JEWISH KING JESUS IS COMING AT THE RAPTURE FOR US IN THE CLOUDS-DON'T MISS IT FOR THE WORLD.THE BIBLE TAKEN LITERALLY- WHEN THE PLAIN SENSE MAKES GOOD SENSE-SEEK NO OTHER SENSE-LEST YOU END UP IN NONSENSE.GET SAVED NOW- CALL ON JESUS TODAY.THE ONLY SAVIOR OF THE WHOLE EARTH - NO OTHER.
1 COR 15:23-JESUS THE FIRST FRUITS-CHRISTIANS RAPTURED TO JESUS-FIRST FRUITS OF THE SPIRIT-23 But every man in his own order: Christ the firstfruits; afterward they that are Christ’s at his coming.ROMANS 8:23 And not only they, but ourselves also, which have the firstfruits of the Spirit, even we ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit, the redemption of our body.(THE PRE-TRIB RAPTURE)
LUKE 21:28-29
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
TRUMP YOU BETTER THINK VERY SERIOUSLY ABBOUT STOPPING ISRAEL FROM BUILDING HOUSES ON THEIR OWN LAND. IF YOU STOP ISRAEL. YOU GO DIRECTLY AGAINST GOD. AND WE CAN QUARENTEE YOU WILL NOT BE WINNING IN THE WHITEHOUSE. IF YOU GO AGAINST GODS WILL FOR ISRAEL. I DON;T KNOW WHO GOT TO YOU TRUMP. BUT YOU BETTER NOT LISTEN TO THEIR GODLESS VIEWS. YOU READ THE BIBLE AND SEE WHAT IT SAYS. IT SAYS JERUSALEM IS ISRAELS. AND ISRAEL CAN BUILD HOUSES WERE THEY WANT ON THEIR GOD GIVEN LAND. ALREADY BY TALKING AGAINST SETTLEMENTS. TRUMP HAS LOST HIS COURT CASE AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION OF AMERICA.
Every time you take land for settlements, there is less land left'-Trump to Israeli paper: Settlements are ‘not a good thing for peace’-Speaking ahead of Netanyahu meeting, president says he respects Israel, doesn’t want to condemn it, seeks a broad Mideast agreement, is mulling over embassy move-By Times of Israel staff and AFP February 10, 2017, 1:18 pm
US President Donald Trump does not believe settlements help the peace process and does not consider settlements “a good thing for peace,” he told an Israeli newspaper Friday, in his most direct comments on the matter since his inauguration.In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper — his first with the Israeli media since being sworn in as president on January 20 — Trump sounded extremely warmly disposed toward Israel, but was plainly critical of the settlement enterprise. His remarks were initially published in Hebrew, but later an English version was posted.Settlements, Trump said, “don’t help the process.” He added: “Every time you take land for settlements, there is less land left. But we are looking at that, and we are looking at some other options we’ll see. But no, I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace.”This was not the first time that the Trump administration has expressed reservations over Israel’s settlement construction, but it was the first time the president had personally commented on the issue, and his remarks were more critical than those of his spokesman.Last week, the White House issued a mild rebuke over a spate of approvals for new settlement homes, warning that expansion in areas Palestinians want for their own state “may not be helpful” to peace efforts. “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful,” press secretary Sean Spicer said on February 3.In Friday’s interview, Trump said he was anticipating stronger ties between Israel and the US as well as a strong personal connection with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and expressed his hopes for a regional peace deal, something that eluded his predecessors.“I think we are going to have a better relationship [with Israel],” he said.In the interview, conducted ahead of Netanyahu’s February 15 visit to Washington, Trump said he looked forward to the White House meeting the prime minister. “We’ve always had good chemistry, and he is a good man,” said Trump of Netanyahu.” He wants to do the right thing for Israel. He would like peace; I believe that he wants peace and wants to have it badly. I have always liked him.”His administration, Trump promised, would not be hostile to Israel. “I don’t want to condemn Israel. Israel has had a long history of condemnation and difficulty… I understand Israel very well, and I respect Israel a lot, and they have been through a lot. I would like to see peace and beyond that. And I think that peace for Israel would be a good thing for the Israeli people, not just a good thing, a great thing.”Regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the president said his vision was for a peace deal for the entire Middle East, not one limited solely to the two sides. To that end, he said, he wanted both parties to behave in a reasonable manner.“Well, I want Israel to be reasonable with respect to peace. I want to see peace happen. It should happen. After all these years,” he said. “Maybe there is even a chance for a bigger peace than just Israel and the Palestinians. I would like to see a level of reasonableness of both parties, and I think we have a good chance of doing that.”Pressed on his campaign pledge to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Trump said, “I am thinking about the embassy, I am studying the embassy [issue], and we will see what happens. The embassy is not an easy decision. It has obviously been out there for many, many years, and nobody has wanted to make that decision. I’m thinking about it very seriously, and we will see what happens.”Trump said that although many people think a peace deal is impossible, including many clever people around him, he believes an peace agreement is both possible and necessary. The Palestinians, he said, would have to make concessions in any peace deal. “Yeah. They do. Absolutely,” he said. “It has to be good for everybody. No deal is good if it is not good for everybody, and we are in that process, and we will see what happens… So many people think it cannot be made. I have very smart people that … say a deal can’t be made. I disagree with them. I think a deal should be made, and it can be made.”The president also reiterated his criticism of the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by Barack Obama, with whom Netanyahu had a notoriously frosty relationship.As a businessman, Trump said, he knows the difference between a good deal and a bad deal, but the nuclear accord was beyond his comprehension.“The deal with Iran was a disaster for Israel. Inconceivable that it was made. It was poorly negotiated and executed,” Trump said. “You know, as a deal person, I understand all sides of deals. I understand good deals and bad deals, but this deal is not even comprehensible. Beyond comprehension. And you see the way Iran has reacted; unlike reacting as they should, which is being thankful for President Obama for making such a deal, which was so much to their advantage. They felt emboldened even before he left office. It is too bad a deal like that was made.”Israel Hayom is owned by Sheldon Adelson, an American Jewish businessman with strong ties to Netanyahu and the Republican Party. On Thursday, Adelson and his Israeli-born wife Miriam were guests of the president for dinner at the White House.Adelson did not commit to a presidential candidate until May 2016, when he endorsed Trump at a time when it was clear the businessman would be the Republican nominee.Adelson subsequently donated millions to Trump’s election campaign and to his inauguration; the Adelsons were on the dais for Trump’s inaugural oath-taking, a rare honor for campaign funders.
Iranians burn US and Israeli flags, mock Trump at 1979 revolution rallies-Hundreds of thousands at protests chant against Israel, America; Rouhani calls new US administration ‘a problem’ and vows to answer any threat-By AP and Times of Israel staff February 10, 2017, 6:07 pm
TEHRAN — Iranians held a nationwide celebration Friday to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the 1979 revolution with rallies around the country, and President Hassan Rouhani called the new US administration “a problem.”Demonstrators in Tehran chanted slogans against the US and Israel. The rallies come at a time when new US President Donald Trump has already engaged in a war of words with Iran’s leadership and put Tehran “on notice” over a recent ballistic missile test.Marchers carried “Death to America” banners and effigies of Trump, Reuters reported. “State TV showed footage of people stepping on Trump’s picture in a central Tehran street,” the news agency said.“America and Trump cannot do a damn thing. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our leader”, a young man told state TV, in a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters reported.Iranian news agencies said millions took part in the rallies. “The demonstrators further voiced support for the Palestinian cause,” the Fars news agency reported, while denouncing “the aggressive policies of the racist regime of the Zionists.”Among other places, thousands of demonstrators marched toward Tehran’s Azadi Square, where Rouhani addressed the crowd. He called the new US administration “a problem” and said Iran will strongly answer any threat from its enemies.“All of them should know that they must talk to the Iranian nation with respect and dignity,” he urged the world. “Our nation will strongly answer any threat. (Iranians) will resist before enemies until the end.”Rouhani called Iran the home of “lions” but said the country does not seek hostility. “We are not after tensions in the region and the world,” he said. “We are united before bullying and any threat.”In downtown Tehran, hundreds of thousands of people marched, some carrying the Iranian flag, some with banners and posters with revolutionary slogans. Printed US flags and pictures of current and former US presidents were flattened on the road and trampled by some participants.Iran and the US have not had diplomatic relations since 1979, when Iranian students stormed the American Embassy and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.The rallies commemorate Feb. 11, 1979, when followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousted the US-backed Shah Reza Pahlavi. The United States helped orchestrate the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran’s popular prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, which brought Pahlavi to power and set the stage for decades of mistrust between the countries.Some posters distributed in English read: “Thanks to American people for supporting Muslims.” Another one with a picture of Trump said: “Thanks Mr. Trump … for revealing the face of the US,” a reference to remarks Tuesday by Iran’s supreme leader in which he said the “newcomer” Trump had shown the “real face” of the United States.Some people threw balls and darts targeting pictures of Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some demonstrators burned an American flag. The semi-official ILNA news agency reported that some demonstrators burned an Israeli flag.Iranians step on a giant US flag as they take part in a rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution on February 10, 2017, in the capital Tehran.Many ranking officials attended the ceremony in Tehran, including Qassem Soleimani, a general who heads the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force that focuses on foreign operations like the war in Syria.President Rouhani told reporters prior to addressing the crowd that Iranians will make the US regret using threatening language, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.“Anyone who speaks the language of threat to this nation, the Iranian nation will make him regret” it, he said, without elaborating. “This presence (of demonstrators) is a response to wrong comments by new leaders in the White House, and they announce with their presence to the world that they should talk with respect and not use threatening language to the Iranian nation.”State television aired footage of commemorations in Tehran and other cities and towns across the country, many of them in sub-zero temperatures.Tehran resident Mohammad Soufi, 33 a medical lab technician, said Trump’s recent stance encouraged him and his wife to participate in the rally this year.“We did not participate in the rally for more than 10 years,” he said. This year my wife told me let’s go out to show to the world, particularly Trump, that we love our county despite differences.”Sorraya Khalili, a 44-year-old hairstylist, said she was out to support the government and object to US bullying of Iran.“Why do people like Trump think they can make decisions for the entire world? Iran is an independent country like the United States. I wish Americans get to visit Iran to find out we are similar to them; we warmly welcome our guests and respect them,” she said.Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif posted a photograph on his Twitter account showing protesters with posters with the words: “American people are welcome and invited to visit Iran.”Zarif also said that Iranians on their anniversary praised American people for rejecting Trump’s executive action on the visa ban. Iran was among the seven Muslim-majority countries affected by the ban, which remains suspended while U.S. courts debate its legality.
Mogherini warns US not to ‘interfere’ in European politics-Speaking on Brexit, EU foreign policy chief says UK will remain in union for 2 more years and won’t be allowed to negotiate trade agreements-By AFP February 10, 2017, 8:46 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
WASHINGTON, United States — EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini warned Donald Trump’s administration Friday not to “interfere” in European politics, in an apparent reference to the US president’s praise of Brexit.“We do not interfere in US politics… And Europeans expect that America does not interfere in European politics,” said Mogherini, who is wrapping up her first visit to Washington since Trump took office.Mogherini held her first meetings with Trump’s administration on Thursday at a moment of uncertainty for trans-Atlantic ties.While the new US leader has toned down some of his criticism of America’s NATO allies since his election, he has shown no enthusiasm for the 28-member EU and has praised Britain’s decision to leave the bloc.“The unity of the European Union, I believe, is more evident today than it was some months ago,” Mogherini said Friday.“The UK will stay a member state of the European Union for another two years at least… And it will not be able to negotiate any trade agreement bilaterally with any third country,” she said.The EU, she added, was not an institution, but rather a “union of 28 member states, still 28 and 28 for quite some months ahead of us.”Trump’s election dismayed many European leaders, who see him as dangerously naive about the threat posed by Russia and fear his victory will inspire Europe’s own far-right populist parties.“Europeans feel and believe that their interest are better protected and promoted through our union,” Mogherini said.“The European Union is here to stay.”
After long wait, Palestinians make first contact with Trump administration-Palestinian intelligence chief meets with US security and intelligence officials in Washington after Ramallah complains it couldn’t reach White House-By Times of Israel staff and AP February 10, 2017, 12:22 am
The head of Palestinian intelligence has held talks with US security officials in the first such contacts between the Palestinians and the Trump administration, the AP news agency reported Thursday, citing an unnamed official.The official said that Majed Faraj met with US security and intelligence officials in Washington over the past two days. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with protocol.The Palestinian leadership said it has tried unsuccessfully to reach out to President Donald Trump since his election upset in November, and feared the possibility of being sidelined as the administration embraces Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads to the White House next week.In December, the Trump transition team refused to meet with Palestinian officials visiting Washington, putting them off until after the Jan. 20 inauguration, according to senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat, the main point man for official contacts with the United States. Other advisers say Abbas tried to arrange a phone call with Trump after the November election and again after the inauguration, but received no response to his requests. The White House did not respond to a January letter in which Abbas expressed concerns about possibly moving the US Embassy in Israel to contested Jerusalem.Last week, senior Erekat said the White House had rebuffed every attempt to reach out to the new administration.“We have sent them letters, written messages, they don’t even bother to respond to us,” he told Newsweek.A strong relationship with the United States has been key to the Palestinian strategy for statehood. The US has served as the main broker in two decades of intermittent talks between Israel and the Palestinians.Trump has said he wants to broker a peace deal, but many see his administration’s stance as being slanted in Israel’s favor. In the wake of his inauguration, Israel okayed some 6,000 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with the White House largely remaining silent on the issue before finally issuing a critique that settlement expansion “may not be helpful.”The Trump administration also kept mum on a controversial law passed earlier this week legalizing thousands of settler homes built on private Palestinian land, and which the Palestinians said amounted to “legalizing theft.”But the Palestinians have been careful not to antagonize Trump with public statements, other than urging him to rein in Israel. They hope he’ll eventually get in touch, arguing that Trump needs to involve them if he’s serious about negotiating a Middle East peace deal.“The foreign policy of the US administration is not clear yet, aside from its clear support of Israel, but the administration knows nothing can be done without the Palestinians,” said Abbas adviser Mohammed Ishtayeh.During his campaign, Trump had also promised to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move the Israelis warmly welcome and which the Palestinians, and the Jordanians, have warned against. Since his inauguration on January 20, he’s been more vague about that pledge.Earlier Thursday, the New York Times reported that, in order to move ahead with the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, Trump was deliberating bringing in Arab states and embracing the “outside-in” approach favored by Netanyahu.The article says that both Trump and his Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner — who has been designated the point man for the Mideast peace process — have found the idea appealing after meeting with a number of Arab leaders since the president assumed office in January.The State Department said last month that it was reviewing a last-minute decision by former Secretary of State John Kerry to send $221 million dollars to the Palestinians over the objections of congressional Republicans.The department said Tuesday it would look at the payment and might make adjustments to ensure it comports with the Trump administration’s priorities.The Obama administration had for some time been pressing for the release of the money, which comes from the US Agency for International Development and was to be used to fund humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza, support political and security reforms and help prepare for good governance and the rule of law in a future Palestinian state, according to the notification sent to Congress.
Border Police arrest Palestinian carrying handgun near settlement-Officers inspecting a taxi find weapon, bullets on the person of suspicious passenger, found to be wanted for questioning by the Shin Bet-By Times of Israel staff February 10, 2017, 7:43 pm
Border Police arrested a Palestinian man in the West Bank Friday evening after finding a handgun and bullets on his person during a routine search, Channel 2 news reported.Officers posted at the Shiloh Junction, near the Shiloh settlement north of Ramallah, stopped a Palestinian taxi for a routine inspection. When one of the passengers aroused their suspicions they searched him, and found him to be carrying a handgun and several bullets.Security forces checked the man’s identity, and found that he was wanted for questioning by the Shin Bet security service.The man was arrested and taken for questioning.On Thursday five people were lightly wounded when a Palestinian man opened fire at a bus and stabbed a man near an outdoor market in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva.Police officers later arrested the West Bank man. He was identified by Palestinian media as Sadeq Nasser Abu Mazen, 18, from Beita al-Foka, a village south of Nablus.
Netanyahu acts against states that introduced 'shameful' resolution 2334-Israel permanently downgrades its ties to New Zealand, Senegal-Punishing countries that co-sponsored UN’s anti-settlements resolution, PM decides not to return ambassadors to Wellington and Dakar-By Raphael Ahren February 10, 2017, 11:56 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel is permanently downgrading its diplomatic ties with New Zealand and Senegal, punishing these countries for co-sponsoring an anti-settlement resolution in the United Nations Security Council last year, The Times of Israel has learned.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided this week not to return Israel’s ambassadors to Wellington and Dakar, who had been recalled after Resolution 2334 passed on December 23, according to a senior source intimately familiar with the issue.Until the resolution passed, Israel had resident ambassadors in both countries. Netanyahu’s decision not to send the envoys back to Senegal and Wellington is not a formal demoting of ties, but with only a charge d’affaires remaining in these capitals from now on, and no resident ambassador, bilateral relations will effectively have been downgraded.Israel has already cancelled its foreign aid programs in Senegal.The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a query on the matter. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in a statement there is “no decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with Senegal and New Zealand.”New Zealand and Senegal were two of four co-sponsors of the contentious resolution, which declared that Israel’s policy to build settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”Jerusalem has no diplomatic ties with the resolution’s other two co-sponsors, Malaysia and Venezuela.Egypt originally proposed the resolution in late December, but withdrew the draft after Israel asked incoming US president Donald Trump to exert pressure on Cairo. New Zealand, Senegal, Venezuela and Malaysia, however, picked up the gauntlet and proposed the resolution the next day. It was passed with 14 yes votes and an American abstention.Israel reacted furiously, denouncing the text as “shameful” and vowing to punish the states that backed it.In the immediate aftermath of the resolution’s passing, Netanyahu summoned a dozen ambassadors for dressing-downs, canceled foreign aid to Senegal and Angola, disinvited the Ukrainian prime minister, and declined meetings with the leaders of China and Great Britain. He also instructed his ministers to curtail travel to the countries that voted in favor of the resolution, announced a “reassessment of all of our contacts with the UN,” ordered funding cuts to various UN agencies, and vowed that “there’s more to come.”But in the following days, Netanyahu’s wrath seemed to calm, as he took steps to restore ties with those countries that voted in favor but did not volunteer to co-sponsor the resolution.Last week, for instance, he had a friendly telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and promised to resume efforts “to further strengthen the friendship between Israel and Ukraine,” a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office read.Among other things, Netanyahu and Poroshenko discussed rescheduling the cancelled visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to Israel, who had been disinvited unceremoniously in late December because of the Ukrainian support for the UN resolution.Earlier this week, furthermore, Netanyahu met UK Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street. Britain also voted in favor of Resolution 2334, though May subsequently went out of her way to say the settlements were not the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Britain defied international efforts to further pressure Israel.In London, Netanyahu said the UK’s change in attitude was the result of a letter he sent to the leaders of all 14 countries that backed the Security Council resolution.
Pickaxes from 70 years ago, a smoking gun from the Bedouin plunderers, discovered along with the ancient remains-New Dead Sea Scroll cave found near Qumran, but scrolls are gone-Empty storage jars and a scrap of parchment unearthed in dig carried out by Hebrew U, IAA at site apparently looted in the 1940s-By Ilan Ben Zion February 8, 2017, 7:05 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Over 60 years after the first excavations at Qumran, researchers from Hebrew University said Wednesday that they identified a twelfth cave near Qumran they believe contained Dead Sea Scrolls until it was plundered in the middle of the 20th century.The latest excavation was conducted by Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority under the auspices of the IDF’s Civil Administration.It yielded no new scrolls, but archaeologists found a small scrap of parchment in a jar and a collection of at least seven storage jugs identical to those found in the other Qumran caves.Altogether there was “no doubt we have a new scroll cave,” Oren Gutfeld, head archaeologist from the dig, told The Times of Israel.“Only the scrolls themselves are not there.”The bit of parchment and other organic remains have been dated to the first century CE, when the community at Qumran was active during the twilight of the Second Temple period.Pickaxes from the 1940s, a smoking gun from the Bedouin plunderers who dug in the cave, were found along with the ancient remains.The dig in the cliffs west of Qumran, situated over the Green Line in the West Bank, was headed by Hebrew University’s Oren Gutfeld and Ahiad Ovadia with the collaboration of Randall Price and students from Virginia’s Liberty University.“This exciting excavation is the closest we’ve come to discovering new Dead Sea Scrolls in 60 years,” Gutfeld said. “Until now, it was accepted that Dead Sea Scrolls were found only in 11 caves at Qumran, but now there is no doubt that this is the twelfth cave.”At the same time, Gutfeld said, the cave’s association with the Dead Sea Scrolls means “we can no longer be certain that the original locations (Caves 1 through 11) attributed to the Dead Sea Scrolls that reached the market via the Bedouins are accurate.”The first batch of ancient scrolls plundered from caves near the shores of the Dead Sea were purchased by Israeli scholars from the black market in 1947, and additional texts surfaced in the years following in excavations in the Jordanian-held West Bank and for sale on the black market. After Israel captured the West Bank in 1967, many of the scrolls stored in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem were transferred to the Israel Museum.Altogether, the nearly 1,000 ancient Jewish texts dated to the Second Temple period comprise a vast corpus of historical and religious documents that include the earliest known copies of biblical texts.Roughly a quarter of the manuscripts are made up of material belonging to the Hebrew Bible, while another quarter detail the Qumran community’s unique philosophy.The various scrolls and scroll fragments are identified by the cave they were believed to be stored in over the centuries. The new cave’s discovery shakes things up.“How can we know for sure that they only came from 11 caves? For sure there were 12 caves, and maybe more,” Gutfeld said.Among the other finds discovered in the cavern, now designated Q12 to denote its inclusion in the Qumran cave complex, were a leather strap for binding scrolls and a cloth for wrapping them, the university said in a statement announcing the find. Other discoveries included flint blades, arrowheads, and a carnelian stamp seal, all of which point to the cave’s inhabitation as far back as the Chalcolithic and the Neolithic periods.Experts at the Dead Sea Scroll Laboratories in Jerusalem found no writing on the scrap of parchment found in the jar, but they plan to carry out multispectral imaging of the artifact to reveal any ink invisible to the naked eye.The Q12 study was carried out as part of the IAA’s efforts to systematically excavate Judean Desert caves that may hold ancient scroll caches in a bid to foil antiquities theft. The expedition to Qumran was the first of its kind in the northern Judean Desert.The IAA announced in November that it was launching a massive project to find as yet undiscovered Dead Sea Scrolls in the desert. Last summer an IAA team excavated the Cave of the Skulls in Zeelim Valley after the antiquities watchdog caught thieves in the act.Gutfeld said he and his team “absolutely” plan to survey more caves in the region of Qumran in the coming months to determine where else to dig.————————Follow Ilan Ben Zion on Twitter and Facebook.
28 And when these things begin to come to pass,(ALL THE PROPHECY SIGNS FROM THE BIBLE) then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption (RAPTURE) draweth nigh.
29 And he spake to them a parable; Behold the fig tree,(ISRAEL) and all the trees;(ALL INDEPENDENT COUNTRIES)
30 When they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand.(ISRAEL LITERALLY BECAME AND INDEPENDENT COUNTRY JUST BEFORE SUMMER IN MAY 14,1948.)
JOEL 2:3,30
3 A fire devoureth (ATOMIC BOMB) before them;(RUSSIAN-ARAB-MUSLIM ARMIES AGAINST ISRAEL) and behind them a flame burneth: the land is as the garden of Eden before them, and behind them a desolate wilderness; yea, and nothing shall escape them.
30 And I will shew wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.(ATOMIC BOMB AFFECT)
ZECHARIAH 14:12-13
12 And this shall be the plague wherewith the LORD will smite all the people that have fought against Jerusalem; Their flesh shall consume away while they stand upon their feet,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their eyes shall consume away in their holes,(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB) and their tongue shall consume away in their mouth.(DISOLVED FROM ATOMIC BOMB)(BECAUSE NUKES HAVE BEEN USED ON ISRAELS ENEMIES)(GOD PROTECTS ISRAEL AND ALWAYS WILL)
13 And it shall come to pass in that day, that a great tumult from the LORD shall be among them; and they shall lay hold every one on the hand of his neighbour, and his hand shall rise up against the hand of his neighbour.(1/2-3 BILLION DIE IN WW3)(THIS IS AN ATOMIC BOMB EFFECT)
EZEKIEL 20:47
47 And say to the forest of the south, Hear the word of the LORD; Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will kindle a fire in thee, and it shall devour every green tree in thee, and every dry tree: the flaming flame shall not be quenched, and all faces from the south to the north shall be burned therein.
ZEPHANIAH 1:18
18 Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the LORD'S wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.
MALACHI 4:1
1 For, behold, the day cometh, that shall burn as an oven;(FROM ATOMIC BOMBS) and all the proud, yea, and all that do wickedly, shall be stubble: and the day that cometh shall burn them up, saith the LORD of hosts, that it shall leave them neither root nor branch.
And here are the bounderies of the land that Israel will inherit either through war or peace or God in the future. God says its Israels land and only Israels land. They will have every inch God promised them of this land in the future.
Egypt east of the Nile River, Saudi Arabia, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, The southern part of Turkey and the Western Half of Iraq west of the Euphrates. Gen 13:14-15, Psm 105:9,11, Gen 15:18, Exe 23:31, Num 34:1-12, Josh 1:4.ALL THIS LAND ISRAEL WILL DEFINATELY OWN IN THE FUTURE, ITS ISRAELS NOT ISHMAELS LAND.12 TRIBES INHERIT LAND IN THE FUTURE
TRUMP YOU BETTER THINK VERY SERIOUSLY ABBOUT STOPPING ISRAEL FROM BUILDING HOUSES ON THEIR OWN LAND. IF YOU STOP ISRAEL. YOU GO DIRECTLY AGAINST GOD. AND WE CAN QUARENTEE YOU WILL NOT BE WINNING IN THE WHITEHOUSE. IF YOU GO AGAINST GODS WILL FOR ISRAEL. I DON;T KNOW WHO GOT TO YOU TRUMP. BUT YOU BETTER NOT LISTEN TO THEIR GODLESS VIEWS. YOU READ THE BIBLE AND SEE WHAT IT SAYS. IT SAYS JERUSALEM IS ISRAELS. AND ISRAEL CAN BUILD HOUSES WERE THEY WANT ON THEIR GOD GIVEN LAND. ALREADY BY TALKING AGAINST SETTLEMENTS. TRUMP HAS LOST HIS COURT CASE AGAINST THE CONSTITUTION OF AMERICA.
Every time you take land for settlements, there is less land left'-Trump to Israeli paper: Settlements are ‘not a good thing for peace’-Speaking ahead of Netanyahu meeting, president says he respects Israel, doesn’t want to condemn it, seeks a broad Mideast agreement, is mulling over embassy move-By Times of Israel staff and AFP February 10, 2017, 1:18 pm
US President Donald Trump does not believe settlements help the peace process and does not consider settlements “a good thing for peace,” he told an Israeli newspaper Friday, in his most direct comments on the matter since his inauguration.In an interview with the Israel Hayom newspaper — his first with the Israeli media since being sworn in as president on January 20 — Trump sounded extremely warmly disposed toward Israel, but was plainly critical of the settlement enterprise. His remarks were initially published in Hebrew, but later an English version was posted.Settlements, Trump said, “don’t help the process.” He added: “Every time you take land for settlements, there is less land left. But we are looking at that, and we are looking at some other options we’ll see. But no, I am not somebody that believes that going forward with these settlements is a good thing for peace.”This was not the first time that the Trump administration has expressed reservations over Israel’s settlement construction, but it was the first time the president had personally commented on the issue, and his remarks were more critical than those of his spokesman.Last week, the White House issued a mild rebuke over a spate of approvals for new settlement homes, warning that expansion in areas Palestinians want for their own state “may not be helpful” to peace efforts. “While we don’t believe the existence of settlements is an impediment to peace, the construction of new settlements or the expansion of existing settlements beyond their current borders may not be helpful,” press secretary Sean Spicer said on February 3.In Friday’s interview, Trump said he was anticipating stronger ties between Israel and the US as well as a strong personal connection with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, and expressed his hopes for a regional peace deal, something that eluded his predecessors.“I think we are going to have a better relationship [with Israel],” he said.In the interview, conducted ahead of Netanyahu’s February 15 visit to Washington, Trump said he looked forward to the White House meeting the prime minister. “We’ve always had good chemistry, and he is a good man,” said Trump of Netanyahu.” He wants to do the right thing for Israel. He would like peace; I believe that he wants peace and wants to have it badly. I have always liked him.”His administration, Trump promised, would not be hostile to Israel. “I don’t want to condemn Israel. Israel has had a long history of condemnation and difficulty… I understand Israel very well, and I respect Israel a lot, and they have been through a lot. I would like to see peace and beyond that. And I think that peace for Israel would be a good thing for the Israeli people, not just a good thing, a great thing.”Regarding the conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, the president said his vision was for a peace deal for the entire Middle East, not one limited solely to the two sides. To that end, he said, he wanted both parties to behave in a reasonable manner.“Well, I want Israel to be reasonable with respect to peace. I want to see peace happen. It should happen. After all these years,” he said. “Maybe there is even a chance for a bigger peace than just Israel and the Palestinians. I would like to see a level of reasonableness of both parties, and I think we have a good chance of doing that.”Pressed on his campaign pledge to move the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, Trump said, “I am thinking about the embassy, I am studying the embassy [issue], and we will see what happens. The embassy is not an easy decision. It has obviously been out there for many, many years, and nobody has wanted to make that decision. I’m thinking about it very seriously, and we will see what happens.”Trump said that although many people think a peace deal is impossible, including many clever people around him, he believes an peace agreement is both possible and necessary. The Palestinians, he said, would have to make concessions in any peace deal. “Yeah. They do. Absolutely,” he said. “It has to be good for everybody. No deal is good if it is not good for everybody, and we are in that process, and we will see what happens… So many people think it cannot be made. I have very smart people that … say a deal can’t be made. I disagree with them. I think a deal should be made, and it can be made.”The president also reiterated his criticism of the Iran nuclear agreement negotiated by Barack Obama, with whom Netanyahu had a notoriously frosty relationship.As a businessman, Trump said, he knows the difference between a good deal and a bad deal, but the nuclear accord was beyond his comprehension.“The deal with Iran was a disaster for Israel. Inconceivable that it was made. It was poorly negotiated and executed,” Trump said. “You know, as a deal person, I understand all sides of deals. I understand good deals and bad deals, but this deal is not even comprehensible. Beyond comprehension. And you see the way Iran has reacted; unlike reacting as they should, which is being thankful for President Obama for making such a deal, which was so much to their advantage. They felt emboldened even before he left office. It is too bad a deal like that was made.”Israel Hayom is owned by Sheldon Adelson, an American Jewish businessman with strong ties to Netanyahu and the Republican Party. On Thursday, Adelson and his Israeli-born wife Miriam were guests of the president for dinner at the White House.Adelson did not commit to a presidential candidate until May 2016, when he endorsed Trump at a time when it was clear the businessman would be the Republican nominee.Adelson subsequently donated millions to Trump’s election campaign and to his inauguration; the Adelsons were on the dais for Trump’s inaugural oath-taking, a rare honor for campaign funders.
Iranians burn US and Israeli flags, mock Trump at 1979 revolution rallies-Hundreds of thousands at protests chant against Israel, America; Rouhani calls new US administration ‘a problem’ and vows to answer any threat-By AP and Times of Israel staff February 10, 2017, 6:07 pm
TEHRAN — Iranians held a nationwide celebration Friday to commemorate the 38th anniversary of the 1979 revolution with rallies around the country, and President Hassan Rouhani called the new US administration “a problem.”Demonstrators in Tehran chanted slogans against the US and Israel. The rallies come at a time when new US President Donald Trump has already engaged in a war of words with Iran’s leadership and put Tehran “on notice” over a recent ballistic missile test.Marchers carried “Death to America” banners and effigies of Trump, Reuters reported. “State TV showed footage of people stepping on Trump’s picture in a central Tehran street,” the news agency said.“America and Trump cannot do a damn thing. We are ready to sacrifice our lives for our leader”, a young man told state TV, in a reference to Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, Reuters reported.Iranian news agencies said millions took part in the rallies. “The demonstrators further voiced support for the Palestinian cause,” the Fars news agency reported, while denouncing “the aggressive policies of the racist regime of the Zionists.”Among other places, thousands of demonstrators marched toward Tehran’s Azadi Square, where Rouhani addressed the crowd. He called the new US administration “a problem” and said Iran will strongly answer any threat from its enemies.“All of them should know that they must talk to the Iranian nation with respect and dignity,” he urged the world. “Our nation will strongly answer any threat. (Iranians) will resist before enemies until the end.”Rouhani called Iran the home of “lions” but said the country does not seek hostility. “We are not after tensions in the region and the world,” he said. “We are united before bullying and any threat.”In downtown Tehran, hundreds of thousands of people marched, some carrying the Iranian flag, some with banners and posters with revolutionary slogans. Printed US flags and pictures of current and former US presidents were flattened on the road and trampled by some participants.Iran and the US have not had diplomatic relations since 1979, when Iranian students stormed the American Embassy and took 52 Americans hostage for 444 days.The rallies commemorate Feb. 11, 1979, when followers of Ayatollah Ruhollah Khomeini ousted the US-backed Shah Reza Pahlavi. The United States helped orchestrate the 1953 coup that overthrew Iran’s popular prime minister, Mohammad Mossadegh, which brought Pahlavi to power and set the stage for decades of mistrust between the countries.Some posters distributed in English read: “Thanks to American people for supporting Muslims.” Another one with a picture of Trump said: “Thanks Mr. Trump … for revealing the face of the US,” a reference to remarks Tuesday by Iran’s supreme leader in which he said the “newcomer” Trump had shown the “real face” of the United States.Some people threw balls and darts targeting pictures of Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Some demonstrators burned an American flag. The semi-official ILNA news agency reported that some demonstrators burned an Israeli flag.Iranians step on a giant US flag as they take part in a rally marking the anniversary of the 1979 Islamic revolution on February 10, 2017, in the capital Tehran.Many ranking officials attended the ceremony in Tehran, including Qassem Soleimani, a general who heads the Iranian Revolutionary Guard’s elite Quds Force that focuses on foreign operations like the war in Syria.President Rouhani told reporters prior to addressing the crowd that Iranians will make the US regret using threatening language, according to the semi-official ISNA news agency.“Anyone who speaks the language of threat to this nation, the Iranian nation will make him regret” it, he said, without elaborating. “This presence (of demonstrators) is a response to wrong comments by new leaders in the White House, and they announce with their presence to the world that they should talk with respect and not use threatening language to the Iranian nation.”State television aired footage of commemorations in Tehran and other cities and towns across the country, many of them in sub-zero temperatures.Tehran resident Mohammad Soufi, 33 a medical lab technician, said Trump’s recent stance encouraged him and his wife to participate in the rally this year.“We did not participate in the rally for more than 10 years,” he said. This year my wife told me let’s go out to show to the world, particularly Trump, that we love our county despite differences.”Sorraya Khalili, a 44-year-old hairstylist, said she was out to support the government and object to US bullying of Iran.“Why do people like Trump think they can make decisions for the entire world? Iran is an independent country like the United States. I wish Americans get to visit Iran to find out we are similar to them; we warmly welcome our guests and respect them,” she said.Foreign Minister Mohammad Javad Zarif posted a photograph on his Twitter account showing protesters with posters with the words: “American people are welcome and invited to visit Iran.”Zarif also said that Iranians on their anniversary praised American people for rejecting Trump’s executive action on the visa ban. Iran was among the seven Muslim-majority countries affected by the ban, which remains suspended while U.S. courts debate its legality.
Mogherini warns US not to ‘interfere’ in European politics-Speaking on Brexit, EU foreign policy chief says UK will remain in union for 2 more years and won’t be allowed to negotiate trade agreements-By AFP February 10, 2017, 8:46 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
WASHINGTON, United States — EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini warned Donald Trump’s administration Friday not to “interfere” in European politics, in an apparent reference to the US president’s praise of Brexit.“We do not interfere in US politics… And Europeans expect that America does not interfere in European politics,” said Mogherini, who is wrapping up her first visit to Washington since Trump took office.Mogherini held her first meetings with Trump’s administration on Thursday at a moment of uncertainty for trans-Atlantic ties.While the new US leader has toned down some of his criticism of America’s NATO allies since his election, he has shown no enthusiasm for the 28-member EU and has praised Britain’s decision to leave the bloc.“The unity of the European Union, I believe, is more evident today than it was some months ago,” Mogherini said Friday.“The UK will stay a member state of the European Union for another two years at least… And it will not be able to negotiate any trade agreement bilaterally with any third country,” she said.The EU, she added, was not an institution, but rather a “union of 28 member states, still 28 and 28 for quite some months ahead of us.”Trump’s election dismayed many European leaders, who see him as dangerously naive about the threat posed by Russia and fear his victory will inspire Europe’s own far-right populist parties.“Europeans feel and believe that their interest are better protected and promoted through our union,” Mogherini said.“The European Union is here to stay.”
After long wait, Palestinians make first contact with Trump administration-Palestinian intelligence chief meets with US security and intelligence officials in Washington after Ramallah complains it couldn’t reach White House-By Times of Israel staff and AP February 10, 2017, 12:22 am
The head of Palestinian intelligence has held talks with US security officials in the first such contacts between the Palestinians and the Trump administration, the AP news agency reported Thursday, citing an unnamed official.The official said that Majed Faraj met with US security and intelligence officials in Washington over the past two days. The official spoke on condition of anonymity in line with protocol.The Palestinian leadership said it has tried unsuccessfully to reach out to President Donald Trump since his election upset in November, and feared the possibility of being sidelined as the administration embraces Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who heads to the White House next week.In December, the Trump transition team refused to meet with Palestinian officials visiting Washington, putting them off until after the Jan. 20 inauguration, according to senior Abbas aide Saeb Erekat, the main point man for official contacts with the United States. Other advisers say Abbas tried to arrange a phone call with Trump after the November election and again after the inauguration, but received no response to his requests. The White House did not respond to a January letter in which Abbas expressed concerns about possibly moving the US Embassy in Israel to contested Jerusalem.Last week, senior Erekat said the White House had rebuffed every attempt to reach out to the new administration.“We have sent them letters, written messages, they don’t even bother to respond to us,” he told Newsweek.A strong relationship with the United States has been key to the Palestinian strategy for statehood. The US has served as the main broker in two decades of intermittent talks between Israel and the Palestinians.Trump has said he wants to broker a peace deal, but many see his administration’s stance as being slanted in Israel’s favor. In the wake of his inauguration, Israel okayed some 6,000 new housing units in the West Bank and East Jerusalem, with the White House largely remaining silent on the issue before finally issuing a critique that settlement expansion “may not be helpful.”The Trump administration also kept mum on a controversial law passed earlier this week legalizing thousands of settler homes built on private Palestinian land, and which the Palestinians said amounted to “legalizing theft.”But the Palestinians have been careful not to antagonize Trump with public statements, other than urging him to rein in Israel. They hope he’ll eventually get in touch, arguing that Trump needs to involve them if he’s serious about negotiating a Middle East peace deal.“The foreign policy of the US administration is not clear yet, aside from its clear support of Israel, but the administration knows nothing can be done without the Palestinians,” said Abbas adviser Mohammed Ishtayeh.During his campaign, Trump had also promised to relocate the US embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, a move the Israelis warmly welcome and which the Palestinians, and the Jordanians, have warned against. Since his inauguration on January 20, he’s been more vague about that pledge.Earlier Thursday, the New York Times reported that, in order to move ahead with the peace process between Israelis and Palestinians, Trump was deliberating bringing in Arab states and embracing the “outside-in” approach favored by Netanyahu.The article says that both Trump and his Jewish son-in-law Jared Kushner — who has been designated the point man for the Mideast peace process — have found the idea appealing after meeting with a number of Arab leaders since the president assumed office in January.The State Department said last month that it was reviewing a last-minute decision by former Secretary of State John Kerry to send $221 million dollars to the Palestinians over the objections of congressional Republicans.The department said Tuesday it would look at the payment and might make adjustments to ensure it comports with the Trump administration’s priorities.The Obama administration had for some time been pressing for the release of the money, which comes from the US Agency for International Development and was to be used to fund humanitarian aid in the West Bank and Gaza, support political and security reforms and help prepare for good governance and the rule of law in a future Palestinian state, according to the notification sent to Congress.
Border Police arrest Palestinian carrying handgun near settlement-Officers inspecting a taxi find weapon, bullets on the person of suspicious passenger, found to be wanted for questioning by the Shin Bet-By Times of Israel staff February 10, 2017, 7:43 pm
Border Police arrested a Palestinian man in the West Bank Friday evening after finding a handgun and bullets on his person during a routine search, Channel 2 news reported.Officers posted at the Shiloh Junction, near the Shiloh settlement north of Ramallah, stopped a Palestinian taxi for a routine inspection. When one of the passengers aroused their suspicions they searched him, and found him to be carrying a handgun and several bullets.Security forces checked the man’s identity, and found that he was wanted for questioning by the Shin Bet security service.The man was arrested and taken for questioning.On Thursday five people were lightly wounded when a Palestinian man opened fire at a bus and stabbed a man near an outdoor market in the central Israeli city of Petah Tikva.Police officers later arrested the West Bank man. He was identified by Palestinian media as Sadeq Nasser Abu Mazen, 18, from Beita al-Foka, a village south of Nablus.
Netanyahu acts against states that introduced 'shameful' resolution 2334-Israel permanently downgrades its ties to New Zealand, Senegal-Punishing countries that co-sponsored UN’s anti-settlements resolution, PM decides not to return ambassadors to Wellington and Dakar-By Raphael Ahren February 10, 2017, 11:56 am-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Israel is permanently downgrading its diplomatic ties with New Zealand and Senegal, punishing these countries for co-sponsoring an anti-settlement resolution in the United Nations Security Council last year, The Times of Israel has learned.Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided this week not to return Israel’s ambassadors to Wellington and Dakar, who had been recalled after Resolution 2334 passed on December 23, according to a senior source intimately familiar with the issue.Until the resolution passed, Israel had resident ambassadors in both countries. Netanyahu’s decision not to send the envoys back to Senegal and Wellington is not a formal demoting of ties, but with only a charge d’affaires remaining in these capitals from now on, and no resident ambassador, bilateral relations will effectively have been downgraded.Israel has already cancelled its foreign aid programs in Senegal.The Prime Minister’s Office did not respond to a query on the matter. The Foreign Ministry in Jerusalem said in a statement there is “no decision to downgrade diplomatic relations with Senegal and New Zealand.”New Zealand and Senegal were two of four co-sponsors of the contentious resolution, which declared that Israel’s policy to build settlements in East Jerusalem and the West Bank has “no legal validity and constitutes a flagrant violation under international law and a major obstacle to the achievement of the two-State solution and a just, lasting and comprehensive peace.”Jerusalem has no diplomatic ties with the resolution’s other two co-sponsors, Malaysia and Venezuela.Egypt originally proposed the resolution in late December, but withdrew the draft after Israel asked incoming US president Donald Trump to exert pressure on Cairo. New Zealand, Senegal, Venezuela and Malaysia, however, picked up the gauntlet and proposed the resolution the next day. It was passed with 14 yes votes and an American abstention.Israel reacted furiously, denouncing the text as “shameful” and vowing to punish the states that backed it.In the immediate aftermath of the resolution’s passing, Netanyahu summoned a dozen ambassadors for dressing-downs, canceled foreign aid to Senegal and Angola, disinvited the Ukrainian prime minister, and declined meetings with the leaders of China and Great Britain. He also instructed his ministers to curtail travel to the countries that voted in favor of the resolution, announced a “reassessment of all of our contacts with the UN,” ordered funding cuts to various UN agencies, and vowed that “there’s more to come.”But in the following days, Netanyahu’s wrath seemed to calm, as he took steps to restore ties with those countries that voted in favor but did not volunteer to co-sponsor the resolution.Last week, for instance, he had a friendly telephone conversation with Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko and promised to resume efforts “to further strengthen the friendship between Israel and Ukraine,” a statement released by the Prime Minister’s Office read.Among other things, Netanyahu and Poroshenko discussed rescheduling the cancelled visit of Ukrainian Prime Minister Volodymyr Groysman to Israel, who had been disinvited unceremoniously in late December because of the Ukrainian support for the UN resolution.Earlier this week, furthermore, Netanyahu met UK Prime Minister Theresa May at 10 Downing Street. Britain also voted in favor of Resolution 2334, though May subsequently went out of her way to say the settlements were not the core of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and Britain defied international efforts to further pressure Israel.In London, Netanyahu said the UK’s change in attitude was the result of a letter he sent to the leaders of all 14 countries that backed the Security Council resolution.
Pickaxes from 70 years ago, a smoking gun from the Bedouin plunderers, discovered along with the ancient remains-New Dead Sea Scroll cave found near Qumran, but scrolls are gone-Empty storage jars and a scrap of parchment unearthed in dig carried out by Hebrew U, IAA at site apparently looted in the 1940s-By Ilan Ben Zion February 8, 2017, 7:05 pm-THE TIMES OF ISRAEL
Over 60 years after the first excavations at Qumran, researchers from Hebrew University said Wednesday that they identified a twelfth cave near Qumran they believe contained Dead Sea Scrolls until it was plundered in the middle of the 20th century.The latest excavation was conducted by Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority under the auspices of the IDF’s Civil Administration.It yielded no new scrolls, but archaeologists found a small scrap of parchment in a jar and a collection of at least seven storage jugs identical to those found in the other Qumran caves.Altogether there was “no doubt we have a new scroll cave,” Oren Gutfeld, head archaeologist from the dig, told The Times of Israel.“Only the scrolls themselves are not there.”The bit of parchment and other organic remains have been dated to the first century CE, when the community at Qumran was active during the twilight of the Second Temple period.Pickaxes from the 1940s, a smoking gun from the Bedouin plunderers who dug in the cave, were found along with the ancient remains.The dig in the cliffs west of Qumran, situated over the Green Line in the West Bank, was headed by Hebrew University’s Oren Gutfeld and Ahiad Ovadia with the collaboration of Randall Price and students from Virginia’s Liberty University.“This exciting excavation is the closest we’ve come to discovering new Dead Sea Scrolls in 60 years,” Gutfeld said. “Until now, it was accepted that Dead Sea Scrolls were found only in 11 caves at Qumran, but now there is no doubt that this is the twelfth cave.”At the same time, Gutfeld said, the cave’s association with the Dead Sea Scrolls means “we can no longer be certain that the original locations (Caves 1 through 11) attributed to the Dead Sea Scrolls that reached the market via the Bedouins are accurate.”The first batch of ancient scrolls plundered from caves near the shores of the Dead Sea were purchased by Israeli scholars from the black market in 1947, and additional texts surfaced in the years following in excavations in the Jordanian-held West Bank and for sale on the black market. After Israel captured the West Bank in 1967, many of the scrolls stored in the Rockefeller Museum in East Jerusalem were transferred to the Israel Museum.Altogether, the nearly 1,000 ancient Jewish texts dated to the Second Temple period comprise a vast corpus of historical and religious documents that include the earliest known copies of biblical texts.Roughly a quarter of the manuscripts are made up of material belonging to the Hebrew Bible, while another quarter detail the Qumran community’s unique philosophy.The various scrolls and scroll fragments are identified by the cave they were believed to be stored in over the centuries. The new cave’s discovery shakes things up.“How can we know for sure that they only came from 11 caves? For sure there were 12 caves, and maybe more,” Gutfeld said.Among the other finds discovered in the cavern, now designated Q12 to denote its inclusion in the Qumran cave complex, were a leather strap for binding scrolls and a cloth for wrapping them, the university said in a statement announcing the find. Other discoveries included flint blades, arrowheads, and a carnelian stamp seal, all of which point to the cave’s inhabitation as far back as the Chalcolithic and the Neolithic periods.Experts at the Dead Sea Scroll Laboratories in Jerusalem found no writing on the scrap of parchment found in the jar, but they plan to carry out multispectral imaging of the artifact to reveal any ink invisible to the naked eye.The Q12 study was carried out as part of the IAA’s efforts to systematically excavate Judean Desert caves that may hold ancient scroll caches in a bid to foil antiquities theft. The expedition to Qumran was the first of its kind in the northern Judean Desert.The IAA announced in November that it was launching a massive project to find as yet undiscovered Dead Sea Scrolls in the desert. Last summer an IAA team excavated the Cave of the Skulls in Zeelim Valley after the antiquities watchdog caught thieves in the act.Gutfeld said he and his team “absolutely” plan to survey more caves in the region of Qumran in the coming months to determine where else to dig.————————Follow Ilan Ben Zion on Twitter and Facebook.
