by Israel Today Staff According to a centuries-old rabbinical prophecy that appears to be coming true, on March 16, 2010, Israel will begin construction of the Third Temple in Jerusalem. During the 18th century, the Vilna Gaon, a respected rabbinical authority, prophesied that the Hurva Synagoge in Jerusalem, which was built during his day, would…
By SHELLEY NEESE— Driving down Israel’s Highway 90 in a nine passenger rental van, a group of explorers stare silently at the Judean desert outside. They’ve come from Oklahoma and North Texas and their stories leading them here are as varied as their silhouettes against the van windows. They are united in this, they each…
By SHELLEY NEESE– The Ark of the Covenant has not been seen since the destruction of Jerusalem by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar. 2600 years, however, has not been long enough to kill the curiosity or exhaust the imagination of the many who ponder the Ark’s fate. The burning question is how something so holy and central…
By SHELLEY NEESE— “Shelley, I want you to meet the guy who has cracked the code on the Copper Scroll.” With that intriguing introduction, I shook hands with Jim Barfield. We stood among the kiosks of Israeli goods during a lunch break at a Christian Zionist conference in Forth Worth, Texas. “Congratulations,” I replied, “but…