The 3,300-year-old nation of Israel

Roanoke Times ^ | March 14 2002 | MARLIN THOMPSON

[sanchmo]

Great article, although I have one point of clarification:

The name "Palestine" is mentioned four times in the Bible.
I didn't think it was, and I could find it in a Bible Gateway search. If the term was first used by the Romans after the destruction of Jerusalem, I wouldn't expect it to be in the Bible much, since the vast majority of the Bible - including the New Testament - was written pre-70AD.

[jonatron]

"Philistia", concordance word 6428 appears 8 times:

Psa 60:8 Moab [04124] [is] my washpot [05518] [07366]; over Edom [0123] will I cast out [07993] (8686) my shoe [05275]: Philistia [06429], triumph [07321] (8708) thou because of me.
Psa 83:7 Gebal [01381], and Ammon [05983], and Amalek [06002]; the Philistines [06429] with the inhabitants [03427] (8802) of Tyre [06865];
Psa 87:4 I will make mention [02142] (8686) of Rahab [07294] and Babylon [0894] to them that know [03045] (8802) me: behold Philistia [06429], and Tyre [06865], with Ethiopia [03568]; this [man] was born [03205] (8795) there.
Psa 108:9 Moab [04124] [is] my washpot [07366] [05518]; over Edom [0123] will I cast out [07993] (8686) my shoe [05275]; over Philistia [06429] will I triumph [07321] (8709).
Isa 14:29 Rejoice [08055] (8799) not thou, whole Palestina [06429], because the rod [07626] of him that smote [05221] (8688) thee is broken [07665] (8738): for out of the serpent's [05175] root [08328] shall come forth [03318] (8799) a cockatrice [06848], and his fruit [06529] [shall be] a fiery [08314] [00] flying [05774] (8789) serpent [08314].
Isa 14:31 Howl [03213] (8685), O gate [08179]; cry [02199] (8798), O city [05892]; thou, whole Palestina [06429], [art] dissolved [04127] (8738): for there shall come [0935] (8804) from the north [06828] a smoke [06227], and none [shall be] alone [0909] (8802) in his appointed times [04151].
Joe 3:4 Yea, and what have ye to do with me, O Tyre [06865], and Zidon [06721], and all the coasts [01552] of Palestine [06429]? will ye render [07999] (8764) me a recompence [01576]? and if ye recompense [01580] (8802) me, swiftly [07031] [and] speedily [04120] will I return [07725] (8686) your recompence [01576] upon your own head [07218];
			"Phlistine," or "Palestinian" means "immigrants."

[Billthedrill]

Israel became a nation in 1312 B.C., and since then Jerusalem has been the Jewish capital.

But not continuously. As long as we're seeking historical perspective, we should note a little problem they had with first the Egyptians, then the Babylonians. And it's a matter of no little irony that the Temple was restored...by Iranians.

I'm not much of an adherent to the "ours by right" argument on anybody's part. This area has changed hands by conquest constantly since Abe bought Hebron, and it is held by the force of arms now, just as it has ever been. Christian, Jew, and Muslim have all invoked God as justification for killing one another over it. I suspect that God probably has other ideas...

[John O]

And it's a matter of no little irony that the Temple was restored...by Iranians.

This has me scratching my head. Solomon built the first temple. Herod built the second temple. There hasn't been a third temple.

Explain please?

God Save America (Please)

[onedoug]

Though it always had been in the heart and spirit of the diaspora. "Next year in Jerusalem," has been uttered by Jewish voices ever since.

Islamism, or the sharia based imposition of Islam, for which the so-called "Palestinians" are current fodder, is inconsistent with western civilization. I only hope western civilization collectively wakes up to this fact before it's too late.

[Eternal_Bear]

A God that chooses one nation over others is a human creation. Pure and Simple.

[FourtySeven]

VERY interesting. Thanks.

[Ancesthntr]

Herod did not build the 2nd Temple. He merely enlarged the Temple plaza by building retaining walls around Mt. Moriah, thus allowed more earth to be added to the area around the already-existing Temple. The 2nd Temple was built about 500 years before Herod was even born. This was some 70 years after the 586 BCE destruction, and the re-building was permitted/encouraged by Cyrus the Great, emporer of Persia (i.e. Iran). Of course, observant Jews will tell you that G-d rebuilt the Temple, using Cyrus as his instrument, but it certainly wasn't Herod.

[onedoug]

"Pure and Simple."...except that essentially the entire turbulent flow of our history, culture and civilization is from thence derived.

[rebdov]

There are 14 references to the Land of the Philistines-PLISHTIM

Genesis 21:32, 21:34

Exodus 13:17

Samuel I 27:1, 29:11, 30:16, 31:09

Kings I 5:1

KingsII 8:2, 8:3

Jeremiah 25:20

Tsefania 2:5

Chronicles I 10:9

Chronicles II 9:26

[Billthedrill]

Ancesthntr beat me to it - Cyrus the Great (the "anointed of God" in the Old Testament) restored the Temple. He was either a Mede or a "Persian" but either way called himself Iranian - that is what that area of the world has been known as since time immemorial. The root of the word is "Aryan," which is what they are, racially, and what the Nazis weren't. I was playing with words a bit...sorry...

[Robert_Paulson2]

read the book of ezra and nehemiah, then get back with us.

[rebdov]

I don't know what book you are using but a lot of your verse numbers are incorrect. In Psalms 60:10 (not 8) it speaks of the Philistines as a people.

I wonder how all those verse numbers are about two off consistently?

Whoever is doing the translating in that book is consistently translating Pileshes as the land of the Philistines, whereas it is clear from the context and all Jewish commentators that Pileshes refers to the people.

[John O]

Thank you. I didn't have time to do the research but remembered it being called Herods temple.

GSA(P)

[sanchmo]

I've seen references to Philistia, to Philistines, and to the land of the Philistines. But the article said:
The Romans called the land Palestine for the Philistines, as a humiliation to the Jews
and The name "Palestine" is mentioned four times in the Bible.

[aimhigh]

A God that chooses one nation over others is a human creation. Pure and Simple.

Ignorance on display. A reading of the Bible clearly shows that God chose Isreal to display Himself. His prophecies through Moses have been clearly fulfilled. Israel is the only country dispersed and restored in accordance with those prophecies. The Bible can be proved in one word - ISRAEL. That is why the liberals side with the palestinians.

[John O]

So the temple was actually built by Jews headed by Nehemiah and Ezra under the permission of Cyrus.

If foreigners had built the temple I don't think the Jews would have used it.

Thanks for the refresher on history though.

GSA(P)

[jonatron]

Sorry if there were some innacuracies in those quotes, I had just copied them from a www-site.

"P'lashet" is used at ex. 15.14 in the "dwellers of Philistia" That's not to legitimize Yassir Arafat's claim, because neither he nor "his people" are indiginous to Eretz Yisrael. Neither were the real Philistines of biblical times, as indicated by their name.

It's most likely that the contemporary "Palestinians" are mostly related to Esau, which means their home is Seir, in Jordan.

Arafat did try to take over Jordan, but King Hussein mercilessly slaughtered Arafat and his gangs.

[shield]

You might want to study the meaning of Daniel 11:14.