Passover

 

The Messiah was crucified on Wednesday, not Friday 
It is sad how the symphony of Scripture is often confused by error and tradition.        Confusion about the day of the week is easily explained. Mark 15:42 says it was “preparation day, the day before the Sabbath”. Most folks assume he is referring to the Saturday Sabbath. Not so. There were 3 Sabbaths that week, two “high” Sabbaths and one regular weekly Sabbath (Saturday). Passover is a “High Sabbath” The 1^st day of the Feast of Unleavened Bread is also a “High Sabbath” And, Saturday’s are Sabbaths.  So, if ‘3 days and 3 nights’ means what it says then it is most likely Passover / Crucifixion that week landed on a Wednesday. He would have been dead, and in the grave, beginning Wednesday night. He rose sometime after Saturday evening because He had risen by Sunday before dawn. Y’Shua foretold that He would be in the “heart of the earth for three days and three nights” and He was! Matthew 12:40 Friday at 6:00 p.m. through Sunday at dawn (36 hours) is NOT three days and three nights. It’s seems wrong to try and make it so. Buried in a tomb – three days and three nights. Mark 15:42-47 Luke 24:1-12   It is sad how the symphony of Scripture is often confused by error and tradition. It was a bitter sweet day indeed. Few understood it at the time. Few understand it today.

                                    The Bible is One book

The Bible is not a composite of two books nor sixty-six books with conflicting concepts and teaching. It is, rather, one book recording the acts of G-d under two primary covenants (Old and New Testaments). Doctrinally there is no conflict between the two. They are altogether compatible and in mutual

agreement.  We believe literally that all Scripture is given by inspiration of G-d, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness: that the man of G-d may be perfect, thoroughly furnished unto all good works (2 Tim. 3:16-17) (Wilson 1989, 26).                                                                                                                   

The themes in the Old and New Testaments are the same: G-d’s holiness, righteousness and mercy; and man’s alienation and estrangement from G-d through disobedience. It might surprise you to know that the Jewish people do not rely on works for salvation they know the only way to salvation is through the Messiah.  The basic significance of the New Testament is uniquely a Jewish one: the fulfillment of the messianic hope. The New Testament writers, with perhaps the exception of Luke, are all Jews. The early Apostles and followers of Y’Shua are also Jewish. There is nothing in the New Testament that is non-Jewish or anti-Jewish. Quite the contrary, Y’Shua’ entire message taught

that:   G-d’s Laws or instructions on how to live righteously are for all that follow Him. Only the merciful were to receive mercy, only the forgiving could expect forgiveness and that love would be the sign of His true disciples.

Resurrection

The Pasach (translated Passover) was the Last Supper as the paschal meal. The term Pesach, or Passover was applied not only to the Paschal Lamb, but also to all the Passover sacrifices, especially to what was called the Chagigah, or festive offering to bring the festive sacrifice usual at each of the three Great Feasts, the Chagigah was brought on the first festive Paschal Day. It was offered immediately after the morning-service, and eaten on that day – probably sometime before the evening, when, as we shall by-and-by see, another ceremony claimed public attention.

Not on the eve of the Passover, but on the first Paschal day, the Sanhedrins would avoid incurring a defilement which, lasting till the evening would not only have involved them in the inconvenience of Levitical defilement on the first festive day, but have actually prevented their offering their offering on that day of Passover, festive sacrifice, or Chagigah….There would have been no reason to fear ‘defilement’ on the morning of the Paschal Sacrifice; but entrance into the Praetorium on the morning of the first Passover-day would have rendered it impossible for them to offer the Chagigah, which is also designated by the term Pesach.
The paschal sacrifices (hagigah) which were eaten during the seven days of the feast.
The Passover lambs were killed between the evenings at the going down of the sun (Deut. 16:6, Ex. 12:6, 18; Lev. 23:5; Num. 9:3, 5 around 6 p.m. The lambs could be sacrificed only one place, which was Jerusalem at the Temple (Deut. 16:6). Since there were thousands of lambs to be slain there, these began to be killed just as soon as the sun permitted – about 3 p.m. With all the courses of priests’ present, the offeror would kill his lamb, and the priest would catch the blood in a golden bowl, which was then sprinkled, before the altar. The lamb was prepared by being roasted, and with the three-fold blast of the silver trumpets at about 6 P.M. the Pascha had commenced.
Josephus says when they slay their sacrifices, from the ninth hour (3 p.m.) till the eleventh (5 pm.) The night on which the lambs were eaten was the 14^th of Nisan and not the 15^th is clearly stated by Josephus.
The Pascha, then, was eaten during the night, but no later than the middle of the night. The night for eating the Pascha was the 14^th of Nisan, for it could not have been the 15^th, which was a High Sabbath day; and therefore the killing of the lambs commenced between the evenings of the 13^th and 14^th, or at some time after 3 p.m. and on the 13 of Nisan.
No leaven was permitted in the Israelite’s dwelling at this time. The cleansing of all leaven had taken place the night of the 13^th, and the burning of the morning of the 13^th of Nisan. An Israelite would not enter into a Gentile’s dwelling lest he be defiled by leaven in that Gentile’s home. At sunset on the 15^th of Nisan was the beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread. This was a high day, and as such, no work of any kind was permitted. The 15^th of Nisan was the day that Israel came out of Egypt. The 15^th being a High Sabbath day, the day before was the preparation. Y’Shua was killed on the preparation, which was the 14^th day of Nisan, and His body was taken down from the cross and buried before the Sabbath began. He had kept the Passover with His disciples as was His desire. On the day of preparation things could be brought. Yet a person could be defiled by a wrong use of the day. (Ex. 12:15-20). A person even before this time had to be clean, and had to remain clean.
Thus there is no conflict in Scripture if, the Chagigah is offered on the first day of the feast, and this day is the 14^th of Nisan and not the high or Sabbath day of the 15^th.
History tells us the Temple was destroyed and had never been rebuilt. The priesthood ended; sacrifice could no longer be offered. The genealogical records were destroyed. The scattering of the people was total. The ancients had demanded that the coming One present proper credentials. After the great dispersion in 70 A.D, it would have been impossible. The Lamb, standing on the altar as if slain, described as innocent, meek and mild, represented the emblem most suited to the Messiah. The Picture presented was not from man who offers and slays. This was G-d giving voluntarily of His own.
G-d sacrificed the Lamb on the altar of the cross. Those wooden beams became the doorpost for the world’s home. G-d promises to pass over us with His judgment of death, as we are willing to stand under its protection. This is what we remember and celebrate at Passover.
The Seder means order. The intent of the ceremony is and always has been to obey the precept ‘tell your sons and daughters.’ Passover then represents our salvation. ‘Do this in remembrance.’
The Unleaven bread used at Passover time is called the Matzoh. It is striped and has holes in it. ‘By His stripes we are healed’, pierced, ‘they shall look upon Him whom they have pierced’ and of course, pure, without any leaven, as His body was without sin.

Y’Shua was buried at beginning of the Feast of Unleavened Bread since His body was interred at sundown of Passover day. Crucifixion normally took three days. The Romans utilized this slow and terrible way of death to terrify the population of provincial Israel.

The young, strong Carpenter of Galilee was dead in just six hours. He was placed on the cross at 9 a.m., the third hour and taken down at 3 p.m. There was then time enough to wrap the body and bury it at sundown. The answer to why He died in six hours is that’s all the time He could spare for our L-rd never omitted a feast. This was the High Holiday.

 

Three days He aroused! Resurrection, the grave couldn’t hold Him!
Buried on a Wednesday at 6pm to Thursday 6 pm is one day
Thursday 6pm to Friday 6pm is 2 days
Friday 6pm to Saturday 6pm is 3 days
He was raised by 6pm on Saturday for when the ladies came the first day of the week (which started at 6pm Saturday according to the Jewish time) they found the tomb empty!

Unfortunately, while trying to separate from the non-believing Jews the Church threw out the baby (Biblical holidays) with the bath water (un-Biblical customs)! There was no reason to stop the Holidays. These days did not bring bondage they brought people closer to God. Y’Shua and Paul both celebrated the holidays. The holidays should be analyzed according to the Bible whether or not they are Jewish.                         A non-Jew may choose voluntarily to conform to certain observances, celebrations, or customs which are both Jewish and rooted in Scripture. Such practice is not Judaizing. Following a Biblical custom is far different from being bound by a required practice (Wilson 1989, 26).                                                                                                           Y’Shua’s ministry, death, and resurrection, has made it possible for all believers, Gentiles and Jews, to maintain the righteous principles of the law (or G-d’s instructions) without being encumbered with all the cultural baggage of Talmudic Judaism (Judaizing).

 

Ishtar Gate

The Ishtar Gate, one of the eight gates of the inner city of Babylon, was built during the reign of Nebuchadnezzar II (604- 562 BC). Only the foundations of the gate were found, going down some 45 feet, with molded, unglazed figures. The gateway has been reconstructed in the Pergamon Museum, Berlin, from the glazed bricks found, so its original height is different in size. Reconstructed height is 47 feet. It was one of the eight gates of the inner city of Babylon. It was built in about 575 BC, the eighth fortified gate in the city. It is one of the most impressive monuments rediscovered in the ancient Near East. The Ishtar gate was decorated with glazed brick relief’s, in tiers, of dragons and young bulls. The gate itself was a double one, and on its south side was a vast antechamber. Through the gatehouse ran a stone-and brick-paved avenue, the so-called Processional Way, which has been traced over a length of more than half a mile. King Nebuchadnezzar II of Babylon dedicated the great Ishtar Gate to the goddess Ishtar. It was the main entrance into Babylon. King Nebuchadnezzar II performed elaborate building projects in Babylon around 604-562 BC. His goal was to beautify his capital. He restored the temple of Marduk, the chief idol, and also built himself a magnificent palace with the famous Hanging Gardens, which was reported by the Greek historian Herodotus to have been one of the wonders of the world. The Bible records that it was Nebuchadnezzar who destroyed Jerusalem, brought the kingdom of Judah to an end, and carried off the Jews into exile. The Ishtar Gate was the starting point for processions. The Babylonians would assemble in front of it and march through the triumphal arch and proceed along the Sacred Way to the 7-story Ziggurat, which was crowned near the temple of Marduk. The gateway was completely covered with beautifully colored glazed bricks. Its relief’s of dragons and bulls symbolized the idols Marduk and Adad. Enameled tiles of glorious blue surrounded the brightly colored yellow and brown beasts. In front of the gateway outside the city was a road with walls decorated with relief’s of lions and glazed yellow tiles. The Ishtar gate was reconstructed in Berlin out of material excavated by Robert Koldeway. The Dedicatory Inscription on the Ishtar Gate reads: Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon, the faithful prince appointed by the will of Marduk, the highest of princely princes, beloved of Nabu, of prudent counsel, who has learned to embrace wisdom, who fathomed their divine being and reveres their majesty, the untiring governor, who always takes to heart the care of the cult of Esagila and Ezida and is constantly concerned with the well-being of Babylon and Borsippa, the wise, the humble, the caretaker of Esagila and Ezida, the firstborn son of Nabopolassar, the King of Babylon. Both gate entrances of Imgur-Ellil and Nemetti-Ellil following the filling of the street from Babylon had become increasingly lower. Therefore, I pulled down these gates and laid their foundations at the water table with asphalt and bricks and had them made of bricks with blue stone on which wonderful bulls and dragons were depicted. I covered their roofs by laying majestic cedars length-wise over them. I hung doors of cedar adorned with bronze at all the gate openings. I placed wild bulls and ferocious dragons in the gateways and thus adorned them with luxurious splendor so that people might gaze on them in wonder I let the temple of Esiskursiskur (the highest festival house of Markduk, the L-rd of the idols a place of joy and celebration for the major and minor gods) be built firm like a mountain in the precinct of Babylon of asphalt and fired bricks.

Tower of Babel

Babel means ‘gate of go’ and each layer had gates to the idols of their god. Balelled means ‘confusion.’ G-d balelled the people, but the tower’s name was Babel. Seven layers to their idols, each layer a different color; and the top layer was a chapel. 1. Was black and called Saturn. Saturn is the most beautiful planet through a telescope and it is the 6th planet from the earth, number 6 is the number of man. A combination of 6’s represents satan. On this layer they worship chiefly the idol called Rephan which the Hebrews called a abomination. They were to carry small images on their journeys and into war with the idol. 2. Was orange and called Jupiter represented the light of the sky, worshiping Zeus that was represented as a thunder bolt. Garlands of flowers were placed on the horns of animals used for sacrifices. Jupiter’s father was Saturn, which he overthrow and his sons were Pluto and Neptune. His family was known as Olympics, he was handsome, bearded man that was accompanied by an eagle. In Acts 14:12-13 they thought Barabbas was Jupiter coming to pay them a visit, because he was a large, aged, bearded man. 3. Was red and called Mars which was represented by war. 4. Was golden and called the Sun this is where Marduk was worshiped who was a form of the sun-god who carried people to heaven. The main festival for him was the new year. 5. Was yellow and called Venus which was known as the morning star because they worship the stars and astrology. 6. Was dark blue and called Mercury who was the son of Jupiter and father of pan. He wore a wing cap and winged sandals, known as the swift messenger, carrying a short sword. His interest was the purse, merchandize. They thought Paul was Mercury because he was a small, young man with eloquent speech like Mercury. 7. Was silver and called Moon that worship deity was Ishtar who was also known as Astarte to the Greek, Ashtoreth to the Jews, Isis to the Egyptians, Aphrodite to the Grecians, and Venus to the Romans. Ishtar was a goddess of war as well as love, and was connected to both prostitutes and mothers. She was represented as a bearded bi-sexual deity, and at other times a nude female. Her worshippers called her ‘the virgin,’ and ‘virgin mother,’ not because she was pure, but simply meaning she was free from wedlock. The top layer held the chapel that was for cult prostitution. There was a shrine containing a golden image 40 feet high accompanied by a golden table 40 feet long and 15 feet wide with 2 smaller images at its side. Every woman in the country must take her seat in the shrine once in her life to have sex with a stranger…and only when she has been with him and done her service to the idol is she allowed to go home, if you were ugly you may had to wait your turn 3-4 years. Offerings were divided among the prostitutes and the temple. The earliest Mosaic Laws protected the Israelites against this practice by destroying the high places used for idolatry, and requiring the sacrifices to be made only at he door of the Tabernacle. Babylon exercised greater influence upon religion ideas than Canaan or Egypt. The city of Babylon was laid out in the form of a square occupying both sides of the Euphrates River. It was surrounded by an astonishing brick wall 300 feet high, 85 feet wide, and 40-60 miles long. This wall included 200 square miles of territory and had ran along its outside. The mud from the moat was used to make the many brick used in the building program. This wall was guarded by 250 towers and was broad enough to allow four horse chariots to turn around on top of it. With a fortress this complete it is not hard to understand why the L-rd sent the Medes and Persian under the city through the dried water tunnels to capture the city from within without and outward attack in Dan. 5-6. A wall ran along each side of the Euphrates River with 25 brass gates on each wall totaling 100 in all. Wharfs were built from the gates to the water and ferry boats crossed the river from wharf to wharf. A roofed bridge of masonry crossed the Euphrates and stone piers and joined the center parts of the city. Babylon was defended by a royal palace at each end. The westernmost wall appeared to rise directly out of the Euphrates and provided both a defense against invading armies, and formed a water break to protect the city against floods. Above this western wall soared the Tower of Babel, and below it was one of the world’s oldest masonry bridges some 400 feet long providing access to the river’s opposite bank. The hanging gardens of Babylon were considered one of the ancient wonders of the world. They had trees and flowers planted on terraces, one upon the other some 150 feet high. There was a special device built just for the purpose of watering these elevated gardens. During the time of the excavations, the only structure that was even partially standing was the immense ceremonial gateway which guarded the main entrance to the city of Babylon. This gateway was built so solidly that it even survived the destruction of the city by the Persians in the sixth century. This gate was dedicated to the goddess Ishtar and consisted of two portals, one behind the other, each flanked by massive towers that were built with bricks and cemented with pitch. These bricks were covered with beautiful rock hard outer shell of enameled brick that was embellished with brilliant colored artwork of bulls and dragons. The broadway leading up to the Ishtar Gate was used for processions in the honor of the idol Marduk. This broadway was nearly 80 feet wide and was paved with slabs of limestone and pink marble. It ran between the two wall decorated with the colorful enameled figures of lions. Because the temperatures in Babylon sometimes reach 130 degrees during the hot summer days, Nebuchadnezzar’s throne room was insulated against the heat by an elaborate frontage built 10 feet thick. Its three arched entrances faced the north so the direct sunlight rarely penetrated the white washing interior that was faced with a creamy-white plaster and colorful friezes of enameled brick. The Tower of Babel, which was considered by some to have been the greatest architectural wonder of its day, was a huge many leveled ziggurat with a chapel on top, each store of the tower was slightly smaller than the one below creating a step like appearance. It was thought to have soared at least 300 feet above the countryside and rested on a courtyard a quarter of a mile square that was enclosed by storehouses and apartments for the priest. The original Tower of Babel, mentioned in Genesis, was built hundreds of years before the reign of Nebuchadnezzar, though the centuries it was destroyed and rebuilt several times. Remember this was a curse city that was to be destroyed and never again be rebuilt according to Jer. 50. there is much discussion among different scholars where this last rebuilding has already taken place or is the future. Babylon appears to be a literal city that will not be standing in the millennium (Rev. 14:8, 16:19, 18:1-24). Babylon will deceive all nations at the end of time. It will be destroyed by G-d’s supernatural intervention, including an earthquake with some reference to the method He used at Sodom, and it will be destroyed in one hour. Whenever the final destruction happens, it is to NEVER be inhabited again, not even by the Arabs or the shepherds. Today there is a city called Hillah of well over 300,000 population built just south of the old site of ancient Babylon. The soil in the area is still quite rich and engineers estimate that the Euphrates and Tigris rivers could irrigate more than 7,000,000 acres in the winter and 3,000, 000 in the summer to provide for a commercial city of Babylon again with the whole area rich in oil and other minerals. Alexander the Great, who occupied the area of Babylon in 331 B.E. planned to rebuilt it as a monument to his success, but estimated that the cost would be too great. He calculated it would take 10,000 men 2 months just to clear the debris. In 1987 from September 22 to October 22 Saddam Hussein held a Babylon International Festival featuring the similarities between Saddam Hussein and King Nebuchadnezzar. For this festival Saddam rebuilt the walls of the Procession Street leading to the Ishtar Gate. He also erected a half size reconstruction of the Ishtar Gate, rebuilt the southern palace of King Nebuchadnezzar, had his soldiers march on Procession Street as Nebuchadnezzar’s warriors did in authentic Babylonian costume. Saddam reconstructed the Ninmach Temple, rebuilt the Greek Theater sitting 4,000 people, located his Saddam Hussein Guest House in the center of Babylon, and requested that the rock singer ‘Madonna’ be the Queen of the Festival. In ancient times Nimrod’s wife held the title ‘My Lady’ in Latin, which in Italian is the well known ‘Madonna.’ The music festival in 1987 was also held in accordance with the ancient musicians that prophecy predicts will one day ‘be heard no more in Babylon’ (Rev. 18:22). The streets of Babylon were named after various idols. There was a Marduk Street and a Zababa Street on the left bank of the river. One inscription reads, ‘there were 53 temples to the chief idols, 55 chapels to Marduk, 300 chapels for earthly deities, 600 chapels for heavenly deities, 180 altars for the goddess Ishtar, 180 altars for the idols Negal and Adad and 12 other altars to different idols. The king of Babylon was limited in power by the law and by the priest. The king was really not king until he was invested with the royal authority of the priest or as they put it ‘took the hands of Baal.’ Taxation was in the name of the idols and the money went into the temple treasuries. And official census of the idols of Babylon was taken in the 9th century before the Messiah and the count was 6500.

In His Time

Y’Shua was a Jew, not a Christian (which is Greek for Messianic). He was circumcised at 8 days old, observed Passover, read the Torah in Hebrew, and kept Saturday as the Sabbath Day. In growing up in a religious and cultural world that has been almost wholly lost to the subsequent developments of Christianity, He had a deep commitment to the ancestral faith of His fathers. He saw Himself as doing nothing other than fulfilling the words of Moses and the Prophets, and the messianic hope that guided His life, and led Him to His death, was the central core of His innermost being. Y’Shua grew up poor in a rural Jewish town in Galilee. Archaeology has shown that the houses were modest, made of fieldstones packed with mud and straw. The floors were beaten dirt, windows were few, the roofs were thatched reeds laid over wooden beams and covered with mud to form a flat rooftop area that was utilized year-round for sleeping, eating, and domestic chores. Houses often had underground chambers used for storage. Furniture was sparse and pottery was local and practical, almost wholly undecorated and unadorned. Absent was mosaics, imported ceramics, fine glassware, gold and silver coins, cosmetics, jewelry, and bronze vessels that were common in the urban areas. The larger houses might have a courtyard and several rooms and extended families living together; these houses often expanded into a random network of shared structures. Livestock lived in enclosures attached to the house or in dugout areas and caves, and small gardens were cultivated wherever space allowed. Staples were olives, bread, and lentils. Eggs, milk, cheese, salted fish, meat, fruits and vegetables were welcome additions. Skeletal remains show evidence of dietary deficiencies, and death from disease before age forty was not uncommon. This was the noise, the stench, the crowding, the grime and grit of daily peasant life, the feel of living under military occupation of ever watchful inspectors, agents, and tax collectors. Stone vessels, required for required for purposes of ritual purity, are typically found, as well as plastered pools or mikvahs used for ritual immersion. The bones that turn up are from goats, sheep, chickens, and some cattle, but no pigs. Tombs were outside the living area, expanded from natural caves or cut into the bedrock. The corpse was laid out in a shaft to decompose and after a year the bones were gathered and placed in an separate niche. The center of civic and religious life in a Jewish village was the Synagogue. Gatherings were held on the Sabbath day when the normal work activities of the whole town came to an abrupt halt from Friday at sunset until dusk on Saturday. Where is it written that it was to be changed to Sunday? Precious handwritten copies of the Torah, or Jewish Law and the scrolls of the Prophets were read aloud and discussed. Aramaic was the spoken language but judging from the Dead Sea Scrolls the sacred scrolls were written in ancient Hebrew. The central activity was the reading and discussion of the Scriptures. How far away from this original plan have we come? Among the Dead Sea Scrolls was a complete copy of the scroll of Isaiah that scholars have dated to 100 B.E. It had been hidden for two thousand years sealed in a clay jar in a cave near the settlement of Qumran. The Isaiah scroll has fifty-four columns of Hebrew text. It is twenty-four feet long and made of seventeen panels of goatskin, ten inches high, sewn together. It was rolled from right to left and one would need to put it on a table or podium in order to hold it steady for unrolling or reading. Jews are the people of the Book and this is what made them different from any other people. Judaism can be summed up under four rubrics: G-d, Torah, Land, and Chosen People. As a Jew, Y’Shua would have affirmed His belief in one Creator G-d Yahweh; the divine revelation of the Torah as a blueprint for social, moral, and religious life. How often do you hear a sermon from the Torah? He affirms the holiness of the Land of Israel as a perpetual birthright to the nations; and that the people of Israel, descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, had been chosen by G-d to enlighten all nations. Their historic mission was to draw humanity to the one G-d and His Torah revelation. He avoided the eating certain forbidden animals or consuming blood, He celebrated the required pilgrim festivals, and He practiced ritual purity as commanded it the Torah. As a Jewish male Y’Shua wore the fringed tassels (tzitzit) on His outer garment, which indicates His strict observance of the mitzvoth or commandments of the Torah. In that sense He was not liberal with regard to Jewish observances in any modern sense of the term. We are commanded to do as He does --- are we, or have we considered all that just for the Jewish people? Gentiles who turned from idols to the true and living G-d and observed the prohibitions against stealing, murder, and sexual immorality were considered righteous Gentiles or G-d fearers. Josephus, our contemporary 1st century Jewish witness, tells us that there were three main sects or philosophies of Judaism: Pharisees, Sadducees, and Essenes. The Essenes who wrote the Dead Sea Scrolls expected the end of the world and were awaiting the coming of Two Messiahs – a priestly figure and a Davidic King. They called themselves the people of the New Covenant, believing they were representatives of a newly purified Israel at the end of the age. The practiced communal living, initiation rites involving immersion or baptism, and sacred meals, curiously, the Essenes are never mentioned in the New Testament, whereas the Pharisees and Sadducees regularly appear in opposition to Y’Shua. Y’Shua shared some important beliefs and practices with the Essenes but judging from the Dead Sea Scrolls His open attitude towards Gentiles and women were different. Josephus tells that there were only 6,000 Pharisees and 3,000 Essenes. Philo, another 1st century Jewish writer, puts the Essenes at 4,000. Y’Shua would have grown up familiar with each of these schools. In broad terms, Y’Shua is best identified with what might be described as the Messianic Movement of the 1st century Palestine. It had a much broader appeal to rank-and-file Jews of all persuasions, united in their hope for G-d’s deliverance. What matters are not so much the labels but a certain vision of reality – a faith that G-d would intervene to fulfill those messianic predictions. Scientist & Archaeology have given us a glimpse into the times of past. Whom do you want to copy, today’s idea of religion or Y’Shua’s example?

Biblical Herbs

Herb is mention 36 times in the Bible were the word spice is 35 times. Here are a few:
Ps. 104:14 Herbs for the service of man.
Ex. 47:12 leaves for man’s medicine.
Rom. 14:2 if you are weak eat herbs.
Prov. 15:17 Better is a dinner of herbs.
Gen. 3:18 Eat the herbs of the field.
1 Kgs. 21:2; Deut. 11:10 Garden of herbs.
2 Kgs. 4:26; Ps. 37:2; Jer. 12:4 Green herbs.