Just the Facts - The pagan cave in Bethlehem

OK...just one more thing about christmas...



About 800 years before the birth of Messiah, the prophet Micah foretold his birth in Bethlehem.

"But thou, Bethlehem Ephratah, though thou be little among the thousands of Judah, yet out of thee shall he come forth unto me that is to be ruler in Israel; whose goings forth have been from of old, from everlasting"

Every year thousands of Christian pilgrims make their way to Bethlehem to visit the city in which the Messiah was born. Although unaware, most of them are taken into a subterranean cave where the pagan sun god Tammuz was worshipped and are told that this is the place where Jesus was born. Tammuz was the Accadian sun god also known as Adonis by the Greeks. In mythology he was known to be the husband of Ishtar from which we derive the name Easter. His birthday was known to be at the time of the winter solstice or December 25th.

Jerome, the Latin Bible translator whose school was located adjacent to the cave, informs us of the worship of Tammuz on this spot. "Even my own Bethlehem, as it now is, that most venerable spot in the whole world, of which the psalmist sings; the truth has sprung out of the earth, was overshadowed by a grove of Tammuz, that is of Adonis and in the very cave where the infant Christ had uttered his earliest cry, lamentation was made for the paramour of Venus"

Just one more example of the pagan influences upon modern day Christianity.

Harvesting the oats!

The fruits of our labour! Well...to be honest, there really wasn't much labour. Our neighbours sowed it, it grew, and then they our neighbours reaped it for us. We are thankful to Yahweh that we have our first crop, and I don't think this was on purpose, but they even left gleanings around the corners of the field!
"Now when you reap the harvest of your land, you shall not reap to the very corners of your field, nor shall you gather the gleanings of your harvest." Leviticus 19:9


Thank you, Abba, for your provision for us in your bountiful harvest :)  

Dark it is in Babylon

Here it is. This is all I have to say about christmas this year.

The Hebrew culture of the Bible

Through the inspiration of the Ruach Hako'desh (Holy Spirit) the Bible was written by men who are identified culturally as 'Hebrews'. Even though the manuscripts that we have for the Apostolic Writings (the New Testament) are in Greek, it is important to remember that the people who wrote these were 'Hebrews' too. So in a very real sense, the whole Bible is a Hebrew book. Hebrew culture is radically different from 21st century western culture, which  essentially is Greco-Roman, and without an understanding of the context in which the Scriptures were written, it is natural to be influenced by our culture and lifestyle when interpreting them and gaining an understanding of what they mean for us today. Language is intertwined with culture. We can learn the language of the Bible, but without an understanding of the culture and lifestyle, we are still in danger of defining words and phrases from our perspective and changing the original intent of the author.

I am not for a moment suggesting that we cannot simply open our English Bibles and understand the words unless we understand Hebrew culture. What I am suggesting is that most of us believers here in the West now have access to education and information that previous generations did not have, and it would do us well to take advantage of these opportunities in order for us to gain a better and deeper understanding of the Scriptures that we love so much. I speak most particularly to homeschoolers. We are in the advantageous position of being able to direct our children's attention to whatever avenue of study that we so desire. Why not study Hebrew for LOTE? Why not study Ancient Hebrew culture and contrast it with Greek, Roman and Egyptian culture for HSIE? There is a vast array of resources available and many of them free on the internet. A great place to start is The Ancient Hebrew Research Centre.  Try these 2 short articles by Jeff Benner to get an idea of what I am talking about... 

• Introduction to the Ancient Hebrew Culture  A language is closely tied to the culture of those who speak the language. In the case of the Hebrews who were a nomadic people of the Near East, their language is closely connected to their nomadic culture. Each Hebrew word describes an action that can be seen in the nomadic journeys of the Hebrews through the wilderness.... 

• Ancient Hebrew Thought In the world, past and present, there are two major types of cultures; the Hebrew (or eastern) culture and the Greek (or western) culture. Both of these cultures view their surroundings, lives, and purpose in ways which would seem foreign to the other. With the exception of a few Bedouin nomadic tribes living in the Near East today, the ancient Hebrew culture has disappeared....

So this is the challenge for my readers. Can I encourage us to start thinking of ways to incorporate the study of the culture of the Bible into our schedules? As far as I know, there is no boxed curriculum for this out there. It would require us to be creative! Maybe we can help each other out. I'd appreciate your comments and thoughts :)

"2009 the first year of Global Governance"

source : World Net Daily

In accepting his appointment as the first president of the European Union, Belgian Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy announced that "global governance" is only way to address the crises that beset the planet.

"We're living through exceptionally difficult times – the financial crisis and its dramatic impact on employment and budgets, the climate crisis which threatens our very survival, a period of anxiety, uncertainty and lack of confidence," he said in his maiden press conference. "Yet these problems can be overcome through a joint effort between our countries. Two-thousand and nine is also the first year of global governance with the establishment of the G20 in the middle of the financial crisis. The climate conference in Copenhagen is another step toward the global management of our planet." 

It has already begun, people....