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Archaeologists may have found biblical town Emmaus, where Christ appeared after His resurrection
Archaeologists believe they might have discovered the location of the town of Emmaus, where Jesus was said to have first appeared before two of his disciples after His resurrection.
Scholars on a Franco-Israeli expedition in Kiriath Yearim that began in 2017 have found a massive, ancient wall of a Hellenistic-era fortress that might have been built by a Seleucid general who defeated the famed Jewish leader featured prominently in the Hanukkah story.
Kiriath Yearim is a hill that overlooks the approach to Jerusalem. It was mentioned various times throughout the Old Testament and is said to have been the location of the Ark of the Covenant for decades before the ark was taken to Jerusalem by King David.
The discovery, researchers say, could help to identify the location of the biblical town of Emmaus. It is written in the book of Luke that it was on the road to Emmaus where Jesus made his first appearance before two of His disciples after His resurrection from the dead.
In the biblical account, the two disciples walk from Jerusalem to Emmaus when the resurrected Jesus joins them on the walk. However, the men do not recognize the man who joined them as Christ.
Later, upon reaching Emmaus, Christ accepted an offer to eat and stay with the men as night fell. After the bread was broken and the food was blessed, the disciples’ eyes were opened and they recognized Jesus. After they recognized Him, according to Luke 24, Jesus vanished from their sight.
According to the book of Luke, the village of Emmaus was located about 60 stadia about 7 miles from Jerusalem.
Haaretz reports that an upcoming study from the expedition that will be published on Oct. 24 makes a suggestion that could have “broader implications for biblical archaeology and Christian history.”
The study is led by Tel Aviv University archaeologist Israel Finkelstein and College de France biblical studies professor Thomas Römer. The researchers suggest that the hill of Kiriath Yearim and the adjacent town of Abu Gosh could be identified as the biblical town of Emmaus that was fortified by Seleucid general Bacchides in the Old Testament.
The book of Maccabees lists a number of cities surrounding Jerusalem in which General Bacchides built fortresses. Those towns included Emmaus, Beth Horon, Bethel, Timnath, Pirathon, Tephon, and Jericho.
Finkelstein and Römer suggest that Kiriath Yearim is Emmaus because there are no other known major Hellenistic strongholds west of Jerusalem.
“Geographically I think that the distance to Jerusalem fits well, so I do think that Kiriath Yearim could have been the Emmaus of the New Testament,” Römer was quoted as saying.
As Haaretz notes, most of the places included on the list in 1 Maccabees 9 can be identified as sites that lie north, south or east of Jerusalem. At some of those sites, Archaeologists have found remains of other Hellenistic fortifications.
“Finkelstein and Römer have a good case archaeologically, geographically, and topographically,” Benjamin Isaac, emeritus professor of ancient history from Tel Aviv University, told Haaretz. “However, it is a hypothesis and remains a hypothesis.”
Isaac warns that there is not enough hard evidence to conclusively link Emmaus to Kiriath Yearim. Isaac notes that there are at least two other sites nearby that could also be Emmaus from the New Testament.
Historian Eusebius of Caesarea from the second and third century identified Emmaus Nicopolis, a Byzantine town in the Ayalon Valley near the modern-day Latrun junction, as the Emmaus mentioned in Luke.
Emmaus Nicopolis was destroyed in the 1967 Six-Day War and the ruins today are part of a national park.
However, Emmaus Nicopolis, lies about 15 miles from Jerusalem, which would be double the distance from Jerusalem described in Luke.
According to Haaretz, others believe that the modern-day village of Motza, which lies between Kiriath Yearim and Jerusalem, is where Emmaus of the Bible was located. However, that village is too close to Jerusalem to fit the description provided in Luke.
According to Römer, the word “Emmaus” is the Greek version of the Hebrew word for “hot spring.” He said there likely could have been a number of towns sharing the Emmaus name.
സിംഗപ്പൂർ: ഇന്തൊനീഷ്യയിൽ സന്ദർശനം നടത്തുന്നതിനിടെ ഫ്രാൻസിസ് മാർപാപ്പയെ വധിക്കാൻ പദ്ധതിയിട്ട സംഭവത്തിൽ 7 പേരെ പൊലീസ് അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്തു.
മാർപാപ്പ 3 ദിവസത്തെ ഇന്തൊനീഷ്യ സന്ദർശനം പൂർത്തിയാക്കി ഇന്നലെ പാപ്പുവ ന്യൂഗിനിയിലെത്തിയിട്ടുണ്ട്. രഹസ്യവിവരത്തെ തുടർന്ന് ജക്കാർത്തയ്ക്കു സമീപമുള്ള ബൊഗോർ, ബെക്കാസി എന്നിവിടങ്ങളിൽ നിന്നാണ് 7 പേരെ തിങ്കൾ, ചൊവ്വ ദിവസങ്ങളിലായി അറസ്റ്റ് ചെയ്തത്.
ഇവർക്കു പരസ്പരം അറിയാമോയെന്ന് പൊലീസ് സ്ഥിരീകരിച്ചിട്ടില്ല. ഇവരിലൊരാൾ താമസിച്ചിരുന്ന വീട്ടിൽ നിന്ന് അമ്പും വില്ലും, ഒരു ഡ്രോൺ, ഭീകരസംഘടനയായ ഇസ്ലാമിക് സ്റ്റേറ്റിന്റെ ലഘുലേഖകൾ എന്നിവ കണ്ടെടുത്തിട്ടുണ്ട്.
പിടിയിലായവരിൽ ഒരാൾ ഭീകരപ്രവർത്തകനും വിരാന്റോയിൽ മുൻപ് നടന്ന ആക്രമണത്തിലെ പ്രതിയുമാണ്. മാർപാപ്പയുടെ ഇസ്തിഖ്ലാൽ മസ്ജിദ് സന്ദർശനത്തിൽ രോഷംകൊണ്ടാണ് ആക്രമണത്തിനു പദ്ധതിയിട്ടതെന്ന് പൊലീസ് വക്താവ് അറിയിച്ചു.
Sources:nerkazhcha
Pakistan — Yet another Christian community in Pakistan is in a state of fear following a local Muslim’s false accusation of blasphemy.
On Aug. 27, a man named “Bugti” claimed a local Christian had burned a Quran in the Christian community of Gulshan-e-Mariam, Jam Kanda, Shah Latif Town, district Malir Karachi. Word of the incident spread, and tensions mounted until a Muslim mob formed on Aug. 30 and shouted threats. Nearly 40 of the more than 250 Christian families in the community fled, fearing violence. Members of the mob broke into those families’ homes and stole their belongings.
“The situation of the area was very harmful, and the Muslims of the area included were angry, and some masked persons were ready for the attack,” one person reported. “Luckily, all were saved after the statement of the man named Bugti, who saw the burnt Quran from a garbage canister near the Christian community’s area.”
Police reportedly took Bugti and two Christians, a pastor and a police officer, to the Shah Latif Police Station to record their statements on the incident. Representatives of Muslim organizations in the area also visited the police station.
Police later met with religious and political leaders from the local Christian and Muslim communities. Bugti also attended the meeting and shared why he made the accusation.
“I found a burnt Quran from the garbage canister, but I have not seen anyone doing this,” Bugti said.
Although police have increased their presence in the area following the incident, ICC has heard reports of local Christians still feeling threatened and afraid.
False blasphemy charges have been weaponized against Christians for years and have been widely reported. Christians throughout Pakistan fear being targeted by the weaponizing of Pakistan’s blasphemy laws. Previous allegations made against believers have led to extensive destruction and even death.
Sources:persecution
Nicaragua— After months of diplomatic negotiations between the United States and Nicaraguan governments, 13 Nicaraguan pastors and attorneys affiliated with Mountain Gateway, a Texas-based ministry, were released from prison today.
“This is the day we have prayed and believed God for,” Jon Britton Hancock, founder of Mountain Gateway, said in a statement. “These pastors and attorneys have suffered greatly for the sake of the Gospel, but it has not been in vain. The Kingdom of God is advancing because of their persecution. Today, we cry tears of joy because our brothers and sisters are free!”
The 13 Mountain Gateway-affiliated prisoners were among 135 “unjustly detained political prisoners” released today through a deal arranged by the U.S. government, U.S. National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan said in a statement.
“No one should be put in jail for peacefully exercising their fundamental rights of free expression, association, and practicing their religion,” Sullivan added.
Nicaraguan authorities arrested the 13 Mountain Gateway personnel in December 2023 following a large evangelistic event. In March, they were convicted of money laundering and sentenced to up to 15 years in prison. They were also fined nearly $1 billion.
International Christian Concern (ICC) President Jeff King recently spoke with Hancock about the challenges Mountain Gateway has faced in Nicaragua. ICC has also closely followed issues of religious freedom in Nicaragua, where more than 500 churches and religious organizations have been attacked since 2018.
Sources:persecution
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