A Rare Mosque Sheds Light on Islam’s Arrival in the Land of Israel

Excavating an area of the Negev near the Bedouin town of Rahat, archaeologists have found the remains of an ancient Christian farmstead from around the 6th century CE. Nearby, Nathan Steinmeyer reports, they found a small mosque—one of the oldest ever discovered in Land of Israel—alongside an elaborate estate, both dating to about a century later. The findings are evidence of the swift transition from Christianity to Islam among the residents of a land whose Jews had largely been driven out. The short video below, from the Israel Antiquities Authority, shows an aerial view of the excavation of the mosque.

Read more at Bible History Daily

More about: Ancient Israel, Archaeology, Islam, Middle East Christianity

 

A Catholic Reporter Attends Anti-Israel Protests and the Pro-Israel Rally

Mary Margaret Olohan has spent much of her career in journalism covering demonstrations of various kinds. Since October 7, she has attended numerous anti-Israel gatherings, an experience she discusses with Robert Nicholson and Dominique Hoffman. Olohan explains the ways protestors intimidate outsiders, the online instruction booklet for protests distributed by Students for Justice in Palestine, the systematic avoidance of any condemnation of Hamas, and much else. To this, she contrasts her experience at the joyous yet serious November 14 rally for Israel. Olohan also talks about how her own Christian faith has influenced her journalism. (Audio, 61 minutes.)

Read more at Deep Map

More about: American Jewry, Gaza War 2023, Israeli-Palestinian Conflict