Jerusalem - Israeli archaeologists working in the northern city of Tiberias have uncovered the remains of an ancient Byzantine church paved with mosaics decorated with geometric patterns and dedicatory inscriptions, the Antiquities Authority confirmed Thursday. One of the inscriptions contains the text, 'Our Lord (Jesus) protect the soul of your servant. ..' which the Authority said the appears to refute the claim that Jews of Tiberias prevented early Christians from establishing a church in their city. Another mosaic was adorned with a large cross, leading Doctor Moshe Hartal, one of the directors of the excavations, to conclude that the structure was built before 427 AD, the year the Church issued a decree prohibiting the placement of crosses in mosaic floors, in order to prevent them from being stepped on. The church's remains were discovered adjacent to ancient public buildings among them a basilica, bathhouse, streets and shops that were exposed at the site in the past. The remains of a Jewish neighbourhood dating to the tenth-eleventh centuries AD were also discovered in the excavations, as were buildings replete with a wealth of ceramic vessels that dating to the Early Islamic period (eighth-eleventh centuries AD.) In addition a settlement was discovered ...   more »

By Eli Ashkenazi  
A pleasant coolness greeted Yinon Shivtiel when he crawled into the cave at Mt. Berenice, as did a poisonous snake. Shivtiel, a doctoral candidate in Land of Israel Studies at Bar-Ilan University, who teaches at Safed College, is used to being surprised on his crawling expeditions into caves in the Galilee. He took the snake's presence in stride, preferring to save his excitement for the man-made "loft" dug out of the cave. For several years now Shivtiel has been researching the "cliff dwellings and refuge caves throughout the Galilee," which, unlike the caves in the Judean foothills that are associated with the Bar-Kochba Revolt, have not been studied in depth. Shivtiel is attempting to understand the circumstances of their excavation and to date them, collecting what he calls the slips of the pen of the Jewish historian and leader Yosef Ben-Mattitiyahu (Josephus). "For example, in referring to Akbara [in the Safed region - E.A.] he writes,'rock-dwellers.' There is no such thing, unless you go to the hanging caves on the cliffs... When I read his theories I believe one must see as the model the Galilee caves, which were 'invented' not by the Bar-Kochba rebels, but before ...   more »

By Nadav Shragai  
The hundreds of worshippers who came to the Western Wall plaza on the fast of Tisha B'Av to mourn the destruction of the Temple did not even look at the handful of Temple Mount Faithful who were quarreling loudly with policemen at the Mugrabi Gate. Gershon Salomon, the leader of the movement, once again wanted to pray on the mount, and the policemen, obeying the orders of the political leadership, once again prevented him from doing so. This ritual repeats itself on every holiday and special occasion. But 10 days earlier, on the eve of the Rosh Hodesh (first day) of the Hebrew month Av, the police enthusiastically helped thousands of Jews encircle the Temple Mount gates. The participants represent a much broader section of the religious Jewish public than the Faithful. This group largely still obeys the rabbis who, for halakhic reasons, still forbid Jews from entering the Temple Mount, but nevertheless want to express a Jewish connection to the mount. During this ceremony, which has taken place every Rosh Hodesh eve for six years, Jews circle the Temple Mount while singing, praying and blowing shofars and trumpets. They do this next to the gates of ...   more »

Israeli navy given new instructions in light of Hamas' establishment of naval forces in Gaza, military officials say
Hanan Greenberg"The new situation in the Gaza Strip obligates us to act differently at sea. There are threats that did not exist in the past. We recognize this, and are ready in accordance," a military source said Thursday night, responding to the report that Hamas had established a naval force in Gaza.  
Hamas' navy is headed by senior Hamas commander Jamil al-Dahashan, who previously served as a Hamas special forces commander in south Gaza City.  
Hamas Navy  
Hamas establishes naval defense force in Gaza  / Ali Waked   
Group officials tell Ynet newly built force will secure Strip's coast, fight off IDF vessels and drug dealers and prevent fishermen's collaboration with Israeli ships. Force does not own ships, but has heavy machine guns, mortars   
The force is aimed at securing the shores from IDF marine operations as well as criminal activity of drug dealers.  
Although the force does not as yet own any marine vessels, Israel is responding to the matter with the utmost gravity.  
The Israeli navy suffered a difficult hit during the Second Lebanon War, when an anchored navy gunship was ...   more »

Long-range rockets already in place on Golan; is Syria preparing for war?
Ron Ben Yishai
The latest official IDF intelligence branch assessment, adopted by the Israeli government, is that Syria is not planning to attack Israel. At least not in the coming months. 
The accelerated preparations for war undertaken by the Syrian army recently, according to the assessment, are not aimed at launching an offensive, but rather, stem from fears in Damascus that the IDF plans to attack Syria. As proof of this, IDF intelligence researchers point to the fact that the Syrian army has not fundamentally changed its deployment, which is still mostly defensive, vis-à-vis Israel.  
However, intelligence officials estimate that there is still a risk of a war breaking out even in the near future as a result of a wrong estimate (here or there) regarding the other side’s intentions – a “miscalculation” as it is referred to by IDF intelligence officers. This is why Prime Minister Ehud Olmert made sure to declare Wednesday that he was not seeking war.  
This is the official assessment. Yet this is not the complete picture. The truth is that there is no certainty within Israel’s intelligence community that Syria is not ...   more »

Chuck Baldwin
A reader's letter intrigues me. He writes, "I find everything you say about a coming New World Order and One World Government extremely difficult to believe. For one thing, while you yourself obviously display no hate towards anyone, most other conspiracy theorists are anti-Semites." He further wrote, "An intelligent man such as yourself would do well to distance yourself from these loony theories."
I will quickly acknowledge that unfortunately there are a significant number of conspiracy theories promulgated by people with obvious anti-Semitic tendencies. I join my reader friend in repudiating such bigotry.
However, just because certain conspiracy theories are advocated by people with personal agendas and extremist ideologies is not reason enough to automatically dismiss the facts that suggest there is a conspiracy to steal America's sovereignty and independence. These facts are plentiful and powerful. Only foolish people would dismiss them out-of-hand.
As a Christian, I believe the Word of God to be my source of faith and practice. Therefore, I must take seriously the Word's admonition that, "There is a conspiracy" (Ezek. 22:25). In fact, the conspiracy to overthrow righteousness (and any semblance of it) is ubiquitous.
Furthermore, if one will study American history, he will ...   more »

By Audrey Barrick
The world is upside down in moral degradation and the church to turn it right side up is an authentic Pentecostal church, according to the head of the Assemblies of God.
In his last keynote address at a General Council as general superintendent, Thomas E. Trask makes an impassioned plea for Assemblies of God constituents to remain faithful to fundamental scriptural truths.
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Head of Largest U.S. Pentecostal Group to Step Down
Thomas E. Trask is retiring from his post as general superintendent of the largest Pentecostal denomination in the nation. But before he steps down this year, he made an emotional plea to tens of thousands of "brothers and sisters" not to let a "spineless" Christianity enter the Assemblies of God.
"Many churches in America today [are] offering ... new religion that guarantees no hell, requires no holiness," Trask said Wednesday night in his farewell sermon at the Assemblies of God’s 52nd General Council in Indianapolis. "It is a limp, spineless Christianity that does not confront sin for fear of being judgmental. It is an impotent gospel that tells people everything is okay."
"May it never ... ...   more »

Dramatic video produced by Iraqi insurgents and captured in a raid earlier this week by U.S. troops clearly shows a battery of sophisticated Iranian-made rocket launchers firing on American positions east of Baghdad, Pentagon officials said Wednesday.
The video, captured during a raid on Monday by the 3rd Squadron, 1st Cavalry Regiment in northeast Nahrawan, shows insurgents setting up and carrying out an attack on Sunday, as well as an attack on July 11 that killed one soldier and wounded 15 others, officials said. The raid last month appeared to involve 34 launchers firing 107 mm Iranian-made rockets.
The video provides clear visual evidence of the extent to which Iraqi insurgents are equipped to launch deadly rockets on coalition forces, the Pentagon said.
The release of the video comes as officials charge Iran with supplying high-tech bombs used in 99 roadside bomb attacks in Iraq last month.
The powerful weapons, known as explosively formed penetrators or EFPs, accounted for a third of combat deaths suffered by coalition forces, the New York Times reported Wednesday.
The bombs fire white hot slugs that can cut through the heavy armor on Humvees. Intelligence officials said EFPs are being used almost exclusively by Shiite ...   more »

By Sara A. Carter
August 8, 2007
Islamic extremists embedded in the United States — posing as Hispanic nationals — are partnering with violent Mexican drug gangs to finance terror networks in the Middle East, according to a Drug Enforcement Administration report.
"Since drug traffickers and terrorists operate in a clandestine environment, both groups utilize similar methodologies to function ... all lend themselves to facilitation and are among the essential elements that may contribute to the successful conclusion of a catastrophic event by terrorists," said the confidential report, a copy of which was obtained by The Washington Times.
The 2005 report outlines an ongoing scheme in which multiple Middle Eastern drug-trafficking and terrorist cells operating in the U.S. fund terror networks overseas, aided by established Mexican cartels with highly sophisticated trafficking routes.
These terrorist groups, or sleeper cells, include people who speak Arabic, Spanish and Hebrew and, for the most part, arouse no suspicion in their communities.
"It is very likely that any future 'September 11th' type of terrorist event in the United States may be facilitated, wittingly or unwittingly, by drug traffickers operating on both sides of the United States-Mexico border," the DEA report says.
Rep. Ed Royce of ...   more »

By Nicolien den Boer*
The leader of the Netherlands' right-wing Freedom Party, Geert Wilders, has called for a ban on the sale and distribution of the Qur'an. He would also outlaw the book’s use in the mosque and at home. Mr Wilders says the Qur'an (Koran) is a fascist book which promotes violence and is similar to Adolf Hitler’s Mein Kampf.
Geert Wilders with finger raised
In a letter-to-the-editor in today’s de Volkskrant newspaper, Wilders argues that the Qur'an should only be permitted for research at an academic level.
However, the MP - who is known for his controversial statements about Islam
- says he knows his proposal doesn’t stand a chance of being approved by parliament. His Freedom Party has nine seats in the 150-seat Dutch lower house of parliament.
A warning
Geert Wilders says he wants his proposal to serve as a warning to radical Muslims who misuse the Qur'an to justify the use of violence. His statement comes in response to the recent attacks on Ehsan Jami, founder of the Committee for Former Muslims. He says the perpetrators use the Qur'an as an excuse for the attacks. Wilders writes that
“The book incites hatred and killing and ...   more »

Saudi Arabia has launched a series of initiatives to lure tourists, but the Muslim kingdom continues to prohibit Jews and Christians from bringing in Bibles, crucifixes and Stars of David, threatening to confiscate them on sight.
The Jerusalem Post reported the website of the country's national carrier, Saudi Arabian Airlines, declared: "A number of items are not allowed to be brought into the kingdom due to religious reasons and local regulations."
The website – after referring to a prohibition on narcotics, firearms and pornography – states: "Items and articles belonging to religions other than Islam are also prohibited. These may include Bibles, crucifixes, statues, carvings, items with religious symbols such as the Star of David, and others."
The Jerusalem paper said it confirmed the rule in a conversation with a Saudi Arabian Airlines employee in New York, who would only give her name as Gladys.
"Yes, sir," she said, "that is what we have heard, that it is a problem to bring these things into Saudi Arabia, so you cannot do it."
An official at the Saudi Consulate in New York, who declined to give her name, also confirmed "you are not allowed to bring that stuff into the kingdom." ...   more »