In Tel Aviv, Hostage Square has been a central meeting point for the families and friends of those who were taken hostage, whether dead or alive, by Hamas on October 7, 2023. After 843 days, Hostage Square will no longer have demonstrations calling for their return because, for the first time since July 20, 2014, there are no Israelis being held by Hamas in Gaza. This past Friday marked the last gathering of prayer before the Sabbath with families of hostages.
The body of police officer Ran Gvili was brought home last week. One of the mothers of a deceased hostage said, “We don’t leave anyone behind. This is a value anchored in the spirit of the IDF [Israel Defense Forces], and now, as we are a moment after the return of the last hostage, Ran, for a respectful and appropriate burial, we all saw the happiness that the value of friendship is back in its rightful place.” The art, music, and political installations have been taken down, and the people of Israel are trying to move forward.
Please pray for the families and friends of hostages who were taken and returned dead or alive to the nation of Israel. Pray also for hostages who withstood lengthy fear, hunger, and injuries as they continue their rehabilitation.
In the heart of Israel’s desert in Mitzpe Ramon, a space city is being built by global AI powerhouse, NVIDIA, with 100 million shekels invested by Israeli governmental groups like the Ministry of Science and Technology, the Israel Space Agency, and the Ministry of Economy. The extreme environment and landscape are similar to the moon and Mars, and parts of the campus will simulate space conditions. There will be a mission control room to monitor launches and manage space missions, along with laboratories that resemble conditions on Mars.
The space complex will also have conference facilities and academic study centers to host students and scientists from around the world. The CEO and co-founder of Creation-Space, Dr. Roy Naor, said “Our model in ‘Space City’ is simple—identifying space challenges with huge budgets and building companies with ‘dual‑value’ solutions—those that are already suitable for the terrestrial market while simultaneously being developed for future space missions.”
Praise the Lord for the beauty of the heavens and for the resources and ability He gave us to study His creation in outer space!
A roughly 2,000-year-old stepped street that once led pilgrims up to the Temple Mount from the southern part of Jerusalem is set to open to the public, allowing visitors to walk a path last used during the Second Temple period. The street begins near where archaeologists believe the ancient Pool of Siloam stood—at the entrance to the city in what is now the East Jerusalem neighborhood of Silwan. This mostly subterranean road runs beneath modern infrastructure for several hundred meters, ending at the Jerusalem Archaeological Garden adjacent to the Western Wall.
Much of the area is part of the City of David archaeological park. Excavations conducted over decades have uncovered remarkable finds spanning Jerusalem’s long history, including remains from the First Temple period (1000–586 BCE), when many biblical narratives are set, and the Second Temple period, which ended with the city’s destruction in 70 CE.
The Pilgrimage Road, located in the City of David, has been under excavation for approximately twenty years by archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA). Researchers believe it was constructed in the early years of the Common Era, possibly under King Herod or the Roman governor Pontius Pilate, serving as the main thoroughfare for pilgrims ascending to the Temple from the south.
Historical and Jewish sources describe how, at the end of the Second Temple period, millions of pilgrims traveled to Jerusalem for the festivals of Passover, Shavuot (the Feast of Weeks or Pentecost), and Sukkot (the Feast of Tabernacles), when the city and the Temple were at the height of their grandeur following Herod’s renovations.
“This is one of the most magnificent archaeological discoveries in Jerusalem in recent decades,” said Amit Re’em, the IAA’s chief archaeologist for the Jerusalem District. “For the first time, we can see a direct connection between the Pool of Siloam and the Temple Mount. The street remained sealed beneath the modern city for thousands of years.”
Today, the road is enclosed within a tunnel of concrete and metal that supports the homes and streets above it. While experts estimate that the original street was approximately eight meters (26 feet) wide, based on sections exposed near the Temple Mount, only part of it has been fully uncovered.
“It’s possible that the reason why they [parts of the road] are so well preserved is that actually the road was not in use for very long,” explained tour guide Ariana Ohayon. “In the year 70 CE, Jerusalem was destroyed [by the Romans]. The road was covered.”
Praise God for the discovery of this road which displays the tremendous history the Israelites had in Jerusalem, especially as they used the road during Passover and the Feast of Tabernacles to enter the Temple to worship the Lord.
This past week, our Tel Aviv Ministry Center hosted SOLU, a worship band from the Jerusalem area who is creating original, creative worship music in Hebrew. Their passion and love for the Lord brought over 100 people to our ministry facility. The entire room filled with sweet worship and praise to the Lord. The singing of the crowd in response to the leading of SOLU was vibrant and peaceful. Most of the people who came were under thirty, although there were people from all ages. Lots of teens came with their friends, and there were a few young families who came with their little children.
During this new season of healing and restoration for the nation of Israel, the believers want and need to spend time with the Lord, asking for healing from the traumas experienced in the last two years and for ways to serve, love, and share the Messiah with others. This night of worship is part of filling those needs.
Chosen People Ministries staff are humbled we can be a part of this as we serve others. The SOLU band’s gifts of worship are incredible and gave us a taste of eternity of praise with our Lord!
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N Cooke2022-02-17 14:55:552022-02-17 15:08:25Reaching the Hard-to-Reach