To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Re: Chinese genius children
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 05:17:00 -0500
Hi John,
This is a very interesting study. If I may add a few notes to your notes in
support of what you've presented...
> The idea of "coming down from heaven" is intended to indicate to us
> that this is not a human person, rather it is angelic. Therefore we
> are not seeing here the Antichrist who later rises out of the sea (REV
> 13:1). This is the Spiritual force behind the Antichrist.
> "he" - this star has a personality, therefore we are not to see it as
> being a literal star. We are intended to identify it with Satan.
I agree. Also, in addition to the phrase "coming down from heaven," the word
"star" in Jewish literature also indicates an "angelic being" in most cases.
Here is an excerpt from some of my notes on this topic:
--- begin notes ---
The ancients thought comets and falling stars predicted the fall of rulers. This idea came about from the Jewish belief that the "stars" were angels (or
spiritual beings or forces under God's dominion) that ruled other nations and
political structures:
"Jewish people commonly believed that the heavenly powers ruled all the
nations except Israel; some later teachers explained that Israel had been lifted above those heavenly powers in Abraham their ancestor....
"Jewish people especially viewed these heavenly powers as 'angels of the
nations,' spiritual beings who stood behind earthly rulers and guided their rule (cf. Dan 4:35; 10:13). (Although the details are developed more in later Jewish texts, the roots of the idea are as early as Daniel and the LXX of
Deuteronomy.)" (IVP Bible Background Commentary: New Testament)
Compare this to: Dan 8:9-10; Rev 12:4.
"Stars were frequently employed as symbols of persons in exalted stations;
e.g., 'a star shall come forth from Jacob' designates King David (Numbers
24:17), applied by some to the Messiah. The patriarchs were called 'stars'
(Genesis 37:9), and 'stars' denote the princes, rulers, and nobles of the earth
(Daniel 8:10; Revelation 6:13; 8:10-12; 9:1; 12:4). Christ is called the 'morning star,' as He introduced the light of gospel day, revealing more fully the truths of God than the ancient prophets (Revelation 22:16)(Holman Bible Dictionary).
-- end notes --
> It appears that in the last days the Satanic empire in the heavenlies
> is evicted - this is the theme of Rev 12 and the first four trumpets.
> However with this the marshalling of Satan's forces is not complete.
> In the fifth trumpet we see the release of the fornicating angels. The
> limitation of their activity to 5 months is probably to prevent a
> reoccurrence of the Genesis 6 situation where the women brought forth
> Nephilim (or giants) who oppressed men.
Interesting take. I'm curious though as to what leads you to the idea that
these are "fornicating angels"? Anything specific from the immediate text?
The fact that they are released from the "pit" which ties in with Genesis 6?
> However we can expect that they will indeed try that again, and women
> will be raped by them. The time limit simply prevents offspring from
> being born.
The time limit applies to their activity after they are released from the pit. But
would this time limit apply to events afterwards, specifically the time required
to give birth? Assuming for the moment that these are fornicating angels, how
does the 5-month time period of activity limit births from occuring?
Again, very interesting study John. Thanks for sharing it with us.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Re: Chinese genius children
From: Syksteven
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:04:40 EST
In a message dated 12/30/00 7:28:18 AM, owner-bpr@philologos.org writes:
<< Interesting take. I'm curious though as to what leads you to the idea
that
these are "fornicating angels"? Anything specific from the immediate text?
The fact that they are released from the "pit" which ties in with Genesis 6?
>>
Excuse me for butting in here, but I'm very curious about how you arrived at
this also. Have you read what Jesus himself said about angels in Matt 22:30
and Mark 12:25? This is a solid indication to me that angels do not have sex.
Shalom,
Steven Sykes
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Re: Chinese genius children
From: Lambert Dolphin <lambert@ldolphin.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 20:21:15 -0800
Angels IN HEAVEN in their designated offices do not have sex. That is
all we know for sure.
See http://ldolphin.org/nephilim.html
Lambert Dolphin
http://ldolphin.org/
lambert@ldolphin.org
>In a message dated 12/30/00 7:28:18 AM, owner-bpr@philologos.org writes:
>
><< Interesting take. I'm curious though as to what leads you to the idea
>that
>these are "fornicating angels"? Anything specific from the immediate text?
>The fact that they are released from the "pit" which ties in with Genesis 6?
> >>
>
>Excuse me for butting in here, but I'm very curious about how you arrived at
>this also. Have you read what Jesus himself said about angels in Matt 22:30
>and Mark 12:25? This is a solid indication to me that angels do not have sex.
>
>Shalom,
>Steven Sykes
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To: lambert@ldolphin.org, bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Re: Chinese genius children
From: Syksteven
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 10:37:59 EST
In a message dated 12/31/00 8:08:31 AM, lambert@ldolphin.org writes:
<< Angels IN HEAVEN in their designated offices do not have sex. That is
all we know for sure.
>>
For sure??? Now how would you arrive at that? In Mat 22:30 & Mark 12:25
Jesus does not qualify or make exceptions to his statements concerning the
angels. To say they can't have sex in heaven, but they can on Earth sounds
like speculation to me.
Sometimes we're not given a lot of details, but I feel confident GOD gives us
as much as we need. I think we are on shakey grounds when we add or diminish
to HIS word.
My two cents worth,
Steven Sykes
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Skeleton Warriors
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 08:44:49 -0500
SKELETON WARRIORS
The United States wants its own starship troopers. As part of a project
that's been quietly ticking away for months now, the Department of Defense
has decided it needs to grant superhuman powers to its soldiers; providing
them with the ability run faster, carry more gear and leap tall buildings.
It plans to do this with powered combat armour exoskeletons, and the first
contract in the project was awarded this week.
Buried way down in a mundane Pentagon announcement of successful
service
tenders was an eight line statement revealing that a Californian company was
being paid several million dollars to develop and test a strap-on propeller
system, enabling individual warriors to fly.
Want to know more?
Bug hunt
In Robert Heinlen's classic book Starship Troopers, his protagonist is a
serving member of Earth's Mobile Infantry. Standard equipment for these
troops is the 'power suit', a combat-specific ensemble that enhances its
wearer's physical abilities with hydraulics and servo motors, granting
Herculean strength and the ability to jump hundreds of meters in a single
bound.
To military planners, Heinlen's invention now seems like a pretty good idea.
Scientists at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)
have been
looking at the concept as part of a project called "Exoskeletons for Human
Performance Augmentation".
DARPA's stated objectives are "to develop devices and machines that will
increase the speed, strength, and endurance of soldiers in combat
environments....(leading) to self-powered, controllable, wearable
exoskeletal devices and/or machines."
What the agency is looking for is equipment that will:
Extend the mission payload and/or range of the soldier.
Increase the "lethality" and "survivability" of ground troops for short
range and special operations.
Enhance mobility and load carrying capacity to allow soldiers to carry more
ballistic protection and heavy weaponry. Augment human strength. Increase
human
speed and endurance. Allow troops to "leap extraordinary heights and/or
distances."
The undeclared point of all this enhancement is to turn even a single
soldier into a super-potent angel of death. He will be able to employ heavy
weapons systems that are currently impossible for a human to even carry, let
alone fire from the hip. He will pack more ballistic protection and carry more
ammunition and supplies. The Pentagon figures these improvements will be
effective in all combat environments, but especially in urban terrain.
As with any powered system, the most critical issue facing combat
exoskeletons is energy storage and actuation. Maximising energy output
versus bulk is the key equation, and power sources will have to be
man-portable. Currently, researchers are exploring the use of
highly-efficient chemical fuels for the mechanical actuation of the suits
(as opposed to other energy storage media, like batteries or compressed
air). At the current state of the art, this seems the best way to provide an
exoskeleton with a "militarily significant" range and duration.
Super fly
The first private contractor to be awarded a noteworthy slice of the
exoskeleton budget is Millenium Jet Incorporated, which is the commercial
front of a syndicate trying to develop a one-man flying machine called the
SoloTrek Exoskeletor Flying Vehicle (XFV). The gasoline-powered SoloTrek
has
featured in the futurist media for some time now, and it's developers claim
that
when finished, it should be capable of hovering for 3 hours and travel laterally
at speeds of up to 130 km/h. The strap-on helicopter has been displayed at
various engineering, aviation and military exhibitions but is yet to make a
flight, prompting cynics to put it in the same basket as flying rocket cars and
teleportation.
Millenium Jet aren't listening to the doubters though. Under the contract,
the Department of Defense has given the company $5 million and three years
to complete development and testing of the SoloTrek. Wind tunnel trials are
currently underway at NASA's Ames Research Center, one of the
development
partners.
Since sustained flight is the most difficult objective to achieve, SoloTrek will
be a benchmark for exoskeleton proponents .If it can indeed get off the
ground,
the idea of non-flying power suits will appear well within grasp. Certainly it
would seem that existing levels of bio-mechanics, force feedback and control
processing are sufficient to begin the march of the robo-warrior.
And the birth of the Mobile Infantry...
http://www.beyond2000.com/news/Dec_00/story_926.html
via: isml@egroups.com
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Chief of Staff Mofaz blasts Clinton proposal
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 08:49:17 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 00:59:59 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Chief of Staff Mofaz blasts Clinton proposal
Ha'aretz: Chief of Staff Mofaz blasts Clinton proposal
By Amos Harel Ha'aretz Military Correspondent Ha'aretz 29 December 2000
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Shaul Mofaz leveled harsh criticism at American
President Bill Clinton's proposal for an agreement between Israel and the
Palestinian Authority. At a cabinet meeting on Wednesday evening, Mofaz
expressed numerous reservations about the American plan, saying that it
exposed Israel to very serious security problems and that Israel's ability
to maneuver would be considerably reduced in the face of future threats.
Mofaz also expressed concern that the Israeli settlement enclaves remaining
in the territories would find themselves in an unbearable situation
vis-a-vis the Palestinians.
Mofaz also warned of the danger posed by the smuggling of large quantities
of weapons from Arab countries to the Palestinian Authority if Israel is
unable to supervise borders effectively.
A considerable number of Mofaz's comments related to the Jordan Valley.
According to the Israel Defense Forces, a map drafted according to Clinton's
plan shows that Israel would not be able to defend itself properly in the
face of a threat from the east. The IDF seeks to preserve a security strip
about 15 kilometers wide in the Jordan Valley, from the Jordan River to the
Allon highway.
Ministers commented that, according to Mofaz, the Clinton plan would expose
Israel to great danger and is almost out of the question from a security
standpoint. One of those present at the meeting said he emerged "stunned"
after hearing Mofaz's assessment.
Senior IDF officers expressed surprise and leveled harsh criticism at the
American plan.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Ha'aretz: Israel completes report on riots for U.S.
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 08:50:00 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 01:01:23 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Ha'aretz: Israel completes report on riots for U.S.
commission attacking PA -
to be kept secret to help peace process
Ha'aretz: Israel completes report on riots for U.S. commission attacking
PA - to be kept secret to help peace process
By Aluf Benn Ha'aretz Diplomatic Correspondent Ha'aretz 29 December 2000
Israel will submit its report to the American commission investigating the
cause of the recent riots, on Sunday. Israel alleges that the Palestinian
Authority has planned, instigated and orchestrated the violent clashes to
score political points.
The 150-page report to be submitted to the Mitchell Commission reviews
events since the Camp David summit in July, in which PA Chairman Yasser
Arafat rejected American bridging proposals.
The report, approved by Prime Minister Ehud Barak and Foreign Minister
Shlomo Ben-Ami, is legal in tone and barely makes mention of Arafat by name,
referring instead to the "Palestinian Authority" or "Palestinian
leadership."
The baseline for the report is the joint statement issued by Barak, Arafat
and U.S. President Bill Clinton at the end of the summit, undertaking to
refrain from any unilateral moves and threats of violence.
The report was compiled by a team of senior jurists and officials, led by
the Defense Ministry's deputy director general, attorney Moshe Kochanovsky.
There is extensive detail of the lynching of the two reserve soldiers in
Ramallah and a record of Palestinian incitement throughout the crisis.
Mention is also made of the failed attempts to obtain a cease-fire in Paris
and Sharm al Sheikh and at the Arafat-Peres meeting.
Foreign Ministry Director General Alon Liel has decided to keep the report
confidential, so as to avoid interfering with efforts to reach a permanent
settlement with the Palestinians. "These are critical days ... these are the
wrong circumstances in which to throw mud at one another," he said.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Official Fatah website : Barak's Moving Sand
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 09:04:10 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 07:24:11 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Official Fatah website : Barak's Moving Sand
Official Fatah website : Barak's Moving Sand
http://www.fateh.net/e_editor/00/151200.htm
As soon as the intifada reached its climax and while celebrating the 13th
anniversary of the 1987 intifada, some opportunists are doing their utmost
to liquidate the intifada. They give some deceptive promises and they cite
examples of the destruction Israel has inflicted upon the Palestinian people
during the intifada.
Moreover, Israel has restored to state terrorism by assassinating members of
our movement, Fateh. The Israeli Prime Minister, Barak whose hands are
stained by the Palestinian blood, directs this terrorism. We will never
forget the atrocities he committed in Tunisia and Lebanon. Barak has also
been using some internationally banned weapons against us. Therefore, he
does not deserve the reward he is seeking from the Palestinian leadership by
helping him in his battle against Sharon. After all the crimes he has
committed against us, our choice will not remain between what is bad and
what is worse. The intifada will remain our choice as the only guarantee for
realizing our national goals.
However, Barak is showing some signs of flexibility through his acting
foreign minister, Ben Ami. to entice those in the Palestinian leadership who
care for their political and economic interests. This explains their calls
for quiet to prevail without knowing that Barak is preparing another defeat
for them. However, their hopes to increase their gains as commissioners and
agents who promote Israeli products, seems to have blinded them. So we
advise them not to rush off since it's early to gather in the harvest.
In addition to this group, there are those who believe that we have to
employ whatever achievements the intifada has produced in order to improve
our conditions for returning to the negotiating table. They pay no attention
to the fact that Israel does not respect the terms of reference of the peace
process, i.e. UN Resolutions 242, 338 and the principle of land for peace.
Israel has proved throughout the peace process its failure to abide by the
international legality. In fact, Barak went as far as saying that UN
Resolution 242 does not apply in the case of the Palestinian peace track.
This Israeli prejudice against our rights was never questioned by the U.S.
Administration. The Zionist lobby represented by Denis Ross managed also to
put an end to an effective role that Russia and the U.N. could have played
as sponsors of the peace process.
What concerns us in this context is the position of the Palestinian national
and Islamic forces. These forces reject the idea of returning to the
negotiating table after improving the conditions of the peace process. They
believe that the intifada should continue because of the momentum it will
provide for the negotiating process. To them, there is no value in resuming
negotiations without securing Israel's recognition of the U.N. Resolutions
242, 338, and 194 which calls for the return of the Palestinian refugees.
The resolutions are to be implemented rather than negotiated by Israel.
As the movement which is leading the intifada and as the force which has a
great share in the Palestinian decision making process, Fateh understands
that there is no room for good intentions in the peace process. Zionists
have interpreted these intentions as signs of weakness. It is therefore a
tragic mistake to stand by Barak when our people opted for the armed
struggle to liberate our land.
It is also unwise to show any good intentions towards President Clinton who
failed to faithfully support the peace process. He discovered how he more
than once was deceived by Denis Ross. However, he continued to place his
trust in him just to please the Zionist lobby which controls the Congress.
Some Palestinians believe that Barak is now in a crisis and that he is ready
to make certain conditions. However, they tend to overlook the fact that
Barak's army has not stopped killing our people to remain in the eyes of his
people as the hero who made the Palestinians surrender. The Israelis should
abandon this mentality.
On the other hand, we should not rush for the negotiating table as if this
is the last chance for peace. Moreover, certain measures have to be taken to
strengthen people's trust in the intifada as the only way to avoid surrender
for the Israelis. These measures will also enhance the way people look to
the PNA. Among these measures, the PNA and its security apparatuses should
protect those who carry out the daily work of the intifada. Some of these
activists have been assassinated by the Israelis. The PNA should punish
those spies among us who think that the Oslo Accord provides them with
immunity. It is unwise to let their crimes against our people go unpunished.
They should be detained until they distinctively prove their loyalty to
their people.
The PNA should release all political prisoners who neither endanger our
security nor violate our sovereignty. Releasing them will strengthen our
national unity. Also, the PNA should warn those greedy merchants against
promoting Israeli goods which can be produced nationally. We should not
allow our dependence on the Israeli economy to continue at a time when we
should encourage our own economy. Boycotting Israeli goods should be seen as
part of our war against normalizing relations with Israel as long as it
continues to occupy our land. Arab countries which maintain some kind of
diplomatic ties with Israel should behave similarly.
Enhancing the trust of the Palestinian people in the PNA requires also
activating the principle of social solidarity. Unemployed workers should be
financially supported until work opportunities are made available to them.
As to Arab support, we would like not only to ask Arab countries to fulfill
their obligations in line with the decisions of the last Arab summit
conference, but also to double their financial support. The financial
requirements of the intifada are increasing. In this regard, we fully
appreciate the positions of the Yemeni and Iraqi governments. Yemen has
decided to send its contributions with no delay. Despite economic hardships,
Iraq has donated one billion dollars for the intifada. The PLO should secure
the sum which requires the UN approval.
The pan-Arab dimension of the intifada requires further activation at a time
when Clinton & Barak want to isolate this dimension in order to weaken the
Palestinian position. The formal support of the Arab states is necessary for
us and helps maintain stability in these states. Egypt has done a great job
by asking its ambassador in Tel Aviv to return to Cairo. However, Egypt can
play a stronger role if it uses its full diplomatic pressure as a basic
power whose support for the peace process is essential. Coordinating its
position with those of Syria, Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine is crucial in
preventing Zionist attempts to impose Israel's solution which denies our
rights.
Such a situation will not only help our cause but will also help in
fulfilling the aspirations of the Arab people who look for unity.
Revolution Until Victory.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] World Affairs Report items (12/28/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 09:04:11 -0500
LATIN & GERMAN LESSONS
Europe's single currency cannot survive because it is not accompanied by
fiscal centralisation
To the historian, Europe's economic and monetary union is an unusual but
not unprecedented attempt to unite the monetary systems of 11 largely
sovereign states, leaving their fiscal systems largely separate. The question,
particularly as the issue of European enlargement looms, is how long this
discrepancy between monetary centralisation and fiscal decentralisationcan
be sustained. History suggests it cannot be for long. Most multi-state
monetary unions come after, or at least coincide with, a considerable
measure of political - and hence fiscal - centralisation. In the US, for
example, it was not until the eve of WW1 that the political opposition to a
central bank was overcome. That was decades after the decisive political
gains by the federal government at the expense of states' rights.
The European sequence of events has been quite different. Monetary
unification has been initiated when the power and legitimacy of central EU
institutions are largely embryonic. At 1% of gross domestic product, the
total EU budget is tiny relative to those of member states - equivalent to
48% of GDP. To illustrate the difficulty of sustaining a monetary union
without any complementary fiscal centralisation, it is instructive to consider
2 monetary unions born in the 1860s.
The Latin Monetary Union between France, Belgium, Switzerland, Italy
and, later, Greece, founded in 1865, lacked central institutions: there was no
central bank, much less any political structure; and the union applied
exclusively to coinage. But as in our own day, the architects of monetary
union explicitly saw it as the forerunner of political union. What went wrong
with the LMU? The answer is Italian - especially Papal - fiscal laxity. The
Papal government financed its deficits by debasing the coinage and allowing
private agents to export it to the rest of the Union. At the same time the
Italian government issued largely unconvertible paper currency to finance
its large deficits, in effect breaking the spirit if not the letter of the union's
convention. There was no mechanism to prevent free-riding by spendthrift
member states.
But consider another more successful - or at least more enduring -
monetary union: the currency created for the states that formed the
German Empire in 1871. True, there are differences with European
economic and monetary union, or EMU, such as greater cultural
homogeneity of the empire; the dominance of one state - Prussia; and,
above all, the fact that the Empire was called into being by force of arms.
Yet there are important similarities.
The 25 states that made up Bismarck's Empire were - like the members
and would-be members of the EU - diverse in size, traditions and
institutions; and under the decentralised constitution they retained
considerable autonomy. Thus the imperial chancellor had only a skeletal
administration. Crucially, not only Prussia but also a combination of the 3
big south German kingdoms could veto constitutional amendments, which
could only be passed with 45 out of 58 votes. As in the EU, the execution
of laws passed at the federal level was left to the state governments.
Fiscally Bismarck's Empire had much in common with the EU. In terms of
revenue it was an extension of the old Prussian Customs Union, with added
taxes on consumption and the postal and telegraph systems. After the
reintroduction of protectionist tariffs at the end of the 1870s it resembled
the EU even more closely, since these constituted a politically common
agricultural policy. Thus German Monetary Union, completed with the
Reichsbank Law of March 1875, came well in advance of fiscal
centralisation. Like the EU today, it had all the requisite federal institutions
but in practice remained highly decentralised.
At first sight, the survival of the GMU seems to offer consolation to those
who wish a long life to the EMU. But there are some important
differences. First, until 1914 the German monetary system was part of the
gold standard; the monetary union was subordinated to a wider international
system of pegged exchange rates. Second, in the period when the German
monetary union did appear to function smoothly, there was a high level of
labour mobility. Compared with the GMU of the 1870s, the Euro has the
advantage of not being pegged against the world's other main currencies, a
peg that imposed deflation on the German economy from the mid-1870s to
the mid-1890s. But it also has the disadvantage of a far less flexible labour
market.
To some extent the one may compensate for the other. But there is a third
point: the most obvious lesson to be learnt from the history of the German
Empire is simply that federal systems are prone to fiscal centralisation.
Between 1881 and 1913 the Empire's share of total public expenditure rose
from 29 to 35%. In the same period, its share of the total domestic bond
market rose from 4 to 18%. As a percentage of GNP, central government
spending rose from about 2.9 to about 6.1%. And this process accelerated
significantly during the crisis of 1914-23.
This is what tends to happen in new federations, particularly when there is -
as in the EU - an established system of inter-state transfers such as the
"structural funds". Oddly, the current tendency is for such transfers to be
reduced. But there are bound to be arguments for more redistribution
between states as first, the full extent of some members' unfunded welfare
liabilities manifests itself; and second, capital movements in the absence of
labour mobility widen regional income differentials.
Some economists maintain that EMU can survive without some measure of
fiscal centralisation. But this is politically naive. The prospect of
enlargement, which could produce a 27-member EU, is already encouraging
talk of constitutional reform to reduce the range of issues covered by the
national veto rule and to change the system of qualified majority voting. As
the recent remarks of Joschka Fischer, Germany's foreign minister, about
an elected presidency make clear, the underlying aim is to make EU
institutions more like those of a German-style federation. Bismarck would
have recognised the process whereby a confederation is inexorably
converted into a federation.
Comparisons between European integration and German unification are
dangerous, and I am not attempting to smear the EU as a Fourth Reich.
The lesson is simply that monetary unions unaccompanied by a shift to
more centralised fiscal institutions do not last. The real question is whether
Europe's is to be a Latin or a German monetary union. (The Financial
Times - Analysis by professor of political and financial history at Oxford
University)
NO BEATING ABOUT THE BUSH OVER "SOFT" LANDING
Another day, another shocker from corporate America. On Boxing Day,
the bearer of bad tidings was Wal-Mart, the retailing giant that sells more
than anybody else in the world. This has been its worst Christmas in
America for a decade, it said. Wal-Mart blamed the snow - or rather lack
of it - for failing to meet a rather modest 3-5% target for increased sales.
Without the white stuff, American consumers have been unable to get into
the spirit of things and have been slow to lavish money on presents for the
kiddies - or so the Wal-Mart theory goes.
The reality is far more sinister. Economists have long warned of the need
for a slowdown in the American economy after a decade of strong growth
fuelled by soaring asset prices, new technology and record-breaking levels
of consumption and business investment. As share prices multiplied,
Americans decided there was no point in saving. The household savings
ratio has collapsed to zero, while the private savings ratio - a measure
which covers the savings behaviour of companies as well as households -
has turned deeply negative.
The result has been a slide into massive deficit on the balance of payments.
Economists warn that the current account deficit this year is likely to reach
the equivalent of 5% of GDP, its highest level ever.It could not last, and it
hasn't. The pricking of the stock market bubblehas brought American
consumers to their senses and has encouraged them to start rebuilding their
overstretched finances. That has meant spending less and saving more,
which goes a long way towards explaining the current difficulties
experienced by Wal-Mart and its fellow retailers.
The incoming President will have to move swiftly to prevent the "soft"
landing predicted for the American economy turning bumpy. He may want
to whisper in the ear of Federal Reserve chairman Alan Greenspan who
disappointed financial markets by failing to cut interest rates just before
Christmas but gets a chance to put matters right at the end of January.
With a bit of luck, Mr Bush will also persuade Paul O'Neill, his recently
nominated Treasury secretary, to deliver the tax cuts that he promised
during the election campaign. (The London Telegraph - Commentary)
E.U.-U.S. TRADE DISPUTE LOOMS
The dispute has been prompted by a change to US law, known as the Byrd
amendment, which was approved by president Clinton just before
Christmas. Under the new rules the American government will distribute
the proceeds of fines imposed on foreign firms for selling excessively low
priced goods directly to US companies found to have suffered from unfair
competition.
EU trade commissioner Pascal Lamy told BBC World Service that
America's new rules breached guidelines set by the World Trade
Organisation (WTO), and would encourage US firms to initiate complaints
against foreign competitors as a way of raising money. "What is at stake in
this case is that it provides for a super incentive for bringing cases because
you can hope on top of the counterveiling duty to benefit from an extra
subsidy," he said.
The EU is not alone in its anger. A complaint to the WTO has been initiated
in conjunction with 8 other nations - including substantial trading powers
such as Japan, Korea, Brazil, India, Thailand, Australia and Chile. In line
with WTO procedures, the American government has been given a 2
month "consultation" period in which to back down. The US has already
locked horns with major trading partners on hormone treated beef, bananas,
agricultural subsidies and a host of other trade issues. Now the vexed
question of anti-dumping duties has joined the list. (BBC)
QUEEN DECLARES HER RELIGIOUS BELIEFS
I
n her annual broadcast Christmas message, Queen Elizabeth declared her
own faith in Jesus and spoke of how Christian teaching guides her in her
life and work. "Christmas is the traditional, if not the actual, birthday of a
man who was destined to change the course of our history," she said. "And
today we are celebrating the fact that Jesus Christ was born 2,000 years
ago; this is the true millennium anniversary."
In a departure from the traditional round-up of the year's events and shots
of her family, the Queen spoke of the influence of Christ in the world today
"in the good works done by millions of men and women day in and day out
throughout the centuries. Whether we believe in God or not, I think most of
us have a sense of the spiritual, that recognition of a deeper meaning and
purpose in our lives, and I believe that this sense flourishes despite the
pressures of our world." The Queen said that "the teachings of Christ and
my personal accountability before God provide a framework in which I try
to lead my life. I, like so many of you, have drawn great comfort in difficult
times from Christ's words and example." (Catholic World News)
WARS BETWEEN STATES: A DYING BREED
The safest place in the world this year was the Western Hemisphere. With
Colombia the only country at (civil) war there, North and South America
suffered fewer violent conflicts than all other continents, with other political
disputes -- mainly border issues -- being carried out by non-violent means.
Even the attempted coups in Paraguay and Ecuador were bloodless.
For many peoples in Africa and Asia, however, peace remained elusive.
While the largest number of all-out wars (8) were waged in Africa, Asia
was home to the greatest number of armed conflicts -- 40 in all. In many of
Africa's civil wars, particularly those in Congo, Burundi, Angola, Guinea
and Sudan, more civilians than soldiers died. Asia, meanwhile, saw a
considerable decline in armed conflicts in 2000, with only Sri Lanka and
Afghanistan at war. However, the war in Kashmir was the only conflict in
the world believed to carry a potential threat of nuclear weapons being used.
At 24, the number of conflicts -- many of them low-profile and localized,
but still deadly -- in the Middle East remained constant this year, although
life in the region was overshadowed by the recent escalation of the Israeli-
Palestinian conflict. The armed struggle of the Kurdish Workers' Party
against the Turkish state did not lessen in intensity in 2000, and Algeria
remained in a permanent state of crisis.
Europe, on the other hand, had a very good year, with only 1 war (in
Chechnya) and 2 conflicts (in Kosovo and in the Basque country). Of the
20 other continuing European crises and conflicts, 18 remained unchanged
in scale and intensity. Most of them, including those in Corsica, Georgia and
Moldova, involved demands for secession or autonomy. The only European
conflict to be resolved this year was in the Russian region of Karachai-
Cherkessiya.
Those are the results of research by the Heidelberg Institute for Conflict
Studies, a department of the Political Science Institute of the city's
university, which has been studying the world's wars and crises for the past
9 years. Each year the institute publishes an analysis of figures in the form
of a "conflict barometer," which has been used for planning by the German
Foreign and Defense Ministries. One special feature of the Heidelberg
institute's work is that it uses statistics going all the way back to 1945,
which allows the identification of long-term trends on war and violent
conflicts.
Presenting this year's conflict barometer, Frank Pfetsch, a political science
professor at the university, said that despite the increased awareness of
conflicts in the past 50 years, due largely to improved communications, the
year 2000 was not an especially violent one by the world's rather sorry
standards. The Heidelberg researchers continued to note that wars
between states are becoming ever rarer -- Eritrea and Ethiopia were the
only 2 still at war this year, although even theirs could be seen as sort of a
delayed civil war, in that Eritrea was once part of Ethiopia. And they
recently signed a peace treaty.
With some notable exceptions, violent conflicts between states have been in
steady decline since the 1960s, a development attributed to the spread of
democracy. Indeed, there has not been a war between 2 democracies in
the post-WW2 era. In other words, almost all violent conflicts today are
civil wars. The Heidelberg researchers recorded the struggle for autonomy
or national sovereignty as the 2 most frequent causes of conflicts in 2000,
ahead of wars over natural resources or ideology, which occupied only 4th
and 5th place respectively.
Paradoxically, this trend is linked to the increase in democracy: When
authoritarian countries open up politically, certain ethnic groups or regions
often have their first opportunity to press demands for autonomy or
independence, and when the political response is unsatisfactory, separatist
movements can rapidly emerge. Moreover, once a conflict turns violent, it
can be decades before peace returns. Of the 104 wars registered in
Heidelberg between 1945 and 1995, 66 broke out again after "peace" had
been restored. "We are observing a kind of hard core of around 30 conflicts
that have been going on for a long time and over the years have acquired
their own irreversible dynamic," Mr. Pfetsch said.
Again, though, it is civil conflicts that prove the most tenacious, as in
Northern Ireland and with the Kurds in the Middle East. Having studied a
number of successful peace accords, Mr. Pfetsch said there were several
important ingredients for lasting peace: All parties must be involved in
negotiations; all the main objects of dispute must be included in the
negotiations; and peace must be unconditional. "In Bosnia and Kosovo,
unfortunately, there was a failure to fulfill these conditions -- so we do not
predict a lasting peace there for the foreseeable future."
Not that the international community stood by as a passive observer of this
year's wars. Attempts were made to end 1/3 of the 144 conflicts in 2000,
either by the warring parties or by outsiders. The record was better than
the news reports from civil war zones might suggest, the Heidelberg
researchers say, pointing out that in 8 instances the warring parties
managed to agree on a solution, while in 8 others the conflicts were at least
temporarily defused by cease-fires.
The most frequent intermediary, alongside the United States, was the often-
derided UN, which launched 15 peace missions this year. The only other
notable peacemaker was the Organization for Security and Cooperation in
Europe, with 8 peace missions. Despite frequent setbacks, Mr. Pfetsch
said, "the activities of international organizations are still one of the most
important instruments for defusing conflicts." (Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung)
GERMAN DUES TO DIP UNDER U.N. DEAL
Germany can expect to see its dues to the United Nations drop slightly as a
result of a new funding system that has emerged after bitter negotiations
fueled by U.S. demands for a cut in its dues. Under the deal approved over
the weekend, the U.S. will see its payments cut from 25% of the regular
UN budget to 22% as the U.S. Congress mandated. It also has agreed to
pay its arrears, which the UN puts at almost $1.6bn. The Congress, a harsh
UN critic in recent years, still has to approve the compromise.
Most of the shortfall caused by the reallocation will be shifted to countries
that have been upgraded because of their improving economies in recent
years. This applies especially to states such as Singapore, Brazil, Argentina,
the United Arab Emirates, Kuwait and Saudi Arabia, which agreed to pay
higher contributions in the interests of the United Nations. Germany will
continue to pay almost 10% of the UN budget. (Frankfurter Allgemeine
Zeitung)
MICHAEL TURNER
(mykelturner@airmail.net)
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] BFP items (12/29/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 09:08:24 -0500
ANCIENT JEWISH BREAD STAMP FOUND NEAR HAIFA
Archaeologists have discovered what appears to be a one-of-a-kind
ancient bread stamp imprinted with the word "Shvi'it," (Seventh) which they
believed was used to mark loaves in a sabbatical year.
The well-preserved ceramic stamp was found in a dig at the
ancient city of Castra, near the southern entrance to modern Haifa.
Archeologists had believed that the city was entirely Christian during the
so-called Talmudic period (between the 4th and 7th centuries). But with the
discovery of the bread stamp and later a ritual bath, they now believe it
must have been a mixed community.
Castra is mentioned in the Midrash as having a rivalry with
nearby ancient Haifa.
Significantly, the stamp bears the clearly legible Hebrew letters
"Shin," "Bet," "Ayin," "Yud," and "Taf," said David Amit, head of
excavations for the Antiquities Authority.
"They were very excited when they discovered it, but they
couldn't decipher it," Amit recalled when excavators first uncovered the
stamp. "We have never found any stamp like this. And we have no evidence
in
the Talmud of stamping bread," Amit said.
The uniqueness of the stamp is the period to which it is
attributed. "Bread stamps were very well known in the Christian world,
mainly due to the sacred rituals performed in the church," Amit said.
"Among Jews, bread stamps had been known in the (earlier) Hellenistic
periods, and we have found some with menorahs and other Jewish symbols."
"This stamp is the first that we have ever found with the word
"Seventh," and we have linked this with an halachic use or need for such a
stamp," Amit said.
Usually, during a sabbatical year, bread is baked from flour of
the previous year.
Archaeologists perplexed over the need for the bread stamp can
only speculate that there must have been some special circumstances in
Castra to mark bread for the Jewish minority during the sabbatical year.
Amit said the discovery of the bread stamp fuels the debate over
current questions on how to deal with agricultural products during the
present sabbatical year. They speculated the stamp may have belonged to a
Christian baker.
"What it does show is that there was an halachic need for the
bread stamp in Castra," Amit said.
The site is near the approaches to the Carmel at the entrance of
Haifa, and is being excavated by Gerald Finkelstien.
Yesterday, Haifa's Chief Rabbi She'ar Yashuv Cohen used the
artifact to mark a loaf of bread with the one-of-a-kind ancient stamp. (By
Arieh O'Sullivan,
The Jerusalem Post, December 25, 2000)
LEADER WARNS OF GROWING GERMAN ANTISEMITISM
A Jewish leader in Germany said yesterday that antisemitism in
about 15 percent of the population was a greater threat to Jews than the
relatively small number of violent far-right extremists. Salomon Korn,
chairman of the Frankfurt Jewish community, also told German Radio he
believed that Jews of the younger generation in Germany were more
determined to stay in the country that perpetrated the Holocaust than their
parents were. "To be honest, the 9,000 violent skinheads, or right-wing
extremists are not the real problem," Korn said. "The real problem is the
15 percent of the population, some 12 million Germans, who harbor
antisemitic or racist views."
The government has reported a rise in antisemitic crimes in the
last year, a trend that shocked the country that worked hard for decades to
encourage a revival of Jewish culture after the Nazis' systematic murder of
six million European Jews. "It would be a mistake to concentrate just on
the right-wing extremists," Korn said. "The problem is that they feel
encouraged from their
environment." Korn said that Jews who returned or stayed in Germany after
the Holocaust were more fearful than the younger generations. "There has
been a vast change in which the successor generation is now saying: 'We are
not going to cave in, we are not going to leave Germany.' That would have
been inconceivable before. The new outlook is full of fight. I think it's
the right outlook to have." (Reuters, Jerusalem Post, December 24, 2000)
TO: Friends (and friends of friends) of Bridges for Peace
FROM: Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director - Jerusalem
DATE: December 29, 2000
http://www.bridgesforpeace.com
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Arutz-7 News (12/29/00)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 18:28:13 -0500
Arutz Sheva News Service
<http://www.IsraelNationalNews.com>
Friday, Dec. 29, 2000 / Tevet 3, 5761
TODAY'S HEADLINES:
1. SHARON WIDENS GAP OVER BARAK: 45% TO 24%
2. CLINTON'S PLAN TO UPROOT JEWS NOT ACCEPTED
3. NEW UNITED FRONT
4. TWELVE TERRORISTS ARRESTED
5. MORE ON THE AGREEMENT
6. FUNERAL, SHOOTINGS
7. LEFT-WINGER KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS
1. SHARON WIDENS GAP OVER BARAK: 45% TO 24%
Major polls commissioned by Israel's leading papers - conducted before
yesterday's two terrorist attacks, which killed two Jews and wounded over a
dozen more - show that Ariel Sharon continues to widen his lead over Prime
Minister Ehud Barak.
According to the Ma'ariv-Gallup poll, Sharon led a month ago by 2%, two
weeks ago by 5%, last week by 18% - and this week, Sharon is ahead of
Barak
among the Israeli public by 21%. When the undecideds were asked again to
estimate their vote, the numbers came out to 52% for Sharon and 32% for
Barak.
The poll includes Israeli-Arabs, who generally vote overwhelmingly for the
Labor
party or candidate, and who comprise 1/6 of the Israeli-public. The poll
indicates, therefore, that Barak enjoys the full support of only some 20% of
Israel's Jews.
When the pollsters asked whether the respondents support a permanent
agreement "based on what is now known," the "nay" votes led, by 49% to
44%.
However, Dr. Aaron Lerner of IMRA (www.imra.org.il) reports that when the
questions became more detailed, the margin against the agreement became
considerably larger. "Imagine that the permanent agreement between Israel
and
the Palestinians includes the following conditions," the pollsters told them:
"Israeli withdrawal from some 95% of the West Bank, 80% of settlers remain
under
Israeli sovereignty, Palestinian sovereignty in Arab neighborhoods in eastern
Jerusalem, Israeli sovereignty in Jewish neighborhoods, International
recognition of Jerusalem as Israel's capital, Palestinian concession of the
right of return and declaration of the end of the conflict. Under these
conditions would you support the permanent agreement?" Only 38% said
yes, while
53% said no.
Some 61% of the Israeli public, including Israeli-Arabs, said that Ehud
Barak has no mandate to carry out negotiations with the Palestinians during
the
elections, and only 26% feel that he is trying to reach an agreement out of
national - not personal - considerations.
A Dachaf/Yediot poll shows that Sharon has increased his lead by 2% from
last week - from 11% to 13%. Although 16-17% are still undecided, 48% of
the public says that they would vote for Sharon whether or not Barak signs an
agreement with Arafat before the elections. This poll does not ask detailed
questions, but to the general question of whether they support an agreement
"as
developed in recent weeks," a majority said no, by a 51-44 margin.
2. CLINTON'S PLAN TO UPROOT JEWS NOT ACCEPTED
The above pollsters reflected the common conception - based on previous
declarations and promises by Ehud Barak - that 80% of Jews in Judea,
Samaria, and Gaza would be allowed to remain in their homes. However, as
the size of Barak's concessions - based on outgoing U.S. President
Clinton's 'bridging" proposals - increases, so does the number of Jews who
are
slated to be expelled from their homes.
Israeli newspapers have varying reports today on exactly how many
communities are to be uprooted and their residents made homeless by the
plan that Clinton has pressured Israel to accept, but all agree that over
100 Jewish towns will be wiped off the map and their inhabitants, numbering
tens
of thousands, will be forced to leave. "Should Israel respond favorably to
President Clinton's proposal regarding the final agreement?" the Gallup
pollsters asked Israelis, and only 36% said yes, while 45% responded no.
3. NEW UNITED FRONT
A series of nationalist grass-roots organizations, headed by Moshe
Feiglin's Zo Artzeinu ((+972-9)-792-9046), will hold an emergency meeting
on Tuesday night in Tel Aviv to announce a plan of protest action for the
coming days. Feiglin would not divulge information about the program, but
said
that it would last for several days and into the following week.
The above organizations, united into a new group called The United Jewish
National Movement, published the following full-page ad in today's HaTzofeh
and
Makor Rishon newspapers:
The newly formed United Jewish National Movement of non-parliamentary
groups listed below, stunned and dazed by the deterioration brought about
by the Barak government's blind adherence to the Oslo "covenant of death,"
declare:
Whereas the Barak government [wishes to] give away the Temple Mount,
eastern Jerusalem, and most of Judea and Samaria to Arafat's gangs, and
plans to abandon and exile tens of thousands of Jews from their homes and
their land - despite the fact that it has resigned, called new elections,
and represents only a small minority of the Jews in Eretz Yisrael;
and whereas this minority government, has not protected and does not
protect Jews and Jewish communities against armed Arab terrorists - in
order to maintain the option of surrender and winning the election;
and whereas the parties that are called "right-wing" have either
implemented the Oslo agreements or did not act to nullify them;
and whereas the faulty political framework does not allow the true desires of
the Israeli public to be manifest;
We have therefore established the United Jewish National Movement for the
purpose of:
* saving Israel from the Oslo "covenant of death;"
* re-organizing the political framework in Israel on a Jewish and logical
basis. We will call a National Meeting, with G-d's help, where we will present
a
national strategy, create national chapters throughout the country, and
organize
teams to resurrect the honor of Am Yisrael and we will work to ensure its
continued existence as a Jewish state.
(Signed:) Zo Artzeinu (This is Our Land), Yamin Israel (Israel's Right),
Manhigut Yehudit (Jewish Leadership), Ne'emenai Har HaBayit (Temple
Mount
Faithful), Shocharei HaMikdash (Friends of the Temple), Hazit Datit
Meuhedet
(United Religious Front), Hayil (Secular Jews for Israel), Amutat HaRabbanim,
Pikuah Nefesh (Rabbinical Congress for Peace).
The protest movement against the notion of giving away Judaism's most holy
site
- the Temple Mount - is gathering steam. Concerned citizens gathered at
several
major intersections around the country, handed out flyers, and demonstrated
in
favor of Jerusalem. Dozens of hareidi citizens gathered in a central Bnei Brak
square to recite Psalms in memory of the two soldiers who fell yesterday.
Hundreds of rabbis gathered at Yeshivat HaKotel in the Old City of
Jerusalem yesterday to protest the Temple Mount giveaway. Beit El Rabbi
Zalman Melamed was particularly passionate:
"The government has crossed all the red lines. We must respond
accordingly, and fight with great sacrifice, and not allow the Temple
Mount, Heaven forbid, to be transferred from our sovereignty and
ownership. We must oppose the plan even with willingness to sacrifice our
lives. I see no other way. The fire will burn from hill to hill, and from
mountain to mountain, in all of the Land of Israel - until it becomes clear that
this small and stupid minority - I say stupid in the sense that our Sages
interpreted the words of the Torah [to mean that our punishment will include
becoming stupid]. The Prime Minister and his friends from the left are stupid,
in that they are dragging us into an all-out regional war... They are liars.
They make promises, and do not keep them. Every week, he [Barak]
reneges on his
previous promises, and makes new ones."
Meretz MK Zahava Gal'on said today that the Rabbis' freedom of speech
should be curtailed.
4. TWELVE TERRORISTS ARRESTED
Israel arrested 12 terrorist leaders last night and early this morning: An IDF
force arrested four Supreme Fatah Committee members early this morning in
the
A-Ram neighborhood in northern Jerusalem; they are suspected of shooting
attacks
on Israeli cars and incitement to violence. Eight others suspected of similar
crimes were apprehended earlier in several Judea and Samaria locations,
including Arab villages near Shilo, Kedumim, and Elkanah.
On the other hand, Arutz-7 correspondent Haggai Huberman reports that
since the
latest resumption of the Israeli-Palestinian negotiations ten days ago, Israel
has basically called a halt to its policy of killing medium-level terrorist
leaders. Within a few recent weeks, Israeli snipers - and others - had
pinpointed and killed some 10-12 such terrorists. However, Arafat
"requested"
of Israelis with whom he met last week to put an end to the policy, as it
"makes it difficult" for him to hold diplomatic negotiations while such killings
are going on. Prime Minister Barak acceded to the request, and ordered the
IDF
to cease.
The army refuses to prepare withdrawal maps, in accordance with Prime
Minister Barak's request, because it feels that in any event the government
does
not heed its advice. IDF Chief of Staff Sha'ul Mofaz declared yesterday that
the plan to withdraw from 95% of Judea and Samaria - including the Jordan
Valley
- "endangers the State of Israel."
5. MORE ON THE AGREEMENT
Journalist David Bedein of Israel Resource News Agency notes today that the
"Clinton Plan for Middle East Peace" dictates an immediate danger for the
Jewish
population of Jerusalem. The plan calls for the Palestinian Liberation Army to
take control over Arab-populated neighborhoods in eastern Jerusalem that
intertwine with Jewish neighborhoods, such that convicted murderers of Jews
-
who have been freed from PA jails over the past three months would walk
freely
in areas that are only meters away from heavily-populated Jewish areas.
Bedein also notes two other absurdities of the Clinton Plan for Middle East
Peace: The 1.2 million UNRWA refugee camp residents in Judea, Samaria,
and Gaza
will be joined by another 2.4 million from Lebanon, Syria, and Jordan.
Together, 3.6 million refugees - who have been inculcated for decades to
believe
that they will be repatriated to their original villages - will wait impatiently
on the hills and plains of Yesha until they are repatriated to areas inside
Israel. The PLO has in fact set up a computer terminal at its Orient House
headquarters in Jerusalem, where the exact locations of individual homes in
pre-1948 Arab villages are documented, for the purpose of their forcible
re-possession. The PLO has distributed thousands of maps of the 531 Arab
villages that are to be "liberated" to all UNRWA camp residents.
6. FUNERAL, SHOOTINGS
Capt. Gad Marsha, a Kiryat Arba resident who was killed yesterday by the
bomb laid by Palestinian terrorists outside Sufah outpost in Gaza, was
buried this afternoon in Mt. Herzl Military Cemetery in Jerusalem. The
second soldier killed by the bomb - which the two were trying to dismantle at
the time - is Wt. Officer Yonatan Vermullen, 29, of Ben Shemen. His family
lives in Holland, and the time of the funeral has not yet been set. A bomb
had
been found in the same location earlier yesterday, and two more were found
there
today. The IDF assumes that PA Security Chief in Gaza Muhammad Dahlan
is behind
the bombs.
In other attacks yesterday, an Israeli was shot in his shoulder and leg by
Palestinian terrorists outside Elon Moreh... A bus to Kiryat Arba was shot at,
as was an IDF convoy on its way to Mt. Eval... Shots were fired at the
Shomron
town of Kadim, a Border Guard base near Jenin, and the Ofer base near
Ramallah...
7. LEFT-WINGER KIDNAPPED BY HAMAS
A left-wing activist, who claims he wished to distribute food to Hevron
Arabs, was held by Tanzim terrorists throughout the night. Although the
man managed to pass through several Israeli roadblocks on his way to
Hevron, the Tanzim finally caught him, tied him up, and held him in a
cave. He was freed only after Israeli officials - including Ahmed Tibi -
intervened, and is now being questioned by Israeli police.
Hebrew News Editor: Haggai Segal
English News Editor: Hillel Fendel
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) IDF Spokesperson: A Summary of Today's (28 December)
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 18:28:46 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 09:27:20 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: IDF Spokesperson: A Summary of Today's (28 December)
Events in the West Bank and the Explosion inside
a bus in Tel Aviv in the Afternoon.
IDF Spokesperson: A Summary of Today's (28 December) Events in the West
Bank and the Explosion inside a bus in Tel Aviv in the Afternoon.
28 December 2000
An Israeli civilian was moderately wounded tonight near the community of
Alon More east of Nablus from shots fired at his vehicle. He was evacuated
for medical treatment at a hospital.
In the West Bank there were numberous incidents of shooting:
Fire was opened at an Israeli bus south of Halhul Junction north of Hebron,
and at the community of Kadim near Jenin. Shots were also fired at a
civilian convoy on its way to Mount Eibal, at the Offer IDF Base, at an IDF
force near the village of Rojib north of Nablus, at an IDF patrol south of
Nablus, and at the Jenin Border Police base.
IDF forces returned fire at the sources of the shooting.
A bomb exploded this afternoon inside a bus, at "Derech Petah-Tikvah" road
in Tel Aviv. Israeli civlians and soldiers were wounded from the explosion.
Of the injured, a woman soldier was seriously wounded, a soldier moderately
wounded, another soldier lightly to moderately, and another soldier has been
lightly wounded in the blast.
All wounded people were evacuated to hospital for medical treatment.
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) IDF Spokesperson: Initiated Operations and Arrest
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 18:29:13 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 09:31:30 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: IDF Spokesperson: Initiated Operations and Arrest
of Suspects in Initiative Action by IDF
IDF Spokesperson: Initiated Operations and Arrest of Suspects in Initiative
Action by IDF
29 December 2000
IDF and Security forces arrested last night eight Palestinians suspects for
destructive and hostile activity against Israeli citizens and IDF forces in
Judeah and Samaria, during an initiated operation.
Five Palestinians were arrested by Patrol Soldiers of the Paratrooper
brigade, of the Duvdevan unit and of the Duchifat battalion, in Kfar Sengil,
north of Ramalla. Another Palestinian, suspected of destructive hostile
activity, was arrested by Soldiers of the Nahal brigade in Kfar A-Ram, south
of Ramalla.
Two Palestinians were arrested last night by a Border Watch special task
force, in Kfar Beka Al Hatab, near the Kdumim settlement in Samaria. The two
are also suspected of destructive activity.
Initiated Operations for the arrest of Palestinians, suspected in hostile
activity, also took place during the night between Wednesday and Thursday
(27-28/12/00):
A joint task force, combined of Nahal Soldiers and Soldiers from the Nahshon
battalion, arrested a terrorist squad, in Kfar Dir Balut, south of the
Elkana settlement. The arrested four are suspected of multiple attempts at
hurting citizens and IDF soldiers on traffic envoys.
Furthermore, a Duchifat battalion task force arrested Three Palestinians in
the Kalnadia Refugee Camp, south of Ramalla. The Three are suspected of
hostile activity in the area.
All of the arrested have been transferred to the security forces for
investigation.
IDF will continue preventing terrorist activity.
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Barak Thwarts the Will of Israel's People
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Fri, 29 Dec 2000 18:41:46 -0500
MIDEAST PEACE
Barak Thwarts the Will of Israel's People
Why I'm sitting out his pointless election.
BY BENJAMIN NETANYAHU
Friday, December 29, 2000 12:01 a.m. EST
In recent days Ehud Barak has once again offered Yasser Arafat generous
territorial concessions, hoping that a deal will bolster his chances in the
upcoming prime ministerial election. But at best that election will return him
to the same predicament he faced when he resigned two weeks ago--mired
in an endless struggle for political survival with a parliament that does not
support his policies.
Knowing full well that the Israeli people would elect a right-of-center Knesset
and hoping that a law permitting only sitting members of Knesset to run in
special elections for prime minister would block my return, Prime Minister
Barak cynically resigned his office and then used all his power to thwart any
attempt to disband Israel's parliament.
If I learned anything from my three years in office, it is that the prime minister
cannot act alone. Achieving his objectives requires the support of a strong
and stable government, backed by a parliament that reflects the will of the
Israeli people. That's why, though the Knesset did pass an amendment that
would allow me to run for the premiership, I withdrew my candidacy. I will not
stand as a candidate in elections that won't give Israel a new Knesset--that
offer the winner the title of prime minister, but deny him the tools to
effectively lead the country.
Sadly, these pointless elections come at a time when the people of Israel do
want real change. Yesterday's bus bombing in Tel Aviv was just the latest
example that our current policies are not working. Indeed, since the recent
Palestinian violence began nearly three months ago, my country has
undergone a profound transformation. For 30 years, many Israelis convinced
themselves that the obstacle to peace came not from without, but from within-
-that what stymied peace was not our enemies' intent to destroy us, but our
own reluctance to compromise.
Today, many of those who hoped that we could end the conflict by giving up
the lands liberated in the Six Day War now realize that what our neighbors
want is far more than our return to the pre-1967 borders--something Mr.
Barak is essentially offering again, and that Mr. Arafat already rejected at
Camp David last summer. The Palestinian grievance is not with the borders
of the Israel but with its very existence.
The events of the last few months have revealed this truth to all who are not
totally blinded by ideology. The Barak government was prepared to sacrifice
the Jordan Valley, which gives Israel the strategic depth it needs to defend
its eastern frontier. It was prepared to open the Pandora's box of a
Palestinian "right of return" that could flood Israel with millions of refugees.
And it was prepared to divide a Jerusalem that is the very heart and soul of
the Jewish people. The response was an intifada of rocks, bullets, bombs
and lynchings.
While many view this sequence of events as a great paradox that defies
logic, it is all too logical. When Israel negotiates from a position of strength,
our Arab neighbors are willing to compromise. When we negotiate from
weakness, they harden their positions. When we tolerate terror, we are
terrorized. When we fight terror, we are more secure.
Imagine what would have happened if Mr. Arafat agreed to the concessions
Mr. Barak was and is still prepared to make. Those who believe that we
would have ended the conflict have never watched Palestinian television,
listened to Palestinian radio or read Palestinian newspapers--all controlled by
Mr. Arafat and mobilized by him to incite hatred against the Jews and their
state.
When I became prime minister four years ago, I took over a peace process
that was marked by similar one-sided concessions and Palestinian terror.
But by insisting on the principle of reciprocity, my government drastically
reduced Palestinian terrorism and restored a sense of security to the people
of Israel. While I made mistakes as prime minister, on the questions that are
most important to the future of our country, I believe that my policies were
the right ones. Today, according to polls, a clear majority of Israelis agree.
They realize that there is no utopian solution to the problems we face; that a
peace process based on wishful thinking and blind faith will only lead to more
violence, more terrorism and even war; that we must concentrate our efforts
in the next few years on achieving a "cold peace," with measured
agreements anchored in security. Based firmly on the principles of
reciprocity and deterrence, such a peace can bring a large measure of quiet
to this nation until our enemies realize that the Jewish state will not buckle
under their pressure.
The people of Israel also realize that in their quest to live in true peace with
their neighbors, they stand on the right side of history. The forces of
globalization and liberalization that are spreading across the globe have
made Israel stronger and more prosperous with each passing year. And just
as they have swept away dictatorships across the world, these same forces
will sweep away the brutal dictators that are tyrannizing our region. When
that day comes, when more nations in the Middle East are governed by
ballots and not bullets, then hope for a warmer and more permanent peace
will spring anew.
Unfortunately, the coming election does not offer the Israeli public a real
choice. But I have no doubt that such a choice will soon be given to them.
When that day comes, I will again consider a return to public life. Not simply
to be called "Mr. Prime Minister," but to act like one--to restore Israel's
security and lead our nation toward a peace that reflects the realities of
today and the possibilities of tomorrow.
Mr. Netanyahu was prime minister of Israel from 1996-99.
From the Wall St. Journal Editorial Page
http://www.opinionjournal.com/extra/?id=80000389
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To: John Brough <jmbrough@ihug.co.nz>
Subject: [bprlist] Sons of God and Locusts
From: Pam Baker
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 11:39:25 -0500
Hi:
My name is Charlie Baker, of Macon, GA, USA.
Thank you for your message re: The Chinese Children. As per your
request, I offer the following:
First, 'sons of God', you wrote: "One of the subscribers made the
comment about the Nephilim being the +- descendents of the union of
angels and women in Gen. 6. This is disputed by many commentators, but
I personally think it is correct. The popularly held beleif at the time
of Christ as expressed in the book of Enoch clearly states this view."
In my copy of the KJV, Genesis 6:2 tells me ‘the sons of God´ who took
‘wives of all that they chose´ of 'the daughters of men'. The identity
of the ‘sons of God´ is not spelled out but I think they were the sons
of Adam and Eve and the ‘daughters of men´ were descendants of the males
and females God created on the 6th day. (It is possible, perhaps, for
angels to rape females but I do not think they would make ‘wives´ of
them.) The beginning of the ‘males and females´ of the 6th day was by
an act of creation, by God, and they were told to be fruitful and
multiply but they were not given any duties. Adam, however, was not
created but ‘made´, from the dust of the ground, by God, for the
specific purpose of ‘tilling the ground´ and I think, when God breathed
in Adam the ‘breath of life´, Adam became a Son of God, both physically
and spiritually. (God made Adam but Jesus, the second Adam, was the
‘only begotten´ Son of God.) Adam, as a result of his disobedience,
died ‘spiritually´, but not physically, so Adam´s sons, too, would have
been physical ‘sons of God´, being born of Eve who was a physical part
of Adam. When we are given the ‘breath of life´, when we are born
again, in the spirit, and we are given THE POWER TO BECOME sons of
God. God willing we will all be true sons of God, in heaven, in the
near future. Praise the Lord!
Second, 'locusts', thank you for the information about locusts, and the
insight that they will be an organized group. Locusts ‘swarm´, and
these will apparently operate as a ‘swarm´, as a group, so that they, in
conjunction with the smoke from which they appear, could well cause the
sun and the air to be darkened. However, locust swarms go ‘where the
spirit leads them´, they are not organized, but these must be organized
because they will be ordered "not to harm any grass or earth or tree or
any green thing", which they would normally do. The 'king' over them,
the ‘angel of the bottomless pit´, will be a supernatural creature with
the power to organize and direct them to attack men, only. I think the
men with ‘the seal of God in their foreheads´ are the 144,000 who will
be sealed at the time of the rapture. Like, yourself, John, I have
wondered about the 5 months so I thank you for the information about
some locusts having a life span of 5 months. I thought locusts had a
much shorter life span so I thank you, again, for that information.
Praise the Lord!
(As an aside, since the king over the locusts must be a supernatural
being, and will be from the bottomless pit, I think it is he who will
slay the two witnesses. Only a supernatural being will be able to do
so. Praise the Lord!)
I pray you and yours will have a blessed 2001 and, if the dead in
Christ rise during the coming year, that we will all be caught up
together with them in the clouds so we can ever be with the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
God Bless you. Charlie.
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Engineer uses sun to claim victory over hunger
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:16:10 -0500
Times of India | 30 Dec. 2000
Engineer uses sun to claim victory over hunger
By A Staff Reporter
AHMEDABAD: Can the human body turn into a photovoltaic cell and covert
the rays of the sun into energy? Sixty-four-year-old retired mechanical
engineer Hira Ratan Manek claims it can. For the past 364 days, he claims
he has not swallowed a single morsel of solid, living only on some boiled
water and the star closest from the earth.
"We humans live primarily on secondary solar energy as the plants which we
consume depend heavily on the sun to grow," Manek, a Kutchi living in
Coimbatore, says. "All you need to do is learn to absorb from the primary
source of solar energy."
To ensure that Manek's story does not sound like a fairy tale, there are an
array of doctors from the Health Care International Multitherapy Institute and
the Jain Doctors Association who have been monitoring his health from two
days before the fast started, which will last up to February 15 to complete
411 days.
The method of becoming a solar cooker is quite simple. According to Manek,
you start by looking straight into the rising morning sun for only a few
seconds. Slowly you increase the time to minutes reaching up to 30 to 35
minutes. "If you do it gradually, your eyes will not be damaged and help in
charging your brain with solar energy."
Manek adds that once you go above 15 minutes, your desire for food slowly
diminishes. "It is victory over hunger, not its suppression." At 30 to 35
minutes, the human brain starts developing the capacity to store solar
energy. "All you need to do is take a walk barefoot for about 40 to 45
minutes in the sun everyday to recharge the energy."
Claims Manek, "Only through this process can man achieve complete
freedom or Moksha. You rid yourself from physical and psychological
ailments. Psychosomatic ailments out of stress become a distant dream.
But more importantly you develop a corona of energy around you. As this
energy field becomes stronger, diseases don't harm you. Even your worst
enemy will become harmless."
Eminent neuro-physician Sudhir Shah, who has been monitoring Manek's
health with a team of doctors, says, "What we have is not 100 per cent
science, but hypothesis. However, we believe that this is a chronic case of
adaptation syndrome where the body reduces its demand for energy after 16
to 30 days of fasting. This is done by downing the regulation of receptors."
Shah does not rule out the possibility that the temporal lobe in the human
brain, which is believed to control parapsychic activity like the sixth sense,
may have been activated due to this process. All other parts of the brain
including the hypothalamus, the pituitary glands and the medulla oblongata
have shown no signs of changing.
For Manek, a Shwetambar Jain, the fast has both religious and scientific
connotations. "All this search for a microchip to insert in the human brain to
store loads of information and increase memory is ridiculous," he says. "We
don't even use 10 per cent of it. But once charged, its capacity is increase
manifold. In fact, enlightenment in spiritual terms is nothing but 100 per cent
use of the brain!"
http://www.timesofindia.com/today/30mahm7.htm
via: isml@egroups.com
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] (Fwd) Barak says no Palestinian sovereignty on Temple Mount
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:22:29 -0500
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:09:12 -0500
From: imra@netvision.net.il
To: imra@imra.org.il
Subject: Barak says no Palestinian sovereignty on Temple
Mount, Palestinians reject plan without control of East
Jerusalem, Israel considers bus service to link to Jewish
Quarter, agreements instead of tanks for defense.
Barak says no Palestinian sovereignty on Temple Mount, Palestinians reject
plan without control of East Jerusalem, Israel considers bus service to link
to Jewish Quarter, agreements instead of tanks for defense
THIS IS NOT A PARODY
Ha'aretz + IMRA 30 December 2000
IMRA: Israel Television Channel One reported on Friday that Prime Minister
Ehud Barak's office explained that while Israel wants contiguity between
Israel and Jewish areas that will be retained by Israel - the Jewish
Quarter, Western Wall, Mount of Olives etc., that this contiguity could be
achieved via "transportation". The report did not explain if there will be
special armored "Sabbath buses" so that Jews can reach the Western Wall for
prayers during the Sabbath and Jewish holidays.
Ma'ariv reports in the 29 December edition that senior sources in Barak's
office explained "there is no question that it is easier to defend the
Jordan Valley with a tank brigade, but it is even easier to defend the place
with a peace agreement and WITHOUT a tank division."
Ha'aretz reports:
In an interview Friday on Channel Two, Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that
he did not intend to grant the Palestinians sovereignty on the Temple Mount
and that he would not allow the refugees the right of return. "The
government will not accept an agreement recognizing the right of return and
I do not plan on signing any agreement transferring sovereignty over the
Temple Mount to the Palestinians," Barak said.
According to an announcement made following a Palestinian cabinet meeting
Friday evening, the Palestinians have agreed to renew the final status
agreement, but refuse to waive control over any Palestinian territory or
over East Jerusalem.
Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat's spokesman, Nabil
Abu-Rudeineh, said Friday that the Palestinians would not sign an agreement
that did not grant them full control of Arab East Jerusalem, complete
sovereignty over the Al Aqsa mosque and all holy Islamic and Christian sites
in Jerusalem, and a solution to the refugee problem according to UN
resolution 194, which promises the right of return.
In an interview Friday on Channel Two, Prime Minister Ehud Barak said that
his government would never sign an agreement which transferred sovereignty
over the Temple Mount to the Palestinians or which granted the refugees the
right of return.
Sources in Beirut said that a special committee meeting, proposed by the
Arab League and scheduled to discuss U.S. President Bill Clinton's
proposals, has been postponed from Monday to Thursday. A Lebanese government
source said that the decision to postpone the discussion was made during a
meeting between the Lebanese, Egyptian, Syrian, and Tunisian foreign
ministers, who feel they need more time to confer. The special committee was
established at the request of the Palestinians in order to coordinate Arab
support for the actions of the Palestinian Authority. Egyptian Foreign
Minister Amr Moussa is to chair the meeting.
--------------------------------------------
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To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Vatican gets permission to issue its own euro coins
From: "research-bpr" <research-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sat, 30 Dec 2000 12:36:23 -0500
Vatican gets permission to issue its own euro coins
VATICAN CITY, Dec 29 (AFP) - The Vatican, which currently uses the Italian
lira as its currency, will be authorized to issue its own euro coins when the
new currency begins to circulate at the start of 2002, Italian and Vatican
officials said Friday.
However it was not known whether the Vatican coins would actually circulate
in any numbers, or be simply struck for collectors.
Under a 1929 agreement the Holy See has the right to mint its own lira
coins, but these are produced in limited numbers and sold mostly to
numismatists.
Friday's agreement was signed by Italian Foreign Minister Lamberto Dini and
Monsignor Jean-Louis Tauran, his effective opposite number in the Vatican.
Similar arrangements are due to be announced for other mini-states that are
enclaves within EU states, and share their currencies.
The other territories concerned are Andorra, where both the French franc and
Spanish peseta circulate, San Marino, which uses the Italian lira, and
Monaco, which uses the French franc.
Copyright 2000 by Agence France-Presse
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To: <bprlist@egroups.com>
Subject: Re: [bprlist] Digest Number 59
From: "John Brough"
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 13:47:04 +1300
Hi
Re the two points you raise about my notes:
1. The idea of fornicating angels being released.
It seems clear to me from the book of Enoch that the angels that had
intercourse with the daughters of men were treated differently to the other
fallen angels - in that they were confined in the bottomless pit. Enoch
makes this clear. This is the background idea behind Revelation here where
they are now released from the bottomless point by the angel that falls from
heaven. The immeditate context of Revelation, of course, has nothing to
elucudate us on this but the fact that Revelation repeatedly uses ideas,
symbols, etc from Enoch is a strong enough suggestion to me that we should
use Enoch in this particlar case.
2 The 5 month time limit.
How does this stop the birth of offspring? Well, normal human children take
9 months; less than 5 months is considered to be an unviable birth. As these
offspring are at least 50% human one would expect the gestation period to be
somewhat similar to the human period, thus no offspring would result from
this unholy union.
Thanks for your background material that you have included here, I have
found it very illuminating and useful. I will save it for future reference.
Another correspondent has written to me suggesting that the man and woman
made in Genesis 1 is not the same as Adam and Eve in Genesis 2, thus the
"Daughters of men" are the descendents of these and the "sons of God" are
the descendants of Adam and Eve.
I have heard this idea before but to me it makes little sense.
Some Points:
1.,There is no indication elsewhere in Scripture that they are different.
2. "Sons of God" is clearly a name for angels in Job 38, and this should be
a clue to interpreting here as the context of both passages is creation.
3. The general structure of Genesis 1, 2 is important. We need to remember
Jewish writing styles when interpreting, and also remember that the chapter
divisions are not of God. One particular Jewish writing technique that I
have been taught is the tendency for Jews in story telling to paint a
general picture in broad terms, then to fill in the details by means of a
fuller repetition of the same story; We see this in these examples:
a. Genesis 1:1 is like an overview, the rest of the chapter fills out the
details of how the creation took place.
b. Gen ch 1-11 are God painting a big picture of the scene of Redemption -
the world - but in Ch 12 he gets down to details on the process of
redemption with the call of one man - Abraham.
Other examples could be given but it is not my purpose to brow beat. It is
my view that the same sort of story telling technique has been used in Gen
ch 1&2 - ch 1 gives us the broad picture of creation in big strokes of the
paint brush, Gen 2 takes up the details of the creation of the man and the
woman in more detail. thus they are not detailing two different creations
but rather are two different accounts of the one creation.
I would appreciate your reflections on this point - I don't know you
personally but from reading your material I suspect you have a better handle
on the Jewish background to things than I do. My knowledge isnot personal in
that I am not of Jewish extraction, rather it is only the result of tertiary
study and reading. Hence if you can illuminate me further on this point I
would appreciate it.
John in NZ
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========
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Re: Gen 1& 2
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 11:03:36 -0500
[I divided John's original message into two parts. My reply to John in Par=
t one=20
has been retitled "fornicating angels in Revelation". Here is part two.]
John wrote:
> Other examples could be given but it is not my purpose to brow beat.
> It is my view that the same sort of story telling technique has been
> used in Gen ch 1&2 - ch 1 gives us the broad picture of creation in
> big strokes of the paint brush, Gen 2 takes up the details of the
> creation of the man and the woman in more detail. thus they are not
> detailing two different creations but rather are two different
> accounts of the one creation.
>=20
>I would appreciate your reflections on this point - I don't
> know you personally but from reading your material I suspect you have
> a better handle on the Jewish background to things than I do. My
> knowledge isnot personal in that I am not of Jewish extraction, rather
> it is only the result of tertiary study and reading. Hence if you can
> illuminate me further on this point I would appreciate it.
Oh John I seriously doubt that I have a better handle on this than you. Th=
ank=20
you though for asking for my opinion. I'm not Jewish either and have just=
=20
recently become interested in studying the Bible from a Jewish standpoint,=
=20
using Jewish literature and resources. Like you, what little bit I know is=
the=20
result of reading Jewish literature and commentary. Just as a personal=20
comment, I can honestly say that my bible studies have opened up in a whole=
=20
new way by considering the Jewish "view" of things. Ok.. 'nuf of that. <g>
Now.. as to Genesis 1 and 2, I believe you are correct in that a broad pict=
ure is=20
first painted in ch. 1 and then specific details more closely examined in c=
h. 2.=20=20=20
As to whether this is a specific Jewish literary technique, I'm not familia=
r with=20
such, however the Rabbinic opinion is that this is sorta what the Torah did=
. I=20
have some Jewish commentary (from the Chumash) on Genesis 1 and 2 and the=20
opinion of the early rabbis is that the creation account in Genesis 1 was=20
intentionally given in a very brief and sketchy way. The idea is that God =
did=20
not intend for man to know all the fine and intricate details of the creati=
on=20
process -- it would be beyond human comprehension anyway -- but man was=20
to simply know after reading (or hearing) Genesis 1 that God is the Creator=
.=20
According to the Chumash "the story of Creation tells of when the major=20
categories of the universe came into existence only in very general terms,=
=20
because it's primary purpose is to state that nothing came into being excep=
t at=20
God's command." (Ramban)
Chapter 2 then focuses on the events and details that led to the emergence =
of=20
man. Chapter 1 gave the general overview of things, Chapter 2 wants to foc=
us=20
on what led to the creation of man. Since man's fall involved the Tree of =
Life=20
and the Tree of Knowledge, chapter 2, according to the Chumash, opens up=20
by describing how plant life came to be and then proceeds from there.=20=20
I was just reading another commentary (New Commentary on the Whole Bible -
not a Jewish source however) that mentions something interesting. The wor=
d=20
order of =93earth and heavens=94 (Gen 2:4) is a reversal of the order in Ge=
nesis 1:1.=20
"The variation might signal that this section will emphasize what took plac=
e on=20
earth, with special reference to man and his environment, which received li=
ttle=20
treatment in Genesis 1." The reason I found this especially interesting is=
that I=20
did a little study not too long ago titled "I call heaven and earth..." whi=
ch talks=20
a little about the word order of this particular phrase. Physically (and=20
sometimes even spiritually) speaking, the word order depends on which one=20
the subject is closest too -- heaven or earth. In Genesis ch. 1, "heaven" =
comes=20
first because the topic is "God as Creator." In Gen 2:4, "earth" comes fir=
st=20
because man is now the focus.=20
Well John I don't know if my sources helped you any, however I do know that=
=20
*I* enjoyed reading and thinking about this topic this morning. Thank you.
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========
To: bprlist@egroups.com
Subject: [bprlist] Re: "fornicating angels" in Revelation
From: <owner-bpr@philologos.org>
Date: Sun, 31 Dec 2000 11:03:36 -0500
Hi John,
> 1. The idea of fornicating angels being released.
> It seems clear to me from the book of Enoch that the angels that had
> intercourse with the daughters of men were treated differently to the
> other fallen angels - in that they were confined in the bottomless
> pit. Enoch makes this clear. This is the background idea behind
> Revelation here where they are now released from the bottomless point
> by the angel that falls from heaven. The immeditate context of
> Revelation, of course, has nothing to elucudate us on this but the
> fact that Revelation repeatedly uses ideas, symbols, etc from Enoch is
> a strong enough suggestion to me that we should use Enoch in this
> particlar case.
I'm somewhat familiar with Enoch and the idea you've presented above.
However, I never considered "fornicating angels" coming back out of the pit
during the Trib period. You've given me something to think about John. Very
interesting.
> 2 The 5 month time limit.
> How does this stop the birth of offspring? Well, normal human children
> take 9 months; less than 5 months is considered to be an unviable
> birth. As these offspring are at least 50% human one would expect the
> gestation period to be somewhat similar to the human period, thus no
> offspring would result from this unholy union.
Well, I'm also a little familiar with the gestational period of humans <g> but
what I'm wondering is.. and perhaps I'm missing the boat on this one or not
asking the question right... if a woman becomes pregnant at, lets say, month
one -- what is to stop that birth from occurring at month nine (4 months after
the 5 month time limit stated in Revelation) even though the "fornicating
angels" are now gone. Why do you view the pregnancies being terminated at
month five? The life-span of the locusts during this activity is 5 months, but
does that include any pregnancies as well?
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