Posted on 05/13/2014 8:06:33 PM PDT by Former Fetus
Pope Francis is due to arrive in Israel on May 25, but Councilman Aryeh King has made clear that he will not be among the Jerusalem officials welcoming the Catholic leader.
Jerusalem Mayor Nir Barkat is expected to greet the Pope on Mount Scopus during the visit, and Barkat's office has sent messages to members of the city council inviting them to join in welcoming the Pope.
King, chairman of the "United Jerusalem" faction, responded by mail to Barkat's office and the other council members, declaring that he will not join them.
"I won't come, unless (the Pope) will bring in his suitcase the treasures of the Jewish people that were stolen by his predecessors, treasures that today are located in the Vatican's basement," remarked King.
Several treasures from the destroyed Holy Temple in Jerusalem are believed to have been brought to Rome; indeed the Arch of Titus in Rome, erected shortly after the death of Emperor Titus in 81 CE, clearly depicts Roman soldiers bringing to Rome the golden candelabrum and other Temple artifacts.
The treasures reportedly remained on public display between 75 CE and the early 5th century in the Temple of Peace in Rome's Forum. Jews have requested access to the Vatican's storehouses to ascertain whether the treasures are still there.
The councilman added "without the return of our people's possessions, I see in (the Pope's) visit an unprecedented insolence."
Protecting Jewish possessions and sites.
King has likewise been actively opposing the rumored negotiations that would have Israel sell King David's Tomb to the Vatican. Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman denied the deal on Tuesday, after hundreds of Jews protested at the site the day before.
Last month, an Israeli diplomatic source told Arutz Sheva that the Israeli government has no intention of transferring control over the site to the Church; those claims were reiterated Sunday, by the office of the Sephardi Chief Rabbi, Rabbi Yitzhak Yosef.
However, Rabbi Yaakov Sevilia, an activist for King David's Tomb, told Arutz Sheva that there is a deal in the works - which would see David's Tomb given to Christians, and the Temple Mount to Muslims. He cited journalist Gulio Meotti, who contributes regularly to Arutz Sheva, as the source for this knowledge.
As for King David's Tomb, it should be enough to say that he was a Hebrew King, not Roman!
While they’re in there they can look through all the porn that the Vatican is supposedly collecting ... and Jesus’s wedding ring ... and His son’s cradle ... and ...
Hold a grudge long?
Councilman?
Ooooh! What a snub!
Everyone should go to their pastor and priest and ask if their denomination is holding world treasures, looted from people.
Anyone who uses BCE and CE instead of the much older and much more widely spread BC and AD, which is clearly meant to attack Christians, does not deserve butkis from Christian.
Even so if it can be determined that certain things were with the temple in the time of Solomon or in Jerusalem in the time of David, then I would say return it.
And there is no need to stop there. Folks might as well ask their Presidents or Kings too. Because every faction can find grievances against every other faction, if you just look hard enough.
I usually think of religion as a little different from countries.
LOL. Moron.
How many churches keep loot and stolen treasures?
Several treasures from the destroyed Holy Temple in Jerusalem are believed to have been brought to Rome; indeed the Arch of Titus in Rome, erected shortly after the death of Emperor Titus in 81 CE, clearly depicts Roman soldiers bringing to Rome the golden candelabrum and other Temple artifacts.
He's going to need a big suitcase.
” Jews have requested access to the Vatican’s storehouses to ascertain whether the treasures are still there.”
Proving that at least some Jews are not too bright.
“How many churches keep loot and stolen treasures?”
Can’t someone make an argument that all American churches are on “looted” or “stolen” land?
It hardly seems to me that the looting of these items and their carrying to Rome in the first century A.D. is any reason to suspect that the Holy See has them. After all, the Church had no influence in the first centuries, and when it did become influential there was nothing like the Vatican of today to receive these kinds of items. I really see no reason to believe that such treasures would be entrusted to the local bishop of that city when they would already have had to be housed somewhere for centuries. No, this just sounds like another silly conspiracy theory. How do we know that the Vandals or Visigoths didn’t carry this stuff away during one of their sacks of the city?
I agree...the Emperor Titus was definitely NOT the “predecessor” of any Pope!!! Who knows what that pagan did with his stolen treasure, anyway? Probably melted it down to make necklaces for his wife, or some such.... And then there were later the Vandals and Goths, whose specialty was plunder...
No, they can’t, but seriously what churches keep stolen treasures and loot?
Huh? The vandals church has stolen treasure?
Anyone see the move Monument Men? There it shows some churches saving art treasures and returning them to their owners.
Yeah, and how many times has Rome been sacked? If those items were in Rome, they could have been melted down long, long ago.
If the Vatican has these things, it’s a good thing. They’ve been safe in a basement for almost 2000 years instead of being melted down by muslims, Lombards, Goths, whatever.
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