Here is a man of intelligence who, I cannot conceive, is unaware of what the Palestinians were doing when they pushed him to the security barrier.
By JERUSALEM POST READERSLetters 370(photo credit: REUTERS/Handout )
Sir, – A lot has been said about the pope’s visit and particularly about his unscheduled stop at the Bethlehem security wall, but Caroline B. Glick (“Pope Francis’s unfriendly visit,” Our World, May 28) went over the top.Here is a man of intelligence who, I cannot conceive, is unaware of what the Palestinians were doing when they pushed him to the security barrier. Not to pray would have been offensive. What he prayed cannot be known to Madame Caroline. One can guess that a man of his sensitivity and wisdom would pray that one day the wall will be unnecessary.To balance it, perhaps he said a prayer for the victims of Arab terror.As for Yeshua, he did, in fact, speak only Aramaic, which was the lingo at the time. Of course, he knew Hebrew as he was well versed in Torah. But it was not the spoken language. So the pontiff was right – Yeshua spoke Aramaic and, though very likely prayed in Hebrew, did not speak it. In those days the people required a man to stand at the side of the synagogue hall during the service to translate the prayers into Aramaic.Here is a man who consistently shows his respect and admiration for the Jews. It is Glick who is unfriendly to a pope we should be cheering.EDMUND JONAHRishon LezionThe writer is a lecturer and author of Yeshua!Sir, – King David must be rolling over in his grave. On what basis is the government of Israel considering ceding David’s Tomb to the Vatican? And what is the Vatican’s claim to our king’s Tomb in the Land of Israel? A holy site? Those of us who believe in Torah believe God selected David, the shepherd boy, son of Jesse, to lead the nation of Israel. David is also widely considered the greatest king of Israel. The Messiah is decreed to come from the line of David and he will lead the nations.Let David rest in peace. I gladly share the power and comfort of his psalms, but I will not agree with giving over his tomb.ELIANA ME’IRA HARTMANPittsburgh PennsylvaniaSir, – The furor over the building housing the Cenacle, the alleged room of Jesus’ last supper before his crucifixion, is at variance with the facts.In the year 70 CE, when the Temple was destroyed, the Romans systematically destroyed most of Jerusalem.After the Bar Kochba revolt in 135 CE, the Emperor Hadrian finished the job. The only building too massive to destroy was the wall around the Temple Mount, so it is almost certain that the present building housing David’s Tomb was constructed only after that time.Second, according to the Gospels, Jesus came to Jerusalem to celebrate the Passover. Doing so meant eating the Passover sacrifice, which had to be done in a state of purity. Even if there was a building on the present site, David’s Tomb would be on the ground floor, and anyone entering the building would therefore have become “impure” and unable to eat the Passover sacrifice. This would have made his journey to Jerusalem a waste of time.CYRIL ATKINSBeit ShemeshSir, – I believe Pope Francis pulled off no small miracle by getting leaders on both sides to come to the Vatican. Perhaps they will sit down and work out a plan for peace between Israel and the Palestinians.I give the man big points for his efforts to bring about an everlasting peace. This is what religion is all about – loving and respecting thy neighbor.HERB STARKMooresville, North Carolina
