New Movie about Branch Davidians

Waco, USA - Kurt Russell, Adrien Brody and Sharon Stone have all signed up to star in new drama Waco. The movie, directed by Stigmata's Rupert Wainwright, tells the true story of the the 1993 incident in Texas when the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco And Firearms sieged the compound where David Koresh and his personal cult, the Branch Davidians, were holed-up. It is not known which roles the stars are taking, but Production Weekly reports Kurt, Sharon and Adrien are all on board. Federal agents took action against the cult after reports of child abuse and rape emerged from the isolated compound, leading to a devastating fire within the structure that left 81 people dead and controversy surrounding how the authorities handled the situation. Investigative journalist Lee Hibberd apparently wrote the script and the filmmakers will be advised by documentary maker Michael McNulty, who made Waco: The Rules Of Engagement about the incident. SOURCE

Happy Birthday, Israel

The modern nation of Israel will be 62 years old next week. Many Jewish Americans in the United States remember Israel’s Independence Day, also known as Yom Ha’Atzmaut (or Yom HaAtzmaut). Celebrations are annually held on or around the fifth day of the month of Iyar, according to the Jewish calendar. Many Americans will celebrate on April 19th & 20th.

Read more about this holiday at --
http://www.myjewishlearning.com/holidays/Jewish_Holidays/Modern_Holidays/Yom_Haatzmaut.shtml
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Jesus Didn't Go to Church

The April 2010 issue of Discovering the Bible is "Jesus Didn't Go to Church." Jesus didn't found or attend a church - he went to the synagogue. Understanding the role of the synagogue helps readers understand Jesus and his movement much better. You will find this newsletter, plus all of our 2010 newsletters & more at --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/DTB/bhc_dtb.htm
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Donate to BHC. Your gift will make a big difference & really help!
Make an online donation or get info at --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/BHC/donate.htm

Distinguishing Between Fact, Opinion, Belief, and Prejudice

In today's religious and political environment a growing number of "prejudices" are being mistakenly being labeled as "facts" and "beliefs." I came across a very short paper for a writing course at Colorado State University, which provides some very useful definitions of the above words. The professionally engineered "prejudice traps" that are dominating 30-second sound bites only work on an uninformed audience. Make sure you are able to distinguish between facts, opinions, beliefs and prejudices. Please take a moment to read it at -- http://writing.colostate.edu/guides/teaching/co300man/pop12d.cfm
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Religious Belief Exemptions From Healthcare Bill

Religion and healthcare is not a new subject, but it is getting a lot
of attention now. The exemption based on religious beliefs which
allows people to opt out of the requirement to purchase insurance
under the newly signed heathcare bill is creating a great deal of
interest. Below are quotes from an article published in Canada Free
Press:

"The recently signed bill contains a clause exempting certain
religious groups, American Indians, illegal immigrants, and hardship
cases (prison inmates) from the health insurance mandate.

The Amish are exempt because they believe it is their church’s
responsibility to care for the material needs of the members, not the
government or insurance companies. When members of the Amish community
have need of a doctor or a hospital, they get financial help from
their church and neighbors and pay in cash for the services.

According to a reputable Islamic Web site managed by Sheikh Muhammed
Salih Al-Munajjid, Islam’s Council of Senior Scholars have issued
fatwas (decrees) that not only prohibit Muslims from purchasing risk
insurance, the fatwas also prohibit them from working for companies
that provide such insurance or any other form of commercial insurance.

`If the government can tolerate a religious exemption, then it must do
so evenhandedly among religious believers with the same beliefs. This
is sheer favoritism for a certain class of religions, or even for one
religion,' wrote Marci A. Hamilton, a professor and lawyer at Yeshiva
University’s Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law in New York."

You may want to do a search on Google for "exemption certificate under
section 1311(d)(4)(H)."
The source of the above information is: http://canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/21699
- you will also find a link there to download the entire bill from the
New York Times website.
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Prehistoric City Discovered in Syria

A prehistoric town that had remained untouched beneath the ground near
Syria for 6,000 years is now revealing clues about the first cities in
the Middle East prior to the invention of the wheel.

The town, called Tell Zeidan, dates from between 6000 B.C. and 4000
B.C., and immediately preceded the world's first urban civilizations
in the ancient Middle East. It is one of the largest sites of the
Ubaid culture in northern Mesopotamia.

Now archaeologists from the University of Chicago's Oriental Institute
and their Syrian colleagues are studying the town, which sits below a
mound in an area of irrigated fields at the junction of the Euphrates
and Balikh Rivers in what is now northern Syria.

So far, they have unearthed evidence of the society's trade in
obsidian and production and development of copper processing, as well
as the existence of a social elite that used stone seals to mark
ownership of goods and culturally significant items.

The evidence here supports what archaeologists had long surmised, that
the Ubaid people were among the first in the Middle East to experience
division of social groups according to power and wealth.

Read complete article at --
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2010/04/06/prehistoric-city-discovered-syria/
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Biblical Heritage Center
http://www.biblicalheritage.org

British archaeologist: 125,000 years ago first human settlement began in Oman

A new study by a British archaeologist says that the first human
settlement in Oman began about 125,000 years ago. Dr Jeffrey I Rose,
Institute of Archaeology and Antiquity, University of Birmingham, UK,
said this during a lecture here yesterday on “Oman at the Dawn of
Time: The Archaeology of Human Origin in Southern Arabia.”

Speaking to Oman local media, Dr Jeffrey said it is commonly agreed by
archaeologists that originally the human expansion began from Africa,
perhaps from Ethiopia or Kenya. But until recently experts believed
that early human species moved from Africa to Australia. According to
this study, in the journey of human expansion, the first modern humans
followed the rivers into Arabia 125,000 years ago, more specifically
Wadi Aybut in Dhofar, in response to improved environmental
conditions.

For years, Dr Jeffrey and his seven-member team were exploring as to
what was the role of Arabia in the human expansion and subsequent
behavioural revolution? When and why did man first leave Africa? “At
long last, after a decade of searching, we found a site in Wadi Aybut
with stone tools that represent the footprints of the human
expansion,” said Dr Jeffrey. Archaeological researches establish that
human race has the same origin.

Read complete article at --
http://www.english.globalarabnetwork.com/201004095443/Culture/british-archaeologist-125000-years-ago-first-human-settlement-began-in-oman.html
--------------------------------------

Biblical Heritage Center
http://www.biblicalheritagecenter.org

Pieces of Rare Biblical Manuscript Reunited

JERUSALEM – Two parts of an ancient biblical manuscript separated
across centuries and continents were reunited for the first time in a
joint display Friday, thanks to an accidental discovery that is
helping illuminate a dark period in the history of the Hebrew Bible.

The 1,300-year-old fragments, which are among only a handful of Hebrew
biblical manuscripts known to have survived the era in which they were
written, existed separately and with their relationship unknown, until
a news photograph of one's public unveiling in 2007 caught the
attention of the scholars who would eventually link them. Together,
they make up the text of the Song of the Sea, sung by jubilant
Israelites after fleeing slavery in Egypt and witnessing the
destruction of the pharaoh's armies in the Red Sea.

Read complete story by clicking on --
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100226/ap_on_re_mi_ea/ml_israel_reunited...
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of individuals. Your support is greatly appreciated and your
contributions make a big difference. Make an online donation at --
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Thank You!

Studies of Psalms

One of the great barriers that keeps readers of the Bible from seeing
its words through the eyes of the ancient authors is the failure of
the translators to reveal the divine names or references to deity in
their translations. Divine names or references to deity in the
following Psalms will be transliterated so readers will be aware of
the Hebrew words found in the ancient text.

The first Psalm in this series is Psalm 150. Click on --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/Bible%20Studies/Psalms/psalms.htm

New studies will be added, however, there will be no specific order.
Please share these studies with others. Your comments and suggestions
for any specific Psalms you would like to see added to this section
are welcomed.
--------------------------------

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New BHC Recommended Books

The Seven Questions You're Asked in Heaven:
Reviewing & Renewing Your Life on Earth
by Dr. Ron Wolfson (American Jewish University)
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How to Do Good & Avoid Evil:
A Global Ethic from the Sources of Judaism
by Hans Kung (Roman Catholic theologian and priest) &
Rabbi Walter Homolka (Rector of the Abraham Geiger College & Professor
at Potsdam University)

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For more information or to buy the above books click on
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/
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A Great Children's Book

The Stapler Caper
"You Write the Story!"

A great way to energize your child's creativity. The4 story is
whatever you want to be. You can erase and start all over or keep
what you've got.

For more information or to buy the above book click on
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/BHC%20Online%20Bookstore/children.htm

--------------------------------------
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Walking in the Shoes of a Translator

Every translation of any Bible is exactly that – a translation.
Translators have to make thousands of decisions as they choose which
words millions will read in their translations, which are called “the
Bible.” When translators consider the ancient Greek or Hebrew words
of the Bible they must choose from a number of options.

For an overview of those options click on --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/BHC_Handouts/Translation_Guide_01.pdf
---------------------------------

Please forward this to others who may be interested in learning how to
more accurately understand
the words of their Bible.

---------------------------------

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Your support is appreciated and it really helps.
BHC is completely supported by contributions from individuals.
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JEHOVAH-JIREH

In Genesis 22:14, we have the phrase JEHOVAH-JIREH which appears in
many English translations:

(1) "and Abraham called the name of the place, Jehovah-Jireh; as it is
said to this day, `In the Mount of the Lord it shall be
provided' (King James Version [KJV]).

(2) "So Abraham called that place the Lord will provide.' On the
mountain of the Lord it will be provided" (New International Version
[NIV]).

I must hasten to add that other versions of the KJV do not follow the
exact wording of this verse as quoted above. The purpose of
displaying the verses as they are is to alert you to the fact that
there is a Hebrew phrase that has been left untranslated in the KJV,
but translated in the NIV.

The phrase JEHOVAH-JIREH which appears only one time in all of
Scripture (Gen. 22:24) is a phrase that has often been translated "God
provides" or "God will provide." Bibles that are written in Hebrew
contain many words or phrases that appear only once in Scripture, as
many as 1800 by some counts. This makes a clear meaning of many of
these words extremely difficult to determine since there is no basis
for comparison in their use. In many cases the translators simply
guess at the best possible meaning given the context of the preceding
and succeeding sentences. But is this true for the phrase JEHOVAH-
JIREH? Since these are clearly two Hebrew words, let's take a look at
them and see if it is difficult to determine their meaning. The NIV
came up with a meaning. Can we confirm that meaning using a few
simple tools which are at hand?

Read complete article (PDF) at --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/DTB/0310_DTB_Jehovah%20Jireh%20Reprint.pdf
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contributions make a big difference. Make an online donation at --
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Thank You!

Muslim Scholar Declares Terrorism Forbidden by Quran

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A fatwa, or religious ruling, issued this
week is roiling theological waters after it took aim at those
notorious for targeting others: terrorists. The anti-terrorism fatwa
by renowned Muslim scholar Muhammad Tahir ul-Qadri pulled no punches,
declaring that terrorism was "haraam," or forbidden by the Quran, and
that suicide bombers would be rewarded not by 72 virgins in heaven, as
many terrorist recruiters promise, but with a suite in hell. . . .

"This is a landmark theological study -- a careful and systematic
treatment of a thousand years of legal tradition dealing with armed
resistance against the state, rules of engagement, aspects. The fatwa
itself ... is categorically and comprehensively against terrorism in
any form and for any cause," Ahmed said.

Read complete article at --
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/03/03/terror.fatwa.analysis/index.html?hpt=C2
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contributions make a big difference. Make an online donation at --
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Temple Complex in Turkey Predates the Pyramids

Standing on the hill at dawn, overseeing a team of 40 Kurdish diggers,
the German-born archeologist waves a hand over his discovery here, a
revolution in the story of human origins. Schmidt has uncovered a vast
and beautiful temple complex, a structure so ancient that it may be
the very first thing human beings ever built. The site isn't just old,
it redefines old: the temple was built 11,500 years ago—a staggering
7,000 years before the Great Pyramid, and more than 6,000 years before
Stonehenge first took shape.

Read complete at --
http://www.newsweek.com/id/233844
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of individuals. Your support is greatly appreciated and your
contributions make a big difference. Make an online donation at --
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Thank You!

I am Israel Video

This is a very good 6 min. video about Israel --
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZprVPKi-W6s&annotation_id=annotation_252323&feature=iv

Please share it with others.

Archaeologist Sees Proof for Bible in Ancient Wall

JERUSALEM – An Israeli archaeologist said Monday that ancient
fortifications recently excavated in Jerusalem date back 3,000 years
to the time of King Solomon and support the biblical narrative about
the era.

If the age of the wall is correct, the finding would be an indication
that Jerusalem was home to a strong central government that had the
resources and manpower needed to build massive fortifications in the
10th century B.C.

That's a key point of dispute among scholars, because it would match
the Bible's account that the Hebrew kings David and Solomon ruled from
Jerusalem around that time.

While some Holy Land archaeologists support that version of history —
including the archaeologist behind the dig, Eilat Mazar — others posit
that David's monarchy was largely mythical and that there was no
strong government to speak of in that era.

Speaking to reporters at the site Monday, Mazar, from the Hebrew
University of Jerusalem, called her find "the most significant
construction we have from First Temple days in Israel."

Read complete article at --
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_israel_ancient_wall
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Pig Heads Left at Malaysia Mosques after Allah Row

Several severed pigs' heads have been found in mosque compounds in the
Malaysian capital, Kuala Lumpur.

The national police chief, Musa Hassan, linked the discoveries to
recent attacks on various houses of worship.

Pigs are considered unclean by Muslims and their presence in the
mosque compound will be taken as an insult.

In recent weeks, 11 churches, one Sikh temple and some Muslim prayer
halls have been vandalised amid a row over non-Muslims' use of the
word Allah.

Religious tensions in Malaysia have increased since a court ruled last
month that a Roman Catholic newspaper could use the word Allah in its
Malay-language edition to describe the Christian God.

Read complete article at --
http://wwrn.org/articles/32528/
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Methodists Ready to Merge with Church of England

London, UK - The Methodist Church is prepared to be absorbed by the
Church of England if that is the price of unity, Britain’s most senior
Methodist said yesterday.

The Rev David Gamble, president of the Methodist Conference, told the
General Synod of the Church of England, meeting at Church House,
Westminster: “We are prepared to go out of existence, not because we
are declining or failing in mission, but for the sake of mission.”
Methodists were “prepared to be changed and even to cease having a
separate existence as a Church” if that served the needs of the
Kingdom of God. . . The founder of Methodism, John Wesley (1703-1791),
was a Church of England clergyman and never intended to start a
denomination.

Read complete article at --
http://wwrn.org/articles/32694/
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A Find Dates Seafaring 100,000-plus Years Ago

Early humans, possibly even prehuman ancestors, appear to have been
going to sea much longer than anyone had ever suspected. That is the
startling implication of discoveries made the last two summers on the
Greek island of Crete. Stone tools found there, archaeologists say,
are at least 130,000 years old, which is considered strong evidence
for the earliest known seafaring in the Mediterranean and cause for
rethinking the maritime capabilities of prehuman cultures.

Crete has been an island for more than five million years, meaning
that the toolmakers must have arrived by boat. So this seems to push
the history of Mediterranean voyaging back more than 100,000 years,
specialists in Stone Age archaeology say. Previous artifact
discoveries had shown people reaching Cyprus, a few other Greek
islands and possibly Sardinia no earlier than 10,000 to 12,000 years
ago.

The oldest established early marine travel anywhere was the sea-
crossing migration of anatomically modern Homo sapiens to Australia,
beginning about 60,000 years ago. There is also a suggestive trickle
of evidence, notably the skeletons and artifacts on the Indonesian
island of Flores, of more ancient hominids making their way by water
to new habitats.

Read entire article at --
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/16/science/16archeo.html
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A Frail King Tut Died from Malaria, Broken Leg

CAIRO – Egypt's most famous pharaoh, King Tutankhamun, was a frail boy
who suffered from a cleft palate and club foot. He died of
complications from a broken leg exacerbated by malaria and his parents
were most likely brother and sister.

Two years of DNA testing and CT scans on Tut's 3,300-year-old mummy
and 15 others are helping end many of the myths surrounding the boy
king. While a comparatively minor ruler, he has captivated the public
since the 1922 discovery of his tomb, which was filled with a stunning
array of jewels and artifacts, including a golden funeral mask.

The study, which will be published Wednesday in the Journal of the
American Medical Association, provides the firmest family tree yet for
Tut. The tests pointed to Pharaoh Akhenaten, who tried to
revolutionize ancient Egyptian religion to worship one god, as Tut's
father. His mother was one of Akhenaten's sisters, it said.

Tut, who became pharaoh at age 10 in 1333 B.C., ruled for just nine
years at a pivotal time in Egypt's history. Speculation has long
swirled over his death at 19. A hole in his skull fueled speculation
he was murdered, until a 2005 CT scan ruled that out, finding the hole
was likely from the mummification process. The scan also uncovered the
broken leg.
The newest tests paint a picture of a pharaoh whose immune system was
likely weakened by congenital diseases. His death came from
complications from the broken leg — along with a new discovery: severe
malaria.

Read the complete article at --
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/ml_egypt_king_tut
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Shame and Illness: A Jewish Perspective

I am working on my book, which includes a study of the opening
chapters of Genesis, and came to a place where I needed to discuss
"shame" in the Jewish culture. While searching the internet I came
across a great article by Michelle E. Friedman, M.D. It was published
in "The Yale Journal for Humanities in Medicine; Spirituality,
Religious Wisdom and the Care of the Patient." Below is an excerpt
from her paper:

"Shame, on the other hand, must be understood in the context of group
culture. Shame implies a failure to live up to internalized parental
and larger societal goals, i.e. what a person "should be like". The
shamed person experiences his/her failure as a lowering of personal
dignity in the eyes of the group and fears ridicule, contempt or
expulsion. . . From the first chapters of Genesis on, we see humankind
struggling to resolve interpersonal and intergroup conflict. These
meaning making narratives depict their characters wrestling with
powerful and sometimes contradictory impulses. . . Shame is a powerful
operative dynamic in Jewish tradition where individual personal and
religious destiny can only be truly fulfilled through membership in
the larger units of family, tribe, and nation. The concept of
individual salvation plays a much less dominant role in Judaism as
compared with Christianity. Shame relies on group context."

Read the complete article at --
http://yjhm.yale.edu/archives/spirit2004/shame/mfriedman.htm
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Teshuvah (Repentance)

At tonight's meeting we studied the Hebrew word TESHUVAH, which is
translated "repentance." We discussed what it would have meant to
Jesus and his Jewish followers. The study notes and handout are online
at [link]
--------------------------
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Bart Ehrman and Other Recommended Books

You will find other very good books written by Bart Ehrman, as well as
other authors in our recommended books sections --

http://www.biblicalheritage.org/books.htm

http://www.biblicalheritage.org/BHC%20Online%20Bookstore/bhc_online_bookstore.htm

Great Bible Study Tools

At the top of every page on the Biblical Heritage website are links
created to help you. Immediately below our logo (open book) are links
to "Google" and "Bible Study Tools." If you click on it you will find
the following:

BIBLES -- Douay-Rheims, New International Version, Greek New
Testament, Parallel New Testament, JPS 1917 Edition Tanakh, Parallel
Old Testament, King James Version, Revised Standard Version, Latin
Vulgate, Septuagint, Net Bible & Tanakh.

DICTIONARIES -- Dictionary.com, Funk & Wagnalls.com, Merriam-Webster,
Webster's 1913 & 1828 Dictionaries, and Wordsmyth.

ENCYCLOPEDIAS - Britannica, Catholic Encyclopedia, Internet
Encyclopedia of Philosophy, and Jewish Encyclopedia.

OTHER -- Bible Study Resources, Concise Dictionary of Religious
Movements, Dictionary of the History of Ideas, Early Christian
Writings, Gnostic Society Library, Historic Church Documents, Livius,
Rome Project, Sacred Texts, The Classical Library, and Virtual
Religions Index.

The above resources are available for FREE! Make sure you get the
benefits of using these great Bible Study Tools & tells your friends
about them so they can benefit, too. Check them by click on "BIBLE
STUDY TOOLS" at the top of every page on our website or click on --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/study_tools.htm

Which Bible is "The" Bible?

We have all heard the phrase The Bible" all of our lives. It is used
in polls, sermons and everyday life. It is used in a way that is
conveys the idea that there is only one Bible and it is "The" Bible.
However, every time I walk into a bookstore I am always amazed at the
rows of shelves that display lots of different books, which are all
called "The" Bible. Over the past 30 years I have compared verses from
many of them and discovered that there are some very important
differences. Many years ago I decided to make a list of them. I
received a request for the lists today, so I updated it and put a link
to it on the website at --
http://www.biblicalheritage.org/Bible/Many%20Books.pdf

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The Biblical Heritage Center is an educational organization
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