"God, Israel, and Shiloh" is a gripping biblical and historical saga about the Land of Israel and the Jewish people. After reading this book, you will gain a new understanding of both the religious and political perspectives of the Jewish people who live in the Biblical heartland of Israel. Learn who the "settlers" are. Learn where and what is the "West Bank." Learn the truth about the people who are often referred to as "the chosen people" and how it is that Israel is a nation struggling with its destiny to be "a light unto the nations." "God, Israel, and Shiloh" is written with moving personal stories, psychological insights, and compelling political commentary. This book is about faith and struggle, Judaism and Zionism woven around the special sacred site of Shiloh, then and now. Shiloh was the home and spiritual center for many great biblical personalities, including Joshua, Hannah, and Samuel the Prophet, who appointed the first Kings of Israel, Saul and David. The author, David Rubin, writes about the heroic families living in and rebuilding the biblical heartland of Israel, despite the obstacles in their path and tells his personal story of a miraculous survival from the bullets of terrorism.

To get the full benefit of reading the Bible, you need to understand (1) spatial and geographical features that shape the text, (2) the history of the Jewish people, (3) the Israelite and Greco-Roman cultures, and (4) the religious beliefs of the ancient writers. As Marc Turnage takes you on a virtual tour of the Holy Lands, you'll see Bible events in a fresh new way.

"A masterpiece of contemporary Bible translation and commentary."—Los Angeles Times Book Review, Best Books of 1999 Acclaimed for its masterful new translation and insightful commentary, The David Story is a fresh, vivid rendition of one of the great works in Western literature. Robert Alter's brilliant translation gives us David, the beautiful, musical hero who slays Goliath and, through his struggles with Saul, advances to the kingship of Israel. But this David is also fully human: an ambitious, calculating man who navigates his life's course with a flawed moral vision. The consequences for him, his family, and his nation are tragic and bloody. Historical personage and full-blooded imagining, David is the creation of a literary artist comparable to the Shakespeare of the history plays.

In the Old Testament, God revealed himself to people in particular places so they might communicate with him and worship him. Unlike pagan deities, who were connected to the created world, God’s worshipers had to rely on him to reveal himself. Communication could be difficult, but God made it possible through places such as Bethel, Shiloh, and the tabernacle. In the New Testament, Jesus takes these categories and applies them to himself, showing that he alone is the access to God. Subsequently, the Holy Spirit comes and gives believers unprecedented access to God, making them connecting points between God and the world. Go Now to Shiloh by Old Testament scholar and professor Blake Hearson explores the challenges believers have faced over the centuries when communicating with God and shows what an immense gift we have as New Testament believers.

When we think about the House of God, we usually think about the Temple in Jerusalem. However, long before the foundations of the Temple were laid, God's Tabernacle was established in the city of Shiloh, in the hill country of the Tribe of Ephraim, a central place in the life of the people. Here, in the Tabernacle of Shiloh, the story of Hannah takes place, the story of a woman who wants to be a mother more than anything. God responds by blessing her with a son, whom she names Samuel. He grows up to be a prophet (seer) and leader of the nation of Israel. Her baby boy grows up to anoint the first king of Israel -- and to find the young man whose progeny will be God's chosen forever, David. In the era of the conquest of the land of Canaan and the period of the Judges, starting around 1200 BC, long before the establishment of the monarchy, Shiloh, in southern Samaria, served as a spiritual and administrative center for the Twelve Tribes of Israel. Here the Tabernacle stood, said to have been built by Joshua son of Nun, with the Ark of the Covenant at its center. Serving as priests in Shiloh's later days were Eli and his two sons. We know this from the story of Hannah and her husband Elkanah, with whom the Book of Samuel opens. However, the Tabernacle's days were numbered. At the time, there was a bitter conflict ongoing between the Israelites and the coastal nation known as the Philistines. Around 1050 BC, the Battle of Ebenezer took place, to the west of Shiloh. The Philistines won a tremendous victory. The Ark of the Covenant, which had been taken out to the battlefield following the custom of the time, was captured by the Philistines. Chapter Four of the First Book of Samuel tells us that Eli the High Priest, upon hearing the news of the horrible Israelite defeat, fell from his chair, shattered his spine and died. The Philistines then destroyed Shiloh and burnt it to the ground. Half a millennium later, the event was still remembered as a heartbreaking catastrophe, as the priest and prophet Jeremiah describes it (7:12): "Go now to the place in Shiloh where I first made a dwelling for my Name, and see what I did to it because of the wickedness of my people Israel."The Battle of Ebenezer spelled the end of Shiloh's capital status. Though it was rebuilt and restored during the period of the monarchy, it never reclaimed that level of national prominence. Archeological remains at the site tell us that in the Hellenistic, Roman, Byzantine and early Arab periods, there were, at various points, Jewish, Christian and Muslim settlements. Shiloh also appears in the famous 6th-cenutry Madaba Mosaic Map. In the Byzantine Era, a church and a basilica were built there; in the Arab Era, a mosque. The later construction damaged the sooty remains of biblical Shiloh. In the 14th century, the traveler Ashtori ha-Parḥi described discovering Shiloh in ruins. Tel Shiloh was excavated and surveyed throughout the 20th century - initially by a Danish team, later by researchers from Bar-Ilan University. Israelite Shiloh was built in the 12th century BC, but even in the preceding centuries, the area was settled. Archeological discoveries reveal earlier strata. In these excavations, remnants of structures destroyed by fire have been uncovered - dramatic testimony to the great conflagration resulting from the defeat at Ebenezer. Many ritual objects, which indicate pilgrimage and sacrificial service, have been found at the site.In 2013, a visitors' center was built at Shiloh, with the aim of informing the public about the importance of the site in Jewish history. This tourist site was built by contributions and sponsored by the Benjamin Regional Council. At the top of the tel is a captivating light-and-sound show that vividly re-enacts life in the days of the Tabernacle at Shiloh - from its founding by Joshua, through the story of Hannah, to the war with the Philistines - using innovative multimedia technology, the first of its kind in Israel.

Shilohs Scepter was to leave my descendants a clear, unequivocal message of hope and truth pointing them to the God who has sustained and blessed me since I was nine years old. A great challenge in this modern computer age is finding a way to peak peoples curiosity, especially young people, about what a centuries-old book has to say. I have struggled to present many of the basic biblical truths in an easy-to-read format interesting to all ages. In these pages you can find the basis for the confident beliefs and strong convictions responsible for shaping the essence of my being and guiding my choices in life. Many of the key themes of the Christian life are addressed in the thirty-nine chapters. These include the way to salvation, coping with sin, spiritual growth and responsibility, church life, prayer, faith, anxiety, happiness, depression, materialism, old age, death, and heaven. If you own a Bible, you hold in your hand the very same scepter our Lord so deftly wielded against the enemy when tempted in the wilderness. This kingly wand, an awesome weapon and incomparable guide, will protect you from the evil one and keep you safe on your journey through life. But importantly, you must learn how to use the Word for it to be effective. Results achieved are commensurate with how well your powerful blade is brandished. If you find the time to read this book and it improves your Bible skills in any significant way, then my countless hours of writing will have been well spent. May these pages lead you humbly to the feet of Christ, enlighten your spiritual understanding, and challenge your commitment to Christian service!