inside items the mystery of the wise men · in 60:1-5, isaiah encouraged readers to “arise,...

I N S I D E I T E M S ▼The Bible is full of surprises. Here’sone that fascinates me. – Jeff Seif

JANUARY 2009

“Brethren, my heart’s desire and prayer to God for Israel is that they might be saved.”–ROMANS 10:1

By Dr. Jeffrey L. Seif

(Matthew 2:1-12) – King Herod was “troubled”to hear about the birth of an alleged Messiah.The Christ would be a more legitimate Kingof the Jews than he, so Herod determined tofind the child.

Herod became even more concerned when“wise men from the East came to Jerusalem”guided by “His [bright] star in the East.”Herod inquired about the timing of the greatlight’s appearance. In verse 9 Matthew saysthat “the star which they had seen in the Eastwent before them, till it came and stood overwhere the young Child was.”

“When they saw the [bright] star, they rejoicedwith exceedingly great joy,” after which theyentered the house and “presented gifts toHim: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.” Thenthey returned to the East by another way forfear of Herod, who was obviously up to nogood.

Contrary to popular lore, the Bible never saidthere were three wise men. It does note,however, that the men were from the East—and that they were Arabs.

continued on page 2

The Mystery of theWise Men

■ Brawl At Holy Sepulchre.........3■ Arab Rejects Islam................4■ Classic Zola........................5■ Our Man In Jerusalem............6■ Shalom From Sandra.............7■ DeSeifering Our World...........8■ Obama’s Road to Damascus.....9■ Patrick Cox.....................10-11■ Warrior King Highlights.....12-13■ Reliving the 1930s?.............14■ Bulletin Board....................16■ Hebrew Lesson....................20■ Big Gas Troika...................21■ Letters To ZLM................22-25■ Wise As A Serpent................26■ News Briefs....................27-29■ Select Briefs..................30-33■ Israeli Technology..........34-35

Getting The World To Hate Israel

Christmas in a WW IIGerman Labor CampBy Anita Dittmanwww.LighthouseTrailsResearch.com

The writer, a Jewish ChristianHolocaust survivor, was 17 yearsold when this story took place.Today, she is 81 and lives inMinnesota.

“Nothing happens without a pur-pose, does it?” Christian asked.“What do you suppose is ourultimate purpose for being trappedin Nazi Germany? I think it is toglorify God in the end. Do youthink that is true?”

“I do, Christian.”

“Anita, do you know what day it is today? It is Christ-mas Eve. I have a surprise for you and the other Christians inthe camp.” Christian’s eyes reallysparkled with excitement now. “Mr.Anders has given me permissionto take all the Christians to aChristmas Eve service in Ostlindetonight! Of course a guard will bewith us, but he will be exposed tothe Gospel too.” continued page 3

2 FOR CREDIT CARD ORDERS OR DONATIONS, YOU MAY CALL 1-800-WONDERS (966-3377).

THE MYSTERY OF THE WISE MEN continued

Chron. 1:33: “the sons of Midian wereEphah [et al.], children of Keturah.”Sheba comes next in the Isaiah Text,where it says “all those from Sheba will come” (v. 6). Sheba was a son ofAbraham, mentioned in conjunctionwith Dedan (Gen. 25:3). On the basis oftheir being mentioned together and asbeing Cushites (Gen. 10:7), one canconclude that there were migrations toEthiopia. The fact that Arabian sites arenamed after them in southern Arabiaindicates that their descendants weremore firmly entrenched in that area.Arab connections are everywhere, arethey not?

The people of Sheba, or “Sabeans” asthey are also known, were portrayed inthe Bible as traders of gold and spices.The famous Queen of Sheba once cameto Solomon bearing “spices, very muchgold, and precious stones” (1 Kings10:1-2, 10). Jeremiah noted frankincensethat was “coming from Sheba” (6:20).Ezekiel spoke of merchants of Sheba(27:22), saying that they traded in the“choicest spices… and gold.”

That Arabs were the first to acknowledgeJesus is striking.

Isaiah predicted that Arabs would cometo acknowledge the One known as the“King of the Jews.” What a story! Thoughthe story of these first worshippers iswell attested in the Scripture and inthe Church, buried beneath the story-telling and religious traditions is thetruth that these fine men were Arabs.

This is an excerpt from Making OurPeace with the Warriors of the Sand, abook Jeff is currently working on.

In 60:1-5, Isaiah encouraged readers to“Arise, shine; for your light has come!The glory of the Lord has risen uponyou.” Though “deep darkness” engulfedthe people, a promise followed: “theLord will arise over you and His glorywill be seen upon you.” Seen by whom?Isaiah said, “the gentiles shall come toyour light,” and then added “the wealthof the gentiles shall come to you.”Note the correlation between Isaiah’sgentiles coming to Israel’s Light withwealth in hand and the prophet’smention of exactly who these gentileswere.

Isaiah wrote in verse 6 “the multitude ofcamels shall cover your land, the drome-daries from Midian and Ephah; all thosefrom Sheba will come; they shall bringgold and incense, and they shall proclaimthe praises of the Lord.” Worthy of noteis Isaiah’s mention that the first ofgentiles to come and acknowledgeJesus will be Arabs—another unex-pected piece of Arab-related trivia inthe biblical narrative.

Like Isaac and his descendants, Midianwas a legitimate son of Abraham,though he came not by Sarah, but byKeturah—whom Abraham marriedafter the death of Sarah (Genesis 25:1-6).Moses wrote in verse 6 “Abraham gavegifts” to Midian and his other brothersand “sent them eastward, away fromIsaac his son, to the country of theEast,” as he had done with Ishmaelpreviously.

Is Matthew’s noting that sons from theEast will come bearing gifts indicativeof some sort of family reunion tocome? If so, I find that delightful. Wecan leave that question for now. Butlet’s recognize that Matthew’s gentilescoming to Jesus first were some of theJewish people’s estranged Arab relatives.Located eastward and southward inArabia, Midian is mentioned first, fol-lowed immediately by Ephah (Isaiah60:6). Who was Ephah?

Ephah was the son of Midian, likewisedescended from Abraham by his wifeKeturah (Gen. 25:4). There is no doubtin the Hebrew Bible. According to 1

JANUARY 2009 P.O. BOX 12268 • DALLAS, TX 75225-0268 • (214) 696-8844 • WWW.LEVITT.COM 3

CHRISTMAS IN A WW II GERMAN LABOR CAMP continued

“Christian, you don’t mean it! A realChristmas Eve service. We must spreadthe news. Oh, it is another miracle ofGod.” To war-weary Christian prisonerswho loved Jesus, this was the best newsin months, perhaps years.

Twenty of us trudged over the snow-coveredhills and meadows that night to a littlecountry church at the edge of Ostlinde. Thesnow was falling lightly, and both meltedsnowflakes and tears dampened my faceas Christian took my hand. “This will bethe most meaningful Christmas I’ve everhad,” I told him. “It shows God’s very spe-cial love for us. It tells me He cares forus and that we’ll be all right in the end.”

“The birth of Jesus must have been likethis,” Christian said quietly. “He was poorand persecuted, and He was misunderstoodand rejected, yet He always forgave. Wehave to forgive too, Anita, even the Nazis.”

That night we huddled in the little churchwith a hundred or more of the farmers andtownspeople. We sang Christmas carolsand praised the Lord until well after mid-night. As we read the Christmas story, wewere reassured that Jesus knew our everyache because He also had been a manand had experienced human grief. In thedim candlelight we all gathered at thealtar on our knees and prayed for Germanyand our separated families; the guardstood careful watch in the doorway. Thenwe trudged home in the moonlight, forthe snow had stopped falling. No onespoke a word; we all were savoring everyminute of this blessed Christmas Eve.

Our silent communication conveyed a one-ness that superseded all verbal expres-sion. Saturated with the restful music andwith gratitude to God, I sank into a deepand restful sleep on my straw mattress.

Please see page 17 to learn about ourHolocaust DVDs.

Brawl at Church of theHoly SepulchreBy Matti Friedman Associated Press

A clash between Armenian and GreekOrthodox monks broke out in Novemberin the Church of the Holy Sepulchre inJerusalem, revered as the site of Jesus’crucifixion, burial, and resurrection.

The brawling began during a processionof Armenian clergymen commemoratingthe 4th-century discovery of the crossbelieved to have been used to crucifyJesus.

The Greeks objected to the marchwithout one of their monks present,fearing that otherwise, the processionwould subvert their own claim to theEdicule—the ancient structure built on what is believed to be the tomb ofJesus—and give the Armenians a claimto the site.

The Armenians refused and when theytried to march, the Greek Orthodoxmonks blocked their way, sparking thebrawl.

Six Christian sects divide control of theancient church. They regularly fight overturf and influence, and Israeli policeare occasionally forced to intervene.

Frankly this sort of thing happens alltoo often. These incidents betray howsomething is horribly amiss in sectorsof the Christian tradition. —Jeff

AFP/

Gali

Tibb

on


ARAB FOR ISRAEL

I Reject Islam andLove IsraelBy “X-Muslim” www.IsraelNN.com

As an Arab Muslim I once asked myself:Why do I hate Israel? Because I am aMuslim and Islam is extremely intol-erant. Its intolerance to everythingnon-Muslim is the problem. But todayI have rejected the teachings of Islamfor this very reason. I have left Islam.

As an Arab “Palestinian” coming froma Muslim family, I was brought up withhatred of Jews, Christians, and allnon-Muslims. Now I’m older, I havematured enough to view the worldfrom a different perspective. I reviewedreal history. It didn’t take long to realizethat I was on the wrong track and Imoved quickly to the other side. Ihave not embraced another religion,but I am seeking a new spiritual path.

Why does Islamic intolerance forbidother nations their right to exist in theirown land? The whole world shouldrealize that Islam is at war with allnations on the planet. In our Muslimsocieties it is not “the extremists,” butthe whole society infected with thishatred. It isn’t just Israel they hate,but America and Christians as well.Islam hates all other religions.

“Palestine” never existed and shouldnever exist—and this is coming fromme, an Arab classified as a “Palestin-ian.” The creation of a Palestinianstate would be the biggest threat tothe existence of Israel and would notbring one day of peace to Israel. I knowhow my people think. Promoting sucha state would be the equivalent ofsupporting the Nazis in their quest todestroy the Jews.

Israel’s right to exist shouldn’t be openfor discussion. I don’t blame the Israeliarmy for any defensive measure ittakes. It fought Islamic terrorism longbefore any other nation faced theiratrocities. The Israeli soldiers havebeen on the front line on behalf of the

whole free world. I am proud to supportthe Israeli Defense Forces, the mostcivilized and humane army in the world,no matter how the media try to portraythem.

Jerusalem should never be divided andthe Temple Mount should be liberated.All other religious groups have freeaccess to their most sacred sites; yet,the Jews still watch their holiest place,Solomon’s Temple, under occupation.

Israel’s existence and survival is really a responsibility for the civilized world.It’s the battle against Islam’s imperialquest to conquer the whole world.Israel is the front line in the world’s waragainst the tyranny of Islam.

I held my tongue for too long, but todaya great burden has been lifted from myheart. I don’t care if I’m considered atraitor by my people for loving Israel.I’m proud to be an Arab who standswith a country that should be emulatedby all its neighbors. For the sake of itspeople and for the sake of the world’sstability and freedom, I’m proud to sayI love Israel. Even if I don’t have Jewishblood in my veins, I know I am Israeliat heart.

Long live Israel!


CLASSIC ZOLA from January 1996

The Father of LiesBy Zola Levitt

In John 8:44, Jesus declares that Satanis the father of lies. Lying is one of hisprimary methods of operation. If hecannot twist truth to fit his purpose,he will do all he can to cloud it so thatit can’t be seen. And since Israel hasbeen at the heart of the fulfillment ofbiblical prophecy, Satan has wovensome of his biggest lies around thatlittle nation, trying to undermine theIsraelis’ divine right to their Land.

Israel is in danger. It has always beenin danger, surrounded from its birthby nations committed to its destruc-tion, but the current policy of givingup its land only weakens it. By havingareas of Palestinian self-rule within astone’s throw of Israeli settlements,those Israelis have lost a great deal oftheir security.

Derek Prince, a noted Bible teacher, ina taped Bible study related that beforethe 1948 war, when Israel was not yeta nation, he observed with his owneyes a skirmish between Jews andArabs on a major street in downtownJerusalem. Prince had an apartmentthat overlooked the street, and his 5-year-old daughter told him to come andlook. Arabs had trapped and killed 35Israelis. When he saw the street, itlooked as if supermarket meat hadbeen dumped there because the Arabshad shot the Israelis and then cut theminto small pieces. Prince was makingthe point in his study that the Arabs inIsrael still have this horrific mentality.

There are so many reasons why the Landought not to be given to the PLO:

1. It is anti-biblical. 2. It rewards terrorism and the Intifada.3. It elevates an ordinary killer (Arafat)

to national leadership. 4. It will not lead to peace; the PLO

has no intention of making peace. 5. It becomes physically impossible to

defend the remaining parts of Israel militarily.

6. Jewish and Christian religious sites

are being handed over to Muslims (such as the Church of the Nativity and Rachel’s Tomb in Bethle-hem, and the Tomb of the Patriarchs in Hebron).

It should be remembered that thestruggle in Israel is spiritual as well asphysical. It is a contest of religions aswell as a conflict between peoples.

Something In Common

A Texan is visiting Israel and, feelingthirsty, he stops at a house along theroad.

“Can you give me a drink?” asks theTexan.

“Of course,” says the Israeli, and heinvites the Texan to come in.

“What do you do?” asks the Texan.

“I raise chickens” says the Israeli.

“Really?” says the Texan. “I’m also afarmer. How much land do you have?”

“Well, out front it’s 50 meters, as youcan see, and in the back we have closeto 100 meters of property. What aboutyour place?”

“Well,” says the Texan, “on my ranch, Ihave breakfast and get into the car, andI drive and drive and I don’t reach theend of the ranch until dinnertime.”

“Really,” replies the Israeli. “I once hada car like that too.”

This is a joke that Zola would tell onthe tour. — Sandra


OUR MAN IN JERUSALEM

Will

Kin

g

Shalom!By Will King www.imagesofisrael.com

Shalom! This simple and most basic ofHebrew words has several meanings,including hello, goodbye, and peace—all of which are appropriate for thisarticle and this time.

First I want to say shalom, or hello,from Israel to all of you wherever youmay be reading this. Many of you haveread my articles here in the Levitt Letteror in other publications for severalyears now, and I always appreciate yourkind comments. I want to thank all ofyou for your faithful support of me, ofIsrael, and of Zola Levitt Ministries.

However, the time has come that I alsomust say shalom, or goodbye, to Israel.After five years of reporting to you thetruth about Israel from here-on-the-ground in Israel, I’ve accepted a positionas a reporter for a small Army publi-cation in Ft. Leavenworth, Kansas.

I’ve enjoyed my time here in the HolyLand—be it as a student, volunteer,or journalist. However, it has becomeincreasingly difficult to receive a visato stay here, not just for me but alsofor many Christians wishing to live,volunteer, or study in the Land.Christian voices, strong supporters of Israel and the Jewish people, arebeing silenced more and more by theirrational and seemingly xenophobicpolicies of the Israel Interior Ministryand the Government Press Office.

But we cannot be completely silenced.Those who remain behind will have

to shout all the louder—not only thetruth from Israel, but the truth ofIsrael’s Christian friends and why wechoose to support that which God haschosen and set aside. David Dolan, awriter many of you alreadyknow and who has beenbased in Israel for a num-ber of years, will be takingover the “Our Man inJerusalem” column for theLevitt Letter. I believe that our readerswill benefit from his depth of insightinto the political, religious, security,and other affairs of Israel. I wish himall the best in his new role.

It is for this reason, and after muchprayer and consultation with friendsand family, that I now have shalom, orpeace, about my decision to leave Israel.It is with some sadness and anxiety thatI leave the place I love and have beenprivileged to call home for five years, butalso with a sense of anticipation andexcitement over the things to come. Itake away from Israel a new career skill,and a lifetime of memories as I embarkon the next chapter in my life’s journey.

I want to thank all of you again foryour unwavering support of Israel andencourage you to continue to pray forits safety and redemption. And it is myprayer that God’s shalom—the peaceof the Lord—be upon each of you andwith you always.

“Our Man in Jerusalem,” Will King,signing off.

Dav

id D

olan


SHALOM FROM SANDRA LEVITT

Will’s Shalom—From A Mother’s Perspective

And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are called according to His purpose. Romans 8:28

When my son, Will, was commissionedby the Army after graduating college,I was both proud and concerned. Iwas proud because he had achievedthe dream he’d had since the fifthgrade—of serving his country; con-cerned, because my only child wasgoing into the Army. I did not want anyharm to come to him. The Generalwho gave the commissioning speechtold us parents that these new officerswere “the best of the best, and if we hadto go to war, these men and womenwere the ones we wanted serving andprotecting us.” Those words of comfortcalmed most of my fears.

Several years later, he traveled to Israelwith me. After several trips, he “gottired of the long airplane ride,” heardGod’s calling, and moved to Israel. Hehas lived there five years, reportingfor ZLM as “Our Man in Jerusalem.”

Will’s living in Israel has, again, causedme to be both proud and concerned.I am proud that Will has been doingGod’s work, publishing a book, findinga career that he loved, learning Hebrew,and making many friends. But con-cerned because the government hasbegun cracking down on Christiansand Messianic Believers who live inIsrael. They do not want them thereand are doing all they can to makethem leave. We all know that Israelcould use some friends. The Believerswho live in Israel are there as Israel’sfriends: They come with goodwill,financial help, and whatever else theycan offer Israel. It is the religious leftthat is causing most of the problemsfor the Believers. For the last twoyears, Will has had to travel out of Israel every three months in order to be allowed to renew his visa. When he

returns and requests re-entry, he neverknows if it will be granted.

So, in God’s perfect timing, Will isreturning to the States to work for theArmy in a civilian capacity, using thegifts that God has given him—photog-raphy and writing.

This time I am not fearful, but I am stillproud that God used Will these past fiveyears for His glory. Just as the Generalcalmed my fears many years ago, I hearGod’s words in the Scripture above, andI am comforted.

Israel is still my favorite place to visit.God’s words speak to me at every site.I’d love for you to join Zola LevittMinistries and visit Israel for the trip ofa lifetime. Please see page 36 for ourHoly Land tour dates in March.

And as you go, please pray for thepeace of Jerusalem.

Blessings,Sandra

ShalomFrom

Sandra


DeSeiferingOur WorldBy Dr. Jeffrey Seif

DESEIF ERING OUR WORLD

Are you concerned about the present world and your future in it? I am too. My Bible-inspired commentary often encompasses U.S. policies and global politics, but for now I’ll focus on matters closer tohome—to your home and mine.

Mindful of our country’s economicchallenges, its ailing Social Securitysystem and the needs of its citizens,let me point out that Scriptureaddresses the security needs of theaging. The Bible offers a mechanismto address those needs.

The commandment to “honor thyfather and thy mother” appears firstamong the commandments governinghuman affairs (Ex. 20:12). Its impor-tance is noted by the added phrase“that your days may be prolongedupon the earth”—which connectsone’s well-being to the honoring ofone’s parents. This commandment isrestated elsewhere in the Books ofMoses (Lev. 19:3; Deut. 5:16, 33), toadd emphasis.

With a hint of laughter, I often tell mysons that just as I have slaved overthem for the first eighteen years oftheir lives, I expect them to look aftertheir mother and me during our lasteighteen years. Frankly, I half mean it.

“And even to grayhairs I will carry

you!”In Isaiah 46:4, the Lord says, “And evento gray hairs I will carry you! I havemade, and I will bear; even I will carry,and will deliver you.” In marked con-trast to the security that comes fromhonoring parents, a worried Jacob inGenesis 42:38 is grieved that his sonswill “bring down my gray hair withsorrow to the grave” by dishonoringhim and not supporting him in thewaning days of his life. This is tragic—and all too common today.

The Bible sets out obligations concern-ing care for the elderly. What would it

be like if these responsibilities prevailedin our modern culture? For starters,people would understand honoringfather and mother to mean that it isprimarily the family’s job to attend tothe aged, and not the government’s.The problem, of course, is that familyfoundations are deteriorating. Godisn’t, though.

There is still hope—available through theChurch, particularly.

The Gospel message is one of reconcil-iation, and the Church is a reconcilingcommunity. Each church must makesure that members who lack familysupport can find forgiveness, help, andhope and even the ability to recoverthe kind of community necessary forstability (see e.g., Matt 5:24; Rom. 5:10;1Cor. 7:11; 2Cor. 5:18, 20; Col. 1:21-22).

Personal security is a fruit of commu-nity—not government. The modernChurch still has the motive, the message,and the mechanism to bring peopletogether and thus to help ensure thelong-term stability of its members. As a result, it contributes toward a bettersociety—no matter what the govern-ment does or doesn’t do—because itpossesses the ancient instruction thatmodern individuals would do well tofollow, that their “days might be pro-longed upon the earth.”

Take a moment to think about your ownresponsibilities to family and church.See if there aren’t areas in which youcan develop Godly strategies to makelife better for those around you…andfor yourself.


HEADING IN THE WRONG DIRECTION?

Obama’s Road toDamascusBy John Perazzo www.FrontPageMagazine.com

History will record that Barack Obama’sfirst act of diplomacy as America’spresident-elect took place two daysafter his election victory, when he dispatched his senior foreign-policyadviser, Robert Malley, to meet withEgyptian President Hosni Mubarakand Syrian President Bashar al-Assad—to outline for them the forthcomingadministration’s Mideast policy vis-à-vis those nations. An aide to Malleyreports, “The tenor of the messageswas that the Obama administrationwould take into greater accountEgyptian and Syrian interests” thanhas President Bush.

A Harvard-trained lawyer and RhodesScholar, Robert Malley is no newcomerto the Obama team. In 2007, Obamaselected him as a foreign policy adviserto his campaign. At the time, Malleywas (and still is today) the Middle Eastand North Africa Program Director forthe International Crisis Group (ICG).

In his capacity with ICG, Malley directsa number of analysts who focus theirattention most heavily on the Arab-Israeli conflict, the political and militarydevelopments in Iraq, and Islamistmovements across the Middle East.Prior to joining ICG, Malley served asPresident Bill Clinton’s Special Assistantfor Arab-Israeli Affairs (1998-2001), andas National Security Adviser SandyBerger’s Executive Assistant (1996-1998).

Robert Malley was raised in France. Hislineage is noteworthy. His father, SimonMalley (1923-2006), was a key figurein the Egyptian Communist Party.

In a July 2001 op-ed that Malley pennedfor The New York Times, he allegedthat Israeli—not Palestinian—inflexi-bility had caused the previous year’sCamp David peace talks (brokered byBill Clinton) to fall apart.

Malley’s identification of Israel as thecause of the Camp David impasse hasbeen widely embraced by Palestinianand Arab activists around the world. Itshould be noted that Malley’s accountof the Camp David negotiations isentirely inconsistent with the recollec-tions of the key figures who participatedin those talks—specifically, then-IsraeliPrime Minister Ehud Barak, then-U.S.President Bill Clinton, and then-U.S.Ambassador Dennis Ross (Clinton’sMiddle East envoy).

Malley also has written numerous op-edsurging the U.S. to disengage from Israelto some degree. In Malley’s calculus,the electoral victory that swept Hamasinto power in January 2006 was amanifestation of legitimate Palestinian“anger at years of humiliation.”

Moreover, Malley suggests that if Israelwere to return the Golan Heights toSyrian control, Damascus would beinclined to pursue peace with Israel.

This inclination to negotiate with anyand all enemies of the U.S. and Israel—an impulse which Malley has outlinedclearly and consistently—has had apowerful influence on Barack Obama.

It is notable that six months ago theObama campaign and Malley hastilysevered ties with one another. At thetime, Obama campaign spokesmanBen LaBolt minimized the significancesaying: “Rob Malley has, like hundredsof other experts, provided informaladvice to the campaign in the past. Hehas no formal role in the campaign andhe will not play any role in the future.”

Robert Malley,center


PRAY FOR THE PEACE OF JERUSALEM

Patri

ck C

ox

Is This The Pointof No Return?By Patrick Cox Contributing editor

Non-profit organizations, such as the publisher of this newsletter, are barred from engagingin partisan politics. However, with theelection behind us, we can talk aboutwhat the Obama administration meansto those who are concerned about thesafety of Israel. There is, unfortunately,real cause for concern.

We all know of Obama’s decades-longand intimate connection to the viru-lently anti-Israel pastor Jeremiah Wright.His church, in fact, honored the stri-dently anti-Semitic Louis Farrakhan.Obama now says he didn’t know aboutWright’s extraordinary hatred or lunaticconspiracy theories. I find it difficultto believe, but I hope it’s true.

We know that various pro-Palestinianassociates of Obama have predictedthat his administration will end whatthey say is America’s one-sided supportfor Israel. These claims are echoed bystatements from Jesse Jackson andFarrakhan. Obama told us, during thecampaign, that it wouldn’t happen. Ihope it’s true.

Unfortunately, however, I look to wiserand more accomplished minds thanObama’s to help me make forecasts.As I’ve written before, the man I con-sider our greatest social commentatoris Thomas Sowell (pronounced soul.)Like Obama, he is African-American,but he was born into real poverty in avery segregated 1930. After droppingout of high school to make ends meet,he served in the Korean War and wenton to get degrees from Harvard, Co-lumbia, and the University of Chicago—before the era of affirmative action.His grasp of history, economics, andpolitical science, I believe, is unparal-leled. My favorite playwright andcommentator on anti-Semitism, DavidMamet, recently referred to Professor

Sowell simply as our “greatest contem-porary philosopher.”

As an economist, Sowell has beenextremely critical of Obama’s economicplans. His gravest predictions, though,regard the new president’s attitudesabout Iran. Famously, Obama said hewould meet with President Ahmadinejadwithout preconditions. Moreover, hehas scoffed at those who consider Irana serious threat.

This is odd given that Iran now has atleast four times the missiles in Lebanonthat it did when its Hezbollah forcesattacked Israel in 2006. Iran also exer-cises veto power, through Hezbollah,over all Lebanese government decisions.Iran’s leaders, of course, continue topromise Israel’s destruction.

“Economic disasters,” Sowell wrotebefore the election, “may pale by com-parison with the catastrophe of Iranwith nuclear weapons. Glib rhetoricabout Iran’s being ‘a small country,’ asObama called it, will be a bitter ironyfor Americans who will have to live inthe shadow of a nuclear threat thatcannot be deterred, as that of the SovietUnion could be, by the threat of anuclear counterattack.


IS THIS THE POINT OF NO RETURN? continued

“Suicidal fanatics cannot be deterred.If they are willing to die and we arenot, then we are at their mercy—andthey have no mercy. Moreover, oncethey get nuclear weapons, that situa-tion cannot be reversed.”

Sowell goes on to say that, “If BarackObama thinks that such a catastrophecan be avoided by sitting down andtalking with the leaders of Iran, thenhe is repeating a fallacy that helpedbring on World War II.

“In a nuclear age, one country does nothave to send troops to occupy anothercountry to conquer it. A country isconquered if another country can dic-tate who rules it, as the Mongols oncedid with Russia, and as Osama binLaden tried to do when he threatenedretaliation against places in the United

States that voted for President Bush.But he didn’t have nuclear weapons toback up that threat—yet.”

Sowell also reminds us that France, whenGermany dictated who ruled there,turned Jews over to the Nazi death camps.In his words, a nuclear-armed Iran is a“point of no return.” After his election,President-elect Obama said that heopposes a nuclear-armed Iran, but hehas also promised to cut the Americanmilitary and reduce our own nucleardeterrent.

Obama’s confidence is in diplomacy,which Sowell warns us cannot succeed.Sowell believes there is little doubt thatIran will use its power against Jews;and not only in Israel. This is such anunimaginable outcome; all I can do ispray he is wrong.

Torah’s Tale is Kept AliveBy Duke Helfand Los Angeles Times

During World War II, Jewish inmates of theYanov labor camp in occupied Poland defiedtheir Nazi guards, secretly conducting religiousservices inside their darkened barracks.

To observe their ritual, the Jews had cutreligious scrolls into sections, bound theparchment pieces around their bodies, andwalked them through Yanov’s front gate. Theyhid the fragments wherever they could—beneath the floorboards of their barracks,inside hollow bedposts, even in a campcemetery.

After the camp’s liberation in 1945, onesurvivor collected the scattered pieces. Heassembled them into a single ragged scroll,the Yanov Torah.

Three decades later, the Torah—its parch-ment warped and water-stained, its patchworksheets held together by fraying threads—found its way to Los Angeles and into thehands of a leader of the city’s Reform Jewishcommunity, Rabbi Erwin Herman, whodevoted the final years of his life to tellingits remarkable story.

Last November, Herman’s dying wish wasfulfilled when a new generation of Jewscelebrated the rebirth of the Yanov Torah.

Carrying the fragile scroll beneath a chuppah,or wedding canopy, Herman’s widow andgrandson presented it to the rabbis and rab-binic students at the Los Angeles campus ofHebrew Union College- Jewish Institute ofReligion near USC. The students, in turn, willcarry the Torah, the first five books of theBible, to their internships at synagoguesthroughout California. “The Yanov Torah is atrue child of the Holocaust,” Agnes Herman,86, told a gathering at the seminary campus.“A survivor.”

The handover came as Jews commemoratedthe 70th anniversary of Kristallnacht, thenight in 1938 when Germans rampagedagainst their Jewish neighbors, destroyingsynagogues, businesses and homes, killingdozens and rounding up thousands for depor-tation to concentration camps.

To learn the story of the Torah’s journey from Poland to Los Angeles, please visitwww.levitt.com/news.

Dr. Joel Kushner,left, and RabbiRichard N. Levyunroll the YanovTorah.

Phot

o: M

ark

Bost

er /

Los

Ange

les

Tim

es


ZOLA LEVITT PRESENTS: NEW SERIES HIGHLIGHTS

Behind the ScenesBy Ken Berg, Producer of Zola Levitt Presents

When we first began producing ZolaLevitt Presents as a weekly televisionprogram thirty years ago, it took littlemore than one inexpensive videocamera, one or two seats onan Israeli tourbus, and a fewmoments ofZola’s timebetween biblical sites.Things weremuch simplerthen. In the late ’70s andearly ’80s, wewere comfort-able working at a slowerpace.

Now one won-ders how weever survivedwithout PCs,the Internet,and cellphones. Goneare the dayswhen a “talkinghead” was allyou needed toeffectively teach the Bibleon television.

Thankfully, you readers and viewers have been very supportiveduring these three decades of elec-tronic transformation. We are blessedthat a faithful viewing audience hasstood with us financially as we haveendeavored to keep apace with thetimes.

Praise the Lord, our new TV series TheWarrior King is looking like it could beour best one yet. We’ve just returnedfrom three weeks in Israel, videotapingin high definition a series based on

the life of David. Jeff’sinsight into this biblicalhero issues a challenge toour generation—a call for“David-like Leadership inGoliath-like Times.”

A Fresh, New Dynamic

In producing The Warrior King, we feltled to ratchet up the quality of our dramatic re-enactments with a trainedactor. Historically, we have used anyoneon the street who had a beard andlooked the part; but this “David” bringsa fresh, new dynamic to the program.It was a good decision.

1. David rejoices between takes (He's not king yet in this scene)

2. Yonathan Porat – David the King


BEHIND THE SCENES continued

The commitment to better productionrequires a considerable support teamof technicians and crewmembers,costumers, etc., the likes of which wenever experienced in the early days.At times during this latest production,we used four cameras, upwards offive support vehicles, and sometimestwenty-five people preparing equip-ment, sets, and props.

Doing It RightWe intentionally steer clear of a“Hollywood” mindset, which lavishesitself beyond reason. If anything, wehave a “Jerusalem” mindset: a dedica-tion to effectively tell the Message ofIsrael’s eternal King. But doing it rightincreases our location costs, as doesthe dollar’s diminished value.

I share these thoughts in theknowledge that the Lord has always

met our needs.We want to produce goodprogrammingbecause Hedeserves nothing less.

Thanks somuch for yourprayers andpledges thathelp us tell His story.

3. Yonathan Porat — David the Warrior

4. Filming in the Valley of Elah (where David slew Goliath)

5. Jeff teaching (below) in the Valley of Elah (or Elah Valley)


NEVER AGAIN!

Are We Reliving the 1930s?By Manfred Gerstenfeld www.JPost.com

Elie Wiesel noted that Iranian PresidentMahmoud Ahmadinejad’s recent UNspeech calling for the destruction ofIsrael demonstrates that the world haslearned nothing from the Holocaust.The 70th anniversary of Kristallnachtin November provided an occasion tograpple with the question of whether,in the current decade, the Jewish peopleare reliving the 1930s.

To answer that, one has to look atissues such as genocide and hate pro-motion, appeasement of totalitarians,Western leadership, and so on. Thecorrect answer must then be: “Yes, butonly in certain aspects.” The existenceof the State of Israel is the main dif-ference. In the 1930s the Jews were anincoherent, leaderless group with notools to defend themselves againstenemies. Today there is a Jewish statethat is threatened by substantial partsof the Muslim world and others, butis not helpless.

There is no country today like NaziGermany with systematic, state-promoted anti-Semitism and state-sponsored violence against its Jewishcitizens. There is, however, an explic-itly genocidal anti-Semitic power—Iran—that proclaims it is out to annihi-late the Jewish state and is developingan atom bomb to do so. Exterminationpolicies have mutated with technology.

Ominous similari-ties between the 1930s and now do exist. First, there is totalitarianism. Leading Holocaust scholar Prof. Yehu-da Bauer has said, “Islamic radicalism is the desire for a global utopia… Every universal uto-pia is murderous,

and every radical universal utopia pro-duces radical murderers.” As in the 1930s,Western leadership is weak and littleaware of looming dangers. British primeminister Neville Chamberlain was reviledfor his appeasement of Nazi Germany.

Today, many in the West favor appease-ment of radical Muslims. Europe seeksto placate its resident Muslim extremiststhrough proposals that sharia law beallowed to operate within the frameworkof national legal systems.

One phenomenon that may be uniqueto our time is what can best be called“humanitarian racists.” Humanitarianracists believe that only whites must beheld accountable for their acts, where-as non-whites are mainly victims. Bydiminishing non-whites’ responsibilityfor their criminal deeds, one is in effectranking them somewhere between “real”humans and animals, which live bytheir urges.

Humanitarian racism can often be discerned in the debate on the Pales-tinian-Israeli conflict, where it system-atically ignores the criminal characterof large parts of Palestinian society, suchas its education of children to become“martyrs” through murdering Jews.

In a globalized society, the forces ofradical Islam, genocide promotion,and appeasement of totalitarians areincreasing—as are those in oppositionto them. Their relative strengths willdetermine whether the similarity ofour world to that of the 1930s will growor decline.


NAME OF SHAME

up to a point, but the choice of namewas “tasteless and unethical.”

Edwin Heerema’s company, Swiss-based Allseas Group SA, rejected criticism. “Pieter Schelte Heeremawas widely appreciated in the industryduring his life and the companies thatcame from his heritage have an excel-lent name in the offshore industry,”said spokesman Jeroen Hagelstein.

But it’s an awkward matter for the government. It gave Allseas’s Nether-lands subsidiary a $1 million tax breakfor its part in designing the ship, andnow acknowledges it didn’t notice thename until a Dutch journalist, TonBiesemaat, raised the issue. Hagelsteinsaid Heerema joined the Nazis out ofopposition to communism rather thanenthusiasm for national socialism. Hesaid he then switched sides and joinedthe resistance in 1943 “as he could nolonger associate himself with the ideasof the Nazis.”

He noted that Heerema was tried andreleased shortly after the war, whichshows he “cannot have been seriouslydelinquent.” The respected NetherlandsInstitute for War Documentation saidthat’s technically accurate. Heerema wassentenced by a Dutch court to threeyears in prison but quickly released, thecourts having recognized his unspeci-fied but “very important” services tothe resistance between August 1943and March 1944.

Honoring A Nazi By Toby Sterling Associated Press

It ought to be a proud milestone inthe Dutch seafaring heritage—theconstruction of a new ship its ownerclaims will be the world’s largest. Butthere’s one problem: its name.

Edwin Heerema,founder of thecompany thathas commis-sioned the $1.7billion vessel,wants to name it the PieterSchelte after his late father,Pieter SchelteHeerema, whowas renowned as a maritime engineerbut was condemned for his service inthe murderous Nazi Waffen SS.

The choice of name has provokedoutcry from politicians and Jewishgroups, and revived painful questionsabout Dutch collaboration with thecountry’s World War II occupiers.

“For people who know his pitch-blackhistory, this ship should not be namedfor him. Not now, not ever,” said RonnyNaftaniel, director of CIDI, which moni-tors anti-Semitism in the Netherlands.He said Edwin Heerema’s desire tohonor his father was understandable

Piet

er S

chel

te H

eere

ma


ZLM Bulletin Board

Zola’s Tours toIsrael:

See page 36 for details

“Come Home!”

Somali Piracy:Nothing NewIn mid-November, pirates struck hundredsof miles off the coast of East Africa. They

captured a Saudi supertanker carrying$100 million worth of crude oil.

Over the course of 10 centuries, Muslimpirates cruised the African and

Mediterranean coastline, pillaging villagesand seizing slaves. It was typical of Muslim

raiders to kill off as many older men andwomen as possible so the preferred

“booty” of only young women and childrencould be collected. To read more, see

“Thomas Jefferson’s Koran” on page 6 ofthe March 2007 Levitt Letter, archived at

www.levitt.com.

Join the King David Club

Help us bring in the Kingdom!If you donate $10,000, you will receive the following

with our grateful thanks: One each of all our teachingmaterials (more than $2,400 worth)—not just for your

library, but also to give away; a $500 per passenger discount (up to 4) on one of our Israel tours; and a

telephone conference with Jeff to discuss this ministry’s goals, plans, and visions.

Contributions From IRAs ExtendedThrough December 31, 2009

Legislation signed in October 2008 extends thecharitable contribution provision of the PensionProtection Act (PPA) of 2006. Certain IRA holders(over 70.5 years old) may contribute directly from

Individual Retirement Accounts to tax-exemptorganizations like this ministry. Each contribution—up to $100,000 annually during 2008 and 2009—isexcluded from taxable income. This is a convenient,tax-efficient way to give. Donors should consult

with their financial advisors and determinewhether to seize this renewed giving opportunity.

Pamphlet of the Month

Send for our free pamphletentitled 37 Things People‘Know’ About Wills That

Aren’t Really So. It beginsby explaining why too few

people make adequateestate plans. It also brieflyrefutes dozens of the mostcommon misconceptionsabout wills. Its Technical

Advisory Section suggests“Begin with the basics” andtouches on “Choosing theform of the bequest” and“Tax considerations.” To

receive this pamphlet at nocharge, either email us at

[email protected] or write toour P.O. Box.


FEATURE ITEM

THE HOLOCAUST Six 30-minute TV programs on Two DVDs or VHS

Selected from our updated Signs of the End series, these six 30-minute programs cover the most tragic event in history.Zola Levitt and his staff report on the Holocaust through hard-hitting inter-views and a filmed visit to Dachau Concentration Camp in Munich, Germany.

Please order from page 18.

THEY SURVIVEDZola interviews two Holocaust survivors, Dr. Eric Kulka and Efraim Zuroff. TomMcCall interviews the head of research at the Israeli Museum of the Holocaustand the director of the Jerusalem Simon Wiesenthal Center.

AN EYEWITNESS AT DACHAUA filmed visit to Dachau Concentration Camp. Includes interviews withDachau survivor Nikolas Lehner and an American eyewitness who visited the camp just after the war in 1946.

A SPY AMONG NEO-NAZISAn interview in Israel with Yaron Svoray, investigative reporter/spy. He givesbackground regarding the motivations of his mission to go undercover foreight months among neo-Nazis in Germany.

NAZIS TODAYZola continues his interview with Yaron Svoray. Yaron shows photos of neo-Nazis he took during his undercover mission—evidence which the Germangovernment has done nothing about.

TWO RABBISIncludes interviews with Rabbi Stan Eisenberg in Fort Worth and Rabbi DavidRosen in Jerusalem. Two rabbis in different hemispheres share a commonconcern about anti-Semitism.

RIGHTEOUS GENTILESJeane Kirkpatrick, former U.S. Ambassador to the UN, shares her concern forpolitical support by all democracies for the State of Israel. Pam RosewellMoore, who was Corrie ten Boom’s companion and secretary, reveals specialinsights into Corrie’s survival during the Holocaust.

NEW DVD!

OR

DER

FOR

M


OurLatestBooksAreHere!

ZOLA’S CLASSIC 12-BOOKLET STUDY LIBRARY

SPECIAL OFFER: 50 OF ZOLA’S CLASSICSTUDY BOOKS ABOVE (MIX OR MATCH) $49 ____

MATERIALS LIST, SPECIAL OFFERS & ORDER FORM

Books

Qty Books Price Total

___ The Spirit of Pentecost $3 ________ The Seven Feasts of Israel $3 ________ The Miracle of Passover $3 ________ The Promised Land $3 ________ A Christian Love Story $3 ________ The Second Coming $3 ________ Seven Churches $3 ________ Glory! The Future of Believers $3 ________ How Can a Gentile Be Saved? $3 ________ In My Father’s House $3 ________ Israel, My Promised $3 ________ Jerusalem Forever $3 _____

___ An Israeli Love Story $8 ________ Battles With Seminaries $10 ________ The Beginning of The End $8 ________ The Bible Jesus Read $10 ________ Broken Branches:

Zola on Replacement Theology $5 ________ Coming: The End! Russia & Israel

in Prophecy $10 ________ Dateline Jerusalem $12 ________ First Christians Transcript $10 ________ Footsteps Of The Rabbi From Tarsus $12 ________ Genesis One $5 ________ Guns & Moses $8 _____

___ The House That God Built $8 ________ The Iranian Menace... $8 ________ Is Fanatic Islam A Global Threat? $13 ________ Jerusalem: The Truth,David Bar-Illan $4 ________ Jesus — The Jew’s Jew $7 ________ Meshumed! $8 ________ Mountains Of Israel $10 ________ Once Through The New Testament $8 ________ Our Hands Are Stained w/Blood $13 ________ Passover Haggadah $5 ________ The Prophesied Messiah $8 ________ Raptured $10 ________ Return to Galilee $8 ________ Satan in The Sanctuary $8 ________ Secrets of the Scrolls Special Trans. $5 ________ Signs of The End: The Millennium $5 ________ The Stones Cry Out $10 ________ The Trouble with Christians & Jews $10 ________ Whose Land Is It? $4 ________ Woman By Divine Design $10 ________ Zola’s Introduction to Hebrew $29 _____

Zola &Jeff onVideo-DVD & VHS

Qty Videos PriceTotal___ A Child Is Born (1 prog) (1-VHS) $19 _____

(1-DVD) $19 ________ A Pilgrim’s Journey (9 prog) (3-VHS) $49 _____

(3-DVD) $49 ________ Age Of Terror (8 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ Bad Moon Rising (8 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ Beloved Thief – Musical (1-VHS) $19 _____

(60 min) (1-DVD) $19 ________ The Best of Zola’s Music Videos

(2-DVD) $49 ________ The Bible: The Whole Story (2-DVD) $39 _____

(7 prog)___ The Covenants of God (2-VHS) $49 _____

(8 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ The Crusaders (8 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ Daniel & Last Days’ Battle...(2-DVD) $49 _____

(8 prog)___ Evidence of God (8 prog) (2-VHS) $49 _____

(2-DVD) $49 ________ Ezekiel & Mid-East...(8 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ Feast of Lights (3 prog) (1-DVD) $19 ________ In The Footsteps Of

The Rabbi From Tarsus (3-DVD) $69 _____ ___ Genesis One (2 prog) (1-VHS) $19 ________ Gospel According to Isaiah (2-DVD) $49 _____

(8 prog)___ The Holocaust (6 prog) (2-VHS) $39 _____

(2-DVD) $39 ________ Holy Days of Our Lord (11 prog) (3-DVD) $69 ________ In Loving Memory (90 min) (1-DVD) $19 ________ Israel,The Church&TheFuture (3-VHS) $69 _____

(7 hr) (4-DVD) $69 ________ Israel My Love (6 prog) (2-DVD) $39 ________ Jehovah’s Treasure Special (1-DVD) $19 ________ Mine Eyes Have Seen (1-DVD) $19 ________ The Miracle of Passover (1-VHS) $19 _____

(2 prog) (1-DVD) $19 ________ Revelation (6 prog) (2-DVD) $39 ________ Roadmap to Armageddon (3-VHS) $69 _____

(12 prog)___ Secrets of the Scrolls (2-VHS) $49 _____

(7 prog) (2-DVD) $49____ The Seven Feasts of Israel (2-VHS) $49 _____

(7 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ She Shall Be Called Woman

(8 prog) (2-DVD) $49 ________ Sons of Israel (9 prog) (3-VHS) $59 _____

(3-DVD) $59 ________ The Stones Cry Out (12 prog) (3-DVD) $69 ________ The Temple (6 prog) (2-VHS) $39 _____

(2-DVD) $39 _____ ___ This Is Israel (12 prog) (3-VHS) $69 ________ Thy Kingdom Come (3-VHS) $69 _____

(12 prog) (3-DVD) $69 ________ Upon This Rock Special- (1-VHS) $19 _____

(60 min) (1-DVD) $19 ________ Voices From Israel (10 prog) (3-VHS) $59 ________ The Witnessing Series (1-VHS) $29 _____

(1-DVD) $29 _____ ___ Whose Land Is It? (1-DVD) $19 _____

(1-VHS) $19 ________ Zola’s Highlights (4 prog) (1-DVD) $29 _____

FEATURE

ItemsSEE P. 17

ZOLA’S THREE

FAVORITES

Plea

se T

ear O

ut a

nd S

end

Entir

e Ce

nter

Sec

tion.

Music CDs & TapesHear samples of all atwww.levitt.com

Qty Titles Price Total

___ A Pilgrim’s Journey Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Beloved Thief* Tape $10/CD $12 _____ ___ Beyond Words* Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Champions of Faith CD $12 ________ The Covenants of God Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Faith in the Fire** Tape $10/CD $12 ________ In The Wilderness** Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Israel My Love* Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Israel: By Divine Right**Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Jerusalem 3000** Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Living Waters CD $12 ________ Love Stories of the Bible Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Messiah* Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Mine Eyes Have Seen**

(Zola’s After-Christmas Musical)Tape $10/CD $12 _____

___ Tell It On The Mountains**Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Next Year in Jerusalem*Tape $10/CD $12 ________ Return to Galilee* Tape $10/CD $12 ________ The First Christians** CD $12 ________ The Works (Zola’s first 8 albums

marked with*) 4 CD Set $49 ________ The Works II (Zola’s next 8 albums

marked with**) 4 CD Set $49 ________ Thy Kingdom Come Tape $10/CD $12 _____

___ Unto The Gentiles** Tape $10/CD $12 _____

___ Zola’s Songs by Lamb*Tape $10/CD $12 _____

Studies, Etc.

___ 2-Flag Collar Pin $2 ________“Ask For Death” Set $19 ________ “Grafted In” Decal $2 ________ Pray for Peace Bumper Sticker $2 ________ Half-shekel Key Chain $8 ________ Jerusalem Journeystone $8 ________ Jewish Heritage Calendar (08-09) $5 ________ Matzoh Postcards (pack of 12) $8 ________ Messianic Prophecy Scroll $29 ________ Pictorial Map of Jerusalem $8 ________ Pilgrims’ Map of The Holy Land $6 ________ Flag of Israel (3’ x 5’) $10 ________ Things to Come Bookmark 2 for $1 ________ Zola’s Notebook (The Bible:

The Whole Story) $20 ________ Catalog of Ministry Materials no charge___ Institute of Jewish-Christian Info. no charge___ Program Airing Schedule no charge___ 28 Ways You Can Help Israel-

no charge

Cassette Tapes /CDs by Zola

Qty Titles: Circle– CD or TP (tape) Price Total

___ A Christian Love Story CD $7/TP $4 ________ A Survey of the New Test. CD $7/TP $4 _____ ___ Beginning of The End*(2TP $10 or CD $12 ________ Coming: The End! Russia & Israel

in Prophecy CD $7 ________ Discovering Our Jewish Roots (9 CDs) $39 ________ Encounters with UFOs CD $7 ________ Glory! The Future of Believers CD $7/TP $4 ________ How Can a Gentile Be Saved? CD $7/TP $4 ________ Jesus the Jew’s Jew CD $7/TP $4 ________ The Miracle of Passover CD $7/TP $4 ________ The Seven Feasts of Israel CD $7 _____ ___ Spirit of Pentecost CD $7/TP $4 ________ The Tribulation Temple CD $7/TP $4 ________ Zola Teaches New Testament (6TP) $25 ________ Zola Teaches New Testament (6CD) $29 _____

MATERIALS LIST, SPECIAL OFFERS & ORDER FORM continued

Zola’sTimelessSongs!

Canada and Mexico, please DOUBLEshipping; all other countries,please TRIPLE shipping. Please send US funds.

(Please allow about 4 wks. for delivery.)

Shipping & Handling Chartup to $15.99, add $5$16 to $30.99, add $6$31 to $60.99, add $7$61 to $100, add $8over $100, add $9

Please Fill Out Area Below and Send the Entire Page. Subtotal

Shipping (See left chart)

UPS shipping ($2 extra)

Rush! ($5 extra)

8 1/4% Tax (Texas only)

Donation

Total (please print)


Any amount that exceeds the listed price is considered a tax-deductible gift to our ministry.

Name

Shipping Address

Billing Address (if different)

City State Zip

Donor # Phone No. ( )(See number above your name on mailing label)

My check is enclosed for $ Please charge $ to:

Card # Exp. / Card ID# required

❏ ❏ ❏ ❏ Cardholder’s Signature

FEATURE

I t emDETA ILSON P. 36

Tear out and send entire Order Form 2 pages. —Thanks.

HebrewLesson


The All-Sufficient One By John J. Parsons

The All-Sufficient One

In Genesis 17:1 the LORD described Himself to Abraham using the divine name El Shaddai (i.e., “I am El Shaddai. Walk before me and be perfect”). Most English translations render El Shaddai as “God Almighty,” probably because the translators of the Septuagint (i.e., the Greek translation of the Old Testament) thoughtShaddai came from a root verb (shadad) that means “to overpower” or “to destroy.” TheLatin Vulgate likewise translated Shaddai as Omnipotens (from which we get our Englishword omnipotent). God is so overpowering that He is considered “Almighty.”

According to some of the Jewish sages, however, Shaddai is actually a contraction of thephrase, “I said to the world, dai (enough!).” God created the world but “stopped” at a certainpoint. He left creation “unfinished” because He wanted us to complete the job by means ofexercising chesed (love) in repair of the world...

Jacob’s blessing given in Genesis 49:25, however, indicates that Shaddai might be related tothe word for breasts (shadaim), indicating sufficiency and nourishment (i.e., “blessings of thebreasts and of the womb”—birkhot shadaim va’racham). In this case, the Name might derivefrom the contraction of sha (“who”) and dai (“enough”) to indicate God’s sufficiency to nurture the fledglingnation into fruitfulness. Indeed, God first uses thisName when He refers to multiplying Abraham’s off-spring (Gen. 17:2).

El Shaddai is used almost exclusively in reference tothe three great patriarchs: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob,and (according to Exodus 6:2-3) was the primary name by which God was known to the founders ofIsrael (the Name YHVH given to Moses suggests God’s absolute self-sufficiency). The word “Shaddai” (by itself) was used later by the prophets (e.g., Num.24:4; Isa. 13:6, Ezek. 1:24) as well as in the books ofJob, Ruth, and in the Psalms. In modern Judaism, Shaddai is considered an acronym for the phrase Shomer daltot Yisrael—“Guardian of the doors of Israel”—abbreviated as the letter Shin on most mezuzahs.

“Guardian of the doors of Israel”

END-TIMES PROPHECY?

Big Gas Troika By Nasser Karimi Associated Press

Russia, Iran, and Qatar made the firstserious moves recently toward formingan OPEC-style cartel on natural gas,raising concerns that Moscow couldboost its influence over energy marketsspanning from Europe to South Asia.

Such an alliance would have littledirect impact on the United States,which imports virtually no naturalgas from Russia or the other nations.But Washington and Western alliesworry that closer strategic ties betweenRussia and Iran could hinder effortsto isolate Tehran over its nuclearambitions. In addition, the UnitedStates opposes a proposed Iraniangas pipeline to Pakistan and India,key allies.

In Europe—which counts on Russiafor nearly half of its natural gasimports—any cartel controlled byMoscow poses a threat to supply andpricing.

Russia, which most recently came intoconfrontation with the West over itsfive-day war with Georgia last August,has been accused of using its hold onenergy supplies to bully its neighbors,particularly Ukraine.

Moscow cut natural gas exports to theformer Soviet republic over a pricedispute during the dead of winter in2006—a cutoff that caused disruptionsto European nations farther down thepipeline.


The 27-nation European Union expres-sed strong opposition to any naturalgas cartel, with an EU spokesman say-ing: “The European Commission feelsthat energy supplies have to be sold ina free market.”

Together Russia, Qatar, and Iran accountfor nearly a third of world natural gasexports—the vast majority supplied byRussia—according to U.S. governmentstatistics. The three hold some 60 per-cent of world gas reserves, accordingto Russia’s state-controlled energycompany Gazprom.

The United States—the world’s largestconsumer of oil and gas—producesmost of its natural gas needs at home,importing only from Canada andMexico. Experts say a natural gas cartelwould not have the same influence onprices as OPEC has on oil since naturalgas is not subject to the same severefluctuations.

Liquefied natural gas—a rapidly grow-ing segment of the market—could betraded as a commodity similar to oil atsome point in the future, and the moveby Russia, Iran, and Qatar appears toanticipate that, said an analyst withMoscow’s Alfa Bank.

Gholam Hossein Nozari,center, Alexei Miller, right, and Qatar’s Abdullah bin Hamad

Al-Attiya.


Some letters have been edited for space.

Over There

Dear ZLM,I’m in the military and I’ve ordered material that I plan to use for a Bible studywith other Marines. I am very grateful to receive the Levitt Letter, as I share itwith other Marines and they are continually blessed by it. It provides great topicsto start conversations with others. It’s especially relevant to us here, seeing ashow we are stationed in the land that God gave to Israel (currently mislabeledon our map as Iraq)! —J.G.

Name Calling

Dr. Seif,I am a lover and student of the Scriptures and represent the true people of Eloahcalled the AbrAHUW and His true Nation “YAsrael.” I greatly appreciate yourefforts to acquaint the churches with the fundamentals of Judaism and our Jewishcousins. But your teachings are faulty on the fundamentals of The Scripture,including the acceptance of the pagan name of “Jesus.”

Since our time is valuable and your witness is very influential, would you meetus in a private or public debate in Dallas over whether or not the name of Jesusis scriptural? We are willing to put up $10,000 against your $10,000 that Jesusnever occurs in any of the 13,000 Scriptures in any language before 1000 AD. Webelieve your false teachings come from ignorance and not lack of integrity atpresent. We would like your ministry to help us restore the true Scriptures afteryou study them yourself.

It is not our desire to offend but to blessyou. I am His and your servant,R. AH.

Dear R. AH.—By debating you, I might lend credibility to your argument—and this is something to avoid. It is a fantasy to imagine thatdebating the pronunciation of Hebrewwords has relevance to God or today’sworld. Let’s not waste time. What is ofutmost importance?—This: the fact thatsome incline to call upon Him, whether or not the syllables accord with someone’s absurd notions. Let’s glorify God!

—Jeffrey Seif

COMPASSION AMONG THE TROOPSAn animal rescue group flew into Baghdad to pickup Ratchet, an Iraqi puppy adopted by a U.S. sol-dier from Minneapolis. The case has highlightedU.S. military rules barring troops on duty from caring for pets, but the soldier complained thatshe couldn’t take the animal home, and she wasreunited with Ratchet last October.

(AP

Phot

o/Pe

tros

Gian

nako

uris

)


LETTERS TO ZLM continued

Planting Seeds

Dear Mark,I feel “we the people” have been sold down the drain! It’s scary to think how wecan be so deceived and most of the Christians in our area have no clue. Myhusband makes copies of all the info we gather and plenty of ZLM articles. Wetry to get others to join us in ordering your newsletter but to no avail! We do try to get extras and pass them out to people in our church and our friends andneighbors. We appreciate you and everyone involved in your ministry.

Thank you a million times and Shalom,BJ.B.

Dear BJ.B. —Thanks for the helpful feedback, which inspires this suggestion: Instead of handing off Levitt Letters, please experi-ment with deploying them in opportune places—at the gym near other reading materials, at the car wash, in the laundry mat. Think in terms of serving as an anointed spy on a mission to deliver life-saving information behind enemy lines. And then maybe you’ll plant some seeds that will save a soul. —Mark

Wakeup Call

Dear Zola Levitt Ministries,Why do you focus so much on what Muslims are doing? The Jews who reject theGospel of Jesus Christ will be in hell with the Muslims. Why are you pro-Israeland anti-Muslim when both reject Jesus as Son of God? Yours, S.W.

Dear S. W.—America is presently at war on two fronts, and both put our young in harm’sway. As if that wasn’t bad enough, Iran is poised to go nuclear, which posesthreats to Israel and much of Europe. Need more? How about 9/11, and variousother terrorist attacks? Wake up, S. W. —Jeff

Dear Friends?

Dear Friends, You try to make all the Muslims look as if they are like the Taliban or al-Qaeda. Plain and simple, all I see is anti-Muslim propaganda and less of God’s love. Please remove me from your mailing list. Sincerely, G.J.M.

Dear G.J.M.—You start with “Dear Friends” and then slam the door in your friends’ faces whenyou say “remove me from your mailing list.” Makes me wonder what you meanby “friends.” That aside, I agree with you we must differentiate between radicalsand moderate Muslims. I make that distinction in Bad Moon Rising (on DVD),as does the book Is Fanatic Islam a Global Threat? Both are offered on page 18of this Levitt Letter. — Jeff



Disguised Compliment

Dear Dr. Seif,I want to thank you for the excellent work you are doing. Here’s a quote: “No onekicks a dead dog. The more important the dog is, the more satisfaction peopleget in kicking it.” Remember that unjust criticism is often a disguised compliment.God Bless, S. J.

ZLM Fans

Dear Jeff,I think you are doing a wonderful job. Zola will forever be missed. That said, Ithink the ministry is twice blessed by having your voice and style in this newchapter. I think you are so balanced and bring a wonderful balance of love andtruth, which I believe reflects the heart of our Lord Jesus Christ. Shalom, D.L.M.

Dear ZLM,We all love your newsletter. It is always a lot more informative than the Sundaypaper. I am especially touched by the “Letters to ZLM.” I love how you includethe good, bad, and ugly. It makes me want to support you more. Yours, S.K.

Ask and You Shall Receive

Dear Jane (ZLM Office Manager),Thank you. Thank you. Thank you for this wonderful new, NKJV study Bible. I’vebeen in prison for 24 years and been a Christian for 23 of them. I have writtenvarious ministries trying to get a study Bible. Zola Levitt Ministries is the onlyone that responded. Blessings, W.A.

Dear W.A. —We have more study Bibles where yours came from. Please tell your brethrenbehind bars, “Ask and ye shall receive.” (John 16:24) —Mark



Casting Stones

Dr. Seif,You mention in your last letter about Ben Franklin being on the $100 bill andgive him praise. But the stories I have read say he was a womanizer, especiallywhen he traveled to France. He also drank. What say you? Yours, W.B.

Well, W. B.—We cannot praise him, of course, for womanizing and drinking. But, let me askyou a question: What do you suppose Paul meant when he said that if we wantto deal only with righteous men, we’ll have to leave this world (Romans 3:10)? —Jeff

Dear Dr. Seif,Christians believe that God is God, as are Jesus and the Holy Spirit. Jews believethat God is One. I now have a problem with Messianic Jews. What is their belief?If the Messiah is Jesus, is He also God? Furthermore, could you explain why God’sname is translated from the Hebrew as Jehovah? Sincerely, G. G.

Hi G. G.—As a Messianic Jew, I believe that God so loved the world that He sent His ownSon into it, and that the Messiah is thus divine. This is the classical position.There are many, many names in the Hebrew Bible—of people, places, andthings—and they are given English equivalents. Yeshua is Jesus; Miriam is Mary,etc. The Hebrew name for God carries the equivalent “JHVH,” commonlyreferred to in the Hebrew as Jehovah. —Jeff

Dear Jeff and Sandra,I read the “Zola Classic” in your November 2008 edition wherein someone namedJ.W. told Zola that he wouldn’t support the ministry anymore because Zola saidthat it wasn’t necessary for Believers to keep the Sabbath. I was surprised thatZola would say such a thing! — R. S.

Dear R.S.—Just think how surprised Zola must have been when he read where the ApostlePaul says it in Colossians 2:16-17! —Jeff

In Jewish Context

Hello Dr. Seif,I am a gentile presently attending a Messianic Jewish congregation. I am confused. Have the Shabbat and kosher laws been revoked or annulled? I know you have many duties, but I am hoping you might respond. Sincerely W.D.H.

Dear W.D.H.—Followers of Jesus are not required to follow the Law of Moses—referred to as the Mosaic Covenant, which was made with the Jewish people atthe base of Mount Sinai. There are no binding obligations for Shabbat worship,dietary laws, and the like. If, however, as an extension of your love for the Lordyou decide to keep the Jewish Laws, you would join the throng who celebrateJesus in His Jewish context. Just don’t make the mistake of many enthusiastswho insist that others must also do so. Stay tuned for a new series in 2009that will cover the Messianic Jewish experience. — Jeff


WISE AS A SERPENT

A Crooked Televangelist’sWorst Nightmare:The TrinityFoundationBy Mark Levitt

Founded by Ole Anthony more than twodecades ago, the Trinity Foundation hasbecome internationally known as the leading“watchdog” of religious media for its inves-tigative work in exposing televangelist fraud.Its archives are a major resource for nationaland international media who report on theactivities of unscrupulous ministries. Forthe past three years, Trinity workers havebeen assisting and testifying for SenatorGrassley and his U.S. Senate FinanceCommittee as it looks into possible tax law infractions by anywhere from six to ahundred ministry groups.

The Foundation regularly provides assistanceto print and electronic journalists investi-gating suspected fraud or other abuses ofthe public trust by members of the religiousmedia. It has worked with news organiza-tions such as ABC News Primetime Live,CBS News 60 Minutes, and NBC NewsDateline. For nearly six months, it has beenworking with 60 Minutes on an investigationthat possibly will air early this year.

The Trinity Foundation maintains a privateinvestigative license with the State of Texasand occasionally provides undercover oper-atives to news organizations. Until the lawsare changed and ministries open their books,the only way to hold them accountable is bydigging out the truth through undercoverinvestigations.

Trinity workers take vows of poverty, wear

secondhand clothing, and wait in line fortheir health care behind illegal aliens andindigents. They also take the homeless andneedy into their homes and celebrate theJewish feast and fast days. But the startingpoint for their endeavors is in their homeBible study groups, with a combined mem-bership of around 50, that meet several timesa week in East Dallas.

Zola Levitt Ministries has never run afoul of Trinity. First, we’re not large enough towarrant its attention. Second, we file 990 taxreturns and offer our independently-auditedfinancial statements free to those who ask.Third, we’ve passed muster with the IRS during an eight-prong audit that you can readabout on page 28 of the December 2002Levitt Letter, archived under “Newsletter” atwww.levitt.com.

Many denominational church leaders andother Christian leaders have acknowledgedTrinity’s work as “necessary for the Body ofChrist,” but failed to publicly endorse it forfear of getting sued by the corrupt televange-lists it exposes. Trinity, of course, couldcharge for its work; but doing so would significantly decrease its credibility andchange the nature of its ministry.

More recently, Trinity has had to hire an addi-tional investigator. Costs for database searchesand travel have also increased substantially.The bottom line is that Trinity is even moreunderfinanced than usual and needs substan-tial financial assistance. If you’d like to supportthe work of Trinity Foundation, you can write toOle Anthony at 5622 Columbia Avenue, Dallas,TX 75214, visit www.trinityfi.org or call PeteEvans at (214) 827-2625, ext 205. Or ZLMwill forward 100% of any contributions des-ignated for the Trinity Foundation.

Ole

Anth

ony,

Trin

ityFo

unde

r


WARPED THINKING

Afghan Journalism StudentSentenced To 20 YearsBy Amir Shah Associated Press

An Afghan appeals court recentlyoverturned the death sentence for ajournalism student accused of blas-phemy for asking questions in classabout women’s rights under Islam.But the judges still sentenced him to20 years in prison.

The case against Parwez Kambakhsh,24, whose brother has angered Afghanwarlords with his own writings, hascome to symbolize Afghanistan’s slidetoward an ultraconservative view onreligious and individual freedoms.

“I don’t accept the court’s decision,”Kambakhsh told the media as he leftthe courtroom. The case can be appeal-ed to Afghanistan’s Supreme Court.

John Dempsey, a U.S. lawyer workingfor six years to reform the Afghan jus-tice system, said Kambakhsh has yetto get a fair trial.

“Procedurally, he did not have manyof his rights respected,” said Dempsey,who attended the trial. “He was de-tained far longer than he should havebeen legally held. The defense lawyer was

not even allowed to meet the witnessesuntil a night before the trial.” Kambakhshwas studying journalism at Balkh Univ-ersity in the northern city of Mazar-e-Sharif and writing for local newspaperswhen he was arrested in October 2007.

Besides the accusation that Kambakhsh dis-rupted class with his questions, prosecutors also said he illegally distrib-uted an article he printed off the Internetthat asks why Islam does not modern-ize to give women equal rights. He alsoallegedly wrote his own comments onthe paper.

Five witnesses from Mazar-e-Sharif—twostudents and three teachers—appearedbefore the three-judge panel. The firstwitness, a student, told the court he hadbeen forced into making a statementaccusing Kambakhsh of blasphemy bymembers of Afghanistan’s intelligenceservice and a professor. He said the professor threatened him with expulsion.Other witnesses testified that Kambak-hsh had violated tenets of Islam.

The New York-based Committee toProtect Journalists condemned the sentence.

Female Egyptian Encourages Sexual HarassmentAgainst Jewish Women By Hana Levi Julian, IsraelNationalNews.com

A female Egyptian lawyer has recommended that Arab men begin sexually harassing Jewishwomen as a means of forcing Jews to leave “Arab countries.” Egypt, which signed a peacetreaty with Israel in 1979, is perceived among Western nations as a moderate Arab nationwhere secular Arabs are a majority.

In an interview on Al Arabiyah television, Nagla Al-Imam said, “In my opinion, they are fairgame for all Arabs, and there is nothing wrong… this is a new form of resistance.” Accordingto a translation provided by the Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI), Al-Imamspecified, however, that her “resistance” plan did not include rape.

“No. Sexual harassment… In my view, the [Israeli women] do not have any right to respond.The resistance fighters would not initiate such a thing, because their moral values are muchloftier than that. However, if such a thing did happen to them, the [Israeli women] have noright to make any demands, because this would put us on equal terms—leave the land sowe won’t rape you. These two things are equal,” she said.

Al-Imam added that she did not want “young Arab men to be interrogated,” but rather, shewanted “these Zionist girls with Israeli citizenship to be expelled from our Arab countries.This is a form of resistance, and a way of rejecting their presence.”

It is obvious that Ms. Al-Imam considers Jewish women to be less than human. — Editor


PROVING THE BIBLE’S TRUTH

ologist at the site. If his claim is borneout, it would bolster the case for theBible’s accuracy by indicating theIsraelites could record events as theyhappened, transmitting the history thatwas recorded in the Old Testamentseveral hundred years later.

Modern Zionism has traditionally seenarchaeology as a way of strengtheningthe Jewish claim to Israel and regardedDavid’s kingdom as the glorious ances-tor of the new Jewish state. As a result,finding evidence of his rule has impor-tance beyond its interest to scholars.

The script, which Garfinkel suggestsmight be part of a letter, predates thenext significant Hebrew inscription bybetween 100 and 200 years. History’sbest-known Hebrew texts, the DeadSea Scrolls, were penned on parch-ment beginning 850 years later.

The shard is now kept in a universitysafe while philologists translate it, atask expected to take months. But sev-eral words have already been tentativelyidentified, including “judge,” “slave”and “king.” The inscription was shownto other scholars at a peer presentationof the findings.

We shot part of our upcoming seriesThe Warrior King: David-like Leader-ship for Goliath-like Times at this verysite, just after the story broke. Ours isone of the first TV crews to visit the site.Learn all about it in the weeks aheadby watching Zola Levitt Presents.— Jeff

Oldest HebrewWriting UnearthedBy Matti Friedman Associated Press

Hirbet Qeiyafa sits near the modernIsraeli city of Beit Shemesh in theJudean foothills, an area that was oncethe frontier between the hill-dwellingIsraelites and their enemies, the coastalPhilistines. The site overlooks the ElahValley, said to be the scene of theslingshot showdown between Davidand the Philistine giant Goliath, andnear the ruins of Goliath’s hometownin the Philistine metropolis of Gath.In the excavations of Hirbet Qeiyafa,an Israeli archaeologist has discoveredwhat he believes is the oldest knownHebrew inscription on a 3,000-year-old pottery shard.

Carbon-14 analysis of burnt olive pitsfound in the same layer of the site asthe pottery shard helped archaeologistsdate it to between 1,000 and 975 B.C.,the same time as the biblical goldenage of King David’s rule in Jerusalem.

Archaeology has turned up only scantfinds from David’s time in the early10th century B.C., leading somescholars to argue the Bible’s accountof the period inflates the importanceof David and his kingdom. Some evensuggest his kingdom may not haveexisted at all.

But the fortified settlement where thewriting was found contains indicationsthat a powerful Israelite kingdomexisted near Jerusalem in David’s time,says Yossi Garfinkel, the lead archae-


THE “RELIGION OF PEACE”

Christians Targeted in IraqBy Bradley S. Klapper www.FoxNews.com

Hundreds of terrified Christian familieshave fled Mosul to escape extremistattacks that have increased despitemonths of U.S. and Iraqi military oper-ations to secure the northern Iraqicity, political and religious officialssaid recently.

Some 3,000 Christians have fled thecity in one week alone in a “major dis-placement,” said Duraid MohammedKashmoula, the governor of northernIraq’s Ninevah province. He said mosthave left for churches, monasteries,and the homes of relatives in nearbyChristian villages and towns.

“The Christians were subjected toabduction attempts and paid ransom,but now they are subjected to a killingcampaign,” Kashmoula said, addinghe believed al-Qaeda elements wereto blame and called for a reneweddrive to root them out.

Political and religious leaders inter-viewed said the change in tactics mayreflect a desire on the part of extrem-ists to forcibly evict all Christians fromIraq’s third largest city.

Mosul police reported finding thebullet-riddled bodies of sevenChristians in separate attacks inOctober. One weekend, militantsblew up three abandoned Christianhomes in eastern Mosul, police said.

Father Bolis Jacob of Mosul’s Mar

Afram Church said he was at a loss tounderstand the violence. “We respectthe Islamic religion and the Muslimclerics,” he said. “We don’t know underwhat religion’s pretexts these terroristswork.”

The killings come as Christian leadersare lobbying parliament to pass a lawsetting aside a number of seats forminorities, such as Christians, inupcoming provincial elections, fearingthey could be further marginalized inthe predominantly Muslim country.

Iraq’s Christian community has beenestimated at 3 percent of Iraq’s 26 mil-lion people, or about 800,000, and hasa significant presence in the northernNinevah province.

In Mosul, where Christians have livedfor some 1,800 years, a number of cen-turies-old churches still stand.

Joseph Jacob, a professor at MosulUniversity, said there were nearly 20,000Christians in the city before the 2003U.S. invasion. But over half have sinceleft for neighboring towns or othercountries, he said.

Christian Refugees In IraqShare Pistachios

Thai

er a

l-Sud

ani/R

eute

rs


SELECT

BRIEFS

Bahraini King EasesReturn Of Jewswww.JTA.org

The King of Bahrain has said he wouldfacilitate the return of Jewish expatri-ates through restored citizenship andland offers. King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa met in New York recentlywith about 50 Bahraini Jews who hadimmigrated to the United States, fol-lowing a similar meeting in Londonlast summer.

The king said that all expatriate Bah-rainis, whatever their religion, werewelcome to return. “It’s open, it’s yourcountry,” he said in New York.

Hamad had reversed a law that banneddual citizenship and was ready torestore the citizenship of Bahrainiswho had lost it in the interim, as wellas offer it to their children. “Theyounger ones can’t remember much,but we want them to know,” he saidof Bahraini heritage.

Returning Bahrainis would be eligiblefor land allocations, the king said.Hamad—in New York to attend aninterfaith conference co-sponsoredby Saudi Arabia and the United Nations—has instituted reforms in recentyears, including extending the vote towomen. He recently named a Jewishwoman, Houda Nonoo, as his ambas-sador to Washington.

In an interview, Hamad stated that hedid not expect his reforms to replicate

throughout the region. “What we do inBahrain is for sure for Bahrain, it’s notto be exported,” he said.

Bahrain has recorded a Jewish presencesince the Talmudic era. Its currentcommunity of several dozen Jews isdescended from Iraqi Jewish merchantswho settled in the late ninth century.

King Solomon’s CopperMine Discoveredwww.CBNNews.com

Archaeologists announced the discoveryof copper mines south of the Dead Sea,dating to the 10th century B.C., duringthe reign of King Solomon. The team, ledby University of California researcherThomas Levy, working with MohammadNajjar of Jordan’s Friends of Archaeology,said the mines may very well have sup-plied the Israeli king with copper for hismany building projects.

The discovery was made in the regionthe Bible refers to as Edom, now calledJordan.

Earlier excavations at the site, duringthe 1970s and 1980s, led archaeologiststo believe that the mines dated to the7th century B.C., but Levy and Najjardug deeper, discovering materials thatprove the mine was active during KingSolomon’s reign.

“We can’t believe everything ancientwritings tell us,” Levy said. “But this re-search represents a confluence betweenthe archaeological and scientific dataand the Bible.”

Bahraini King Hamad bin Issa al-Khalifa, left, with hissons, addresses expatriate Jewish Bahrainis at a meetingin New York on Nov. 11, 2008. (Ron Kampeas)

Solo

mon

’s m

ines


SELECT BRIEFS continued

mobile phone. The video was later circulated secretly and sold in Somaliaand in neighboring countries in whatmany see as a strategy to instill fearamong those contemplating conversionfrom Islam to Christianity.

Rape Victim Stoned ToDeath In Somaliawww.aftenbladet.no/english

The first reports were that Aisha IbrahimKuhulow was 23 years old, but herfather now confirms for AmnestyInternational that she was only 13.The girl’s young age, and the fact thatshe herself contacted the Shabab-mili-tia (who control the town) in order toreport the rape, failed to protect herfrom being sentenced to death by theIslamists for breach of Islamic law ofhaving sex outside of marriage.

This child suffered a terrible death asdemanded by the armed oppositionforces that control Kismayo, saidDavid Copeman of Amnesty’s Somaliadepartment. Thousands of peoplewitnessed the grotesque execution ofAisha at a football stadium in the porttown of Kismayo last November.

The 13-year old was ledin and forced into a hole in the ground. The hole was then filled so that only her head was show-ing. About 50 men then started to throwstones at her, according to Amensty’sinformation. After a while, nurses werecalled to check whether Aisha wasstill alive. Her body was brought outof the hole and examined. When it wasestablished that she was still alive, shewas again placed in the hole so that thestone-throwers could continue. Whensome of the spectators tried to stormthe stadium to save Aisha, the militiaopened fire on the crowd, and a youngboy was killed. The Shabab-militia ex-pressed regret for the boy’s death andassured that the soldiers who had openedfire would be punished. However, themen whom 13-year old Aisha tried toreport for rape have little to fear. Noneof them has been arrested.

Christian Beheaded ForConverting From Islamwww.CompassDirect.org

Among at least 24 aid workers killed in Soma-lia last fall was one who was beheaded specifically for converting from Islamto Christianity, among other charges,according to an eyewitness.

Muslim extremists from the al Shababgroup fighting the transitional govern-ment sliced the head off of MansuurMohammed, 25, a humanitarian aidworker, before horrified onlookers ofManyafulka village, six miles fromBaidoa. The militants had interceptedMohammed and a driver, who man-aged to escape, earlier in the morning.Sources close to Mohammed’s familysaid he converted from Islam toChristianity in 2005.

The eyewitness, who requestedanonymity for security reasons, saidthe militants that afternoon gatheredthe villagers of Manyafulka, tellingthem that they would prepare a feastfor them. The people gathered antici-pating the slaughter of a sheep, goat,or camel according to local custom.

Five masked men emerged carrying guns,wielding Somali swords and draggingthe handcuffed Mohammed. One pulledback Mohammed’s head, exposing hisface as he scraped his sword againsthis short hair as if to sharpen it. Anotherrecited the Koran as he proclaimed thatMohammed was a murtid, an Arabicterm for one who converts from Islamto Christianity.

Mohammed remained calm with anexpressionless face, never uttering aword, said the eyewitness. As the chant-ing of Allah Akubar [God is greater]rose to a crescendo, one of the militia-men twisted his head, allowing theother to slit his neck. When the headwas finally severed from the torso,the killers cheered as they displayedit to the petrified crowd. The militantsallowed one of their accomplices totake a video of the slaughter using a

SELECT BRIEFS continued

Hadi said the commission would im-mediately report Pujiono, his 26-year-old first wife, and Lutfiana’s parents tothe Central Java Police for a criminalinvestigation. If found guilty, they wouldface a maximum sentence of 15 yearsin jail and a fine of $30,000 for “forcing,”“swindling,” or “trading” a minor tosleep with another person. The lawdefines a minor as anyone under theage of 18. The 1974 Marriage Law statesa person must be at least 16 to marry.

Pujiono reportedly married Lutfiana as his second wife last August and hasdeclared he plans to marry two evenyounger girls—a seven-year-old and anine-year old. The “eccentric” clericrefused to name the children out ofconcern it would spark “wider criticism.”

Hadi said it would require a psycholog-ical test to prove whether the clericcould be termed a pedophile.


“Hit A Jew Day”By Jim Salter www.CBSNews.com

At least four students from a suburban St. Louis middle school face punishment for allegedly hitting Jewish classmates during what they called “Hit a Jew Day.” The incident occurred at Parkway West Middle School in Chesterfield.

District officials said they believe that fewer than 10 children of the district’s 35 Jewishstudents were struck. District spokesman Paul Tandy said that in most cases the studentswere hit on the back of their shoulders, but one student was slapped in the face.

It began with an unofficial “Spirit Week” among sixth-graders that started harmlessly enoughwith a “Hug a Friend Day.” Then there was “High Five Day.” Soon, though, the days movedfrom friendly to silly. Next there was “Hit a Tall Person Day” and, finally, “Hit a Jew Day.”

District officials believe a handful of children were directly involved. Those who actuallystruck classmates could face suspension and required counseling, Tandy said. Others whoweren’t directly involved but taunted Jewish students or egged on classmates could facelesser penalties.

“There is a mix of sadness and outrage,” Tandy said. “The concern is a lot of kids knewabout it and they didn’t take action or say anything.”

Karen Aroesty, St. Louis regional director of the Anti-Defamation League, said this wasmore than a case of bullying. Officials from the group will meet with district leaders todiscuss the matter.

Jakarta Cleric Marries12-year-oldBy Erwida Maulia The Jakarta Post

The Indonesian Child ProtectionCommission (KPAI) is planning toreport to police a rich Muslim clericin Semarang, Central Java, who marrieda 12-year-old girl, accusing him ofhaving illegal sex with a minor.

KPAI secretary Hadi Supeno said thatcleric Pujiono Cahyo Widianto, 43,owner and head of an Islamic boardingschool, had married and very likelyslept with 12-year-old Lutfiana Ulfa.

“What surprises us is that she wasselected through a contest involvingPuji’s first wife and followers as apanel of judges. Puji married the girlafter she beat her competitors.”

He said Lutfiana’s parents admittedthey had married her to Pujionobecause of their financial difficulties.“They said they couldn’t afford to sendtheir children to school and hoped themarriage would improve their eco-nomic situation.”

TCT on DirecTV-Channel 377 - Sundays7:30pm ET www.tct.tv

CTN on DirecTV-Channel 376 - Tuesdays8pm ET www.ctnonline.com

Our entire TV Airing Schedule is posted atwww.levitt.com.


THE GLOBAL ECONOMY

Nobel Laureate’s Faith In Free Market Remainswww.Haaretz.com

The economic downturn hasn’t prompted Israeli Nobel Prize Laureate Yisrael Aumann to touch his investment portfolio. Despite the free market failures that many blame for the current crisis, Aumann remains a true believer in unregulated capitalism.

Alan Greenspan, the former Chairman of the U.S. Federal Reserve, made a surprisingadmission recently when he acknowledged that unfettered market deregulation may nothave been the way to go. Aumann, on the other hand, doesn’t appear to be rethinking hisideology. In fact, he finds the $700 billion U.S. government bailout plan a poor idea, believingmarkets will ultimately work themselves out on their own.

Aumann received the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2005 for his research on Game Theoryand Rationality. The award sparked international controversy and protest due to his rightwing activism and the use of his economic theories to support his opposition to a peacedeal with the Palestinians.

Zola Levitt Presents TV Airing Schedule


ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY

Squeezing DrinkingWater From Thin AirBy Karin Kloosterman www.Israel21c.org

For Dr. Etan Bar, CEO of EWA (whichstands for Extraction of Water fromAir), it was a question of priorities. Hiscompany, which focuses both on solarenergy and clean water extractionfrom the air, had already developed anew solar energy air conditioner thatwas sparking interest in the industry,but Bar realized that clean water wasa far more pressing need.

He put aside the air conditioner andbegan working on a new technologythat could collect humidity naturallypresent in the air and turn it intoclean water.

It sounds like a far-fetched idea, butit’s actually thousands of years old. Itwas mentioned in the Bible and inancient Jewish prayers, and archaeol-ogists still find the stones Israelitefarmers used thousands of years agoto collect dew for watering their crops.

M.D. Gets 1,500 LashesBy Salah Nasrawi Associated Press

Demonstrators in Cairo demanded recently that Saudi Arabia release an Egyptian doctor sentenced to 15 years in prison and 1,500 lashes after he was convicted of malpractice—reportedly after treating a Saudi princess.

His wife said she feared the punishment would kill him.

Raouf Amin el-Arabi, a doctor who has been serving the Saudi royal family for about 20 years,was convicted last year of giving a patient the wrong medication. Egyptian newspapersreported that he was accused of driving a Saudi princess “to addiction.”

He initially was sentenced to seven years in prison and 700 lashes, but when he appealedtwo months ago, the judge not only upheld the conviction, but more than doubled the penaltyto 15 years in prison and 1,500 lashes.

“1,500 lashes is unprecedented in the history of Islam,” read one banner carried by protesters.“Who is responsible for the humiliation of our doctors abroad?” read another.

The case has drawn nationwide criticism in Egypt and local human rights groups havedemanded that Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak, who maintains close ties with the Saudiroyal family, intervene to free el-Arabi.

El-Arabi is in a jail in the Red Sea port city of Jeddah and is believed to have received atleast one of his weekly installments of 70 lashes so far.

THE TECHNOLOGY IS THE KEY

Essentially, EWA, which operates out of Beersheba, Israel, has developed aclean water adsorption technology—which employs a solid desiccant totrap the water—and a special energy-saving condenser that reuses more than85 percent of the energyinput to the system.

Renewable energy sources, such as solar power, biofuel, waste heat, or even the heat from organicmatter are compatible with the system.Making use of renewable energy sourcesenables EWA to supply water at cheapercost because the need for long distancepiping and infrastructure (the waterconsumer is the water producer) iserased from the equation. Even thoughclean water for drinking and bathingseems like a basic human right, for mostof the world’s poor it is a luxury. EWAhopes to change that. EWA’s device canbe scaled up or down, and will produceanywhere from a few hundred liters ofwater per day to 1,000 cubic meters ofwater in a single plant.

Egyp

tian

Pres

iden

t Hos

ni M

ubar

ak


ISRAELI TECHNOLOGY

Keeping Broken Limbs HealthyBy Karin Kloosterman www.Israel21c.net

Do muscles have to atrophy whilebroken bones are healing in a cast?An Israeli company believes it has theultimate solution to keep musclesstrong, even when the patient isimmobilized with broken bones. Thesix-year-old company StimuHeal hasinvented an electrical stimulationdevice—the MyoSpare—that sitsunder the cast, stimulating musclesto stay strong, even when the patient’sbiggest workout is switching thechannels on the remote control.

“The initial thought behind the systemwas to enable patients with orthopedicinjuries to efficiently use the immobi-lization period to reduce cast-inducedatrophy,” says Shlomi Cohen, the CEOof StimuHeal.

“The problem after bone injury is thatmost patients are not active,” saysCohen. “Even though doctors recom-mend them to be active, they aren’t.Only after the cast is removed do theystart physical therapy.”

Therapy with MyoSpare, however, can start immediately after surgical or medical interventions.

Now available in Europe and Israel,MyoSpare takes advantage of thedowntime period when the adult orsenior body is inactive and healing

from an injury.

StimuHeal identified the technical and clinical limitations of activating the muscles underneath casts using Neuromuscular Electrical Stimulation (NMES), a well-recognized tool in the Americanhealthcare system.

If electrodes were to be inserted underthe cast, prolonged sweating would bea problem. The company also had todevelop the perfect stimulation regimeso the lactic acid and CO2 wouldn’tbuild up in the muscles, causing painand discomfort. StimuHeal solved thisby developing a microprocessor thatcalculates a cycle for the muscles to rest.

Not only will the MyoSpare device cutdown on physiotherapy costs, it willradically help people return to theirformer selves after a serious debilitatinginjury. Other devices exist on the marketto aid in muscle stimulation, but theMyoSpare is the only one developedfor use under a cast when the body ishealing.

To stay competitive, StimuHeal hopes tobe able to sell MyoSpare in the UnitedStates for about $300, once it gets theFDA seal of approval. This should hap-pen sometime this year.

Stimu-Heal’s Myo-Spare

electrodes sit under

your cast, stimulatingmuscles to stay strong

throughout thehealing process.


Some of our tours fill up twomonths beforedeparture.

“PRAY” BUMPER STICKER

“Pray for the peace of Jerusalem.”

Printed on removable vinyl,

this beautiful bumper sticker

measures 11” by 4” and has a

striking 3-D effect. Bold white

letters jump out from the blue

and black background.

Pass some on to your friends!

Offered on page 19.

Our spring tours bothdepart March 15th.

The Deluxe Tour(Israel only) willreturn March 25th.

The Grand Petra Tour(Israel & Petra) willreturn March 29th.

For your brochure,please call Abel in ouroffice at (214)696-9760or 1-800-WONDERS(966-3377) anytime. Or email Abel at [email protected]. Jeff AbelSandra

Non

Pro

fit O

rgU

SP

osta

geP

AID

Dal

las,

TX

Per

mit

#185

1

Box

122

68,D

alla

s,T

X 7

5225

Take your Bible to the Land where time began:

Merry Christmas, Happy Holy Days, & A Blessed2009 from all at Zola Levitt Ministries!

inside items the mystery of the wise men · in 60:1-5, isaiah encouraged readers to “arise,...

Documents