Author: Ben Zion
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Israeli Sea Coast – lecture 12
To conclude our study of Ashdod, we will examine chapter 20 of Isaiah, which deals with a prophecy about Egypt, but opens with a puzzling mention of a military commander who was sent by Sargon, king of Assyria, to conquer Ashdod. Who was Sargon? Why is it important to mention the conquest of Ashdod here?…
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Bet Lechem – lecture 14
We learned three similar stories. Two lead to the situation: “Every man did what is right in his own eyes.” And the third leads to the kingdom of David, about whom God says: “He who has done what is right in my eyes.” What is the message of this contrast and how does it relate…
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Bet Lechem – lecture 13
The recurring motif in the story of Micah’s statue and the story of the concubine of Givah is the Levite who comes from Bet Lechem. What does this mean? and why is it emphasized? It seems that both stories that end the Book of Judges and the opening story of the Book of Samuel contain…
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Bet Lechem – lecture 12
How does the message of Bet Lechem appear in the song “Lecha Dodi” sung on Shabbat night? And how is the same message also expressed in the two difficult stories that end the Book of Judges? The story of Micah’s statue and the story of the concubine in Givah. We will study the story, try…
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Bet Lechem – lecture 11
According to the words of the prophet Micah about Bet Lechem, we can define the message of Bet Lechem as: leadership through humility. A message that is expressed in the famous Midrash about Mount Sinai, which was the lowest and most humble of all mountains. We will now examine this message in all the other…
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Bet Lechem – lecture 10
We managed to define the central theme of Bet Lechem: humility, and a focus on the essence rather than on external appearances. The characters identified with Bet Lechem express this theme: Ruth, who is a convert and a Moabite. David, who presents himself to Saul humbly and says: “Who am I that I should be…
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Israeli Sea Coast – lecture 11
Following the previous lecture, we will analyze the connection between two stories: The Ark: from capitivity in Philistine to freedom, and the Israelites: from slavery in Egypt to freedom. There are many linguistic and conceptual parallels and even the cows that held the Ark are described as singing the Song of the Sea (Shirat Hayam)!…
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Israeli Sea Coast – lecture 10
We will prove the claim that Ashdod is the central city of the Philistines and not Azza. We will explain why, geographically – situated on the International Highway and close to water sources. We will study in depth the story of the bringing of the Holy Ark to Ashdod, and we will offer an interesting…
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Israeli Sea Coast – lecture 9
The significance of Ashdod. Almost all references to Ashdod in the Tanach are negative. Unlike Yafo, which symbolizes a transition point between the holy and the unholy, Ashdod is almost always associated with foreigners and idolatry. We will see on the map the biblical Ashdod compared to the modern Ashdod, and we will explain why…
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Bet Lechem – lecture 9
In light of everything we have said – Rachel’s tomb is not in Bet Lechem, but only nearby. So what is special about Bet Lechem itself? A new hypothesis: “Ephrath” is not a city, but a large area, and Jacob buried Rachel in that area, in a place that would later be called Bet Lechem,…