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Pontius Pilate-Commissioned ‘Lost’ Road to Temple Mount Uncovered

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A 2,000-year-old street believed to have been created under the orders of Pontius Pilate has been found in Jerusalem.

A research published in Tel Aviv: Journal of the Institute of Archaeology details a hidden road that has been excavated for the past six years. More than 100 coins that date back to 31 A.D. were founding underneath the paving stones, which “provides strong evidence that the street was commissioned by Pontius Pilate,” according to a statement announcing the findings.

“Dating using coins is very exact,” said one of the study’s co-authors, Donald Ariel, an archaeologist and coin expert with the Israel Antiquities Authority, in the statement. “As some coins have the year in which they were minted on them, what that means is that if a coin with the date 30 CE on it is found beneath the street, the street had to be built in the same year or after that coin had been minted, so any time after 30 CE.”

“However, our study goes further, because statistically, coins minted some 10 years later are the most common coins in Jerusalem, so not having them beneath the street means the street was built before their appearance, in other words only in the time of Pilate,” Ariel added.

The newly discovered stretch of road spans 220 meters (721 feet) and goes from the Pool of Siloam to Temple Mount. This roadway likely used by worshippers who were headed toward Temple Mount, considered a holy site by Christians and Jews. (Read more from “Pontius Pilate-Commissioned ‘Lost’ Road to Temple Mount Uncovered” HERE)

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Dealership Will Give Car Buyers an American Flag, a Bible, and an AR-15

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A car dealership in Honea Path, South Carolina, is offering everyone who buys an automobile an American flag, a Bible, and a voucher for a Smith & Wesson AR-15 rifle.

The dealership’s general manager said that the offer reflects the values of their community, and of his team at the dealership.

“We love America, we love God and we like to hunt,” said Derrick Hughes to Fox Carolina. . .

He said that the voucher for the AR-15 rifle could be redeemed at a local gun shop called Locked and Loaded. They will administer the necessary background check in order to redeem the voucher. . .

He says the offer has reached tens of thousands of people, including a man who came from Dawsonville, Georgia, in order to cash in on the promotion. (Read more from “Dealership Will Give Car Buyers an American Flag, a Bible, and an AR-15” HERE)

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A Group of Archaeologists Say That They’ve Found the Ancient Biblical Kingdom of Edom

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By The Blaze. A team of archaeologists say that they’ve found the ancient kingdom of Edom.

Edom was an ancient kingdom that bordered, and often fought with Israel. According to Genesis Chapter 36, Edom was founded by Jacob’s brother Esau and his descendants. Timna was the name of one of “the chiefs descended from Esau.”

The Edomites were nomads who lived in part of the region that is now Jordan, but there was a lack of extra-biblical historical evidence about these people. Archaeologists also believed that the Edomites as a unique nation had only begun to exist several centuries later than the Bible claimed, which directly contradicts the biblical accounts.

But now that could all change. . .

A group of archaeologists from Jordan, Israel, and the United States say they have found proof that the Edomites were more advanced than previously thought, and that they lived at least 300 years earlier than the prevailing belief. (Read more from “A Group of Archaeologists Say That They’ve Found the Ancient Biblical Kingdom of Edom” HERE)

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‘Quite Amazing’: Israeli Scientists Find the Biblical Kingdom of Edom Founded by Esau

By CBN News. Israeli researchers have uncovered evidence that backs up the biblical account of the ancient kingdom of Edom.

The kingdom of Edom existed during the 12th-11th centuries BC and was founded by Isaac’s eldest son, Esau. It was located in the Transjordan between Moab to the northeast, Arabah to the west, and the vast Arabian Desert to the south and east. . .

Now, a breakthrough study published in PLOS One by a team of Israeli and American scientists finds that Edom really did exist at the time and place the Bible describes.

“Using technological evolution as a proxy for social processes, we were able to identify and characterize the emergence of the biblical kingdom of Edom,” explained Tel Aviv University’s Prof. Ben-Yosef of the Central Timna Valley Project. “Our results prove it happened earlier than previously thought and in accordance with the biblical description.”

Ben-Yosef, Prof. Tom Levy of the University of California, San Diego, and their team went to the Arava Desert in today’s Israel and Jordan to analyze the source of the kingdom’s wealth: copper. (Read more from “‘Quite Amazing’: Israeli Scientists Find the Biblical Kingdom of Edom Founded by Esau” HERE)

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Politician Accused of ‘Hate Crime’ for Sharing Bible Verse on Facebook

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Fox News reports that Finnish police are investigating a politician for sharing a Bible verse on her Facebook page in response to a national church engaging in an LGBT pride event in June.

Ex-Interior Minister Päivi Räsänen, a Christian Democrat MP, shared a picture of Romans 1:24-27 after the Evangelical Lutheran Church of Finland participated in a Gay Pride event this past summer, according to Caleb Parke. . .

Räsänen stated in August, “I am not concerned on my part, as I trust this will not move on to the prosecutor. However, I am concerned if quoting the Bible is considered even ‘slightly’ illegal. I hope this won’t lead to self-censorship among Christians. Rom. 1:24–27.”

Finnish police confirmed to local media that “The pre-trial investigations have not yet been completed. Police will provide more details once the investigations have been completed or presented to a prosecutor for consideration of charges.”

Increasingly, it seems as if the rights to freedom of religion and freedom of speech around the world are being trampled upon in the name of tolerance. As Mike Gonzalez of the Heritage Foundation pondered, “Is this the future we want?”

(Read more from “Politician Accused of ‘Hate Crime’ for Sharing Bible Verse on Facebook” HERE)

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‘Bible Tax’ No More: Trump Exempts Religious Items From China Tariff List

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President Trump is exempting Bibles from upcoming tariff increases on Chinese goods after book publishers warned against a possible “Bible tax.”

A 10 percent hike on $300 billion worth of other Chinese goods will go into effect for some items on Sep. 1 and another set on Dec. 15, according to a statement by the United States Trade Representative made Tuesday. . .

Christian publishers, who report that more than 75 percent of Bibles are printed in China due to the specialized printing technology and formatting, celebrated Tuesday’s announcement from the office of U.S. Trade Ambassador Robert E. Lighthizer.

“Whatever one thinks about trade policy, the Bible should never have been a subject of this sort of taxation,” Russell Moore, president of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission (ERLC), said in a statement.

Ben Mandrell, president and CEO of LifeWay Christian Resources, echoed Moore’s claims, adding that there has been “great concern among the Christian publishing community” since Trump’s trade dispute with China began. (Read more from “‘Bible Tax’ No More: Trump Exempts Religious Items From China Tariff List” HERE)

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Archaeologists Find Lost Biblical City Connected to King David — and It Backs up Scripture

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By The Blaze. Archaeologists have reportedly uncovered the location of an Old Testament city connected to King David — an exciting development that lines up with the biblical narrative.

Experts believe they have found the location of Ziklag, a town mentioned in 1 Samuel, 2 Samuel, and 1 Chronicles.

After years of experts suggesting that the “lost” town could be in 12 different locations, new evidence has led Hebrew University and the Israel Antiquities Authority archaeologists and researchers to believe that Khirbet a-Ra’i is the site where Ziklag was located, according to the Times of Israel.

The Old Testament tells us that David found refuge from King Saul in Ziklag before heading to Hebron to be anointed king, with the location having a fascinating place in biblical history. British Friends of the Hebrew University has more:

According to the Biblical narrative, Achish, King of Gat, allowed David to find refuge in Ziklag while fleeing King Saul and from there David also departed to be anointed King in Hebron. According to scripture, Ziklag was also the scene of a dramatic event, in which the Amalekites, desert nomads, raided and burned the town taking women and children captive.

(Read more from “Archaeologists Find Lost Biblical City Connected to King David — and It Backs up Scripture” HERE)

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Archaeologists Say They Found Town Where Future King David Took Refuge from Saul

By The Times of Israel. . .Based on artifacts and carbon 14 dating results of excavations since 2015, scholars proposed Monday that the archaeological site of Khirbet a-Ra‘i in the Judaean foothills is the site of the elusive Philistine town. . .

According to a joint press release from the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the Israel Antiquities Authority, archaeologists discovered remains of a Philistine settlement from the 12-11th centuries BCE, which was followed by a rural settlement dating to the early 10th century BCE, which is in keeping with the biblical account. Carbon 14 dating supports the archaeologists’ timeline and identification, according to the press release.

As recorded in the Hebrew Bible, David settled at Ziklag for 14 months under the patronage of the Philistine King Achish of Gat, with 600 of his men and their families, and used it as a base to raid neighboring peoples.

While the then-Philistine vassal David attempted to join the army of his Philistine lord Achish to defeat Saul, retaliating Amalekites razed the town and took off with the Israelites’ women and children, along with much booty. (Spoiler: In the end, David prevailed.)

According to the press release, in addition to the cultural transition between Philistine buildings and the presumed later Israelite camp, the Davidic-era settlement shows remains of an intense fire that destroyed it. (Read more from “Archaeologists Say They Found Town Where Future King David Took Refuge from Saul” HERE)

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Will Amazon Ban the Bible Next?

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By WND. In a very disturbing move, Amazon has removed the books of Dr. Joseph Nicolosi, the psychologist whom critics have dubbed “the father of conversion therapy.” In other words, for claiming that sexual orientation is not innate and immutable, and for claiming that change is possible, Dr. Nicolosi’s books must be banned. . .

After all, it is the Bible that condemns same-sex relationships and the Bible that speaks of those who once practiced homosexuality but do so no more (see 1 Corinthians 6:9-11). These people, today, would be known as “ex-gays.” And it was Dr. Nicolosi’s life work to help people with unwanted same-sex attractions.

Why, then, should Amazon ban his books but continue to sell the Bible, which provides the theological underpinnings for Dr. Nicolosi’s scientific work?

After all, gay critics of the Bible refer to the so-called “clobber passages,” referring to verses that have been used to speak against homosexual practice. If these verses, then, have brought such harm to the gay community, why shouldn’t the book containing these verses be banned? . . .

And what about the books that come to different scientific conclusions than the LGBT activists and their allies? And the books that challenge the goals of LGBT activism in society? And the books that reiterate the Scriptural prohibition of same-sex relationships? (Read more from “Will Amazon Ban the Bible Next?” HERE)

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Amazon Stops Selling Books by Catholic Psychologist Amid LGBT Activist Pressure

By The Christian Post. Amazon has permanently removed from its website books by Joseph Nicolosi, who was often referred to as the “father of conversion therapy,” in a move some say portends censorship of anything Christian regarding sexuality.

For months the global online retail giant has been petitioned by LGBT activists who have urged the company to discontinue selling the works of Nicolosi, a clinical psychologist and Catholic author who died in 2017, NBC reported this week. Nicolosi wrote several works about homosexuality in men and therapeutic approaches for persons with same-sex attraction.

A Change.org petition that was launched five months ago and has garnered over 80,000 signatures that asks Amazon to stop selling his books links conversion therapy to aversion therapy practices such as electroshock and taking medications to “cure” homosexuals into becoming heterosexual. In the past few years, several states have adopted bans on so-called conversion therapy for minors. LGBT activists assert the practice is harmful, discredited, and contributes to the suicide of LGBT persons. . .

Amazon also disallowed Catholic attorney David A. Robinson from selling his book on the platform in which he shares his personal story of leaving homosexuality. Robinson’s short book, Orientation and Choice: One Man’s Sexual Journey, was sold on Amazon for nearly a year before it was removed last week. When Robinson inquired why this happened, an Amazon representative informed him in an email — which was forwarded to CP — that during a review they found his work was in “violation of our content guidelines” but did not explain why or point out which parts were objectionable. (Read more from “Amazon Stops Selling Books by Catholic Psychologist Amid LGBT Activist Pressure” HERE)

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Rugby Star Faces Termination for Posting Bible Verses on Instagram

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Australian international rugby star Israel Folau is on notice. He has until 3 p.m. Wednesday to issue a formal response to claims that he committed a “high-level” breach of the players’ code of conduct by posting a paraphrased Bible verse on Instagram. Rugby Australia has threatened the career of this Wallabies superstar over posts considered anti-gay.

“Israel has 48 hours to accept the sanction or have the matter sent to a code of conduct hearing,” Raelene Castle, CEO of Rugby Australia (RA), said in a statement. Folau, who is the fourth highest scoring Australian international rugby player, allegedly “committed a high-level breach of the Professional Players’ Code of Conduct warranting termination of his employment contract.”

The “high-level” breach involved an Instagram post in which Folau referenced Galatians 5:19-21. He posted a graphic that paraphrased the passage, reading, “WARNING: Drunks, Homosexuals, Adulterers, Liars, Fornicators, Thieves, Atheists, Idolaters HELL AWAITS YOU Repent! Only Jesus Saves.” . . .

View this post on Instagram

Those that are living in Sin will end up in Hell unless you repent. Jesus Christ loves you and is giving you time to turn away from your sin and come to him. _______________ Now the works of the flesh are manifest, which are these , adultery, fornication, uncleanness, lasciviousness, idolatry, witchcraft, hatred, variance, emulations, wrath, strife, seditions, heresies, envyings, murders, drunkenness, revelings, and such like: of the which I tell you before, as I have also told you in time past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the kingdom of God.
Galatians 5:19‭-‬21 KJV _______________ Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Acts 2:38 KJV _______________ And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent:
Acts 17:30 KJV _______________

A post shared by Israel Folau (@izzyfolau) on

Importantly, he responded to claims that “I am homophobic and bigoted and that I have a problem with gay people,” saying, “This could not be further from the truth.” Folau recalled having “fronted the cover of the Star Observer magazine to show my support for the Bingham Cup, which is an international gay rugby competition for both men and women. I believe in inclusion. In my heart, I know I do not have any phobia towards anyone.”

He concluded by saying “I have faith that God’s path is the right one and that path is outlined in the Bible. I will keep sharing that.” The rugby star added, “God loves each and every one of us. He just doesn’t love the sin we live in.” (Read more from “Rugby Star Faces Termination for Posting Bible Verses on Instagram” HERE)

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Graham Allen Shreds Alyssa Milano After She Quotes the Bible to Justify Abortion

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On Monday, [Alyssa] Milano posted a bizarre tweet in which she expressed her love for God, claimed that scientific facts “override” her personal beliefs, and then quoted the Bible–all to advocate abortion.

“Show me the place in the Bible, chick, where it says anything about Jesus being pro-murdering children,” demanded “Rant Nation” host Graham Allen on Tuesday. “You immoral, illogical, confused, disrespectful, soulless people!”

“Our future generations will look back on us as immoral savages for even having this conversation in the first place because baby lives matter,” he continued. “And it’s immoral Hollywood elitists like you [Alyssa Milano] that disregard the very foundation of what America, Jesus, Christianity, and everything stands for in the first place. Abortion is murder. Shut your mouth and actually do something that contributes to society….”

(Read more from “Graham Allen Shreds Alyssa Milano After She Quotes the Bible to Justify Abortion” HERE)

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Another Fantastic Discovery in Israel: Evidence of Famed Biblical King Josiah

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A clay seal found in Jerusalem has given further evidence of the reign of the famed Biblical Jewish King Josiah, who is noteworthy in Jewish history as the king who brought the Jewish people back to observance of the Torah after the nefarious reign of his predecessor Manasseh.

Discovered by the Israel Antiquities Authority and Tel Aviv University, the seal was found underneath a current-day car park; the archaeological team found evidence of a large building that featured ornate architecture and tiled floors that was later burned by the Babylonians when they conquered Jerusalem in 586 B.C. Those features enabled archaeologists to identify the building as an administrative center for the Jewish government of the king.

Archaeologists Ayyala Rodan and Sveta Pnik, who are part of the project to excavate the original city of King David, made two finds; both of them bullae, which were utilized to hold rolls of papyrus. Yuval Gadot, one of the excavators, said excitedly, “This bulla connects to a whole context, a whole world, that we have been uncovering in this spot.”

Archaeologist Dr. Yiftah Shalev of the Israel Antiquities Authority added, “What is importance is not just that they were found in Jerusalem, but [that they were found] inside their true archaeological context. It is not a coincidence that the seal and the seal impression are found here.” He added that the significance of finding the seals where they had originally been left helps to “connect between the artifact and the actual physical era it was found in.” (Read more from “Another Fantastic Discovery in Israel: Evidence of Famed Biblical King Josiah” HERE)

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