Daily Archives: March 22, 2024

This week (March 29) on Shabbat Night Live, like a scene out of Indiana Jones, the real Dr. Jones (Miles Jones), soon after arriving in Saudi Arabia, received a call in the middle of the night to a secret meeting with an unnamed man. Upon arriving at the meeting, Dr. Jones was handed an ancient, pocket-sized book with pages made of gold.

What was written on those pages revealed the reason for secrecy — and you’ll hear the whole story!

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 16:07) What is the significance of the gold book discovered in Arabia, and how does it relate to the archives of the Banu Qurayza?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 20:47) What significance did the phrase ‘Yehovah is the seed of seeds’ hold in the ancient inscriptions found on the gold pages?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 25:22) How do the elements identified in the artifact relate to the historical context of the Banu Qurayza’s departure from the promised land?
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 27:36) Considering the cultural and artistic influences evident in the artifacts discussed, how do the Egyptian origins manifest in the iconography and what does this suggest about the integration of Egyptian culture into the practices of the people who appeared in the Sinai desert?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 30:49) What methods were employed to clean and preserve the embossed artifacts discovered in the hidden chamber, and how did these techniques contribute to the longevity and historical significance of the findings?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 33:44) How did the introduction of agriculture by the Banu Qurayza tribe affect the prosperity and significance of Arabia?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 37:15) Considering the evidence of Hebrew artifacts such as gold books with ancient alphabets found in Arabia, what does this suggest about the historical involvement of Hebrews in Arabian history, and how does this align with the scriptural accounts of the patriarchs originating from this region?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 46:17) What are the possible reasons for the use of gold and lead in the creation of historical books, and how might these materials reflect the importance and content of the stories within them?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 51:58) What evidence suggests that the recently discovered metal document with 12 seals might represent an agreement between tribes, and how does its discovery in Saudi Arabia contribute to our understanding of history?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 54:34) How do the 12 seals mentioned in the Banu Qurayza archives relate to the ancient Hebrew tribes in Arabia?

This week (March 22) on Shabbat Night Live, over 3,500 years ago, the Israelites stood at the base of Mount Sinai, pledging their allegiance and love to YeHoVaH in a marriage covenant that would last forever.

Then, in 2023, in an unplanned event at that very spot, Miles Jones and his fiancee Catherine enacted their own marriage ceremony — and what happened next is truly miraculous!

Watch the episode — included on this blog post.

While you watch, consider the questions below. The timeline for each discussion topic in the video is noted on each question. Post your answers in the comments section and let’s get some discussion going!

1. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 15:43) What evidence do Dr. Miles Jones and Patrick Maguire present to support the historical accuracy of the biblical account of the Exodus, and how does it challenge the secular critique of the event as a myth?
2. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 18:55) Considering the findings of the Saudi archaeologist and the subsequent flash flood that exposed the site, what conclusions can be drawn about the original purpose of the fenced-off area of the mountain, and how does it relate to the biblical account of Moses’ altar?
3. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 22:16) How does the reenactment of the covenant with Yehovah during the wedding ceremony reflect the historical and spiritual significance of the original event, and what impact did this experience have on the participants’ understanding of their faith and heritage?
4. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 26:50) How do the experiences and observations at Mount Sinai, including the unusual weather phenomenon following the wedding ceremony, align with the biblical descriptions in Exodus 19, and what significance do they attribute to these events?
5. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 33:14) How does the geological evidence of water erosion and the presence of an underground aquifer at the site support the historical and spiritual narratives associated with the rock at Horeb, as described in the biblical account?
6. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 39:22) How do the inscriptions and symbols found at the site contribute to our understanding of the historical and cultural context of the area, and what comparisons can be drawn between these symbols and those found in other historical artifacts, like the imagery on the U.S. dollar bill?
7. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 42:41) How do the various inscriptions, such as the triple hash marks and the sandaled feet, represent the early stages of language development and symbolize the cultural practices of the people who created them?
8. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 45:49) How do the inscriptions and symbols discovered at the site, such as the paleo inscription for a cup, illustrate the transition from pictorial proto-Hebrew to the symbolic representation of sounds in the early alphabet, and what does this reveal about the cultural and religious practices of the people who created them?
9. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 51:58) How do the inscriptions and archaeological findings at Sinai, such as the ‘died Amalek’ inscription, corroborate the biblical narrative, and what implications do these discoveries have for our understanding of the historical events described in Exodus?
10. (VIDEO TIMELINE: 55:58) How did the commandment to write and the subsequent literacy among the Israelites, as evidenced by the inscriptions found at Mount Sinai and Joshua’s altar, contribute to the formation of a covenantal relationship with God and the establishment of a literate society in ancient Israel?