Blog Posts

Where was the Biblical place known as... 'THE PLACE'...or HaMakom?

7/11/2018

Jeremiah speaks of it more than a dozen times. He calls it HaMakom and is referring to the temple in Jerusalem (as in Jeremiah 28:1-6) where the context is quite clearly, the temple. He uses the Hebrew name HaMakom four times in those few verses.
HaMakom was the ancient and traditional name for the temple site—the sacred site visited by Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, David and many others and consistently called HaMakom. John in his gospel even referred to it as ‘the place’ (in Greek ho topos) on three occasions. It was the name of the temple and its special site!

Get the full, surprising story here https://wipfandstock.com/the-place.html or at Amazon here https://www.amazon.com/Place-HaMakom-Where-Jerusalems-Temples/dp/1532630425

What is your view?

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WHAT WAS GOD'S PURPOSE IN A SPECIAL PEOPLE?

29/10/2018

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Once you’ve used the word ‘special’ you have immediately hit on God’s idea exactly. For ‘special’ carries the idea of difference—and that is exactly what God wanted…a people who displayed difference (it’s what the Bible often calls ‘holiness’). Difference of a kind that made what they possessed and enjoyed when they did things his way, stand out as desirable—even irresistible.
The problem was that he had to entrust this ‘treasure’ (as Paul the apostle later says of the Church) to ‘earthen vessels.’ Nevertheless, they were a display and on occasions did demonstrate his great power and glory and the nations did desire to know their God and to taste the difference!

If you’re one who has struggled with the message of the Bible, this book, ‘THE PEOPLE: the sons of God (Through the Eyes of a Watcher)’ may help you see God’s extraordinary plan for us and for you. It is to reclaim us all as his ‘sons’ (or children). In 117 enthralling pages, come on a journey into not only the plan and purpose of God that unfolds across history, but also into the grace-filled nature and character of the God who loves every one of us with inexhaustible love!

See book details here

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Is Gihon Spring the ‘fountain of Israel’ in Psalm 68:26?

14/10/2018

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I believe so. David is speaking in these verses of the procession of the worshippers (and probably of the ark of the covenant) into the temple with the singers and players of instruments (vv 24, 25).
He then says, ‘Bless God in the congregations, the Lord from the fountain of Israel.’

He is clearly speaking of a location from which to bless the Lord! From within the congregation and from the spring or fountain that belongs to Israel.

Gihon Spring today

The Hebrew word is MAQOR, meaning spring or fountain. This is not the same word as used in Deuteronomy 33:28 which speaks in poetic parallelism of Israel as the ‘fountain’ or ‘eye’ of Jacob. This word is AYIN (Strong’s 5869) which strictly means ‘eye’.

David continues to speak of others in the location...’little Benjamin...the princes of Judah...the princes of Zebulun and Naphtali.’
David must be referring to the fountain right there in the temple with the congregation!

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Who are the ‘sons of God’ of Genesis 6:2 & 4 and Job 1:6; 2:1 & 38:7?

8/10/2018

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Some believe them to be angelic beings who bred with human women and that the giant ‘nephilim’ of Genesis 6:4 are the product of these unions. But the verses do not at all lead conclusively or exclusively to that understanding. Verse 4 simply explains the concurrence of events during this time.

Read ‘THE PEOPLE: the sons of God (through the eyes of a Watcher)’ to see how the Bible distinguishes two streams flowing through human history—the sons of God and the sons of men!
Available as paperback and on Kindle: see details at www.until-we-see.com

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Just who are 'the sons of God' in your Bible?

13/9/2018

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You may be surprised!

My new book, 'The People, the Sons of God (through the eyes of a Watcher' is intended to surprise and open eyes in a new way to God's grand scheme of the ages. Seen through the eyes and told through the mouth of Watcher Shaqaad, THE PEOPLE is bound to stretch, awaken...even shake you! Here is Biblical truth and history told in a new and exhilarating way.

Here's a comment from Allan Bull PhD (Macquarie Universtity Sydney)...

'The People is an enthralling and innovative approach, not only to telling old familiar stories but using narrative to portray, in a subtle but powerful way, the truth of good and evil in our world . . . There is good and evil, God and Satan, and in every human relationship/interaction and behavior a choice is to be made. The consequences, for those with the spiritual eyes to see, are clear. It is an exceptional and well written piece of work.'

And, here's a brief teaser...

‘… and too, the Creature realized, with a hence unexperienced pang at deep-in level, that the communing had evaporated and the lesser creatures looked at them now with alarm and suspicion .... and fled away! Nothing remained the same; I saw that to them, fruit tasted different and alien plants began to spring up and choke fruitful trees. Some of their favorite trees suddenly knew disease and the thing called death. Even the grasses that had adorned the ground seemed forlorn and opaque where once vibrant and almost transparent. A pervading sense of ‘less-ness’ now defined their realm and their existence as a great and indescribable pall overhung, spoiling every waking moment.

The song too, had ceased; that sense of cooperative adventure with The Elohim, with all things blending together in verdant pleasure—where was it? WHERE WAS IT? Indeed, the silent shout from the depths of 'Dam and Chaveh was, "WHERE IS IT?" in an agony of that other thing they'd never known and I had only seen displayed in Lucifer—regret! For in their hearts they knew; and the answer came in upon them like a weight too heavy to be borne.’

Click Here for THE PEOPLE: the Sons of God (through the eyes of a Watcher)

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The Temple: over a stream in the City of David!

5/9/2018

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Ancient cities of the east boasted magnificent rivers. Nineveh had the Tigris and Babylon, the Euphrates. Such rivers gladdened the hearts of the occupants. What did Jerusalem have? No river of which to boast... or did it?

Psalm 46:4 and 5 boast 'there is a river whose streams make glad the City of God, the holy place where the Most High dwells. God is amidst (in the middle of) her; she shall not be moved.' Here, the stream and the presence of God are synonymous--and--in the middle of the city (Hebrew qereb)—within!

The visible symbol of that presence was that ‘bubbling up’ stream called Gihon!

How fitting too, that the stream that typified God did not originate elsewhere and flow through or past the City of David, but bubbled forth right within HaMakom (The Place). Its source was there! From the very place where he sat enthroned in the midst of his people, Living Water and life-giving water flowed!

Gihon, as seen in the accompanying picture, is but a vestige of its former self (remember, its name means 'Gushing Forth') and that is what it once did and its force was used to propel its stream right up into the temple above.

Read 'THE PLACE HaMakom; where Jerusalem's temples stood' for more

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DID ABRAHAM OFFER ISAAC ON THE SUMMIT OF MOUNT MORIAH? WELL…No, actually!

1/9/2018

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People can become infected with ‘summit-ism’—that is, for some reason, their thinking is that Abraham must have sacrificed on the summit, Araunah (Ornan) must have had his threshing floor on the summit and, the temple must have been on the summit! The problem with this is twofold; the Bible does not say that and secondly, it’s not actually the summit!

Read the Genesis 22 text very carefully, trying not to read assumptions and hearsay back into it…
Verse 2, ‘…go the the land (or region) of Moriah and offer him…on one of the mountains I will show you.’
Verse 3, ‘…arose and went to the place (ha makom) of which God had told him.’
Verse 4, ‘…Abraham lifted his eyes and saw the place (ha makom) afar off.’
Verse 9, ‘Then they came to the place (ha makom) of which God had told him.’
Verse 14, ‘…Abraham called the name of the place (ha makom) The-Lord-Will-Provide’
Also note that the latter part of verse 14 is properly translated ‘in the mountain of the Lord…’
Ha Makom—THE PLACE (the definite article, say some rabbis, was used for a reason) was later visited by Jacob who, we are told, ‘encountered the place (ha makom)’ as the sun was setting (Genesis 28:11 note, not any place, it is THE PLACE), which he went on to name Bayth-El ‘House of God’.
Notice that stricter translations of 2 Chronicles 3:1 speaking of where Solomon began to build the temple, also say ‘in Jerusalem in Mount Moriah’ (eg., Youngs, KJV, Webster’s, ERV, AKJV, Douay-Rheims, Jubilee, JPS Tanakh 1917).

As indicated the traditional Temple Mount site is not at the ‘summit’. It is at an elevation of about 740 meters and just a little further north the ground rises to 774 meters or more, near the Damascus Gate. There is a very useful map at http://en-au.topographic-map.com/places/Jerusalem-8956805/ which allows you to both enlarge and to click at any point to see the elevation.

So, if you’re going to argue that Abraham headed for a summit and Araunah sited his threshing floor at a summit and the temple was built on a summit, it is just not so!

The truth seems to be that it was ‘within’ the Mount Moriah complex that these events occurred. Abraham was directed first to a region and then to a specific place (The Place, ha makom) within that region. It is the site that became known throughout scripture as ha makom, see my book ‘THE PLACE, where Jerusalem’s temples stood.’

THE PLACE was part of the City of David near the Gihon (‘Gushing Forth’) Spring, some 200 meters south of what became a favorite traditional site. Part of the reason for this was that the ‘summit’ idea somehow became embedded in people’s thinking.

The pictures illustrate what the enclosure, jutting into the Kidron Valley from the City of David to protect the Gihon Spring, looked like.

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Fortress Antonia Barracks, Paul, 70 horsemen, 200 soldiers, 200 spear-men...and Antipatris!

24/8/2018

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Is this where Solomon's temple stood? NO!
This enclosure was Fortress Antonia.

Much can be gleaned from a careful reading of Acts 21 to 23. Here are several points that reveal some facts about the position, size and importance of the Antonia Fortress.

It must be seen that the temple was BELOW the fortress as the soldiers ran down to the temple to attend to the fracas (Acts 21:32)
There were stairs from the temple area leading up to the ‘barracks’ area (Greek παρεμβολή…parembole which is a MILITARY term meaning 'a throwing in beside (juxtaposition), i.e., (specially), battle-array, encampment or barracks' and variously translated fortress, camp, castle, barracks). Clearly description indicates something built (thrown up or erected) alongside something else. That something else was the temple below it. The mob near the temple was so violent that Paul had to be carried by the soldiers. He then addressed the crowd from these stairs.
From these stairs, Paul was then brought ‘into’ the fortress to be examined by scourging (Acts 22:24). He escaped scourging by appeal to his Roman citizenship.
The next day, Paul was brought down to the council of the chief priests (Acts 22:30).
The plot by 40 Jews to kill Paul was to have him brought down again from the fortress (Acts 23:20).
To accompany Paul to Antipatris and on to Caesarea the commander ordered centurians to prepare….wait for it, 200 soldiers, 200 spearmen and 70 horsemen (Acts 23:23). The 400 apparently returned from Antipatris and the 70 went on with Paul to Caesarea (vv. 31-32). Incidentally, Antipatris itself (see pictures) was a reasonably substantial fortress, also built by Herod the Great and it’s after the same Romanesque style as Antonia, in miniature. He named it for his father Antipater.

Antipatris Fortress
So—what is the emerging picture? The fortress is above the temple; the fortress houses a large contingent of specialist troops—soldiers, spear-men, horsemen AND many horses. Seventy would have by no means exhausted the supply of horses (no commander would leave his key asset so impoverished of defence), yet even 70 would occupy at least 2 metres x 4 meters of stable room each, meaning at least 140 linear meters. The Fortress Antonia was huge and accommodated the 10th Roman Legion, comprising 10 cohorts of 500 men each! There is only one place at Jerusalem that would accommodate them. It is the large nearly rectangular enclosure that later mistakenly became known as the Temple platform enclosure on what then became known as ‘Temple Mount.’ (On its long sides it is approximately 400 and 460 meters and the short sides about 300 and 250 each).

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HaMakom, BaMakom in your Bible

2/8/2018

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‘Abraham arose and went to HaMakom....he lifted his eyes and saw HaMakom afar off.....then they came to HaMakom.... and Abraham called the name of HaMakom ‘The LORD will Provide’
(Genesis 22:3, 4, 9 and 14)

'... and Jacob encountered BaMakom...and took one of the stones of HaMakom ...and lay down in BaMakom to sleep...and he said ‘surely the LORD is in BaMakom.... how dreadful is HaMakom this is none other than the house of God (Bethel)...and he called the name of HaMakom, Bethel’
(Genesis 28:11, 16, 17, 19)

God to Moses...’then you shall seek HaMakom....there will be HaMakom’
(Deuteronomy 12:5, 11)

‘So David gave Ornan six hundred shekels of gold by weight for BaMakom ’ ... and David said, ‘I have loved the habitation of your house and UMakom where your glory dwells’
(1 Chronicles 21:25 and Psalm 26:8)

Nehemiah in his prayer, ‘remember LORD how you said...’I will gather them from there and bring them to HaMakom which I have chosen as a dwelling for my name’
(Nehemiah 1:9)

Jeremiah uses HaMakom a dozen times...
and so it goes, all through scripture, so that we see how important HaMakom is to God: THE PLACE He chose as special to Himself and to His people.

Read the book THE PLACE: HaMakom: where Jerusalem’s temples stood to discover more.

Key: HaMakom = THE PLACE; BaMakom = to THE PLACE; UMakom = and THE PLACE.

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THE THRESHING FLOOR OF ORNAN?

31/7/2018

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Above: Examples of Threshing Floors on hillsides

So… a threshing floor had to be a large, flat, open space on top of a hill or on open, flat ground, right? Which would mean that Ornan’s floor must have been on such a site, right?

Wrong! And misleading... perhaps resulting from traditional and idealized depictions in paintings. It’s true that some threshing floors of course, were in open areas both in valleys and on hilltops—but threshing floors have come in many sizes and in many locations. Some have been found on hilltops, but also in many other interesting sites. Take a look at these pictures above of ancient threshing floor sites around Europe to see what I mean.

What is this?

The strange markings near Gihon Spring

Now—what about the strange markings found on level limestone near the Gihon Spring site at the ancient City of David? A world-wide invitation was put out by archeologists and the City of David Foundation to help solve the mystery of what they might be. See https://www.biblicalarchaeology.org/daily/biblical-sites-places/jerusalem/what-are-these-strange-markings-found-near-jerusalems-gihon-spring/

Could it be possible? Despite all the categorical statements being made about where threshing floors have to be, that this flattened area half-way up the side of a ridge—on the side of a valley along which the prevailing Summer westerly winds of the threshing season, funneled—was eminently suited? Especially when there are evidences of a dwelling or dwellings in the rock behind it and a possible sacrificial altar nearby! And especially if you have been the chieftain of a stronghold and settlement once known as Jebus and had pride-of-place near its magnificent water supply...

So…in a radical view—open for comment, here goes--

I believe that this site ages ago, may well have been the threshing floor of Ornan the Jebusite. The very site where Ornan (also known as Araunah) said to David, ‘Take it to yourself….Look, I also give you the oxen for burnt offerings, the threshing implements for wood, and the wheat for the grain offering; I give it all’ (1 Chronicles 21:23 and 2 Samuel 24:22). More about the implements shortly…
To see how Ornan’s threshing floor located here might have worked, one depiction is given in my sketch below where the flat floor had a recess to accommodate a central pole which could be put in or taken out. Timber wedges would be used to clamp it in position (remember the low wall/s seen in the photographs of the site today were probably not there in Ornan’s time). This pole would have provided the central pivot around which Ornan’s oxen walked in their neck yokes as shown. Whilst the wheat or barley was being trampled by the oxen, the floor grooves (which served another purpose) were simply filled with timber pieces cut to fit so that the oxen had a flat surface when treading.

Sketch of the threshing floor of Ornan at the site of the strange markings near Gihon Spring, showing how the implements mentioned in the Biblical account may have featured on the floor. See explanation below.

Now…what did the oxen tread? Many will know that in today’s world of grain harvesting a huge mechanical ‘Header’ moves through the grain field taking the head of grain from the stalk, but in Biblical times the stalk was cut long, near the ground, using a sickle because the stem was required for fodder or straw for bedding, pillows and brick-making. We’ve all seen pictures of sheaves of grain like those I’ve included here. A group of these left to dry was called a stook, or in America, a shock (see picture). In biblical times usually the whole sheaf or bundle was thrown onto the threshing floor, but what if a device as shown in my sketch was employed to retain a sheaf and cut the stem (straw) off the grain head prior to threshing? This would separate the straw component before threshing.

Can you see that boards, wedged into the floor grooves with timber wedges would provide a useful ‘V’ into which one or more sheaves could be inserted with stems protruding for easy removal of the stem for discard to a separate straw stockpile? Once a batch of sheaves was trimmed and the heads placed on the threshing floor, the upright boards could be removed, perhaps then doubling as threshing sledges, then the oxen, yoked into the device, walked around the pole.

Compare the photograph of the grooves and of the central floor hole with what I have depicted in my sketch. Fanciful? I think not. Clearly these grooves had some mechanical function and I urge consideration of this proposal.