James, I think…the ironic part of those words is that the plan and action of these men was indeed overthrown. The early Jewish Jesus-followers ceased to exist in a short order. Their sect was replaced by a religion quite foreign to them in deed and thought, one in total opposition to Judaism and one that worshiped a man as a deity. This is definitely not something that Gamaliel would have approved as mainstream Judaism nor would he have taken a wait and see approach, that is had he actually known that to be the case with the members of the Jesus sect standing in front of him. That's something to consider.
But of course as a Messianic Gentile, I'm all for the Messianic movement being a Jewish religious stream rather than a faith co-opted and significantly redesigned by and for Gentiles. Not that Gentiles don't have a place in that Messianic Jewish stream, but we're just not the ones sitting in the catbird seat, so to speak.
So, was the early Messianic movement overthrown by the invalid religion of Gentile Christianity? I can almost feel some Christians out there bristling at the suggestion.
Or was the "time of the Gentiles" all part of the plan?
Paul appears to link "fullness of the Gentiles" with "all Israel will be saved," as if the former were necessary so that the latter could be fulfilled. Perhaps, in all its imperfection and even its historical cruelty to the Jewish people, the Gentile Church was somehow a requirement in God's plan to ultimately redeem all of Israel, making her a light to the nations (Isaiah 49:6) and sending the Torah to all of the earth (Isaiah 2:3).
But how are we to understand this?
The Torah is not in heaven. The voice of God is unambiguous; it is the confusion of man, of the best of us, that creates the ambiguity.
A Jewish person such as Gene would say that the efforts of the young Messianic Jewish movement in the late-Second Temple period and thereafter was not of God since it was overthrown by the new Gentile religion Christianity. A Christian might say that the Jewish movement of "the Way" was always meant to be transformed by God from one based on Law to a better one based on Grace.
I can't accept either explanation because I think we're looking at the idea of being "overthrown" in rather limited terms.
The Jewish people have been exiled on numerous occasions over the course of history by the will of God, though I'm convinced not by any desire of Hashem to do harm to His people Israel. This most recent exile has been nearly two-thousand years long and it is said the exile will not end until every Jew is returned to the Land and national Israel is totally sovereign and at the head of all the other nations in the world.
According to Paul's criteria, Israel hasn't been saved yet. According to most modern religious Jews, Israel will not have been redeemed until Messiah comes and accomplishes it.
From both a Jew's and a Christian's point of view, that event has yet to take place.
So was "the Way" was overthrown or is its Jewish core merely waiting for the proper time for the healing of calloused hands (Romans 11:25, see Nanos)?
Yes, I realize that I've probably written things here that will make both Jews and Christians unhappy with me. That was not my intent, but I don't doubt it will be the result. I'm not writing this to be deliberately insulting but as an attempt to address Gene's observation and how I see the consequences of historic actions in the long haul.
Keep in mind that this was the same Gamaliel who was the nasi of the Sanhedrin (or at least very influential, see Mishnah Sotah 9:15). And the Sanhedrin ordered the killings of the early Believers (see Acts 7, 26, etc). So here he's saying "let's not bother them" but earlier he didn't use his substantial influence to stop the Sanhedrin from murdering them. And keep in mind that Gamaliel was Paul's master and Paul voted for the killing of the early Believers. Would Paul have contradicted his master Gamaliel? No, it seems they were both in on the killings.
So Gamaliel's statements in Acts 5 seem disingenuous. Maybe he had other designs?
"Rabban Gamliel the elder received the tradition from Rabban Shimon, his father – the son of Hillel the elder. Rabban Shimon, his son, received the tradition from him. Rabban Gamliel, his son, received the tradition from him and Rabban Shimon, his son, received the tradition from him.
Rabbi Yehudah, the son of Rabban Shimon and referred to as Rabbenu Hakadosh ("our saintly teacher"),17 received the tradition from his father, from Rabbi Elazar ben Shamu'a, and from Rabban Shimon and his colleagues.
The entire concept of the "2nd Coming" of jesus is an entirely christian (messianic too) concept. It's lies and deceit. Examine there claim.
The Tanach shows no evidence to such a claim.
The Romans 11:25-26 passage quoted by paul, is one of the many examples how either paul or his editor has completely lied about the Jewish scriptures, taking them out of context. It's very sad, deceptive, and disingenuous.
Paul's passages there [In Romans 11:25-26] is a twisting of Micah 4:2, Jeremiah 31:34, Isaiah 2:3, 27:9; 59:20. If you or anyone reads those Tanach passages in there entirety, you'll see how paul writings are a slap in the face to the Torah, Prophets and Writings.
Look at the passage in Galatians 2:17-21 (especially 21) and then read Deuteronomy 30:11-20.
I think that between Paul's criteria of "saved" and the biblical view of salvation and redemption (found in the Hebrew Bible) lies an uncrossable gulf, the difference in essence between Christianity and Judaism. Paul (and Christianity since Paul) speaks of eternal damnation that results from not having one's sins forgiven for failing to believe in the claims about an exalted human being (and idea not found anywhere in the Bible) and for failure to worship that exalted man as god, while the other (the Jewish scriptures) always speaks of salvation from persecution, physical annihilation, redemption from exile and national restoration (which includes repentance from sins and full return to Torah as part of the process).
We can look in very wide terms, but that would not help. How different can something become for the term "overthrown" to lose its meaning? If all "traditional" Christianity ceased to exists and only Mormonism survived, can one still speak of Christianity continuing or has it morphed into something else?
@Peter: It isn't always easy (maybe it's never easy) to get a good read on many of the people mentioned in the Bible because, for the most part, we're getting a summary rather than an ongoing narrative. Particularly with the Book of Acts, Luke compressed forty years into a written record you could read in an hour or so. Obviously, a lot of details are missing, so I think we'd be hard pressed to draw definite conclusions regarding Gamaliel's motivations. And some people commenting here don't even believe any of the Apostolic Scriptures are valid historical and theological records.
@Gene and ברוס (it would be nice to have something in English to call you): It's obvious our perspectives are far apart, particularly if you don't believe in the validity of the Apostolic Scriptures as historical and theological records. One of my tasks as a "Messianic Gentile" is to read the Gospels and Epistles outside of long-standing Christian tradition and to attempt to put the Judaism back into those Jewish texts. I think we can read Paul very differently than how the Church has traditionally interpreted him.
New Testament scholar Mark Nanos (who is Jewish and not Messianic according to his online CV) has written a great deal about Paul (some of which I've reviewed) and sees the Apostile in a rather different light. I've struggled with Paul myself in blog posts such as Questioning Paul, Should We Get Rid of Paul, and Did Paul Know Jesus Was The Second Person in the Trinity.
Needless to say, my perspectives aren't popular with a lot of Christians since I pretty much have to bulldoze Christianity's traditional narrative on Paul in order to gain a more Israel-friendly understanding of him. I don't think that Yeshua or Paul invented the Church nor do I think there will be such a thing as a Church in Messianic Days.
We could go around and around disagreeing with each other and get exactly nowhere, so I'm not going to enter into a long, drawn-out dialog in some sort of attempt to change your minds. I know I can't do that, not does it seem likely that you will be able to convince me to abandon my faith.
You are free to present your arguments here as long as everybody talks (writes) respectfully, but I just want you to know that I'm not going to enter a debate that no one can "win".
James, I was reading last night in my new "Return of the Kosher Pig" book by Rabbi Izthak Shapira, which I would like to recommend to you if you haven't already read. In section one he gets into the very statement you quoted above from Abraham Heschel and explains why the rabbis use this phrase. It would be a great book for you to review on your blog. I will refrain from saying more but would love to hear your thoughts on his book in the future.
Thanks for the recommendation, Linda.
Actually, I've not read the book. My friend Dr. Carl Kinbar reviewed it in Messiah Journal issue 115 and actually didn't find it to be very good, so I passed on reading it (my reading "wish list" is vast). I trust Carl's scholarship and judgment, and while he may represent a minority opinion (the majority of the reviews on Amazon are positive), I would tend to accept his perspective based on my experience with him.
If I ever chose to read and review Shapira's book, I know I'd try to be objective, but I'm concerned that I might not be entirely successful.
"convince me to abandon my faith", may be not – after all, it's "faith". However, at very least I think that you are a person that I can reason with and present with information to consider.
As I already noted before, Nanos was born to a Catholic mother and a Reform father. I suspect that this may have something to do with his focus on New Testament studies and attempts to redeem Paul.
Actually Gene, in the introduction of his Mystery of Romans book, Nanos says his motivation is to battle the anti-semitism in Christianity that has resulted from the Church's traditional (and erroneous) interpretation of Paul. Because his mother is Catholic and his father is Jewish but not Orthodox doesn't mean his motives are bad or that he's not a good Biblical scholar. I choose to take his research at face value until I have a reason not to.
Yes, you can reason with me, but if reason was all it took, then I supposed we'd all belong to the most "reasonable" religion by now.
We all have biases, and I would say that scholars of religions especially. Knowing Nano's background is important, and it makes me question his ability to see the "Jewishness" of Paul's teachings where many traditional Jews who also looked into Paul saw quite the opposite, that is when they compared Paul's teachings with that of Torah-observant Judaism that they know firsthand (unlike Nanos).
While there's certainly some mysticism (especially post-biblical) or unexplained things, I think that Judaism is the most "reasonable", logical, consistent, non-self-contradictory religion, unlike its daughter faiths. And one day we will all be part of Judaism, one way or another. I know you believe that yourself.
If I can bring to your attention Malachi 3:23 in the Jewish Scriptures (4:5-6 in the christian bible). Malachi says that before the Messiah comes there will be the arrival of Elijah the Prophet.
Now in examining the books of the gospels only Matthew decides to address this. And it's found only in Matthew 11 & 17, in which Matthew claims that John the Baptizer was Elijah the prophet.
Matthew Now deals head on with BIG problem because if jesus was the Messiah then Elijah needs to arrive before hand he says that John the baptizer is actually Elijah.
What would a good Jew do upon reading this, they'll analyze it, because are you really going to believe it because Matthew said so? That's not the position of a Jew. Again Proverbs 18:17.
Now you have to ask yourself, is there any reason to believe that John the baptizer was actually Elijah the prophet? Lets look at the evidence.
So was he or wasn't he Elijah? Matthew says he was…. But John when asked to his face, is testifying (not under duress btw) that He's neither the Messiah or Elijah.
So they now resort to fudging the passage in Malachi 3:23-24 (4:5-6 in christian bibles), and they'll say things like "well it's not exactly Elijah the prophet himself who was going to come back but someone who will have Elijahs spirit" or something close to what I've just said. Okay Mazel Tov!
Problem #1: – When they asked John the baptizer to His face he's quoted as to saying he's neither the Messiah or Elijah, and he NEVER says "Well guys I'm John, but my spirit is that of Elijah" (See Above Exhibit A). He [John] denies ANY association with Elijah.
Problem #2[Which is very important I might add]: – In the hebrew of Malachi 3:23 it says: Hi-Neh / A'-No-Chi / Sho-Le-Ach / La-chem / et / E'-Li-Yah / Ha-Na-Vi [ Hebrew Source: http://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2403.htm ] … Now if you or anyone around you knows a little bit of hebrew from the grammatical side, the part I bolded "et" comes before a direct object in a sentence. So the sentence is essentially telling us that "Who is going to come back?" Elijah himself (physical) and we know Elijah didn't die, he went straight to Heaven (1st Kings 2:11). To re-iterate the passage in Malachi mentions no Spirit of Elijah returning but that Actual Elijah will return.
Problem #3: – Is that it says when Elijah comes "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers; lest I come and smite the land with utter destruction." – [Source http://mechon-mamre.org/p/pt/pt2403.htm ]…. I will be the first to admit I'm not entirely sure about what verse 24 here is referring to nor have I examined the Sages thoughts on this, but I will say with surety that John the baptizer did NONE of this, based upon the evidence presented.
To conclude…. All the reader is left with in the NT passages of Matthew and Luke is a claim, which is not supportive nor verifiable.
OK, this is exactly what I mean by bias and not true scholarship – he's explicitly says that he is trying to redeem Paul to show that Christianity read him wrong. "To battle". Many Jews who know their Judaism and who have read Paul found it hard to come away with Nano's conclusions, because it's precisely BECAUSE of Paul and the ideas he promoted to his Gentile churches that Christianity developed the way it did. Scholars even call it "Pauline Christianity", to differentiate it from the movement that was led by James.
And one day we will all be part of Judaism, one way or another. I know you believe that yourself.
Yes, I do. It's just a matter of how we understand the specifics.
I don't think anyone, scholar or not, is without bias (*cough* climate change science *cough*), so I can accept Nanos has a bias in a particular direction, but unless we can read his mind, we can't say his bias is any more or less than any other Jewish or Christian Bible scholar. Also, I don't rely only on Nanos for my opinions. I only brought him up as an example.
@ברוס: Egad! That's a lot to go through. My wife says men (including me) can't multitask but I'm trying to do that with reading and approving comments alongside other tasks. I'll have to take some time when I get the bandwidth, and read through your arguments. Like I said though, I don't have to come charging out as the defender for Christianity, Messianic Judaism or anything else, so I make no promises about how or if I'll respond, at least in any detail.
James… religion or affiliations aside, all I'm doing is present evidence. To prove or dis-prove claims. I presented my evidence, I look forward to hearing your cross examination, of the evidence provided (take as much time as you need).
According to a Rabbi not all of Israel came out of Egypt, or Babylon. As the saying goes, 'They came out of Egypt/Babylon but it didn't come out of them.' The Tanak honestly records the divisions and in fighting. Nothing has changed. Do not think there is a unity of belief among Judaism. Faith in Yeshua has not been overthrown, no matter how you slice it. Under persecution, it still flourished. They asked Yeshua for a sign and He gave them the sign of Jonah. I do not, given human nature, believe eleven men concocted a plan to lie to 'save face' and start a following to enrich themselves, and stuck with it when it wasn't working. Oh, wait, they were excommunicated and martyred! If it was a hoax, somebody would have said, "Forget it, I won't die for a lie." What was it they would not deny? The resurrection. By the way, another human trait, out of reaction to the faith in Yeshua as the promised Messiah, they (Rabbis) have reinterpreted some of the prophecies to discredit the fulfillment of those prophecies. Can I site source for this? No, because I have learned these things over many years of searching and I didn't take notes. Another thing to consider, they say (rabbis)baseless hatred was the reason for the destruction of the second Temple. In your effort to discourage faith in Yeshua as the Messiah, do not fall into that baseless hatred. Hebrews 10:31, " It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living G-d." I realize some of these things will not be understood or worked out until His Kingdom comes. (May it be in our day) James, these comments were not directed at you, just adding my two cents to the comments.
I was really looking forward to your response, James.
I would like to suggest that people also take into consideration that in the stories of the actual Elijah, and then Elisha, it is said that Elisha (II Kings) had an extra portion of Elijah's spirit. So, even though Elijah was a real person who was taken into heaven and who is said in Malachi will be coming again, there can be a spiritual aspect to the thought. That is not to say I have sorted out what the meanings in Luke and Matthew are; it's something, though, that shouldn't be skipped in the thought process when the dear reader embarks.


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"Huh? Why are they heading our way?" Aqua Rose asked when she saw the members of Immortal Light approach their team. Jokingly, she said, "Are they going to try to plunder our loot?"
"If they try to rob us, I won't mind giving them a final send-off," Fire Dance laughed as she unsheathed her Thousand Transformations that hung from her waist.
Although the Immortal Light players were relatively strong, she was more than enough to annihilate their team.
Moreover, she looked forward to the day someone tried to rob them.
Previously, she had found plenty of inspiration during her time in the Dark Arena. This was the perfect opportunity to test some of her ideas.
"They shouldn't be that stupid. They should be able to tell the difference between our strength and theirs." Shi Feng laughed as he watched his teammates prepare for a fight.
Sinned Heart would be one of the Twelve Sacred Elementalists of G.o.d's Domain in the future. If he lacked the necessary insight to tell the difference in strength between their teams, he would never have been able to make Immortal Light a famous, first-rate Guild in the Twin Towers Kingdom.
"Thank you for your help. If not for you guys holding off those two Great Lords, none of us would be alive right now," Sinned Heart immediately expressed his grat.i.tude upon arriving before Zero Wing's team, his tone containing a hint of respect.
Sinned Heart's expert companions also stared at Zero Wing's members with reverence.
The heavy pressure Fire Dance emitted, in particular, made them breathless.
If these teams fought each other, they would most likely die in an instant.
"It's nothing." Shi Feng shrugged.
"If you guys are looking for Great Lords, we can help," Sinned Heart offered. "On our way here, we encountered quite a number of Great Lords. Only, these Great Lords resided in concentrated areas. It's highly likely that you'll attract a second Great Lord while dealing with the first."
Saying so, Sinned Heart sent Shi Feng the coordinates of those several Great Lords.
"Thanks." Shi Feng rejoiced when he received the coordinates.
Sinned Heart had given him the coordinates for seven Great Lords. This would save them a lot of time searching for these Bosses.
"Glad to be of help." Sinned Heart smiled.
"I don't believe that you came over here just to give me these Great Lord's locations., What's on your mind?" Shi Feng asked. He could not help but laugh when he saw Sinned Heart's hesitation.
Shi Feng could not help but sigh.
Hearing Shi Feng saying so, Sinned Heart released his tension with a sigh of his own and said, "In truth, aside from thanking you for the help, I wanted to ask something of Zero Wing. Although this may be sudden, I don't have any better options right now."
"Guild Leader, are you really going to ask?" one of the Guild's upper echelons asked with surprise. "If they refuse and news of this leaks, we'll be in big trouble."
"Do you think we have any other choice?" Sinned Heart grumbled, a deep sense of powerlessness touching his expression.
He did not want to do this, either.
However, he could not think of a better plan. Only after encountering Zero Wing and seeing how powerful the Guild was did he find hope. This might very well be their last opportunity to escape their dire situation.
The other upper echelons fell silent. Although they wanted to argue their Guild Leader's decision, they could not bring themselves to do so.
However, this had certainly captured Shi Feng's interest.
He could understand if Sinned Heart simply wanted to form a connection with Zero Wing. However, for a prideful person like Sinned Heart to place all his hopes in a stranger, the situation must be severe.
Moreover, Shi Feng was familiar with Sinned Heart's personality. He was not someone who would simply bow out of a challenge. Even when Immortal Light had fought a first-rate Guild, Sinned Heart had refused to lower his head. He prioritized bonds and friendship over personal benefits. Otherwise, he would not have risked Immortal Light's extinction just to help an allied Guild resist a first-rate Guild.
G.o.d's Domain was only a game. Shi Feng could not imagine what could cause someone like Sinned Heart to despair.
"I wish to sell several plots of Land in the Twin Towers Kingdom. I will sell these Lands at 90% market price. I'd like to offer them to Zero Wing in exchange for Coins or top-tier equipment of the same value," Sinned Heart finally said after a long moment of silence.
"Sell Land?" Shi Feng was curious. Since when had Sinned Heart become a Land broker? "If they're rubbish Lands, Zero Wing is not interested."
"Please rest a.s.sured; the Lands are in Snow Field City and have a lot of potential," Sinned Heart said as he took out several Snow Field City Deeds.
"These are close to the Underground Arena, the Adventurer's a.s.sociation, the Auction House, and the War G.o.d's Temple! Have you lost your minds?! You're actually selling these?!" Blackie could not help his shock after seeing the Deeds.
Currently, most of the Lands in major NPC cities with potential had been purchased already. It was extremely difficult to buy these Lands even if one could afford them. With G.o.d's Domain's blazing popularity, more people would join the game in the future. The value of these Lands would soar.
In less than half a year, these Lands would be worth several times their current value. It was especially true for the Lands in Twin Towers Kingdom's third-ranking city, Snow Field City.
Yet, Immortal Light wanted to sell away these Lands, at 90% market price no less. This was simply inconceivable.
"They are indeed good plots of Land. However, why are you trying to sell them to Zero Wing?" Shi Feng asked.
The Twin Towers Kingdom and Star-Moon Kingdom shared many aspects. Both were medium-sized kingdoms. Although Snow Field City was no match for White River City in terms of status, it was its Kingdom's third-ranking city. Many organizations would offer a high price for these Lands.
"This…" Sinned Heart fell silent for a moment. Shortly after, he sighed and said, "It's not that I don't want to sell them, but n.o.body is willing to buy them."
"Why? The value of these Lands will only increase in the future. Why doesn't anyone want to purchase them?" Aqua Rose asked, slightly surprised.
Even the Lands in the twentieth-ranking city in the Twin Towers Kingdom would be highly sought after, much less the valuable Lands in the third-ranking city. Aqua Rose had personally ventured to other Kingdoms to purchase several plots of Land for the Candlelight Trading Firm, so she understood how popular these Lands were.
"Because none of them wish to earn the ire of the Super Guild King's Return," Sinned Heart said helplessly.
When Zero Wing's members heard Sinned Heart's words, they were dumbfounded.
King's Return was a veteran Super Guild. Even a super-first-rate Guild like the Dragon-Phoenix Pavilion was nothing in comparison. Moreover, the King's Return's headquarters was in the Glory Empire, an empire located only a short distance away from Star-Moon Kingdom and the Twin Towers Kingdom.
Shi Feng was similarly shocked by this revelation.
A small Guild like Immortal Light had actually provoked a Super Guild like King's Return. No matter how he thought about it, this shouldn't be possible. Moreover, it would be child's play for King's Return to wipe Immortal Light out of existence. Immortal Light was no threat to the Super Guild at all.
Gnashing his teeth, Sinned Heart stated, "I don't want much for these five plots of Lands. I only ask for 13,000 Gold."
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text:
also known as: Eleazer
Meaning: God has helped.
This was the name of 6 biblical men.
High Priest Eleazar, the 3rd son of Aaron the brother of Moses (Exodus 6:23)
His wife, a daughter of Putiel, bore him Phinehas (Exodus 6:25).
After the death of Nadab and Abihu (Leviticus 10:12; Numbers 3:4) he was appointed to the charge of the sanctuary (Numbers 3:32). On Mount Hor he was clothed with the sacred vestments, which Moses took from off his brother Aaron and put upon him as successor to his father in the high priest's office, which he held for more than twenty years (Numbers 20:25-29).
He took part with Moses in numbering the people (26:3-4), and assisted at the inauguration of Joshua.
After the conquest of Canaan, he assisted in the distribution of the land between the 12 tribes of Israel (Joshua 14:1).
The high-priesthood remained in his family till the time of Eli, into whose family it passed, till it was restored to the family of Eleazar in the person of High Priest Zadok (1 Samuel 2:35; compare 1 Kings 2:27).
"And Eleazar the son of Aaron died; and they buried him in a hill that pertained to Phinehas his son." —Joshua 24:33 KJV
The word here rendered "hill" is Gibeah, the name of several towns in Israel which were generally on or near a hill. The words may be more suitably rendered, "They buried him in Gibeah of Phinehas," i.e., in the city of Phinehas, which has been identified, in accordance with Jewish and Samaritan traditions, with Kefr Ghuweirah='Awertah, about 7 miles north of Shiloh, and a few miles southeast of Nablus. "His tomb is still shown there, overshadowed by venerable terebinths."
Others, however, have identified it with the village of Gaba or Gebena of Eusebius, the modern Khurbet Jibia, 5 miles north of Guphna towards Nablus.
Eleazar, an inhabitant of Kirjath-jearim who was "sanctified" to take charge of the ark of the covenant, although not allowed to touch it, while it remained in the house of his father Abinadab (1 Samuel 7:1-2; compare Numbers 3:31; 4:15)
Eleazar, the son of Dodo the Ahohite, of the tribe of Benjamin, one of the 3 most eminent of David's 37 heroes (1 Chronicles 11:12) who broke through the Philistine host and brought him water from the well of Bethlehem (2 Samuel 23:9, 16)
Eleazar, a son of Phinehas associated with the priests in taking charge of the sacred vessels brought back to Jerusalem after the Exile (Ezra 8:33)
Eleazar, a Levite of the family of Merari (1 Chronicles 23:21-22)
Eleazar, the son of Eliud
Eleazar was the father of Matthan. All are in the direct royal line between King David and Jesus, through Joseph, Christ's legal father (Matthew 1:15).
Men of the Bible

redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaCommonCrawl


We hate to start the new year on a negative note … but you know we're going to do it anyway. How many would-be parents think about the personal suffering of those with physical or mental illness, ongoing wars, racial injustices, and human unkindness, not to mention our brutal treatment of animals?
Mark O'Connell, in his article in the August 3, 2014 New York Times Magazine, has mulled over it all. "What A Raw Deal for the Poor Little Guy," delves into what children face simply by being born, and his own parental angst about a world that is doing badly.
O'Connell takes the reader on a journey from the time he was about 10 years old when his father took him to a nursing home to visit a female friend. In the bed next to the friend another "impossibly ancient and decrepit" woman, agitated with the indignity of old age, said, "look at what's happened to me." Her voice was pleading and the young O'Connell was shaken, enough so to upset the applecart of his innocence.
O'Connell went on to read the German philosopher Arthur Schopenhauer, who stated without apology that "The world is just a hell and in it human beings are the tortured souls on the one hand, and the devils on the other." Schopenhauer also posed a bold question: If procreation was not accompanied by pleasure, but rationally deliberate, wouldn't people feel so sorry for the upcoming generation and that they would spare children the "burden of existence"?
In spite of his philosophical acumen, O'Connell's wife had a son in March of 2013. While he sat in the hospital with her and the baby, he read the Irish Times. He was horrified by the news: "massacres, rapes, recurrent outbursts of savage recreational violence, a world built on a seemingly unshakable foundation of economic cruelty and injustice, the continuing project of environmental destruction … What a world. What a species. What a raw deal for the poor little guy." No kidding.
Kudos to Mark O'Connell. He went into fatherhood with eyes wide open, while he continues to struggle with his simultaneous love for his progeny and his own pessimism about "the world we chose to bring him into." He thought twice about the pitfalls of life, and the state of the world before making a child. Given his wisdom, we choose to believe that he is likely to have just one.
He was right. And had no choice. The baby was already born. What could he do? Being there, done that.


Bobby is a stunning ginger boy with a beautiful soft coat. He is finding life at the London centre a little stressful and would much rather be in a loving home environment. He is extremely affectionate and loving once he wins your trust and will make a fabulous companion. Read more about him HERE.
They are all adorable. I hope they get their forever homes soon.
We hope they find their forever homes quickly.
Three kitties with striking eyes. Hopefully they all find their forever home soon.


The CRFB4 has four compartments that accept different device plates. This Device Plate is for Plate location 1, accepts most 15A and 20A straight blade receptacles and 15A turnlok receptacles. NOTE: Standard size for device plates for Plate Location 1 is 6 11/32" (161mm) x 2 3/4" (62mm).


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        http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0

    Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
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redpajama_set_name: RedPajamaGithub


text:
Category Archives: Boaz
The Story of Ruth: The Kinsman Redeemer
Posted on June 23, 2014 by womenfromthebook
Then Naomi her mother-in-law said to her, "My daughter, shall I not seek security for you, that it may be well with you? Now Boaz, whose young women you were with, is he not our relative? In fact, he is winnowing barley tonight at the threshing floor. Therefore wash yourself and anoint yourself, put on your best garment and go down to the threshing floor; but do not make yourself known to the man until he has finished eating and drinking. Then it shall be, when he lies down, that you shall notice the place where he lies; and you shall go in, uncover his feet, and lie down; and he will tell you what you should do." (Ruth 3:1-4)
Naomi knew it was just a matter of time. Once the harvest was over, their livelihood would again be in jeopardy unless…unless a kinsman redeemer[1] would step in and come to their rescue. Boaz, though not the nearest relative, would be their first resort. After all, he already knew Ruth and had shown a concern for her welfare as well as, by extension, Naomi's own. The time had come for a bold plan.
At the threshing floor
English: Threshing place. The circle is made from concrete. Harvested straw is put on the concrete surface and a donkey is made to walk on it in circles, which causes the process of threshing. On the left (front of the picture) visible leftovers (mostly tailings and chaff). Around the perimeter there is some threshed straw. On the floor there are some threshed grains. Photo taken near Vlyhada (Santorini, Greece). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Boaz worked alongside his hired men at the threshing floor—a cleared solid surface of hard-packed dirt or rock—preparing for the final stage of the weeks-long harvest.[2] Ruth watched as this kind kinsman, or was it one of his workers, expertly urged draft animals, whether oxen or donkeys is unclear, to drag heavy threshing sledges[3] back and forth over the sheaves, breaking down the stalks into husks, straw, and grain kernels. Then experienced hands wielding wooden pitchforks lifted the straw away so the process of winnowing could begin.
Winnowing the Chaff | Bamiyan (Photo credit: Hadi Zaher)
In the cooling evening breezes, waiting crews used winnowing forks, tossing the remaining grain into the air. Mesmerized, Ruth watched lighter stalks and husks (the chaff) be whisked away on capricious currents of wind, and the heavier kernels plummet back to the floor in a haphazard heap. Then mounds of the tawny pellets were scooped up and sifted through trays to remove any remaining dirt and debris. The clean grain was finally ready for immediate use or storage in sealed clay jars.
As the last rays of sunlight grew dusky, weary workers allowed themselves to relax, enjoying food and drink, celebrating harvest's end. Bellies full and hearts merry, first one and then another fell silent, except for an occasional grunt and snore. Ruth's gaze followed Boaz through the dimness as he made his way to the end of a grain pile, spread his blanket, and quickly dropped off to sleep.
Naomi's instructions had been quite clear: Wash yourself, put on your best garment, go back to the threshing floor, and wait for the moment of opportunity. That time had come. Ruth quietly made her way to where Boaz lay, uncovered his feet, and lay down.
The Kinsman-Redeemer
Naomi's strategy was one of enlisting the involvement of the kinsman-redeemer.[4] Now Ruth lay at Boaz's feet, anticipating the opportunity to bring Naomi's plan to fruition. His sleep suddenly troubled, she watched him awake with a start sensing her presence in the darkness. "Who are you?" he challenged warily. Ruth responded with her request. "I am you servant Ruth," she said. "Spread the corner of your garment over me,[5] since you are a kinsman-redeemer" (3:9 NIV).
Flattered by Ruth's request, Boaz commended her for approaching him, since it is likely that he was considerably older than she, and she might well have chosen a younger man. Rather than interpreting her actions as wily and improper, he afforded her only kindness and respect.[6] He encouraged her to wait until morning for the sake of her reputation and for her own protection. Before first light she could safely return to Naomi, and none would be the wiser. Then he would attend to the business at hand.
Following the rules
Boaz knew there was a kinsman closer than he, and his integrity dictated that he go to him first before proceeding any further. By rights, this relative (who, though unnamed in the Bible, was obviously known to Boaz) could redeem Elimelech's land either by buying it back, if it had indeed already been sold, or he could buy it outright.
Now Boaz went up to the gate and sat down there; and behold, the close relative of whom Boaz had spoken came by. So Boaz said, "Come aside, friend,[7] sit down here." So he came aside and sat down. And he took ten men of the elders of the city, and said, "Sit down here." So they sat down. Then he said to the close relative, "Naomi, who has come back from the country of Moab, sold the piece of land which belonged to our brother Elimelech. And I thought to inform you, saying, Buy it back in the presence of the inhabitants and the elders of my people. If you will redeem it, redeem it; but if you will not redeem it, then tell me, that I may know; for there is no one but you to redeem it, and I am next after you.'"
And he said, "I will redeem it."
What happened next affords a certain opportunity for speculation. Was Boaz disappointed when the near kinsman quickly accepted the responsibility? He obviously had more than a casual interest in Ruth and her welfare. Or had he anticipated just such a response, and, as the astute business man he undoubtedly was (Scripture describes him as a mighty man of wealth), knew just when to bring up an additional requirement to put the negotiations in jeopardy? Note the various translations of verse 5 below:
Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the field from the hand of Naomi, you must also buy it from Ruth the Moabitess, the wife of the dead, to perpetuate the name of the dead through his inheritance" (NKJV).
Then Boaz said, "On the day you buy the land from Naomi and from Ruth the Moabitess, you acquire the dead man's widow, in order to maintain the name of the dead with his property" (NIV).
Then Boaz said, "The day you acquire the field from the hand of Naomi, you are also acquiring Ruth the Moabite, the widow of the dead man, to maintain the dead man's name on his inheritance" (NRSV).
Boaz had just introduced the obligation of a levirate marriage, and the kinsman, recognizing the inherent liabilities that such an arrangement could impose on his own family, quickly forfeited his right of redemption to Boaz.[8] So, in the presence of ten official witnesses and many onlookers, Mr. So and So removed his sandal, thereby signaling the transfer of the property. A communal blessing followed:
And all the people who were at the gate, and the elders, said, "We are witnesses. The LORD make the woman who is coming to your house like Rachel and Leah, the two who built the house of Israel; and may you prosper in Ephrathah and be famous in Bethlehem. May your house be like the house of Perez, whom Tamar bore to Judah, because of the offspring which the LORD will give you from this young woman" (vv. 11-12).
The rest of the story of Ruth
So Boaz took Ruth and she became his wife; and when he went in to her, the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son. Then the women said to Naomi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without a close relative; and may his name be famous in Israel! And may he be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law, who loves you, who is better to you than seven sons, has borne him." Then Naomi took the child and laid him on her bosom, and became a nurse to him. Also the neighbor women gave him a name, saying, "There is a son born to Naomi." And they called his name Obed. He is the father of Jesse, the father of David" (vv. 13-17).
Ruth, Naomi and Obed. Pen and brown ink over pencil on paper. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The book of Ruth, in its four short chapters, gives one of the few detailed glimpses into the everyday lives of Old Testament characters in the Bible, and in particular, women. The reader is exposed to the nuances of the desperate plight of three widows, two of whom found themselves displaced and in foreign lands; and marvels at their courageous efforts to survive by hard work and ingenuity. The reader senses the depth of the bond of devotion to both kin and God, and the bitter anguish of loss. The reader observes the realities and rigors of harvest and manual labor; and sits as one of the collective witnesses to the legal proceedings involving rights of inheritance and preservation of a family line. Lastly, the perceptive reader will recognize and value this book as a beautiful exemplar of kindness, the evidence of which is found on every page.
What a gift to have The Book of Ruth preserved in the pages of the Bible!
For additional reading please view Mary Hendren's post, Levirate Law– in Confusion.
The Writings
[1] A Ga'al (Strong's 1350), or kinsman redeemer, could act in several ways. By definition according to http://www.biblestudytools.com/lexicons/hebrew/nas/gaal.html , the kinsman redeemer could marry a brother's widow to beget a child for him (Deuteronomy 25:5-10), redeem from slavery (Leviticus 25:47-49), redeem land (Leviticus 25:25), or exact vengeance (Numbers 35:19). In the book of Ruth, Boaz acted as a levir as well as one who preserved claim to the family property.
[2] It is possible that Boaz, and /or others, were overseeing the process. The Archaeological Study Bible, in its cultural and historical note on "The Threshing Floor" (page 608), comments that because the threshing floor was the largest open area within a village,"town elders were typically present to oversee the threshing of the year's crops." The threshing floor was also a suitable locale for "legal actions, criminal trials, and public decisions." The city gate was also used for such proceedings as will later be seen.
[3] Sledges were heavy wooden slabs with teeth made of stone, metal or potsherds fastened to the underside. See Isaiah's vivid description of the whole process in chapter 41, verses 14-16.
[4] Whether this was simply to assure that Elimelech's landholdings would be preserved within family lines, or to ensure there would be a son to carry on the family name, or both, are topics for on-going discussion. Leon Wood, in his book, The Distressing Days of the Judges (1982), addresses both: "When an owner was forced to sell property due to poverty, it was the obligation of the nearest relative to buy this property back (thus 'redeeming' it), so that it could remain in the possession of the original family" (p. 261). Wood goes on to comment that "it was the obligation of the nearest kinsman, in this instance, not only to purchase the property of Naomi—which really also belonged to Ruth, because of inheritance rights through her dead husband Mahlon—but also to marry Ruth and raise up a son to Mahlon who might then inherit that property in due time" (p. 262).
[5] Scholars do not agree as to the meaning and symbolism associated with this action. Some feel it amounted to a request for protection, while others interpret it as a request for marriage. For a detailed examination of challenges present in the wording of the Hebrew text see
http://faculty.gordon.edu/hu/bi/ted_hildebrandt/otesources/08-ruth/texts/books/leggett-goelruth/leggett-goelruth.pdf, pp. 192-3.
[6] Some have chosen to attribute to both Ruth and Boaz activities or motives of a sexual nature, but others, such as The Expositor's Bible Commentary in its note regarding Ruth 3:13, write to the contrary: "Both Ruth and Boaz acted virtuously in a situation they knew could have turned out otherwise. Chastity was not an unknown virtue in the ancient world."
[7] The word friend (NKJV) and kinsman (KJV) in this verse is taken from a Hebrew idiom best translated "Mr. So and So." It is translated as such in the Tanakh. This idiom is said to have been used when it was not deemed essential to use the person's actual name. Some think they detect a certain disdain attached to its usage here, since the relative declined to step in to help. See The Expositor's Bible Commentary comments on Ruth 4:1-3.
[8] Expositors comments concerning 4:6:"Most scholars interpret the kinsman's refusal as an awareness that he would be paying part of what should be his own children's inheritance to buy land that would revert to Ruth's son as a legal heir of Elimelech." Others posit he was reluctant to intermarry with a Moabite woman (cf. Deuteronomy 23:3-4).
Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament comments on verse 6: "The redemption would cost money, since the yearly produce of the field would have to be paid for up to the year of jubilee. Now, if he acquired the field by redemption as his own permanent property, he would have increased by so much his own possessions in land. But if he should marry Ruth, the field so redeemed would belong to the son whom he would beget through her, and he would therefore have parted with the money that he had paid for the redemption merely for the son of Ruth, so that he would have withdrawn a certain amount of capital from his own possession, and to that extent have detracted from its worth. 'Redeem thou for thyself my redemption,' i.e., the field which I have the first right to redeem."(Keil and Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament: New Updated Edition, Electronic Database. Copyright © 1996 by Hendrickson Publishers, Inc. All rights reserved.)
Posted in Bethlehem, Bible women, Boaz, Courage, Elimelech, food, Ga'al, Gleaning, Humility, Kinsman redeemer, Levirate marriage, Mahlon, Moabite women, Naomi, Obed, Profiles, Ruth, Sledge, Threshing, Uncategorized, Winnowing. Bookmark the permalink.
The Story of Ruth: New Beginnings
Posted on May 23, 2014 by womenfromthebook
But Ruth said: "Entreat me not to leave you, or to turn back from following after you; for wherever you go, I will go; and wherever you lodge, I will lodge; your people shall be my people, and your God, my God. Where you die, I will die, and there will I be buried. The LORD do so to me, and more also, if anything but death parts you and me" (Ruth 1:16-17).
The small town of Bethlehem was abuzz—Naomi was back after more than ten years! But where was Elimelech? And Mahlon and Chilion? Who was the young foreigner walking beside her? Why did Naomi look so sad?
From the time she entered the gate[1] undoubtedly town elders and townspeople alike plied Naomi with questions. One can only imagine what went through Ruth's mind, as she, too, encountered first one person and then another, aware of scrutinizing, and sometimes suspicious, eyes. While Israel was enjoying a period of detente with Moab, Ruth was most likely aware of the checkered relationship of their shared past[2] and all that entailed. Now, unfaltering in her pledge of undying devotion to Naomi, she was more resolved than ever to make a new life for herself—Moab, along with its gods and culture, was going to become a thing of the past.
She listened as her mother-in-law told and retold the pitiful story of her plight, lamenting, "Do not call me Naomi; call me Mara, for the Almighty has dealt very bitterly with me. I went out full, and the LORD has brought me home again empty. Why do you call me Naomi, since the LORD has testified against me, and the Almighty has afflicted me" (vv 20-21)? For reasons unstated in scripture, she believed her misfortunes were somehow punishments from her LORD. For that, Ruth could offer no solace.
The rules of hospitality[3] ensured that the two weary women had a place to stay at least temporarily until permanent arrangements could be made, so they probably found lodging with some of Naomi's relatives or friends. It is assumed, though, that she quickly returned to her husband's property, possibly a house that had been rented in the family's absence or guarded by relatives who remained in the land. At least they would have shelter. Their means of support and sustenance was quite another matter.
They had arrived at the beginning of the barley harvest, and Ruth soon learned that Israel had provisions in place to care for the poor including widows, orphans and foreigners: the right to follow behind the reapers and glean the fields. It was hard work for all concerned, and for gleaners it likely represented a tenuous hold on survival. "Since prudent workers worked carefully, the gleaning of the fallen grain was mere subsistence living, much like trying to eke out survival today by recycling aluminum cans" (The Book of Ruth, Robert L. Hubbard, 1988, Google Books, p. 138). She wasted no time in gaining permission to work one of the fields, the owner of which, she learned, was a man named Boaz.
English: Ruth and Boaz (Ruth 2:2-20) Русский: Руфь и Вооз (Руфь 2:2-20) (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
A day's work
At first light Ruth watched as reapers, men who were either hired laborers or slaves, established a time-worn rhythm, grasping the mature stalks with one hand, and using a sickle to cut off the grain with the other. When an armload of ear-laden stalks became unmanageable, the reaper laid them in rows by standing stalls where women waited to tie them into bundles eventually to be transported to the threshing floor. There threshers separated the grain from the chaff, and sealed it in jars for later use.
Ruth swiftly moved in behind the laborers, scooping up the precious grist as it fell, and before other gleaners, or avaricious birds could claim the prize. It was backbreaking work, and she did it willingly. Naomi was depending on her. What she did not know is that someone was observing her with keen interest.
"Now behold, Boaz came from Bethlehem, and said to the reapers,'The LORD be with you!' And they answered him,'The LORD bless you!' Then Boaz said to his servant who was in charge of the reapers,'Whose young woman is this?' So the servant who was in charge of the reapers answered and said, 'It is the young Moabite woman who came back with Naomi from the country of Moab. And she said, 'Please let me glean and gather after the reapers among the sheaves.' So she came and has continued from morning until now, though she rested a little in the house" (Ruth 2:4-7).
A man views his fields
Boaz[4] had come from Bethlehem to oversee his fields, already alive with harvest activity. He saw the usual familiar crews, but one stranger stood out among them—according to his foreman, she was Ruth, a Moabitess, the widow of Naomi's son, Mahlon. Curious, he studied her as she swiftly cleaned between the rows, back and forth in the warm springtime sun. He had already heard of her widowhood, and her devotion to Naomi—it was the talk of Bethlehem. Now, seeing her in person, something about Ruth touched him, and he ordered his crew to see to it that she had plenty to glean by purposely dropping stalks along her way.
Ruth in Boaz's Field (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
After a while Boaz sent for her; she came obediently, bowing her face to the ground, struck by the fact that he would take the time to speak to her, a lowly reaper, and a foreign woman at that. After his assurances for her safety, Ruth found herself invited to share the noon meal with the reapers under the shade of a make-shift shelter. She watched as the laborers deftly roasted ears of freshly harvested barley over a ready fire. Boaz himself quickly removed charred husks, and passed parched kernels to Ruth to eat her fill.[5] She must have marveled at his kindness—a man of such wealth and stature.
Ruth gleaned until evening, and had still more work to do—separating the grain from the chaff. By the time she finally returned to Naomi, she had enough barley to last them for several weeks.[6] Her mother-in-law was amazed, and upon further inquiry, learned that Ruth was gleaning in the field of a near kinsman of her husband's.
Though Boaz's benevolence continued to meet the widows' short-term needs, Naomi knew it simply forestalled the inevitable. Unless something was done to ensure their future survival, very difficult times lay ahead. What they needed was a plan.
[1] Obed Borowski, Daily Life in Bible Times, p. 21: "In settlements with no inns, local people were expected to invite out-of-towners into their homes. To be invited, out-of-towners would sit in the street or town square …and wait for an invitation by one of the locals (Judges 19:13). This was done probably by the entrance to the village, where people used to pass (Ruth 4:1)….Houses were so close to each other that people could tell when guests were visiting (v22). Further, the village population was small enough that the arrival of an outsider was noticed and quickly broadcast (Ruth 2:11)."
[2] See Numbers 22 and 25, and Deuteronomy 23:3-6 for the historical backdrop.
[3] The Woman's Study Bible, Topic, "Hospitality: The Gift of Welcome," p. 2071, comments, "For the people of the Bible, hospitality was not merely a matter of good manners but a necessity in the harsh desert regions. Hospitality was openly rewarded…(Joshua 2:12-14). Lack of hospitality was punished…(1 Samuel 25:2-39)."
See other posts relating to hospitality on this blog: https://womenfromthebook.com/2012/08/27/a-point-of-focus/
https://womenfromthebook.com/2012/08/28/hospitalityor-else-abigails-dilemma/;
https://womenfromthebook.com/2012/08/29/the-hospitality-of-two-widows/
https://womenfromthebook.com/2012/08/28/pattern-for-hospitality-in-the-old-testament/
https://womenfromthebook.com/2013/07/21/a-hospitality-of-believers/
[4] Watching her was Naomi's kinsman, Boaz, probably a widower or perhaps one who never married—the Bible doesn't say. There is no record of any children prior to his marriage to Ruth. Chances are he was older than Ruth—perhaps even by quite a bit—and the record indicates that he was successful—"a mighty man of wealth" of Elimelech's clan (Ruth 2:1 KJV), making him related to Naomi by marriage.
[5] The Expositor's Bible Commentary, comment on Ruth 2:14.
[6] Expositor's estimates her gleanings measured about an ephah of barley—approximately one-half to two-thirds of a bushel, estimated to be from 29 to 50 pounds. (See comment on verse 17.)
Posted in Barley, Bethlehem, Bible women, Boaz, food, Gleaning, Grains for baking bread, Hospitality, Mahlon, Moab, Moabite women, Naomi, Ruth, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.
Posted on December 29, 2013 by womenfromthebook
'To everything that creeps on the earth, in which there is life, I have given every green herb for food,' and thus it was so. Then God saw everything that He had made, and indeed it was very good (Genesis 1:30-31).
Commentators state that the word herb is not limited to plants like sage, rosemary and thyme. The phrase every green herb includes leafy greens, vegetables, fruits, and grains. All foods that God created for man are good, not just flavorful greens. He didn't intend for us to become sick as a result of eating food. And there's no evidence that the diseases people suffered in ancient Israel were food-related. (See past posts on the diseases of first century Palestine, posted on 11/05/12 and 11/07/12.)
A Problem with Wheat Today
Wheat was one of the grains God said shall make the young men thrive (Zech. 9:17). Almost all biblical references to grain, bread, wheat and flour are positive. Bread made from wheat was a staple in Israel. Fine flour, raised bread and unleavened bread played important roles in Israel's worship and holyday observances. Jesus referred to Himself as the living bread that came down from heaven—the bread of life (John 6:35, 51). On two occasions, He fed thousands of followers with a few loaves of bread (Matt.16:8-10). Jesus compared the outcome of His death to the fruit borne of a single grain of wheat that dies (John 12:24).
But wheat in the 21st century has been linked to health problems.[1] A number of doctors and nutritionists believe that wheat shouldn't play such a starring role in the today's diet. They question what's happened to wheat in the last fifty years and how it's different from wheat grown 3,000 years ago. They speculate that commercial milling may affect human digestion of wheat.
Considering these questions in a biblical setting takes us to the book of Ruth, a romance set in the grain fields of ancient Israel. As the narrator tells the story of a young widow and her devoted benefactor, readers get a sense of how grain was grown and harvested during the time of the Judges.
Ruth supported herself and her mother-in-law by gleaning in the field of Boaz, her relative. Six times in reference to his property, the narrator used the word "field" (singular), and once the phrase, "part of the field belonging to Boaz" (Ruth 2). A wealthy man like Boaz may have owned only one field or parts of a field. Boaz called his reapers "my young women" and "my young men," suggesting that his grain business was small enough to manage with workers he knew. He supervised the fieldwork, ate meals with the workers and joined in the harvest activities. Reaping and gathering were done by hand with the assistance of ox carts to carry bundles to the threshing floor.[2] Ruth carried her own grain to the threshing area and beat out the kernels with a rod. For an owner's larger harvest, oxen pulled heavy sledges or a millstone over the stalks to separate the seed heads. Using pitchforks and baskets, workers winnowed the seed from the chaff. If Ruth were dropped into a Kansas wheat field today, she wouldn't recognize uniform stalks bred for mechanical harvesting. It would amaze Boaz to watch high-tech harvesters mowing, threshing, winnowing, and separating grain in one continuous operation.
Left: Hulled wheat (einkorn), with spikelets. Right: Free-threshing wheat (common wheat). (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
The wheat grown 3-4000 years ago was domesticated wild grass, probably emmer or einkorn wheat. Both emmer and einkorn have different genetic structures than the wheat grown today.[3] Dr. William Davis states that wheat today "is not the same grain our forebears ground into their daily bread."[4] He adds that from the original strains of wild grass such as emmer and einkorn, "wheat has exploded to more than 25,000 varieties, virtually all of them the result of human intervention."[5] As part of a worldwide effort to reduce hunger, "wheat strains have been hybridized and crossbred…to make the wheat plant resistant to environmental conditions, such as drought, or pathogens such as fungi…and to increase yield per acre."[6]
Storage and Milling
Grain stored as kernels keeps indefinitely without spoiling. Ruth would have stored her barley and wheat as kernels and ground them into porridge or flour when it was time for a meal.
Author Sarah Ruszkowski explains that each wheat grain is "made up the endosperm, the bran, the fiber, and the wheat germ. The milling process grinds all these parts together to create a flour. However, the wheat germ is very oily and can become rancid rather quickly when broken and exposed to air. Flour manufacturers must remove the wheat germ for preservation and longer shelf life."[7] In short, commercial milling sacrifices some nutritional benefit to produce flour with a long shelf life.
She adds, "Unfortunately, the wheat germ is the most nutritious part of the wheat berry. By removing the wheat berry, fiber, and bran twenty-eight of the thirty known vitamins and minerals in a single wheat berry are lost leaving only the endosperm,"[8] although millers do add four vitamins back into the flour to enrich it. The fresh flour Ruth made by grinding wheat berries as needed contained all 28 vitamins (especially the B vitamins, vitamins A and E) thought to be important for proper digestion of wheat.
The work of Norman Borlaug in the 1940's and 50's introduced a variety of short, high-yield wheat that revolutionized feeding the world. But changing the genetic code of wheat might have its downside. It's not likely that scientists can further the green revolution and simultaneously eliminate any resultant side effects.
A time is coming when things will balance. God will return all things to how they should be, a Divine reset that restores the creation to proper functioning. God, man and the land will relate in what Isaiah envisions as marriage.
But you will be called, "My delight is in her," And your land, "Married;" For the LORD delights in you, And to Him your land will be married (Isa.62:4).
by Mary Hendren
[1] William Davis, "Wheat Belly," Rodale Press, 2011; David Perlmutter, "Grain Brain," Little, Brown and Company
[2] Oded Borowski, "Agriculture in Iron Age Israel," pp. 59-60
[3] Same source, pp. 88-89
[4] William Davis, "Wheat Belly," Rodale Inc., 2011, p. 14
[5] Same source, p. 16
[7] Sarah Ruszkowski, Yahoo! Voices, "Health Benefits of Grinding Whole Wheat Flour at Home"
[8] Same source.
Posted in Boaz, bread, Disease, food, Grains for baking bread, Land, Ruth, Threshing, Uncategorized, Wheat, Wheat berry. Bookmark the permalink.
Barley: the Grain of the Poor
Posted on April 14, 2013 by womenfromthebook
Barley was the grain most commonly used to make into flour for bread in Iron Age Israel. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Barley was a primary food grain in ancient Israel. The Israelites planted barley in the fall at the time of first rain. The seed over-wintered in the ground, sprouted in the spring and was harvested in March to April. Wheat was planted at the same time but it ripened in May to June. Barley could be grown in poor soil and be broadcast into unplowed ground. Barley was a dependable, disease-resistant crop, easier and less expensive to grow than wheat.
Concerning nutrition, barley surpasses wheat in a few ways: barley has twice as many fatty acids as wheat; it has 40% more fiber than wheat; it contains vitamin E (wheat has none); it contains more thiamine, riboflavin and lysine than wheat "giving barley a more balanced protein."[1] Barley has less gluten than wheat, which makes it less desirable for making raised breads. The high gluten content of wheat, and the preference for raised bread, caused wheat to become the most important of the ancient grains.
Israel's bread
Though wheat became the preferred grain in the ancient world, barley still played an important part in the diet of the Hebrews. Israelites ate barley and oats as porridge and flatbreads and fed both grains to their animals. Wheat was not used as animal food. Barley gradually became known as the grain of the poor. "Barley was cultivated in Palestine and Egypt and was fed to cattle and horses. Though the Egyptians used barley to feed animals, the Hebrews used it for bread, at least for the poor."[2] Barley was fed to horses or mixed with ground lentils, beans and millet to enhance its taste.[3]
It is estimated that bread provided "50-70 % of the ordinary person's calories, and the bread eaten until the end of the Israelite monarchy was mainly made from barley."[4] The book of Ruth illustrates the importance of barley as a life sustaining grain for the poor.
Gleaning
Jan van Scorel, Ruth and Naomi in the fields of Boaz. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Ruth and Naomi had no way of supporting themselves in Moab, so they returned to Israel as impoverished widows. (Ruth 1:20). They arrived at the time of the barley harvest, and found relief through laws established to help the poor (Ruth 1:22, Lev. 19:9, Lev. 23:22, Deut. 24:19).
When you reap your harvest in your field, and forget a sheaf in the field, you shall not go back to get it; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, that the LORD your God may bless you in all the work of your hands. When you beat your olive trees, you shall not go over the boughs again; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. When you gather the grapes of your vineyard, you shall not glean it afterward; it shall be for the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. And you shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt; there I command you to do this thing.
Gleaners were allowed into the fields after a farmer had harvested his crop, and farmers were subject to punishment if they frustrated those who wished to collect leftover crops. Ancient rabbinical rules stated that farmers were "not permitted to discriminate among the poor, nor to try to frighten them away with dogs or lions."[5]
Ruth was blessed to glean in fields belonging to Boaz, a kind and generous man. His reapers purposefully dropped barley for Ruth to pick up, enabling her to gather more than would have been expected. In the evenings, she returned to Naomi with about half a bushel of barley.
Each village had a threshing floor that the farmers shared. A threshing floor made of paving stone or hard-packed dirt was located in flat, windy areas. Farmers piled their sheaves on the threshing floor and cattle trampled over the grain to break up the straw. At some threshing floors, farmers hooked oxen to threshing boards embedded with obsidian chips or to spiked rollers. Both mechanical devices were pulled across the sheaves to break the grain heads free of the straw. Because Ruth gleaned a small amount of grain each day, it is likely she threshed by beating the grain with a hinged tool called a flail.
A threshing flail Français : Fléau Norsk (bokmål): Slegel (nn), sliul (nn/nb), sloge (nn), tust (nn/nb) Svenska: Slaga Română: Îmblăciu (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Farmers tossed the threshed grain into the air with winnowing forks, allowing the wind to blow away the chaff. Women winnowed by tossing and catching the grain in flat baskets. Ruth likely winnowed her grain in a flat basket, keeping her part separate from the harvest.
In the evening Naomi and Ruth divided the grain into portions: what would be used immediately, what would be stored and what would be sold for other commodities. They parched grain and ate it warm. They parboiled it for porridge or stew. They ground most of it into flour for bread.
I imagine that Naomi took care of the grain that Ruth brought home. The most arduous of her duties was grinding. Grinding "was a difficult and time-consuming task…it is estimated that it required at least three hours of daily effort to produce enough flour to make sufficient bread for a family of five. The earliest milling was performed with a pestle and mortar, or a stone quern consisting of a lower stone that held the grain and a smooth upper stone that was moved back and forth over the grains."[6] Working with a quern or pestle and mortar, it may have taken Naomi an hour or more of grinding to make enough flour for their daily bread.
Busy hands reap bountiful blessings
Ruth and Naomi worked to support themselves. They were grateful for the opportunity to work. Ruth came to the attention of Boaz because she had worked (Ruth 2:11).
It has been fully reported to me, all that you have done for your mother-in-law since the death of your husband, and how you have left your father and your mother and the land of your birth, and have come to a people whom you did not know before.
God blessed Ruth because she continued to work (Ruth 2:12, 4:13-17).
The LORD repay your work, and a full reward be given you by the LORD God of Israel, under whose wings you have come for refuge. ♦ Mary Hendren
[1] AAOOB Storable Foods, Grain Information, "Barley "
[2] Illustrated Manners and Customs of the Bible, Packer and Tenny, Editors, p. 468
[3] Six Thousand Years of Bread, H.E. Jacob, pp. 35, 163
[4] Wikipedia, "Ancient Israelite Cuisine"
[5] Wikipedia, "Gleaning"
Posted in Barley, Bible women, Boaz, bread, food, Grains for baking bread, Ruth, Uncategorized. Bookmark the permalink.


text:
Yolanda Thomas.
Xavier Tyrell Johnson.
Darrell Banks.
Cedric Chatman.
Say their names. These are the fallen, forever lost. These are just a few of our brothers and sisters whose lives were taken through the deadly force of police brutality. There are too many to name here, but each life taken left a hole too large and too deep, and one that can never be refilled. They were our fathers, our sons, our sisters, our daughters. They deserved to live. Instead, they were taken and in their place we have only memories and pain.
Today, we are here to demand justice for our brother George Floyd.
He was murdered in cold blood by four men who had sworn to protect and serve their community. Instead, they stifled the life out of a man as he lay on the pavement crushed beneath their weight.
George Floyd's passing was neither swift, nor easy. He suffered for nearly 10 minutes, begging for his life, in excruciating pain, until his body gave out from the duress placed on him. The man who is responsible for his death is Derek M. Chauvin. Heedless to his cries, Chauvin suffocated George Floyd to death, showing no mercy, no humanity, no remorse. He took the life of George Floyd with cold, calculated, deliberate intent.
But Chauvin is not the only one who is responsible for his death. Three other officers participated in this willful act of murder. Thomas Lane and J Alexander Kueng willfully held Floyd down as Derek M. Chauvin drove his knee into Floyd's neck. Tou Thao stood guard and watched the murder unfold in front of him, refusing to intervene or stop the clear act of excessive force. As Derek M. Chauvin slowly strangled George Floyd to his death under the watchful eyes and forceful hands of his accomplices, George Floyd was able to gasp, "They're going to kill me." He was right. And they did, on a busy street in broad daylight in Minneapolis while onlookers watched in horror.
We demand justice for George Floyd.
We demand that his murderers be charged, arrested, and tried for the heinous act of murder which they committed against an unarmed and helpless man whose only crime was the color of his skin.
We are tired of seeing our brothers and sisters taken from us in cold blood, over and over and over again, by law enforcement. There is a crisis in this country. The police behave like a criminal gang. Instead of heeding their oath to protect and serve, they terrorize, maim, beat, rape, and murder with impunity.
However, not only are these officers responsible for the death of George Floyd, every public servant in this city is culpable for the conditions which led to this tragedy. For far too long, our leaders have turned a blind eye to the epidemic of police brutality in this country. Every single one of you is responsible. Every single one of you will be held accountable.
Until there is justice for George Floyd, there will be no peace in our cities.
No Justice, no Peace.
-United Left
Black Lives Mater
Potiphar's wife and #MeToo
Setting Up Candidates for Success, and Other Actions for Allies
Better Allies®
Lives That Matter Equally
Wayne Saalman
A major victory against forced marriage.
Gender Identity Needs to Be Based on Objective Evidence Rather Than Feelings
Culture Is not an Excuse for Oppressing Women
Yes, I See Skin Color and Proud of It! Let's just be honest and real about it
Mamas and Coffee®
News flash, Police Departments: You Have Black Customers
Robert D Williams


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« The Way Finishes Are Supposed To Be
Random Thoughts On Long Beach »
Long Beach Preview
The Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach will run this weekend for the forty-second consecutive year. That is the longest running stretch of any race, by far, on the Verizon IndyCar Series schedule – with the exception of the Indianapolis 500, of course. There are many mainstay non-ovals that we take for granted to be on the schedule each and every year – St. Petersburg, Barber, Toronto, Mid-Ohio and Sonoma. But none have the date equity and staying power as the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach.
When Champ Car and IndyCar reunified in 2008, it created a schedule snafu. Many traditional CART markets prior to the split, were suddenly in jeopardy. Toronto fell off the schedule for one year. Road America went away and didn't resurface until this season. Portland disappeared for good, as did Cleveland. Surfers Paradise was run after the 2008 season finale as a non-points paying exhibition before it dropped off for good. But there was one weekend that stood out – Long Beach.
IndyCar was already scheduled to run at Twin Ring Motegi the weekend of Long Beach, in 2008. Knowing what a gem Long Beach was, something had to be worked out in order to preserve the event and keep it available for future dates on the newly combined IndyCar calendar.
It was finally decided that the 2008 Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach served as the Champ Car farewell. The transition teams would have one last hoorah in the short lived DP-01chassis, while the IndyCar teams would race in Japan. Points accrued in the Champ Car finale would count towards the IndyCar standings. It was a little convoluted and awkward, but it showed the importance of keeping a continued presence in Long Beach and how important that event was on the schedule.
CART, Champ Car and IndyCar are not the only sanctioning bodies to run at The Beach. The inaugural event in 1975 was a Formula 5000 race. The next year, Formula One staged the first of eight F1 events there. Long Beach F1 winners include Clay Regazzoni, Mario Andretti, Gilles Villeneuve, Nelson Piquet and Niki Lauda. In 1984, CART replaced F1 at Long Beach and it has been sanctioned by an American open-wheel series ever since.
I've never been to the Toyota Grand Prix of Long Beach. When I was a kid, we went on board the Queen Mary, which still sits across the harbor from the main stretch on Shoreline Drive. But believe me; this race is on my short list to visit at least once.
This race is rarely the best race of the season, but it is always entertaining and usually offers at least one major surprise. One example is the pit mishap in 1991 between pole-sitter Michael Andretti and Emerson Fittipaldi. Michael and Emmo were running second and third respectively, when they pitted under the yellow for John Andretti's crash.
Michael came out of his pit first. As he was barreling down pit road, the Penske team waved out Fittipaldi just in front of the oncoming Newman/Haas car of Andretti. That was in the days of little or no speed limit in the pits. The result was that Michael went up in the air at a forty-five degree angle and almost onto his hat. At the time, it appeared that the incident affected the points greatly. Michael Andretti left Long Beach with only two points in hand after two races, but went on to win the championship. Those that have buried Will Power this season, can take note.
The next year, Danny Sullivan threw everyone a curve – not only because he unseated Al Unser as the consecutive four-time defending race champion, but in the manner in which he did it. Little Al and Sullivan were Galles/Kraco teammates. As usual, Little Al led most of the race. That is until the closing laps when Sullivan stuck the nose of his Galmer/Chevrolet under the identical chassis of Unser, Jr. Little Al spun in the turn and Sullivan went on to take what may have been an unpopular win within the team.
More recently, there have been many surprise winners. Ryan Hunter-Reay ended a two-year race drought in 2010, when he earned only his second IndyCar win (although he did win twice in Champ Car) in the under-funded fourth car for Andretti Autosport. The next year, it was Mike Conway in an even more surprising win for Andretti. In 2013, Takuma Sato gave AJ Foyt his only win in over a decade. The team has not won since, either. The following year, Mike Conway won his second race at The Beach in four tries – this time for Ed Carpenter.
In fact, the only two "expected" winners this decade have been Will Power in 2012 and Scott Dixon earning his first-ever Long Beach win last season. They join a very impressive list of winners of this event – a list that includes Al Unser, Jr. (six wins), Mario Andretti (four wins), Paul Tracy (four wins), Sébastien Bourdais (three wins), Michael Andretti (two wins), Alex Zanardi (two wins) and Will Power (two wins). Past winners among current drivers are Power, Dixon, Bourdais, Hunter-Reay, Sato, Helio Castroneves and Juan Montoya.
This season, I'm 0 for 2 on picking winners. I picked Helio for St. Petersburg and Newgarden for Phoenix. Both came up empty. Whose race will I ruin this weekend by picking them? The only current Penske driver to have never won at The Beach – points leader Simon Pagenaud, to get the monkey off of his back since joining Team Penske.
From what I see on television; this race can be good, but seldom is it great. But from what I understand, the throngs that actually attend this race are there more for the party atmosphere than the great racing. Most of my hard partying days are way behind me, but I would still like to go to this historic event and experience it at least once. Maybe next year.
3 Responses to "Long Beach Preview"
At Long Beach and Toronto, the question for me is always whether there will be a lot of contact or a whole lot of contact.
I like the Pagneaud pick. Rahal to finish second because that's what Rahals do at Long Beach.
George, I continue to wonder how you find the time to research these racing columns as well as you do three times each week and still keep your regular job. And keep a wife. Like most good supervisors I imagine you have learned how to delegate. Maybe Johnny Mac covers for you.
When it comes to picking winners I think I do a good job with beer and burger joints. With race winner picks………..not so much. So, a weekend of California girls and racin'. What's not to like?!
Chad Smith Says:
I had to go with Penske because of their qualifying. Of the 32 races at Long Beach, 16 of them have been won by a driver starting on the front row. Also, 25 of the 32 races have been won by a driver starting in the top four.


The Hampton Range is finished in a warmly toned acacia effect foil with a distinctive grain finish. The sleek, clean-cut design works splendidly to accentuate the highly varied grain and mixed hues of the acacia wood. This range offers ultra modern pieces that will bring your home a whole new look.


Like many other artists visiting Rome, Turner sketched the so-called Temple of Minerva Medica, a ruined circular monument which stands on the Esquiline Hill between the present-day via Giovanni Giolotti and the railway tracks leading into Termini station, close to the Porta Maggiore (also known as the Porta Praenestina). This sketch depicts the inner façade of the ruins with the surviving portion of the vaulted ceiling. For other sketches of the Temple and a full description see folio 56 (D15401; Turner Bequest CLXXXII 55).


Pip, Mark & Molly have been members of Bodyfix for 5 years now. Pip currently trains with Nik once a week. Combining her weekly session with a bit of group training and a spin classes. Pip, Mark & Molly are well part of the Bodyfix Family!
In July of 2013 I was diagnosed with Endometrial Cancer (cancer of the Uterus) and overnight life took on a very different path.
Major abdominal surgery happened soon after, some recovery time before I started my cocktail of Radiotherapy every day and Chemotherapy once a week for 5 weeks. Christmas and New Year was celebrated with friends and family and then in January I started the last leg of my treatment, 12 weeks of some pretty gnarly nasty Chemo but "team" Pip got me across the line.
The months that followed were some of the hardest and darkest…… EVER! I was so disciplined and motivated during treatment exercising as much as I could, eating really well and taking lots of supplements to nurture my body. I was the model patient.
Then it was a roller coaster of emotion of the reality of what the family and I had endured and coming to terms with how radiotherapy and chemo had ravaged my body. I was fine on the outside but screaming from within.
54 years old, hearing loss due to chemo, constant ringing in my ears, dizziness and balance issues, bloated body from steroids, no fitness, poor nutrition,tired, near miss incontinence from radiotherapy, painful stiff hips blah blah blah. I wallowed in my self pity and was so sad on the inside.
My amazing husband supported and tried so hard to motivate me and eventually his words sunk in.
I brought a 30 days for $30 package from Bodyfix to get started and haven't looked back. The first time I went to the gym I didn't make it inside. I sat in the car emotional and fearful. I never realised how low my self esteem had got or how much confidence I had lost in me and my body. It was a defining moment or a much needed kick up the arse!
Next visit was my first session with my PT Jess. From the go get she just "got" it, that the gym for me was as much about healing as the physical exercise.
It was great to start with having my owner Personal Trainer as the experience and knowledge really helped me differentiate between muscles working hard vs potential pain. I was pushed along, each session with encouragement that made me want to go that bit further, to challenge myself, get comfortable with my body and it boosted my confidence no end.
Jess got me going but it was whole team approach at Bodyfix that also made the difference, from the warm welcome I got when I came through that door to the vested interest and individual support I got from everyone was amazing.
Fast forward a few months and there was no looking back. I was spinning, pumping, mooving and working out up to 5 times a week and enjoying it. The changes in my body were massive but the biggest shift was in my head. I was really beginning to feel strong and healthy again.
You can't go past the old cliche of 'MOVE IT OR LOSE IT' as it rings so true.
This journey of exercise means I am more flexible and able to do everyday things like tie my shoe laces standing up, a stronger core and pelvic floor muscles means no near misses if you know what I mean, my balance has improved and the list goes on. I have to watch the dizziness (from hearing loss) as quick changes in movement or direction see me just about keel over lol but I can manage it better now.
I've shared my story in the hope that it may give others the courage or motivation to get back into exercise after a significant health event as it is "healing" on so many levels!
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Hi, I am Moo, gym owner, mother, business owner and jack of all trades here at Bodyfix. I have a huge huge passion for helping anyone & everyone out there to have a better and healthier lifestyle while at the same time achieving your health and fitness goals.