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Israeli and French researchers to excavate ancient site of Kiryat Ye’arim, outside Jerusalem, one of the few unstudied biblical tels One of the few remaining unstudied major biblical sites, where according to the Bible the Ark of the Covenant was kept for two decades, will be excavated by archaeologists this summer for the first time. Organizers hope the anticipated study of Kiryat Ye’arim (also transliterated as Kiriath Jearim) will shed light on the site’s significance during the Iron Age, the period associated with the biblical account of King David. Kiryat Ye’arim is mentioned over a dozen times in the Bible...

Dinosaurs in Noah’s vineyard by David Lewis The carving (see image at right), which appears to show two dinosaurs, is on an outside wall of the bell-tower of a fourteenth century church in the Republic of Georgia. Holy Trinity Church (also known as Tsminda Sameba) is on Mount Gergeti, near Stephantsminda village, in the Mount Kazbegi area—close to the borders with North Ossetia and Ingushetia. When I visited this area in 2006 and saw the carvings, I asked a Georgian cleric at the church what they depicted. He commented that they looked like dinosaurs, and he had no idea when...

Archaeologists believe they have found evidence of King David’s footprints in a mysterious two-gated city from 3,000 years ago, mentioned in the Bible’s story of David and Goliath The site is known by its modern name, Khirbet Qeiyafa, in Israel’s Elah Valley. After nearly seven years of excavations, the public can now explore the archaeological findings of Qeiyafa through “In the Valley of David and Goliath,” a new Bible Lands Museum exhibition that opened earlier this week in Jerusalem. The Qeiyafa findings have sparked debate and intrigued historians and archaeologists since they were first revealed. The city was discovered between...

Archaeologists unearthed the ruins of a synagogue near Mount TaborLimestone benches line the walls where worshippers would have sat It sits within a Jewish village thought to date back to the first century ADThe New Testament states Jesus visited village synagogues in Galilee  An unusual rural ancient synagogue that dates back to shortly after the time of Jesus has been unearthed in Galilee.  The rare find – a huge 29 feet long and 26 feet wide room with walls lined by limestone benches – promises to add weight to stories about Jesus in the Bible.  Most synagogues dating from around...

Chapter 11 of the Acts of the Apostles says that Antioch was the city in which, for the first time, the disciples of Jesus were called “Christians.” Tradition has enthroned Peter as the founder of the Church of Antioch, following the narration of the very same Book of Acts, which tells not only of the arrival of Peter and Barnabas to the Turkish city, but also of their preaching.Moreover, this very same tradition claims that it was in the Knisset Mar Semaan Kefa (“Grotto of St. Peter” in Aramaic) where Peter would celebrate the Eucharist for this community. That is to...

The Muslim sovereign has sent a donation to the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem as a contribution towards the costs. This is another of the Jordanian royal family's expressions of support to Christians. It is also a political move that aims to underline Amman's prerogatives over Jerusalem"His Majesty King Abdullah II has issued a Royal Benefaction (makruma) to provide for the restoration of Jesus' Tomb in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem, at His Majesty's personal expense." The news was announced by Jordanian press agency Petra, which says that the Hashemite Court sent an official letter to the...

The New York Times reports: JERUSALEM — It was a typical day at the shrine around what many believe is the tomb of Jesus in Jerusalem’s Old City.

By studying and excavating ancient burial grounds, we can learn about how final respects were paid when people died during ancient times. The artifacts located alongside these remains also provide insight into what items people valued and what they believed about the afterlife. A 2013 discovery of an ancient burial ground near Bethlehem is providing new information about one civilization that lived approximately 4000 years ago. In 2013, efforts began to build an industrial park near Bethlehem, leading to a discovery that may prove to offer fresh insights about the ancient world. The area where the industrial park was to...

“Where did Common Core come from?” is a question I often hear from parents as I travel the country speaking about the Islamic infiltration of America. ... The short answer is that resident Obama’s push for “hope and change” translates into completely transforming America — for the worse. Common Core is but one of many parts of an intricate plan to infiltrate every area of American society with Islam. Which is why, Common Core’s origin and funding came from Qatar, Libya and Saudi Arabia. Globally, Common Core originated from the “One World Education” concept, a global goal orchestrated by the...

All about the Barack Hussein Obama Muslim connection to Common CoreIn the last few years we have seen a movement in our country to nationalize our educational system, to implement Common Core in all schools. Inside the schools, the most drastic change has been an overwhelming influence of Islam and Sharia law. Education publishing giant, Pearson, whose biggest investor is the Libyan Investment Authority, is a major supplier of Islam-oriented text books for American schools. As is the nation of Qatar.Pearson owners are deeply involved in the Muslim Brotherhood and linked to CAIR. “Muslim Brotherhood documents seized by the...

Moreover the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Son of man, set thy face against mount Seir, and prophesy against it, And say unto it, Thus saith the Lord God; Behold, O mount Seir, I am against thee, and I will stretch out mine hand against thee, and I will make thee most desolate. I will lay thy cities waste, and thou shalt be desolate, and thou shalt know that I am the Lord. (Ezekiel 35:1-4)The 34-39th chapters of Ezekiel are a prophecy about the final and complete restoration of Israel. The Prophet first addresses the Shepherds of...

Over the years, Israelis have had to defend themselves from foreign armies, suicide bombers and missiles. Over recent weeks, they’ve been confronting a new threat: young Palestinians wielding butcher knives. Unlike the cutthroats of the Islamic State and al Qaeda, these fanatics aren’t able to bind their victims and behead them. But videos on social media teach would-be assassins how to use sharp instruments to inflict maximum damage on unsuspecting Israelis. An imam in Gaza has been recorded on the pulpit brandishing a six-inch knife, urging his “brothers” to go out in the streets, find a Jew and “Stab!” Attacks...

The gate of Gath, believed to be the home of the giant Goliath, has been discovered by archaeologists. I love this kind of story because I love it when the Bible is shown to have historical accuracies. You might recall: The Philistines occupied the high ground on one side and the Israelites occupied the high ground on the other side, with the valley between them. A champion stepped out from the Philistine ranks; his name was Goliath, from Gath; he was six cubits and one span tall. On his head was a bronze helmet and he wore a breastplate of...

A 3,000-year-old ceramic jar discovered in pieces in Israel has been restored to reveal a rare inscription of the name of a biblical figure and ruler whose reign coincided with that of King David, archaeologists announced today (June 16). The pottery was found in an ancient city overlooking the Valley of Elah, where, as described in the Bible, the legendary David defeated Goliath. The inscription, the researchers found, read: Eshba'al Ben Bada', who the archaeologists say was likely an important person since his name was inscribed on a jar. (Eshba'al Ben Shaul ruled over Israel at the same time...

WAY OF THE CROSS FROM ROME 04/03 at 8:00 PM ET; 04/04 at 3:00 AM ET Pope Francis presides over The Stations of the Cross, from the Coliseum in Rome.

Tower of David. Credit: Ricardo Tulio Gandelman via Flickr (CC by 2.0). Washington D.C., Jan 5, 2015 / 02:32 pm (CNA/EWTN News).- Archeologists believe they may have discovered the place where Jesus’ trial before Pontius Pilate took place in Jerusalem. In an effort to expand The Tower of David Museum, archeologists began excavating an adjacent, abandoned prison building, the Washington Post reports. As they stripped away layers of the prison floor, they realized they were likely uncovering a missing link in the puzzle of the Holy Land’s history. Although the discovery began over a decade ago, the site is just...

The exact spot upon which Jesus stood as he was sentenced to death, may have been pinpointed by archaeologists in Jerusalem. Discovered around 15 years ago, the remains of Herod the Great’s palace have been carefully examined and a place between a gate and uneven stone pavement has been identified as fitting the description of the event in the Gospel of John. Pilgrims and tourists will be able to visit the Biblical site, because tours are being offered by the Tower of David Museum, which is located nearby.

Fr. Gabriel Nadaf with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu Netanyahu Israeli Christians' New Nationality: Aramaean, not Arab. 130,000 of Israel's 160,000 Christians, hitherto registered as Arabs, are expected to re-register as Aramaeans; their leaders are ecstatic.Interior Minister Gideon Saar has instructed the Population, Immigration and Border Authority (PIBA) to allow the registration of a new nationality – Aramaean – in the identity cards of Christian citizens who were registered as Arabs until now. In a letter to PIBA Director Amnon Ben-Ami, Saar wrote that he has “received rulings according to which the existence of the Aramaean nationality is clear and obvious,...

The word family had a wider meaning both Aramaic and Hebrew than it does in our English word today. The Hebrew, ah and the Aramaic aha could be used to refer to those who were brothers and sisters, half brothers, cousins and even other near relations. Extended family networks were both insisted upon, and essential for survival. To have these ties and be dependent upon them, was every Jewish person’s duty, and an absolute necessity for survival.Marriage – Of course marriage is the heart of family. The very first order that God gave Adam and Eve, was that a man...

Secretary of State John Kerry is the latest to think the power of his personal diplomacy can bring "peace to the Middle East." But, once again, when one side publicly calls for the destruction of the other, what is there to discuss? Hamas, designated a foreign terrorist organization by the U.S., has governed the Palestinian territory of Gaza since they defeated rival Fatah, the group that governs the West Bank. Hamas, along with Hezbollah, Palestine Islamic Jihad, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine-General Command, Iraqi militant Shiite groups and other terror organizations, is funded in part by Iran,...