SACRIFICIAL OFFERINGS FROM GENTILES (Part I)

A. GENTILES TODAY ARE BOUND BY THE NOACHIDE LAWS

It is known that a gentile can offer a sacrifice to G-d in the Beit HaMikdash. It is less know that a gentile can offer a sacrifice even in present times outside of the Beit HaMikdash, unlike a Jew who is prohibited from offering a sacrifice outside the Beit HaMikdash and is allowed to to bring a sacrifice only on the place of the Alter on the Temple Mount.

This difference was created at the Giving of the Torah. From Adam until the Giving of the Torah, people including the Jewish Patriarchs personally offered sacrifices to G-d according to the Noachide Laws. At the giving of the Torah, the Jewish People's possibility to offer sacrifices was broadened in some areas and restricted in other areas, which we will discuss. Gentiles, however, are as always bound by the Noachide Laws and can thus offer sacrifices today in the same manner as before the Giving of the Torah.

B. NOAH'S SACRIFICES

The Torah says about Noah: "And Noah built and Alter to G-d, and he took >from every kosher animal and from every kosher bird, and he ascended burnt offerings on the alter. And G-d smelled the smell pleasing His Heart, and G-d said, 'I will no more curse the ground an account of man, because the desires of man is evil from his youth, and I will no more smite all life as I did.'" (Bereishit 8:21-22)

From the sacrifices of Noah, we learn the laws of gentile sacrifices in our times.

1. Kosher domestic and wild animals and birds

A gentile can offer from any kosher domestic or wild animal or bird, male or female, just as Noah did, and he (or she) is not limited to the species that Jews sacrifice in the Beit HaMikdash. For example, a gentile can offer chickens or deer, even though these may not be sacrificed in the Beit HaMikdash. (Tosefta Korbanot 13:1, Zevachim 115b, Jer. Megilla 1:11 Venecian Print 13)

2. The sacrifice must be fertile

Noah was told, "From all kosher animals take seven, seven, man and wife, and >from the non-kosher animals two, man and wife..." Also from birds of the sky, "seven, seven male and female so that their seed shall live on the land." ( Bereishit 7:3)

This is to say that the animals were placed in the ark, including the animals to be sacrificed, which were meant to multiply. Implicit is that it is forbidden for a gentile to sacrifice an animal that cannot reproduce, such as an old or a neutered animal. It is thus forbidden to sacrifice a treif (unviable) animal since it cannot be reproduced and since Noah was not allowed to put it into the ark. ( Zevachim ibid, Jer. Megilla ibid, Yalkut Shim'oni there)

3. Extraneous or missing limb

A gentile is not allowed to sacrifice an animal missing a limb or an animal with an extra limb. The Torah says, "From all life of flesh" (Bereishit 6:19), implying only animals with all their flesh. (Zevachim ibid., Jer. Megilla ibid., Bereishit Rabba 32:8)

4. Fully feathered

Birds who shed their feathers may not be sacrificed, as the Torah says, "And all foul according to their species, all winged birds." (Bereishit 7:14) From here we learn that birds who shed their feathers are invalid for sacrifice. (Bereishit Rabba 38:2, Jer. Megilla ibid.)

(Future parts in this series discuss gentile sacrifices in the Bible and in history. [next installment])

2 ARKS, 2 SETS OF STONES,
Part III EGYPT (The Errors)

Champollion, the great translator of the Egyptian hieroglyphics visited Karnak in 1828 and saw a scene of Shoshenk I and a list of captured towns, the names of which immediately seemed familiar. They seemed to correspond to the biblical names of the cities of Judah and Ephraim (Samaria). He put two and two together and came up with the identification of Shoshenq with the name of the Egyptian King Shishak who invaded Judah at the time of Rehoboam.

" And he ( Shishak) took the fortified cities which pertained to Judah and came unto Jerusalem". II Chron. 12:4

So the great myth was born and it is one of the main pillars of Egyptian chronology to this day.

For the identification to be correct either the Biblical account of the invasion of Shishak or the Karnak account of the invasion of Shoshenq have to be inaccurate. That did not worry Egyptian scholars too much, they immediatly accepted the Egypian account and rejected the details of the Biblical one. When one looks at a map of the invasion route of Shoshenq l, one immediately sees that he bypassed Judah and concentrated his attack to the north.

The Biblical account lists the names of 15 towns fortified by Rehoboam. The list of Shoshenq includes only one of them whilst listing 64 others, the vast majority in the NORTH.

The Biblical account and the only logical one has Shishak invading the South, capturing the fortified cities of Judah and leaving the north alone. Why logical? Well, Jeroboam, the King of the north was an ally and now a family member of Shishak. Why would he attack his ally and bypass his enemy and the great treasure of Solomon? This does not seem to have disturbed the Egyptologists who have imposed their view on all the archaeology of the region so that ALL site identifications in the region have been erroneously dated.

If one has to search for a reason why Biblical archaeologists have had a very hard time reconciling their finds with the Biblical account, one need look no further.They have been straining to fit erroneously dated sites into the Biblical story. Once the strata are correctly dated, each and every Biblical event can be seen accurately portrayed by the archaeological evidence.

The archaeology however is not the only problem caused by the erroneous identification of Shishak with Shoshenq I. Two other Egyptians are referred to in the Biblical account in this era. The first is the father-in-law of Solomon, an Egyptian King who gave his daughter the city of Gezer as a wedding present.

Gezer is closer than 20 miles from Jerusalem and was obviously not at that time in the hands of the powerful David or Solomon. It must have been a powerful Egyptian King indeed to have held that town so close to the capital city of David. The problem is that is Shishak is Shoshenq I, the Egyptologists have to have an obscure Pharaoh called Siamun of the 21st Dynasty, to be that king. Oooops, there is no evidence that Siamun ever left Egypt or that he could even if he had wanted.

Then we have the problem of Zerah, the Ethiopian who came up against Asa with a million man army. If Shishak is Shoshenq I, then Zerah must have been either Osorkon I ( 22nd Dynasty ) or someone under his control. Again absolutely NO evidence that it could have been even a remote possibility. What do the Egytians say?.....Not much, either the Biblical account is totally wrong, or exagerated or the Egyptian evidence is lost.

We will show however that if Shishak is correctly identified, the identification of the father-in-law of Solomon and Zerah are both absolutely clear in the Egyptian records. There can be no doubt, they are described in exquisite detail.

But if Shishak was not Shoshenq, then which Egyptian King was he?

We will discover that when we investigate all the possible candidates for the identification, in the next installment.

ON THE NET

Here are some sites on the internet about the Beit HaMikdash. If you know of others, please let me know.

Haveinu L'Shalom-- a virtual congregation and descriptions of the Beit HaMikdash


Info on the Beit HaMikdash


Har Habayit Page


Talmudic Sources


Sites to See in Jerusalem


Articles about building the Beit HaMikdash by Y. HayutMan


Devar Torah by Rav Lichtenstien

IN THE NEWS

ISRAEL HAS ALLOWED MOSLEM PRAYER IN "SOLOMON'S STABLES"

(Arutz-7 News: Tuesday, September 24, 1996)

HASMONEAN TUNNEL IN JERUSALEM RE-OPENED

The Hasmonean Tunnel that was officially opened last night was re-discovered, for the first time since the destruction of Jerusalem 1900 years ago, in the year 1867. It served as an aqueduct for water stored at a site near today's Damascus Gate as early as 2100 years ago, during the period of the Hasmoneans, and some experts date it as far back as the First Temple. In addition to its archaeological value, the opening of the new tunnel has, in the words of one expert, "totally changed the face of pilgrimage to Jerusalem. The ancient aspects of the city will now be open to the masses." Until now, the only entrance/exit to the Western Wall Tunnels was near the Western Wall, which prevented more than a small group of visitors from entering at any given time, since it had to return via the same narrow route; as of now, however, many groups can enter one after another, and exit at the other end. Jerusalem Mayor Olmert said today that the previous government had obtained the agreement of the Palestinian Authority to open the tunnel last year, and only its "tendency to hesitate" caused it to be delayed until now.

COURT DECIDES IN FAVOR OF TEMPLE MT. FAITHFUL RE WAQF CONSTRUCTION

(Arutz-7 News: Wednesday, September 25, 1996)

PALESTINIAN VIOLENCE INCREASES

HASMONEAN TUNNEL TO BE FURTHER EXCAVATED

(Arutz-7 News : Thursday, September 26, 1996)

Deputy Education Minister Moshe Peled has called upon Minister of Public Security Avigdor Kahalani to close the offices of the Waqf on the Temple Mount, and to arrest the Palestinian Minister of Religious Affairs Hassan Tabub. Peled claims that Tabub is abusing his position in his attempts to rekindle the intifada.

Chief Rabbis Lau and Bakshi-Doron call upon the Jews of Israel to step up their visits to the Western Wall. "Specifically at times like this, it is important to express our connection with the Wall," said Rabbi Bakshi-Doron.

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