From: Bulletin Editor bulletin@unitedisrael.orgSubject: United Israel Bulletin - February 5, 2018

Date: February 5, 2018 at 2:45 PMTo: livetospin@gmail.com

February 5, 2018 / 20 Shevat 5778

A global publication byWorld Union Press

Editor, Ross K. Nichols Social Sites

Publishing important Biblical research and messages of current interest since 1944.

The Jujube Tree at Biblical TamarOne of my favorite places on earth is Biblical Tamar Park.

One of my favorite places on earth is Biblical Tamar Park.

The park is maintained and managed by Blossoming Rose, the officialcurator of the 55-acre park located in the desert region of southernIsrael.

United Israel World Union sponsors two rooms at the park, and is closelyinvolved with the leadership of Blossoming Rose. They coordinate all of ourtours, which provides us an opportunity to include a rare desert experienceon all of the Tabor - Nichols tours to Israel.

Known as the Jewel of the Aravah, the park is home for one of the mostinteresting and unique archaeology sites in Israel. Anciently it wassituated along the ancient spice route. One of the attractions at BiblicalTamar Park is an ancient Jujube Tree, considered one of the oldest inIsrael. Recently, we celebrated Tu B'shevat, the New Year for Trees. Thispast week, the editor was pleased to see an article in the Times of Israelabout the famous tree. The author, Ticia Verveer, an archaeologist andblogger wrote of her visit and thoughts about her visit to Biblical Tamar.You can read her article here, called The Almost 2,000 Year Old Treeat Biblical Tamar. If you find yourself in Israel, please visit the Park,and tell them Ross and James sent you.

Jon Langberg ReviewsThe Bible Collection: Solomon

Publication Information:

Original place of publication not identified: Trimark Home Video, 1997.Current release from Culver City, Calif.: Sony Pictures Home Entertainment,2010.

Abstract:

Summary: Dramatization of the story of Solomon, King of Israel.

Story Line:

The movie follows the life of Solomon from the death of David and becomingthe future king of Israel, his relationships with his brother Adonijah and theQueen of Sheba, to his gift of wisdom from God, and the eventual division ofSolomon's kingdom which fulfills the prophecy.

Main Actors/ Actresses: Ben Cross, Vivica A. Fox, David Suchet, G.W. Bailey,Maria Grazia Cucinotta, Anouk Aimee, Max Von Sydow.

Author’s Review & Grade:

This is an interesting but at the end sad movie. The director did take care topresent the material with the highest respect for our Creator and did notsugar coat the necessity of following his commands or the associatedrepercussions for not. It is unsubstantiated but commonly believed bymany that Solomon was the wealthiest man that ever lived. This moviedepicts what most likely was the personality of King Solomon. He hadeverything that God could give a man and yet he disobeyed God in the end. Solomon took Israel to a great place in this world, a place of peace andprosperity. Then he fell from grace and with him the decline of a greatnation.

This is a good movie to watch and has a good message. Either before or afterthe movie you should be compelled to review 1st Kings from which thismovie is based. There is a lot more detail in the bible but the movie is worthwatching. My favorite line is when Solomon asks the Queen of Sheba to behis wife. At that time Solomon had over 700 wives. Her response was; “Isn’tthat job a little crowded?”

On a 1 to 5 scale, I give this movie a 3. It is OK for children. Parents should beavailable for questions or discussion with them. Because of the quality of thismovie, I do recommend it for “Movie Night” at the Learning Center.

movie, I do recommend it for “Movie Night” at the Learning Center.

Crocodiles in the Desert?Jerusalem Post writer, Itsik Marom published an article this week featuring aphoto tour of Central Aravah Hot Spots. One of the featured spots is theCrocoloco Crocodile Park located near Biblical Tamar Park. The Crocodilepark is home to more than 2,000 crocodiles of all ages. It is a beautiful place,surrounded by large Date Palm trees. There is a small gift shop, and touristscan even hold a baby crocodile. The park is owned and operated by ourfriend Ofer Kubbi. The editor and David Cole got to know Ofer during ourtime at Biblical Tamar Park. If you find yourself at Biblical Tamar Park, stopin and see Ofer and tell him we said hello.

The Month of ShevatThe latest in the ongoing Hidden Sparks Beneath the Surface series byElisheva Tavor, also known as Betty Tabor Givin is called, The Month ofShevat.

The 11th month on the Biblical/Jewish calendar is the month of Shevat whosename stems from the word shevet which in Hebrew means a stick, a rod, astaff, a branch, also a tribe, a symbol of authority as in a scepter. Picture inyour mind a long line, a shevet…extending out and down through thegenerations, branching out like a family tree and carrying with it the ancientpromise HaShem made to Avraham that through him all the families of theearth will be blessed! (Gen 12:3)

Check out the article on the United Israel website here.

Kosher Casual ClothingOne of our members pointed out that Kosher Casual, maker of ModestClothing for the Modern Lifestyle is a good alternative for women's wear.Thanks to Mary V. for telling our readers about this company.

In the about section of their website it says the following:

"Kosher Casual is an Israeli-owned and managed business that wascreated from the recognized need for modest clothing styled to today'sfashion here in Israel. We realized that the missing niche existed not

fashion here in Israel. We realized that the missing niche existed notonly in our local market, but all over the world as well. Although ourclothing is aligned with today's style and trends, our line sticks to theclothing basics. We avoid any goods that are not going to still look goodand relevant in a few years as well.

Although our original plan was to sell to Orthodox Jews, we are thrilledthat most of our business is coming from other market segments. Weare loved by Christians, Muslims, non-Orthodox Jews and even secularwomen that just want to dress a bit more sensibly.

We do not think there is one definition of modesty and applaud all ofthem. As such, we try to offer merchandise catering to a range ofmodesty definitions."

You can find them on the web here. Their clothing is also available onAmazon. Be sure and use Amazon Smiles if you purchase from Amazon andselect United Israel as your charity.

75th Annual ConferenceWe hope that many of you will be joining us for our upcoming United IsraelAnnual Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina the last weekend of April.This year’s meeting marks the 75th annual meeting as well as the beginningof our 75th year as an organization. The event will reflect upon our rich past,highlight our current activities, and look forward to our future work. Formore information on the program, hotel reservations and conferenceregistration, please visit our Conference Information page.

There is no charge for registration, but contributions towards the costs ofthe conference can be made on our Donate Page. We appreciate yoursupport.

Crossword Puzzle

7th Grandchild, 3rd Granddaughterof Editor is Born

The editor is pleased to announce on behalf of his family that baby Juliettewas born on February 3rd. Juliette was 8 pounds and 12 ounces and is thedaughter of Zachariah and Sophia. Mom, dad and baby are doing fine.Thanks be to Jehovah! Juliette is the 3rd granddaughter for Ross and Bridgetand their 7th grandchild.

FINAL Call for Tabor - Nichols Tour!This is the final call to join Dr. James Tabor and Ross Nichols for their NewDiscoveries in the Holy Land Tour. We still have a few spots left for thosewho wish to experience the Land of Israel on a tour of a lifetime. Visit ourtour page where you can get the itinerary, find pricing, and registrationform. 2017 was a record year for tourism in Israel, with 3.6 million visitors tothe Jewish State. What are you waiting for? Join the hundreds of people whohave toured Israel with Tabor and Nichols. Your life will be forever changed!At this late stage we will need to work hard to secure rooming and so weneed a quick response by any who decide to go with us. Don't delay, sign uptoday.

Sheep With No ShepherdHere is the link to the most recent Sabbath teaching by the Editor.

In this week's study, Ross covers the biblical theme of sheep and shepherds,specifically when sheep and shepherds are used of God's people and those who have acharge to tend them. He points out that various men and women in the bible wereshepherds, and that some of ancient Israel's greatest leaders were called from theiroccupation to use their acquired shepherding skills to lead God's people. Additionally,Ross shows that not all shepherds tended the sheep. Working through variousprophetic texts, he explains what happens when shepherds fail to take care of theflock.

Audio and Video links are available on our website, and the audio is also available oniTunes. Check it out and then share the message with others you think might benefitfrom it.

Photo credit: Jaime Vasquez Sapunar

https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Corriedale_lambs_in_Tierra_del_Fuego.JPG

From the TorahThe Torah reading this week, according to the annual cycle of readings is

The Torah reading this week, according to the annual cycle of readings isMishpatim - Shekalim (Exodus 21:1-24:18; 30:11-16). The associated prophetreading is Isaiah 6:1-7:6, 9:5-6.

"Remember the Torah of my servant Moses, the statutes and judgments thatI commanded him at Horeb for all Israel" (Malachi 4:4 English / Malachi3:22 Hebrew).

Ceremonial Half Shekel - Just inTime for Shabbat Shekalim

Just in time for this coming Sabbath, Reuven Prager of Beged Ivri, a LeviticalMinistry established in 1983, has a special offer. Due to an error incalculation during minting, 300 of the half-shekel coins were made 3/4 of agram too light. These coins are now available for purchase from Reuven. Theeditor bought one and it is beautiful (pictured above this article). The halfshekel comes with a certificate of authenticity and makes a perfect gift forstudents and teachers of the Bible. It just so happens that February 10th, 2018is a special Sabbath known as Shabbat Shekalim, on which thecommandment concerning the contribution of the half shekel is recorded(Exodus 30:11-16).

Here is a Facebook post describing the situation from Reuven Prager'sFacebook page:

You ready for a story? Twelve days ago we received delivery of the new Year

You ready for a story? Twelve days ago we received delivery of the new Year70 Type I Holy Half Shekel issued for this upcoming Purim. When weminted the first Holy Half Shekel dated the Year 50, for Purim of 1998, weminted the coins in Jerusalem by Kretchmer, and continued to work withhim until he passed away a few years later. Then we minted the coins byHecht in Tel Aviv, up until last year, when we were informed that they wouldnot be able to continue to mint them. This year we minted the coins byZechovoy, a 100 year old firm also in Tel Aviv, and what a difference inquality! This year’s coin is by far the most professional high quality coin wehave ever issued. Full rims, proof-like surfaces, an absolutely beautifullystruck coin. We received delivery of the first 300 coins and I immediatelystarted packaging them. I packaged the first 100 and could no longer wait. Asmany of you know I’ve been writing a complete history and catalogue of theHoly Half Shekel which currently stands at 824 pages. There’s a chapter onthe Restored Holy Half Shekel. After packaging the first 100 coins I took twounpackaged coins and scanned them and started the pages for the Year 70coins. Posted the images, wrote the details, measured them and thenweighed them…and my heart sunk. I took out another coin, and anothercoin, and another and another. They weighed in at 7.04 grams, ¾ of a gramtoo light. Holy Moly! So I’m looking at 300 coins that cannot be used to fulfillthe commandment; 300 coins I cannot sell. Good grief! In the morning I calland explain the problem. There was an error in calculation when cutting theplanchets and the coins were ¾ of a gram too light. We had two choices.Either melt the 300 coins and start all over again, or cut 300 pieces of .999silver weighing ¾ of a gram, and include it with each coin with a noteexplaining that the extra piece of silver needs to be sent in together with thecoin in order to fulfill the commandment of giving the Holy Half Shekel. Weopted for the latter option. The type II version of the coin will have thecorrect weight with some small change in the dies to make it easier forHekdesh to recognize them. So, by accident we created a collectable, thelowest mintage Holy Half Shekel in the last 21 years (remember the Year 62Type I where they forgot the strings in the harp? That mintage was 493coins.).

Coins can be purchased from Reuven Prager for $21 plus shipping.Contact Reuven at begedivri@hotmail.com for more information.

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