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Israel & Christians Today


Biblical understanding about Israel

November 28, 2017

First Home in the homeland - Into the depth

"This is the inheritance of the tribe of Judah, according to its clans: The southernmost towns of the tribe of Judah in the Negev: ….Libnah, Ether, Ashan, 43 Iphtah, Ashnah, Nezib, Keilah, Akzib and Mareshah—nine towns and their villages." (Joshua 15:44)

And now for a question to the experienced tourists of Israel – do you know where the city of Mareshah is located and what happened to it through the ages? We would like to invite you, together with the participants of the First Home in the Homeland program to peer into the depths of this ancient city and see what happened to it in times gone by and what became of it today.

Jews of different background are making aliyah, some of them feel a spiritual calling to the Land of Israel and others flee from wars or poverty. Along with Hebrew studies, First Home in the Homeland gives them an  understanding of traditional Jewish life and of their belonging to the Holy Land. Olim get lectures, trips, and seminars to strengthen their religious self-consciousness and a spiritual connection to The Land. It's a special project of Christians for Israel within the First Home in the Homeland program. The idea behind it is to not only provide material but also to provide spiritual aid to the families. During the first five months olim not only learn the language but also learn what it means to be Jewish and what is the meaning of their aliyah.


Steve and Rachel Karr made Aliyah with their daughter Sapir (3 years old) from London, UK



Viktoria Vorontsova, a single mother, made Aliyah with her son Mihail (5 years old) from Minsk, Belarus


Iliya and Viktoria Komov made aliyah with their son David (5 years old) from Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan

Would you like to join us for a small trip to an ancient city deep in the caves?


Tel Mareshah is an ancient city in the lowlands region of Judea.

Mareshah was part of the kingdom of Judea. Rehoboam fortified the city (2 Chronicles 11: 5-8): "And Rehoboam dwelt in Jerusalem, and built cities for defense in Judah... He built ... And Gath, and Mareshah, and Ziph...".


In 900 BC, Asa King of Judea staged a war near the city. The Bible records a great victory for the Judean forces (2 Chronicles 14:9-12): "And there came out against them Zerah the Ethiopian with an host of a thousand thousand, and three hundred chariots; and came unto Mareshah. Then Asa went out against him, and they set the battle in array in the valley of Zephathah at Mareshah. And Asa cried unto the LORD his God, and said, LORD, it is nothing with thee to help, whether with many, or with them that have no power: help us, O LORD our God; for we rest on thee, and in thy name we go against this multitude. O LORD, thou art our God; let no man prevail against thee. So the LORD smote the Ethiopians before Asa, and before Judah; and the Ethiopians fled".

In the Iron Age, Persian and Hellenistic period Mareshah was occupied and destroyed by the Hasmoneans in the end of the 2nd century BC. The city was reestablished during the Roman period.

The prophet Micah, who prophesied during the end of the 8th century, names Mareshah among other fortified cities of Judea in a description of a conquest, probably the destruction by Sennacherib in 710 BC (Micah 1:15): "Yet will I bring an heir unto thee, O inhabitant of Mareshah: he shall come unto Adullam the glory of Israel".


Jewish families, participants of the First Home in the Homeland from Ukraine, Russia, Kyrgyzstan (Middle Asia) and United Kingdom visited the caves of Moresha-Beit Guvrin and took you with them to this journey!
Until the present day the site is still extremely interesting and vivid through its hundreds of man-made caves and cavities. Moresha is a national park, a UNESCO World heritage site and wonderful Bible evidence.

You are welcome to join us and travel with or to the First Home in the Homeland not only on the pages of this post, but also by visiting the olim in 44 kibbutzim and 1 settlement located all over Israel! Thank you for standing with us, for helping us in a practical and spiritual way!

"The Lord is exalted; He fills Zion with justice and fairness." (Isaiah 33:5)

Orly Wolstein
'First Home in the Homeland'
Projectmanager Jewish Agency for Israel

Many Jewish families from the Former Soviet Union want to join the 'First Home in Homeland' program. Also Jews from France have indicated that they want to join this program.

Assisting a family in the "First Home"program costs € 230 euro / US $ 250 a month. Please support this 'First Home' program and help the people settle in the land of Israel! Any amount is welcome! 

 

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