A
well-preserved 2,000-year-old road dating to the Roman period was unearthed
last month during archaeological excavations carried out by the Israel
Antiquities Authority and students near Beit Shemesh. They also found the
following coins -- one from the second year of the Great Revolt in 67 CE; one from
the Umayyad period; one from the prefect of Judea, Pontius Pilate, dating to 29
CE; and a coin of Agrippa I from 41 CE, that was minted in Jerusalem. See
pictures and read article at -
The witnesses, laying their coats at the feet of Saul, were the men that would cast the first stones at Stephen in Acts 7. Why did they all lay their coats at Saul’s feet? The Talmud contains a very interesting account of the act of stoning that may provide the answer. “When the trial was over, they take him [the condemned person] out to be stoned. The place of stoning was at a distance from the court, as it is said, ‘Take out the one who has cursed.’ [i] A man stands at the entrance of the court; in his hand is a signaling flag [Hebrew sudarin = sudar , ‘scarf, sweater’]. A horseman was stationed far away but within sight of him. If one [of the judges] says, ‘I have something [more] to say in his favor,’ he [the signaler] waves the sudarin , and the horseman runs and stops them [from stoning him]. Even if [the condemned person] himself says, ‘I have something to say in my favor,’ they bring him back, even four of five times, only provided that there is some substance to...
Comments
Post a Comment