Babylonians (Iraq) Couldn't Get Enough of Jews: Wanted More and More

Nadene Goldfoot 

 King Solomon was the son of King David of the tribe of Judah  and King of Israel about 961-920 BCE.  He and the Temple made news, probably causing other up and coming Kingdoms to covet their land and property.  The Queen of Sheba came to visit and was most  impressed.    This Queen of Ethiopia claimed to have returned home pregnant by Solomon.  Many Ethiopians have immigrated to Israel today, claiming descent.  They were practicing Judaism of the ancient days.  

Tiglath-Pileser III-Assyrians Take The Jews First

Ten of the 12 tribes of Israel were taken by the Assyrians a century before the Babylonians decided to take Judah and Jerusalem and almost all of the Jews that lived there.  We had 12 sons of Jacob that made up 12 tribes; Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin.  The tribe of Judah, the largest, was not taken.  Most of the others were deported in 732 BCE and then again in 720 BCE.  They were taken for needed manpower to service their expanding realm.  They were exploited people.  Then the Assyrian kings wanted them to assimilate and enforced mingling of the populations and their Assyrianization.  They managed to empty conquered areas of their original population and replace them with deportees from elsewhere.  This was also done in Samaria after the Israelites were uprooted.  

Today we are confronted with Afghanistan, Pakistan and parts of India's large Pashtun group  who claim to be from  the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel.  They are claimants who have converted to Islam but many continue to show traces of Judaism in some ways.  

Nebuchadnezzar  Continually Takes Jews

Babylonia conquered Jerusalem in 634 BCE which was a part of the Kingdom of Judah and took many of the Jews.   597-598 BCE saw deportation of 3,023 Jews to Babylon.  Babylonia is today's Iraq.  Ezekiel, the prophet was a captive with the others.  They were hoping for a speedy return to their homes and were from the leading families.  In 586 BCE Nebuchadnezzar destroyed the Temple built by King Solomon in the kingdom of Judah and again more Jews were deported to Babylon.  Then the deportees had to follow the words of Jeremiah and figure that they were in exile for a long time.    821 inhabitants of Jerusalem were deported.  Nebuchadnezzar ordered another deportation of 745 Jews in 582-581 BCE.  That makes 4,600 Jews in all had been deported to Babylonia.  King Jehoiakim (reigned 608-598 BCE)  had renounced his allegiance to Babylonia, which was a bad move.  His son was King Jehoichin (reigned 598-597 BCE ) , who was only 18 and had been a king for only 3 months when he was taken captive to Babylonia.

Nebuchadnezzar took the best treasures of the Temple and palace and sent them to Babylonia.  Along with Jehoichin as captives were his wives, 5 sons, mother, servants, eunuchs and thousands of the chief men of the land.  This was recorded when he was only 23 years old.  This young royal was treated quite well according to the cuneiform tablets found in Babylon around the fabled "Hanging Gardens of Babylon" area.  He was able to retain his royal title while there.  It sounds like what royalty who  have lost their country do so today as well.

Judah fell in the 2nd exile in 586 and Zedekiah (597-586 BCE) , another son of Josiah (637-608 BCE) , though swearing fealty to Nebuchadnezzar, planned an insurrection, bringing about a siege that lasted for 1 1/2 years.  Nebuchadnezzar tried to starve the inhabitants of Jerusalem by circling it with a wall.  Zedekiah and his companions were caught.  They forced the king Zedekiah to watch them kill his sons, and then they put out his eyes.  He was taken to Babylon.  On August 7 the Temple, royal palace and all the homes in the cityof Jerusalem were set on fire.  The survivors were taken to Babylon as captives.  70 or 80 distinguished Jews including the high priest Seraiah were sent to Riblah and put to death.

Another 3rd deportation of Jews occurred after the 13 year siege of Tyre.  (585-573 BCE).  Nebuchadnezzar kept a standing army in Syria.  Judah's Jewish governor, Gedaliah, had been murdered.  By 582-581 BCE another partial deportation to Babylon took place.

In total, more than 36,00-48,000 Jews were taken in exile then.  The total population of the Kingdom of Judah was figured to be about 120,000 or higher.  About 1/4 of the population or less were led captive into Babylonia.

Started in 538,  a 2nd Temple was finally built by 515 BCE by the Jews which included today's Western Wall, which is a remnant of it. This is because the Persians' Cyrus II in 537 BCE had sent 40,000 Jews back to Eretz Yisrael.  In other words, he freed them.  Cyrus had conquered Nebuchadnezzar.   The exiles had returned by 519 BCE after being in another exile of 50 years by Babylonia.

Cyrus of Persia Sends Jews Back Home

The Persian Empire was so big in those days that Jews lived in 127 provinces of the Persian Empire.  Many stayed right in Shusha (Shushan) and were living there with Queen Esther who was married to Ahashueros (King Xerses).  Her son was Darius, the Persian.  He's the one who authorized the Temple's completion.

The Babylonians resettled many nations in their land, not just Jews.  Of those who took up the offer of going back home to Zion organized themselves.  Those whose families were connected to the Temple in Jerusalem were able to identify themselves as priests, singers, gatekeepers and temple servants in planning the rebuilding of the Temple.  Others organized themselves in towns of origin of their families.

Those that remained in Babylonia were the only group to preserve their identity and way of life.  They survived for 2,500 years and were a spiritual center for Judaism.  It's where the Babylonian Talmud was written.  Many people of Judah moved eastward during the Roman period to escape severe drought and famine and wound back up in Babylon as well.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ten_Lost_Tribes

Reference: Tanach, Stone Edition
Jewish Encyclopedia: The Babylonian Captivity http://www.bible-history.com/map_babylonian_captivity"map_of the _
Jerusalem Post article Monday, July 20, 2009:  Whatever happened to the Jews exiled to Babylon?  http://jewishrefugees.blogspot.com/2009/07/whatever-happened-to-jews-exiled-to.html

East of Euphrates River Came the Hebrews

TimeLine: Jewish History: Hebrews came from other side of Euphrates River's- Garden of Eden

Nadene Goldfoot

The Jewish Calendar shows that this is year 5772 from Creation: So, Starting about 4,000 years ago:  

2nd millennium BCE 1900- Abraham From Ur of the Chaldees (Iraq) son of Terah, father of Isaac by wife Sarah and Ishmael by her handmaid, Hagar.  Migrated to Canaan to live among the Canaanites and the Philistines of that land.  Took a trip to Egypt, came back to live in Hebron.  Founder of Monotheism.  Where did his ancestors come from?

1740 BCE Sumerian Records about Habiru. Other referrals are Apiru, Ivrim, Hebrews.  Could be Ivrim descending from Eber, grandson of Shem or one who comes from the other side of the Euphrates River.  Abraham is called the Hebrew (Gen. 14:13).  It's not for sure that Habiru and Hebrews are the same.  Hebrew is the origin of ebreo and Yevrei, the Italian and Russian words for Jew.  

15-17th Centuries BCE Canaan was the name for Syria, applied to coast of today's Israel.   Before conquest by Joshua, was made up of small city-states.  Israelites called land “Eretz Yisrael -the land of Israel”  and still do.  They referred to the northern part as Aram (Syria).

The name "Palestine" was given to Eretz Yisrael's Judea  by the Romans who took the land in 135 CE after Jerusalem was taken in 70 CE.  It was done to erase the presence of the Jews, something they often did to land they took.  It was the name of the Philistines, and first used actually by the Greeks.  Long ago they referred to the land as Palestinian Syria. Now, Arabs in Eretz Israel call themselves "Palestinians."  

Canaanites:  a mixture of 11 peoples descended from Canaan, son of Ham, son of Noah,  living between Nile and Euphrates of Horites, Hittites and Hebrews dating back to 17th century.  Almost all destroyed or assimilated by Israelites in 13th century, Philistines on coast in 12th century, and Arameans in the north in 11th century.  Rest lived under Kings David and Solomon and absorbed.

Euphrates River is the westerly of 2 rivers, the Tigris and the Euphrates.  They enclose Mesopotamia (Iraq) The source was said to be the Garden of Eden.  The Euphrates was to be the ultimate boundary of the Israelites.  Many Jewish communities lay along the Euphrates in talmudic times and after.  On the lower part were the centers of Babylonian scholarship, ie  Sura, Nehardea and Mahozsa.

18th Century-16th Century BCE Semitic Hyksos dynasty


1720 BCE Entered Egypt during famine, joined brother Joseph, stayed, became slaves, lived there 400 years.
1700 BCE Joseph, 11th son of Jacob kidnapped, taken to Egypt, became viceroy there.  Father Jacob and   brothers join him. 12th brother was Benjamin.  Rachel  then died in childbirth.
15th-14th Century BCE  (Habiru (Ivri) (Hebrews) invaders conquest of Canaan
1320-1200 BCE EXODUS; Moses entered Canaan with 12 Tribes, 600,000 people from Egypt, Joshua’s conquest
1010 BCE Jebusites in Jerusalem, allowed to remain
10?? BCE (11th Century BCE) King Saul, king of Israel of tribe of Benjamin
1000-960 BCE King David of Israel
  961-920 BCE  King Solomon,  Built first Temple to hold ark,
 933-912 BCE King Solomon died, land divided into 2 kingdoms,  King Jeroboam, revolt, became northly kingdom of Israel and (King Rehoboam and kingdom of Judah), the southerly kingdom
730-721 BCE   King Hoshea, last king; Assyrian King Shalmaneser V takes Samaria
721 Sargon of Assyria takes 27,290 Israelites, 10 tribes,  to Assyria and Media, the Lost Ten Tribes 
634-562 BCE Babylonian period with Nebuchadnezzar, 70 years of exile
597 -586 king Zedekiah of Judah, King Jehoiachin18 years old, king  3 months, 1st and 2nd Babylonian captivity, thousands Jews deported-chief men of the land, of tribe of Judah
July 9, 586 BCE Jerusalem’s destruction by Nebuchadnezzar, 1st Temple destroyed
582 BCE 3rd deportation of Jews by Nebuchadnezzar
538-515 2nd Temple in Jerusalem built including “Western Wall.”
537 BCE: Persians: Cyrus II 600 BCE-530 BCE- Sent 40,000 Jews back to native land
519 BCE Exiles returned after the 50 years of exile

312-198 BCE Ptolemaic rule in Jerusalem
300 BCE Jews in exile in Mesopotamia (Iraq pre-Moslem history was Babylonia) and in homeland in Israel/Judah were under Persian rule now.  Book of Esther show Jews living in 127 provinces of the Persian Empire, numerous in capital of Shusha (Shushan).
250 BCE Parthia ruled

70 CE Fall of Temple in Jerusalem
135 BCE Bar Kokhba’s Stand for Jerusalem

570-632 Mohammad born, died in Arabia
641/2 CE Arab Conquest of Persia

1. Reference: Tanakh, Stone Edition, page 2035, tribal census Appendix B, charts 10-11
  Jacob’s family, 70 people who descended to Egypt page 2030, charts 4-5
Babylonian Exile page 2027 timeline 5 Appendix A
2. The New Standard Jewish Encyclopedia page 483 Kings of Israel
3. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Habiru
4.http://www.bible-history.com/map_babylonian_captivity/map_of_the_deportation_of_judah_jewish_encyclopedia.html
http://jewishfactsfromportland.blogspot.com/2012/09/jewish-year-of-5772-5773-our-history.html

The Golan Heights: Chip to be Bartered Away or Kept?

Nadene Goldfoot
How is the Golan Heights important to Israel?  I'm talking about a place that shares 80 kilometers (49.709 miles) with Syria which is an area in the mountainous northern Israel of 250,000 acres.  14,000 Jews live there in 32 towns and 1 city.  It's pretty much a rural area with 9 moshavim.  It is a place of strategic life-giving importance to Israel.  As recently as the 25th of September mortar shells were shot near their border  with Syria at 7am.  Israel thought that it was the result of the clashing rebel forces with Asad's army.  Read Victor Sharpe's new article, "The Golan Heights:  its biblical and post-biblical history."  (website address below).

In order to have peace, former Prime Minister Barak 12 years ago offered Hafez al Assad the Golan in exchange for peace except for a thin strip 500 meters wide along Lake Tiberias.  He did this through President Clinton.  Assad refused the offer. An article about it came out in Reuters through the Arab press on April 24, 2008 about Olmert making an offer.  "Israel wants Syria’s ties with Lebanon’s Hezbollah and the Palestinian group Hamas to be on the agenda."  Of course they just want the Golan back without any conditions of safety for Israel.  That's a bad bad deal.

It is said that Netanyahu secretly offered Assad the same deal in 2001 and again the answer was no. Now, our government through Bruce Riedel, former longtime CIA officer and former senior fellow in the Saban Center at the Brookings Institution at President Obama's request chaired the strategic review of policy toward Afghanistan and Pakistan in 2009.  He has also come up with this solution to problems. He thinks Israel should give away the Golan to Syria.

Is that all the solutionists can come with, to give away parts of Israel?  I know our enemies want all of teeny Israel. Iran will have an A bomb very soon.  Hizbullah,  terrorists against Israel that also spread Islam, who get their money from Iran and Syria,  has 50,000 rockets aimed at Haifa, Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Syria has hundreds of SCUD missles tipped with chemical warheads that could get into Hizbullah hands.  The way Syria has been slaughtering its own people today, does one think that they would keep a peace treaty with Israel in return for most of the Golan Heights?  They had their chance and blew it.  I hope that Netanyahu has thrown that idea back into the wastebasket.

Resource: http://www.renewamerica.com/columns/sharpe/121005  Victor Sharpe's article
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Iraq_Study_Group_Report
Bruce Reidel of Saban Center of Brookings Institution through The Daily Beast
http://www.google.com/images?
q=Golan+heights&rlz=1B3RNFA_en___US482&hl=en&sa=X&oi=image_result_group
http://www.jewishvirtuallibrary.org/jsource/Peace/golanstats.html
http://www.ynetnews.com/articles/0,7340,L-4285819,00.htmlhttp://www.arabnews.com/node/311291
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hezbollah

Mitt Romney's Stand on Israel

Nadene Goldfoot
A President Romney will deal with Israel as its closest ally in the Middle East and a beacon of democracy and freedom in the region which it is.  He recognizes Israel's security problems and that this is a dangerous moment for the Jewish state.

He would work closely with Israel to maintain its strategic military edge.  He's not a stranger to Netanyahu.  Romney would work on Turkey and Egypt to shore up their relationships with Israel.  He would resist the anti-Israel policies there and make it clear that their interests are not served by isolating Israel.

In dealing with the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, his policy will be a sharp difference from Obama.  He's for direct negotiations between the two and will make it clear to the Palestinians that it's unacceptable to expect decisions on issues that are to be decided by the Oslo Accords.  The USA will reduce assistance if they continue UN recognition of their state or form a unity government including Hamas, which is designed to destroy Israel.

He is not a fair weather friend of Israel  The USA under Romney will resist the  worldwide campaign to delegitimize Israel.  He also sees that this is a campaign of anti-Semitic poison.  To Romney, Israel's existence as a Jewish state is not up for debate.

Romney feels that Obama has misunderstood the dynamics of the region and has not fostered stability and security but have diminished USA's authority and has put both the USA and Israel in a corner.  He sees that the Israeli-Palestinian problem  is not a center of problems.  The Arab Spring shows it's an internal problem of the Arab countries.  Because Obama has distanced himself from Israel to placate the Arabs, he thought it would earn credits for the USA and bring peace closer.  It has proved to be the opposite.

Obama also created new preconditions to get the Arabs to the peace table.  This has resulted in the holding out and waiting by the Arabs, wanting more concessions.  Romney sees that there was no reason for the Palestinians to negotiate with Israel when the White House continued to pressure Israel without getting the Palestinians to promise anything in return.

Reference: http://www.mittromney.com/issues/israel

US in the Hole $16 Trillion and are Planning Aid Package for Egypt

Nadene Goldfoot
My  Webster's dictionary can't even define what a trillion is.  It says it's "a very large number." Another dictionary said, " It's written as: 1,000,000,000,000.  It is a million million."    Yet we are now in the deficit by  $16 trillion plus dollars.  It's growing every day.  We had the first debate last night between Romney and Obama.  Romney is already planning on doing away with PBS (television station) and its Big Bird from Sesame Street, a favorite on that station, because they are existing with federal funds and he is ready to give up things he likes such as this and anything else that we pay for by borrowing money from China.  They could look for private funding in a pinch.  

So how are we paying for the $450 million aid to Egypt and should we?   Obama is planning this emergency cash transfer which is part of a $1 billion ($1,000,000,000) aid package pledged in May.  The plan was to give $190 million quickly but because Egypt is in so much financial trouble (as if we're not) our present administration decided to double the amount.  $260 million will be delivered when Egypt gets a $4.8 billion loan from the International Monetary Fund.

Our government is working with Egypt so that they will get $375 in financing and loan guarantees for people who invest in Egypt plus a $60 million investment fund for Egyptian business.  This is besides the $1.3 billion of military aid that the USA gives to Egypt every year.

Now, the question is, Is Egypt worthy of our debt?  What are they doing to deserve this?  Why are we doing it?

I can think for starters of baksheesh, which is tipping.    In a sense they are being paid to keep the peace with Israel, which is very important to me.  The problem is that Egypt is now being run by the Muslim Brotherhood which swears to destroy Israel.  This enigma means that the peace treaty might unravel anyway.  Hamas is a part of the Brotherhood and is backed by Morsi, being he was one of the leaders of the Brotherhood.  They're the ones shelling southern Israel and have been since 2001.

Where are the qualifications Egypt should sign to get this loan, if indeed they should?  Where are the promises that if defaulted, would prompt immediate repayment with interest?  We have asked for no guarantees.  Such a hurry we are in to give away money we don't have.

Reference:  http://www.radicalislam.org/print/analysis/six-things-450-million-aid-egypt-will-pay
http://ezinearticles.com/?Baksheesh-in-Egypt---Understanding-the-System-and-Playing-the-Game&id=3445007
http://www.thefreedictionary.com/trillion
http://www.bing.com/Dictionary/search?q=define+billion&qpvt=billion%2c++definition&FORM=DTPDIA

Syria's Mortars Hit Turkey Causing Immediate Reaction from NATO

Nadene Goldfoot
Israel has been hit by about 10,000 mortars, missiles and rockets since 2001 daily.  By January 2009 they had been shelled by 8,600 causing 28 death and hundreds of injuries  and it hasn't created a reaction from anyone except the Israelis, but let Syria hit Turkey with 5 mortars Wednesday and NATO was  right on it.  The Turkish government's armed forces fired back with artillery fire.  By using radar, they saw where they were coming from.  4 bombs tore through a district that the government held in Syria and killed more then 30 people.  The building is now rubble.

Hillary Clinton, our Secretary of State, said the US was "outraged that the Syrians have been shooting across the border."  I hope someone has been outraged when southern Israel has been hit every day.  I never hear about it.  The only thing we know is the Israel has had to have bomb shelters at every school because once an incoming rocket is known about, the civilian population has 30 seconds to get to shelter.

In fact, the United States has warned Israel not to react.  By December 27, 2008 Israel had had it and reacted with Operation Cast Lead after 8 years of continual shelling which led to the slanted and lying Goldstone Report, putting Israel in more of a headache.  Later Goldstone of South Africa double checked and found he had been misinformed and said so, but our enemies refuse to listen and keep pointing to the original incorrect report.

So here we are with the Palestinians still determined to drive Israel into the sea by daily bombings.  Turkey is telling NATO to go into Syria with them, but Israel had to do it alone.  Turkey wants a safe zone.  Unfortunately, Israel is so small that it's city of Sderot is very close to the Gaza border and has been hit constantly, taking the brunt of much of the attacks.

Now Turkey raises the question with "There must certainly be a response in international law.  Why didn't they ever raise this question when Israel was bombarded starting in 2001?  I don't think anyone did.  The rebels of Syria have been busy blasting their own country with reprisals from the goverment that are blasting the country to smithereens.  Historical areas are being hit as well.  It's all stemming from a government run by one man who is not democratically minded and wants to run the show.  One never knows if the next person will be better for the whole area's peace or horrid.


Resource: http://news.yahoo.com/turkey-fires-syria-deadly-shelling-205018823.html
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Palestinian_rocket_attacks_on_Israel,_2012
http://www.jnnnews.com/report_01_05_09.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gaza_War

40 Years of Wandering with Moses Remembered: Sukkot

Nadene Goldfoot
Sukkot, a holiday of remembering our wandering for 40 years in the deserts with Moses started today.  It goes on  for a week of holiday from school in Israel,and will also be observed tomorrow here in the states.  That's why we remember such history.  We have a joyous holiday of eating and sleeping outside in tiny booths like the first Israelites did after leaving Egypt and walking for 40 years until they finally got to Canaan.

It's a season for rejoicing.  In Israel, a family makes their booth outside with 3 sides.  Rugs or blankets are hung on the poles to make the 3 sides. I remember that the city of Safed had a prize for the best Sukkahs.   Inside they put a table and chairs.  Men will sleep out there as well.  Luckily in Israel the weather at this time of year is dry and warm, just right for doing so.  The Sukkah is decorated with fruits and veggies hung all around it as it is also known as an agricultural festival being that in Israel also, it was a time of the final gathering of fruit and produce of the year..  Being this goes back to a time 3,000 years ago, I was surprised that the Israelites didn't put up tepees, but used a more rectangle shaped mobile home that was easily put up and taken down.  Being they were on the move every day, the booths were more of an impermanent nature. The roofs are simply newly cut limbs off of trees laid on top, but with areas open so as to be able to see the sky.  They didn't have to worry about rain in the desert.

Moses commanded that "In Sukkahs (booths) you shall dwell, 7 days."  It's in Leviticus 23:42.  It's fun, like going camping in the autumn.  Women will bake all sorts of good breads and honey cakes and invite neighbors over for tea and cakes and wine.  You might even get in on a complete dinner.  It's a time you look forward to each year.

In the days of the Holy Temple in Jerusalem, with Kings David and Solomon, the Sukkot Festival offerings included 70 oxen, because of there being 70 nations then, in prayer for their well-being, and for peace and harmony among the nations of the world.  After hearing Netanyahu's very serious speech at the UN, we certainly do need more prayers for a future of peace and harmony for this world.

It is said that "He who sows in tears reaps in joy" is fullfilled and that the period of introspection and penitence is finally completed with this holiday.