A 1700-year-old oil lamp with a Jewish Temple menorah symbol was found in Jerusalem. This discovery is significant because there is little evidence of a Jewish presence in Jerusalem after the Roman Emperor Hadrian expelled Jews in 135 CE. This lamp shows that Jewish identity and memory of the Jewish Temple were present in the city around the 4th century CE.
1,700-year-old lamp uncovered in Jerusalem (Photo: Emil
Aladjem/Israel Antiquities Authority
THE CHRISTIAN POST: The Christian population in areas
governed by the Palestinian Authority and Hamas has plummeted drastically by up
to 90% in some communities, a new study suggests, attributing the decline to
violence, discrimination and economic hardships that threaten the survival of
Christianity in its historical heartland.
The Christian demographic in Palestinian territories has
experienced a dramatic reduction over the past century. In 1922, Christians
made up 11% of the population in geographical Palestine. By 2024, this number
had dwindled to 1%, marking a nearly 90% decrease, according to a study conducted by the Israeli think tank Jerusalem
Center for Security and Foreign Affairs.
"The international community often disregards the plight
of the Palestinian Christian community. While minor clashes with some Israeli
Jewish extremists are reported in hyper-focus in the media, the PA represses
the reporting of grave incidents of Christian systemic oppression, the stories
never seeing the light of day," the report, authored by Lt. Col. (res.)
Maurice Hirsch and attorney Tirza Shorr, states….
Christian
population nearly wiped out under Hamas, PA rule in Christianity's birthplace
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| The City of Bethlehem in the Distance. 2018. Photo by LFL. |
Jewish Christians, or Jewish believers in Jesus as the Messiah, were present in Jewish communities in the early centuries of Christianity. ...
