Israel Books

Ranelagh does a fantastic job of condensing a couple thousand years of history into a readable couple hundred pages. This book is a first-rate shortened version of Irish history.

At times, one thinks more and deeper connections could have been drawn (such as the resurrection, by twentieth century hunger-strikers, of Brehon Law-era practices like fasting for the redress of grievances) and more discussion fostered on particularly hard-hitting aspects of Ireland's past and present. But this is, after all, a SHORT history, and a remarkable one at that.

There is good coverage of Ireland before the arrival of the English, in a way that touches on both historical developments and cultural ones. Likewise, the era of Cromwell and the disastrous run-up to and aftermath of Black 1847 are given good detail. One comes away feeling a bit as though more recent history (say, 1916 and on) has been slighted, but this feeling is probably just the product of years of weighted emphasis on the twentieth century; Ranelagh does well to bring a historical balance to the overall sweep of Ireland's development into what it is today.

And what it is today is, for Ranelagh, closely invested as well in the question of what England is and no longer is. "A Short History of Ireland" may disturb those who view England as a still-unwelcome visitor into Irish history and culture, but Ranelagh concludes convincingly that the story of Ireland from the 13th century on is intimately related to its evolving relationship with its slightly larger neighbor and one-time persecutor/antagonist. Ranelagh quite usefully and realistically departs from other histories of the Emerald Isle in asserting that the England/Ireland relationship can, for a slew of reasons that he points to, only ever be one of co-dependence.

For anyone who wants to understand the war on terror and its Irish formulation, this is essential and fascinating reading. Ranelagh is remarkably balanced and fair-minded, while at the same time providing the necessary information and facts without burdening the reader with excessive and obfuscatory detail. He deals with Irish prehistory quickly and interestingly, giving more space to the modern age and its complex of idealism, heroism, nationalism, murder and terror, explaining the motivations and historical prisons so many people in Ireland have endured, coming right up to the present North and South. It is a Short History. More detail would make it something else. But as a short history that is satisfying, well-written and authorative, it cannot be bettered. A remarkable achievement.

Sixteen Wounded is a dramatic audiobook on CD about the fateful meeting of a lonely Jewish baker and a fiery Palestinian, who find themselves brought together by an act of violence, and surprisingly discover the seeds of a deepening friendship. Each must grapple with identity, loyalty, and what their beliefs mean for themselves and with regard to each other. Will another act of violence destroy their bond? Performed by professional theatre actors, Sixteen Wounded is taut, thought-provoking, and highly recommended. 2 CDs, 75 min.

Sixteen Wounded is a dramatic audiobook on CD about the fateful meeting of a lonely Jewish baker and a fiery Palestinian, who find themselves brought together by an act of violence, and surprisingly discover the seeds of a deepening friendship. Each must grapple with identity, loyalty, and what their beliefs mean for themselves and with regard to each other. Will another act of violence destroy their bond? Performed by professional theatre actors, Sixteen Wounded is taut, thought-provoking, and highly recommended. 2 CDs, 75 min.

THis book is the culmination of Louth's many years of research on St John.

St. John avoided speculation, but rather understood his task to be that of a fatihful transmitter of the faith once delivered.

St John is shown here to be a Cyrilline-Chalcedonian, trying to bring together those factions who were so devoted to Cyril's formula: "one incarnate nature of God the Word."

John Damascene was one of the last great church fathers to live before the great schism which separated Christianity between its Orthodox and Catholic branches. In both churches Damascene is revered as a great saint and theologian, and is a doctor of the Catholic Church.

Damascene wrote several works, including anti-heresy treatises, philosophical works, and the classical exposition of Christan theology called 'On Orthodox Theology', which outlines the Christian understanding of God. Damascene also defended the use of icons in Churches, against iconoclasts who desired to implement the Old Testament commandment about the destruction of images of the divine. The centrality of icons to the theology and faith of the Orthodox Church today is due in large part to Damascene's famous defence.

Like most Easterns, Damascene emphasizes the incomprehensibility of God's nature (the only thing we can know about God is his infinity and incomprehensibility) and his faith is deeply mystical at times. However, he remains essential reading for the student of church history and theology.

Louth (who has also written works on Dionysius and Christian mysticism) writes a readable introduction to this great Father's thought.

Hollisa Alewine has done a supurb job of explaining the 18 Benedictions in a way that the non-Jew who wants to embrace the Hebrew mentality (of prayer in this regard) can easily understand.

Shalom,
Chris
Paris, TN

"Today the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is calling Christians from every nation to come to Israel's side, stand with her, pray with her,and help her until she is grown, mature, and ready to be the light to the nations He has called her to be.

'Standing with Israel: Building a House of Prayer' comes to us at this time to give us deep understanding of the mysteries of the Jewish prayers in Scripture. This will enable us to come together as one with our Jewish brothers and sisters, that all of His plans and purposes may be accomplished. It is a must read for every one of us!"

Myrna L. Middleton
Fair Havens Missions

A VERY unusual book. Not a story, not exactly a book of photographs... more like a 223 page collage... "State of Siege" takes the reader inside the life of the citizens of Israel who live daily with terror and its threat. The collection of images and the juxtaposition of the words of the "User's Manual" (which instructs the reader, deadpan, how to go about normal life while threated by terror) is shocking - and even more so because the author has managed to do this with very few photos of actual blood and gore. In a creative and unique way, Goldenberg immerses the reader into reality of life under terror.

To my experience, the book represents an amazing artistic point of view for the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Using pictures and slogans taken from street graffiti, TV, Newspapers and artistic exhibitions of the artist himself, the artist gets you in touch with the state of mind of both the Israeli and the Palestinian common people.
The book arranged as a "slid show" with out standing graphic design, escorted with English translations for the authentic quotations of slogans.

My experience with the book left me with a strong impression. A burst of mixed feelings is the least I can describe. I felt I can really experience the strong emotions involved with the long spoken Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

With strong recommendation
Yaron Elhadif

After reading Stone Kingdom, I feel Mr. Capt presents a most compelling case for America being the fifth and final great kingdom of Daniel, chapter 2. There are so many apparent clues given in Scripture to support this conclusion, as cited in his book, that it is amazing more Christians do not see it! As with all his other books that I've read, he verifies fulfillment of biblical prophecy with evidence found in secular history and archaeology. It would certainly be worth the time of any serious Bible student to thoughtfully read this perceptive book to perhaps gain additional insight into the role that this God-ordained nation has in the service of Jesus Christ to establish justice, truth, righteousness and liberty in the earth. Mr. Capt maintains we cannot escape our responsibility, because God is Sovereign. He will certainly work out His Divine purpose for America!

Mr. Capt again makes the complex simple. Understanding the "keys" of the bible...unlock many of the mysteries of prophecy. Many wonder why "America" the greatest super power of all time is not mentioned in the scriptures. It has been said, this vast Christian nation has no particular role in the "end times." Mr. Capt shows how America (stone kingdom) plays the final culminating role of this age. Excellent Book!

Author: Helene Koppejan

Strange Indeed - but true!

The dying Jacob's blessing to his son Zebulun foretells what would befall his future descendants. Many Scripture passages indicate that the Zebulun people are found today in the Netherlands.

"Some years ago I happened to overhear a conversation that mentioned a film that purported to identify the Netherlands with one of the so-called Ten Lost Tribes of Israel that disappeared in Assyrian captivity. The film had been produced by a Dutch family living in Glastonbury, England. I immediately went to Glastonbury where I met a fellow researcher in a subject I had been studying for many years. What a thrill to meet Helene Koppejan whose painstaking research, I found, contributed so much to my understanding of the Dutch people.

Helene had not only produced a film on the strange parallel between the Netherlands and ZEBULUN, a tribe of Israel, but also a book on the same subject. I had wondered in the past about the possibility of the Dutch being of Zebulun because of Jacob's blessing on Zebulun. These prophetic blessings made reference to ships and the Dutch were one of the greatest maritime nations of modern history. After viewing the film Strange Parallel I was firmly convinced the Dutch were predominantly of the tribe of Zebulun.

Helene shared my desire that her work be made available to the people of the United States, many of whom are of Dutch descent, and graciously gave me permission to publish this American edition of her book Strange Parallel." - E. Raymond Capt
Paperback
96 pages

Strange Parallel is one of the only books available about the Israelite tribe of Zebulun. This in itself lends credence to the significance of this book. The author, Helene Koppejan, identifies Zebulun with the modern day people of the Netherlands and their descendants. She does a good job of connecting these people to Zebulun and as an added bonus, she mentions Biblical promises that were bestowed upon these people by different people in the Bible.

First, Moses blesses this tribe as a seafaring tribe. This can be found in Deuteronomy 33: 18-19. Second, Deborah, a judge in Israel blesses Zebulun for risking their lives for others. She also mentions that Zebulun will weild the writers pen. The Dutch claim the invention of writing with the advent of printing. There is also a prophecy from Isaiah 9:1 that pertains to Zebulun. Also, when the patriarch Zebulun died, he made a prophecy concerning a prince who would arise out of this tribe. These are all things to think about. All in all this is an excellent and informative book!

This was a very touching story of the journey to a new belief and the determination to follow it. Every step this family took was heavy with consequences and life changes that one could not go back on. But with determination and a strong faith, they are now part of the community of the Children of Israel.

This book takes you on a journey in more ways than one. Shlomo Burnell recounts his life in Finland from the time he entered the Church as a minister, through the growth of his family, their move to Austrailia and finally to Israel. But the real journey is the spiritual one. From an early acceptance of Church doctrine through questioning and seeking and finally coming to realize the spiritual truth of Judaism, the Burnell family's journey was like riding a whirlwind.
I highly recommend this book to anyone seeking to find the truth.

Shuster's work stands as a prime example of American exeptionalism when the US was still an exception in international relations. His story is a sad tale of an American realist/idealist who attempted to rise above the great-power rivalries to bring stability and autonomy to a budding democracy caught between strategic conciderations. Anyone farmilure with the US involvement in the coup to overthrow the popular goverment of Mossadiq in 1953 will notice the many parellels and sad ironies in the Shuster text. This book is also perfect as a background to the relationship between the US and the Persian people. Shuster's work is a truely American attack on the European empirial system, and a scathing critic of the culture of diplomacy. Shuster was an exceptional man writing in an exceptional time, but it was exceptions such as Shuster which generated America's exceptional image throughout the world. Robert S. Glase

This book was first hand account of Mr. W. Morgan SHUSTER that how he was a finance consultant for Iran's government during early 1900. He wroked hard to reform Iran's corrupt institutes, and when Russia and Britian found him a problem. Thus, Russia invaded Iran and their army murdered innocent Iranian. Consequently, Mr. SHUSTER quit his position and he left Iran so Russian army would stop murdering Iranians.

It is an excellent book, it worth every penny.

Deep and meaningful, this influenced my soul.
Rabbi Goldie Milgram, author of Reclaiming Judaism as a Spiritual Practice: Holy Days & Shabbat and Meaning & Mitzvah: Daily Practices for Reclaiming Judaism

This is my favorite of all the Steinsaltz works that have appeared in English. It contains a variety of interesting essays on many different topics.It is highly recommended.
Yet a certain reticence in regard to contemporary issues in a sovereign Jewish state troubled me a bit about this work.