Nov. 14. Concert 5 PM at Jerusalem Theater of Beethoven Symphony No. 3 (Eroica) and 2 other pieces, unusual in that it was played by a Quartet. It was arranged for a quartet by Ferdinand Ries (1784-1838) and was wonderful. A full house in large theater and standing ovation for 4 young performers. Wow.

Nov. 14 8 PM lecture at Fuchsberg Center ( Conservative complex) by Jim Lederman, the senior foreign journalist in Jerusalem since 1967 He talked about Turkey and how the current Islamist President Egdogan is ruining the country. To get reelected he loosed credit greatly, so borrowing sky rocketed, housing prices went up and boom started. Unfortunately, the reverse is happening now, with stock market down 40% this year as of a couple weeks ago plus business slowing down. Some things are constant, thousands of journalist in jail, Generals in jail, elected parliament members kicked out of office by a 'Constitutional Court” that can ban political parties or stop people from running, or even if elected removed one from office. The human rights record of Turkey is one of the worst in Europe. Also the switch from 'no problems with neighbor' policy of previous administration, to one where problems exists with most neighbors, Greece, Armenia, Israel, and now Syria. The hypocrisy of their concern about the Palestinian and those killed on the flotilla should be compared to the 30,000 Kurds they have killed in the last 30 years and to their current invasion of Iraq to fight the Kurds there.
He is getting little old but he stills writes position/ background papers for corporation etc. and gives a very clear and insightful talk. We heard him in 2009 also.

Nov 17. Trip to Shilo, West Bank, sponsored by Pardes Jewish study.
Shilo is 20-25 miles north of Jerusalem in the West Bank & was the location of the Tabernacle set up by Joshua (see Joshua 18:1) after the conquest of the land (for which there is no archeological evidence). This site was chosen as it was in the middle of the entire country. We traveled in a bullet proof bus just in case , but everything was calm. Many cars and trucks are going back and forth so it seems safe. Our goal was to see many sites as possible of the tribe of Benjamin or Land of Binyamin as it is called.
There is a new town formed in 1978 of Shilo of 300 families on a hill next to the ancient tel of Shilo. Excavation have uncovered a town, wall, and a potential site for the Tabernacle. The dimensions given in the Talmud are very large about 100 ft by 75 ( I forgot exact numbers), as were its location on a hill top, constructed on a stone base with stone walls, and a curtain top. On the south side of the ancient town is an outcropping of stone that fits the dimensions almost exactly. See pictures with hilltop location overlooking many other hills and straight stone outcropping which could be the foundation of one wall. However, no animal bones were found here which is a problem as for 369 years the Tabernacle was here (again according to the Talmud) there would have been a lot of bones all over the place because the holiday animal sacrifices. Nevertheless, the site was impressive to think the Ark and the Torah according to tradition were here for a very long time. Other sites have been proposed but none fits all the facts known. One other interesting fact showing how politics hasn't changed over 3400 years is the fact that Shilo the site of the Tabernacle was to be run by the Benjamites was actually in the tribal land of Ephraim. So the Torah then gerrymandered the bounder to create a finger of Benjamin's territory extending north to encompass Shilo.

Another key mention of Shilo is in Judges 21:21 where the men of Benjamin take wives from girls dancing here in the vineyards for a annual feast (Tu B'Av). If you want to read a rough story never taught in Sunday school or even for adults read Judges 19:1 to 21:25 which all takes place in the land of Binyamin (Benjamin). However I very much doubt this story, it just doesn't seem reasonable. In Judges 21:19 Shilo is mentioned with very detailed directions where it is. The tribe of Benjamin was the only tribe to have land surrounded by other tribes only and no external edge to a foreign kingdoms. They were a very close knit tribe with small total area, also warriors and shepherds as the land is very rocky even to this day fit for olive trees , fruit tree, and vineyard mostly.
An very important story takes place years later in Shilo where Hannah barren ,despite her husband offering sacrifices in Shilo, prays to GD for a child silently but with her lips moving. The priest in Shilo mistook her for a drunk and after clearing the matter up she dedicates her son ,if born, to the Lord. The son was Samuel the Prophet! Hannah is credited for starting silent prayers which were never done previously so this is very significant.(see Samuel 1:1 to 19) Samuel then picks Saul and later David to be Kings under Gd’s direction and much of the their stories takes place here as both are of the tribe of Benjamin. Later David abandons this area in favor of Jerusalem which is more protected by larger hills, a little more centered, and a wonderful spring, and will allow a fresh start to build a more permanent structure for the Tabernacle.
So Shilo was very important for many hundreds of years. Interesting the religious community of new Shilo wanted their synagogue to have features of the Tabernacle so they incorporated as many features as possible. These include a ramp for women to the second floor ( see Roberta grinding her teeth), blocks on the foundation held by silver pins, Ark with provisions for long poles to be inserted in cylinders on the side to carry it in the desert, billowy ceiling resembling curtain ceiling, and decorations described in the Torah.
The town was later destroyed by the Philistines and the Ark was captured as the Army of Israel wanted to take the Ark to the battle site to guarantee success. The Priest were very much against this bad idea since they did lose the battle and that Ark was taken. When a messenger returns from battle he runs thru the town of Shilo and then to the Tabernacle ( giving a clue as they relative position of each) to tell the High Priest the bad news. The Priest fell off his chair in shock, broke his neck and died. ( I-Samuel 4: 10-18).
In the Byzantine period 300 CE 4 churches were build here because of the Tabernacle and some claimed to be on the very spot. One impressive church was found and restored somewhat. It had nice very geometric mosaic floor with no religious or other symbols on it. A Muslim mosque was build onto of the church but all signs of it have been removed.
On the way to Shilo we stopped at the town of Beth El, another ancient city but no ruins. The town is known for its very kosher tefillin factory. We stood on a windsweep hill top where the ancient site might have been. However on the next higher hill over, it is thought the site where Abraham stood when Gd told him this land will be your offspring’s ( Genesis 12:7-8)

The last stop was the visitor’s center of the Land of Binyamin which originally was a wine tasting room with wine cellars in the cave like basement. The Psagot winery has won Gold Metals in a Paris wine completion and is very expensive. However the main purpose of our visit was to get the justification of settling this land both for religious reasons but also security and water requirements. There was a very modern setup for a quiz with everyone on the tour at a computer screen surrounding a large table with computer generated maps and visuals. The questions were asked on the large screen, we selected a choice and then an arrow would point at you if you got the right answer. Questions had to do with geography , How wide is Israel at its narrowest , 8 miles: How much water is recycled for agriculture use ( 70%), and many on security to justify these towns amongst Arab towns. We then saw a movie, a love story about a man who had to choose success in the business world or this LAND. It had flashbacks to biblical periods and flaming letters very hokey similar to Christian fundamentalist movie. I wrote the Rabbi in charge to complain about this political stuff which is nice to know about but not what was advertised.
We passed many Arab towns which looked good. In several the were very large mansion type homes. I was able to get one picture with a partial view of one mansion.

Nov. 20 Ethiopian Concert at Gerard Betar Theater. Most Unusual. First, the concert celebrated the 2500 year old 'SIGD' holiday of Ethiopians commemorating their yearning to return to Zion (Israel). Four men dressed in white robes and white hats something like a chazzan's kipa sang songs that could give one an instant headache, but the crowd loved it. Many in the audience were from Ethiopia and many of the were religious whereas the women not religious but good looking. Then the music shifted to modern music a cross between Israeli and Ethiopian pop sung in both languages. The MC was an Ethiopian pop singer Esther Rada that had the crowd jumping in the aisles. The 8 piece band had a featured sax player also from Ethiopia who was very good. The Israeli folk singer Korin Allal was great too. Also onstage were two Ethiopian dancers that had shoulder held by rubber bands as they were able to vibrate their shoulders faster than I ever seen. Overall another musical happening.


Nov. 21 8 PM lecture o by Prof. Gabriel Barkey of Bar Ilan University, and Director of the Temple Mount Antiquities Operation. The latter is sifting thru dirt removed by the Waqf ( the Muslim Authority of the Temple Mount. ) First history: From 1948 to 1967 the Muslims destroyed all synagogues in the Old City, didn't let one Jew visit the Western Hall, and attempted to destroy all visages of Jewish life in the Old City. In 1967 Israel captures the entire Jerusalem including the Temple Mount, the Muslim area 1/6 size of the Old City, and what is the first thing General Moshe Dayan does, he gives the keys to the Temple Mount back to the Waqf. Holy Cow, what nice guys we are, give the enemy back what they just lost in order to make peace. Now the Muslims deny the existence of Jerusalem as important to Judaism, that the Temple was elsewhere, and dug a cavern big enough to hold 4000 men praying by removing dirt under an area called Solomon's stables (not really there, but still on in the southeastern corner of the Temple Mount and throwing the dirt in a trash heap. Well that's chutzpa to the max and the thanks Israel gets for doing the right thing!! Anyway our Prof . is in charge of sifting thru every pound of dirt .Roberta and I did this last time for one afternoon and plan to do it again. They found taxation documents from King Hezekiah (8th C BCE), in inscription with Hebrew 'The King', 6000 coins from Persian period ( 500 BCE), to Maccabean period ( 200BCE), 1st revolt coin (66-67 CE), Egyptian pedant with Pharaoh from 15 C BCE ( but could have been made hundreds years later and not dated yet). All this shows the site is very old and a lot of information has been lost because no layers can be determine from the enormous piles of dirt taken by the Muslims trying to obliterate Jewish history here.
And lastly, the work at the City of David, just outside the Old City Dung gate ( that's what the Muslims called the gate next to the Jewish quarter for what they brought out). The dig next to the main spring and why the city is located here at all began started in earnest in 2005 before real proof David was here despite the name However, work has now shown that the site was inhabited 6000 years ago, found 11th C BCE Jebusite pottery ( from whom David conquered the city from), had a very large 10th C BCE building on bed rock perhaps even King David's palace with 10C BCE pottery. Thus the timing is right but no clear evidence linking building to David. as yet Nearby was a cistern build by the Canaanite in 18 th C BCE that was filled with fish bones from fish from Mediterranean, Indian Ocean, Red Sea, and even the Nile. These people loved fish. In the Book of Nehemiah , there is a discussion about fish and even trading fish on Shabbat. Hey the stuff doesn't last long after the long trip to Jerusalem.
Also of note is the oldest mention of Jerusalem is an Egyptian cuneiform document describing relations between the local King and the Pharaoh in 14C BCE. Also many excavations have found many building from 1st temple period all around the Old City. A another large building with 5 rooms dated to about 600 BCE or before the !st Temple was destroyed in 586 BCE. And lastly, he discovered one of the most valuable finds of all, a tablet from the first temple period with the Priestly benediction that is exactly what said in all Jewish services from Reform to Orthodox to this day!. Over and out and good night.