world news
Evidence of biblical kingdom of Edom found
The Old Testament described Edom as a neighbouring enemy state of Judea, located southeast of the Dead Sea where explorers would now find parts of Jordan and Israel.
It was spoken of extremely harshly, with some biblical texts indicating that it was complicit in the destruction of Judea and the holy city of Jerusalem.
Edom has been described as a place “where kings reigned before any Israelite king reigned”, but is later said to have been defeated and plundered by King David of Israel.
Such tales have been scoffed at by plenty of historians down the years, but discoveries by a team of scientists and archaeologists in the area where it would have stood have raised new questions about its possible existence.
Researchers from the University of California and Tel Aviv University have been working at the supposed site in what is now known as the Arabah Valley.
There they excavated a copper production site dubbed Slaves’ Hill, dating back more than 6,000 years, which yielded layers of smelting waste that have helped reconstruct a time when the region enjoyed a “technological leap”.
Using a process called radiocarbon dating, which helps determine how old an organic object is, the researchers were able to put a date on the smelting waste – better known as slag.
Analysis of the minerals and metals within the slag was then used to work out how smelting techniques changed over the centuries, with lower concentrations of copper indicating that more had been extracted.
Efficiency improved dramatically in the second half of the 10th century BC and the techniques also became common across various sites in the region – indicating that other workers were picking them up.
Detailing the findings in the journal PLOS ONE, team leader Erez Ben-Yosef said the technological leap played a key role in the move from the Bronze Age to the Iron Age.
“Our study sheds new light on the emergence of the archaeologically elusive biblical kingdom of Edom, indicating that the process started much earlier than previously thought,” he said.
“That said, the study’s contribution goes beyond the Edomite case, as it provides significant insights on ancient technological evolution and the intricate interconnections between technology and society.
“The results demonstrate that the punctuated equilibrium evolutionary model is applicable to ancient technological developments, and that in turn, these developments are proxies for social processes.”
“Genesis 36:31-39 lists the eight Edomite kings up to that time, delineating a long line of political leaders during the years in which Israel lived in slavery in Egypt.”
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Chinese Bible Distributor Sentenced to 5 Years in Prison
China — In April 2021, Chinese authorities arrested 10 Christians for selling and distributing Bibles in Hohhot, the capital city of Inner Mongolia — an autonomous region in northern China. Just last month, a judge sentenced one of these believers to prison.
Ban Yanhong was sentenced on April 15, 2024, to five years in prison for “illegal business operations,” or illegally selling and distributing Bibles to Christians in Inner Mongolia.
Ban Yanhong’s husband, Ji Heying, claimed that authorities charged his wife because they considered her to be a key figure in the group. Five of the original 10 Christians have been released on bail but could still face prosecution for their role in the Bible distributions. The other four Christians are awaiting their trial.
Originally, the 10 Hohhot Christians purchased the Bibles legally from a church in Nanjing associated with the Three-Self Patriotic Movement (TSPM). TSPM churches are the only legal churches in China and are controlled by the Communist government.
In Ban’s case, prosecutors argued that even though the Bibles were initially purchased legally in Nanjing, selling and distributing them in Inner Mongolia by unregistered house church members was illegal.
Sources:persecution
world news
ആദ്യമായി ഇസ്രായേൽ സർവ്വകലാശാലയുടെ റെക്ടറായി അറബ് ക്രിസ്ത്യൻ വനിത
ഹൈഫ: ചരിത്രത്തില് ആദ്യമായി അറബ് ക്രിസ്ത്യൻ വനിത, ഇസ്രായേലിലെ സർവ്വകലാശാലയുടെ റെക്ടറായി തെരഞ്ഞെടുക്കപ്പെട്ടു. പ്രൊഫസർ മൗന മറൂണാണ് ഹൈഫ സർവകലാശാലയുടെ റെക്ടറായി തെരഞ്ഞെടുക്കപ്പെട്ടിരിക്കുന്നത്. ഹൈഫ സർവ്വകലാശാലയിൽ ഇതിന് മുന്പ് മറ്റൊരു അറബ് വംശജരായ, ക്രിസ്ത്യാനിയോ സ്ത്രീയോ റെക്ടർ സ്ഥാനം വഹിച്ചിട്ടില്ല. ഇസ്രായേലിലെ വിദ്യാഭ്യാസ സമ്പ്രദായത്തിൽ റെക്ടറാണ് സർവ്വകലാശാലയുടെ തലവന്. ഇസ്രായേൽ അക്കാദമിയിൽ എല്ലാം സാധ്യമാണ് എന്നതിൻ്റെ പ്രധാന സന്ദേശമാണ് തന്നെ തെരഞ്ഞെടുത്തിരിക്കുന്നതിലൂടെ വ്യക്തമായിരിക്കുന്നതെന്ന് മൗന പറഞ്ഞു.
മറൂൺ ജനിച്ച ഇസ്ഫിയ എന്ന ഗ്രാമത്തിൽ നിന്ന് ഏകദേശം ആറ് മൈൽ അകലെ കാർമൽ പർവതത്തിലാണ് ഹൈഫ സർവ്വകലാശാല സ്ഥിതി ചെയ്യുന്നത്. 20-ാം നൂറ്റാണ്ടിൻ്റെ തുടക്കത്തിൽ ലെബനോനിൽ നിന്ന് ഇവിടെയെത്തിയവരാണ് മറൂണിന്റെ കുടുംബം. അക്കാലത്ത് സ്കൂളുകൾ ഇല്ലായിരുന്നു. ഉന്നത വിദ്യാഭ്യാസത്തിലൂടെ മാത്രമേ തങ്ങളുടെ നാല് പെൺമക്കളെ ഇസ്രായേലി സമൂഹത്തിൽ സമന്വയിപ്പിക്കാൻ കഴിയൂവെന്ന് അവർ വിശ്വസിച്ചിരുന്നു. അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് പഠനം തുടരാൻ അവർ എന്നെ പ്രോത്സാഹിപ്പിച്ചതെന്ന് മൗന വെളിപ്പെടുത്തി. ഇസ്രായേലിലെ ഏറ്റവും വൈവിധ്യമാർന്നതും ഉൾക്കൊള്ളുന്നതുമായ സർവ്വകലാശാലകളിലൊന്നാണ് ഹൈഫ സർവകലാശാല. 17,000 വിദ്യാർത്ഥികളിൽ 45% അറബ് സമൂഹത്തിൽ നിന്നുള്ളവരാണ്.
കടപ്പാട് :പ്രവാചക ശബ്ദം
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
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