Apocrypha and Canon
FIRST BOOK OF MACCABEES
http://www.carm.org/lost/1_maccabees.htm
     This tells the account of  Antiochus IV Epiphanes -- king of the Hellenized Syrian kingdom, and how his oppression of the Jews started the Maccabean wars, headed by a Jew named Judas Maccabees (a.k.a. "Maccabeus"). According to this book, the Maccabees were a priestly family, with Judas as the son of the priest Matthias. Upon research we saw that this book is quite factual in its historical information, although confusion arises in the dates mentioned throughout the book because it uses the Seleucian calandar: The Selucid Dynasty began after Alexander the Great died and his four generals divided up the empire, with Seleucus ruling the eastern provinces (Syria, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, etc.).
     Although the First Book of Maccabees holds a lot of historical information, there is nothing in this book proving claims that it is inspired of God. The book itself doesn't claim inspiration, nor is it quoted in canonical scripture. It is also interesting to note that God's personal name is completely absent in its text. Since this book was written before the Jews became superstitious regarding the pronunciation of the Name, the absence of this Name is an aberration, for the Old Testament canon contains God's Holy Name thousands of times throughout its pages. Although the history it reveals is interesting reading, it doesn't seem to be any more inspired than the history books you'd find in a public library.

ARCHAEOLOGY/ HISTORY
HEZEKIAH'S TUNNEL
Hezekiah was a Judean king, faithful to Yahweh (2 Kings 18:1-3). During his reign, Assyrian king Sennacherib sieged  Hezekiah's kingdom. In response, Hezekiah ordered the water supply to Jerusalem to be dammed up so the enemy couldn't access it. He then ordered the water redirected through the city via a hewn aqueduct through solid rock. This way, the enemy wouldn't have access to the supply of fresh water, though Jerusalem would continue to have access. (2 Chronicles 32:2-4). In scripture, this particular tunnel is referred to at 2 Kings 20:20 and 2 Chronicles 32:2-4, 30.
According to the online Jewish Encyclopedia: http://www.jewishencyclopedia.com/view.jsp?artid=1673&letter=A&search=Hezekiah's%20tunnel
The Aqueducts of Jerusalem.
... Hezekiah is believed to have dammed up the waters, and to have cut the famous Siloam aqueduct through the Ophel hill, southward to the new pool of Siloam (2 Chron. 32: 30). This channel, which is nearly a third of a mile (1,757 feet) in length, although the air-line between the points of beginning and ending is only 1,104 feet, gives clear evidence of the Hebrew engineering methods of Hezekiah's age; and the ancient rock inscription... on the east wall of the tunnel near its mouth, gives us an account of the method of excavation. Its height is very irregular, being about 16 feet at its southern exit, but only 3¾ feet at several points in its interior.
The Siloam Tunnel Aqueduct.
The upper cave pool had, at its farthest recess, a staircase cut in rock leading up within the city near the "water-gate" (Neh. 3: 26). The tunnel was begun at the foot of these steps, and another tunnel was driven northward to meet it from Siloam. The excavators appear to have worked without instruments capable of keeping the direction straight, or perhaps they followed some softer vein of the rock. They are said, in the text, to have heard the sound of the picks of their fellows, and to have worked toward each other until they met, not exactly in a line. The point of junction is still marked by a sharp turn at right angles in the tunnel, the two channels having been about a yard apart—center to center of excavation. The tunnel is much more lofty at its mouth than elsewhere, and is very narrow in the middle, where it is now much silted up, and nearly impassable for a full-grown man. It was probably found that the lower end of the tunnel, when cut through, was not low enough to allow the water to flow into the pool; and the height of the excavation was due probably to subsequent lowering of the floor at this point. There is only one shaft leading from the surface of the hill, and in another part a sort of standing-place is formed by a recess in the roof; but throughout the greater part of the work the excavators must have labored on their knees, or even while lying flat. The whole of the work suggests very primitive methods, and it was probably carried out in a hurry on account of the threatened Assyrian invasion. The Siloam pool was outside the walls ( Josephus, "Ant." vii. 14, § 5; "B. J." v. 9, § 4), but lay in a reentering angle, well within bow-shot. The water-supply was thus controlled by the garrison instead of running to waste in the valley. Similar cave springs, with rock stairs to the interior of the fortress, are found at Gibeon and elsewhere in Palestine, but the Siloam tunnel is the most important instance known of Hebrew engineering.
To see photos of Hezekiah's tunnel, please click on the following links:
http://www.bibleplaces.com/heztunnel.htm
http://jeru.huji.ac.il/eb26.htm
http://holylandphotos.org/browse.asp?s=1,2,6,19,97&img=IJOTHT03

BIBLE TOPIC
CHRIST'S TEMPTATIONS
In scripture Jesus Christ underwent a series of temptations by Satan after baptism (Matthew 3:13- 4:11, Mark 1:9-12, Luke 3:21-22 and  4:1-13).  According to the interlinear at http://www.scripture4all.org , the scriptures used the word "tried". According to the Merriam-Webster online dictionary ( http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/tried ), the word "tried" means :
1 : found good, faithful, or trustworthy through experience or testing <a tried recipe>
2 : subjected to trials or distress <a kind but much-tried father>  

 It was very important to Satan to stumble Jesus in some way. He knew if Christ suffered death as a sinless man, Christ's death would cover the sins of the world, destroying the grip of death on mankind. Satan also knew that upon completion of his earthly mission, Christ would be given the throne of Yah's Kingdom to rule until all of Yahweh's enemies are defeated (1 Corinthians 15:25 ) with the last enemy being "Death" (1 Corinthians 15:26). Because Satan is the one who causes death (Hebrews 2:14 ), he knows Christ's success means his (Satan's) demise, and this is why Satan tried to cause Jesus to fail: Christ's failure would mean Satan's triumph. Satan didn't have a lot of time to waste on this, knowing Christ was going to be on earth for only three more years or so. This would be why Satan targeted Jesus so quickly after his baptism in the Jordan river (Matthew 3:16-4:3).  Since time was of the essence, it seems logical that Satan would try Christ with situations that could most stumble him. Let's look at each of these temptations one at a time:
1 --Self Interest:  Satan knew Jesus had just gone through a forty day fasting period (Matthew 4:2), and would be very hungry. It is a natural thing for a starving person to get food wherever he or she can. Relying on this, Satan suggested that Christ use his newly God-given powers to transform stones into bread to relieve his starvation.  However, Christ was not given the power in order to satisfy his own will, it was given to him to satisfy the will of Yahweh (John 6:38).  In fact, long after this trial, Christ even stated "My food is to do the will of Him that sent me. To finish His work!" (John 4:34). He recognized that his God-given powers were not to be used for his own self interests. Therefore, not only did he refuse to listen to Satan's suggestion, but he also used scripture (Deuteronomy 8:3) to silence Satan's attempt.
2 -- Self-Importance Next, Satan took Jesus to a high place atop the temple in Jerusalem (Matthew 4:5). He told Jesus "If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down." Seeing that Christ liked to quote scripture, Satan quoted Psalm 91:12  to support the next trial, continuing with: "The scriptures say: God will give orders to his angels about you and they will hold you with their hands, so that not even your feet will strike the ground."  This seemed to be a test of Christ's sense of self-importance: Christ knew the value of his life in the scheme of things, and it's logical for him to realize God wouldn't let  terrible things happen to him before it was time. So Satan was trying to show doubt in Christ's sonship, egging Jesus on with a "prove it" type attitude. However, knowing how wrong it would be to test God in that manner, Jesus silenced Satan again by quoting scripture, saying: (Deuteronomy 6:16): "You must not put Jehovah your God to the test".
3 -- Power: For the next trial,  Satan took Jesus to a  high mountain, showing him the world kingdoms.(Matthew 4:8).  Then he told Jesus "I will give all this to you....if you kneel down and worship me." Satan was willing to give Christ power over all those kingdoms for one act of worship. Since Satan can't give away things that aren't his, this shows he was the "owner" of these kingdoms, as supported in scripture (John 14:30). Knowing Christ was anticipating rulership over God's Kingdom, Satan tried to satisfy the anticipation ahead of time by offering him rulership over Satan's own kingdoms instead. Of course, this came with the stipulation that Christ worship Satan in order to receive those kingdoms. If Satan could coax Jesus into this, it would convert Christ from a God worshiper to a Satan worshiper. However, instead of the temptation succeeding, Christ told Satan to go away and quoted scripture (Deuteronomy 6:13-15), saying: "It is Jehovah your God you must worship, and it is to him alone you must render sacred service".
 After that, according to Luke 4:13, it was after this that Satan left Jesus, planning to return for more temptations at a "convenient time". We can assume that "a convenient time" could mean a later, emotionally trying time, such as Christ's death on the stauros, but we'll leave that for another time.

It is interesting to note that each of the above mentioned temptations had to do with the attempted destruction of Christ's position in God's Kingdom. Satan didn't bother tempting Christ with women, wealth, or even wine, which are the usual things Satan tries people with. It appears that the primary target of Satan's interest was Christ's place in Yahweh's Kingdom, which makes sense since he was trying to keep his own demonic kingdom intact. However, these satanic trials obviously didn't deter Christ from his God-given mission, and Satan failed miserably in his attempts. May we all praise God for His Son's integrity and the salvation we're graced with as a result!

BIBLE Version Critique
NEW SIMPLIFIED BIBLE
http://www.geocities.com/onlinebibletranslations/translations/nsb.html

VIRTUES: Uses God Holy Name "Jehovah" throughout its pages and  gives some notations regarding the translations of words, as an example: Exodus 3:14. It also gives some references to scriptures quoted by bible character, such as at Hebrews 5:7. At the beginning of each book it gives information such as author, year written, and other information unique to that particular book. This bible is an easy read, easily understood by most without being dumbed down. You can order this bible on CD ROM through it's website.
FLAWS: Because the original manuscripts didn't contain the name "Jehovah" or "Yahweh in the New Testament portion, some may consider it a flaw that the Name is used in this version's New Testament. Also, this version is not published in hardcopy, only on CD ROM.

The New Simplified Bible is a non-trinitarian translation and appears to be based on the New World Translation. For those who like the New World Translation, this is a suitable alternative.

Encouraging Word
1 CORINTHIANS 10:13
No temptation has overtaken you except what is common to man. God is faithful, and he will not allow you to be tempted beyond your limits. He will make a way out, that you will be able to endure it.--New Simplified Bible

This is a great verse to remember, for we all bump into temptation at one time or another. It is a great encouragement to know Yahweh sees our situations and gives us an "out" so we aren't cornered into sin. Knowing He provides the way out, it is our own responsibility to look for the escape and use it.

GUEST COLUMNIST
REMEMBER THE POOR
Anthony Mathenia
When the apostle Paul and Barnabas were separating from the Church in Judea, in order to continue missionary work among the people of the nations, they were given an additional instruction by the Judean overseers to "remember the poor". Paul reports in his letter to the Galatians that, "this very thing I also was eager to do."  (Galatians 2:9,10 NIV)
It is interesting, on reading this account, that this was the only specifically-mentioned instruction these "pillars" of the faith sought to give to Paul. It is even more remarkable when you think about all the missionary instructions that could have been provided and recorded in God’s Word. It really encapsulates just how highly giving to the poor is esteemed in the Holy Scriptures. Regrettably, the poor can sometimes be lost in the mix whilst we are fulfilling our Christian activities and ministry assignments, or even worse, neglected all together. As Christians, though, we do well to consider deeply, just how well we are doing in our obligation to remember the poor.
     For starters let us consider the nature of the God whom we worship, since we are called to be holy in imitation of him.  (1 Peter 1:15,16)   The Scriptures show that our Heavenly Father cares very much for needy ones.  Psalms 68 beautifully declares of Jah, “A father of fatherless boys and a judge of widows, is God in his holy dwelling.” The Law that God gave the nation of Israel illustrates his care and concern for the poor.  Therein, God instructed, "you must not harden your heart or be closefisted toward your poor brother." (Deut 15:7)   Furthermore The Mosaic Law regulated different ways that the poor should be provided for.  For example:
• The poor were allowed to glean the leftovers in the fields after a harvest.  (Deu 24:19, 21)     
• If they had to sell their possessions because of poverty they received them back during the Jubilee year. (Lev 25:28)
• The poor had a share in the tithes given to the priests. (Deu 14:28)
 
     To the Hebrews, such action was not seen as charity, it was considered an act of justice and righteousness. To them the poor were owed a portion of the provisions of those richer then them by right.  Thus, we find that righteousness, justice and almsgiving share the same Hebrew word tzedakah. The Hebrew Scriptures, consequentially, characterize the righteous by their willingness to give to the poor and to lend without interest. (Ezekiel 18:5-9) The importance of taking care of the poor was something that carried over from the Jews to the Christians through the teachings of Jesus.  Jesus as a perfect reflection of his Father too had deep compassion for the poor. (Hebrews 1:3) In his Sermon on the Mount Jesus said, "Give to the one asking you, and do not turn away from one that wants to borrow from you." (Matthew 5:42), he also tells us that, "there is more happiness in giving than there is in receiving," (Acts 20:35) and when speaking on giving, Jesus said, "But when you spread a feast, invite the poor people, crippled, lame, blind; and you be happy because they have nothing with which to repay you." (Luke 14:13-14)  Jesus told his followers to be "perfect, as [our] heavenly Father is perfect." (Matthew 5:48) Now in order to be perfect, or complete, we need to care for the poor just as Jesus told a young rich man, "If you want to be perfect, go sell your belongings and give to the poor and you will have treasure in heaven, and come be my follower.” (Matthew 19:21)  Sadly the rich man would not do this but other disciples of Jesus answered this call to give their possessions to the poor.  One notable example is the tax-collector Zacchaeus who declared “Look! The half of my belongings, Lord, I am giving to the poor" (Luke 19:8) Jesus stressed that our everlasting reward would have basis on our treatment of the poor. In the 16th chapter of Luke Jesus provided parables to his disciples to illustrate the eternal rewards of using our "unrighteous riches" to provide for others. Jesus instructed them, "Make friends for yourselves by means of the unrighteous riches, so that, when such fail, they may receive you into the everlasting dwelling places."  (Luke 16:9) 
     The account continues that the Pharisees who were "money lovers" sneered at Jesus' teaching.   So Jesus provides them another parable of comparing them to a "certain rich man" who did not help the plight of a poor beggar named Lazarus.  At the time of their death the poor beggar received his reward of being considered righteous by being placed in the bosom position of Abraham; however, the rich man found himself in a position of anguish and judgment. (Luke 16:19-31) Similarly, in his Olivet discourse Jesus equates righteousness with providing for the poor and shows that judgment is dependent on our taking care of their needs. Jesus says that when he arrives to judge mankind, the righteous "sheep" will be characterized by their providing for the needs of the poor, the least of his brothers. (Matthew 25:34-40) By giving to these ones they are in turn giving to Jesus. (Compare Proverbs 19:17) Jesus not only taught giving but he put his words into action.  While Jesus' primary purpose was to care for the everlasting spiritual needs of the people, he didn't hesitate to provide for their immediate physical needs.   Recorded in the Gospels are two separate occasions where Jesus provided food for thousands. (Mark 6:40-44; Mark 8:6-9).  The Scriptures bring out that he carried a money box to collect alms for the poor. (John 12:4-6; 13:29) 
     The Christian Scriptures continue to show that those taking the lead in the early Church, such as the apostle John, followed Jesus' example.   They taught giving and made sure that the material needs of the poor among them were being met.  Thus, in a letter, the apostle writes, "But whoever has this world's means for supporting life and beholds his brother having need and yet shuts the door of his tender compassions upon him, in what way does the love of God remain in him?" (1 John 3:17) The Acts of the Apostles provides a remarkable example in the openhanded giving of the early Christian Church.   It records how "all those who were possessors of fields or houses would sell them and bring the values of the things sold and they would deposit them at the feet of the apostles.   In turn distribution would be made to each one just as he would have the need."  This giving was so generous that it is boasted that, "there was not one in need among them." (Acts 4:34-35)  The apostles also appointed the first servants (deacons) in the Church to oversee that all of their widows were receiving a share in the daily distribution of food.  (Acts 6:1-3)
     Supporting this, James, an overseer of the Church in Judea, characterizes true and pure religion as, "looking after orphans and widows in their tribulation" (James 1:27) He illustrates that true faith would be evidenced by charitable works when he says, "If a brother or a sister is in a naked state and lacking the food sufficient for the day, yet a certain one of you says to them: "Go in peace, keep warm and well fed," but you do not give them the necessities for their body, of what benefit is it?   Thus, too faith, if it does not have works, is dead in itself." (James 2:15-17)   The apostle Paul likewise couples the Gospel message with charitable giving in his letter to the Corinthians saying, "the ministry of this public service is not only to supply abundantly the wants of the holy ones but also to be rich with many expressions of thanks to God.”  He further complimented their obedience and bigheartedness saying, “you are submissive to the good news about the Christ, and you publicly declare you are, and because you are generous in your contribution to them and all." (2 Cor 9:12,13) [It is interesting to note Paul’s use of the Greek word leitourgia (public service) in the aforementioned scripture.  This word is used three other times in the Christian Scriptures in relation to the priestly service (See Luke 1:23; Hebrews 8:6; 9:21).  So by using it here Paul equates giving to the needy with the sacrifices that the Jewish priests offered to God.  Since the entire Christian Church is called to be priests (1 Peter 2:9) our priestly service is to give thanks to God and provide for the needs of others. (Compare Hebrews 13:15,16) .]Paul gave pastoral instruction to Timothy in taking care of the needs of needy widows.  (1 Timothy 5:9, 10)  He also wrote to the Church in Ephesus regarding the need to work hard so as "have something to distribute to someone in need" (Ephesians 4:28) Furthermore he wrote to two congregations regarding his personal desire to hand carry their material gifts to poor Christians residing in Jerusalem.  (Romans 15:25,26; 1 Cor 16:1-4)
     With the passage of the first-century Church era giving to the poor did not end.    The writings provided by 2nd century Christians show that they continued to "remember the poor" in apostolic tradition. Regarding such, Christian apologist Justin Martyr wrote, "The wealthy among us help the needy. . . . Those who are prosperous, and willing, give what each thinks fit.   And what is collected is deposited with the president, who gives aid to the orphans and widows." (Justin, Apology, chap. LXVII)  Likewise Tertullian in his apology wrote,  "Though we have our treasure chest, it is not made up of purchase money, as of a religion that has its price.  Rather, on the monthly day, if he likes, each puts in a small donation. . . . to support and bury poor people, to supply the needs of boys and girls destitute of means and parents, and of old persons now confined to the house.  These gifts also help those who have suffered shipwreck.   And if there happens to be any of us in the mines, or banished to the islands, or shut up in the prisons - for no reason other than their faithfulness to the cause of God's Church - they become the nurslings of their confession."   (Tertullian, Apology, chap. XXXIX)
      Sadly though, the extreme generosity in taking care of the needy that marked the early Church diminished over the next centuries turning for the worse when Roman Emperor Constantine made Christianity the State religion. Because there were no “church” buildings or salaried clergy in the early Christian congregation all of the money donated by the congregants could be used in the caring of others, particularly the poor.  Under Constantine things would change. Originally the Christians met in private homes; however, in order to legitimize and popularize the Christian religion Constantine started constructing “church” buildings.   These were built over the burial sites of Christian martyrs and were far from modest.  Porphyry, a pagan critic of Christianity, noted that these buildings were "worthy of an Emperor". Among the early Christians for an elder to receive a salary for his ministerial duties was seen as a heresy.  [Eusebius Ecclesiastical History, vol. V, chap. XXVIII] However Constantine would institute a salaried clergy whose wages came in part out of the church funds.  Originally the funds that were earmarked for the poor were not encroached upon, however later the clergy would dip in there as well. Also at the time of Constantine many new converts that were not fully committed to the Christian way of life inundated the church. Some of these individuals only converted to Christianity in order to share the religion with the head of the State and have all the privileges thereof.  As such they did not fully embrace the kind of radical giving that was the hallmark of the early Church and required by Christ.  Over the centuries giving and taking care of the needy, while not being abandoned totally, diminished to something of lesser importance.
     Today we are left with this legacy of misappropriation of donated funds and an overall lack of generosity in taking care of the needy.   Even if Christians would return to selling all of their superfluous possessions and donating the receipts to their denomination only a portion of these moneys would be given to the poor.  A large, or even the majority of congregation receipts would be used to sustain bigger and better “church” buildings and maintain salaried clergy.   We have to look at this situation and see if such misappropriation could be considered outright theft from the money box for the poor, exactly in the same manner that Judas stole from the poor. (John 12:6)
     As Christians we too need to examine our giving and see if our attitudes reflect that of our Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus as well as the early Church. Are we conscious of the needs of the poor?  Are we generous with our unrighteous riches?  And whether we are giving half of our possessions or only two small coins of little value we need to consider if our donations are being used to really help the poor.  Upon close scrutiny we may find that our money is being used to maintain “church” buildings and salaried clergy, practices that have no basis in Christian Scripture or the early Church example.

NEWS BYTES
(Persecution Blog) Noviana Malewa, the only girl to escape the malicious beheadings that took place in Indonesia on October 29, 2005 in Central Sulawesi, will receive treatment from VOMedical. The surgery is to alleviate the constant pain she still endures from a sword slash to her face and neck by militant Muslims. Walking through a cocoa plantation on the way to her private Christian high school in Poso Kota subdistrict, 15-year-old Noviana and three fellow students were ambushed by six masked Islamic terrorists. Read more...
http://www.persecutionblog.com/2006/07/indonesia_sole_.html

 (BP News) NASHVILLE, Tenn. (BP)--While True Love Waits was holding its first national event in July 1994, a second smaller but perhaps even more powerful TLW observance was taking place half a world away. Read more...
http://www.bpnews.net/bpnews.asp?ID=23701

(CSW) A new report from Christian Solidarity Worldwide (CSW) details continued violent attacks against Christians in Sri Lanka at the same time as the proposed anti-conversion bill remains on the agenda in the Sri Lankan Parliament. Read more...
http://www.csw.org.uk/latestnews/article.php?id=534

PEOPLE OF THE BIBLE
DESCENDANTS OF NOAH
According to scripture, Noah's family consisted of his wife, their three sons (Shem, Ham, and Japheth), and the sons' wives (Genesis 7:13), a total of eight people (1 Peter 3:20).  Since the global flood wiped out the remaining human population, this is the family from which the re-population of the earth was started. Here is a brief list of the descendants of Noah:
Japheth: He was Noah's eldest son (Genesis 10:21). Japheth's wife bore sons named Gomer, Magog, Mada'i, Javan, Tubal, Meshech and Tiras. (Genesis 10:2). Some of these sons are mentioned in prophecy at Ezekiel 38:2. Magog is mentioned elsewhere in prophecy as well: Ezekiel 39:6, Revelation 20:8. Notice that the Magog prophecies are spoken of in a geographical way, possibly indicating the region on the earth in which the prophecies will be fulfilled.
Ham: He was the cursed son of Noah (Genesis 9:20-27). Ham's wife bore sons named Cush, Mizraim, Put and Canaan. (Genesis 10:6). Cush became the father of Nimrod, (Genesis 10:8) during whose lifetime the Tower of Babel was attempted (Genesis 10:8-10,  Genesis 11:1-9). Cush was also the father of the Cushites, a.k.a. Ethiopians. As for the son named Canaan, he became father to the Canaanites. (Genesis 10:15-19).
Shem:  Shem's wife bore Elam, Asshur, Arpachshad, Lud and Aram. (Genesis 10:21-22).  Shem and Archpachshad were among some of Christ's human forefathers (Luke 3:36), as Shem was also forefather to the patriarch Abraham (Genesis 11:10-29). Thus, Shem was forefather to the entire Israelite nation.

Through using bible genealogy, we can see how some of the ancient biblical nations were descended from Noah, giving us a broader view of the inhabitants we read about in scripture.

VOCABULARY ENRICHMENT
MAMMON
a Chaldee or Syriac word meaning "wealth" or "riches" (Luke 16:9-11); also, by personification, the god of riches (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:9-11).

Source: Easton's Bible Dictionary

WEBSITE OF THE MONTH
BIBLE NOTES
http://www.biblenotes.net/
This site is akin to "Cliff notes" for your bible. It contains general summaries for both the Old Testament and the New Testament, and also gives summaries for each individual book. Although it doesn't provide in-depth bible study, it can be very useful for those who are unfamiliar with the bible.