From: Bulletin Editor bulletin@unitedisrael.orgSubject: United Israel Bulletin - May 4, 2020

Date: May 4, 2020 at 6:56 PMTo: livetospin@gmail.com

$!-"$!-" $#$#־-*,+!-*,+! "*)""*)" "()#""()#" #'%&"%#'%&"% $#"!$#"!

May 4, 2020 / 10 Iyar 5780

A global publication byWorld Union Press

Editor, Ross K. Nichols Social Sites

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

יהוה הוא האלהים

In this issue:~A Colonial Enigma: Natives and Newcomers~New Teaching Series on the Ten Words~The Nash Papyrus - An Ancient Witness~Rabbi Asher Meza Interviews Jodell Onstott~The Month of Iyar, Ziv - Part Two~Photo of the Week~Parlez-Vous Francais? James Tabor's Book is Out in French~From the Torah~The Book of David

Contributors to this edition:Ralph Buntyn, Jodell Onstott, Betty Givin, Travis Reed, James Tabor

*Members of United Israel World Union are encouraged to send incorrespondence and articles for publication consideration for the Bulletin.We want to constantly improve this publication. Please address allcorrespondence to the Editor by email.

correspondence to the Editor by email.

צדק צדק תרדוף

For my house shall be called a house of prayer for ALL Peoplesכי ביתי בית תפלה יקרא לכל העמים

If you want to request special prayer for you or a loved one during theseuncertain times due to sickness, worry, or financial stress arising from the

Coronavirus, please reach out via email. We want to stand with you.

A Colonial Enigma:Natives and Newcomers

Ralph Buntyn's Latest in the Visiting Our Past Series

What of the peoples of the New World? To which son of Noah were they tobe attributed? The discovery of human beings in the Americas posed a hardquestion to scholars. Where did they come from? Neither the Greeks, theRomans, nor the Jews had known of their existence. Continuing his series ofarticles on our American colonial past, historian Ralph Buntyn explores thiscolonial mystery in his latest article titled: “A Colonial Enigma: Natives andNewcomers.”

Read the Article

New Series on the Ten WordsOn April 25th, 2020, we began a new multi-week teaching series on the "TenWords."

These weekly lessons are live-streamed every Saturday morning at 10:30a.m. CST on Facebook and YouTube.

a.m. CST on Facebook and YouTube.

Video and Audio files of these classes, as well as John "Baruch" Perry'steaching notes of the classes are archived for on demand viewing / listeningon the United Israel World Union website.

Don't miss a single class in this informative new teaching series!

You can read a summary, study the notes, and watch or listen to the first twoclasses in this new series, see below.

Class One - The Ten Words - Day of Assembly

In this first class of an ongoing series titled, The Ten Words, Ross begins topresent the saga of Sinai / Horeb. It was there, on a specific day in historythat, according to the biblical narrative, God spoke Ten Words audibly fromthe midst of the fire. These Ten Words representing His covenant were theninscribed upon two stone tablets. In this introductory class, Ross establishesthat Scripture defines a specific day for the event that would forever shapeworld history – The Day of Assembly.

For blog post with audio and video files, as well as John "Baruch" Perry'steaching notes, click here.

Class Two - The Ten Words – The Fire Law

In this second class of his series on The Ten Words, Ross focuses on thespecific events of what Deuteronomy refers to as the Day of Assembly, andExodus calls the third day. Ross works carefully through the narrative as itis presented in Exodus and Deuteronomy to present a picture of this uniqueevent. Our sources reveal quite a bit about the awe-inspiring event, but ofparticular note are the consistent references to fire. Ross works throughthese texts that describe the words spoken from the midst of the fire, wordsthat were ultimately written on tablets of stone, words that finally werecalled, the Fire Law.

For blog post with audio and video files, as well as John "Baruch" Perry'steaching notes, click here.

Subscribe to United Israel WorldUnion on Apple Podcasts

Have you subscribed to our weekly classes via Apple Podcasts? According tothe stats provided by our hosting service, our current subscribers represent29 countries. Listed in order by the number of subscribers (US, Singapore,New Zealand, South Africa, Australia, Israel, UK, Canada, Norway, Malaysia,Ghana, Brazil, Mexico, Germany, Nigeria, France, Belgium, Korea, Zambia,Trinidad and Tobago, Finland, Cypress, Netherlands, Spain, Taiwan, Ireland,Puerto Rico, Indonesia, and Turkey).

Click to Subscribe

The Nash Papyrus -An Ancient Witness

Several years ago I heard about a most remarkable document. This ancientdocument, known as the Nash Papyrus has survived as an ancient witness tosome of Israel’s most important words relating to religious life and conductfor humanity. The document is a single page consisting of four preciousfragments of text written in Hebrew Script. It was acquired in Egypt in 1898by W.L. Nash, the Secretary of the Society of Biblical Archaeology, whopresented them to Cambridge University Library. The dating of the papyruswas originally dated to the second century of the Common Era, butsubsequent reappraisals have estimated a date range from 150 to 100 yearsbefore the Common Era.There are a total of 24 lines of text and perhapstraces of a 25th line. The edges have been worn away over time taking withthem portions of the author’s original work. The missing words and lettershowever can be and have been rather confidently restored by a carefulcomparison of other texts by scholars who have studied the papyrusfragments.

The document contains a version of the Decalogue and the Shema, thoughboth diverge from the Massoretic text containing many variants. TheDecalogue in the Nash Papyrus more closely follows the version in Exodus20, but at times employs language particular to the version contained inDeuteronomy 5.

Deuteronomy 5.

The order of the commandments as listed in the Nash Papyrus is differentthan the “authorized” version passed along by the scribes, but matches theorder apparently known to the writers of the Christian Scriptures (Romans13:9, James 2:11, Mark 10:19, Luke 18:20), Philo, Tertullian, Clement ofAlexandria, Hippolytus of Portus and Ambrosiaster. The order that has beenpreserved in the Massoretic text became fixed at an early date, beingattested to by Josephus, and in Christian sources such as Matthew 19:18 andthe Didache.

It has been proposed that the document is likely an ancient witness to anearly form of liturgy for synagogue service. It is interesting that it containsthe Decalogue since we know that its reading was removed from the liturgyon account of the minim at an early date, towards the end of the SecondTemple period. The supposed purpose of the removal from the service wasto counter the claim by the “minim” that the Decalogue held special importamong the numerous commands of the Torah.

Despite the differences between the “authorized version” and the NashPapyrus, I still love this ancient witness. It presents a version of theDecalogue along with Israel’s greatest declaration of the Oneness of God.

Here is my translation of the words of the papyrus fragments. I have beensomewhat literal in my translation but have left some of the language in theform that is most familiar to English readers. Where the text had to besupplied, I have made every attempt to enclose the translation of suppliedwords in [brackets]. Where the commandment does not read precisely asthe standard versions, the divergence is more than likely my translationrather than a variation in the text.

I continue to study and meditate on the meaning of these remarkable wordscalled the Testimony of God and will for as long as I live, seek to do so inaccordance with their meaning.

Translation

Line 1 – [I am Y]HVH your God who brought you out from the land of [Egypt,from a house of servants.]

Line 2 – [No] other gods [should be to you] o[ver or b]efore me. You shall notmake [for you an idol, any]

Line 3 – [image] that is in heavens above and which is in earth [below]

Line 4 – [which is in w]aters [below] the earth. You shall not bow down tothem and you shall not serve them]

Line 5 – [Because] I YHVH your God am a jealous God, v[isiting the iniquityof fathers]

of fathers]

Line 6 – [upon son]s upon third and fourth to those who hate me [and doingloyal kindness]

Line 7 – [to thousands] to those who love me, to those who guard mycommands. No you [shall lift the name of]

Line 8 – YHVH your Go[d] for falsehood because YHVH will not makeinnocent [one which]

Line 9 – [lifts his nam]e for falsehood. Remember the Sabbath Day to[sanctify it]

Line 10 – Six day[s] you shall serve and do all of your work, but on the[seventh] day

Line 11 – is a [Sabbath to YHVH] your God. You shall not do any work in it,[you and your son]

Line 12 – [and your daughter, and] your servant and your handmaid, your oxand your donkey and all your a[nimals]

Line 13 – [and a stranger which is] in your gates, because six days Y[HVH]made

Line 14 – [heaven]s and the earth, the sea and all wh[ich are in them]

Line 15 – and he rested [on the] seventh [day], therefore YHVH blessed [theday]

Line 16 – the seventh and sanctified it. Honor your father and [your] mother[in order that]

Line 17 – it will be well for you and in order that your days will be lengthenedupon the land [which]

Line 18 – YHVH your God gives to you. You shall not commit adultery. Youshall not murder. You shall [n]ot

Line 19 – [st]eal. [You shall] not [ans]wer with your neighbor a falsetestimony. You shall not desire

Line 20 – your neighbor’s wife and you [shall no]t desire your neighbor’sho[us]e, [his f]ield

Line 21 – [or his servant, or his handmaid or] his [o]x or his donkey or allwhich is for your neighbor

Line 22 – [and these are the stat]utes and judgments which Moses

Line 22 – [and these are the stat]utes and judgments which Mosescommanded the [children]

Line 23 – [of Israel] in the wilderness, in their going forth from the land ofEgypt. Hea[r]

Line 24 – [Israel] YHVH our God – YHVH, one is he! And you [shall love]YHVH your G[o]d [with a]ll your [heart]

This remarkable document combines the Decalogue with a declaration ofthe oneness of God, providing us with an ancient witness to the moreweightier matters of a true biblical faith.

This article was originally posted on our United Israel website, here.

Rabbi Asher Meza InterviewsJodell Onstott

Last Monday, Rabbi Asher Meza spoke with Jodell Onstott on his popularTorah Judaism podcast. They discussed a variety of Torah-related issues,such as Torah as constitution, approaches to research, Israel’s legislative andcourt system, and support for a latter-day resurrection. Along the way, bothdiscovered much common ground. Join the discussion as Asher and Jodellshare what they have learned in their search to know God.

Listen to the Interview

The Month of Iyar, Ziv – Part TwoLight and Radiance, Healing, Introspection, and Counting

of the Omer

Part of an ongoing series entitled Hidden Sparks Beneath the Surface

By Elisheva Tavor aka Betty Tabor Givin

In Part One we spoke in part of the significance of this little month of Iyar,the second month on the Hebrew calendar sandwiched in between thetwo Giant Months, that of Nisan, the month of Passover in which wecelebrate the miraculous mass Exodus from Egypt and the month of Sivanin which we celebrate the most amazing and awe inspiring event of alltime, referred to as Matan Torah… that single one time event in historywhen HaShem came down in all His Glory and gave His Torah to Hispeople…His Torah that was to be shared from generation to generation untilit would one day encompass the whole world!

It would appear that the magnitude of the events that took place in Nisanand Sivan, the first and third months, would completely overshadow any thattook place in the second month of Iyar, but that is not at all the case, for as inthe words of King Solomon in Ecclesiastes 3:1 we read, “For everything thereis a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven.” Given thisdeclaration, we may ask ourselves, for what purpose were we given this inbetween time designated as the second month referred to as Iyar or Ziv?Why didn’t HaShem in His impeccable planning choose to have Moshebring the Children of Israel directly to Mount Sinai after bringing them outof Egypt? He certainly could have carried them on eagles wings straight toSinai to meet with Him! (See Exodus 19:4)

We proposed this question in the last article -were these former Hebrewslaves ready to immediately meet with HaShem on the Mountain, receiveHis Torah and be brought into Eternal Covenant with their G-D? The answerwe brought forth was an emphatic “No!” They were not at all ready!

Iyar-A Bridge in the Gap

Knowing this, HaShem provided a 49 day period of preparation, most ofwhich He placed in the month of Iyar, a special time period that would serve

which He placed in the month of Iyar, a special time period that would serveas what Rabbi Richman of the Temple Institute refers to as “a bridge fromthe past to the future”… a bridge from slavery to freedom, from Pesach toSinai …a bridge not only for our ancestors, but a bridge that remains intactfor us to travel today.

There is an ancient teaching in Judaism that during this season each yearwhen we celebrate Passover, we are to bring it home to our hearts and makeit our own. We are to celebrate it with the mindset that we too, having beenfreed from Egyptian bondage, are making our trek through the wildernessand are on our way to meet our Creator at the Mountain!

We are told in Exodus 13:21-22 that HaShem went before the Children ofIsrael by day in a pillar of cloud and by night in pillar of fire. Today we haveneither pillar of cloud nor pillar of fire as did our ancestors of old. We dohowever, have the incredible promise that HaShem, our Creator and theCreator of the Universe, is with us in every step that we make and everybreath that we take! How awesome is that!

Plus we have the added benefit of a roadmap to follow that has been passeddown through the ages…and that roadmap is the Torah. In the beautifulwords of the sweet singer, King David we read, ”Thy Word is a Lamp unto myFeet and a Light unto my way.” Psalm 119:105,

That Brilliant First Light and the Light to Come!

We read of that Brilliant First Light, as it breaks forth through thedarkness in the account of the Creation in Beresheit, the Book of Genesis(Gen. 1:1-3).The name of this second month, Iyar (אייר) although Babylonianin origin, when translated to Hebrew is formed from the root word ohr - (אור)which means light. The Jewish sages say that it represents the burst of lightthat was released into the world first at Creation and then again with theExodus from Egypt, and again at Sinai…which according to the prophets, willagain be released during the Final Redemption!

Iyar is also known as “Ziv” and referred to as the second month in theHebrew Bible. It means brightness or radiance so we see that it is directlyrelated to light. This brilliant light resurfaces all through the Torah, theProphets, the Psalms and the Writings in the Tanakh, and also in the variouseditions of the Jewish Prayer Book known as the siddur. All universallyacclaim HaShem as the Source of all Light!

The prophet Isaiah in the first few verses of chapter 60 reflect this conceptof glorious Light breaking forth from the darkness which will one day againcover the entire earth and all creation! He brings it down to a personal levelwhen he says,

“Arise, shine, for your light has come, for the Glory (the Kivod) ofHaShem is risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earth

HaShem is risen upon you. For behold darkness shall cover the earthand gross darkness the peoples, but HaShem shall rise upon you andHis glory shall be seen upon you.”

What is this light? It is His Light shining forth in you …like hidden sparksbeneath the surface bursting forth from deep within you and within allwho love and honor Him. Again we go to the sweet singer, King David who inPsalm 27:1 proclaims, "HaShem is my Light and my Salvation!"

HaShem, the Source of all Healing

The month of Iyar/Ziv is not only a month representing light (אור) asillustrated in its name. It is also a month that the rabbis suggest is connecteddirectly to healing for its very name Iyar spelled אייר in Hebrew, is anacronym for the words, "Ani HaShem Rophecha" - "I am HaShem yourhealer,” (אני ה׳ רפאך), words which G-D spoke to Israel after the crossing ofthe Sea of Reeds, at Mara where they encountered the bitter waters whichHe turned into sweet, then promised them that if they would obey Hiscommandments that He would put “none of these diseases” that he broughtupon the Egyptians upon them. (See Exodus 15:23-26). These words areespecially refreshing given the current world situation today as it faces theglobal pandemic

Iyar is also the month during which the manna began to fall from heavenwhile the Children of Israel were in the desert. The Jewish sages teach thatthe Manna provided not only physical nourishment but spiritualnourishment which was rich in healing qualities for the body and soul alike.Today we do not have the manna falling down from the heavens, since thebeginning we have been given all the green seed bearing plants, trees andherbs for food for both our physical and mental health, our healing and ourgeneral well-being. It is up to us to act responsibly and to cultivate these giftsthat our Creator declared as good (Genesis 1:11-13). And it is up to us to followHis commandments as set forth in the Torah.

Bridging the Gap- Counting of the Omer

We are instructed in Lev. 23:15-16. “From the day after the Sabbath, theday you brought the sheaf of the wave offering, count off seven fullweeks. Count off fifty days up to the day after the seventh Sabbath, andthen present an offering of new grain to HaShem."

This is referred to as Counting of the Omer (Hebrew: ספירת העומר, SefiratHaOmer). In simple terms the omer offering (Hebrew korban omer,minchat omer) was a grain sacrifice wave offering, brought to the temple inJerusalem. The first-fruits was a sheaf of barley which was offered inconnection with the Feast of Unleavened Bread.

The Counting of the Omer is a 49 day period that falls mainly in the monthof Iyar and according to Jewish tradition, is a period designed to not only

of Iyar and according to Jewish tradition, is a period designed to not onlybridge the gap between Pesach and Sinai but to prepare ourselves to onceagain stand before our Creator at Sinai and renew our covenant relationshipwith him each year during this special season.

The traditional Jewish Omer blessing is said standing, at nightfall. Prior tothe count, the following blessing is recited. “Blessed are You, HaShem ourGod, King of the Universe, Who has sanctified us with Hiscommandments and commanded us to count the Omer.” Then we statethe Omer count in terms of both total days and weeks and days…forexample, “Today is the 25th day of the Omer, making 3 weeks and 4 days ofthe Omer.”

It is also traditional to then recite with a full heart the beautiful words ofPsalm 67. “HaShem be gracious to us and bless us; and cause His Face toshine upon us; (Sela) that Your way may be know upon earth, Yoursalvation among all nations. Let the peoples praise You, Oh HaShem, letall the peoples give thanks to you. Oh let the nations be glad and singfor joy; for You shall judge the peoples with equity, and govern thenations upon the earth (Sela.)Let the peoples praise You Oh HaShem,let all the peoples give You thanks. The earth has yielded her increase;and HaShem our own G-D shall bless us. HaShem shall bless us and letall the ends of the earth fear Him.”

In the counting of the Omer each evening, it is important to keep in mindthat we are on a spiritual journey to meet our G-d and Creator at Sinai andstand before him (See Deuteronomy 29:9-14). We look inward, take stock ofourselves and do teshuvah; we repent where we have fallen short, and askfor strength to correct our faults and our weakness, both as individuals andas communities as a whole. With humility, penitence and kavanah (intent)we turn our hearts towards our Creator and endeavor to once again dedicateourselves to be all that we were created to be as we walk with Him.

May we all be blessed with light, with health and healing…and with reneweddetermination to break free from our own individual bondage, our own“Mitzrayim” and the constraints that impinge themselves upon us. May weeach delve soulfully and deeply into our own hearts and our relationship toHaShem discover those hidden sparks beneath the surface as weendeavor to live purposeful lives and fulfill our destiny as individuals and asa community, diverse, yet Echad…united as One before HaShem. Amein!

Photo of the WeekOur friend, Travis Reed, posted this photo on Facebook this week. Travis wasriding his Harley Davidson, enjoying the nice weather and listening to theaudio file of our latest teaching in the Ten Words series. The photo wastaken during a rest stop.

Send us pictures of how you join in our weekly classes!

Parlez-vous Français? My NewBook “Marie” is out in French

by UI President James D Tabor

Originally Announced on TaborBlogI know many of my readers either speak or read French. I am most pleasedand gratified to let everyone know that the French edition of my new book,The Lost Mary: From Jewish Mother of Jesus to Virgin Mother of God(Knopf, 2021) has just been published in French by Flammarion. The Frenchtitle is Marie : De son enfance juive à la fondation duchristianisme which translates as Marie: From his Jewish childhood tothe foundation of Christianity.

I want to thank my kind and skillful editors at Flammarion, as well as theamazing translators

Cécile Dutheil de La Rochère and Nathalie Gouyé-Guilbert. They boldlymoved ahead with publication plans, making it available in this age ofCOVID-19 and our worldwide crisis. None of us imagined, even in January, asthe final steps toward publication were carried out, that we would be wherewe are today. Nonetheless, the book is now available through Amazon(paperback and Kindle) and other international booksellers, and I believethey will ship internationally. I absolutely love the cover! And below is avideo I prepared to describe the book for the French edition.

I hope many of you will order the book–even if you are waiting for theEnglish. It offers a good opportunity for you to brush up on your French–as Iam doing now reading it!

From the TorahThe Torah reading for this Sabbath is Emor, Leviticus 21:1-24:23. The prophetreading for this Sabbath is Ezekiel 44:15-31.

"Remember the Torah of my servant Moses, the statutes and judgmentsthat I commanded him at Horeb for all Israel"

(Malachi 4:4 English / Malachi 3:22 Hebrew).

Join the Hebrew Torah Reading Team

We start your Hebrew Torah training at the level you have obtained. Ourgroup has a range of reading abilities. We all want to listen to the voice ofour Creator; and the best way to listen to HIM is to read HIS Torah in HISlanguage, and so we read the Torah in Hebrew, and we teach Torah Hebrewand vocabulary. Email Chong Kiat for more information.

The Book of David

The Book of DavidDavid Horowitz: Dean of United Nations Press Corps and

Founder: United Israel World Unionby Ralph Buntyn

For 10 years, author Ralph Buntyn spent many hours with renowned UnitedNations correspondent and United Israel founder David Horowitz. Theyengaged in lengthy discussions about his foundational views drawn from hisexperience and unique vantage point in the two world bodies. The Book ofDavid is based on his personal notes, extensive archival records andreflections from these conversations.

reflections from these conversations.

ISBN: 978-1-63051-584-3

Order The Book of David from the Publisher

Order the Book of David from Amazon

Order the Book of David from Barnes & Noble

Support United Israel World UnionAmazonSmile is a great way to support United Israel World Union. All youhave to do is to log into Smile.Amazon.com and select United Israel World

Union, Inc as your charity of choice. After you have made United IsraelWorld Union your charity of choice, we receive .5% of the purchase amountof all eligible purchases. To learn more about the program, click here. Whynot set UIWU as your charity of choice today? It's simple, and it doesn't cost

you anything.

SmileAmazon Portal

For those who wish to donate to United Israel, please visit our Donate Page.United Israel World Union, INC, is a 501 (c) 3 Non-Profit. All contributions

are tax deductible. Your financial support enables us to do all that we do. Youcan make a one time donation or set up a recurring contribution.

We provide all that we do at no charge, trusting that those who benefitfrom our work, and who are able to do so, will support the workfinancially. In this way, everyone who wants to learn can do so.

We appreciate your interest in, and support of UIWU.

Click Here to make a secure Donation to United Israel World Union

Unsubscribe

This message was sent to livetospin@gmail.com from bulletin@unitedisrael.org

Bulletin EditorUnited Israel World Union

United Israel World Union2101 Sardis Rd North Suite 110

Charlotte, NC 28227

- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -