Israel Active

Thousands of Israelis stayed up all night to watch the skies and enjoy a magnificent, unobstructed view of the Aug 12th Perseids meteor shower. Six thousand gathered at the Mitzpe Ramon crater in the Negev where there was no interference from urban lights or pollution.

Israeli archaeologists at Bar-Ilan University have discovered an entrance gate and other remnants of the Philistine city of Gath, which was mentioned in the bible as the home of the giant Goliath, who fought and lost against the man who later became King David.

The death of the bride’s father led many invited guests to believe that the wedding was canceled and only 10 relatives turned up. One of them used Facebook to request strangers to fulfill the mitzvah of making the bride and groom happy. Over 1,000 people came out to celebrate.

Archeologists have excavated a ritual bath (mikve) dating to the time of the Second Temple (first century CE) inside an underground cave in Jerusalem. The walls were adorned with paintings and Aramaic inscriptions in cursive Hebrew script.

Israel365, an Israeli NGO that promotes the biblical significance of the Jewish state to Evangelical Christian Zionists, presented Knesset Speaker Yuli Edelstein with a “Jerusalem Covenant” proclamation signed by more than 50,000 people affirming the unity of Jerusalem.

I know it was 12 Mar 2014, but I missed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech to the Israeli Parliament then. He revealed that Israeli technology was protecting British troops in Afghanistan. I just wanted to make sure that you hadn’t missed the speech too.

The National Library of Israel and the British Library in London are to digitize all of the 3,200 rare Hebrew manuscripts at The British Library.

I know it was 12 Mar 2014, but I missed British Prime Minister David Cameron’s speech to the Israeli Parliament then. He revealed that Israeli technology was protecting British troops in Afghanistan. I just wanted to make sure that you hadn’t missed the speech too.

The lion story that didn’t make international headlines this week is that Israeli veterinarian surgeons removed a tumor from the stomach of Sumani – an 8-year-old lion at Ramat Gan safari. The two-hour operation was successful and biopsies will determine Sumani’s future treatment and care.

Israeli-born NBA Sacramento Kings forward Omri Casspi told a fan on twitter that he is committed to the Orthodox-Jewish practice of wrapping the small Scripture-filled boxes called tefillin in Hebrew around his arm and forehead during morning prayers.