Tragic Parallel Worlds!

7.10.23

Simchat Torah 

Torah's opening verses invite deep contemplations about creation into which we can masterfully weave our modern knowledge of astrophysics and quantum science. Last Hebrew year 5783 should have been a year in which the King of Israel traditionally taught his nation the secrets and wisdoms of Torah, but a King was not forthcoming.

Immediately after creation events Torah introduces readers to the mystery of its Messianic plan.

אֵ֣לֶּה תוֹלְד֧וֹת הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם וְהָאָ֖רֶץ בְּהִבָּֽרְאָ֑ם בְּי֗וֹם עֲשׂ֛וֹת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהִ֖ים אֶ֥רֶץ וְשָׁמָֽיִם׃2:4 Such are the generations of heaven and earth when they were created. When the LORD God prepared earth and heaven.

You can learn the unique elements of this verse in this previous post. Relevant here is the term  'generations' spelled in its full form only in one other verse of the 24 books of Torah - the Book of Ruth, where it refers readers to the Messianic blood line of King David.

Another verse shares an odd grammatical distribution with the Book of Ruth. The word Kaniti is the source of the name Cain. 

וְהָ֣אָדָ֔ם יָדַ֖ע אֶת־חַוָּ֣ה אִשְׁתּ֑וֹ וַתַּ֙הַר֙ וַתֵּ֣לֶד אֶת־קַ֔יִן וַתֹּ֕אמֶר קָנִ֥יתִי אִ֖ישׁ אֶת־יְהֹוָֽה׃ 4:1 Now Adam knew his wife Eve, she conceived and bore Cain, saying, “I have acquired a person with the help of God”

Then, Cain murdered his brother Abel.

Eventually God gifted Abraham the land of Canaan as his rightful inheritance, but that presented challenges. With few relatives and a small household how would Abraham settle his land? What did Abraham do? He reached a peace-pact for the Philistine King and his people to stay in his land including in Aza, that pact was extended to future generations by Abraham's son Isaac. 

Isaac's son Jacob escaped his angry brother, left his fathers land and after 20 years began his return with his wives, 12 children and a large wealth in cattle. His estranged brother Esau encountered him and in a strained conversation about their respective aquisitions, his brother Esau claimed he had everything and didn't need Jacobs gift, Jacob urged him to take it stating he had been blessed with much.

Jacob entered the holy land where he immediately built a house, which he called Succot including shelter for his cattle. Then, his daughter Dina was raped in the nearby fields by landowner Shechem. Jacobs sons Levi and Shimon defended their land and honored their sister in a revenge that eliminated 24000 Shechemites. Jacob was concerned for their regional safety and very disturbed by their act. 

God appeared to Jacob to remind him of the covenant he had made 22 years earlier, before leaving his the land, that on his succesful return he promissed to build The House of God. Essentially saying; Have you forgotten the One who blessed you with your success? Realizing the error of his tardiness, Jacob instructed members of his household to bury the idols and treasures they posessed under a tree near their house (a common practice in ancient times). Unholy idols that Rachel had stolen from her father  and others were now buried in the holy land. 

The family made its way to Beit El, Jerusalem where Jacob attempted to fulfill his belated House of God covenant. But, tt wasn't to be! Within six months of arriving, Jacob's mother, Rebecca, died. The family left Bet El and on the way to her funeral in Hebron, near Bethlehem, Jacob's wife Rachel died giving birth to his 13th child Benjamin. The tragedies continued, Benjamins brother, Joseph was kidnapped, by his older brothers, sold into slavery and all 70 members of their family was exiled to Egypt where Jacob died.

210 years later Moses led more than two millions Israelis out of Egypt toward their land. But, not on the coastal route through Aza, land of the feared Philistines. Instead Israel diverted inland on a journey that took 40 years longer than it could have. Eventually Joshua led Israel into its holy land, immediately they conquered Jericho, but failed to conquer Beit El, Jerusalem. On each attempt the occupants reminded Joshua about the peace-pact Abraham and Isaac had entered with their Philistine descendants permitting them to stay in the land.

The rear-guard tribe, Dan was allotted the coastal land including Aza (today's Gaza, Ashkelon, Ashdod, Bat Yam). The other 11 tribes had already settled their land and failed to assist Dan conquer the powerful Philistines. Samson became the leader of Dan and also the nations senior judge. Singlehandedly he tried to draw attention to Israel's tribal apathy. He travelled to Aza where he tore off the citys' gate, carried it to the graves of Israel's Patriarchs and Matriarchs, in Hebron and pleaded their spiritual help. Sadly his demonstration did not inspire other tribes to help. Dispossessed of their land, some of Dan's tribal leaders established an idolatrous temple opposite the nations temporary sanctuary in Shilo. Samson continued to belittle the Philistines until God afforded him the opportunity to destroy their temple of idolatry and perish along with their leaders and thousands of congregants. 

The Philistines took revenge, they raided Israel's strongest tribes and targeted their holy temple in Shilo. Daringly and brazenly they stole the nations most holy possession, handed down by Moses - The Ark of Israel's Covenant with God! A thousand years after Abraham and Isaac the Philistine peace-pact was shattered! But, Dan and Israel were dispossessed of their land and never returned to conquer Aza. 

After King David arose in Hebron he conquered Jerusalem where he lived alongside the conquered Jebusite King. He recovered the Ark that had been abandonned by the Philistines, unified Israel's tribes and dreamed to fulfil Jacob's mission to build the House of God, but it wasn't to be. Instead, his son Solomon committed Israel to virtual slavery, for 7 years, to fulfill Jacob's House of God mission. Critically, Solomon was more lavish with his ornate palace that it took 12 years to build!

The House of God was finally inaugurated and King Solomon took to the public square to teach his nation the wisdoms of Torah. During Succoth, the most positive, joyous festival, Solomon taught from his book of Ecclesiastes, Kohelet, he opened: Meaningless, meaningless everything in life is meaningless... the acquisitions are meaningless true meaning can only be found when fulfilling the commandments of God's holy Torah. Solomon's House of God and the final Herodian Jewish Temple, in Syria-Palestina, as the Romans had named Israel, were ultimately destroyed.

This year 2023, being 2848 years after Solomon's House of God inauguration, Israel experienced its most rambunctious political and social divisions. People violently protested, vehemently defended their points of view, openly and widely publicized their disdain for each other. The Supreme court ruled against traditional religious practices in public spaces, which gave impetus for some protestors to denigrate Israel's holiest day of the year. On the day following Succot, during the joyous Simchat Torah festival of 5784, (7.10.23), 3 KM east of Aza, hundreds of party revelers naively danced before a giant Buddha juxtaposed were those who elsewhere danced with the nations traditional Torah.

In these tragic hours God closed the final spiritual gates of all Israel's sophisticated defense, border, police, air, ground, sea surveillance systems and the human forces that operate these and protect Israel. He blocked the ears and eyes of the public and caused all of Israel to fall. At the same time the spiritual gates for Hamas operatives to enter and carry out their barbarian savagery were left wide opened. In the right time these events will be disected and analyzed in fine and gory detail. However, for most people that Hamas was not spotted, or thwarted on the fence, in the sky or on ground in the 3KM gap, will remain mysterious, probably inexplicable. Regardless, Israel's resolve and response will usher in a new positive reality for Gaza, Israel and the world. 

We are mostly ignorant of Torah's spiritual realms and mortals dare not tie any to the harsh reality before us. But, our national lows often parallel past events and this horror cannot escape us as we look to the spiritual realms to find meaning and purpose. Please God, soon a King will arise to expound the mysteries and wisdoms of Torah that will motivate us to change our sensitivities, considerations and priorities toward each other and God. Then, Israel will finally be ready to build a befitting House of God for all people. 

 

  

Yes, Gaza Is Aza - End The 4000 Year Curse.

All Jews must prepare for a Holy war that lasts beyond evil Jihad. After Israel bombs more buildings, completes its ground invasion, kills lots of terrorists, rescues as many hostages as it can, buries and grieves its dead, we must ensure it corrects the 4000 year old curse of Aza by immediately securing land and possessing it in Gaza.

This curse relates to Abraham and Isaacs pact with the King of Philistines who attacked their wells, then demanded concessions for peace. Sound familiar? They granted him and his future generations the right to live on the land of Aza.

[Think tribal]: On Israel's return to its land, the tribe of Dan were allotted land that included Aza. The other 11 tribes of Israel, had already settled their land but, they failed to assist Dan conquer its allotment. Disenfranchised and demotivated, Dan's tribal leaders wandered aimlessly often promoting idolatry to other tribes. Then, Samson became a leader of Dan and the nations highest judge. Single handedly he attempted to draw attention to the problem. He went to Aza, ripped the iron gates off the city walls and carried them to the graves of Israel's Patriarchs and Matriarchs in Hebron. Sadly no tribe stepped up to help the tribe of Dan. 

Samson belittled the powerful Philistines until he destroyed their temple of idolatry perishing with their leaders and thousands of congregants. Later, the Philistines raided all of Israel's tribes and stole the nations most holy possession, the Ark of Covenant, from their temple, in Shilo. The peace-pact was shattered a thousand years after Abraham and Isaac. But, Dan and Israel were dispossessed of their land and never returned to Aza. 

Yes, Aza is Gaza. Resurrecting that pact, the Romans named all of Israel Syria Palestina, and the British adopted the Roman resurrection calling it Palestine. On Simchat Torah 5784, of the Hebrew Year, Israel paid a very heavy price. Now, it must break the enemy curse and finally possess Aza. 

ISRAEL MUST NEVER LEAVE GAZA! 

There, Israel must immediately build a Hesder Yeshiva and protect it with everything it’s got. Then, build another and another and another…until holy places of Jewish Torah learning and their communities are secured in all of Gaza. This is how Aza's neighborhoods can begin to be normalized. The plan has been implemented and is working for resilient Jewish communities in The City of David, Silwan, Nazareth elit, Bat Yam, Lud, Jabel MuKabar, Hebron and many other places in Israel. 

Holy Torah is the only weapon Israel has to dispel and resist any misconstrued, Jihad! Israel must not fall into the trap of building fences around empty tracts of land on which Palestinians can be recruited by the next Jihadist terror regime. That would be an invitation for the next disastrous tragedy in years or decades to come. Never again!

A Judicial Reform Rethink.

Jerusalem

Tel Aviv

75 years is but a fleeting moment for indigenous Israel. The complex nation was formally established more than 3300 years ago and its rituals emanate from ancestors a thousand years before that. Following the Holocaust, over the past 75 years, the instinct for survival inspired some communities to adopt extreme practices like religious isolation or secular assimilation. These emotive responses will dissipate to shape a future that is more true to its origin. Trust between those living at the extremes must be restored in order that the democratically elected representatives obtain the confidence of their electorates to govern authoritatively.

Israel is being besieged by an impassioned people intent on determining their destiny. The political crisis of 2018-2022 felled 5 successive coalition governments each time their ill-fated legislative bills exposed a lack of confidence. Finally the 2022/23 Netanyahu government obtained a sufficient majority to confidently pass legislation. The crisis marked a demographic tipping point, a shift to a more religious, conservative constituency that finally produced the robust majority. It also reflects on Israel's more liberal, less religious constituents who face very uncertain futures.

Hopeless liberals must reconsider their approach and support political personalities that adopt new strategies to win their favor, including from religious liberals. Many liberal bastions in foreign countries have been forced to make similar transitions to the center. However, in Israel the new strength of religious constituents is a dimension that has caused liberal leaders, who are less religious, to panic. How will they win votes from the liberal leaning, less religious constituents to marginalize conservative thinking, orthodox traditionalists? 

Israel is wonderful and miraculous, even the less religious would admit to it. Transforming the nation into a cohesive peace-time unit where people can retain strong, independent views and efficiently function side-by-side is the goal of any democratic society. How Israel will make this transformation could be its' biggest miracle of all!

Israel inherited the abandoned British government framework, it was flawed and immature compared to major democracies. Indigenous to Israel is a long forgotten framework that, more than ever, its' liberal constituents will be inspired to acknowledge and adopt to restore hope and resolve their present political impasse. The State comprises a majority traditional and religious people, but separation of 'Church' and State conflicts with its legislated, religious, orthodox implementation of Biblical-Rabbinic law that exposes societal division. American Reform and Liberal (or US Conservative) Jewish communities have also joined the political struggle for a less-religious Israeli state. 

Presently the Electoral College for Rabbinical representations of each Israeli city is an indigenously inspired institution that was bolted on after the formation of the State of Israel. Inherent in its mix of liberal (minded) and conservative Rabbis, of communities, is their potential and desire to earn more authority, from both political sides of the Jewish constituency. Such a representative achievement, through a single religious institution, would enable these representative Rabbis to gain community-wide authority such that adoption or modification of ancient Talmudic interpretations in Jewish and national law may better unite Jewish society in Israel. 

A modern, national extra-judicial body may be favored to represent societal views, establish customs and interpret or approve new laws that bring its indigenous nation up to date and keep it there. Liberal minded politicians and communities will be inspired and find it necessary to embrace indigenous Israel to advance this authority into the political realm. Through liberal leaning religious leadership they would reach new constituents and obtain political clarity that aligns with Israel's ancient system for a common identity. 

With support of liberal and conservative constituents, Mayors of Israel's cities, the Electoral College for City Rabbis and Religious Minster will become motivated and directed to advance these new representatives into the framework for government, perhaps the equivalent of a senate or upper house. 

Historically a similar authority was vested in a Sanhedrin, but for a political body to achieve the extra-judicial authority of Sanhedrin it would require respect and regard of Jews worldwide. The most religious, Hareidim prefer the status quo, rarely do Hareidi Rabbis compete for electoral representation to Israel’s city’s. However, they do participate in general elections and hold numerous powerful seats in the government. Once the institution of City Rabbis progresses from its present benign character to a more substantive arm of government, no doubt the Hareidim will compete for proportional representation. 

If I leaned left and less religious I would embrace the struggle to liberalize orthodoxy, if I leaned right and more religious I would struggle for religious authority. The Electoral College for City Rabbis is the best venue to politically define a modern, balanced religious authority that would be acceptable to world Jewry, through which religious and secular laws of Israel can ultimately converge so that the Sovereignty of Jewish Israel can be guaranteed and all people represented and governed under one body of law for all.

Government Reform Must Break the Status Quo!

In memory of Asher and Yaakov

Conversing with Israeli's about a one or two state solution can be a minefield. Those who want democracy-for-all are conflicted by the nature of Israel's neighbors, autocrats leading parliaments committed to religious ideologies just like the Palestinian Authority. For the past 16 years the major democracies have granted this Authority a no-election free-pass because its leader, Mahmoud Abbas, risks losing power to even more radical ideologists. 

Israel's' democracy-idealists are further conflicted by the fear they may be uprooted from their beloved homeland by a non-Jewish majority in a hypothetical single democratic state. Their concern is presently reflected in the behavior of the Palestinian Authority who will not tolerate Jewish representation in its government.

With no sign of peace the 40 year status quo is untenable and people on both sides continue to loose life in the tit-for-tat war against terror. Israel's romance with a democratic ideal may become intolerable and increasingly to blame for the ongoing loss of life. One must ask whether Israel's democratic idealists have come to accept loss of Jewish life as collateral in much the same way Muslim terrorists embrace their martyrs? 

The modern view of Israel's Jewish historical democracy is nearly always flawed, ignorant of the facts. Its ancient Jewish democracy was always governed by religious elders that comprised the main body of its legal and enforcement authority. Transfer of authority was autocratic through Semicha, or 'Standing' granted by incumbents to new authoritarians. One of today's arguments for judicial reform, by Israel's present government, is that its Justices have embraced authoritarianism, under a democracy that no longer resembles the indigenous framework that once tolerated it. 

Crosslinking risk to homeland, ongoing terror and the democratic ideal uphold the status quo. Like the well known business triangle, you can get something 'cheap' and 'good', but not 'quick', any two, but three cannot be logically connected. As a result Israeli's are begin to conclude that no-risk to homeland and peace is preferable to the foreign democratic ideal. Social and political change is resulting from Israel's seismic demographic shift. Innovative forms of government will ultimately enable Jewish sovereignty over its homeland and security for people in a government framework that moves the status quo toward a better outcome for all.

Israel's Electoral College presently oversees the periodic election of senior Rabbinical leaders from its hundreds of liberal and conservative communities in cities nationwide. With constituent support it can demand and deliver an elected upper house to Israel's Knesset that will yield two important requirements: 1. Ensure Jewish sovereignty in its system of government and 2. Permit the modernization of some of the nations ancient religious laws. In such a case representatives from any ethnic background may be elected to the lower Knesset, but only Rabbinical leaders may be elected to the upper Knesset where they would authorize bills exclusively introduced and drafted by the lower Knesset. 

The novel combination of this hybrid-authoritarian democracy would enable Israel to offer its aliens permanent residency and after qualifying, ultimately citizenship. This would embrace the majority of people trapped by the corrupted autocrats occupying Israel's land from the Shomron to Gaza under the Palestinian Authority and Hamas. Israel would finally be freed from its two-state quagmire and from the double standards of foreign governments and idealists that hold it to account. 

 

 

Israel's Exodus and Egypt's Record Aligns!

The Amarna diplomatic letters exposed vassal relationships between field commanders, acting as local kings and Pharaoh their Egyptian ruler. Commanders of field garrisons, who defended Egyptian territories, sometimes expressed conflicting interests that often triggered a spate of letter writing. Victories, defeats or political turmoil weighed heavily on the writings.

The tablets appear to have been buried with Akhenaten at El Amarna, but they are not the originals, mostly made of clay from areas east of the Jordan River, they are deemed authentic copies. One such letter #254 titled "Neither Rebel nor Delinquent" by Labaya commander of the Samaria region, from Sakmu, the biblical city of Shechem exposed serious allegations against him for having surrendered land to the Habiru (see Deuteronomy 11:30 and Genesis 12:6).  This and the related letters further south at Uru-Salem, biblical Jerusalem discuss battles waged by the Habiru. 

Military correspondence from Canaan also known as Retenju 

Dating and sources of the Amarna letters are thought to span Egyptian Pharaoh's Amenhotep III, Akhenaten, through possibly Smenkhkare or Tutankhamun around 150 years. These Pharaoh's may have overlapped Biblical Hebrew or Israelite presence, enslavement in, exile from Egypt, early Canaanite wars and land resettlement. However, published chronologies have left much open to speculation, here we propose a resolution. The Labaya tablet #254 and others reference Pharaoh in his 32nd year of reign leaving only Amenhotep III who held power for 36-38 years during the Amarna period. According to the classic chronology Amenhotep III died in 1351 BCE.

The Bible describes Israel's 40 year sojourn, before it entered the land of Canaan and Joshua, the Israelite leader is said to have ruled 32 years after that. If there is a Biblical relationship to the Habiru, even if only some were Hebrew Israelite's raiding Canaan then letter #254 must have been written during the overlap of Amenhotep III and Joshua's 32 year reign, which according to the Biblical record ended in 1245 BCE. But, the 100 year gap between Amenhotep III and Joshua would need a resolution.

Prince Thutmose, the eldest son of Amenhotep III died in the third decade of his fathers reign. Stepping in, his younger brother Amenhotep IV (also known as Akhenaten) became the "strange" Pharaoh as depicted in uncharacteristically abstract art from his reign. From evidence at Amarna we know the mummified elite of Egypt had a poor state of health despite opposite representations reflected in artwork of the time. Amarna depicts how distance enabled diplomatic façade, appearance of control and power, yet reality was always different. For Akhenaten losing control of Retjenu (Canaan) may have been his diplomatic inheritance and artistic downfall.

From evidence toward the end of the 13th century BCE, Papyrus Anastasi III, Merneptah Stele (1203 BCE), Egyptian late bronze age temple at Jerusalem's École biblique and tombs north and north-west of Jerusalem's Mount Moriah we learn about a prolonged Egyptian commitment and interest in Canaan during the approximately 250 years of military activity from Amenhotep III to Merneptah. In addition to strategic and regional benefits, a long term commitment to Canaan may have been etched in the psyche of Egyptian leaders by Egypt's founder and first Pharaoh Khem. According to the Biblical record Khem (Biblical Ham) may have incestuously fathered Canaan. The place name Canaan is common in Egyptian and Biblical records.

This most tumultuous military period directly overlaps Israelite tribes who were displacing local Canaanite leaders and populations, long connected with Egypt, as they settled their indigenous land and entitlements east and west of the Jordan River. This re-settlement spanned a period of 300 years from Joshua until King David culminating the Israelite inheritance consistent with biblical teachings and tribal agreements.

In one letter, Adoni-Tzedek pleaded to convince Akhenaten to take the faster coastal route to rescue the dire situation in Jerusalem. And a letter, early in the reign of Akhenaten showed that the coast road was still open (pg278) when King Dusratta (Mitanni Empire) wrote to his son-in-law Akhenaten twenty years later, but no help appears to have been sent. If letter #254 describes the Biblical events that took place in 1273 BCE, at the beginning of Joshua's reign the Egyptian chronology immediately prior to the Amarna period would have to be revised forward by around ~100 years, which would be difficult for classical Egyptologists to digest. Joshua must then have overlapped Amenhotep III and Akhenaten, which if we wind back 40 years, would make Thutmose IV the prime candidate at the time of the Israelite Exodus led by Moses. 

Even though the lower Galilee was, for some few years subdued, under Philistia and Syria it was reconquered by Rameses II, whose battle relief also mentions "Shalem" (Jerusalem), but historians reveal that neither he or his garrisons ever entered the Judæan mountains that were impassable for chariots, their supreme weapon of war. Seemingly, Jerusalem had been abandoned by Rameses II as well.

The events placed in these time frames may help us to better understand events that pre-dated Moses when "Pithom and Rameses", Egyptian cities built by Israelite slaves, may have underwritten the economic and political impetus that promoted the "House of Rameses" to compete for and obtain the status of Pharaoh over all of Egypt. However, by the time Rameses I and II became Pharaoh's it was already the latter half of Israel's 300 year resettlement of Canaan as recorded in The Book of Judges.

Often overlooked is the earliest recorded use of the Hebrew language by Ever (great-grandson of Noah) preceding Biblical Abraham, whose father, Terach and extended families continued to live in Haran, northern Syria. They were also likely referred to as Habiru, but their various lineages were not Israelite. Regardless, the Habiru referred in the Amarna letters are almost certainly those Israelites who arrived from Egypt to conquer and re-settle Canaan.

 

Dueling Altars in Time and Place.

One of the most confusing sections in the entire 24 books of Torah (1 Kings 13:1) describes the account of the man of God from Yehuda who arrived as the altar was dedicated by King Yerovam (Jeroboam) in BeitEl - Shomron. King Yerovam had capitalized on King Solomon's opulence, its burden on taxpayers, which he used to revitalize a lingering grievance between the tribes of Yehuda and Yosef about the location of Solomon’s Jerusalem Temple. After Solomon, Yerovam completed his successful coup and split the entire nation. Then, he reintroduced a form of nationalized, idolatry using golden calves. His success confused many that grappled God’s intent.

The man of God from Yehuda arrived at the dedication, interrupted proceedings and directed his prophecy to the altar proclaiming it would be destroyed in the future by a man born to the House of David (of the tribe Yehuda) named Yoshiahu. Then, he paralyzed the right hand of a crazed King Yerovam and released it before he returned along a different path. On his way he was intercepted by an old prophet who had not joined Yerovams entourage that day. The old prophet challenged and convinced the man of God to break the oath he took when accepting God's mission to deliver the prophecy. On his return, the man of God was mauled by a lion who sat by the side of the road with a donkey. The old prophet sent his sons to recover the body and instructed it be buried in his grave, which he proclaimed he would share with the man of God.

Some three hundred years later (2 Kings 22:1) King Yoshiahu rid Israel of idolatrous objects and realized the man of God’s prophecy by destroying the altar in BeitEl. Seems simple at first, but the detailed time and place descriptions that span Kings one and two are separated by 300 years and the places these verses speak of span the tribal territory of Yehuda and Yosef (Ephraim) separated by the territory of Binyamin.

Consider this pre-requisite information about the altar of akeida, the place Abraham bound and offered his son Isaac. Rambam, the famous Maimonides states: “The altar is [to be constructed] in a very precise location, which may never be changed, as it is said (I Chronicles 22:1 [by David]): "This is the altar for the burnt-offerings of Israel." David’s conclusion or Rambam’s insistence that “universally” accepted tradition does not suffice for the Jewish law stringency akeida imposes on the precise location required for the third temple’s altar.

The prefix ‘Ha’ of the word ‘Ha’Makom (הַמָּק֔וֹם) is unique as to “The Place”, generally ‘The’ place of God’s resting presence. The word is never used to describe Yerovams altar in BeitEl in Shomron. However, it is extensively used to describe locations associated with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob especially at Mount Moriah. It is therefore a universally accepted tradition that HaMakom, used in Torah verses to do with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob more often associate with Mount Moriah including Shalem of Malchitzedek, akeida, BeitEl and Luz.

In the text of 2 Kings 23:4 Yoshiahu ordered the High Priest to remove objects of idolatry from the temple, in Jerusalem, which the High Priest, burned in the Kidron valley (in Jerusalem) before depositing the ashes at BeitEl in Jerusalem. Then, the eradication of idolatrous objects continued in and around Jerusalem and Yehuda until 23:14. At 23:15 - “And also the altar that was at BethEl…” in Shomron, of Yerovam, “also that altar” he destroyed. At Yerovams BethEl the prophecy of the man of God came true. But, here it was King Yoshiyahu who did the destruction not the High Priest, because  human bones were used to defile the altar and that precluded the High Priest.

Three hundred years before the man of God incident, before the book of Kings toward the end of Joshua’s reign Judges 1:8-15 briefly states Judah conquered Jerusalem, 1:20-21 states Benjamin did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem and 1:22-26 declares the house of Joseph smote Beit El, which was Luz. Therefore, Judges declares a northern (Benjamin) and southern (Judah) Jerusalem (since the city ran in a north south direction) - this is not controversial. However that Joseph smote BeitEl, which was Luz contradicts Judah conquering the southern section of Mount Moriah synonymous with Jerusalem at the time. This may be the first hint of competition between Joseph and Judah over the location of the temple Solomon would eventually build.

2 Kings 23:4 is the only specific reference to BeitEl being in Jerusalem. It leaves little ambiguity about its proximity to Jerusalem and the Kidron valley and is directly supported by archaeology discovered in the area. The BeitEl of Jacob and the Bethel of Yerovam are different places that are deeply convoluted by competition and grievance that have long distorted facts. Perhaps that time is coming to an end.