Latest news with #Galilee
The National
4 hours ago
- General
- The National
Rocket warnings sound in northern Israel amid apparent strike from Syria
Warning sirens sounded across northern Israel on Tuesday, after what appears to be the first rocket fire from Syria in more than a year. Two initial rockets fired from Syria into the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights fell in open areas and caused no injuries, the Israeli military said. Soon after, the military announced it was investigating why sirens were also sounding in the Nazareth area, in nearby Galilee. The warnings came as sirens sounded across large parts of central Israel after a missile launch from Yemen, which the military said it intercepted. "We consider the Syrian President directly responsible for every threat and firing towards the state of Israel and the full response will come as soon as possible," said Israeli Defence Minister Israel Katz."We will not allow a return to the reality of October 7." Mr Katz was referring to that day in 2023, when Hamas-led militants invaded southern Israel communities, killing 1,200 people and taking about 240 into Gaza as hostages. The Israeli military confirmed it had carried out strikes in southern Syria after the rocket fire. Israel also bombed western Syria in recent days, killing at least one person. Syrian President Ahmad Al Shara last month said that his government is holding indirect talks with Israel to bring an end to its attacks on Syria. Israel has said the strikes are aimed at countering threats from Iran and its proxies, particularly Hezbollah.
Fox News
10 hours ago
- General
- Fox News
Archaeologist uncovers 'compelling evidence' of true location where Jesus turned water into wine
A historian believes he's found the location of Jesus Christ's first miracle – and has newfound evidence to back it up. Scripture gives limited details about Jesus' first miracle, which is said to have taken place at Cana. The Gospel of John states that Jesus turned water into wine during a wedding in the village. "Nearby stood six stone water jars, the kind used by the Jews for ceremonial washing, each holding from twenty to thirty gallons," the gospel states. "Jesus said to the servants, 'Fill the jars with water,' so they filled them to the brim." The passage continues, "Then he told them, 'Now draw some out and take it to the master of the banquet.' They did so, and the master of the banquet tasted the water that had been turned into wine." The prevailing theory states that Kafr Kanna, an Israeli town in the Galilee, was the true location of Cana. Pilgrims have long venerated the site, according to the Catholic Encyclopedia of 1914. But historian Tom McCollough says that Cana was actually located five miles north of Kafr Kanna. The site, called Khirbet Qana, was a Jewish village from 323 B.C. to 324 A.D. McCollough taught religion and history at Centre College until his retirement in 2017. He told Pen News that Khirbet Qana presents the most compelling evidence so far. "[No other village] has the ensemble of evidence that makes such a persuasive case for Khirbet Qana," he said. The main piece of evidence is a series of tunnels used by Christians — marked with various crosses and references to Christ, which date back over 1,500 years. "We have uncovered a large Christian veneration cave complex that was used by Christian pilgrims who came to venerate the water-to-wine miracle," McCollough said. "This complex was used beginning in the late fifth or early sixth century and continued to be used by pilgrims into the 12th-century Crusader period." During his excavation, McCollough also uncovered an altar and a shelf with a stone vessel. "Our excavations have shown that this was a thriving Jewish village located in the heart of much of Jesus' life and ministry." He noted that there was space for five additional jars — consistent with the biblical account of six stone jars. On the walls of the complex, his team of excavators also uncovered references to Kyrie Iesou, a Koine Greek phrase meaning Lord Jesus. "The pilgrim texts we have from this period that describe what pilgrims did and saw when they came to Cana of Galilee match very closely what we have exposed as the veneration complex," he said. Speaking to Pen News, McCollough also used the work of Flavius Josephus, a first-century Jewish historian, to back up his argument. "His references to Cana align geographically with the location of Khirbet Qana and align logically with his movements," he said. "The reference to Cana in Josephus, the New Testament and in the rabbinic texts would argue the village was a Jewish village, near the Sea of Galilee and in the region of lower Galilee." He added, "Khirbet Qana fulfills all of these criteria." McCollough also argued that Kafr Kanna wasn't recognized as a pilgrimage site for Cana until the 18th century, which disputes the Catholic narrative about the site. "At this point, the Franciscans were managing Christian pilgrimage and facilitating easy passage rather than historical accuracy," he claimed. All in all, McCollough believes his excavations could bolster the case for the historicity of the Bible, and that his findings "warrant at least a reconsideration of the historical value of John's references to Cana and Jesus." "Our excavations have shown that this was in fact a thriving Jewish village located in the heart of much of Jesus' life and ministry," he said. McCollough added, "For the Gospel of John, Cana [was] in some ways Jesus' safe place or operational center. It is a place he and his disciples return to when they encounter resistance in Judea." The most recent research comes as archaeologists across the world work on uncovering sites from the Bible. In March, an archaeologist working at Jerusalem's Church of the Holy Sepulchre spoke with Fox News Digital about finding proof of an ancient garden at the site, consistent with scripture. Earlier this year, a group of Israeli archaeologists uncovered evidence of a biblical battle at the city of Megiddo in northern Israel.
The Sun
a day ago
- General
- The Sun
Scientists ‘disprove' one of Jesus Christ's best-known miracles as study claims it was just ‘a natural phenomenon'
A TEAM of scientists claims to have debunked one of Jesus Christ's most famous miracles — saying the Son of God may not have fed 5,000 people with just five loaves and two fish after all. Instead, researchers believe it could have been a freak natural event in Israel's Lake Kinneret — known in the Bible as the Sea of Galilee — that brought a massive haul of fish to the surface for easy collection. 4 4 The story of the 'Feeding of the 5,000' is told in all four Gospels, where Jesus is said to have blessed a small amount of food and miraculously distributed it to feed a vast crowd. But in a 2024 study published in Water Resources Research, scientists monitored oxygen levels, water temperature, and wind speed across Lake Kinneret — and say they discovered evidence of sudden mass fish die-offs caused by unusual weather patterns. Strong winds sweeping across the lake, they say, can churn the water and cause an 'upwelling' of cold, low-oxygen water from the bottom, which kills fish and sends them floating to the surface. According to the researchers, to anyone watching from the shore, it would look like fish were suddenly appearing by the thousands — creating the illusion of a miracle and allowing them to 'be easily collected by a hungry populace'. The team believes this could explain the Gospel passage where Jesus tells his disciples — after a fruitless night of fishing — to cast their nets on the other side of the boat, suddenly hauling in a bounty. However, Biblical scholars aren't buying it. Critics slammed the theory for missing the point entirely, pointing out that no fish were caught during the miracle of the loaves and fishes. The article on hit back, saying: 'Jesus simply took the five loaves and two fish, thanked God, broke the loaves, handed everything to his disciples, and the disciples handed the food out. No fish were caught!' According to Matthew 14:13–21, Jesus 'saw a great crowd, and he had compassion on them and healed their sick.' Brit shares 'proof' he's found Jesus's TOMB & Ark of the Covenant in cave When his disciples told him to send the people away to find food, he replied: 'They need not go away; you give them something to eat.' After blessing the five loaves and two fish, the Bible says: 'they all ate and were satisfied. 'And they took up 12 baskets full of the broken pieces left over.' Despite the backlash, the researchers argue that understanding how fish may have mysteriously appeared in huge quantities doesn't take away from the spiritual message of the event — which many see as symbolic of generosity and faith. Still, religious sceptics say the study adds weight to theories that Jesus' wonders may have had natural explanations — while believers insist some things just can't be explained away by science. It comes after a stunning AI-generated video claims to reveal the true face of Jesus Christ — using images based on the mysterious Turin Shroud. Believers say the Shroud of Turin was the burial cloth wrapped around Jesus after his crucifixion. 4 Now, photos of the ancient linen have been processed through Midjourney, an AI image generator, to create a realistic image and video of Christ. The video shows Jesus blinking, smiling, and praying — potentially as he did before his crucifixion around 33AD. He appears with shoulder-length brown hair, a beard, brown eyes, a straight nose, and high cheekbones. His skin tone is pale, which has sparked debate among academics and online. Last year, The Sun also used AI to recreate the Son of God's appearance. The Gencraft tool was fed the prompt 'face of Jesus based on the Shroud of Turin' and returned images of a man with hazel eyes, a gentle expression, a neat beard, clean eyebrows, and long brown hair. Under his weary eyes, signs of exhaustion were visible. Many researchers agree that the man wrapped in the Shroud appeared to be between 5ft 7in and 6ft tall, with sunken eyes and a full beard. The markings on the cloth also show what some believe to be crucifixion wounds — including injuries to the head, shoulders, arms, and back, consistent with a thorn crown and Roman whips. The Bible recounts that Jesus was scourged by Roman soldiers, crowned with thorns, and forced to carry his cross before dying in agony.
LBCI
26-05-2025
- Politics
- LBCI
Lebanon file resurfaces in Israel: Israel reports US scenarios to disarm Hezbollah north of Litani River
Report by Amal Shehadeh, English adaptation by Yasmine Jaroudi The Israeli army has begun reorganizing its deployment along the border with Lebanon, transferring the Galilee Division 91 to the northern front to oversee the area stretching from the Galilee Panhandle to the Mediterranean Sea. Meanwhile, Division 210 will continue operating in the Shebaa Farms sector, while also managing the Golan Heights line. Tel Aviv has linked this redeployment to what it describes as increased activity by Hezbollah. An Israeli report also acknowledged the army's inability to destroy the group's tunnel networks and underground infrastructure. The Lebanese file has returned to the forefront of Israeli military and security discussions, especially in the wake of recent developments following U.S. President Donald Trump's regional visit, particularly regarding Syria. According to American sources cited in the report, Trump is interested in reaching an arrangement with Lebanon similar to one allegedly made with Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa. The report claims that Washington is pressuring Lebanese President Joseph Aoun to begin immediate disarmament of Hezbollah not only south of the Litani River—as stipulated by U.N. Resolution 1701—but also in areas north of it. However, there are concerns this move could trigger internal conflict within Lebanon. The Israeli report outlines three potential U.S. scenarios for Lebanon that the Trump administration is reportedly weighing. The first scenario would see the implementation of the Syrian model in Lebanon by imposing strict conditions on Lebanese officials to prevent any internal escalation that might threaten Israel and require American intervention. The second option involves Washington exerting greater internal pressure on Hezbollah. However, the report warns this could backfire, destabilizing Lebanon further and worsening the current situation. The third and most severe scenario envisions a halt to U.S. efforts to manage tensions between Lebanon and Israel, effectively granting Israel the green light to act militarily without U.S. restraint.
Daily Mail
24-05-2025
- Daily Mail
Experts claim to have pinpointed exact location where Jesus turned water into wine
Archeologists say they've pinpointed the place where Jesus turned water into wine. In what would become a turning point in the history of Christianity, the miraculous feat is said to have taken place during a wedding in the town of Cana of Galilee. Now experts claim to have zeroed in on the exact spot - and it is not the one visited by thousands of pilgrims each year. Although the true location has been disputed, digs at the ruined village of Khirbet Qana, eight miles northwest of Nazareth, suggest this lesser-known site could be the real location. Archeological evidence from the site shows that Khirbet Qana was the site of a well-connected Jewish village during the time of Jesus's life. However, the best evidence for Khirbet Qana is the discovery of a hidden Christian worship site in an underground cave system, which dates back to the third century AD. Archeologists even claim one of these hidden churches contains two of the vessels that might have held the water Jesus turned into wine. The real Cana of Galilee According to the Bible, Jesus performed his first miracle while attending a wedding in the town of Cana of Galilee. During the wedding, Jesus's mother, Mary, pointed out that the party had run out of wine. Upon hearing this, Jesus transformed six vessels of water used for 'ceremonial washing' into fine quality wine. In the Bible, we are told very little about the village of Cana except that Jesus went there for this wedding and on at least one other occasion. From this, we know that the real Cana must be in Galilee, close enough to Nazareth for Jesus to make the journey, and have been home to a sizable Jewish population. Since the Middle Ages, the town of Kafr Kanna, located three miles northeast of Nazareth, has claimed to be the real site of Cana. The town is home to the 'Wedding Church' which claims to hold the real water pots used by Jesus in his miracles and is visited by thousands of tourists and pilgrims each year. However, Dr James Tabor, a Bible scholar, archeologist and distinguished fellow at The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, says that Kafr Kanna's status is more likely to be due to its location than historical fact. Dr Tabor says: 'I think what's happening in the Middle Ages is that pilgrims want convenience. They're coming to Nazareth and they want to see it all. 'To see the other place, Khirbet Qana, you have to climb this unbelievable hill so, to have pilgrims trek up that in the heat of the Middle East, it's just not going to happen. 'It's so much more convenient to just go a few miles down the road and find "the other Cana." ' The problem is that no excavation has actually found evidence of Jewish settlement beneath Kafr Kanna dating back to the Roman period. This makes it quite unlikely that this town could have been the place referred to by the author of the signal source in the Gospel of John. Dr Tabor says that the location that the archeological evidence truly points to is the much harder-to-access site of Khirbet Qana. Since 1998, a group of archeologists originally led by the late Professor Douglas Edwards and now by Dr Tom McCollough, of Centre College, has been excavating the nearby site of Khirbet Qana. In a research paper published in the Biblical Archaeology Review, Dr McCollough revealed that the now-abandoned site was once home to a thriving Jewish settlement between 323 BC to 324 AD. The fact that Khirbet Qana's settlement was Jewish is confirmed by the presence of a Roman-period synagogue or study hall known as a Beth Midrash and six coins printed by the leaders of the Jewish 'Maccabean' revolt. Excitingly, Dr McCollough and his team also found evidence of several bathhouses or miqva'ot. These not only indicate the presence of Jewish culture but also align with the biblical account of Jesus's miracle which says the water jars were for 'ceremonial washing.' However, what makes Khirbet Qana the most promising site for the real location of Cana of Galilee is the presence of early Christian artifacts. Dr McCollough has found an extensive network of Christian worship sites in a cave system hidden beneath the village. These chambers date from Byzantine times through the Crusader period, from 415 to 1217 AD, and some are decorated and lined with plaster. One of the cave chambers even bears Christian graffiti depicting crosses, giving the names of pilgrims or even saying 'Kyrie Iesou' or 'Lord Jesus.' Most excitingly of all, the archeologists discovered an altar in one of the caves made of an upturned sarcophagus lid. Above it was a shelf containing two large stone vessels which were believed by early Christians to be the very vessels Jesus used to turn water into wine. Dr McCollough writes: 'There was space for another four. Six stone jars would have held the water that Jesus turned into wine. 'All this suggests that Khirbet Cana was regarded as New Testament Cana from a very early time.' Why was Cana important to Jesus? What makes this discovery so interesting is Cana might have been hugely important to the historical Jesus and his followers. This is possible because the account of Cana actually comes from an even more ancient part of the Bible. Dr Tabor says that the Gospel of John contains a separate, older narrative called the 'signal source' which the later gospel writer built on. According to Dr Tabor, there are hints in this narrative that Cana was potentially the 'headquarters' of the early Jesus movement or even a personal 'retreat' for Jesus himself. Not only was it the site of his first miracle, but the scant pieces of evidence we have also seem to hint at a more personal connection. The fact that his mother Mary is involved in the planning of the wedding suggests that it was likely a 'family affair,' perhaps even the wedding of one of Jesus's four brothers. The signal source narrative then records that Jesus came back to Cana again after causing trouble in Jerusalem by clearing out the moneylenders in the temple. The Gospel of John even points out that one of Jesus's followers, Nathaniel, was originally from Cana. Dr Tabor says: 'It could well be his village headquarters – a place he felt very much at home where he could be safe and peaceful.' What would it be like to drink wine with Jesus? Although it might seem odd, wine would have played a major role in the life of Jesus and his disciples. At a time when potable water was less common, brewed and alcoholic drinks were a great source of sterile water and calories, as well as part of social and community life. That might make you wonder what it would have been like to drink the wine Jesus made or that was served at the Last Supper. Luckily, thanks to the work of some curious archeologists, we actually have a pretty good idea. Dr Paulina Komar, an archeologist from the University of Warsaw and expert on Roman wine, told that wine in Jesus's day would have been very different to what we have now. Dr Komar says: 'The Romans could make good wines, good according to our standards, but they would have been different than most good wines today.' Instead of aging in wooden barrels, wine was made by the Romans in clay jars that were often buried underground. This required the grapes to be macerated, kept partially intact, which has a similar effect on the taste to adding boiled-down grape syrup called defrutum in modern wines. 'Clay jars allowed for micro-oxidation, which changed wine taste – less fresh green and yellow fruits, more dried fruits, apricot jam and slightly nutty aromas typical of today's sherry,' says Dr Komar. Roman wine was also quite a lot stronger than the wines we have today due to the wild yeasts and very sugary grapes, reaching between 15 and 16 per cent alcohol content. Grape encounters: Unlike modern wine, the wine Jesus would have drunk was made in clay pots buried in the ground. Experts say this would have given it a similar flavor to today's sherry or Georgian qvevri wines In the Gospel of John, upon drinking the wine, Jesus made the host remark: 'Everyone brings out the choice wine first and then the cheaper wine after the guests have had too much to drink; but you have saved the best till now.' Dr Komar says: 'If it was a good wine, it would probably have been similar to modern Georgian qvevri wines, or amber wines in general. Bad wine would have been simply bad with a high concentration of acetic aldehyde and acetic acid. 'Posca - that means wine that almost turned into vinegar mixed with seawater - was most likely the last drink of Jesus and was typical for poor people, as well as some legionaries and slaves. 'This is most probably why in antiquity wines were spiced with a number of different herbs and spices such as pepper, thyme, rose, wormwood.' WHY IS JESUS DEPICTED IN DIFFERENT WAYS? No physical description of Jesus is found in the Bible. He's typically depicted as Caucasian in Western works of art, but has also been painted to look as if he was Latino or Aboriginal. It's thought this is so people in different parts of the world can more easily relate to the Biblical figure. The earliest depictions show him as a typical Roman man, with short hair and no beard, wearing a tunic. It is thought that it wasn't until 400AD that Jesus appears with a beard. This is perhaps to show he was a wise teacher, because philosophers at the time were typically depicted with facial hair. The conventional image of a fully bearded Jesus with long hair did not become established until the sixth century in Eastern Christianity, and much later in the West Medieval art in Europe typically showed him with brown hair and pale skin. This image was strengthened during the Italian Renaissance, with famous paintings such as The Last Supper by Leonardo da Vinci showing Christ. Modern depictions of Jesus in films tend to uphold the long-haired, bearded stereotype, while some abstract works show him as a spirit or light.
