AriseNow issue.2

1www.arisegeneration.org

Rachely Shalom gives us an insight into the future of the start-up nation.

ISSUE #2 / March 2013

TheGreat

Parallelsof passover

Sin has separated us from God, but God’s gift in the resurrected Lord has brought us

back near to Him.

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS ISRAEL

Steven Khoury talks about the possibilities and chal-lenges of being a pastor in Bethlehem.

nowesiraXTRA BIG

BETHLEHEMWHERE IT ALL BEGAN

2 AriseNow

Jani SalokangasWORKING IN: USA, Canada, Germany, Finland, Norway, England, Philippines, Nigeria, Sierra Leone, Australia, South Africa, Fiji, Namibia, Switzerland...

Rooted in the powerful scripture of Ephesians 5:14, Arise stands to unlimitedly glorify

God: to inspire and promote Biblical truths into young people’s everyday lives. Arise

devotes itself to cause a generation to arise for spiritual awakening, works of love and

support for Israel.

From its beginning in 2002 the ARISE movement has had one mission – to gather

students and young people from across the globe to live a life centered in God. We be-

lieve that God has a special plan for each person and it is our responsibility to live that

calling to its fullest potential. Above all we want this generation to see and discover

the unique and crucial plan that God has for Israel in His epic world redemptive plan.

The Arise movement is spreading worldwide. Join the movement today!

OUR vision is to reach and influence the world’s youth by building a global movement fully committed to God by teaching the Word, encountering our Creator and encouraging young people to lead and impact in all areas of life.

Blessings from Jerusalem,

CREDITS

International Director JANI SALOKANGASEditor EMANUEL MFOUKOUProof reading RIA MANWELL, TERESA SIMILAInternatioanl Administrator SYBILLE HOCHULIGraphics / Illustration JANI SALOKANGASWriter’s JUHA KETOLA, EMANUEL MFOUKOU,JANI SALOKANGAS, SYBILLE HOCHULIPhotography ICEJ STAFF, PER KVAMSO, SYBILLE HOCHULI, JANI SALOKANGAS. ILAN CENTER, ISRAEL MUSEUM

ARISENOW is published by the ICEJ Arise. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

International Christian Embassy Jerusalemwww.icej.org

nowesira


From the leader’s pen

Life is filled with cho-

ices; choices that

affect us on a daily

basis, and it’s impor-

tant to remember that our

“small” choices are able to

mov e big blocks in our lives,

our choices affect us and

our environment in drama-

tic ways that we sometimes

can’t see.

I can still remember my

grandfather cautioning

me about my choices in

life, in his attempts to see

that that his grandson would

behave him self, he used to

say, “Jani, remember, you al-

ways reap what you sow … al-

ways.” And of course, he was

very right. But when most of

us think of the concept of rea-

ping what we sow, I have dis-

covered that we usually think

of this in the negative sense.

We think of paying the conse-

quences for sinful actions or

unwise choices, but the laws

of the harvest are not just ne-

gative. These laws are meant

to be positive, and to stand

for that which is good as well

as a warning against what is

bad. We see this in Galatians

6:7- 8.

Why do we

need wis-

dom? So

we can

make wiser choices. Stop and

think. All life comes from an-

tecedent life: from the labor

and sow ing of others. What

we reap was planted either

naturally or purposely, either

by God or by man, for either

posi tive or negative results.

I have many blessings in my

life because my father and

my grandfather made wise

choic es in their lives. I have

the blessing to reap what

they sowed into my life wit-

hout me knowing it. We reap

the fruit for which we have ex-

tended no labor because we

enter into the labor of others.

In other words, this law of the

harvest, We Reap Only What

Has Been Sown, has both a

positive and a negative side.

Be sure to sow the good seed

to reap a great harvest in

your life. •

Jani Salokangas is the Arise International Director and he is based in Jerusalem with his family.

Living in Jerusalem requires wisdom, meeting different types of people with different ideologies can many times be challenging.

So teach us to number our days, that we may get a heart of wisdom. Psalm 90:12

CREDITS

International Director JANI SALOKANGASEditor EMANUEL MFOUKOUProof reading RIA MANWELL, TERESA SIMILAInternatioanl Administrator SYBILLE HOCHULIGraphics / Illustration JANI SALOKANGASWriter’s JUHA KETOLA, EMANUEL MFOUKOU,JANI SALOKANGAS, SYBILLE HOCHULIPhotography ICEJ STAFF, PER KVAMSO, SYBILLE HOCHULI, JANI SALOKANGAS. ILAN CENTER, ISRAEL MUSEUM

ARISENOW is published by the ICEJ Arise. Reproduction in whole or in part without written permission is prohibited.

International Christian Embassy Jerusalemwww.icej.org

now

4 AriseNow


During the month of February, the Arise team took the short

journey from Jerusalem to the birth city of our Savior Jesus

Christ, Bethlehem. This city has a rich spiritual and historical

significance, and it is in the vicinities of Bethlehem that the ma-

triarch Rachel, the mother of Joseph and Benjamin, is sup-

posed to be buried. Bethlehem is also known for being the

home town of King David. Just outside of Bethlehem one can

find the remains of the Herodium, one of Herod the Great’s

famous palaces, and it is also the home of the Shepherds’ Field

where an angel of the Lord revealed himself and said to the

shepherds according to the book of Luke, “Do not be afraid. I

bring you good news of great joy that will be for all the people.”

Despite all of these sites, Bethlehem, referred to by Prophet

Micah as being “too little to be among the clans of Judah,” is

first and foremost known for being the birth place of our Lord

and Savior Jesus Christ.

BETHLEHEMWHERE IT ALL BEGAN

Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Jani Salokangas

6 AriseNow

Modern day Bethlehem, which probably did not number more

than 1000 inhabitants in the time of Jesus, is today home to

some 25,000 people and it is estimated that of these, some

13 percent are Christians. Bethlehem is also known for its

high unemployment rate.

On a sunny February day, ARISE ICEJ sat down with Pastor

Steven Khoury, one of the pastors of the First Baptist Church

of Bethlehem, a church founded by his father Dr. Naim Khoury

back in 1980. The church, with its impressive facilities, is a

vibrant one, both passionate and committed to the advance-

ment of the Kingdom of God. The church is further engaged in

various outreach projects spread out throughout the Palestin-

ian Territories, and it is also home to an active youth depart-

ment with some 50 members who meet on a weekly basis

to worship the Lord. We asked Pastor Khoury how it is to live

and pastor a church situated in the city where Jesus was born

some 2000 years ago.

“There is joy in seeing people’s lives change, but there is also

a lot of sorrow and a lot of suffering,” he answered. “It’s a bit-

tersweet concept; Christ had that on the cross. He was joyful

that he was going to redeem the Earth, but it was also bitter

for him because he had to suffer for our sins. And I feel the

same, both joy and suffering at the same time. But at the end,

the bigger picture is that we are both making a difference, and

that’s the most important thing.” He further stressed some of

the most acute challenges facing young believers growing up

in Bethlehem, and explained that one of the problems is their

inability to speak and express what they feel, while yet another

problem is connected to their identity and job situation. “Many

have problems with identity; who to believe, what to believe and

who to stand with, and those are some of the major struggles

that we are sensing from the youth.” Another big issue has to

do with the lack of hope for the future. “Many don’t know what

to do after college or university; there is no hope for them. We

have people here with Bachelor degrees, but instead of work-

ing in their profession they are carving wood.”

Pastor Khoury continued by explaining that his church is doing

its best to ease the struggles of the youngsters, and pointed to-

wards a set of different programs and strategies. “From a hu-

manitarian aspect, some of the things that we are doing right

now are that we are training our youth in hands on practical

things that they can do for the future, like teaching them me-

dia, and having them go to the Israeli side to learn new trades.

We are also training them in different languages, so that it will

be easier for them to get jobs in the future. From a spiritual

The beutiful interior of the First Baptist Church of Bethlehem


aspect we have discipleship

programs, weekly meetings;

as well as programs aimed

towards character building.

These are some of the things

we are doing with the youth,

to sort of teach them and

show them the practical con-

cept of being a Christian.”

When we asked him how

we as brothers and sisters

in Christ can assist and sup-

port the believers of Beth-

lehem, Pastor Khoury gave

us a range of different ways.

“There are a couple of things

that you can do to help the

youth of Bethlehem. Besides

praying you can come visit us,

that is important. And I think

that coming alongside a local

ministry which already has an

outreach and which already

has programs is very impor-

tant. That way, with the right

people and the right resourc-

es the outreach that we have

can become even more effec-

tive”, Khoury concluded.

ARISE ICEJ is seeking to

strengthen its ties with the

youth in Pastor Khoury’s

church, which is in line with

our God given vision as a min-

istry, that is, to reach out to

young believers across the

globe. We are looking forward

to assisting Pastor Khoury

and his church in their work

to educate and strengthen

the young believers of Bethle-

hem, and in the meantime we

encourage you to pray for the

future of this upcoming gen-

eration of believers. •

8 AriseNow

The

nation of Israel has

clearly shown that size doesn’t mat-

ter when it comes to being successful. To the

surface, Israel is a very small one compared to most

other countries, and it is estimated that Israel would be

able to fit almost 475 in the land mass of the United States

and some 469 in to the nation of China. When it comes to

Israel’s population, the country is currently made up of some

eight million inhabitants, compared to 1,3 Chinese and 315

million Americans. Despite its size and population Israel has

the highest density of startup companies in the world and

the country has more companies on the NASDAQ than

the whole of Europe, in addition to the world’s two

most populous countries, China and India

combined.

Rachely Shalom is the Jerusalem coordinator of Young Entrepreneurs Israel.


The nation of Israel has clearly

shown that size doesn’t matter

when it comes to being suc-

cessful. Today Israel has a

population of some 8 mil-

lion people, and in terms of

landmass it is among the

smallest countries in the

world. Despite its size and

population Israel has the

highest density of startup

companies worldwide with

more companies on the

NASDAQ than the whole of

Europe, and more than China

and India combined. It’s there-

fore no wonder that Israel in many

ways has replaced the so called Asian

tigers in the sense that they today are able

to attract companies from all four corners of the

world, including government representatives who are flocking

to Israel in order to study and learn from the Israeli phenom-

enon. After all, the cellphone was invented in Israel, as was

voice mail technology, the flash drive, Windows NT operating

system and a number of Pentium processors, along with the

new Cloverview processor used by many tablets operated by

Windows 8, just to mention a few.

Several books have been written on the Israeli startup phe-

nomenon. One of them, the Startup Nation, by Dan Senor and

Saul Singer traces the roots behind the Israeli success story.

As soon as the book was released it quickly became a best

seller as well as compulsory reading for government officials in

certain regions of China.

Today there are around 300 multinational corporations in

Israel, and companies such as Samsung, Intel, Motorola, Mi-

crosoft and Cisco are some of those that have set up one or

more research and development centers in the country. Israel

is also leading the way when it comes to mobile applications.

Last year the Israel Export and International Cooperation In-

stitute estimated that there are 500 independent developers

and some 150 companies involved in the field. Viber, Mycheck,

Parko, Fring and Fooducate are some of the apps that can be

attributed to Israel. During the Mobile World Congress, held

YOUNG ENTREPRENEURS

recently in Barcelona, Waze, an Israeli startup company, won

the award for the World’s Best Mobile App for 2013. Waze is

a free social GPS application which gives you the latest up to

date information on traffic flow, such as traffic jams, accidents

or even speed traps.

During the month of February ARISENOW visited an event

organized by Young Entrepreneurs Israel, taking place at the

Jerusalem Venture Partner Media Quarter’s buildings. The

participants were made up of 14 year old students from dif-

ferent high schools in the Jerusalem area. They displayed their

inventions, still on the prototype level, ranging from cooking,

sport, make up, and recycling, to gadgets aimed at improving

dental health.

ARISENOW spoke to Rachely Shalom, the Jerusalem Coordi-

nator for Young Entrepreneurs Israel. She was excited about

the exhibition and praised the young entrepreneurs for their

creativity. “Today we have fourteen groups from all over the

Jerusalem district,” adding that each group is responsible for

their own company, based on real company structures. “Dur-

ing events like this the students will also receive both business

and product consulting and so they are learning while they are

having fun”, she explained. “Today’s event is a prototype event

where each group is able to show their prototype to the public,

which is mainly made up of workers from JVP Media Quarter

and guests from various companies that are working with us.

Each group has the opportunity to present their prototype to a

consulting group which will give them valuable feedback”.

One of the companies present at the event was Brush and

Paste. ARISENOW talked to 14 year olds Edin and Ayan, who

were spokespersons for the company made up of 12 students

from the Mae Boyar High School in Jerusalem. Together they

invented a special toothbrush which makes the process of

teeth brushing easier and more fun. “We made a product, a

combined toothbrush and tooth paste that fit onto each other.

When you press the toothpaste it goes through a hole in the

toothbrush up to the head of the brush,” Edin explains. “This is

the first exhibition we have been to and for now we feel that

our product probably is one of the most original ones, and it

seems quite accomplishable. There are still some problems

with our invention, but we are working on that and are look-

ing at solutions to the problem,” the young entrepreneurs said

with excitement in their eyes.

The

nation of Israel has

clearly shown that size doesn’t mat-

ter when it comes to being successful. To the

surface, Israel is a very small one compared to most

other countries, and it is estimated that Israel would be

able to fit almost 475 in the land mass of the United States

and some 469 in to the nation of China. When it comes to

Israel’s population, the country is currently made up of some

eight million inhabitants, compared to 1,3 Chinese and 315

million Americans. Despite its size and population Israel has

the highest density of startup companies in the world and

the country has more companies on the NASDAQ than

the whole of Europe, in addition to the world’s two

most populous countries, China and India

combined.


10 AriseNow

According to Shalom, most of the com-

panies which Young Entrepreneurs

Israel are involved with are made up

of young high school students busy

with their studies, and this is one of

the reasons why the majority of the in-

ventions have not been able to make

it to the market. But she explained

that there are a few exceptions, “last

year, students from the Gvanim High

School in Rosh Ha’Ayin, invented an

aluminum rolling pin. The rolling pin is

hollow and designed for putting flour

inside of it. It is very comfortable be-

cause you don’t need to take flour in

to your hand and put it on the dough

in order to start baking. This company

was actually representing Israel in

Europe and ended up in second place

out of the 35 countries which were

included in the Junior Achievement

Young Enterprise Europe. This inven-

tion is something that you are actually

able to buy on the market.”

Shalom concluded by saying that she

believes that the work of Young Entre-

preneurs Israel, which has been ac-

tive in the country for 14 years, has

motivated young people to invent and

run their own companies. “I definitely

think that what we are doing, exposing

young people to managing a compa-

ny, is contributing to the phenomenon

of Israel as a startup nation.” •

Two of the students behind Brush&Paste.


For various reasons, Israel has an unusually high number of

disabled citizens. Around 650,000 people, or almost 10% of

the Israeli population, suffer from some degree of physical dis-

ability, according to the Israeli Sports Association for the Dis-

abled.

Some were Israeli natives born with a handicap, while others

were injured during their service as IDF soldiers during the

nation’s many conflicts. Some are random victims of the nu-

merous terrorist attacks launched against innocent civilians

over the decades, or of the country’s many road accidents. Still

others are disabled immigrants who moved to Israel for the

advanced medical treatments it has on offer.

With such a large portion of the population suffering from dis-

abilities it is crucial to have an arena for their rehabilitation.

That is the purpose behind the Israel Sports Center for the

Disabled in Ramat Gan. The Center was founded in 1960, but

its story goes back much further and is linked directly to Lud-

wig Guttmann, a German-Jewish doctor who is considered the

father of the modern Paralympics movement.

In 1939, Dr. Guttmann fled Nazi Germany for England. While

working there with patients suffering from spinal injuries, he

discovered the importance of sports in the rehabilitation pro-

cess. This discovery led him to set up what was known as the

Stoke Mandeville Games for the Paralyzed in 1948. Over the

ensuing years, these games developed into the Paralympic

Games, which were first held under that name in 1960 along-

side the Olympic Games in Rome.

Israel’s first prime minister, David Ben-Gurion, learned of Gutt-

mann’s work early on and invited him to Israel in 1949 in or-

der to seek his advice on how to rehabilitate soldiers severely

injured during the War of Independence. Guttmann’s first

suggestion was to start a sports program, something that he

claimed had been extremely helpful in providing motivation and

lifting spirits among many of the wounded from World War II.

In 1956, Israel was drawn into a second war in Sinai. In addi-

tion, a large number of children worldwide were born with polio

during those years, including in Israel. Thus, the growing de-

mand led to the creation of just such a sports program for the

disabled. What started out as a very small initiative in 1960

has since developed into one of the largest facilities for dis-

abled athletes in the world, currently serving more than 2,000

members. Today, between 70-to-80% of all medals that Israe-

lis have won in the Paralympics since 1960 have been carried

home by athletes connected to the Israel Sports Center for the

Disabled in Ramat Gan.

DISABLED SPORTS CENTER TURNING LIVES

AROUND

Two of the students behind Brush&Paste.

Avit Tsuva the spokesman for the Ilan Sports Center.

Emanuel Mfoukou | Photography Sybille Hochuli and Ilan CenterThis article was first published in the Jerusalem Post - Christian Edition, Aug 2011

12 AriseNow

Boaz Kremer, the newly appointed director of ISCD, is currently ranked num-

ber 14 on the list of the world’s best wheelchair tennis players. He also holds

the silver medal in tennis doubles from the 2008 Paralympic Games. Kremer

recently told The Christian Edition that the first goal of the center is to better

integrate people with disabilities into Israeli society. “We have more than 60

years of experience in the field and have learned that there is a very strong

link between sports participation and social integration,” he explained. “Many

of us have used sports as a platform for gaining self-confidence and becoming

productive members of society, instead of a burden.”

Kremer is a stunning example of what the center can do for people with physi-

cal disabilities. A graduate of the medical school at Tel Aviv University, he is

married and the father of a young daughter. “As much as we are happy to

see our members win sport events, we are even happier to see our people

succeed in society. That in itself is more important than the athletic side,”

he insisted. He is especially proud of the unique model that the center has

become. “It’s like nothing else in the world,” he enthused. “I know many inter-

national athletes that I have met on tours, and all of them envy us for having

such a sport center.”

“The Ramat Gan center is a one-stop facility for disabled athletes. People who

come here don’t have to worry about equipment, training, or social or psycho-

logical support. We provide the whole package. It’s easy for them and their

parents. All they have to do is show up and we do the rest.”

One of the many people who have recovered from serious life blows thanks to

the sports center is Asael Shabo. In 2002, when he was only eight years old,

a Palestinian terrorist broke into his family’s house in the settlement of Itamar

and killed his mother and three of his brothers. Asael managed to survive

the attack but lost his right leg. During his time in hospital, he was invited to

the center and after only a couple of swimming lessons developed a love for

the sport. Ten years later, Asael is one of the best disabled swimmers in the

world, currently holding the Israeli record for 50 meters freestyle. He is aim-

ing to participate in the 2016 Paralympics in Rio de Janiero. A couple years

ago, Asael also developed an interest in wheelchair basketball, and discipline

and hard training have landed him a spot on the Israeli national basketball

team.

Today, Asael lives with his father in Kedumim, in the Shomron, and spends a

large part of his time practicing both swimming and basketball at the center

AS MUCH AS WE ARE HAPPY TO SEE OUR MEMBERS WIN SPORT EVENTS, WE ARE EVEN HAPPIER TO SEE OUR PEOPLE SUCCEED IN SOCIETY.

“ ”


near Tel Aviv. He also works in the mornings and spends time

with his girlfriend in the evenings.

When asked what the center has meant to him, Asael ex-

plained: “After the attack it was very hard for the surviving fam-

ily to relate to one another. But two years ago, my father’s new

wife gave birth to triplets, two boys and one girl, which brought

back our smiles… In addition, the center encouraged me dur-

ing those hard times and helped me become wiser, to become

an adult. The sports do something good for the body and the

mind, which makes you smarter. You grow both physically and

mentally.”

“We are like a family here. I really like this place, and the people

are very good because they really do something that makes a

difference.”

Despite the tremendous impact the center has had on many

disabled athletes in Israel, it receives no government funding

and is thus struggling financially. Around half of the budget is

raised within Israel and the rest from donors worldwide, espe-

cially in the United States and United Kingdom. Kramer was

grateful that Christians are becoming very strong advocates of

the center, and noted in particular the sponsorship provided by

the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem and Christians

from the state of Georgia.

Today, the center is in a desperate need of refurbishment.

Asael explained that the basketball court is 40 years old and in

dire need of repair. “When you go on the court, it feels like you

are on the moon,” he said. “The boards are broken, and there

is no air condition in the entire building.” Israeli government offi-

cials are not interested in financing such a project, contending

that sports do not fall under the fundamental services eligible

to disabled citizens, Kremer asserted, while also noting that

disabled Israelis do receive a generous assistance package

from the state.

“We are always trying to get the government more involved,

but the support is limited and we are therefore forced to count

on our fundraising success. It’s a year to year struggle.”

Nonetheless, Kremer is convinced that sports are a key foun-

dation of any rehabilitation process for the disabled. It certainly

turned around his life for the better. •

14 AriseNow

PARALLELS OF PASSOVERJuha Ketola | Photography Jani Salokangas

THE GREATThis article was first published in the Jerusalem Post - Christian Edition, Apr 2013


poured out instead of the guilty man himself. When God saw

the blood, it was always the sign for Him that His righteous

requirements had been met, justice had been performed and

the price for man’s iniquities had been paid. God was now free

and just when placing His blessings and protection upon His

righteous ones!

The ultimate sacrifice

The purpose of Temple service and the constant reading of

the Holy Writings among the Israelites were also to teach and

raise the expectancy in the hearts and minds of His holy people

for the ultimate sacrifice to come. This ultimate sacrifice would

be more than a blood covering for their sins, more than a re-

minder of their sins – it would take their sins away and their

sin-consciousness would be changed into a consciousness

of righteousness (Psalm

40:6-8, Hebrews 10:1-22)!

This ultimate and final sac-

rifice would be the fulfil-

ment of all the sacrifices in

the Law of Moses, would be

a once and for all sacrifice performed just once, and the place

for it would be in the holy mountain of the Lord – in Jerusalem

(Luke 13:33)!

The Lamb of GodThe true Lamb of God would arrive upon the scene and His

name would be “Wonderful, Counsellor, Mighty God, Everlast-

ing Father, Prince of Peace”. He would be called “Jesus” (Yesh-

ua or “salvation” in Hebrew), for He would save His people from

their sins (Isaiah 9:6, Matthew 1:21)! And Jesus, our Lord and

Messiah, truly did come and gave himself as the ultimate sacri-

fice for his own people during the celebration of Passover. And

not only for his own Jewish people but for the whole world…

The great theme of the Bible is the fall and sinful nature of humanity and then God’s provision of atonement and re-conciliation for humankind through Christ, the Redeemer. Sin has separated us from God, but God’s gift in the resur-rected Lord has brought us back near to Him.

Temple sacrificesThe purpose of the animal sacrifices and ordinances of service

and worship to God in the Tabernacle of Moses in the desert,

and later on in the Temple in Jerusalem, was to provide a way

of escape for the Israelites from the wrath of God towards sin

into His favour, protection, life and blessings.

Again and again among the Israelites, humanity’s failures, im-

perfections and sins were transferred onto innocent animals

to save and preserve hu-

man life. The guilty man had

to bring an innocent ani-

mal to the priest, who then

slaughtered it and let the

man go free. The punish-

ment for sin – death – was

thus removed from upon the guilty person and transferred to

the innocent animal, which by God’s command had to carry the

consequences of humans breaking the holy law of God.

The blood of the innocent animals was constantly covering the

altar, for the Lord had said: “I have given it (the blood of the

animal sacrifices) to you upon the altar to make atonement

for your souls; for it is the blood that makes atonement for the

soul.” (Leviticus 17:11)

The great warning of God had been: “If you sin, you will surely

die.” However, men did sin, and death did have to take place –

but it was the death of an innocent animal whose blood was

PARALLELS OF PASSOVER

There is a great Saviour and Redeemer, a Mediator between

God and man – the man Christ Jesus

THE GREAT

16 AriseNow

“Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.”

(John 1:29)

PassoverThe story in the whole Bible where the God of Israel has por-

trayed the power of the blood of Jesus in a narrative form –

and concealed it from the notice of hardened hearts – is the

historical exodus of the Israelites from Egypt.

Every family in all Israel had to take a lamb – a lamb without

blemish for each household – and then kill it at twilight (Exodus

12). The shed blood of the innocent lamb was then to be taken

and put on the two doorposts and on the lintel of the houses.

For the Lord had proclaimed: “When I see the blood, I will pass

over you.” (Exodus 12:13)

Every family living in the land of Egypt – both among the Egyp-

tians and the Israelites alike – was in danger of having death

enter into their household to rob their first-born sons. The judg-

ment of God was about to fall on the land of Egypt because

of their idol worship. We can read in the book of Ezekiel that

the Israelites in Egypt also had fallen into the same snare and

temptation of idol worship and thus death was about to fall

upon their families alike (Ezekiel 20:7-10). But God provided a

way of escape for His own people!

The penalty of death and the judgment of God could be trans-

ferred from their families onto an innocent lamb slaughtered

on their behalf. Someone had to die as the consequence of

their sins. But this someone was not one of their own fam-

ily – not the firstborn, not the father nor the mother – but a

male lamb. The sins and resulting death of each Israelite fam-

ily were transferred and laid upon the lamb, and the life and

innocence of the lamb was transferred upon the family. The

lamb died – and the family, including the firstborn, lived!

When the angel of death was then passing through the land

of Egypt destroying life among the Egyptian families, whenever

he saw the lamb’s blood on the lintel and on the two doorposts

of the Israelite families, he passed over. Death had already

come! The destroyer then did not come into these houses

to strike them a second time and the families inside were in

complete safety!

Only the Israelites had been told to act in this manner. The in-

structions for saving their lives had come through the mouth

of Moses and they had heeded the word of the Lord – and

they lived! The punishment for their idol worship and sins had

been laid on the lamb and the families were forgiven because

of the blood.

This proved to be life-saving knowledge from God spoken

through the mouth of Moses, who faithfully had delivered the

word of God to them (Exodus 12:21). Then the elders and

each family in turn had just as faithfully passed on the word

from one family to another – and so the whole nation of Israel


had been warned, instructed and as a result had been saved!

Remember: “Indeed Christ, our Passover, was sacrificed for us.” Our death and hell was trans-

ferred onto him on the cross, and his life and righteousness was transferred upon us through

his resurrection. When we believe, his life is in us and the life we live is his and we will never die!

(Galatians 2:20, John 11:26)

The Good NewsThe message of the Passover lamb from Moses’ mouth spread among the hundreds of thou-

sands of Israelites in two weeks’ time. The message of the Gospel of Jesus Christ who died

on the cross as our Passover lamb has also been taken to millions of people and to the four

corners of the earth in two thousand years!

The truth about His death, burial and resurrection from the grave has been preached and

believed on in the nations! Whoever believes and heeds this life-saving knowledge which was

in the mouth of Jesus our Lord, surely shall be saved from eternal death, hell and destruction!

Jesus says: “Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life, and I will raise him up

at the last day.” (John 6:54)

Life for your familyThere is a great Saviour and Redeemer, a Mediator between God and man – the man Christ

Jesus! There is life, protection and blessing for your whole family – it is in his blood! •

18 AriseNow

British-Israeli research teams

to fight world’s worst diseases

The British Embassy in Israel re-

cently announced the launching

of a state-of-the-art medical re-

search program providing fellow-

ships for research designed to

find cures for the world’s worst

diseases. The multimillion-pound

bilateral research program is

part of the Britain-Israel Re-

search and Academic Exchange

(BIRAX) Partnership that sup-

ports research visits by UK

and Israel researchers to labo-

ratories in both countries. UK

Ambassador to Israel Matthew

Gould said, “the launch of this

fellowship program represents

a major stepping up of scientific

collaboration between Britain

and Israel. We’re offering our

most talented young scientists

in both countries the chance to

work with each other. The poten-

tial for this cooperation is huge –

both our countries are scientific

superpowers, with world class

laboratories doing cutting-edge

research.”

ICEJNEWS

CORNERI guess each of us has to sacrifice something when Jesus

sends us on a mission. For some it is a financial sacrifice, living

as a volunteer and having to live off little money. You have to

trust Jesus that He will meet your financial needs. I know the

Lord will provide for what I need and this position at Arise be-

ing my first job after university I am accustomed to live on little

money. For others it is adapting to a new culture, food, people,

or rules. For me the big struggle is being away from my family,

my mom, my dad, my sisters, my granny, my friends and my ex-

tended family. I was fine for the first five to six months. Although

it’s a beautiful one, I don’t miss my country so much (if you ever

have the chance to visit Switzerland I highly recommend it!). It’s

the people that I miss the most. Don’t’ get me wrong, I wouldn’t

want to be anywhere else than right here in Israel, working for

Arise, serving the Lord, enjoying the time with my new friends.

Because I know this is the place that God wants me to be. And

I love it. However, my calling doesn’t change the fact that I do

miss my family back home very much.

Going through this ‘being homesick’ period I remembered what

Jesus told his disciples: “Truly, I say to you, there is no one who

has left house or brothers or sisters or mother or father or

children or lands, for my sake and for the gospel, who will not

receive a hundredfold now in this time, houses and brothers

and sisters and mothers and children and lands, with persecu-

tions, and in the age to come eternal life.” Mark 10:29-30

This verse helps me to know that leaving home wasn’t in vain.

But, to be honest, it only helps intellectually. It doesn’t really

ease the feeling of missing them and the sadness that enters

my heart at times. Well, Jesus never promised us that it would

be easy to follow him and this is my sacrifice. I now have the

opportunity to see and experience that his promise in Mark

10 is true. He has already given me some great new friends in

Israel, brothers and sisters whom I can trust in, pray with, and

who love to go on adventures with me.

So, life is good. God is good. •


ICEJ ARISE - FACTS

W F G SWater is es-

sential for living.

Without water

there is no life. Israel has four

big bodies of water: the Medi-

terranean Sea, the Red Sea,

the Dead Sea and the Sea

of Galilee. You will see and

swim in three of

them! One thing

to remember:

It’s going to be

HOT, so don’t

forget to drink

plenty of wa-

ter!

We love to enjoy

life so get ready

to ride camels,

sleep in a Bedouin style tent,

cover yourself in mud and

float in the Dead Sea. Pre-

pare yourselves to relax and

have fun at the beaches of Tel

Aviv. And last, but no least,

we will try out the longest zip

line in Israel, which is

400m long and

120m

above

ground!

Encounter Je-

sus in the plac-

es where He

ministered when He was on

this earth

and let the

bible come

alive. To-

gether we

will worship

God, pray for

each other,

and discuss

important top-

ics touching our

daily lives. Our

goal is that you

will grow in your

relationship with Jesus.

Join us in shar-

ing God’s love

by serving dif-

ferent parts

of the

Israeli

society.

We

have set up

several outreach projects:

We will help poor families in

various ways, spend a day

with young Arab Christians

and serve the city of Beit

She’an. “If a brother or sister

is poorly clothed and lacking

in daily food, and one of you

says to them, “Go in peace,

be warmed and filled,” without

giving them the things need-

ed for the body, what good is

that? So also faith by itself, if it

does not have works, is dead.”

James 2:15-17

20 AriseNow

Sybille Hochuli| Photography Jani Salokangas


“As each has received a gift, use it to serve one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace: whoever speaks, as one who speaks oracles of God; whoever serves, as one who serves by the strength that God supplies—in order that in everything God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. To him belong glory and dominion forever and ever. Amen.” 1 Peter 4:10-11

Each of us has received gifts from God, not for ourselves but in order to be able to serve others. By using these gifts we do God’s will. The Kingdom of God is all about people; it’s about sharing life together, the good times and the hard times. And ultimately it’s about serving God by serving oth-ers. That is what Jesus did when He walked this earth; He gave himself for those He loved. Everywhere He went He served the people by giv-ing them love, healing, com-fort, forgiveness and teach-ing. And in the end He gave His life on the cross so that we can be reconciled with God. He did this because He loves us so much. And, He calls us to pick up our cross and to follow Him and to do what He does.

When we speak, we speak the Word of God for the benefit of those who listen, when we serve, we show God’s love in a practical way, because that is what He did. We don’t have to do it in our own strength, but through Jesus who gives us everything we need to do what He called us to. And what is the goal of our actions? That God may be glorified through Jesus Christ. Every work that is not done to give God the glo-ry is in vain. We are made to glorify Him in everything we do.

“But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves. […] Religion that is pure and undefiled before God, the Father, is this: to visit orphans and widows in their

affliction, and to keep oneself unstained from the world.” James 1:22-27

God asks us to share with others what He has given us. We are not made to keep His riches to ourselves. In the letter of James we find one example of what this looks like:“...to visit orphans and widows in their affliction”. We are not meant to go to church and consume, but to go out and do. Like Je-sus said in John 15:12-13: “My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends.”

And this is what we want to do on the Arise Summer Tour. We want to share the love and gifts which God has given

us with the people in Israel. Last year we were able to harvest one ton of tomatoes which is the biweekly share for about 300 families. We will spend a day in Bethle-hem painting church build-ings and spending time with

young Arab Christians, showing them that we care. We will also go to Beit Shean and show our love by engaging in prac-tical work in the city.

This is your call to serve God by serving others, no matter if it’s your brothers and sisters, your neighbours, your city, your country or the people of Israel.

So, come and join us this summer for an exciting and un-forgettable tour through Israel which combines everything your heart desires: serving God, fellowship with young be-lievers from all around the world, sound teaching, getting to know the people and land of Israel, adventures (we go zip lining on the longest zip-line in Israel!), stunning landscapes, and lots of fun! •

Each of us has received a gift from God, not for ourselves but in order to be able to serve others.

SIGN UP

TODAY

Click the circle

Sybille Hochuli| Photography Jani Salokangas

22 AriseNow

HARVEST

Jani Salokangas | Photography Per Kvamso


Our lives are marked more or less

with the biblical principle of sowing

and reaping. This principle is true

in all areas of life and it even has

an effect on our heavenly rewards.

What we sow is what we reap. If

we plant a good seed and we take

care of it we’ll harvest a good fruit.

However there is also the bad

seed and the terrible harvest out

of it. If we would understand how

important this principle is, our

Christian fruit would be sweet

and our harvest would be plenti-

ful. Still many times we fail to see

the harvest in the most obvious ar-

eas. When is the harvest ready?

That is a difficult question but the

Bible gives us very straightforward

advice in this area. In John 4:35

(ESV) “Do you not say, ‘There are

yet four months, then comes the

harvest’? Look, I tell you, lift up

your eyes, and see that the fields

are white for harvest. ” The har-

vest is waiting but for some rea-

son many times we fail to see that

it is ready to harvest. We need to

stop looking inwardly at ourselves

and lift our eyes to be able to see

the fields. In the same way that the

farmer sees the corn ready to be

harvested, is the same way that

we should see people when they

are ready to be harvested for the

Kingdom of God.

We often hear talking in our chur-

ches about the topic of harvest.

We technically know what harvest

means but many of us fail to put

this practise in to our daily lives..

Even the Bible says that Jesus said

to his disciples, “The harvest is

plentiful, but the laborers are few.”

(Matthew 9:37 ESV). The scriptu-

re is stating that there is a harvest

out there waiting for the laborers

to take the fruit. These laborers

are you and me. Here are three

points that we should not miss

when we talk about harvest.

1. Start where you are. The farmer does not trample the closest

crops in order to get some further away. Many times we look at

the fields and we look into the horizon feeling overwhelmed or

very excited. But we tend to forget that we need to start from

where we are standing. The closest crops might be your neigh-

bors, school friends and even church friends.

2. Cutting the crop doesn’t end the job or the process. When

the crop is cut it is taken from where it used to be. In the same

way, when we accept Jesus as our saviour, He separates us

for further “processing”. We are separated but we need to go

through a process. I would call this process discipleship. When

the farmer harvests the grapes from the field he doesn’t think

that the job is now done and here we stop. No, the work has just

begun. The grape needs to go through a meticulous process in

order to fulfill its meaning. The farm owner, God, saw the end

result even before the grape was harvested, but the fruit picker

did not see it. In the same way God places people into different

positions in order to bring the grape into its full potential. We

who have been picked already have to go through this process

in order that one day we will see our final selves.

3. The farm owner owns the fruit and the work. God is our farm

owner. As a matter of fact he invented the whole farm and its

fruit. By His grace He has let us work on His farm. We as work-

ers get our payment according to our diligence, carefulness and

result of our work. But these factors did not get us these jobs.

His mercy bought our ticket to work in God’s fields. All honor

from whatever fruit or labor goes to the farm owner, God. He is

the only one who sees our full potential as laborers and fruits. •

We technically know what harvest means but many of us fail to put this practise in to our daily lives.

24 AriseNow


On March 5, the Israel Sports Center for the Disabled, ISCD, lo-

cated in Ramat Gan, a suburb of Tel Aviv, organized their yearly

fundraising bike ride the “Good Wheel.” The event dates back

to 2006 and throughout the years has brought thousands of

cyclists from Israel and around the world to come and burn

tyres on the desert roads of the Negev, or bike along the green

fields of the Galilee. By participating in the ride they are sup-

porting handicapped Israelis, Jews and Arabs alike, as well as

standing with ISCD and their tremendous activities carried out

at the center.

This year’s ride took place from the fourth to the seventh of

March, and had in all some 600 riders participating from vari-

ous countries such as Israel, US, England and the Netherlands,

with the youngest rider being 10 years old and the oldest over

80. ARISE ICEJ had the opportunity to participate on the sec-

ond day of the event, biking a distance of 92km from Tsofar,

a Kibbutz situated along route 90 about 120km north of Eilat,

northwards to Ein Bokek sitting on the shores of the Dead Sea.

The first few kilometers of the ride started on route 90, and

later deviated onto the so-called Peace Road, a quiet and idyl-

lic stretch located on the border between Israel and the King-

dom of Jordan. Along this stretch one is able to see the Edom

Mountains in Jordan, as well as the Arava stream bed. The

ride continued on to route 90 until it finally reached the finish

line in Ein Bokek.

The participants were from various backgrounds, and among

them were people from all walks of life; from brokers, lawyers

and engineers to students. Some of the participants were blind

and so they rode on tandem bikes, while others made use of

adaptive bikes customized for their specific handicaps.

ARISENOW spoke to Bruce Rosenzweig, a boat broker and

boat yard owner from Chicago, who participated in the Good

Wheel bike ride for the sixth time. “This bike ride is very unique

as it has disabled and able bodied athletes riding together, that

happens almost never on rides that I have been on, and I have

been on rides in Israel and America for 15 years. The Good

Wheel is a very important fundraising and awareness raising

ride, and to be on a ride with hand cyclists, and blind riders

on tandems with sighted riders, is a very unique situation,”

Rosensweig explained during one of the pit stops.

ARISENOW also had the opportunity to talk to Boaz Kremer,

the director of ISCD, who said that he was very satisfied with

this year’s edition of the Good Wheel. “The Good Wheel bike

ride is becoming one of the most important combined disabled

and abled sporting events in the country, and I’m very happy

about it. For us it’s also one of the best ways to raise aware-

ness about disabled athletes as well as about the Israel Sport

Center for Disabled. It has become such a big event and we

are very happy that we are getting more recognition and more

participants every year”, Boaz said.

He also called upon bikers from around the world to do their

best to participate in Good Wheel 2014, whose plans are

already underway. “This is a very special and unique experi-

ence which gives you the opportunity firstly to see the country

and secondly to ride side by side with disabled riders, which

is something that most people don’t get a chance to do. It’s

a very special experience and I urge everyone to register for

2014,” Boaz concluded.

For ARISE, the Good Wheel was sort of a warm up for the sec-

ond edition of the upcoming 477 Quest, organized by ARISE

ICEJ, and scheduled to take place from the second to the sev-

enth of April 2014. The 477 Quest will run from Metulla, the

most northern city of Israel, all the way down to Eilat, a dis-

tance of 477km. The money raised from the Quest will be giv-

en directly to the Israel Sport Center for the Disabled, and help

its athletes to prepare for the Paralympic games in Rio 2016.

If you are interested in supporting the 477 Quest, you can do

so by visiting our website where you can send us your love gift.

•

ARISE PARTICIPATES IN THE GOOD WHEEL 2013

26 AriseNow

King Solomon, Zerubbabel and Herod the Great share a unique distinction in history – they each had the privilege of building the Holy Temple in Jerusalem. Yet while the Bible tells us much about King Solomon and Zerubbabel and their respective roles in the constructing the House of the Lord, little is said about King Herod. And what does appear about him in the New Testament is not very flattering.

Herod the Great is a towering figure in the region’s history, but he remains elusive. Who exactly

was this ruler who tried to bridge the wide chasm between the Jewish and Roman cultures?

Why was he so driven to create some of the most monumental building projects of antiquity?

And was he really as ruthless as he is portrayed in the New Testament, even to the point of

ordering the massacre of innocent babes?

In February, the Israel Museum in Jerusalem opened a grand exhibition fitting for the larger-

KING HERODEmanuel Mfoukou | Photography Jani Salokangas & Israel MuseumThis article was first published in the Jerusalem Post - Christian Edition, Apr 2013


than-life figure of King Herod the Great, entitled “The Kings Fi-

nal Journey.”

“This is the most ambitious archaeology exhibition that we ever

have undertaken,” boasted James Schneider, director of the

Israel Museum, at a preview tour for the media. Describing

it as the first museum exhibition anywhere to focus on King

Herod as a subject, he said it includes some 250 artifacts

from around the world as well as 30 tons of display material

from Herodium, where his tomb was finally discovered only six

years ago.

Schneider was quick to pay tribute to Prof. Ehud Netzer, the

“very eminent archaeologist who spent nearly 40 years explor-

ing and excavating Herodium.”

After decades of searching, Netzer at last uncovered Herod’s

sarcophagus in 2007 and almost immediately came to the

Israel Museum to say he wanted to arrange an exhibition fo-

cusing on Herod. But in 2010, Netzer fell to his death while

working at the site.

He was called “Herod the Great” because he was a great build-

er, but Netzer claimed that what set him apart was that he

“not only showed interest in the field of construction but also

had a profound understanding of planning and architecture,

and therefore took an active and important part in the erection

of many of his buildings.”

His legacy starts with Herodium, the peculiar shaved-off moun-

tain peak located some 15 kilometers south of Jerusalem.

Here, Herod carved out of bedrock the largest palatial com-

plex of its day in the entire Roman Empire. Serving as a sum-

mer palace as well as his eventual resting place, Herodium

contained fabulous gardens, large Roman baths and its own

700-seat theatre.

Herod also built the formidable mountain fortress at Masada,

and the impressive port city of Ceasarea, complete with a hip-

podrome and amphitheater, which served as the gateway for

Rome to the eastern half of its realm.

In addition, Herod built fortresses in Antonia, Threx and Cy-

prus, as well as palaces and other classic Roman buildings in

both Jericho and Sebaste. Herod also re-fortified existing for-

tresses at Alexandrium and at Machareus, where John the

Baptist is believed to have been imprisoned and executed by

one of his sons.

Besides his obsession with Roman architecture, Herod’s works

also evidence a desire to appeal to the Jews. For instance, he

built the rectangular Machpela in Hebron over the burial cave

of Abraham and the other early Hebrew patriarchs and matri-

archs – the only fully surviving Herodian structure left today.

Yet the Tomb of Machpela is merely a small-scale replica of

Herod’s masterpiece – his reconstruction and expansion of

the Second Temple. The retaining walls of his rebuilt Temple

rest on massive stones that would challenge even modern ma-

chinery to cut and move into place. He extended the Temple

confines southward to include a lavish shopping mall and the

colonnaded underground chambers of the Hulda Gates. The

pinnacle of Herod’s refurbished Temple was said to rise some

137 meters above the adjacent Kidron Valley.

Beyond the physical remains of his many building projects, the

other main source for our knowledge of Herod is the writings

of noted Jewish historian Josephus Flavius, who is believed to

have had access to Herod’s autobiography compiled by Nico-

laus of Damascus, himself an historian, philosopher and close

friend of Herod.

According to scholars, Herod is believed to have been born

in 73 BC, during the reign of Queen Alexandra of the Hasmo-

nean dynasty. His birthplace was probably in Idumea, the area

southeast of the Dead Sea also known as Edom, where Isaac’s

first-born son Esau once settled. The Edomites were one of

Israel’s fiercest enemies and, according to Josephus, the Has-

moneans under the leadership of John Hyrcanus conquered

their territory and forced the Edomites to convert to Judaism.

In his work Antiquities of the Jews, Josephus explains that

“Hyrcanus took also Dora and Marissa, cities of Idumea, and

subdued all the Idumeans; and permitted them to stay in that

country; if they would circumcise their genitals, and make use

of the laws of the Jews; and they were so desirous of living in

the land of their forefathers, that they submitted to the use of

circumcision, and of the rest of the Jewish ways of living; at

which time this therefore befell them, that they were hereafter

no other than Jews.”

Hyrcanus chose Herod’s grandfather Antipas, one of the most

influential leaders of Idumea, to act as governor of the region.

His son Antipater then married Kufra, also known as Cyprus,

the daughter of a leading Nabataean family. Together, they had

five children, one of which was Herod.

Julius Caesar would later appoint Antipater to be the Roman

28 AriseNow

procurator of Judea, and Herod and his brother Phasael quick-

ly assumed the offices of governor of Galilee and Jerusalem

respectively.

Around 37 BC, the Roman Senate elected Herod the Great as

its vassal ruler of Judea, a move aided by his close friendship

with Rome’s first emperor, Augustus Caesar.

Herod would end up with ten different wives, and sired 15

children in all. His first wife was Doris, with whom he had An-

tipater, mentioned in the Gospels. With his second wife, the

legendary beauty Mariamne, he married into the Hasmonean

dynasty in Jerusalem. The couple had two sons, Alexander and

Aristobulus.

Herod’s relationship with Mariamne proved rocky. Obsessed

with her loveliness, he appointed a special attendant to al-

ways watch over her in his absence, knife at the ready in case

anyone else were to ever touch her. He once instructed his

brother Joseph to also strike her down if he were to die while

away traveling. Upon his return, Herod suspected Joseph of

cheating with Miriamne and had him executed.

Eventually, Herod had her killed as well, urged on by his sis-

ter Salmon’s accusation that she was

planning to poison him. In his rage,

Herod also murdered several of Mari-

amne’s close relatives, along with the

two sons they had birthed together.

Thus, Herod’s lust for power and noto-

rious cruelty became widely known. Jo-

sephus describes a mix of despicable

traits in Herod the Great and records

the words of Emperor Augustus: “I’d

rather be Herod’s pig than his son.”

In a later marriage with Mariamne II, daughter of the Hasmo-

nean High Priest Simon, he fathered a son named Herod Philip.

With Cleopatra of Jerusalem, he had Philip the tetrarch. With

Malthace, a Samaritan woman, he sired Herod Archelaus and

Herod Antipas – who would behead John the Baptist for disap-

proving of his marriage to Herodias.

For Christians, Herod is best remembered for slaying the in-

fants of Bethlehem in a rage of jealousy over a report by wise

men from the East that the “king of the Jews” had been born in

the small village. Some scholars have questioned this account

from the book of Matthew, arguing that no one could truly be

that cruel. However, the fact that he eliminated his own wife

Herod kept the Romans at a distance and defended the rights and safety of Jewish communities throughout the growing empire.


and sons out of a similar fit of jealousy lends cre-

dence to the New Testament’s dark depic-

tion of Herod the Great.

Reuven Rosenfelder, a senior guide

at the Israel Museum, explained to

The Christian Edition that Herod

was seen in a similar cruel light by

most Jews back then – and even

now.

“Herod’s relationship with the

Jews is a complicated subject,”

said Rosenfelder. “We never call

him ‘Herod the Great’ because

actually we view him in Jewish

tradition very negatively. The title

‘great’ is only relevant in the sense

that he was probably the greatest

builder in the history of this country.”

“He certainly stands out in a most prominent

way and Masada, built by Herod, is by far the

most popular tourist site in Israel. Plus the Talmud

states that whoever has not seen Herod’s rebuilt Temple

has not seen a beautiful building in his life.”

But Rosenfelder insisted that the Jews never really accepted Herod as a Jew,

despite his grandfather’s conversion to Judaism. He was rather seen as a protégé of the Ro-

man overlords, and Talmudic and rabbinical literature refer to him as an Edomite slave and a

servant of Rome.

Yet despite Herod’s warped personality, intense insecurities and huge edifice complex, there

appears to have been another side of the great builder – that of a king who sold his gold in order

to save the people of Judea from starvation.

According to Simon Sebag Montefiore, author of “Jerusalem the Biography,” the Judea of the

first century had never been as populated, prosperous and awe-inspiring as it was in the wake

of Herod’s building spree. Indeed, it would be twenty centuries before Jerusalem would begin to

recapture her glorious peak under Herod the Great.

The late British diplomat and historian Stewart Perowne also credits Herod with doing great

things for the Jewish subjects of Judea. During his reign the country was at peace, trade flour-

ished and cities were crowned with magnificent buildings. He even maintains that Herod kept

the Romans at a distance and defended the rights and safety of Jewish communities through-

out the growing empire.

Still, Herod also bent over backwards to please the Roman elite. He named cities and major

building projects after the caesars, and inaugurated new buildings and cities in conjunction

with dates important to the Roman emperors. For instance, the Herodian city of Sebaste, near

30 AriseNow

View from the top of Masada. One of Herod the greats impressive fortresses.


modern-day Nablus, was founded in 27 BC, the same year that

Caesar Augustus became Emperor, while Caesarea is believed

to have been dedicated in 13 BC to mark his 50th birthday.

The last years of Herod’s life were marked by disease, envy and

murder. In the period leading up to his death, he killed three of

his sons believing they were threatening his power. Alexander

and Aristobulus were slain in 7 BC, while Antipater was killed in

4 BC. After their deaths, an ailing Herod appointed Archelaus,

Antipas and Philip as his new heirs and successors.

While on his death bed, Herod worried that no one would

mourn his death, and so he ordered the arrest of some 1,000

Judeans who were to be executed on the same day he died.

Shortly thereafter, Herod died in his winter palace in Jericho

from what is believed to have been arteriosclerosis. From

there, his overweight body was carried to his final resting place

in Herodium. Upon his death, the 1,000 detained Judeans

were released unharmed.

The date of Herod’s death in generally accepted as 4 BC, which

creates a discrepancy in relation to the birth of Jesus and thus

Herod’s role in the “slaughter of the innocents” if Christ was

born in the year 0. This subject has been robustly debated by

historians and scholars for centuries, with some questioning

the accuracy of the Gospel accounts and others responding

that Herod’s successor was likely behind the massacre.

However, most Christian scholars of the Bible place the birth

of Jesus around 4 to 6 BC and attribute the discrepancy to

human error in calculating dates made when the Gregorian

calendar was established. Interestingly, one leading member

of this school of thought today is the retiring pontiff and theolo-

gian, Pope Benedict XVI.

In his newly released book, Jesus of Nazareth, the Pope cites

a 6th century monk as the father of the Anno Domino dating

system, and claims that he made a mistake when calculating

the timing of the Incarnation.

“The calculation of Jesus’ date of birth goes back to the monk

Dionysius Exiguus, who evidently miscalculated by a few years.

The historical date of the birth of Jesus is therefore to be

placed a few years earlier,” the former pope writes, gauging

that it even could have been as early as 7 BC, thereby preced-

ing Herod’s death by several years.

Meanwhile, the quest for a more accurate picture of the his-

toric figure of Herod the Great continues. Idumean by birth,

Jewish by religion and Roman by culture, was he a cruel mad-

man, an architectural genius, a benevolent monarch, or per-

haps a little of each? Two thousand years later, the search for

the real Herod goes on. •

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34 AriseNow

The Story of CoffeeAroma the most popular coffee house in Israel



Depending on where in the world you were born, coffee has in

some way or another had an impact on your daily life. It might

be the first thing you drink when you wake up in the morning,

or the aroma of coffee beans might accompany you on your

commute to work or school. It might be coffee that helps keep

you awake as you study for an upcoming exam, or it might

be what you drink while discussing the Bible with your youth

group. Whatever your experiences, coffee is one of the most

consumed beverages in the world, and its popularity is growing

by the day.

The history of coffee started in the highlands of Ethiopia, and

as it spread along the trade

routes of Africa and the Mid-

dle East it quickly became

known by the region it origi-

nated from, the Kaffa provin-

ce South West of Addis Aba-

ba, the capital of Ethiopia.

Nobody can be fully sure of

how coffee was discovered,

but one of the legends holds

that an Ethiopian goat herder named Kaldi came across his

goats behaving in a strange manner. When he tried to find

out why, he discovered that they had been eating the red cof-

fee berries from a bush growing in the land. He tried a couple

for himself and was immediately filled with energy, so he took

some of the berries to the Monks in a monastery nearby.

The monks refuted his discovery and declared that they must

be from the Devil and tossed them into the fire. Minutes later

the savor of the coffee beans spread in the monastery. The

monks came to put the beans in hot water and began to con-

sume the beverage using it in order to stay awake during their

studies. While this story might have been a legend, many be-

lieve that the monks used to chew on the coffee beans several

centuries before it became a drink.

Another story holds that the coffee reached the Arabian Penin-

sula through Sudanese slaves, taken from Africa and brought

to Arabia. The slaves made use of the coffee berries in order

to gain strength and survive their journey.

With time coffee would make it to Mecca, and it was in this re-

ligious Muslim center that the first coffee houses were estab-

lished. It was also here that fierce religious debates regarding

coffee would come to erupt, with some Islamic sages putting

coffee in the same category as alcohol. Khair Beg, the Gover-

nor of Mecca even instituted laws forbidding the consumption

of coffee in the city. This move would later lead to his death, as

the Sultan of Cairo decided to execute him for not consulting

with his superior and for banning a drink which was enjoyed all

over Egypt.

Coffee wouldn’t reach the Western world until the 17th cen-

tury and it is believed that it entered Europe through Venetian

traders around 1615. As it reached Rome and the Vatican

church a debate, similar to the one which occurred in Mecca

centuries earlier, arose with

some clerics referring to

coffee as “the devil’s drink.”

It was thanks to Pope Cle-

ment VIII that coffee was fi-

nally considered a legal drink,

some years thereafter; in

1683 Europe got its first cof-

feehouse as it opened up its

doors in Venice.

Today coffee is a universal drink consumed in all four corners

of the world, and coffee shops are no longer a phenomenon

confined to Mecca, Italy or Victorian England, as multinationals

are serving coffee throughout the entire globe.

Annual world consumption of coffee in 2008 was 1.3kg per person, with the Nordic countries including the Netherlands hold-ing the six leading positions of the world’s coffee consumption, with Finland in the

first place consuming some 12 kg per per-son, compared to Israel’s 3.8kg per year.

36 AriseNow

Today Israel is known for being the land of the Bible, but besi-

des the Biblical aspects of the land, Israel has so much more

to offer and excellent wines and cheeses are only a few of the-

se goodies.

If you have not yet been to Israel or are planning to visit, you

cannot afford to miss tasting the different kinds of coffee ser-

ved in the land. Arab coffee, often served by Palestinians in the

Old City at various vendors and restaurants, is something that

you should try. While another option is to try one of the more

modern coffeehouses Israel has to offer, with Aroma Israel

being the country’s leading coffee house.

The journey from the cradle of the coffee on the hillsides of Et-

hiopia, to the creation of Israel’s first Espresso bar, Aroma, on

Jerusalem’s Hillel Street in 1994 has been a long one.

The idea to create Aroma was the brainchild of two brothers,

Yariv and Sa’ar Shefa. They set out with the objective to create

an espresso bar, which could compete and serve coffee with

an international quality. But after some five years in business

the brothers parted ways, and two completely separate com-

panies were created, with Yariv establishing Aroma Israel, whi-

le Sa’ar founded Aroma Tel Aviv.

Today Yariv’s company, Aroma Israel, is the most popular of

the two, which not only serves coffee but a whole range of de-

licious products, from pastries and salads to high quality sand-

wiches. Their products come from their own factory in the

Valley of Elah, known from the bible as being the place where

the Israelites stayed at the time when David fought Goliath, as

outlined in the first book of Samuel 17:2-19.

At this factory the coffee beans are roasted, the fruits and

salads are arranged, and the dough used for baking the bread

is prepared. Aroma’s coffee beans hail from the four corners

of the world, such as Brazil, Colombia and Ethiopia just to men-

tion a few.

Today Aroma Israel is the largest coffee chain in Israel and has

some 118 coffee shops throughout the country, with 13 bran-

ches in Jerusalem alone. It is estimated that close to 100,000

customers enter through the doors of Aroma on a daily basis.

But besides being an Israeli company, Aroma has also tried

the international scene, and today the company can boast of

several branches in both Canada and the US. In order to find

out more about the ingredients which have made the Israeli

coffee chain so special, ARISENOW contacted Aroma Israel’s

Marketing and Communication manager Elad Keren.

Keren explained that Aroma Israel is a franchise company,

and confirmed that outside of Israel there are branches to be

found in both the US and Canada, but also in Ukraine. He con-

tinued by saying that the concept of Aroma is pretty unique for

Israel and that the company uses a business model called fast

casual dining, which can be explained as: a food establishment,

that refrains from offering the normal type of full table service,

Aroma Coffee shop in Jeruslem with all kind of customers from children to adults.


yet the quality of the food is above that which is served in a fast

food restaurant. “You come in, you get what you want pretty

quickly, everything is fresh, everything is ready to order. We

bake our own bread, our own pastries, and we have our own

baking facilities that prepare the dough, but the bread is being

baked on the premises. We have our own roasting facility and

that way we can decide what blend we would like to create and

which fits the Israeli taste.

He continued by describing why Aroma Israel has managed to

become so popular, “Aroma started as a small branch and it

grew bigger and bigger because Israelis wanted it next to their

home, their malls or on the road. So it grew up in Israel among

Israelis and that is what makes Aroma so popular, they feel at

home when they go to Aroma. Every Aroma you visit has the

same coffee, you know what to expect and you feel comfortab-

le, and that is what Israelis like.”

He concluded by encouraging tourists visiting the country to

stop by Aroma for a coffee and a bite, “Aroma offers the best

coffee in Israel, everything is fresh and it has got the Israeli

taste which you cannot get any anywhere else.” •

Aroma Cafe, one of the most popular order’s in Aroma’s.

38 AriseNow

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