Jerusalem Update #2
By Dr. Gary Collett
August 5, 2001
Greetings from Jerusalem!
Almost, almost …but not quite yet. The start of a regional conflict was close
this week but let me start explanation with last weekend and the so-called
attempt to lay a cornerstone on the Temple Mount.
A friend from Oklahoma is staying with us for two weeks. He and I went to the
Western Wall and were witnesses to the "attempt" to take a
"cornerstone" for the Temple up to the Temple Mount. I say,
"attempt" because it did not seem to be even that much of an event.
The whole thing seemed more to be a non-event with a lot of hype and
advertisement but little actual action. We saw a group of about ten people
gathered around the group leader near the ramp that leads to the Temple Mount
from the Western Wall Area. A Shofar Horn was blown for about two minutes and
the group then walked on towards one of the walks leading away from the Western
Wall. The real crowd for this event was the Military and Police who were
everywhere and surrounding the small group of "cornerstone promoters".
My friend Randy and I looked and looked for the rock that is being called a
"cornerstone". We looked all around the drive-in areas of the Western
Wall. We looked all around the areas outside the Dung Gate where a truck might
be driven or parked. Nothing, absolutely nothing was to be seen. We found out
later that a "symbolic" dedication or laying of the stone occurred
earlier in the morning outside the Old City of Jerusalem. The stone was not
taken to the Western Wall in order to actually try and take it to the Temple
Mount! (Media clips later showed old filming of the stone on a truck!) Also if
the whole issue was of a serious nature then why is the stone kept in East
Jerusalem in an Arab area where it can be defaced, stolen or any other negative,
degrading act be done to it? If I sound a little negative then it should be
understood why. In 1989 Debra and I had the honor of checking some of our
research with a professor who was at the then called Institute of Holy Land
Studies. He reciprocated and showed us the archaeological evidences, the
Biblical measurements and historical references that he had been working
in-research-on for the one particular stone, which was determined to be the
"already in place, cornerstone of the Temple". The main historical
reference comes from the famous Jewish Rabbi called the Ram Bam from the Tenth
Century who wrote that at that time there existed a cornerstone of the Temple
that was still there. From Bible measurements, Archaeology and measurements in
the Jewish Midrash it was determined exactly "THE" stone in 1989. This
has also been a topic in the magazine "Biblical Archaeology Review"
with pictures. One of the chief archaeologists, who we know, has also confirmed
to us personally the originality of the specific area dating to the time of
David. Therefore we are convinced that there is already a
"cornerstone" in place and no need for an attempt to take another, no
matter how "good" the motive of any particular group or individual.
But this is beside the point of what happened last Sunday and how it helped to
ALMOST lead to regional conflict.
As Randy and I walked around the Walls of the Old City, having left the Western
Wall area, I heard the gunshots that started after the Moslem time of prayer was
over on the Temple Mount when the Moslems began to throw stones over the wall at
Jewish worshipers below, which was almost a half hour after the Group was at the
Wall area for the "Cornerstone". The Moslem rioting was in protest to
the "Cornerstone". We did not hear a long period of shooting or
continued rioting but as we entered the Lion’s Gate on the East side of the
Old City Walls there was a body brought out from the Temple Mount carried by
Moslem Arab men, who put it into an ambulance. Randy and I walked a bit further
up what is called the Via Dolorosa and another body was being carried out. It
also was shrouded, completely wrapped from head to foot, as was the first (there
was no blood in evidence for either body). The only difference was out from
under the coverings of the body on the stretcher came a hand that gripped the
side of the stretcher!!!! Well, after all …we guessed that the
"dead" just could not trust those carrying the stretcher! Later we
heard that a total of six "died". We did not see the other
"four"! Only "two" were carried out, which from the evidence
we saw we questioned just how "dead" they were but the whole episode
was then used to inflame the gun battles happening during the week as well as
other attacks.
A small bomb was reported in the parking lot behind the King David Hotel. News
reported a bomb in a beer-can in a Jewish grocery store as well as before a bomb
in a watermelon found in a bus parked in its garage. We heard the watermelon
bomb explode when it was detonated in a controlled explosion by the military.
One of the biggest reported items of interest this week was the infiltration of
Iraqi troops into Jordan who were reported to be on their way to the borders of
Israel for an attack. We wondered why there was an obviously reduced number of
Israeli Military around the Jerusalem area. They were evidently in the Jordan
Valley protecting the crossing points where the Iraqi troops would try and
cross. If there had been a greater "up-rising" to the events of the
"cornerstone" then the Iraqi troops may have had the excuse they
needed! Almost, but it did not happen, though definitely there has been an
increase of terrorism this last week. Egypt’s leader Mubarak reflects this in
his reported statement, "there cannot be any resolutions with Israel with
Sharon in office". This then is also reflected in the tightened security in
the north and south of Israel. The again reiterated statements by Israel that
"International Monitors" will be accepted only if a true cease-fire is
implemented.
It is reported that two factories closed in the Galilee area due to the
worsening Israeli economic crisis.
Arafat meets with King Abdullah of Jordan and then goes to Egypt.
Israel leaders again state that Terrorist Leaders will be targeted until the
"Palestinian Authority" arrests them. Israel expressed regrets that
two children on the street were killed when a building was targeted that
contained those identified as terrorist leaders. Today, when in the Bethlehem,
Beit Jala areas, it was stated to us in agreement that true peace will not come
until Christ does. Christian Arab families again told us of their losses and
plight but rejoiced with us that our trust can be put in the Lord. We gave them
what we could for material help.
When Israel has to defend herself against the surrounding nations, destroying
whole cities (Isaiah 17:1-3) and disrupts the oil flow to the world what will
the stock markets and etc do? It is reported that Real Estate values here in
Israel have dropped as much as 40%. NOW is the time to invest in Israel? We have
also been told that those moving into Israel were 60% while those moving out
were 40% but now it is almost 100% moving out, even without visas or jobs
available in other countries. This means investment in Israel is at a peak, as
the tide will change the other way when the "great immigration" starts
due to the coming war.
Also this means that those who are foreigners, as we are, have a greater impact
as a witness to our faith because of staying!
Food for thought!
Dig news: Last year we were unable to dig due to the opposition of one
individual, but currently his office has asked for more data. As other
archeological projects have been approved and one has found a new cave in the
Qumran area, we expect the scheduling of our digging soon.
Blessings, --Gary and Debra
(Dr. GR Collett)
gcollett@netvision.net.il
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