As the world continues to question Israel’s right to Jerusalem, ignoring or even denying what is written in the Bible, we need to proclaim the truth even louder.
UNESCO’s decision last October to negate any historical connection between the people of Israel and Jerusalem is nothing short of lunacy. We all know there is unquestionable historical and archeological evidence that Jerusalem was the site of the First and Second Jewish Temples. It seems that the anti-Israel propaganda of the Palestinians and their supporters is even dirtier than the archaeological rubble they are trying so hard to conceal.
I recall a conversation with two archeologists in the 1990s, Gabriel Barkai and Tzachi Davira, who with the help of volunteers were sifting through tons of rubble from the Temple Mount that was thrown into a garbage dump on the outskirts of Jerusalem. As the Muslims built a third mosque on the Mount at the site of Solomon’s Stables, they dumped 400 truckloads of debris. The sifting work has continued since then in an attempt to preserve evidence of Israel’s glorious biblical past. Thousands of coins, seals, pottery fragments, tiles and artifacts from the First and Second Temple Period have already been recovered.
Archaeologists have criticized the Israeli government for not sufficiently contributing to the preservation of the Temple Mount. “Over many years, we have asked governments for financial aid but have not received a single cent,” both experts told us. Israeli politicians like to preach about the importance of the Mount, but they fail to act in order to avoid a clash with Islam. This weakens and even paralyzes Israel’s legitimate right to the holiest place in Judaism.
Therefore, the staff of Israel Today has decided to stand with these archaeologists, volunteers and their organization: The Temple Mount Sifting Project (see pages 33 and back cover). As a wise saying puts it, “He who does not know his past cannot understand his present and will not be able to shape his future.” For Jerusalem’s sake please join us!
