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Thousands of Israelis sought to read Psalms during tense hours, making it one of the most common Hebrew phrases entered into the search engine overnight; why is it customary to specifically turn to Psalms in times of trouble?

BackgroundA standard by which something is evaluated or measured.1 Sam 1313 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue: the LORD hath sought him a man after his own heart, and the LORD hath commanded him to be captain over his people, because thou hast not kept that which the LORD commanded thee.1 Sam 16 1 And the LORD said unto Samuel, How...

Deputy Speaker of the Knesset MK Nissim Vaturi stops plenum discussions to ask for moment of silence, read chapter of Psalms, in memory of IDF soldier killed in Jenin.Hamas leader: 'We taught Israel a lesson, they were defeated' Israel National News

The discovery of the remains of a fortified city was shown to be the first archaeological site in the region verified to be from the era of King David.Excavations performed 14 years ago at Khirbet Qeiyafa have proven to be a point of contact between archaeology, biblical studies, and ancient history. The discovery of the remains of a fortified city was shown to be the first archaeological site in the region verified to be from the era of King David. Excavations at Khirbet el-Eika dating from the mid-second century BCE have yielded fascinating insights into a prosperous Jewish community in...

The Bible is a dynamic book, peopled with characters who have a tremendous immediacy. That immediacy just got a boost over the weekend when Israeli researchers announced that they'd found scraps of purple cloth dating back to the time of Kings David and Solomon.I didn't grow up in a religious family, so I first read the Bible as a college freshman when I took a "Bible as Literature" class. For me, it sparked a lifelong fascination with Old Testament history. I've listed at the bottom of this post the books I've found most fascinating, as well as a video I...

Stunning stone etching of two horned individuals at prayer found at mouth of rare circa-11th century citadel in Israel’s north; could predate famous Geshur site, Tel Bethsaida Dating to around the time of King David 3,000 years ago, what may be the earliest fortified settlement in the Golan Heights was recently discovered during salvage excavations ahead of the construction of a new neighborhood. Incredible rock etchings of two figures holding their arms aloft — possibly at prayer with what could be a moon — were uncovered inside the unique fort, which was dated to circa 11th-9th century BCE. The striking...

The archaeologists consider that the fort was built by the kingdom of Geshur, the ally of King David, in order to control the region. The excavation was undertaken prior to the construction of a new neighborhood in Hispin, and funded by the Ministry of Housing and Construction and the Golan Regional Council, with the participation of many residents of Hispin and Nov, and youth from the pre-military academies at Natur, Kfar Hanasi, Elrom, Metzar and Qaztrin. According to Barak Tzin and Enno Bron, excavation directors on behalf of the Israel Antiquities Authority, "The complex we exposed was built at a...

Join with FReepers around the world to pray for our President DONALD TRUMP, VIce President MIKE PENCE and AMERICA: Government, Family, Military, Business, Education, Churches, Healthcare Systems and the Media.  “And this is the confidence that we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His Will, He heareth us.” —1 John 5:14 Religion Forum threads labeled [Prayer] are closed to debate of any kind. 

A "once in a lifetime" find is how the City of David described three immaculately preserved 2,700-year-old decorated column heads, or capitals, from the First Temple period that indicate a connection to the Davidic Dynasty. Archaeologists from the City of David did not expect to find anything this special when they began digging near what is now the Armon Hanatziv Promenade. "I'm still excited," said Yaakov Billig, an archaeologist with the City of David who began exploring the Armon Hanatziv area about 30 years ago. He was working at the site when the sound of a spade scraping a stone...

The location of Ziklag, a settlement mentioned several times in Jewish scriptures, has long been debated. To date, up to 15 sites have been suggested by archaeologists attempting to find the biblical town, such as Tel Halif near Kibbutz Lahav, Tel Shera in the western Negev, and Tel Sheva... According to the Book of Samuel, the city was destroyed by the Amalekites and the population was enslaved. After Saul was killed in battle with the Philistines, David left Ziklag and traveled to Hebron to be anointed king of Israel... Prof. Moshe Garsiel, professor emeritus of Bible at Bar-Ilan University, and...

David was one of the remarkable men of the Old Testament. He was a capable musician and beloved poet. He excelled as a military leader and king. And as “a man after God’s own heart” he was an exceptional religious leader. Yet, in spite of his illustrious achievements, Israel’s greatest king was not without some grievous faults — not the least of which was his shameful conduct with Bathsheba (2 Sam. 11:1-27). As the Pharisees of Jesus’ day possessed a diabolical skill at twisting the Scriptures to justify their own evil desires, even so, some today are equally adept at...

As I explained in the initial edition of the Sunday edition of the French Press, one of the fundamental goals of this newsletter is to bridge the gap between secular and religious readers. That certainly means explaining the basics of religious belief amid public controversies—helping the mainstream media to “get religion” in New York Times executive editor Dean Baquet’s memorable phrase. But it also means identifying the trite, the silly, and the sometimes manipulative aspects of religious political rhetoric. And that brings us to today’s topic, whether God chose Donald Trump and what the answer to that question means for...

showing another proof that Bible passages were based on actual historical events Solid evidence has once again been unearthed proving that passages from the Bible were based on actual historical events. A team of archaeologists has discovered a palatial building in Gezer, Israel, which the discoverers named "Solomon's Palace," according to New Historian. The spectacular building was constructed over 3,000 years ago, in the tenth century BCE, according to the archaeologists. Although they could not tell yet which king, if any, lived in the palace, they believe it was likely built during the reign of King Solomon. Their conjecture was...

(JNS) The Israeli Antiquities Authority, Hebrew University in Jerusalem and Macquarie University of Sydney, Australia, have announced the discovery of what they believe is the biblical city of Ziklag, the Philistine city in which according to the Bible the young David took refuge from King Saul. Ziklag is mentioned in the Bible multiple times in relationship to David, who the Bible states received sanctuary in the city along with his army, with the permission of Achish, King of Gat. The site is also believed to be the place from which David left to journey to Hebron, where he was anointed...

Whenever a new king took over an empire in the days of the Old Testament, there were certain threats and dangers that went along with the assumption of the throne. These dangers were heightened when a person outside of the previous monarch’s own family took over. When that happened, the transition was rarely smooth. Immediately people would come out of the woodwork with a claim on the throne and frequently, these people would try to raise their own army to take over the country. Because of those threats, the smart thing for the new king to do would be to...

Why David was Spared but Uzziah Wasn’t By Philip Cottraux As Jesus and His disciples were traveling, they plucked ears of corn to eat. This happened to occur on the Sabbath, giving the Pharisees yet another reason to criticize Him. Mark 2:24: And the Pharisees said unto him, Behold, why do they on the Sabbath day that which is not lawful? While remembering to keep the Sabbath was important, nothing in the Torah specifically banned hungry people from picking crops; but this shows the state of Jewish leadership at the time; over the years, they had added man-made rules to...

Over at the Institute for Family Studies, Nicholas Wolfinger, a sociologist at the University of Utah, has found that Americans who have only ever slept with their spouses are most likely to report being in a “very happy” marriage. Meanwhile, the lowest odds of marital happiness—about 13 percentage points lower than the one-partner women—belong to women who have had six to 10 sexual partners in their lives. For men, there’s still a dip in marital satisfaction after one partner, but it’s never as low as it gets for women,... (Skip) In an earlier analysis, Wolfinger found that women with zero...

EXPOSITION Verse 4. Let us now turn our eyes from the wicked counsel chamber and raging tumult of man, to the secret place of the majesty of the Most High. What doth God say? What will the King do unto the men who reject his only begotten Son, the Heir of all things? Mark the quiet dignity of the Omnipotent One, and the contempt which he pours upon the princes and their raging people. He has not taken the trouble to rise up and do battle with them -- he despises them, he knows how absurd, how irrational, how futile...

Archaeologists in Israel have uncovered an ancient site that may offer fresh insight into the ancient biblical kingdom of David and Solomon. Researchers from Bar-Ilan University have been excavating the remains of a large house dubbed the “Governor’s Residence” that was destroyed by a fire in an 8th century B.C. Assyrian military campaign. The impressive four-room home, located at Tel ‘Eton in the Judean foothills, had at least two stories and its ground floor extended over 2,420 square feet. Occupying high ground at the top of a mound, the house was carefully built with deep foundations. Large masonry stones were...

A lost city dating to the rule of King David from the Old Testament has been uncovered in Jerusalem. King David is an ancestor of Jesus, according to biblical sources, which say he ruled around BC 1,000. Experts say that recently-found ruins date to the 10th century BC. This ties in with the timeframe for when the bible says King David existed, making the link between the two 'plausible', researchers claim. The finding is likely to fuel the debate surrounding whether Biblical figures such as King David actually existed, however.