Strong Earthquake with Italy - L'Aquila

An aerial view shows the aftermath of the earthquake near the Italian city of L'Aquila April 8, 2009. Italy prepared on Wednesday to begin burying some of the 260 people killed in medieval towns flattened by a quake, while rescuers hampered by aftershocks hunted for people who may be buried alive in rubble.REUTERS

A view of a collapsed medieval stone Medicean tower in the village of Santo Stefano di Sessanio, near L'Aquila, central Italy, Wednesday, April 8, 2009. Aftershocks from the earthquake that has killed at least 260 people in central Italy sent new fears through the tent camps that shelter thousands of survivors, and Pope Benedict XVI said Wednesday that he would visit the shocked and injured people of the area as soon as possible. Italy's powerful earthquake Monday damaged churches, palaces and and medieval towers in a region devastated repeatedly by quakes in past centuries.

Give me a sign now !!!

On a Saturday night several weeks ago, one pastor was working late, and decided to call his wife before he left for home. It was about 10:00 PM, but his wife didn't answer the phone. The pastor let the phone ring many times. He thought it was odd that she didn't answer, but decided to wrap up a few things and try again in a few minutes. When he tried again she answered right away. He asked her why she hadn't answered before, and she said that it hadn't rung at their house. They brushed it off as a fluke and went on their merry ways.

The following Monday, the pastor received a call at the church office, which was the phone that he'd used that Saturday night. The man that he spoke with wanted to know why he'd called on Saturday night. The pastor couldn't figure out what the man was talking about. Then the man said, 'It rang and rang, but I didn't answer.' The pastor remembered the mishap and apologized for disturbing him, explaining that he'd intended to call his wife and that the whole episode was one off calling the wrong number. The man said, 'That's, OK.

Let me tell you my story. You see, I was planning to commit suicide on Saturday night, but before I did, I prayed, 'God if you're there, and you don't want me to do this, give me a sign now.' At that point my phone started to ring. I looked at the caller ID, and it said, 'Almighty God'. I was afraid to answer!' The reason why it showed on the man's caller ID that the call came from 'Almighty God' is because the church that the pastor works in is called Almighty God Tabernacle!!

31 Ways to Praise God !!!!!!!!!!!!!

God the Creator

"Creator God, I praise you because you made the heavens, even the highest heavens, and all their starry host, the earth and all that is on it, the seas and all that is in them. You give life to everything, and the multitudes of heaven worship you'. . . . " (Nehemiah 9:6).
The Only God "God, I praise you because you are the LORD, and there is no other; apart from you there is no God. . . ." (Isaiah 45:5).

The Almighty God
"O LORD God Almighty, who is like you? You are mighty, O LORD," and I praise you . . . ." (Psalm 89:8).

The Everlasting Father, the Ancient of Days
"I praise you, Lord, as the Ancient of Days (Daniel 7:9), the Everlasting Father (Isaiah 9:6), who lives forever and ever. . . ."

A Loving God
"I praise you because you are a loving God, whose very nature is love. . . ." (1 John 4:16).

A God of Justice
"Lord, I praise and magnify you, who is just and the one who justifies those who have faith in Jesus. . . ." (Romans 3:26).

The Trustworthy God
"Heavenly Father, I give you my praise and adoration, because you are a "faithful God, keeping [your] covenant of love to a thousand generations of those who love [you] and keep [your] commands. . . ." (Deuteronomy 7:9).

A Merciful God
"You, O Lord, are a gracious and merciful God," (Nehemiah 9:31), and I praise you for your great mercy. . . ."

God my Refuge, my Fortress
"I praise you, Lord, for you are my mighty rock, my refuge. . . .'" (Psalm 62:7).
A Longsuffering, Persevering God
"Father, I praise you because you are patient with [all your children], not wanting anyone to perish, but everyone to come to repentance' (2 Peter 3:9). Thank you for your patience with me.

. . ."
The Only Wise God

"I give praise to you, my Father, the only wise God [my] Saviour' (Jude 1:25). May all glory and majesty, dominion and power, be yours both now and ever. . . ."
The Holy One
"Holy, holy, holy are you, Lord God Almighty, who was, and is, and is to come. . . ." (Revelation 4:8).

A Personal God
"I praise you, God, because you are a personal God, who gives me the honor of knowing you personally, just like you did to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. . . ." (Matthew 8:11).

A Giving God
"Praise and honor be yours, O God, because you are a generous God, who did not even stop short of giving your own Son (John 3:16). . . ."

The Provider God
"I praise you today, Lord, as my Jehovah-jireh, who will generously provide all [I] need'. . . ." (2 Corinthians 9:7).

The Shepherd God
"I bless your name and praise you as my Jehovah-rohi, who will shepherd me and guide me in the paths of righteousness for your name's sake" (Psalm 23:1-3).

God my Victory
"Praise to you, my God, because you are my Jehovah-nissi, God my victory, who always leads [me] in triumphal procession in Christ'. . . ." (2 Corinthians 2:14).

God my Peace
"I praise you with all my heart, Lord, because you are my Jehovah-shalom, the God of peace [who] will soon crush Satan under [my] feet. . . ." (Romans 16:20).

The God Who Heals
"Father, I praise you because you are the Lord who heals me. . . ." (Exodus 15:26).

The God of All Comfort
"Praise be to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of compassion and the God of all comfort. . . ." (2 Corinthians 1:3).

The God of Miracles
"Lord, I praise you because You are the God who performs miracles; you display your power among the people'. . . ." (Psalm 77:14).

A Forgiving God
"I want to bless you with my praise, Father, because you are a forgiving God, gracious and compassionate, slow to anger and abounding in love'. . . ." (Nehemiah 9:17)

The Burden-Bearer
"Praise be to the LORD, to God [my] Savior, who daily bears [my] burdens'. . . ." (Psalm 68:19).

A Faithful God
"I praise you because your love, O LORD, reaches to the heavens, your faithfulness to the skies'. . . Great is your faithfulness'. . . ." (Psalm 36:5; Lamentations 3:23).
God the Blessed and Only Ruler, King of kings and Lord of lords
"All honor and praise be to you, my God, the blessed and only Ruler, the King of kings and Lord of lords'. . . ." (1 Timothy 6:15).

God the Liberator
"I praise you because You are my help and my deliverer; O LORD'. . . ." (Psalm 70:5).

The Lifter of My Head
"Father God, I praise you because you are a shield around me, O LORD; you bestow glory on me and lift up my head' when I am weary or depressed. . . ." (Psalm 3:3).

A God of Light
"I praise you, Lord, because you are my light and my salvation,' and because you know what lies in darkness, and light dwells with you'. . . ." (Psalm 27:1, Daniel 2:22).

A God of Joy
"I give you my praise, O Lord, because you have granted [me] eternal blessings and made me glad with the joy of your presence'. . . ." (Psalm 21:6).

The God Who Answers Prayer
"I praise and honor you, Father, because you are a God who loves to answer prayer, and who begins to answer even before I begin to pray" (Isaiah 65:24).

The God of All the Earth
"I praise and adore you, Lord, as the Holy One of Israel. . . [my] Redeemer. . . the God of all the earth'. . . ." (Isaiah 54:5).

Birth Of Jesus

Matthew 2:1-11
After Jesus was born in Bethlehem in Judea, during the time of King Herod, Magi from the east came to Jerusalem and asked, 'Where is the one who has been born king of the Jews? We saw his star in the east and have come to worship him.' When King Herod heard this he was disturbed, and all Jerusalem with him. When he had called together all the people's chief priests and teachers of the law, he asked them where the Christ was to be born. 'In Bethlehem in Judea,' they replied, 'for this is what the prophet has written: ' 'But you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, are by no means least among the rulers of Judah; for out of you will come a ruler who will be the shepherd of my people Israel.'' Then Herod called the Magi secretly and found out from them the exact time the star had appeared. He sent them to Bethlehem and said, 'Go and make a careful search for the child. As soon as you find him, report to me, so that I too may go and worship him.' After they had heard the king, they went on their way, and the star they had seen in the east went ahead of them until it stopped over the place where the child was. When they saw the star, they were overjoyed. On coming to the house, they saw the child with his mother Mary, and they bowed down and worshiped him. Then they opened their treasures and presented him with gifts of gold and of incense and of myrrh.

Joel Osteen - Glenn Back Show

Preaching outside Joel Osteen's Lakewood Church in Houston

Flower of God's Design

A Flower of God's Design.............

A young preacher was walking with an older more seasoned preacher in the garden one day and the younger preacher, feeling a bit insecure about what God had for him to do, he was inquiring of the older preacher.

The older preacher walked up to a rosebush and handed the young preacher a rosebud and told him to open it without tearing off any petals. The young preacher looked in disbelief at the older preacher and was trying to figure out what a rosebud could possibly have to do with his wanting to know the WILL OF GOD for his life and for his ministry. Because of his high respect for the older preacher, he proceeded to TRY to unfold the rose, while keeping every petal intact it wasn't long before he realized how impossible it was to do so. Noticing the younger preacher's inability to unfold the rosebud while keeping it intact, the older preacher began to recite the following poem. "It is only a tiny rosebud, a flower of God's design; but I cannot unfold the petals with these clumsy hands of mine.

The secret of unfolding flowers is not known to such as I. GOD opens this flower so sweetly. When in my hands they die. If I cannot unfold a rosebud this flower of God's design. Then how can I have the wisdom to unfold this life of mine? So I'll trust in Him for leading each moment of my day.

I will look to him for His guidance each step of the pilgrim way. The pathway that lies before me, only my Heavenly Father knows. I'll trust Him to unfold the moments, just as He unfolds the rose"

Mumbai Mourns

A coffin containing the body of a victim from the attack on the Jewish centre is carried by Israeli soldiers in Tel Aviv

Pictures of Jesus

The pictures of Jesus below come from four different traditions. Picture one is a painting by Leonardo da Vinci called The Baptism of Jesus, showing the moment when Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist in the River Jordan.

The second is Jesus on a Russian orhtodoc icon. He is holding a book in which calls all the sufferers of the world to come to him.

The third picture is Jesus riding into Jerusalem on a donkey. This is an old book illustration from a Bible for children.

The fourth picture of Jesus is an ink drawing by Rembrandt. Here the figure of Jesus illuminates all other people around him, which is accentuated by the darkness around them.

The Birth of Jesus Christ

The Birth of Jesus Christ

18This is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about: His mother Mary was pledged to be married to Joseph, but before they came together, she was found to be with child through the Holy Spirit.
19Because Joseph her husband was a righteous man and did not want to expose her to public disgrace, he had in mind to divorce her quietly.

20But after he had considered this, an angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said, "Joseph son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary home as your wife, because what is conceived in her is from the Holy Spirit.

21She will give birth to a son, and you are to give him the name Jesus, because he will save his people from their sins."

22All this took place to fulfill what the Lord had said through the prophet:

23"The virgin will be with child and will give birth to a son, and they will call him Immanuel" which means, "God with us."

24When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took Mary home as his wife.

25But he had no union with her until she gave birth to a son. And he gave him the name Jesus.

Christmas Verses

Christmas Bible Verses

John 3:16
For God so loved the world,
that He gave His only begotten Son,
that whosoever believeth in Him
should not perish but have everlasting life.

Luke 2:13
And suddenly there was the angel,
a multitude of the heavenly host,
praising God and saying:
"Glory to God in the highest."

Psalm 72:11
All kings shall pay Him homage,
all nations shall serve Him.


Luke 2:11
"Today in the town of David
a Savior has been born to you:
he is Christ the Lord."

Luke 2:8:9
And there were shepherds out in the field,
keeping watch by night.
And an angel of the Lord appeared to them,
and the glory of the Lord shone around them.

Matthew 1:21
"She shall bring forth a son,
and thou shall call His name Jesus;
for He shall save His people from their sins."

Matthew 2:2
"We have seen His star in the East,
and have come to worship Him."

Philippians 2:9
"Therefore God exalted Him to the highest place
and gave Him the name that is above every name."

Isaiah 7:14
Therefore the Lord himself will give you a sign. Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel.

Luke 1:14
And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth

Luke 1:35
And the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be called holy–the Son of God.

Matthew 1:23
“Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and they shall call his name Immanuel” (which means, God with us).

2008 World AIDS Day

The 1st of December, World AIDS Day, is the day when individuals and organisations from around the world come together to bring attention to the global AIDS epidemic. 2008 marks the 20th anniversary of World AIDS Day. Whilst we have come a long ways since 1988, there is still much more to be done.

According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 33 million people are living with HIV worldwide. Many do not know they are infected.

Thanksgiving

Thanksgiving is not a once a year event for the Christian. Thanksgiving should be a daily, and a moment to moment event, and a way of life for the Christian.


Ps 50:14-15 Offer unto God thanksgiving; and pay thy vows unto the most High: And call upon me in the day of trouble: I will deliver thee, and thou shalt glorify me.


A sacrifice is a form of worship, and thanksgiving is also. Thanksgiving gives honor to God. When we look to God to meet our needs He does not disappoint us, and we in turn thank Him; thereby, giving honor and glory to Him.


Ps 50:23 Whoso offereth praise glorifieth me: and to him that ordereth his conversation aright will I shew the salvation of God.

When we do that which is right God provides for our needs, and we in turn glorify Him, by offering praise, that is by giving thanks to Him. Therefore, if we do that which is right, we will honor God, by thanking Him from the heart.

Ps 69:30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving.
Thanksgiving magnifies God, because it gives Him credit for all that He has done and will do.


Ps 95:2 Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto him with psalms.


Whenever we approach God we should do so with thanksgiving. Furthermore, true thanksgiving will include songs within our heart and upon our lips.


Ps 100:4-5 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise: be thankful unto him, and bless his name. For the LORD is good; his mercy is everlasting; and his truth endureth to all generations.


When we approach God we should always do so with thanksgiving. We should not only give Him thanks for all that He has done for us, but we should thank Him and praise Him for who He is, because He is always good, loving, kind, and faithful to all. He is worthy of thanksgiving.
Ps 107:22 And let them sacrifice the sacrifices of thanksgiving, and declare his works with rejoicing.

When we worship God with thanksgiving we should do so by making mention of His great works with joyful singing. A joyful and thankful heart is true worship.


Ps 116:17 I will offer to thee the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call upon the name of the LORD.
When we ask God to meet our need we should also give thanks; prayer without thanksgiving is prayer without faith. If you truly believe that God will answer your prayer, you will give thanks with every request.


Ps 147:7-9&14 Sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God: Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains. He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry. He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.


We should give thanks to God because He supplies the earth with all that it needs to produce life. Every creature is dependent upon Him for life and survival. The fruitfulness of the earth is from the Lord. We are all dependent upon Him to supply all our needs and He does not fail us when we trust in Him to supply. Thanksgiving is a sign of our faith and trust in God.


Jonah 2:7-10 When my soul fainted within me I remembered the LORD: and my prayer came in unto thee, into thine holy temple. They that observe lying vanities forsake their own mercy. But I will sacrifice unto thee with the voice of thanksgiving; I will pay that that I have vowed. Salvation is of the LORD. And the LORD spake unto the fish, and it vomited out Jonah upon the dry land.


While Jonah was under discipline from the Lord, Jonah repented and declared that he would again offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving, because he believed in the grace and faithfulness of God. True thanksgiving must be from the heart, with faith; therefore, when we experience the trials of discipline, we can be sure that we will again give thanks to the Lord when we respond to His discipline with repentance.


2 Cor 9:10-11 Now he that ministereth seed to the sower both minister bread for your food, and multiply your seed sown, and increase the fruits of your righteousness; Being enriched in every thing to all bountifulness, which causeth through us thanksgiving to God.


God not only supplies all our physical needs, but He also supplies all that we need in our service to Him. When we recognize that all our spiritual gifts and abilities come from Him, and that they are all of grace, we will give thanks to Him for all our work of service to Him.


Phil 4:6 Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God.


We should never be anxious for anything, but we should always look to God to supply all our needs, both physical and spiritual. Furthermore, the prayer of faith will always be accompanied with thanksgiving. Thanksgiving is the result of true faith.


Col 4:2 Continue in prayer, and watch in the same with thanksgiving;
Prayer with thanksgiving is prayer with faith. True faith will result in prayer with thanksgiving, and when prayer is offered with thanksgiving, God will honor that prayer.

Rev 7:11-12 And all the angels stood round about the throne, and about the elders and the four beasts, and fell before the throne on their faces, and worshipped God, Saying, Amen: Blessing, and glory, and wisdom, and thanksgiving, and honour, and power, and might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.


All true prayer and worship includes thanksgiving. We honor God with thanksgiving. All of creation will someday give thanks to God.

3 Things in LIFE

Three things in life that, once gone, never come back -
(1)- Time
(2)- Embedded Words
(3)- Opportunity



Three things in life that may never be lost -
(1)- Peace
(2)- Hope
(3)- Honesty



Three things in life that are most valuable -
(1)- Love
(2)- Self-confidence
(3)- Friends



Three things in life that are never certain -
(1)- Dreams
(2)- Success
(3)- Fortune



Three things that make a man/woman -
(1)- Hard work
(2)- Sincerity
(3)- commitment



Three things in life that can destroy a man/woman -
(1)- Alcohol
(2)- Pride
(3)- Anger



Three things in life that, once lost, hard to build-up -
(1)- Respect
(2)- Trust
(3)- Friendship



Three things in life that never fail -
(1)- True love
(2)- Determination
(3)- Belief



Take care of these things...

The WebBot Project

The WebBot Project

A tool used to speedread the internet web in order to find patterns or waves of behaviour. This tool is believed to be able to forecast the future based on the web surfing habits of the information generation. The WebBot conceptualizes a future pattern of behaviour based on the new and recent psychological queries of the masses. This to some might appear to be a type of AI ( artificial intelligence ). How can a computer find reason in patterns.

The WebBot has predicted some events with a level of accuracy that warrant serious consideration. The data collected from the WebBot has been used in financial markets where greed and fear of the masses is known to drive price volatility. The WebBot locates certain words and from that focus point it reaches out into the information universe to quantify the word against other relevant words. This is beginning to sound alot like quantum digestion. Has the processing speed of information continues to increase will the WebBot be able to feed itself. In other words will it become a thinking machine able to process reasonable abstract images and realities.

If the machine does program itself from the information on the web then how would those decisions effect society. We all know that the internet is full of errors. Anyone can write anything at anytime.Perhaps in a future world the internet will no longer be a public domain or perhaps the public domain will not be available to a machine that is able to program itself.

How factual should the information be for the Robot to be able to make sane decisions without having a sane programmer in charge. Would you put your trust in a teacher or leader that was getting it's education in an asylum. The asylum in this case is the entire web library. It has it's moments of brilliance but in the end it is already corrupted with less than accurate data.

US Veterans Day

US Veterans Day is November 11, 2008

Veterans Day, 2008 A Proclamation by the President of the United States of America

On Veterans Day, we pay tribute to the service and sacrifice of the men and women who in defense of our freedom have bravely worn the uniform of the United States.
From the fields and forests of war-torn Europe to the jungles of Southeast Asia, from the deserts of Iraq to the mountains of Afghanistan, brave patriots have protected our Nation's ideals, rescued millions from tyranny, and helped spread freedom around the globe. America's veterans answered the call when asked to protect our Nation from some of the most brutal and ruthless tyrants, terrorists, and militaries the world has ever known. They stood tall in the face of grave danger and enabled our Nation to become the greatest force for freedom in human history. Members of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marines, and Coast Guard have answered a high calling to serve and have helped secure America at every turn.

Our country is forever indebted to our veterans for their quiet courage and exemplary service. We also remember and honor those who laid down their lives in freedom's defense. These brave men and women made the ultimate sacrifice for our benefit. On Veterans Day, we remember these heroes for their valor, their loyalty, and their dedication. Their selfless sacrifices continue to inspire us today as we work to advance peace and extend freedom around the world.
With respect for and in recognition of the contributions our service members have made to the cause of peace and freedom around the world, the Congress has provided (5 U.S.C. 6103(a)) that November 11 of each year shall be set aside as a legal public holiday to honor America's veterans.
NOW, THEREFORE, I, GEORGE W. BUSH, President of the United States of America, do hereby proclaim November 11, 2008, as Veterans Day and urge all Americans to observe November 9 through November 15, 2008, as National Veterans Awareness Week. I encourage all Americans to recognize the bravery and sacrifice of our veterans through ceremonies and prayers. I call upon Federal, State, and local officials to display the flag of the United States and to support and participate in patriotic activities in their communities. I invite civic and fraternal organizations, places of worship, schools, businesses, unions, and the media to support this national observance with commemorative expressions and programs.

IN WITNESS WHEREOF, I have hereunto set my hand this thirty-first day of October, in the year of our Lord two thousand eight, and of the Independence of the United States of America the two hundred and thirty-third.

GEORGE W. BUSH

Catholics, Muslims open landmark

Christianity is the world's largest religion with 2 billion followers, just over half of them Catholic. Islam is next with 1.3 billion believers.
Saudi King Abdullah visits the United Nations next week to promote a parallel interfaith dialogue he launched last summer.
These and other meetings reflect a new urgency among Muslims since the September 11 attacks, the "clash of civilizations" theory and Pope Benedict's Regensburg speech showed a widening gap between the two faiths.
The Vatican was at first cool to the Common Word initiative, arguing that talks among theologians had little meaning if they did not lead to greater respect for religious liberty in Muslim countries, where some Christian minorities face oppression.
"We can only have a real dialogue if all believers have equal rights everywhere, which is not the case in some Muslim countries," said one Catholic delegate who requested anonymity.
The agenda reflects the different views. Tuesday's talks centered on theological issues proposed by the Muslims, Wednesday's meeting will focus on religious freedom issues the Vatican wants to raise.
The Vatican delegation includes bishops from minority Christian communities in Iraq, Syria and Pakistan. Among the Muslims are Sunnis and Shi'ites from around the world and converts from the United States, Canada and Britain.
There are three Catholic and two Muslim women participating.
The delegations will have an audience with Pope Benedict on Thursday and hold a public discussion that afternoon, the only session open to the media.
The Forum is due to meet every two years, alternately in Rome and in a Muslim country.

Read the complete Story :

http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20081104/ts_nm/us_religion_dialogue

Prayer in Orlando

Here's a machine can be found on the streets of Orlando. For those who did not speak English, explaining, "Prayer" is translated from angiyskogo means "prayer", "prayer", "please". In other words, this unit is designed to read the prayers of God

A Lead on the Ark of the Covenant

When last we saw the lost Ark of the Covenant in action, it had been dug up by Indiana Jones in Egypt and ark-napped by Nazis, whom the Ark proceeded to incinerate amidst a tempest of terrifying apparitions. But according to Tudor Parfitt, a real-life scholar-adventurer, Raiders of the Lost Ark had it wrong, and the Ark is actually nowhere near Egypt. In fact, Parfitt claims he has traced it (or a replacement container for the original Ark), to a dusty bottom shelf in a museum in Harare, Zimbabwe.


As Indiana Jones's creators understood, the Ark is one of the Bible's holiest objects, and also one of its most maddening McGuffins. A wooden box, roughly 4 ft. x 2 ft. x 2.5 ft., perhaps gold-plated and carried on poles inserted into rings, it appears in the Good Book variously as the container for the Ten Commandments (Exodus 25:16: "and thou shalt put into the ark the testimony which I shall give thee"); the very locus of God's earthly presence; and as a divine flamethrower that burns obstacles and also crisps some careless Israelites. It is too holy to be placed on the ground or touched by any but the elect. It circles Jericho behind the trumpets to bring the walls tumbling down. The Bible last places the Ark in Solomon's temple, which Babylonians destroyed in 586 BC. Scholars debate its current locale (if any): under the Sphinx? Beneath Jerusalem's Temple Mount (or, to Muslims, the Noble Sanctuary)? In France? Near London's Temple tube station?

Parfitt, 63, is a professor at the University of London's prestigious School of Oriental and African Studies. His new book, The Lost Ark of the Covenant: Solving the 2,500 Year Mystery of the Fabled Biblical Ark (HarperOne) along with a History Channel special scheduled for March 2 would appear to risk a fine academic reputation on what might be called a shaggy Ark story. But the professor has been right before, and his Ark fixation stems from his greatest coup. In the 1980s Parfitt lived with a Southern African clan called the Lemba, who claimed to be a lost tribe of Israel. Colleagues laughed at him for backing the claim; in 1999, a genetic marker specific to descendents of Judaism's Temple priests (cohens) was found to appear as frequently among the Lemba's priestly cast as in Jews named Cohen. The Lemba — and Parfitt — made global news.

Parfitt started wondering about another aspect of the Lemba's now-credible oral history: a drumlike object called the ngoma lungundu. The ngoma, according to the Lemba, was near-divine, used to store ritual objects, and borne on poles inserted into rings. It was too holy to touch the ground or to be touched by non-priests, and it emitted a "Fire of God" that killed enemies and, occasionally, Lemba. A Lemba elder told Parfitt, "[It] came from the temple in Jerusalem. We carried it down here through Africa."

That story, by Parfitt's estimation, is partly true, partly not. He is not at all sure, and has no way of really knowing, whether the Lemba's ancestors left Jerusalem simultaneously with the Ark (assuming, of course, that it left at all). However, he has a theory as to where they might eventually have converged. Lemba myth venerates a city called Senna. In modern-day Yemen, in an area with people genetically linked to the Lemba, Parfitt found a ghost town by that name. It's possible that the Lemba could have migrated there from Jerusalem by a spice route — and from Senna, via a nearby port, they could have launched the long sail down the African coast. As for the Ark? Before Islam, Arabia contained many Jewish-controlled oases, and in the 500s AD, the period's only Jewish kingdom. It abutted Senna. In any case, the area might have beckoned to exiled Jews bearing a special burden. Parfitt also found eighth-century accounts of the Ark in Arabia, by Jews-turned-Muslims. He posits that at some undefined point the Lemba became the caretakers of the Ark, or the ngoma.

Parfitt's final hunt for the ngoma, which dropped from sight in the 1940s, landed him in sometimes-hostile territory ("Bullets shattered the rear screen," of his car, he writes). Ark leads had guided him to Egypt, Ethiopia and even New Guinea, until one day last fall his clues led him to a storeroom of the Harare Museum of Human Science in Zimbabwe. There, amidst nesting mice, was an old drum with an uncharacteristic burnt-black bottom hole ("As if it had been used like a cannon," Parfitt notes), the remains of carrying rings on its corners; and a raised relief of crossed reeds that Parfitt thinks reflects an Old Testament detail. "I felt a shiver go down my spine," he writes.

Parfitt thinks that whatever the supernatural character of Ark, it was, like the ngoma, a combination of reliquary, drum and primitive weapon, fueled with a somewhat unpredictable proto-gunpowder. That would explain the unintentional conflagrations. The drum element is the biggest stretch, since scripture never straightforwardly describes the Ark that way. He bases his supposition on the Ark's frequent association with trumpets, and on aspects of a Bible passage where King David dances in its presence. Parfitt admits that such a multipurpose object would be "very bizarre" in either culture, but insists, "that's an argument for a connection between them."

So, had he found the Ark? Yes and no, he concluded. A splinter has carbon-dated the drum to 1350 AD — ancient for an African wood artifact, but 2,500 years after Moses. Undaunted, Parfitt asserts that "this is the Ark referred to in Lemba tradition" — Lemba legend has it that the original ngoma destroyed itself some 400 years ago and had to be rebuilt on its own "ruins" — "constructed by priests to replace the previous Ark. There can be little doubt that what I found is the last thing on earth in direct descent from the Ark of Moses."

Well, perhaps a little doubt. "It seems highly unlikely to me," says Shimon Gibson, a noted biblical archaeologist to whom Parfitt has described his project. "You have to make tremendous leaps." Those who hope to find the original biblical item, moreover, will likely reject Parfitt's claim that the best we can do is an understudy. Animating all searches for the Ark is the hope — and fear — that it will retain the unbridled divine power the Old Testament describes. What would such a wonder look like in our postmodern world? What might it do? Parfitt's passionately crafted new theory, like his first, could eventually be proven right. But if so, unlike the fiction in the movies, it would deny us an explosive resolution.

Links to More Info:

http://www.thefutureevent.com/Ark.htm

Burka

This is funny



This is Sad

Why even take any pictures ?