Since biblical times man has been damaging the environment. Already 3,000 years ago people destroyed the regional vegetation and caused catastrophic environmental damage. This was discovered by researchers who examined coal residues from the huge copper mines at Timna in the south of Israel.

The copper industry in biblical times was huge. Much of the material from Timna was used to built the Temple in Jerusalem. “We assume that King David showed interest in the remote desert region because of the copper treasures,” said on researcher. Popularly known as “Solomon’s Mines,” the copper mines at Timna are some of the oldest in the world. And even in those times there was no talk of environmental protection, although God refers to environmental protection in the Bible.

The connection between man and earth is important to God. In the Bible, this connection is made particularly clear by the commandments regarding the Sabbath and the Sabbath year. The Sabbath is a day of rest, people and animals should not work. During the Sabbath year that occurs every seven years, the soil should not...