Who are the Samaritans?: Washington exhibit to showcase the biblical people: Though not actually Jewish, but practicing many Jewish rituals and traditions, the Samaritans consider themselves to be the true guardians of the Torah – the Book of the Law of Moses and of Israel. The Samaritans claim descent from the ancient Israelites of Samaria, but their origins remain unclear, and there are several different versions. Nonetheless, they have survived the vicissitudes of time, conflicts and assimilation, and today are the smallest of Israel’s minorities, with a foot in both the Israeli and the Palestinian camps. Most Israelis know very little about the Samaritans, and people outside of Israel, who are not familiar with the Bible know nothing about them at all beyond the expression the Good Samaritan. The opportunity for Americans to learn more about the Samaritans comes by way of a comprehensive exhibition, guided tours, lectures, and a film that are being seen and heard at the Museum of the Bible in Washington DC where the groundbreaking exhibition The Samaritans: A Biblical People opens on September 16. The centerpiece of the exhibition is a medieval Samaritan inscription on a limestone tablet on loan from the President’s Residence in Jerusalem. Israel’s second president Yitzhak Ben Zvi, who studied Samaritan history and culture, came by the tablet which features a dedication in ancient Samaritan script attesting to the establishment of a synagogue on Mount Gerizim, which to this day is the holiest site to people of the Samaritan faith. The tablet is dated “611to the Kingdom of Ishmael 1214 CE.” The inscription pays tribute to Abraham the son of Ebitarna of Bnei Bedua for funding the construction of the synagogue. President Isaac Herzog was delighted to contribute to the exhibition, which is believed to be the first about the Samaritan Israelite community, and he sent a congratulatory video recording to Washington for the opening. Lecturers during the exhibition will be Moshe Alafi, and Steven Fine of Yeshiva University who have also made a film – The Samaritans: A Biblical People, which took them five years to complete. The exhibition will be on view till the end of the year. Secret Tunnels Under the Temple Mount: A video has surfaced on social media showing a tunnel that runs under the flagstones of the Temple Mount Plaza. The tunnel is shallow, directly under the stones, and neglected, full of garbage. The background music implies that the video was taken by an Arab in the area of the Aqsa Mosque on the Southern end of the Temple Mount. Dr. Gabriel Barkay, head of the Sifting Project, was familiar with the story behind the tunnel. “This tunnel was dug in 2007 to lay electrical cables and water pipes,” Dr. Barkay said. “It is approximately 500 meters long. It was dug under the supervision of the Israel Antiquities Authority.” Tzachi Dvira, who co-heads the Temple Mount Sifting Project, noted that such tunnels are found in several sections of the Temple Mount. “The tunnels are for drainage,” he noted. “There is nothing nefarious. These were done under the supervision of the IAA, but even when the Waqf does projects like this, it is all under the eyes of the Israeli police. The government is aware of these projects.” Though this is clearly true, this does not negate the destruction caused by Waqf projects. The Sifting Project began in 1999 when the Northern Branch of the Islamic Movement conducted illegal renovations on the Temple Mount and disposed of over 9,000 tons of dirt mixed with invaluable archaeological artifacts. Israeli antiquities law requires a salvage excavation before construction at archaeological sites. However, this illegal bulldozing destroyed innumerable artifacts: veritable treasures that would have provided a rare glimpse of the region’s rich history. The earth and the artifacts within were dumped as garbage in the nearby Kidron Valley. The Ark of the Covenant is believed to be hidden in one of these unexplored chambers. Excavations by British surveyors in 1865 led by Charles Wilson and four years later by Captain Charles Warren revealed a system of underground tunnels and cisterns underneath the Temple Mount complex. To this day, these tunnels have remained largely unexplored. https://www.israel365news.com/274767/watch-secret-tunnels-under-the-temple-mount/ Kelly, I did not find any other info on the delivery of the Red Heifer's, to post here. It seemed to be about 10 hours old, and comments were made that they had kept this delivery very secret. The heifers are from Texas. Click on the Temple Institute above. The latest news of the heifer' s wasn't reported there, but I would guess it will be soon. It seems to so far only have been posted on Facebook. Geri, I agree ~ they are beautiful. I didn't count :unsure: I think I'll make a separate post for the subject. I saw four. I think they only need to sacrifice one. Hope they don't get hurt during the transport or else they will not be "perfect." They said on the video that half of them would be kept away from the public but half would be available for viewing. Thanks Kolleen. So huge news from Israel. Basically, they will have this ready for Passover 2023 — we will be gone :yahoo: They can build the temple in a matter of months; they have the high priest, they have the red heifer (from multiple sites); they have the tools —- remember the Israel is the hour hand, Jerusalem the second hand, and the temple the second hand — it has come together…. https://paulthepoke.com/2022/09/15/red-heifer-update-5-red-heifers-flown-to-israel-from-texas/ (mod edit) I’ll just move it here: Ben Gurion Gearing Up To Bring All 70 Nations Straight From The Airport To Third Temple Found the article on the heifers from Texas flown in on 09/15/2022 — yes they will only need one. Per the Temple Institute they have “red heifer farms” in various places. This has been kept secret for a few years but they have enough now that it is no longer a secret and they are moving forward. :yahoo: So are we :yahoo: The article on the Ben Gurion airport is interesting. The picture of Israelites carrying animal sacrifices is surreal. We are almost home! Can't wait for the countdown and the announcement we have lift off! TR
The groundbreaking exhibition The Samaritans: A Biblical People will open on September 16.
I think of that too, will they all be sacrificed, or only one?
