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Council of Religious Leaders in Israel: “We are all one family”

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“We are all one family”: Religious leaders highlight moral education as foundation for peace | BWNS

Religious leaders highlight moral education as foundation for peace

HAIFA, Israel — The 12th Annual Conference of the Council of Religious Leaders in Israel was hosted recently at the Bahá’í World Centre, bringing together some 115 participants, including leaders of diverse faith communities, the Minister of the Interior, the Mayor of Haifa, other government officials, and journalists.

Discussions at the gathering highlighted the important role of education in promoting social harmony, nurturing moral principles, and developing the ability to engage in constructive dialogue.

The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog, addressed the gathering in a video message, highlighting shared values among religions and emphasizing the importance of unity in diversity. “Unity is not uniformity and it is not meant to blur the differences between us, on the contrary, differences of tradition and culture are what make us so special.

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The President of Israel, Isaac Herzog addressed the gathering in a video message

In her opening remarks, Ariane Sabet, Deputy Secretary-General of the Bahá’í International Community in Haifa, stated: “Religion’s unique power in affirming humanity’s nobility, refining its character, providing meaning and motivation for creating a sustainable and prosperous civilization, cannot be overstated.”

She added: “May this conference serve as an invitation to all of us, as representatives of faiths and leaders in society, to discharge the responsibility for humankind to unite as members of one single human family.”

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Religious leaders and government officials gathered to discuss collective efforts toward fostering peace, amity, and concord.

Haifa Mayor, Einat Kalisch-Rotem, spoke about efforts in the city of Haifa to promote social harmony. “Here in Haifa, we do not believe in merely coexisting, but rather living together as one community, all of us.”

Ayelet Shaked, Interior Minister, expressed her appreciation for the gathering, stating: “The conference is an excellent opportunity for respect and reciprocity, especially for joint action to combat violence.”

Another attendee, Sheikh Nader Heib, Chairman of the Association of Muslim clerics, stated: “We must learn how to reconnect…with warmth and [establish] a new view toward the future.

There was consensus among the religious leaders that further collaboration among them at schools and other social spaces would demonstrate their unity and dedication to peace, especially to young people.

Rabbi Simha Weiss, member of the Council of the Israeli Chief rabbinate, echoed this sentiment, saying that the diversity of the staff serving at the Bahá’í World Centre offers a glimpse of a hopeful future. “[They] show us that living together is possible.”

He added: “We are all one family… and this is what we have to teach the young people of today.”

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair hosts book fair directors from across Arab world

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Abu Dhabi International Book Fair hosts book fair directors from across Arab world

ABU DHABI, 26th May, 2022 (WAM) — The 31st Abu Dhabi International Book Fair (ADIBF 2022) hosted the latest meeting of book fair directors from across the Arab world.

The 19th Meeting of Arab Book Fair Directors discussed issues regarding the development and advancement of these fairs, the enhancement of their role in supporting the publishing sector and its workers, as well as ways to promote their position as platforms to spread knowledge among various members of the community.

Representatives of the General Secretariat of the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) attended the meeting, along with directors and officials from book fairs.

Attendees discussed the challenges facing book fairs and how to turn them into promising opportunities, in addition to exploring the current state of affairs in the Arab publishing industry and the challenges publishers face. Several additional issues also were on the table, including the role that book fairs play in spreading culture and civilised communication, as well as the impact they have in promoting books and other content to readers.

ADIBF will be heading the Meeting of Arab Book Fair Directors as the presidency of the meeting is transferred from Saudi Arabia to the UAE. For the upcoming year, ADIBF will supervise and coordinate with the General-Secretariat to track progress made on development plans, in addition to working to advance and promote Arab book fairs.

Saeed Hamdan Al Tunaiji, Acting Executive Director of the ALC and Director of ADIBF, said, “Through innovation and collaboration between the organisers of Arab books fairs, we have effectively supported the region’s publishing industry its growth. We have great faith in these fairs and the pivotal role they play in the development of communities. Arab book fairs will undoubtedly play a constructive role in enriching the cultural movement in general. We look forward to the meeting’s recommendations, which aim to bring all efforts to enable book fairs to continue to enlighten Arab minds, promote awareness and advance thought.”

Saad Al Zughaibi, Director of the Department of Culture, Tourism and Antiquities in the General-Secretariat of the GCC, welcomed the UAE’s efforts – represented by the ADIBF management – to organise and host the 19th Meeting of Arab Book Fair Directors.

“These annual meetings are in compliance with the decisions of Their Highnesses and Excellencies, the Ministers of Culture in the GCC region, to promote further collaboration in the cultural sector in the region. A wide range of topics was addressed during this meeting in order to enhance the level of organisation in GCC book fairs; pitch and coordinate new accompanying cultural events; discuss topics that support book fairs; and raise recommendations to the Committee of Ministers of Culture, which promotes joint action and advances the cultural movement,” he added.

The 19th Meeting of Arab Book Fair Directors also reviewed the progress made towards implementing the recommendations of the 18th meeting, in addition to exploring several topics proposed by member states, including the tentative dates for book fairs in GCC countries from 2026 to 2030, as well as the activities accompanying these events. Attendees also discussed the Gulf Cultural Strategy 2020-2030 and the requirements of the next meeting.

Abu Dhabi International Book Fair is organised by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre (ALC), part of the Department of Culture and Tourism – Abu Dhabi (DCT Abu Dhabi).

War in Ukraine: New rules allowing to preserve evidence of war crimes

New rules allowing to preserve evidence of war crimes

Council adopts new rules allowing Eurojust agency to preserve evidence of war crimes

To help ensure accountability for crimes committed in Ukraine, the Council today adopted new rules allowing Eurojust to preserve, analyse and store evidence relating to core international crimes, including war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide. The text is due to be signed by the European Parliament and the Council on 30 May and promptly published in the Official Journal. It will enter into force on the day following its publication.

The new rules will allow Eurojust to:

  • store and preserve evidence of war crimes, including satellite images, photographs, videos, audio recordings, DNA profiles and fingerprints
  • process and analyse this evidence, in close cooperation with Europol, and share the information with the relevant national and international judicial authorities, including the International Criminal Court

Since the start of Russia’s war of aggression against Ukraine, numerous reports from Ukraine have sadly indicated that crimes against humanity and war crimes have been and are being committed in Ukraine.

At the beginning of March, all EU member states, together with other partner states, decided to collectively refer the situation in Ukraine to the International Criminal Court. At the Justice and Home Affairs Council meeting on 4 March, ministers encouraged Eurojust to fully exercise its coordinating role and to make itself available as required to the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court.

In addition to the investigation by the ICC prosecutor, the Prosecutor General of Ukraine has opened an investigation, as have the authorities of several member states. A joint investigation team has also been established by the judicial authorities of Lithuania, Poland and Ukraine, with the support of Eurojust and the participation of the Office of the Prosecutor of the ICC and shortly of the judicial authorities of Slovakia, Latvia and Estonia.

Coordination and exchange of evidence between the different competent authorities is important to ensure the effectiveness of these investigations. In addition, owing to the ongoing hostilities there is a risk that evidence relating to war crimes or crimes against humanity cannot be safely stored on the territory of Ukraine and therefore it is appropriate to establish central storage in a safe location.

African nations leading the way on ‘food systems transformation’: Guterres 

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African nations leading the way on ‘food systems transformation’: Guterres 
African countries are at the vanguard of a vital transformation of food systems to simultaneously address food security, nutrition, social and environmental protection – all while boosting resilience – said the UN chief on Thursday. 
António Guterres was addressing the start of a high-level policy dialogue at UN Headquarters in New York, part of the Africa Dialogue Series 2022, convened to strengthen resilience in food supplies across the continent, at a time when “decades of progress on hunger are being reversed.” 

Deep connections 

He said for too long, nutrition, food security, conflicts, climate change, ecosystems and health have been treated as separate concerns, “but these global challenges are deeply interconnected. Conflict creates hunger. The climate crisis amplifies conflict”, and systemic problems are just getting worse. 

He noted that after more than a decade of improvements, one in five Africans were undernourished in 2020, while 61 million African children are affected by stunting. Women and girls bear the brunt, and when food is scarce, “they are often the last to eat; and the first to be taken out of school and forced into work or marriage.” 

Mr. Guterres said that UN humanitarians and partners were doing their utmost to meet Africa’s needs amidst crisis, but aid “cannot compete with the systemic drivers of hunger.” 

Other “external shocks” were exacerbating the situation, such as an uneven recovery from the pandemic and the war in Ukraine, with African countries among the most heavily impacted by grain shortages and rising debt.  

UN Women/Ryan Brown

A Central African Republic refugee living in Cameroon prepares food for her customers.

Climate crisis frontline 

Building resilience also requires addressing the climate crisis. 

“African farmers are on the frontlines of our warming planet, from rising temperatures to droughts and floods,” he said. 

“Africa needs a massive boost in technical and financial support to adapt to the impact of the climate emergency and provide renewable electricity across the continent.” 

He added that developed countries must deliver on their $100 billion climate finance commitment to developing countries, with the help of international financial institutions, so African countries, in particular, can invest in a strong recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic, on the tide of renewable energy.  

Food systems, said the Secretary-General, “connect all these challenges”, as highlighted at last September’s UN Food Systems Summit

“Many African Member States led the call for fundamental change, through inclusive transformation pathways, which aim to address – simultaneously – food security, nutrition, social protection, environmental conservation and resilience to shocks.” 

He welcomed the African Union (AU) decision to designate 2022 as the Year of Nutrition – a pledge to act on the strong commitments made at the Summit. 

Collective expertise 

“Through national, regional and global cooperation, we must build on lessons learned and harness collective expertise. Together, we must deliver on these pathways”, Mr. Guterres added. 

“The international community must rise to the occasion”, he declared, adding that scaling back support when demand is at an all-time high, was “not an option.” 

Official Development Assistance, or ODA, based on a percentage of available public funds, is more necessary than ever, he said. 

“I urge all countries to demonstrate solidarity, invest in resilience, and prevent the current crisis from escalating further.” 

The UN chief said that during his recent visit to Senegal, Niger, and Nigeria, he had been inspired by the resilience and determination of the people he met. 

“Women and young people in particular were committed to lasting, sustainable solutions that enable them to live in peace with their neighbours and with nature.” 

“If we work together, if we put people and planet before profit, we can transform food systems, deliver on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and leave no one behind.” 

The ambitious goals, he concluded, of ending hunger and malnutrition by the fast-approaching 2030 deadline, were realistic, and achievable. 

“The United Nations stands by your side, every step of the way.” 

China: New revelations on the repression of Uyghurs during the UN visit

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Uyghurs - China -_Xinjiang_camps
Uyghurs - China -_Xinjiang_camps

Michelle Bachelet is the first UN human rights official to visit China since 2005. In the midst of this strictly supervised visit, a series of edifying photos of detainees in Chinese “re-education camps”, proof of the repression of Uyghurs, were revealed by several media.

On Tuesday, a consortium of 14 foreign media outlets published documents they say came from hacked Xinjiang police computers, files received by researcher Adrian Zenz, and published by a group of international media. Beijing is accused of conducting fierce repression against Uyghur Muslims.

These documents give a precise idea of the repressive nature of the “re-education” of Uyghurs in the “vocational training centres”. Among these are thousands of photographs, which are presented as having been taken in “detention camps” and show the faces of many “detainees”, including women, minors and the elderly.

Some of his photos show the violence committed against the detainees. They sometimes appear handcuffed, hooded, interrogated, and even tortured.
The written documents support the idea of a crackdown ordered from the top of the Chinese state.

A speech attributed to Police Minister Zhao Kezhi in 2018 explains that President Xi Jinping ordered the expansion of detention centres. According to Zhao, at least two million people in southern Xinjiang are said to be “seriously influenced by the infiltration of extremist thought.”

In a 2017 speech, Chen Quanguo, the region’s then-boss, ordered guards to shoot dead those who try to escape and to “keep a close eye on believers.”

Beijing denounces “the lie of the century”

Beijing has always denied the repression of Uyghurs, denouncing “the lie of the century” and claiming that these sites are in fact “vocational training centres” intended to de-radicalize people tempted by Islamism or separatism.
The statements of Adrian Zenz, the first to accuse the Chinese regime in 2018 of having interned more than a million Uyghurs in political re-education centres, have been refuted by China

This is just “the latest example of the denigration of Xinjiang carried out by anti-Chinese forces,” Wang Wenbin, a spokesman for Chinese diplomacy, vehemently criticized Tuesday.

The day after new revelations in the press concerning the repression of Uyghurs in Xinjiang, Xi Jinping defended his country’s record on Wednesday. The Chinese president said that “there is no ‘perfect country’ in terms of human rights” and “each country must follow “its own path in human rights, according to its conditions and the needs of its people.”

US “outraged” and deeply concerned about UN rights chief visit to China

The United States on Tuesday expressed outrage at the revelations, saying it showed the acts were probably sanctioned at the highest level in Beijing.

“We are appalled by these shocking reports and images,” State Department spokesman Ned Price said of the leaked files attributed to Chinese police.

“It seems very difficult to imagine that a systematic effort to suppress, imprison, and conduct a campaign of genocide and crimes against humanity would not have the blessing – or approval – of the highest levels of the government of the People’s Republic of China,” he said.

The US State Department spokesperson on Friday said that the upcoming visit by the UN Human Rights chief Michelle Bachelet to the so-called Xinjiang Uyghur Autonomous Region (XUAR) is deeply concerning due to Beijing’s restrictions over the visit. “We have no expectation that the [People’s Republic of China] will grant the necessary access required to conduct a complete, unmanipulated assessment of the human rights environment in Xinjiang,” spokesperson Ned Price said.

“The high commissioner, we believe, must act, and be allowed to act, independently. And the high commissioner must report objectively and factually on the human rights situation,” Price further added

“During her time in office, the current High Commissioner has failed to raise any concern about the situation in occupied Tibet, which has not been mentioned as a visit location, despite being ranked as the least free place in the world for the second year in a row,” it further remarked.

The human rights report on China that the UN had said would be released earlier this year has still not seen the light of day. “Despite frequent assurances by her office that the report would be released in short order, it remains unavailable to us, and we call on the high commissioner to release the report without delay and not to wait for the visit to do so,” US spokesperson Price also noted.

Nearly half of Irish public does not trust the Government to be honest

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Nearly half of Irish public does not trust the Government to be honest

David Kearns, Digital Journalist and Media Officer of UCD University Relations published an article titles “Nearly half of Irish public does not trust the Government to be honest or tell the truth, according to new UCD study“.

He writes that “Almost half of Ireland (48%) does not trust the Government to be honest and truthful, with 58% thinking it communicates inaccurate and biased information. This is according to a new study commissioned by UCD, as part of its European Commission Horizon 2020 project PERITIA – Policy Expertise and Trust in Action.

The research, based on survey data from over 12,000 people across six countries, found the Irish public’s perceptions of their government to be more negative than other European nations, with only people in the UK and Poland rating theirs worse across several measures.

He explains that across a range of questions designed to assess views of government trustworthiness, the Irish public were found to hold unfavourable perceptions.

“Almost six in 10 people in Ireland think the government does not communicate accurate and unbiased information, while over half (54%) are unsure whether to believe the government”.

“Some 45% of respondents think the government ignores rules and procedures, with only Poland (50%) and the UK (62%) having more negative views”.

By comparison, only one third of people in Germany (34%) and Norway (35%) say their government ignores rules and procedures.

In Ireland, the majority (53%) felt the government ignores them – with only people in the UK (61%) and Poland (66%) more likely to feel ignored, and 42% said the government acts unfairly towards people like them – again, behind only Poland (63%) and the UK (49%) but similar to Italy (42%) and Germany (41%).

The feeling that the government is not honest and truthful was shared by 48% of those surveyed across Ireland; a finding in line with the average across the six countries surveyed (50%) but notably higher than in some such as Norway (36%).

Six in 10 said they are usually cautious about trusting the government – higher than in Germany (49%) and Norway (41%), but similar to Italy (62%) and the UK (63%).

You can read the full article here.

Pope Francis prays for victims of Texas shootings

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Pope Francis prays for victims of Texas shootings - Vatican News

Pope Francis prays for victims of Texas shootings

By Vatican News staff writer – Pope Francis has expressed his deep sadness in learning of the tragic shooting that took place at Robb Elementary School in Uvalde, Texas.

In a telegram sent to Archbishop Gustavo Garcia-Siller of San Antonio and signed by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State, the Pope assured “those affected by this attack of his spiritual closeness,” and “joins the entire community in commending the souls of those children and teachers who died to Almighty God’s loving mercy,” imploring “the divine gifts of healing and consolation upon the injured and bereaved.”

The message concludes, “with firm faith in the Risen Christ, through whom every evil will be overcome by good (cf. Rom 12:21), he prays that those tempted to violence will choose instead the path of fraternal solidarity and love.” The Pope offered his blessing, “as a pledge of strength and peace in the lord.”

Cultural destruction in Ukraine by Russian forces will reverberate for years

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Cultural destruction in Ukraine by Russian forces will reverberate for years, UN rights expert warns

Cultural destruction in Ukraine by Russian forces will reverberate for years, UN rights expert warns

The attempted destruction of Ukraine’s historic culture by invading Russian forces, will have a devastating impact on the pace of recovery in the post-war era, an independent UN human rights expert warned on Wednesday. “As in other conflicts, we currently witness the unfolding of suffering in Ukraine that does not seem to end and we cannot stop,” said Alexandra Xanthaki, Special Rapporteur on cultural rights.

“The questioning and denial of the Ukrainian identity and history as a justification for war, is a violation of the Ukrainians’ right to self-determination and their cultural rights.

“Self-identification is the paramount expression of these rights and all discussions, by States and in social media, should respect this.”

She said that the considerable loss of cultural heritage already, and destruction of cultural artefacts, was worrying for the identity of both Ukrainians and minorities within the country, and would impact the return to a peaceful multicultural society after the end of the war.

Museums under fire

Ms. Xanthaki expressed her concern at damage inflicted by Russian forces on city centres, cultural sites and monuments and museums, housing important collections.

“These are all part of the identity of people in Ukraine; their loss will have a lasting effect,” the expert said. She shared UN cultural agency UNESCO’s concern that there is an existential threat to Ukraine’s entire cultural life.

The expert said the cultural rights of all individuals – Ukrainians, Russians and other members of minorities living within Ukraine, the Russian Federation, and elsewhere – must be fully respected and protected.

“As the battles rage on, we are not completely powerless,” she said. “Beyond recalling that the rules of international humanitarian and human rights law should be scrupulously applied by all parties to the conflict, we must ensure that culture helps us maintain our dignity and is not used as a means to pursue and fuel the war

“We often do not measure how devastating violations of cultural rights can be for peace”, she continued.

“Attempts against academic and artistic freedoms, linguistic rights, falsification and distortion of historical facts, denigration of identities and denial of the right to self-determination, result in further degeneration and fueling of open conflict.”

The expert paid tribute to the many cultural professionals in Ukraine devoted to protecting the country’s heritage, who are using powerful artistic expression, against the war, and in favour of peace.

‘Regret’ over retaliation

The Special Rapporteur also expressed her regret about the indiscriminate exclusion of Russian artists from cultural events.

“I am saddened by the numerous restrictions affecting Russian artists in retaliation for the actions of the Russian Government, as well as by the deprogramming of sometimes centuries-old works of art from Russian writers or composers”.

Ms. Xanthaki cited reports of Russian musicians prevented from performing or taking part in competitions, and of Russian artists being asked to publicly take sides.

“It is especially in this situation of continuous dehumanization, that culture and cultural rights must be visible and visibly push for humanity, empathy and peaceful co-existence,” she said.

UN Special Rapporteurs are independent experts, appointed by the Human Rights Council. They are not UN staff, nor are they paid by the UN, for their work.

Brussels has declared a violation of sanctions a crime

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Brussels has declared a violation of sanctions a crime

The European Commission has proposed that breach of EU sanctions be declared a European crime on 25 May. This means that such an action will be included in the list of crimes in each EU country and will be punished with similar severity if the proposal is approved, BTA reported.

A change in the rules for confiscation and recovery of confiscated property is also proposed. It is planned to confiscate the property of those citizens and companies that have violated the sanctions.

The Commission notes that the application of sanctions is even more important because of Russia’s war against Ukraine. It is added that in most EU countries, non-compliance with sanctions is prosecuted by law, and that such violations pose threats to security and international peace.

The EC proposes that participation in activities aimed at directly or indirectly circumventing sanctions be defined as a violation. According to the commission, it is necessary to speed up the work on imposing urgent seizure of property of violators, as well as those affected by EU sanctions. The Commission proposes that a structure be set up in each EU country to manage seized or confiscated property so that its value is not lost, sold and the cost of storing it limited.

The EU is reported to have approved more than 40 lists of sanctions, which include seizure of property, a ban on crossing borders, a ban on imports and exports of goods, and banking. EU countries have so far announced that they have seized assets worth nearly 10 billion euros and prevented actions worth 196 billion euros.

The Commission notes that the sanctions imposed on Russia and Belarus have increased the need to search for oligarchs’ property. The EC insists that uniform measures to enforce sanctions will help the EU speak with one voice. In some European countries, violating sanctions only leads to administrative penalties.

Greed

Europeans have shown themselves to be “greedy” rather than “naive”, relying heavily on energy supplies from Russia. This was stated today in an interview with several European media by EU Commissioner for Competition Margrethe Vestager in an interview with the French economic newspaper Les Eco.

“We were not naive, but greedy. Our industry is largely built around Russian energy, mostly due to the fact that it is not expensive,” said Vestager, who is also vice president of the European Commission.

Vestager added that the behavior of Europeans is the same with China for many products or with Taiwan for chips, as they are looking for lower production prices.

Photo: The yacht of the Russian oligarch Alisher Usmanov has been seized in Hamburg and according to the discussed new rules it can be confiscated one day / https://sale.ruyachts.com

Where was obtained the material for King Herod’s baths?

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King Herod’s baths: Israeli scientists from Bar-Ilan University and the Hebrew University of Jerusalem have refuted the well-known hypothesis that Israeli calcite alabaster artefacts were made from material extracted exclusively in Egypt.

This conclusion also applies to luxury and household items made of calcite alabaster, which includes the baths of Herod the Great. The study, published in Scientific Reports, confirms that the alabaster was mined in Israel. And the baths of King Herod were made of local material. The discovery was made thanks to a recent discovery by archaeologists. In the cave of Theomim, on the western slopes of the hills of Jerusalem, they discovered quarries of calcite alabaster. It was previously thought that in the southern Levant (modern-day Israel and Palestine) there were no ancient quarries for this mineral, and that all the calcite alabaster vessels in the Levant came from Egypt, and that vessels of lower quality than gypsum are local products. Since the Bronze Age, Egypt has played a crucial role in the emergence of calcite alabaster products in Israel and the development of the local gypsum-alabaster industry. The results of the scientific work for the first time allow distinguishing the calcite alabaster of Israeli origin from the Egyptian one.

“The fact that the material for the two baths was unequivocally obtained in Israel and not in Egypt, as might be expected, as the quality of the stone is high, was a special surprise. This means that Herod the Great used local products, and the production of calcite alabaster in Judea in the second half of the first century BC was quite developed and of sufficient quality to meet Herod’s luxury standards. one of the best builders among the kings of that period, “said Professor Aren Meir. Herod I the Great is from a king (37 BC – 4 BC) of Judea, Galilee, Samaria and other territories. He was appointed proconsul by Rome and became the ancestor of the Herodias dynasty.

The Romans placed him on the throne of Judea after the weakening of the Hasmonean dynasty and a brief period of Parthian control of the area. During the civil wars during the establishment of the Roman Empire, he managed to gain influence in Rome and establish himself for a long time as ruler of Judea. Herod is very unpopular with his Jewish subjects, who consider him a usurper and a foreigner – because of his Edomite origins and his dubious attachment to Judaism, forcibly imposed on Edom in the time of his father. Both the Christian New Testament and Jewish authors such as Josephus describe in detail his dynastic assassinations. At the same time, the mass murder of children at the birth of Jesus Christ described in the New Testament is not mentioned in other sources and is probably based on the Old Testament story of Moses’ childhood. Herod developed large-scale construction work in many places in Judea, his largest project being a major reconstruction and expansion of the Jerusalem Temple, which continued long after his death around 3 BC.

Photo: Ayala Amir, Martin (Szusz) Department of Land of Israel Studies and Archeology, Bar-Ilan University