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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.
world news
‘We’re Going to Light Up This World’: National Day of Prayer to Lift God’s Word to Combat Darkness
This year’s theme for the 73rd National Day of Prayer is “Lift up the Word – Light Up the World” from the Biblical passage in 2 Samuel chapter 22. It reads in part: “O Lord, You are my lamp. The Lord Lights up My Darkness.” It is a message that organizers say is needed now more than ever.
“It seemed all we were talking about was darkness,” Kathy Branzell, President of the National Day of Prayer Task Force told CBN’s Faith Nation. “‘Oh, America’s getting darker, our schools are getting darker, my neighborhood’s getting darker.'”
Branzell explained, “While that might feel true, the truth is darkness is the absence of light. This year by lifting up the Word, we know His Word in prayer won’t return void and we’re going to light up this world.”
The annual National Day of Prayer, which was established by Congress in 1952 and signed into law by President Harry S. Truman, is a call for Americans to humble themselves before Almighty God, to seek His guidance, wisdom, and blessing.
Branzell said events like the unrest and anti-semitic protests on college campuses should guide how Christians pray.
“We are praying God’s presence on those campuses. We are praying for the Holy Spirit to come in and for hatred to be diminished and for love to come in and to take over,” she said.
The hope is that the light already breaking through at some schools will spread to others.
Author and speaker Jennie Allen who has witnessed repentance, revival, and mass baptisms on several college campuses said many students are ready to hear the message of salvation.
“Gen Z is different,” Allen said in an interview on CBN News’ The PrayerLink. “They are open to God, and they want to confess their sin. They’re sick of the world and they want something different. Not all of them, but a lot of them.”
“And I think what the older Church needs to hear and believe is that it’s possible,” added Allen. “God is doing it again. He is awakening His people. And so, to pray and to pull those kids into your life and your home and disciple them because they’re hungry.”
In a nation divided by politics, race, and hot-button social issues, organizers realize that only a unified Church can pray with power. That is why the National Day of Prayer is partnering with the National Unity Weekend movement which brings churches together every June to teach on unity and serve their communities.
Bishop Derek Grier of Grace Church in Dumfries, Virginia is the founder of the group.
“If there was ever a time our nation needed unity it’s right now—particularly before we go into this election season,” Grier told CBN News. “And as the Church unites around the things that we have in common, the things that we disagree over become minor. And with that, people in our various communities can run into the church as a place of refuge.”
A refuge of light that outshines the darkness.
Sources:BREAKING CHRISTIAN NEWS
Nigeria — Armed “bandits” shot and killed Reverend Manasseh Ibrahim on Tuesday, April 23, in Kaduna state as he traveled to a church conference.
The reverend served under the Evangelical Church Winning All (ECWA) Kaduna Central District Church. Violence in Kaduna state, often directed toward Christians, has left thousands of believers in a state of fear.
“Christians who are direct victims of banditry and insurgency in Kaduna state are fed up with the inability of the Nigerian government to find a lasting solution to the incessant killings of innocent Christians,” said Yahaya Kinge, chairman of the local Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN).
Terrorist organizations such as Boko Haram, the Islamic State West Africa Province (ISWAP), and Islamic Fulani militants have caused countless atrocities throughout northern Nigeria in the last decade, causing the deaths and kidnappings of thousands.
Between the fall of 2022 and 2023, 4,118 Christians in Nigeria died for their faith, and 3,300 were kidnapped, according to Open Doors’ World Watch List. Despite the regular occurrence of violence, witnesses often describe a visible lack of response from government entities.
Witnesses interviewed by International Christian Concern (ICC) staff describe police watching nearby as militants and sometimes members of the community attack places of worship. They also share that different members of the community riot and cause enough damage to prevent trials, keeping Christians accused of crimes in jail.
Sources:persecution
നൈജീരിയയിലെ ഒരു ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ ഫുലാനി തീവ്രവാദികൾ നടത്തിയ ആക്രമണത്തിൽ 12 ക്രൈസ്തവർ കൊല്ലപ്പെട്ടു. പുലർച്ചെ രണ്ടുമണിക്കാണ് ഫുലാനി തീവ്രവാദികൾ ആക്രമണം നടത്തിയതെന്ന് പ്രാദേശിക വൃത്തങ്ങൾ അറിയിച്ചു.
മംഗു കൗണ്ടിയിലെ തിലേംഗ്പാൻ പുഷിത്തിലെ കർഷക സമൂഹത്തിൽ, ഫുലാനികൾ ഒരു പ്രകോപനവുമില്ലാതെ മാരകായുധങ്ങളുമായി ആക്രമിച്ചതായി റസിഡൻ്റ് ഇസ്രായേൽ ബംഷക് പറഞ്ഞു. “ഇരകളിൽ ഭൂരിഭാഗവും ആക്രമണകാരികളിൽ നിന്ന് രക്ഷപ്പെടാൻ കഴിയാത്ത സ്ത്രീകളും കുട്ടികളുമാണ്”- ബംഷാക്ക് വെളിപ്പെടുത്തി. ഫുലാനി ഇടയന്മാരാണ് ആക്രമണം നടത്തിയതെന്ന് മാംഗു ലോക്കൽ ഗവൺമെന്റ കൗൺസിൽ ചെയർമാൻ മർകസ് ആർതു പറഞ്ഞു.
പ്രകോപനമില്ലാതെയുള്ള ആക്രമണങ്ങൾ തടയാൻ തന്റെ സർക്കാർ ശ്രമിച്ചിട്ടും, അക്രമികൾ കൂടുതൽ ക്രൂരമായ ആക്രമണങ്ങൾ തുടരുന്നതിൽ ഗവർണർ കാലേബ് മുത്ഫ്വാങ് ദുഃഖം രേഖപ്പെടുത്തി. യാതൊരു പ്രകോപനവുമില്ലാത്ത ആക്രമണങ്ങൾ ആയതിനാൽ ക്രിസ്ത്യാനികളോട് ഉറച്ചുനിൽക്കാൻ മുത്ഫ്വാങ് അഭ്യർഥിച്ചു. സുരക്ഷ കൊണ്ടുവരാൻ തന്റെ സർക്കാർ സുരക്ഷാ ഏജൻസികളുമായി സഹകരിക്കുന്നത് തുടരുമെന്ന് അദ്ദേഹം പറഞ്ഞു.
Sources:azchavattomonline.com
‘We’re Going to Light Up This World’: National Day of Prayer to Lift God’s Word to Combat Darkness
This year’s theme for the 73rd National Day of Prayer is “Lift up the Word – Light Up the World”...
Pastor Murdered on Way to Church Conference
Nigeria — Armed “bandits” shot and killed Reverend Manasseh Ibrahim on Tuesday, April 23, in Kaduna state as he traveled...
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