped through whatever hoops your rabbi may require for him to
deem you sufficiently Jewish, since he certainly wouldn’t mandate a kosher diet
for a gentile.
As Believers in Yeshua’s New Covenant, you and I are under the New Law
and not required to maintain a kosher diet. That said, I commend your endeavor
from a nutritional standpoint since many of the Old Testament’s dietary restrictions
make for healthy living. For example, seafood with scales is healthier than
crustaceans like lobster and crab, which are high in cholesterol.
Our ministry’s Covenants of God television series covers the Edenic, Adamic,
Noahic, Abrahamic, Mosaic, Land, Davidic, and New covenants. It teaches that
the New Covenant rests upon the sacrifice of Christ and secures eternal To
blessedness for Believers. It is absolutely unconditional. Index
M.P., if your attorney does contact me, I will offer to donate this fine TV series
to your facility’s library. It is described at store.levitt.com/video/DCG and available
for free online viewing at levitt.tv/media/series/DCG. Blessings,  Mark 1

Israel’s Right to the Land! 

booklet by David L. Hocking
Just as its title implies, this booklet answers
head-on the question: “What right does Israel
have to its land?” Featuring an introduction by
Zola, Israel’s Right to the Land! pulls abundant
evidence from the Scriptures, and directly
addresses the 12 key issues that resolve this
topic once and for all.
Let’s spread the Word on who owns the Land
(“from the river of Egypt to the River Euphrates” —
Genesis 15:18) by divine right!

FEBRUARY 2019 . ZLM . PO BOX 12268 . DALLAS TX 75225-0268 . (214) 696-8844 . WWW.LEVITT.COM
23
Eradicating Mosquitoes
SCIENCE: BY ARIELLA GENTIN (r) TimesOfIsrael.com

Our nemesis, the mosquito

A 28-year-old graduate of the Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design’s Industrial

Design school, Yehuda Hermann, believes he may have found a way to solve
the humanitarian crisis created by disease-carrying mosquitoes.
Every year, some 750,000 people die from mosquito-borne diseases
around the world. In the past, chemical disinfectants have been used to kill
these pests en masse, but the chemicals To
cause harm to the water, animals, and even Index
human beings in the surrounding areas. So,
Hermann decided to try something else. He
developed a biological pesticide, called
Biosive, that infects the mosquitoes without
affecting the surrounding ecosystem.
Female mosquitoes are attracted to carbon
dioxide because it signals the presence of a
living entity that contains proteins, which they
need before they lay their eggs. Hermann has
built a container that emits carbon dioxide
Photo: Ariella Gentin/Times of Israel

to attract the mosquitoes. Inside the container,

he inserted a material containing the Bacillus
bacteria, which is a pesticide for mosquito
larvae. As the mosquito flies out of the
container, “like a bee in a flower” that picks
up pollen, the mosquito becomes a carrier of
the pesticide. Yehuda Hermann, graduate of
the Bezalel Academy of Arts and
After leaving the container, the mosquito Design in Jerusalem
will go on to lay eggs, which she does on
water. Because the mosquito is infected with the bacteria, the larvae die a few
hours after being born.
Hermann’s technology is unique because the whole area within a radius
of 800 feet from where the mosquito laid her eggs becomes a deathbed
for all future larvae: The pesticide dissolves into the water in which the
(continued next page)

24
 A potential breeding ground for mosquitos

mosquito laid her eggs. If other mosquitoes lay

eggs in those waters, their larvae will also die in a
few hours.
Hermann intends the containers to be placed inside
garbage cans. That way, when people take out their
garbage, they can refill the containers with biological
material. Garbage cans are also advantageous because
they are low
to the ground,
which is close to
where mosqui-
toes live. 1

left: The jihadist shouts: “Israel is the cause of destruction in the world!”
right: Israeli inventions

To
Pictorial Map Index

of Jerusalem
The most important city map in the
world! A marvelous and complete
display with over 1,000 names of
streets, neighborhoods, etc., with color
pictures, churches, Biblical sites, and
all the rest, beautifully presented.

Pilgrim’s Map of
the Holy Land
A very special map of modern Israel that
also provides sites of Biblical importance.
Scriptures are given right on the map so
that the reader can locate the cities and
towns of Biblical significance. Delivers
hours of spiritual pleasure.

25
Preventing Peanut Allergies in Children
MEDICINE: BY JUDY SIEGEL-ITZKOVICH (r) BreakingIsraelNews.com

Q.
Can we give our healthy
10-month old daughter peanuts?

Prof. Arthur Eidelman, emeritus professor and former head of pediatrics at

Shaare Zedek Medical Center and editor of Breastfeeding Medicine, comments:

A.
I strongly endorse giving children of this age soft snacks with To
peanut butter (such as smooth peanut butter or corn puffs with peanut Index
butter, which are extremely popular among Israeli children). Parents should
give such snacks to children at a young age, after they start eating solid foods, as
early exposure can get the body used to peanuts before an allergy develops.

Don’t give children actual peanuts, as these pose a serious choking hazard.
Instead, give food made from peanut butter. In 2000, the American Academy
of Pediatrics (AAP) recommended that any child at high risk of peanut allergy
(from a family with a history of peanut allergy or other food allergies or
eczema) should not eat peanut products before the age of three. But eight years
later, the AAP stopped recommending this. (In Western countries, peanut
allergy has doubled over the past decade and is the leading cause of food
allergy-related deaths in the U.S.)
Around this time, British researchers noted that peanut allergy in Jewish
children living in the UK was about 10 times higher than in Jewish children
in Israel. Since they shared a similar ancestry, the difference, they reasoned,
had to be something that they were doing.
They learned that UK children rarely ate peanut products before their first
birthday, while their Israeli counterparts regularly ate creamy peanut butter.
They studied 600 babies who were allergic to eggs or suffered from eczema —
two conditions that are known to accompany peanut allergies. Divided into
two groups, one group was given smooth peanut butter regularly, while the
other received no peanut products until their fifth birthdays. The study included
children who tested positive for a peanut allergy as infants (those with strong
positive tests, however, were not included in the study).
(continued next page)

26
At five years, only 3% of the children who ate peanut
products were allergic to them, compared with 17%
of those who didn’t eat peanuts. As a result, the U.S.
National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases
released guidelines to help pediatricians and parents
understand and safely apply these findings.
All infants who don’t already test positive for a peanut
allergy are encouraged to eat peanut-enriched foods soon
after they’ve tried a few other solid foods. Children who suffer from severe
eczema or egg allergy should first be tested for peanut allergy, and their
parents should consult with doctors about whether and when to expose
them to peanut products. Those found to have an allergy should get their first
taste of peanut products in the doctor’s office.
No testing is needed for babies with mild to moderate eczema, although parents
should still talk with their doctors about their child’s needs. These babies should
try peanut products at around six months of age.
Babies who don’t have any eczema or food allergy can have peanut products
along with other foods as early as four to six months. 1

Crossword February 2019:

Warrior King 1
(answers on p. 35)
To
Index

ACROSS DOWN

3. And __ was the youngest… 1. …Arise __ him… (1 Sam. 16:12 KJV)

(1 Sam. 17:14 KJV) 2. …Look not on his __... (1 Sam. 16:7 KJV)
5. …and chose him five smooth __... 4. …so Saul was __... (1 Sam. 16:23 KJV)
(1 Sam. 17:40 KJV) 7. ...and I will __ thee… (1 Sam. 17:46 KJV)
6. And __ said unto David… (1 Sam. 17:17 KJV) 8. Then __ and David made a covenant…
11. …for the __ is the Lord’s (1 Sam. 17:47 KJV) (1 Sam. 18:3 KJV)
13. …Let no man’s __ fail… (1 Sam. 17:32 KJV) 9. And David came to __... (1 Sam. 16:21 KJV)
14. …Samuel took the horn of __... 10. …The Lord hath not __ these.
(1 Sam. 16:13 KJV) (1 Sam. 16:10 KJV)
15. Now the __ gathered together… 12. …and gave him the sword of __...
(1 Sam. 17:1 KJV) (1 Sam. 22:10 KJV)

27
 SELECT
MEDIA
BRIEFS

Australian Prime Minister

Scott Morrison

Australia Recognizes West posed for selfies, with the Israeli crew
in the background, as they burned
Jerusalem As Israel’s Capital
fires and brewed tea to keep warm.
By Josef Federman and Fares Akram
APNews.com
Australia has decided to formally
recognize West Jerusalem as
Israel’s capital, but won’t move
its embassy until there’s a peace
settlement between Israel and the
Palestinians, Prime Minister Scott
Morrison announced recently.
Morrison added that Australia
would recognize East Jerusalem To
as Palestine’s capital only after a Index
settlement has been reached on a
two-state solution.
UN peacekeepers watch Israeli excavators
Australia becomes the third country
to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s But Lebanese soldiers were visibly on
capital, following the U.S. and high alert, deploying to new camou- Back to
p. 11
Guatemala. Unlike its predecessors, flaged posts behind sandbags and
however, Australia recognized only inside abandoned homes. About two
the western part of the city. The dozen UN peacekeepers stood in a
decision, therefore, is unlikely to long line, just ahead of the blue line
please either side entirely. demarcating the frontier between the
two countries technically still at war.
(continued next page)
Israel Destroys Hezbollah
Border Tunnels
By Sarah El Deeb / APNews.com
As Israeli excavators dug into the
rocky hills along the frontier with a
Lebanese village, a crowd of young
Lebanese men gathered to watch.
The mood was light as the crowd
observed Israel’s military operation —
“Northern Shield” — aimed at destroy-
ing attack tunnels built by Lebanese
Hezbollah militia. The young men Lebanese soldier positioned at the site where
Israeli excavators work

28
 the Palestinians” — a claim that
demonizes the Jewish state while
diminishing the crimes of real Nazis.
The counterargument states that
anti-Zionism is a legitimate political
position that has nothing to do with
anti-Semitism. But anti-Zionists
discriminate against the Jews alone
among the peoples of the world and
call for the Jewish state’s economic,
cultural, and academic boycott. What
sense would it make to say: “I don’t
think Ireland has a right to exist,
Red-roofed Israeli homes on a hill overlook the but I’m not anti-Irish”? 1
diggers, who had to clear peach trees to make
room for their work. Lebanese residences, some
of them luxury summer homes, sit atop hills
hundreds of yards from the wall.

The scene highlights the palpable

anxiety that any misstep could lead
to a conflagration between Israel
and Lebanon that no one seems to
want. See article “Our Shield in Time
of Terror” on p. 10. To
Index

Anti-Zionism = Anti-Semitism
By Daniel Schwammenthal / WSJ.com
“Anti-Zionism isn’t the same as
anti-Semitism,” we keep hearing. A
new study suggests that for Jewish
Europeans, the distinction is without
a difference.
The European Union Agency for
Fundamental Rights polled some
16,500 Jews in 12 countries
where 90% of the EU’s
Jewish population lives.
Eighty-five percent say
anti-Semitism is a problem
in their country. As a result,
34% avoid visiting Jewish
events or sites, and 38%
have considered emigrating.
The most common anti-­
Semitic comment, which 51%
said they hear “frequently”
or “all the time,” was “Israelis
behave ‘like Nazis’ toward

29
The West’s History with Islam
BY RAYMOND IBRAHIM (r) FrontPageMag.com

Battle of Varna, Stanisław Chlebowski (1835–1884)

Last year, European Commission First Vice-President Frans Timmermans

To
chaired a roundtable with ten Muslim imams from six EU Member States. Index
Afterward, Timmermans announced: “The Commission is strongly committed
to promoting diversity in Europe. Islam is part of our history and Islam will
be part of our future.”
Such assertions are as true as the assumptions they are based on, and whether
such assumptions are grounded in historical facts or fictions. The true, histor-
ically documented role that Islam played paints a picture different from what
Timmermans describes.

7th through 9th Century

In the early 7th century, sword-waving Arabs burst out of the Arabian Peninsula
and in a few decades conquered some two-thirds of what then constituted
(continued next page)
Image: United States of America federal government

The “Age of the Caliphs,” showing the Umayyad Caliphate, a Muslim dynasty that ruled the
Islamic world from a.d. 660 to 750 and Moorish Spain from 756 to 1031

30
 Detail of Return from Vienna, by Józef Brandt (1841–1915)
showing the Polish army returning with Ottoman loot

the Christian world — from Syria and Egypt in the east

to Carthage and Spain in the west and everything in
between. One hundred years after the death of their
prophet in 632, they were in the heart of France where,
thanks to their defeat at Tours in 732 and other Frankish
victories, all of Europe was not conquered.
But where lands could not be subjugated, bodies could. For the next
few centuries, the jihad turned into a giant slave trade of European flesh, as
slave raids left virtually no part of Europe untouched. (Arab gold in large measure
fueled Viking raids in northern Europe.)

10th through the 18th Century

In the 10th and 11th centuries, the Turks — who embraced the jihad ethos even
more than the Arabs — converted to Islam and became its new standard bear-
ers. Although they had notable victories and conquests, only with the coming
of the Ottomans was the jihad on Europe renewed in earnest. In the late 1300s
and early 1400s, much of the Balkans was brutally subjugated and Constanti-
nople — Islam’s original archenemy — horrifically sacked (in 1453).
The Ottoman advance continued unabated and, in 1683, Vienna was encircled
by hundreds of thousands of Muslims. As had happened nearly a millennium
earlier when the Islamic advance into Europe was stayed in 732, a Christian
victory at Vienna only caused Muslims to collapse back to their more modest
role as slave traders of white flesh. Between the 15th and 18th centuries, Muslim
slavers from the Crimea and the Barbary Coast enslaved more than five
million Europeans — including in the late 1700s, American sailors, precipitating
the Barbary Wars.
To
Photo: courtesy Sky News Index
Today
Perhaps the most telling aspect
of this history is the evident
continuity of hostility in distinctly
Islamic terms. These include the
Muslim notion that all infidels
have three choices: conversion,
willing capitulation via jizya/
dhimmi status, or death; the
willful and mass destruction of
churches, crosses, and anything On Dec. 14, 2018, the Strasbourg Christmas market
Christian; the sadistic atrocities that reopened under heavy security after a terror attack
beggar description; the shouts of
“Allahu Akbar” and other jihadi slogans; the invocations of Koranic promises of a
carnal paradise for those who fall in jihad. All these characteristics are present
in virtually every encounter between Muslims and Europeans.
Such is the true role Islam played in Europe’s past.
Islam’s role in the present is built on Europeans being entirely ignorant of — when
not willfully twisting — this unwavering history of hostility, welcoming Muslims
into their lands en masse and in the name of “diversity,” suffering accordingly,
and then wondering what they, the European host nations, did wrong.
Considering the unwavering part that Islam played in the past and continues to
play in the present, it remains to be seen if the West will build its future atop
facts or fictions, getting its just deserts in either case. 1

31
2,000-year-old “Pilate” Ring
ARCHAEOLOGY: BY AMANDA BORSCHEL-DAN (r) TimesOfIsrael.com

Pilate presents Jesus, as depicted in Ecce Homo (Behold the Man), 1871, by Antonio Ciseri

An intriguing 2,000-year-old copper alloy ring bearing the inscription “of Pilatus”
may be only the second artifact [after the Pilate Stone] testifying to the historicity
of the infamous Pontius Pilate. Unearthed 50 years ago, the ring was overlooked
until recently, when it got a good scrub and second look. To
Index
Pilate, a Roman prefect who ruled the Roman province of Judea from circa
26–36 a.d., is mentioned in several accounts in the New Testament as having
ordered the trial and crucifixion of Yeshua.
The ring was found among
Photo: G. Foerster, via Hebrew University

hundreds of other artifacts in

1968–69 excavations directed
by archaeologist Gideon Foerster
at a section of Herod’s tomb and
palace at Herodium that was used
during the First Jewish Revolt
(66–73 a.d.). Current dig director
Roi Porat recently asked that the
engraved copper sealing ring be
given a thorough laboratory clean-
ing and scholarly examination. Aerial view of Herodium

The 104-year-old Israel Exploration Society then published the scientific anal-
ysis of the ring in its biannual Israel Exploration Journal. It was also popularly
publicized — with slightly differing conclusions — in Haaretz, under the headline
“Ring of Roman Governor Pontius Pilate Who Crucified Jesus Found in Herodion
Site in West Bank.”
Archaeologist Porat said that, to him, all explanations are equally possible for
who historically owned the simple copper ring.
“It was important to publish a careful scientific article,” he added. “But in
practice we have a ring inscribed with the name Pilate and the personal
connection just cries out.” (While the name Pontius was common for Romans
(continued next page)
32
during the Second Temple Period, Pilate was not.)
The IEJ’s analysis was written by scholars including several
archaeologists and academics from the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem. Epigrapher Leah DiSegni, of the Hebrew University,
is credited with deciphering the inscription. While it is unclear
exactly when the ring was forged, its discovery in a room constructed
of secondary building materials offered an archaeological layer that dates to
no later than 71 a.d.
At the center of the ring is an engraved krater, a large wine vessel, which is
encircled by minute “partly deformed” Greek letters spelling out “of Pilatus.”
Interestingly, according to DiSegni, the direction of writing for the two words
is different, and one word is “disturbed by a defect” in the metal.

A closer look

Photo: C. Amit, IAA Photographic Department, via Hebrew University;

Drawing: J. Rodman
According to the scholars,
the bezeled ring, which
has a narrow outer rim,
was cast in one unit by a
less-than-expert crafts-
man. There is evidence
that the “mold for this
ring was engraved quick-
ly before pouring the
melted metal or that the
device was not prepared
by a master smith.” Views and cross-section of finger ring possibly belonging to Pontius Pilate
To
The design at the center of the ring was likewise not elite. They reference Index
similar vessel motifs on a still unpublished clay sealing bulla (amulet) that
was discovered in the Temple Mount Sifting Project (a ZLM benevolence
fund) and that archaeologists have tentatively dated to the first century a.d.,
and also on a bronze pruta coin dating to the same archaeological layer in
which the ring was found.
The analysis concludes that there is nothing in the ring’s design that makes
it particularly either Roman or elite. “We propose, therefore, that this ring was
made in a local workshop, perhaps in Jerusalem,” write the authors.
However, they don’t believe that the Pilate described in historical texts and the
New Testament would have worn such a simple ring. “Simple all-metal rings
like the Herodium ring were primarily the property of soldiers, Herodian and
Roman officials, and middle-income folk of all trades and occupations,” they
write. “It is therefore unlikely that Pontius Pilatus, the powerful and rich prefect
of Judaea, would have worn a thin, all copper-alloy sealing ring.”
As to whose ring it actually was, the authors offer a few suggestions, including
other Early Roman Period men called “Pilatus.” Likewise, the name may have
referred to those under the historical Pilate’s command, a member of his family
or “some of his freed slaves.”
“It is conceivable,” write the authors, “that this finger ring from a Jewish royal
site might have belonged to a local individual, either a Jew, a Roman, or
another pagan patron with the name Pilatus.”
“There is no way of proving any theory 100% and everyone can have his own
opinion,” said Porat. Regardless, “it’s a nice story and interesting to wrap your
head around.” 1

33
4 Myths About Hamas
IDF.IL

The scene of a public

bus bombing in Haifa
in 2003. A Palestinian
suicide bomber blew
himself up, killing 17
people and injuring 53.

Myth #1: “Hamas is not a terror 2. M isuses funds gifted from the
organization.” international community for the
Reality: Hamas is a terror organiza- welfare of Gazans, and instead
tion recognized as such by Canada, invests in terror activities, e.g.,
New Zealand, Israel, Egypt, Japan, over $120 million since 2014 to
the European Union, Australia, Jordan, build terror tunnels into Israel.
and the United States. 3. While firing rockets at Israel, Hamas
Hamas’s terror attacks include the hit the main power line through
Haifa bus suicide bombing (March which Israel supplies electricity to
2003) that killed seventeen people, Gaza. Rather than aiming at targets,
and the kidnap and murder of three Hamas fires rockets with apparent
Israeli teenagers (June 2014), leading disregard for their own people. To
Index
to Operation Brother’s Keeper and sub- Myth #3: “Hamas runs the Gaza
sequently Operation Protective Edge. Strip democratically.”
Hamas’s charter (1988) calls for the Reality: Hamas came to power in a
destruction of Israel and for jihad democratic way, but has ruled Gaza
against Israeli civilians. through terror ever since. Back to
p. 11
Myth #2: “Hamas puts providing Myth #4: “The 2018 weekly
for its civilians as a top priority.” “demonstrations” were peaceful
Reality: One would expect Hamas, which protests by the people.”
controls the Gaza Strip and is respon­ Reality: Since March 2018, Hamas has
sible for the lives of the millions who live been organizing riots, claiming them to
there, to treat providing for its civilians be peaceful, populous-initiated “pro-
as a top priority. Sadly, it’s not true. tests.” In reality, the riots offer cover
Since Hamas’s election in 2006, the for infiltration attempts and the use of
Gaza Strip has deteriorated year after arson kites and fire bombs. The Gaza
year, because of three different things Strip is half a mile away from Israeli
that Hamas does: communities, making infiltration a
1. Uses civilian infrastructure as terror danger to Israeli civilians. Hamas uses
training facilities, e.g. converting a its own civilians as human shields for
five-story building meant for a na- these terrorist activities.
tional library, government services, It’s important to understand who
and housing into a terror training Hamas is in order to understand who is
facility, and building military infra- accountable for the constant terror that
structure next to schools, houses, Israel faces and for the poor state the
and mosques. Gaza Strip is in today. See article “Our
Shield in Time of Terror” on p. 10. 1

34
JEWISH HUMOR, ETC.
Business Sense
Mr. Mandelbaum, a successful businessman, calls his son-
in-law to the office. “Welcome to our family! You are now A cheerful heart is
my partner, fifty-fifty. What do you think about that?” good medicine —
Proverbs 17:22
The son-in-law replies, “I hate factories. Can’t stand the noise.”
“Understood,” says Mandelbaum. “Then you can manage
the office affairs.”
“I hate office work,” says the son-in-law. “I can’t sit all day
behind a desk.”
“Wait a minute,” says Mandelbaum. “Before you married my
daughter, you told me that you have
good business sense.”
“I do,” says the young man. “Would
you like to buy my share in the
company?”

Knowledge
Rebecca proudly told her friend Sarah,
“My son Benny has master’s degrees in
philosophy, critical thinking, literature,
and ancient history.”
“You must be proud of him,” said To
Index
Sarah.
Answer Key for February 2019 Crossword (p.27)
“Yes, I am,” replied Rebecca. “He Across:  Down:
can’t get a job, but at least he 3. David 13. Heart 1. Anoint 8. Jonathan
5. Stones 14. Oil 2. Countenance 9. Saul
knows why.” 1 6. Jesse 15. Philistines 4. Refreshed 10. Chosen
11. Battle 7. Smite 12. Goliath

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but also to give away.
2. One $500 discount on each of up
to four (4) of our tours to Israel.
3. One-on-one telephone conference
with Mark Levitt to discuss this
ministry’s goals and visions.

35
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Index

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