Land Lies
Land Lies
By Wendy Wippel
An effusive but apparently intellectually confused internet commentator who calls himself (improbably) Yukon Jack has now weighed in with forecast (and more) for the nation of Israel. Ready? “Israel is doomed, the state has no right to exist and it’s identity politics are all based on false assumption, hyperbole, and a false history of persecution. Israel floats on a sea of lies.” That would be a negatory, Mr. Jack.
We’ve got pictures. Just about all the way back to it’s birth.
Even a cursory perusal of the Bible will convince the perusee that the nation of Israel had a lot of contact with the nation of Egypt, even before they became residents enslaved. In fact, Egypt appears in the Scriptures beginning in Exodus and continuing all the way through the time of Jesus. (Matthew 2:13-15) Which should be enough to convince the most fervent denier that the Jews were in fact, occupants of their territories for much of ancient history as well. But for the nay-sayers, again, we have pictures.
How so, you might ask? Hebrew law forbade pictures! Yep. That’s true. Ours come courtesy of an Israeli trip to an Egyptian village called Beni-hason.
Usually what covered their walls were just scenes of everyday life.
Fortunately for us, a group of archaeologists finally unearthed an Egyptian painting that commemorated a somewhat more exciting subject. The arrival of traders to Beni- hasan. The resulting picture now known unimaginatively as the ‘Beni- Hasan mural’. The mural has been studied extensively and is Believed to have been painted around 2000 BC. In fact, it seems to have been painted for a major meeting between two not-too friendly adversaries for for the purpose of trade.
The painting depicts Eight men, four women, and several children, as well as animals,being led by Egyptian officials. Morever, it intriguingly differentiates skin color: reddish for Egyptians and yellowish/brown for “Asiatics”, meaning , in this time period, Jews.
(Egyptians on top, Jews on bottom, although the colors don’t differentiate too well on screen.(below)
Hieroglyphics along the top of the Painting describes the procession as a group of Asiatics from the region of Shut. Which encompasses the e Sinai and Southern Canaan. The inscription further records that the party was comprised of 37 Asiatics led by their leader; Abishai. It also recorded their mission: “ the arrival, bringing eye paint, which 37 asiatics brought to him (the King)”.
The eye paint, by the way, being a mixture call stibium, that was a main ingredient for the bkack eye paint Egyptian women are still ramous for but the leader of the expedition should have at least piqued your interest. Abishai, who was King David’s Nephew. Apparently in charge of an early Israeli venture that was and captured by an early Egyptian Artist.
Take that. Yukon Jack!
A village in Egypt, about 160 miles south of Cairo. In Egypt, a country which seems to have had in antiquity a national law that forbade that any stretch of Egyptian wall would be absent of decoration.
Usually what covered their walls were just scenes of everyday life.
Fortunately for us, a group of archaeologists finally unearthed an Egyptian painting that commemorated a somewhat more exciting subject. The arrival of traders to Beni- hasan. The resulting picture now known unimaginatively as the ‘Beni- Hasan mural’.
The mural has been studied extensively and is believed to have been painted around 2000 BC. In fact, it seems to have been painted for a major meeting between two not-too friendly adversaries for the purpose of trade.
The painting depicts eight men, four women, and several children, as well as animals, being led by Egyptian officials. Morever, it intriguingly differentiates skin color: reddish for Egyptians and yellowish/brown for “Asiatics”, meaning, in this time period, Jews. Egyptians on top, Jews on bottom, although the colors don’t differentiate too well on screen.
Hieroglyphics along the top of the painting describes the procession as a group of Asiatics from the region of Shut. Which encompasses the Sinai and Southern Canaan.
The inscription further records that the party was comprised of 37 Asiatics led by their leader; Abishai. It also recorded their mission: “the arrival, bringing eye paint, which 37 Asiatics brought to him (the King)”.
The eye paint, by the way, being a mixture called stibium, was a main ingredient for the black eye paint Egyptian women are still famous for.
But the leader of the expedition should have at least piqued your interest. Abishai, who was King David’s nephew. Apparently in charge of an early Israeli venture that was and captured by an early Egyptian Artist.
Take that. Yukon Jack!