Unlike most of Jerusalem’s other gates, the Golden Gate was originally built at least a millennium before Suleiman the Magnificent rebuilt the walls of Jerusalem in 1540. Indeed, some archeologists believe that the original gate, dating back to Herod’s construction or even Nehemiah’s period (440 BCE), still exists beneath the current gate. Perhaps because of the great religious significance of the gate to Jews and Christians as the Messiah’s route into Jerusalem, it is believed Suleiman sealed the gate and... Read more

An interesting example of this can be found in the New Testament, in the book of Acts. There is a story there about how Paul, who was raised as an observant Jew, is arrested in Palestine for his Christian preaching and sent aboard ship in the custody of a Roman centurion for trial in Italy. Off the coast of Crete the ship runs into strong winds and puts into a little anchorage for shelter. The Greek text continues: “As much... Read more

“When someone is acting heartlessly, we say, ‘Your blood is blue.’ And then we normally add, ‘Like the Jews.’” The other students chuckled and some glanced in my direction, waiting for my response or perhaps my permission. I laughed. After all, this language lesson’s bigotry was very tame compared to other conversations I had had in Jordan. One of my parents is Jewish, and my Jewish identity has always been light, but for those Americans and Arabs I discussed my... Read more

In the third century, the great theologian Origen provided the following explanation for the resistance of Christians to certain legal systems: “Suppose that a man were living among the Scythians, whose laws are contrary to the divine law, and was compelled to live among them … such a man for the sake of the true law, though illegal among the Scythians, would rightly form associations with like-minded people contrary to the laws of the Scythians.” http://archbishop-cranmer.blogspot.com/2011/09/popes-speech-to-bundestag.html Read more

(AINA) — After Friday prayers today, a mob of several thousand Muslims from the village of Elmarinab in Edfu, Aswan province, demolished and torched St. George’s church, which was being renovated. The mob demolished the dome, walls and columns, then went to the church depot where the lumber to be used for construction was stored and torched it. The fire lasted 2 hours but the attack continued until 7 PM. http://www.aina.org/news/20110930204413.htm Read more

David’s heart doesn’t understand the problem of evil “until I go into the sanctuary of God,” and then he “understands concerning their last ends.” http://cantuar.blogspot.com/2011/09/liturgy-answers-problem-of-evil.html Read more

Baird made no direct mention of the Holocaust in which six million Jews died at the hands of Nazi Germany. But he evoked the era when he quoted Winston Churchill as saying “an appeaser is one who feeds a crocodile, hoping it will eat him last.” http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/politics/john-baird-bares-teeth-in-offering-canadas-defence-of-israel-at-un/article2181154/ Read more

Survivor of Jerusalem forest terrorist attack Kay Wilson shares what it was like to face the men who turned her life into a nightmare. http://www.jpost.com/Features/InThespotlight/Article.aspx?id=238499 Read more

The U.S. Ambassador to Israel recently told the International Conference on Economic Regional Cooperation in Tel Aviv that unless Israel and the Palestinians resume negotiations, “the lack of peace will decrease stability dangerously” in the Middle East. The Ambassador was merely repeating an idea that has become diplomatic dogma—the notion that the absence of a peace deal contributes “dangerously” to regional instability. http://www.jewishideasdaily.com/content/module/2011/9/26/main-feature/1/the-myth-of-mideast-stability/e Read more

The Christian Institute A small group of Muslims staged a counter-demonstration to the Islamists, holding placards reading: “If You Want Sharia, Move To Saudi” and “Muslims Against Extremism”. http://www.christian.org.uk/news/moderate-muslims-hit-out-at-flag-burning-islamists/?e230911 Read more