German edition available on-line
Contents
To Grasp the Hand...
"It takes two to tango" is a truism frequently invoked in situations where
cooperation or reciprocity is an essential element. We hear and read of it
in discussions about the Middle East peace process. References to it are
made in connection with a relatively new mathematical science known as Game
Theory. And, surely, it is applicable to a subject that has loomed large in
the pages of this journal: Christian-Jewish relations.
In particular, we submit that the major effort that has been launched by the
Christian Churches, over the past 30 - 40 years, to "make straight what had
been crooked" in Church policy and attitudes towards Judaism and the Jewish
people must find an appropriate echo on the Jewish side if it is to bear
long-term fruit.
A case in point is the proposal made about 18 months ago by Cardinal Edward
Cassidy, the head of the Vatican's Commission on Religious Relations with
the Jews, that a joint Catholic-Jewish team investigate the 11 volumes of
documentation compiled by a papal commission appointed in 1965 by Pope Paul
VI to examine the Vatican's World War II archives relating to the Shoah and
the role of Pope Pius XII in dealing with that phenomenon.
Seymour Reich, the new chairman of the International Jewish Committee for
Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC), says that the absence of a Jewish
response, so far, to Cardinal Cassidy's proposal is due only to the fact
that IJCIC is still in the process of organizing a team of Jewish scholars
to undertake that research project with the Vatican.
It is to be hoped that this process will indeed be completed in the not too
distant future, so that no one will be able to charge the Jewish side, in
this instance, with failing to grasp the Church's outstretched hand in what
all agree is a sensitive and difficult issue for all concerned.
Campaign by Christian Embassy to Counter Boycott of Israel
Johann Lückhoff
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Dr. Johann Lückhoff, the Executive Director of the International
Christian Embassy Jerusalem (ICEJ) on September 28 announced a global effort
to counter Arab boycott actions against Israel.
Speaking at a news conference in Jerusalem, where 5,000 Christians from
nearly 100 countries the world over had gathered for the Embassy's 20th
annual Tabernacles Feast, Luckhoff said that "there is real anger among our
participants this year: Just when Arabs and Israelis seem to be bridging the
very difficult gaps between them, a few small Arab pressure groups decide to
attack Jerusalem. It is absurd and unacceptable."
Lückhoff noted recent renewed Arab boycott pressures against the Israeli
exhibit in Florida's Epcot Center and against the Burger King branch in the
Jerusalem suburb of Ma'aleh Adumim. "At a time when peace is the goal," he
said, "malicious economic boycotts serve the interests only of those who
oppose peace - the terrorists and the radicals."
"We feel that the time has come to act," Lückhoff stated. "We call on our
representatives and supporters in over 120 countries to monitor every
expression of Arab boycott. Once apprised of such developments, we will
decide on effective counter-measures. The influence of Christians consumers
far outweighs that of tiny Arab agitation groups - and it will be felt
everywhere."
Millennium Message
In a statement issued by the ICEJ the same day, this year's Tabernacles
celebration was hailed as "an exceptional opportunity for Israel's leaders
to reach out through us to the entire Christian world with the message that
Israel is ready to welcome all who share our faith on the eve of the new
millennium. We deeply appreciate Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert coming to
deliver just such a stirring invitation last night."
In another part of the capital, meanwhile, some one thousand of these
"sharers of the faith" held a series of praise-and-worship meetings, during
Tabernacles week, under the sponsorship of the newly formed International
Christian Zionist Center.
Millennium Invitation From Mayor Olmert
Mayor Olmert
Two Israeli girls among tens of thousands of Jerusalemites who cheered Christian marchers from many lands on fourth day of Tabernacles Feast.
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Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert on September 27 issued a warm invitation to
Christians the world over to come to Jerusalem next year to join in the
celebrations marking the advent of the new millennium.
Addressing a gathering of 5,000 Christians who had come to participate in
this year's Feast of Tabernacles festivities, the 20th to be organized in
Israel's capital by the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, Mayor
Olmert said:
Jerusalem is the city of God, and God wanted Jerusalem to be our capital,
and He gave King David the power, the strength, the vision, the inspiration
to make Jerusalem the united capital of the people of Israel for ever and
ever.
This year is an extraordinary year: It is a special year, the like of which
we have never had before and we may never have again. This is the last year
before the end of a millennium and the beginning of a new one, and I already
am excited when I think of how this Feast will be next year. What a Feast it
will be! I think - I don't know for sure but I feel very strongly, and I am
sure many of you do too - that God wants you to be here next year with
enormous presence, enormous power, enormous love, enormous emotion for this
extraordinary year, the year 2000, here in Jerusalem!
Banks to Grant Reductions
Banks in Mediterranean countries will be granting reductions for visits to
holy sites in Israel, the daily newspaper Ha'aretz reported on June 20. At
its annual conference, held in Tunis, the Banking Association of
Mediterranean Countries (MBN) decided to carry out joint marketing
initiatives, involving reductions and special benefits, for clients of all
the member banks intending to make pilgrimages to holy sites in Israel.
The MBN was established in 1996 to encourage commercial activity and
investments among the member states, to strengthen their information
infrastructure and to promote inter-bank and other business connections with
third countries in the Mediterranean region.
Israel was represented at the conference by Dr. Amnon Goldschmidt, Senior
Deputy Director-General of the Discount Bank Union.
No 'Us' and 'Them'
The Roll-Call of Nations was reminiscent of any global gathering, except
that here there was no sense of the nationalist-chauvinist "us" and "them,"
because they were all One. The brotherly spirit was real. Americans cheered
the Chinese, the British and French cheered each other, and in this
Christian microcosm the Israelis were absolutely beloved....
I could give you 99 guesses and you wouldn't hit on which was the largest
delegation, with over 600 pilgrims. Hint: Their country officially hates
us.... Indonesia!
(Sam Orbaum, writing in The Jerusalem Post, Sept. 27, 1999)
900 Christian Leaders at Millennium Conference
Some 900 Christian clergymen and community leaders from 54 countries, among
them 40 Archbishops and 10 Cardinals, attended a week-long conference in
Israel at the end of June. The conference was organized by the Vatican's
official travel company, Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi, and "Israel 2000," with
the aim of "preparing the clergy, spiritually and intellectually, for the
millennium."
Waterborne Mass
Participants visited Christian holy sites in Jerusalem, Nazareth, Tiberias
and the area around the Sea of Galilee - as well as Bethlehem and Jericho,
in the Palestinian Authority, and the baptismal site at Qasr al-Yehud, which
was opened specially for them.
Also in the program were prayer services, including a waterborne Mass on the
Sea of Galilee, a candle procession in Nazareth, a special prayer service at
Capernaum, on the northern shore of the Sea of Galilee, and meetings with
then-Tourism Minister Moshe Katsav, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert, Nazareth
Mayor Ramez Jerasi and other officials involved in the Israel 2000
project.
'Return to the Sources'
The gathering was the fourth of its kind since 1995 (earlier pre-millennium
conferences had been held in Portugal, Cote d'Ivoire and Mexico). The fifth
and final one is to take place next year in Rome.
Msgr. Anthony McDade, a spokesman for the group, called this year's event "a
return to the sources of Christianity."
Good News: There Is Still Room at the Inn
Israel's capital, Jerusalem, will be the central destination on the tourist
map in the year 2000, Jerusalem Mayor Ehud Olmert told reporters at a news
conference on August 29. The number of visitors, he added, will greatly
exceed the projected 2½ - 3 million. Nevertheless, the Mayor emphasized,
hotel rooms are still available for next year, notwithstanding the fact that
prices have not been raised. Altogether, counting rooms in boarding houses,
there are 13,400 rooms in Jerusalem. Visitors to the city stay, on average,
3-4 nights.
The city's most illustrious guest will be Pope John Paul II, scheduled to
arrive in the last week of March. Mayor Olmert anticipates that millions of
Christian pilgrims travelling to Rome will follow in the pontiff's footsteps
to Jerusalem.
The Municipality and the Israeli government have so far expended some $13.5
million in improving the physical infrastructure around tourist sites -
building highways, paving roads, enhancing street lighting and putting up
signposts.
Moreover, the municipal administration is working closely with
representatives of the 42 Christian denominations in the capital, to ensure
access to religious sites in the area.
Coventry 'Cross of Nails' Presented To Ecumenical Theological Fraternity
Fr. Marcel Dubois (r.) receiving Cross of Nails from Rev. Canon Andrew White, as Rev. Petra Heldt looks on.
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At an impressive ceremony held on June 17 at the Ratisbonne Institute in
Jerusalem, and in the presence of local Christian and Jewish personalities,
the Coventry Cross of Nails was presented to the Ecumenical Theological
Fraternity in Israel. The Cross was received, on the Fraternity's behalf, by
its Executive Secretary, Rev. Petra Heldt.
In making the presentation, Rev. Canon Andrew White, Director of the
International Ministry of Coventry Cathedral, noted "the outstanding work
being done by the Ecumenical Theological Research Fraternity in Israel in
the field of reconciliation." Canon White is also a member of the Presidium
of the International Council of Christians and Jews.
'Just Do It!'
Canon William Broughton, the Fraternity's President, thanked Canon White for
the honor he had bestowed upon the Fraternity. Whatever success its members
may have had, Canon Broughton averred, must be attributed to their ability -
and will - to translate theory into practice. "If you are going to speak the
language of reconciliation," he said, "you must do it."
Three other ecclesiastical dignitaries received the Cross of Nails on this
auspicious occasion: One was Father Marcel Dubois, a Dominican priest,
former head of the Hebrew University's Philosophy Department, a recipient of
the Israel Prize - and frequently referred to as "the elder statesman of
Jewish-Christian relations;" the other two were members of Canon White's
delegation from the United Kingdom - Bishop Peter Price, Bishop of Kingston,
and Canon Patrick Sookhdeo, Director of the Barnabas Fund's Servants
Fellowship International.
The group's visit in Israel was sponsored by the Anglo-Israel
Association.
From the Ashes of Coventry
On November 14, 1940, the famed Cathedral of Coventry was destroyed by fire,
together with much of the city itself, as the result of a saturation bombing
raid by the Nazi air force. Among the few remaining relics of that ancient
house of worship were a number of large nails dating back to medieval times,
and these were fashioned into crosses that came to be known as "the Cross of
Nails."
In 1962, the Cathedral was rebuilt and, in the course of time, came to
incorporate an International Ministry dedicated to the cause of
reconciliation - between England and Germany, between Christians and Jews,
and wherever there was need for reconciliation and healing.
Centers of Reconciliation have been established in Germany, in the United
States and in countries the world over.
BOOKS: Pilgrimage in a New Millennium
Spiritual Reflections from Christians and Jews in the Holy Land With
Millennial Messages from the Vatican
On this page we present a few brief selections from articles appearing in a
48-page booklet by this name published earlier this year by the
Interreligious Coordinating Council in Israel and the Israel Ministry of
Tourism.
His Holiness Pope John Paul II:
"The Great Jubilee ... will have, as it were, two centers: the City where
Providence chose to place the See of the Successor of Peter - and, on the
other hand, the Holy Land where the Son of God was born as a man... With
equal dignity and significance, therefore, the Jubilee will be celebrated
not only in Rome but also in the Land which is rightly called Holy, because
it was there that Jesus was born and died. That Land is the place where God
revealed Himself to humanity. It is the Promised Land which so marked the
history of the Jewish People, and is revered by the followers of Islam as
well."
(From Incarnationis Mysterium, Bull of Indiction of the Great Jubilee of the
Year 2000, November 29, 1998)
H.E. Msgr. Liberio Andreatta, Managing Director and Director General of
Opera Romana Pellegrinaggi:
"The pilgrimage to the Holy Land takes place in the ambit wherein God makes
known His revelations to mankind, and it must be seen in the context of the
chosen people who are pilgrim people: Their God is not tied to any one place
but always walks with His servant (viz. Gen. 17:1)."
(Msgr. Andreatta is the Vatican Jubilee Welcoming Committee Delegate in
charge of relations with regional and international Jubilee Committees.)
H.E. Kamal-Hanna Bathish, Latin Auxiliary Bishop, Vicar General of
Jerusalem:
"We Christians look forward to the beginning of the new millennium as a
golden opportunity for a new beginning, a better world and a better life.
... God has chosen Jerusalem to be the city of God and of redemption
for the whole of humanity - through Christ's cross for the Christians; the
Holy City of worship for Jews; and the direction and symbol of prayer for
Muslims. From the city of love, of worship in spirit and in truth, which for
so many decades has so anxiously longed for peace, we call on the whole
world: Let us begin, in Jerusalem, to unite our efforts and build, in good
harmony and understanding, in deeply rooted peace and solidarity, the new
society which will prepare us for a peaceful entry to a bright and
prosperous third millennium!"
(From an address by Bishop Bathish at a seminar held at Notre Dame in
Jerusalem, December 9, 1998)
Brother Elio Passeto, Vice Rector, Ratisbonne Christian Center of Jewish
Studies:
"What should Christians at the turn of the millennium do? First, they should
come on pilgrimage to the Holy Land, to experience life in present-day
Jewish society and discover the living faith of the Jewish people, who
continue to preserve the fundamental values of the faith lived by Jesus.
Here in Israel, or anywhere else where Christians are engaged in serious
study, we should seek to understand how the Jewish masters understood their
own tradition; we should try to study the original Hebrew texts and not only
translations; we should experience and participate in the rich tradition of
discourse and debate that is part of Jewish culture. In these ways, we can
begin to fathom the meaning of belonging to the Jewish tradition and deepen
our awareness that we, as Christians, are part of God's plan for God's
people."
(Brother Passeto is a member of the Congregation of Notre Dame of Sion.)
Dr. Sidney DeWaal, President, Jerusalem University College:
"Christian pilgrimage is ultimately the search for places where one can
touch the Jesus story. The Christian Bible includes both the Tanach (Old
Testament) and the New Testament, and for Christians, the New Testament
makes no sense without its predecessor. The connection between the two parts
of the Christian Bible becomes even more apparent in the land where they
both took place. This is illustrated quite remarkably by two stories with
the same theme. In the first, Elisha raises the son of the woman of Shunem
from the dead. In the second story, Jesus raises the son of the widow of
Nain from the dead. The first story is in the earlier Testament; the second
is in the latter. In my pilgrimage, I discovered that Shunem was located on
the southwest slope of the hill of Moreh, near Mount Tabor - and that Nain
was located on the northwest slope of the same hill, about one kilometer
away. This physical proximity amplifies the significance of, and connection
between, the two stories.... Through connections like this, Christian
pilgrims who explore the stories of the Bible and the physical sites of
their occurrence discover the unity of the Scriptures and the mystery of
God's presence in history."
(Dr. DeWaal is Chancellor of the International Council for Higher
Education and Chairperson of the Board of the Jerusalem International
YMCA.)
Rev. Petra Heldt, Executive Secretary, Ecumenical Theological Research
Fraternity in Israel:
"From the first to the third millennium, the nature of pilgrimage to
Jerusalem has been changed by two major factors. The first is the airplane.
The adventurous ship-horse-camel-foot saga of the first millennium has been
replaced by the e-mail order of an airplane ticket. Yet the direction
remains the same: no change. The second factor is a rebuilt Jerusalem. Jews
are hosting Christians in the third Jewish commonwealth ... Jerusalem? It
is God's reality made tangible: always the same, never changing. But what
about the rebuilt Jerusalem? The returning pilgrim may have the answer: The
more it changes, the more it remains the same."
(Rev. Heldt is a member of the Editorial Board of Christians and Israel.)
Clarence H. Wagner, Jr., International Director, Bridges for Peace,
Jerusalem:
"Visiting Israel, one experiences 'the Living Bible;' one's faith is removed
from the realm of philosophy to face the reality that God is alive and well
and is acting out a living drama on a very real stage.... For the year
2000, extra effort is being made on behalf of visitors. The government of
Israel and a host of Christian communities and organizations are working
together to make this millennial season special: Many wonderful programs
have been planned, pilgrim sites have been developed and improved and extra
services - including hotels, transportation and guides - have been readied
for a major influx of Christians who desire to 'come up to Zion' and become
a part of history and biblical prophecy."
(Mr. Wagner is a member of the Editorial Board of Christians and
Israel.)
Rabbi David Rosen, Director, Israel Office, Anti-Defamation League:
"One of the most important fruits of the 1993 Fundamental Agreement between
the Holy See and the State of Israel was the beginning of increased
discovery within Israeli society of changes in the Christian world....
Thus, the millions of Christian pilgrims who will be visiting Israel in the
coming years will arrive at a watershed in Israeli-Jewish discovery of
contemporary Christian teachings and attitudes. This will present a golden
opportunity for enhancing mutual understanding and forging new
relationships.... Not least of all, such pilgrimage provides an unmatched
opportunity for Christians to genuinely take up the call of so many churches
in our time, not only to learn about and appreciate the Jewish roots of
Christianity, but also ... to discover contemporary Judaism, which is
inextricably bound up with the land of Israel."
(Rabbi Rosen is the ADL's co-liaison to the Vatican as well as President of
the International Council of Christians and Jews.)
Daniel Rossing, former Director, Melitz Center for Christian Encounter with
Israel:
"To truly enter Jerusalem is to leave the alluring arena of either-or
dichotomies and embrace the sometimes frustrating but always rewarding realm
of both-and dilemmas. Zion, like Zionism, is the challenge of living in the
creative tension of 'the between.'... One facet of 'the between'...
concerns the issue of minority and majority status and roles in Jerusalem.
On the surface it would seem that the traditional roles have been reversed:
In the local setting of Jerusalem, Jews have suddenly become the majority
vis--vis Christian and Muslim minorities. But the reality is more complex,
because we live simultaneously in multiple contexts - local, regional and
international. As a Jew, I am the majority in the local context, but at the
same moment I am a tiny minority in the regional and international contexts,
struggling for national liberation and seeking the recognition and
acceptance that were denied me for 2,000 years, and that are still not given
easily by either the Muslim majority in the Middle East or by some segments
of the Christian majorities in the West. The Muslim in Jerusalem is highly
conscious of being part and parcel of the dominant majority in the region,
and this majority consciousness makes all the more difficult the Muslim's
struggle with the sometimes harsh realities of being a minority in the local
context of Jerusalem. The different Christian communities are tiny
minorities in Jerusalem, collectively constituting less than three percent
of the total population. But in varying degrees they are conscious of, and
draw strength from, their links with large Christian majorities in the West.
Each group is thus both a minority and a majority, both powerless and
empowered, at one and the same moment. This facet of 'the between' presents
us with a unique situation and an urgent challenge."
(Mr. Rossing, a Jewish educator in Jerusalem, served for 14 years as
Director of the Department for Christian Communities in Israel's Ministry of
Religious Affairs.)
Series of Guides to Christian Sites
Yad Izhak Ben-Zvi has published two guides to Christian holy sites in
Jerusalem, in anticipation of the year 2000 tourist influx. The 29-page
color pamphlets on the Mount of Olives and the Church of the Holy Sepulcher
are the first in a series of guides entitled Holy Land Revealed, written
by Dr. Sara Kochav.
Seminar Consensus: Y2K 'Crazies' - Tiny Minority
At a seminar in memory of the late Dr. M. Bernard Resnikoff last June,
Christian and Jewish speakers addressed the question of "Extremism and the
Millennium in Jerusalem." Held on the premises of the Jerusalem Office of
the American Jewish Committee (AJC), the seminar was co-sponsored by the
AJC, Bridges for Peace and the Ecumenical Theological Research
Fraternity in Israel (ETRFI).
Historical and contemporary Christian perspectives were presented,
respectively, by Msgr. Dr. Richard Mathes, the Holy See's Cultural Attache
in Israel, and by Mr. Clarence Wagner, International Director of Bridges for
Peace. The Israeli Jewish perspective was offered by Mr. Michael Weil,
Managing Director of the public relations firm, Megama. Rev. Petra Heldt,
the ETRFI's Executive Secretary, eulogized Dr. Resnikoff - "a man who cared,
who loved people" and who "is still with us, leading us." She expressed the
hope that those of us who are engaged, as he was, in the Jewish-Christian
dialogue "will have the courage, the vision and the faith to continue
Bernie's mission."
Common Denominators
On three points all the speakers agreed:
1. Between three and four million visitors are expected in Israel next
year - or about twice the usual number.
2. This mass influx of tourists, most of them Christian pilgrims, will
offer a rare opportunity for mutual outreach - especially for teaching
Christians about Judaism.
3. Only a tiny minority of the pilgrims are likely to be extremists of
one kind or another. The Israeli authorities did well, earlier this year, to
deport a Denver-based group of avowed cultists who had come to Israel with
sinister plans for the year 2000; their swift deportation should serve as a
timely signal to other groups harboring similar designs.
The Catholic Church, Dr. Richard Mathes said, disassociates itself from such
Fundamentalist dogmas as Chiliasm, which Dr. Mathes described as a kind of
"doomsday theology" or "millennium fever." The Apocalyptic literature of the
first century - the literal interpretation of which lies at the root of
Chiliasm - should instead be understood as an attempt to bring comfort and
consolation to a troubled and persecuted people. "It's a message," he said,
"like the Midrash." As for the turn of the millennium, "it's like a
birthday: You thank God for the gifts of the past - and you look to the
future, praying for good health, making resolutions for the coming year and
so on." He called on the adherents of other faiths to "come and share this
celebration with us!"
Mr. Clarence Wagner drew an interesting distinction between the use of
the term "millennium" in its chronological as opposed to its theological
context. The event we are about to celebrate is simply the advent of the
third millennium since the birth of Jesus: a matter of chronology - a
special birthday, if you will. Then there is the theological aspect: The
Millennium (with a capital M), having reference to the return of Jesus and
his thousand- year reign upon earth. We do not know when this Millennium -
this 1,000-year reign - will commence. Thus the fears of some Jews that
"Christians will turn against the Jews if Jesus does not return in the year
2000" are unfounded.
According to Mr. Michael Weil, one reason that the prospect of significant
militant activity on the part of religious or quasi-religious individuals or
groups in the coming year is minimal may be seen in the fact that, to the
extent that such threats exist, they tend to emanate from the Protestant
camp (or, as Mr. Wagner maintains, from beyond the Christian pale
altogether) - whereas the bulk of millennium-year pilgrims will be from the
Catholic and Orthodox camps. Mr. Weil joined the other speakers in stressing
the educational opportunities presented by the presence in Israel of so many
Christians from lands the world over. He indicated that his company would be
engaged in utilizing these opportunities in a variety of ways.
"Bound for Freedom: The Book of Exodus in Jewish and Christian Traditions"
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'Eye for Eye' - The Law of Damages
(This is the second of a series of four excerpts we are publishing from
Goran Larsson's book, Bound for Freedom. The first was published in our
Spring/Summer issue.)
First, a case of bodily injury resulting from a fight is dealt with: the
perpetrator is liable for payment of damages for lost wages and health
care.... The next case is about a pregnant woman who has given birth to
her child prematurely as the result of trauma. She is adjudged damages even
if both she and the child escaped lasting injuries....
The next principle of penalty is the most well-known, discussed and
misunderstood in the whole Bible. It is sometimes called "the law of
revenge," or, in judicial terms, ius (or lex) talionis, from the Latin word
for "law" plus talio, which means retaliation. "Eye for eye, tooth for
tooth" is to many the epitome of the so-called Old Testament God and one of
the reasons for characterizing the Old Testament and Jewish ethics as harsh,
brutal and inhuman. It has sparked endless anti-Jewish outbursts from
pulpits and in theological literature. It is also the basis of Shakespeare's
Shylock in "The Merchant of Venice," a vicious portrayal that has imprinted
upon the masses for centuries an image of the mythological greedy Jew and
his allegedly rigid and cruel sense of justice....
In the Bible and in Jewish Tradition
In spite of the principle "eye for eye, tooth for tooth," mutilation is a
totally unknown punishment in the Bible. Only at one place is such a
punishment mentioned: Deut. 25:11-12. In this case, however, it is obviously
not applying the rule "eye for eye, tooth for tooth." ... In Jewish
tradition, "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" exclusively dealt with monetary
compensation and nothing else.
There are several reasons why this interpretation replaced the principle of
retaliation (if it was ever applied). Rabbinic commentaries provide biblical
as well as humanitarian arguments to prove the literal application of this
law to be unbiblical, unjust, absurd and impossible.
As regards language, the Hebrew preposition translated by "for" in "eye for
eye" (tahat) can also mean "instead of" and "as compensation for" (see, for
example, Gen. 4:25). The same applies to the Greek preposition anti, used in
the Septuagint.
The rule also appears in a wider context, which deals with damages and not
retaliation (see 21:18-22, 26-36). In 21:26-27 it is obvious that the loss
of the eye and the tooth leads to compensation, that is, the slave has to be
freed. One may therefore justifiably generalize this principle of
compensation and apply it also to the previous verses....
In Lev. 24:17-21, too, a connection is discerned between the law ("eye
for
eye, tooth for tooth") and compensation for damages. In verse 18 the
phrase "life for life" is used to express the principle that one must
compensate another for an animal that has been killed. In verse 21 it is
further stressed that the rule of compensation applies only to a slain
animal, not a human being. Human life is above any material value that one
can compensate. In the same manner, Num. 35:31 rules that there is no ransom
"for the life of a murderer." From this it can be inferred that the Bible
leaves open the possibility of paying compensation in all other cases, that
is, when only bodily injury is involved.
The rabbis also emphasize that it would be unjust and impossible to apply
"eye for eye" literally. It would be unjust, since the eye and every other
part of the body is of individual importance for different people. For
example, the punishment would be unfair if it were applied to a person
already blind in one eye, and it would be overly severe for a disabled
person to lose a leg or a hand. The damage caused by various injuries
further depends upon a person's profession. The hand naturally means more to
a craftsman than to a teacher. In other words, the exact justice of the
commandment would be violated by a literal interpretation....
It should finally be emphasized that "eye for eye" could never be used to
justify private revenge. This is deduced from the simple but basic principle
of interpreting Scripture with Scripture. The commandment of love in Lev.
19:18 is introduced by the prohibition, "You shall not take vengeance or
bear a grudge." It is thus clear that "eye for eye" does not address the one
who has suffered an injury but the one who has inflicted it. We could even
say that the biblical command is the foundation of the golden rule: "In
everything do to others as you would have them do to you; for this is the
law and the prophets" (Matt. 7:12).
In the Sermon on the Mount
Notwithstanding this, in later times "eye for eye, tooth for tooth" in the
minds of many Christians became the quintessence of Jewish law and ethics,
regarded as a justification for retaliation and revenge. The main reason is
no doubt the way in which it is quoted in the Sermon on the Mount: "You have
heard that it was said, 'An eye for an eye and a tooth for a tooth.' But I
say to you, Do not resist an evildoer" (Matt. 5:38-39).
According to the common Christian interpretation, Jesus cancels the law of
revenge and replaces it with the law of love. Such an understanding
contradicts Jesus' own words about "the law" twenty verses before (Matt.
5:17-18), which have been accurately characterized by a Jewish scholar in
the following significant way: "In all Rabbinic literature I know of no more
unequivocal, fiery acknowledgment of Israel's holy scripture than this
opening to the Instruction on the Mount."
The Greek text does not really state a "but" between Jesus' biblical quote
("You have heard that it was said...") and his exposition of the quote
("But I say to you..."). A more adequate translation, which does justice
to the Greek syntax, should rather say, "And I even say to you." In this
respect virtually all translations are misleading, probably reflecting the
common prejudice that Jesus speaks against "the law."
If this is not the case, then, what does he mean in Matt. 5:38-39? First
of
all, it is clear that he opposes a vulgar, literal understanding of
Exod. 21:24. Nothing could be more off the track than to contrast Jesus'
teaching with Jewish tradition or even to claim that Jesus contradicts the
commandment as such. According to him, there is nothing amiss in the
commandment: how could it possibly be, in the light of his words in Matt.
5:17-18! What he addresses are human interpretations and implementations of
the commandments. In this case he obviously had groups and individuals in
mind ... who abused the commandment as a pretext for personal revenge. As
we have seen, such an interpretation of "eye for eye" never became normative
in Judaism....
It is indeed sad that so many Bible interpreters have used Jesus' words to
ascribe to the Jewish people a view that Judaism itself consistently
opposes. All too often Matt. 5:21-48 is labelled "the antitheses." ... The
only "antitheses" present are the ones between the good teaching of "the
law" and human abuse of God's revelation for selfish purposes. In this
respect, Christians and Jews still share the same concern as did Jesus and
the rabbis two thousand years ago.
Jesus and the Law
"Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have
not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. I tell you the truth: Until
heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of
a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is
accomplished."
(From the Sermon on the Mount, Matt. 5:17-18)
Nazareth Village Revisited
What it will look like -
1st century Nazareth restored (artist's sketch)
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The report, in our last issue, on the Nazareth 2000 project (also known as
Nazareth Village) has elicited a large number of responses from readers,
many of whom have asked for more details. Having spent several weeks in the
United States this summer, the editor of Christians and Israel had the
opportunity to interview Mrs. Sherry Herschend, co-owner of Silver Dollar
City in Branson, Missouri, and a member of the Board of Trustees of the
Miracle of Nazareth International Foundation, Inc., and Mr. Cary Summers,
Chief Executive Officer of The Nehemiah Group, which is playing a major role
in the construction of Nazareth Village.
The information presented below is based on these interviews and on material
provided by Prof. Daniel W. Casey, Jr., the author of the original article
on Nazareth 2000 published in our Spring/Summer issue.
Perhaps the best way to describe "the miracle of Nazareth" is the very
existence of this 20-acre plot of land, in the heart of contemporary
Nazareth, that has never been built upon - and has thus been left for the
archaeologists to discover, beneath its surface, the vestiges of the first
century village where Jesus grew up!
Among the finds reported in the course of three years of excavation are
ancient agricultural terraces, rock quarries, three massive watchtowers,
stone-hewn irrigation channels, a still-functioning wine-press and several
olive-presses. This ancient multi-family farm remains the most genuine - and
possibly the only - witness to the sustenance and everyday life of the
first-century Nazarenes.
A Journey in Time
In all probability, Jesus' childhood and adolescent years would have been
spent with fellow-workers in similar fields, plying his trade as a stone and
wood artisan (Mark 6:3, Matt. 14:55) and intermittently harvesting seasonal
crops. Jesus' varied spectrum of agricultural and pastoral imagery in his
impacting parables (e.g., Mark 4 and 12:1-12, with parallels) would have
been grounded in such real experiences as planting and cultivating at sites
like this village farm.
The ultimate objective of the planners and builders of Nazareth Village is
to restore this village farm - its homes, terraces, vineyards, watchtowers
and wine- and olive-presses - and to populate them with folk dressed in
period costume: working, entertaining, serving first-century-style meals and
conversing with visitors - all in the style and spirit of two thousand years
ago!
Projected for completion in time for the expected mass-influx of Christian
pilgrims in the year 2000 is a Parable Walk linking the very watchtowers,
wine-press, farm terraces and rock quarries that inspired Jesus' timeless
stories. Visitors will thus be able to hear the parables re-told and, at the
same time, watch a "builder" chisel a cornerstone from a limestone quarry,
or a "farmer" pick grapes from his vineyard.
One of the most exciting aspects of this project is that the people working
on it have come together from a wide variety of faiths and denominations,
including Methodists, Baptists, Anglicans, Assemblies of God and Catholics -
as well as Jews and Muslims - all working together in a spirit of
cooperation and harmony.
Target Date: March 25, 2000
The theme park is scheduled to be opened to the public on March 25, 2000.
Visitors will be introduced to the site in a spacious state-of-the-art
Visitors' Center, where the life and teachings of Jesus will be illuminated
in dramatic ways, including interactive exhibits, multi-media presentations
and a museum/study center.
Nazareth Village is a joint Israeli-American-European 60 million dollar
non-profit initiative backed by the Miracle of Nazareth International
Foundation, Inc., whose trustees include such personalities as president
Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter, Rev. Reggie White, former US Ambassador to
the United Nations Andrew Young, entertainer Pat Boone and many others.
Among the people in Israel actively involved in the realization of this
project is Dr. Nakhle Bishara, medical director of Nazareth Hospital. In
1996, the hospital's owners, the Edinburgh Medical Missionary Society of
Scotland, made ten acres of their land available for the project. Soon
thereafter the archaeological excavations were launched that resulted in the
exciting finds described above.
More information about Nazareth Village may be obtained from Dr. Dale H.
Schumm, Executive Director of Miracle of Nazareth International Foundation,
Inc., 550 S. Union St., Mishawaka, IN 46544, USA (Tel: 219-254-4058; Fax:
219-254-4059; E-Mail: daleschumm@msn.com) - or from Mr. D. Michael
Hostetler, Executive Director of Nazareth Village, POB 11, 16100 Nazareth,
Israel (Tel: 972-6-645-6042; Fax: 972-6-657-5912; E-Mail:
nazvil@netvision.net.il).
In Brief
New Education Center
A new Education Center has been opened in Jerusalem by the Interreligious
Coordinating Committee in Israel (ICCI). The Center, set up with the help of
the Rockefeller Foundation and the Lucius N. Littaeur Foundation, provides
visitors with literature about inter-group, interreligious and intercultural
relations in Israel, the Middle East and beyond. It has facilities for
seminars, workshops and conferences for visiting groups from abroad. The
Center also offers a congenial environment for dialogues and seminars for
interreligious groups in Israel and the region.
More information and
reservations: ICCI, POB 8771, Jerusalem 91086, Israel;
Tel: 972-2-561-1899 /
566-7291; Fax: 972-2-563-4148;
E-mail: iccijeru@netvision.net.il Website:
http://www.icci.co.il
Voices 2000
A wide range of vocal artists will be showcasing their talents in a new
concert series - Voices 2000 - from Jerusalem. Following the concerts, to be
held every first Saturday of the month until June 2000 at the Church of the
Dormition on Mount Zion, members of the audience will be able to participate
in walking tours of Jerusalem departing from the church.
Scripture & Picture
Ms. Sara Leshem, photographer, artist and lecturer on art and its
connection with the Bible, last June made a slide presentation entitled,
Jewish and Christian Artists Portray King David. The presentation took place
at the Bible Lands Museum in Jerusalem.... Later that same month, the Van
Leer Institute in Jerusalem held a week-long seminar on "The Bible in
Jewish, Christan and Islamic Art." Sponsored by the Center for Jewish Art of
the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, it was the Sixth International Seminar
on Jewish Art, conducted by 140 leading Israeli and foreign scholars. The
keynote lecture, on "Adam and Eve in Modern Christian and Jewish Art," was
delivered by Hebrew University's Ziva Amishai-Maisels.
Jerusalem from the Air
13 churches affiliated with the Methodist Church in Salem, West Virginia,
will be holding a special event in November whose focal point will be an
exhibition entitled "Jerusalem from the Air," featuring aerial photographs
of both the ancient and the modern portions of the Holy City. The moving
spirit behind this event, which will also include an exhibit by the Israeli
photographer Dubi Gal, is Aaron Smith, who spent a year in Israel and has
been active on behalf of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem.
Geoffrey Wigoder: An Appreciation
All of us on the Catholic side of the International Catholic-Jewish Liaison
Committee mourn the loss of our dear friend and admired colleague, Dr.
Geoffrey Wigoder. Editor-in-chief of the Encyclopedia Judaica, Dr. Wigoder
had served since 1984 as the Israel delegate on the International Jewish
Committee for Interreligious Consultations (IJCIC), offering in that
capacity several noteworthy papers. At the time of his death, in fact, he
was the Chair of IJCIC.
Over the years, Dr. Wigoder published numerous incisive commentaries on the
state of Jewish-Christian relations in general and, specifically, on the
documents, Catholic and Protestant, produced by the churches to foster
better understandings of Jews and Judaism among Christians. These
commentaries, marked by a distinctive style which I would call "irenic
criticism," invariably cut to the heart of the matter, thus nudging the
churches along to further clarifications and theological progress.
He brought a vast amount of scholarship and empathetic understanding to bear
in his book on "Jewish-Christian Relations After World War II" (Manchester
University Press & St. Martin's Press, 1988). His most recent contribution
to his ongoing commentary on the churches was "Jewish-Christian Interfaith
Relations: Agendas for Tomorrow" (Jerusalem: Institute of the World Jewish
Congress, Policy Forum No. 14, 1998).
As a Catholic practitioner of the dialogue, I shall miss him both
professionally and personally. Our generation has been graced and
strengthened by his leadership and his wisdom.
May he rest in peace.
Eugene J. Fisher, National Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington,
D.C.
'Jerusalem Conference' Held at Arkansas Holy Land Studies Institute
Dr. Ron Moseley, President of the Arkansas Institute of Holy Land
Studies, called it "your key to the culture, history, archaeology, language
and theology of the Bible and its time." He was referring to The Jerusalem
Conference, held at the Institute August 12-14, with the participation of
leading scholars of the Jewish roots of Christianity.
The speakers were Dwight Pryor, President of the Center for the Study of
Judaic-Christian Studies in Dayton, Ohio, and a specialist in Hebrew
studies; Dr. Marvin Wilson, Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at
Gordon College in Wenham, Massachusetts, one of the translators of the New
International Version of the Bible and a national leader in the dialogue
between Jews and Christians; Dr. Brad Young, President of the Faculty at
Oral Roberts University, a Ph.D. graduate of the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem and a former graduate assistant to Professor David Flusser, the
noted Jewish scholar of early Christianity; and Dr. Moseley.
Arkansas Institute was founded in 1991 as a specialty college in Middle
Eastern history, providing a 4-year curriculum (8 semesters) for a limited
body of students. As a training center for teachers, it prepares
participants with the most detailed information on the land of Israel, both
modern and Biblical. Fields of study include linguistics (Hebrew, Aramaic
and Greek), Jewish culture, geography, archaeology and history of the Middle
East. The courses are taught by noted scholars from the Hebrew University of
Jerusalem, the American Institute (Jerusalem), Princeton University, the
University of Texas and others.
Further information on the Institute may be obtained by phone
(1-800-617-6205 or 501-835-1453), fax (1-501-835-1453) or e-mail
(rmoseley@cei.net).