Tuesday, October 15, 2013

What Archaeology Tells Us About the Bible. By Christa Case Bryant.

What archaeology tells us about the Bible. By Christa Case Bryant. The Christian Science Monitor, October 13, 2013.

Khirbet Qeiyafa, a contentious dig in Israel, delves into the kingdoms of David and Solomon, stirring a debate over the veracity of the biblical record.

Bryant:

True, the Zionist movement that spearheaded Israel’s establishment was largely secular. But it also drew heavily on the Bible. Founding father David Ben-Gurion pushed aside the image of bespectacled Jews poring over rabbinical teachings and championed instead the brawny heroes of the Bible, who overcame insurmountable odds to conquer Israel’s enemies. These included David and Solomon, who, according to the Bible, joined the tribes of Israel and Judah into a kingdom known as the United Monarchy.
 
“For Ben-Gurion, the image of a great United Monarchy with territorial expansion . . . establishing a nation, establishing a big administration with monumental architecture – this was an image that played back and forth, between that David and this David, between King David and David Ben-Gurion, in a way,” says Israel Finkelstein.


Archaeologist Yosef Garfinkel Announces Discovery of King David’s Palace at Khirbet Qeiyafa. NJBR, July 20, 2013.

Crying King David: Are the ruins found in Israel really his palace? By Julia Fridman. Haaretz, August 26, 2013. Also here.

The keys to the kingdom of David. By Asaf Shtull-Trauring. Haaretz, May 6, 2011. Also here.

Israel’s Brain Drain Crisis. By Max Fisher.

Israel’s brain drain crisis. By Max Fisher. Washington Post, October 15, 2013. Also here.

Exodus? Israel’s Identity Crisis Over Brain Drain to U.S. and Germany. By Peter Münch. Worldcrunch, October 15, 2013.

Israel’s turn to ask: Do all Jews need to live in Israel? By Alissa Breiman. Haaretz, October 15, 2013.

Engaging the Israeli Diaspora: Toronto as a Case Study. By Alissa Breiman et al. The Reut Institute, June 2013. PDF.

Netanyahu Government Suggests Israelis Avoid Marrying American Jews. By Jeffrey Goldberg. The Atlantic, Novmeber 30, 2011.

Yom HaZikaron: Israeli Memorial Day in America. Video. KlitaGov, September 20, 2011. YouTube.



The Middle East Pendulum. By Roger Cohen.

The Middle East Pendulum. By Roger Cohen. New York Times, October 14, 2013.

Can Islam Accommodate Democracy or Democracy Accommodate Islam? By Benjamin R. Barber. Reset DOC, August 4, 2008.

Government Shutdown Unleashes Racism. By Roger Simon.

Government shutdown unleashes racism. By Roger Simon. Politico, October 14, 2013.

Roger Simon Wishes Death on Ted Cruz, Accuses Him of Waging a “War Against Babies.” By Geoffrey Dickens. NewsBusters, October 14, 2013.

Playing the Racism Card in the Shutdown. By Jonathan S. Tobin. Commentary, October 15, 2013.

Roger Simon and Media Bias. By Jonah Goldberg. National Review Online, October 14, 2013.

Democracy After the Shutdown. By Michael P. Lynch.

Democracy After the Shutdown. By Michael P. Lynch. New York Times, October 15, 2013.

Syrian War’s Brutality Isn’t Going Away. By Peter Bergen and Jennifer Rowland.

Syrian war’s brutality isn’t going away. By Peter Bergen and Jennifer Rowland. CNN, October 11, 2013.

Megyn Kelly Gets Personal on Media Buzz.

The Personal Side of Megyn Kelly. Video. Media Buzz. Fox News, October 13, 2013. Also at Fox News Insider.

Gretchen Carlson Goes Makeup-Free to Empower Young Girls.

Gretchen Carlson Goes Makeup-Free in Segment on Empowering Young Girls. Video. Fox News Insider, October 11, 2013. Also here. YouTube.

After the Buzz: Pondering TV without hair and makeup. Video. Howard Kurtz and Lauren Ashburn. Media Buzz. Fox News, October 13, 2013.

Fox’s Gretchen Carlson Goes Without Makeup to Discuss Our “Sexualized” Culture. By Andrew Kirell. Mediaite, October 11, 2013.

So This Is What Gretchen Carlson Looks Like Without Makeup. By Becket Adams. The Blaze, October 12, 2013.

Gretchen Carlson Takes Off Her Makeup Because of Female Empowerment. By Kate Dries. Jezebel, October 11, 2013.

Fox News Let a Lady Go On TV Without Makeup. By Elizabeth Licata. The Gloss, October 12, 2013.

Fox News Turned Me Into a TV Slut. By Meghan Keane. The Gloss, May 31, 2011.




Ashkenazi Jewish Ancestry Confirmed European by mtDNA Tests. By Noah Wiener.

Ashkenazi Jewish Ancestry Confirmed European by mtDNA Tests. By Noah Wiener. Bible History Daily, October 10, 2013.

A substantial prehistoric European ancestry amongst Ashkenazi maternal lineages. By Marta D. Costa, Martin B. Richards et al. Nature Communications, October 8, 2013. PDF. Also here.

Abstract:

The origins of Ashkenazi Jews remain highly controversial. Like Judaism, mitochondrial DNA is passed along the maternal line. Its variation in the Ashkenazim is highly distinctive, with four major and numerous minor founders. However, due to their rarity in the general population, these founders have been difficult to trace to a source. Here we show that all four major founders, ~40% of Ashkenazi mtDNA variation, have ancestry in prehistoric Europe, rather than the Near East or Caucasus. Furthermore, most of the remaining minor founders share a similar deep European ancestry. Thus the great majority of Ashkenazi maternal lineages were not brought from the Levant, as commonly supposed, nor recruited in the Caucasus, as sometimes suggested, but assimilated within Europe. These results point to a significant role for the conversion of women in the formation of Ashkenazi communities, and provide the foundation for a detailed reconstruction of Ashkenazi genealogical history.


Genes Suggest European Women at Root of Ashkenazi Family Tree. By Nicholas Wade. New York Times, October 8, 2013.

Founding Mothers of Ashkenazi Jews May Be Converts, Study Finds. By Elizabeth Lopatto. Bloomberg, October 8, 2013.

Did Modern Jews Originate in Italy? By Michael Balter. Science News, October 8, 2013.

Ashkenazi Jews Trace Ancestry to Europe Not the Near East, Ancient Jewish Men “Married European Women.” By Zoe Mintz. International Business Times, October 8, 2013.

DNA Study Finds European Jewish Women Did Not Come From Middle East. By Jonathan Vankin. Opposing Views, October 14, 2013.

“Jews a Race” Genetic Theory Comes Under Fierce Attack by DNA Expert. By Rita Rubin. NJBR, May 7, 2013.

Common Genetic Thread Link Thousands of Years of Jewish Ancestry. NJBR, April 28, 2013.