As I opened the newspaper today, the major headline carried the news of the latest death toll in the Israeli-Palestinian conflagration.  A bold move--but in my opinion unwise--by the Israeli leader of the opposition seemed to have sparked the latest flare-up of an already volatile situation. Just before the beginning of Rosh HaShana, the Jewish New Year, Ariel Sharon, the controversial former military leader and ex-Ministry of Defense, made a political statement regarding Israel's sovereignty by marching into the Temple Mount where today stands the Dome of the Rock.  Was his brief visit worth the fighting and death? To us, reading the news from the comfort of our homes, it would seem absurd, but for Israelis and Muslims, it's a matter of life or death.  For Jews, the Temple Mount represents its holiest place, since it is on this is the spot were the Temple once stood. For the Palestinians, and Muslims in general it is also a holy place where non-Muslims are prohibited from entering. They believe that is was from that spot that the prophet Muhammad ascended to Heaven.  It is on the issue of the sovereignty of the Temple Mount, a few acres in the heart of Old Jerusalem, that the Middle East peace process finds its most difficult obstacle.
Why do both parties seem so inflexible in their positions? Why can't they just give up control over those few acres? To answer these questions one has to consider what it would seem to be an unrelated issue: the validity of the Bible.  In the Western world, the validity of the Scriptures is a matter of religion or belief, but for Arabs and Israelis, it’s a matter of live and death.  Many political analysts and historians fear that unless the crisis in the Middle East is resolved, the next global conflagration may very well be will be over the Israeli, Arab, and Palestinian situation.  This conflict is not just social or political; the roots of the Middle East crisis are profoundly religious and Biblical. But is the Bible as relevant for us today in all matters as it is for viewing the Middle East crisis? In fact, does the Bible have any relevancy and validity for us today?

Changing Historical Views of the Relevancy of the Scriptures
Since the adoption of Christianity by the Roman Emperor Constantine in A.D.312 and until the end of World War II, the history of the Western World, including the Byzantine Empire, has evolved around the Bible.  Kings were crowned or deposed, people converted or slaughtered, and wars were justified; all according to the way one could validate such enterprises through religion, the church and the Bible. In a theocentric society, the way one interpreted Scriptures was the foundation and the measuring rod for any endeavor. Regrettably, the Bible was also misused as justification for genocide, persecutions and crimes.  Despite the many wrongs brought about by extreme misinterpretation of Scripture, the Bible has been the guiding light, the focal point, the cannon of ethics and the rule of conduct for almost 17 centuries of Western thought.  But today, the picture is different; we are living in what the theologian Paul Tillich has called the "post-Christian era." At the beginning of the 21st century one must ask whether the Bible has any validity and relevance for us today.  This debate is not only between believers and non-believers; the question of the Scriptural validity is also debated among different schools of Christian thought.
There are many different terms used today by theologians and Bible scholars, churches and denominations--words like "inerrancy, " "literal interpretation," "liberal," "infallibility," "allegorical," et cetera, -- to explain one's positions regarding biblical interpretation.  Although these terms should be understood by anyone interested in the Bible, I also want to suggest a less academic but a more realistic way to express the different views on the relevancy and validity of the Scriptures.  First it is important to understand how these traditional labels are defined.  Literal interpretation means that one accepts the literal meaning of the words as they appear in the biblical text, making allowances for parables, allegorical or clearly poetic expression.  Allegorical interpretation means that there is a hidden meaning, and that one must therefore search for the principle stated and not necessarily for textual veracity.  A liberal approach to biblical interpretation would look a biblical text and try to adapt it to modern times, people and circumstances. A liberal theologian would probably argue that what Paul said to the first century churches doesn't necessarily apply to us today because we view things differently; or that the Ten Commandments were given to a very primitive society that lived in a very different world, therefore, the precepts given in the Old Testament do not need to be taken at face value. A more conservative approach, inerrancy refers to the fact that the Bible, as the Word of God cannot and does not contain errors.

Modern Ways for Interpreting the Bible
 Most people, even those who attend church or synagogue regularly, do not use the terminology I just mentioned. Most of us look at the Bible and its relevance for us today from very different and modern perspectives.
The first one of these perspectives is what I call the "Bible 101" approach. The "One-0-oners" look at the Bible as required basic knowledge, similar to required college courses. You must know something about it as a sort of social requirement. You must have at least one Bible at home just in case for reference purposes  (you may have to check an answer when playing "trivia pursuit"!).  For the one-0-oners this basic biblical knowledge does not grow into an interest in what might be in "Bible 202." Those who adhere to this method of biblical interpretation seldom believe that the Bible has any personal relevancy for them today.
Another modern biblical perspective is the "Charlston Heston/Ben-Hur and Moses" approach. Who hasn't been impressed with Charlston Heston's roles in playing Moses and Ben-Hur? I even have a genuine autographed picture of Charslton Heston coming down from Mount Sinai with the tablets on which the Ten Commandments are written that was given to me by a good friend. I display it in my house with great honor to the amazement of many. What an imposing figure!  If Moses did not look like him, he should have! Although in Ben-Hur there is no direct picture of Jesus, the events of his birth, ministry and death are superimposed with that of the Jewish hero, Judah Ben-Hur, and makes for a great “Bible” story.  There are many whose knowledge of the Bible is limited to what Hollywood has portrayed. The Bible is good source for movie scripts because there are action heroes, plenty of battles, love stories, miracles, betrayal, murder, et cetera. In some of my Bible classes, when teaching on the Tabernacle and the Temple, I found that in order to explain what the Ark of the Covenant must have looked like I had to appeal to Steven Spilberg's movie "The Raiders of the Lost Ark."  I have no doubt, many more people know about the Ark of the Covenant because they have seen this movie than from reading about it in the Bible. Those who like the Hollywood interpretations may have developed an emotional attachment of the Bible, but this is a result of the feeling that the movie elicits from them, and rarely goes any deeper.
Then there is the Hallmark approach to the Bible. This refers to the brand name of popular cards, available from any store and for all occasions.  These beautiful cards come with sweet, appropriate and touching sentences that supposedly convey one's emotions. Many a husband or a boss has been able to remedy his forgetfulness by buying a Hallmark card with the right words. As a student in Harvard during an expository writing class, I remember one teacher saying to me when my writing had plenty of words but little substance, "David, you will have a promising career with Hallmark."  The Hallmark approach allows you to quote, keep close at hand, and use the Bible once in a while as needed. Bible narratives make wonderful bedtime stories for our children.  Bible verses make beautiful pictures and art calendars, and having them around gives us a sense of spirituality and peace. We can quote a Bible verse to someone who is mourning a loss or suffering.  Using the Bible in this way is good, and we should have more of it, but the Bible can give us so much more.
Most homeowners have some type of insurance on their property. Once we receive the homeowner’s insurance policy, we save it in a secure file. Our hope is that we shouldn't have to use it, but if we need it, we know where to find it.  Sometimes we treat the Bible as an insurance policy, to be used only in an emergency. I call this the insurance policy approach to the Bible. When things go well there is no need to look into it. But in case of spiritual or emotional distress we know where to go. Yes, the Bible speaks to us in times of need, but we must understand the daily need to hear from God's word. In times of blessing as in times of need; in times of joy as in times of sorrow, in times of pain as in times of laughter, the Bible speaks to us every time at all times.
Finally, there is the user manual approach to the Bible.  Life is difficult; there are pressures, situations, and circumstances that make life hard.  I find that I do not have all the answer for life's many challenges. There are people I don't know how to handle. There are times when I seem to have lost my sense of direction. This is when we need the users manual. A book that teaches what to do, how to do it, and what to expect. A book that tells me that "if I have done this" then "this is the answer."
In spite of the many ways we attempt to use Gods words for our own purposes, the Bible does speak to us today, if we use it properly. It should be as the Psalmist says "Your word is a light to my feet and a light for my path." It should be for us as it is for the Israelis, a matter of life and death, and even more so for believers as a matter of life abundant.

The Importance of Biblical Interpretation for the Understanding of Arabs, Israelis, Palestinians and Jews
 As I have mentioned, for most of us biblical interpretation is a matter of faith, but for Jews is a matter of life and death. It is only when based on a clear interpretation of the Bible as reliable that there is validity to the Israeli claims to the land and Jewish identity as a chosen people.
 To begin, Jewish claims to the land of Israel are based on the promises that God made to the patriarchs Abraham, Isaac and Jacob.  These promises are found in the pages of the Bible. There is no other contract, there is no deed, there is no political pact or military concession other than that found in the Bible. If one takes away the validity and relevancy of the Bible, Israel as a nation has no claims over its territory. When in 1897 the first Zionist Congress met in Switzerland, there were those who proposed a homeland for the Jewish people in Argentina or South Africa. It was Theodore Herzl, the visionary Austrian journalist whose motion finally prevailed, who stated that "Zionism will strive to create a homeland in Palestine for the Jewish people, warranted by law."  Why Palestine? The Jews had been expelled from Palestine since the end of the first century. Why not carve a Jewish state out of Poland, where there were 3 million Jews? Why not accept the offer made by Julio A. Roca, the Argentine president who in the 1860's offered to set up in Argentina a province exclusively for the Jewish people? The answer is clear.  God did not offer a Promised Land in Poland, or Africa, or South America, nor any other land to Abraham, only the land that has become Israel. The Bible is absolutely relevant--and especially for Israel today --because it is in the word of God and His promise to His chosen people in the Bible that validates Israel's territorial claims.
 The most difficult and thorny issue regarding the peace accord between Israel and the Palestinians is the status of Jerusalem. Israel's claim over Jerusalem, including the Temple Mount, is based on the fact that Jerusalem is the heart of Israel and Judaism. Jewish claims over Jerusalem are based on David's conquest of that citadel around the year 1000 BC when he made Jerusalem his residence and the center of religious life.  The subsequent building of Solomon's Temple gave God's seal of approval to Jerusalem's claim as the center of Israel and of the Jewish religion.  But again, other than the Bible, there is no other document that validates Jewish claims over Jerusalem.
On the other side of the dispute, the Palestinians also claim their divine right to El Quds, the Arabic name of Jerusalem. On the site of King Solomon's Temple, the center of Jewish life beginning in the 10th century BC, stands the mosque known as the Dome of the Rock, which was originally built in A.D. 691. Muslims believe that Muhammad was carried to heaven from here by the angel Gabriel. This makes Jerusalem a sacred city for all Muslims. Nearby is the silver-domed el Aksa mosque, built in the 8th century. Both mosques dominate the Temple Mount, also known as Haram esh-Sherif. To make matters more conflicting, the western boundary of the Haram is the Western Wall, the retaining wall of Solomon's Temple known as the Wailing Wall, Israel's holiest site. The question of the validity of the Bible becomes of paramount importance in deciding the status of Jerusalem. Israel's claims are based on what the Bible records as historical facts.
A matter of great importance is the Palestinian claim that there is no archeological evidence of Jewish presence in Jerusalem.  As ridiculous as it may seem, the Palestinian Authority's "Palestine Ministry of Information" released via their official Internet site <http://www.pna.org/mininfo/statements/est_1012.htm>, a declaration that repeats the Palestinian claim that there is no archeological evidence linking the Jewish People to Jerusalem.  The tittle of this document is No Archeological Evidence of Jewish Presence in Jerusalem. To refute this argument, Dr. Aaron Lerner, Director of IMRA (Independent Media Review & Analysis) replies, also via Internet <http://msanews.mynet.net/>with the following comments:
"These claims are typically brushed off as comical or pathetic, particularly in light of the many Jewish archeological findings which are a feature of tours of the Old City (including the Burnt House and Hasmonean Palace) as well as the various Temple inscriptions which have been unearthed.  But the fact that the Palestinian Authority itself, Israel's "peace partner," sees fit to continuously repeat these lies is not a minor matter.  The PA (Palestinian Authority), by systematically denying evidence of the Jewish link to Jerusalem, is laying the groundwork for the de-Judaising of Jerusalem in particular and Israel in general."

 But more than the status of Jerusalem or the final peace agreement between Jews and Palestinians, the very essence of Judaism hinges on the validity and relevance of the Scriptures. It wasn't just stubbornness that kept the Jewish people as an identifiable nation for 2,000 years after the expulsion from their land. When in A.D. 133 the Roman emperor Adrian made Jerusalem a Roman colony by changing its name to Aelia Capitolina and expelling all Jews from the land, its end as a Jewish entity was very much assured. Contrary to what all had anticipated, the Jewish nation did not disappeared -but kept their identity, their religion, and their faith for twenty long centuries of diaspora. Neither Crusades, Inquisition, nor Holocaust could take away the Jewishness of the people of Israel. And this is not the result of tenacity, but because of the validity and relevance of the covenant made by God and recorded in the Bible. There is no greater proof for the existence of God than the survival of the Jewish people.  God's relationship with Israel is the basis for the Older Testament; it is the foundation of the Bible.
 The future of Israel also depends on the reliability of the Scriptures. God's eternal covenants with Israel are what make Israel unique among the nations. Not only its survival was assured in the past, but a glorious future is also promised. As the Bible has proved itself reliable up to the present time - remember that Israel became a State during our own generation-it will continue to be so until all of God's promises to Israel are fulfilled.

What the Middle East Conflict Says about the Value of the Scriptures for Us Today
 God is the ruler of the Universe, a phrase that was repeated over and over again during the recent Jewish Holy Days of Rosh HaShana and Yom Kippur, are not just nice sounding words. This fact is as relevant to us today as it was to the ancient Hebrews. The truth that God is the ruler of the Universe helps points to other facts. First, because God is the ruler of the Universe, He is in control of history. God's plan for the nations is found in the pages of the Scripture. He revealed His will and His plan through his prophets and through events of human history.  The Middle East crisis will be resolved according to the will of God.  How we interpret God's will- as it is revealed in the Bible-may be a matter of debate, but what is beyond doubt is that God is not done in his dealing with Israel and Jerusalem.
The second point is that although God rules supreme over the nations He does not forget the individuals. God sees the big picture, but never looses sight of His people.  The same way in which He ordained the history of the nations through His word, He has also revealed his care for the individual.  If the history of the survival of the Jewish people is the most evident proof of His existence, it should also prove that He cares for His people. The same God who has the final say in the Middle East process is the one who has the final say in human relations.  Again, He has a specific will that is revealed in the Scriptures. When God gave the Ten Commandments and the whole Torah to the children of Israel, He was revealing His moral character.  His revealed Law became the foundation of Israel as a nation, but interestingly enough, it says very little about national matters. The Ten Commandments govern the individual's relationship with God and then with others.  Although part of the ceremonial and sacrificial aspects of the Laws are no longer possible to fulfill, the guiding principles remain the same: atonement, sin, forgiveness, mercy, et cetera, and are as relevant for today as they were at Mt. Sinai.
Finally, the Scriptures are the inspired Word of God. The Bible contains His revealed will for us today.  As long as there is a need to commune with God, as long as there is a longing to fellowship with one's Creator, as long as there is a need to find a firm foundation for this changing world, as long as there is a need to find answers for life's many enigmas, the Scriptures continue to be relevant for us today. Although some may have become far too comfortable and lost sight of the power and supremacy of God in their lives, the scriptures and our God should not be deluded by modern interpretations. The truth of the scriptures is as valid and important to every believer in the world as it is to the Israeli solider fighting for the right to exist. Yeshua made this point very clear when he declared "I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth disappear, not the smallest letter, not the least stroke of a pen, will by any means disappear from the Law until everything is accomplished." Matt 5:18-19. As far as I can remember, when I woke up this morning the world was still in existence.