THE STORY BEHIND MARBLE MOSES IN NETANYAHU’S SPEECH

“Latest News, Biblical Perspective”

Breaking Israel News offers a fresh and Biblical perspective on the latest news from Israel and the Middle East. Our bias is not liberal nor conservative
- Just Biblical.

---

“Thus the Lord used to speak to Moses face to face,
as a man speaks to his friend…” ~ Exodus 33:11

---

Anav Silverman, Tazpit News Agency — While Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu referenced several cultural, political, and historical figures throughout his highly-anticipated speech to Congress on Tuesday March 3 – including Harry S. Truman, Queen Esther, Robert Frost, and Elie Wiesel – he concluded his historical address with the biblical figure of the prophet Moses.

The Israeli prime minister did not just mention Moses in passing, he also pointed to the image of Moses in the form of white Vermont marble relief, hanging over the gallery doors overlooking the lawmakers in the House of Representatives Chamber. Netanyahu spoke of the biblical leader, saying “Moses led our people from slavery to the gates of the Promised Land. And before the people of Israel entered the land of Israel, Moses gave us a message that has steeled our resolve for thousands of years.”

It was probably the first time that the marble relief portrait of Moses hanging in the House Chamber ever received such public acknowledgement.

The portrait, designed by artist Jean de Marco, is one 23 marble reliefs that depict historical figures noted for their work in establishing the principals that underlie American law, according to the Architect of the Capitol, a U.S. government website. The site is devoted to providing historic and current information about the function and architecture of the U.S. Capitol Building where Netanyahu gave his speech before a joint-session of Congress.

On either side of the portrait of Moses, there are 11 profiles in the eastern half of the chamber that face left and eleven in the western half, which face right, so that all look toward the full-face relief of Moses in the center. He is described on the site as a Hebrew prophet and lawgiver, who transformed a wandering people into a nation and received the Ten Commandments.

The other profiles include writer of the Declaration of Independence and the third president of the U.S., Thomas Jefferson; King of Babylonia, Hammurabi; Sultan of the Ottoman Empire, Suleiman; Athenian statesman, Solon; Napoleon I, and Maimonides, among other significant leaders from different periods of history.



The image of Moses and other leaders of civilizations and societies have been hanging in the chamber for 65 years. Scholars from the University of Pennsylvania and the Columbia Historical Society of Washington D.C. chose the subjects with the help of authoritative members of the Library of Congress over six decades ago. A special committee of five Members of the House of Representatives and the Architect of the Capitol approved the selection, and the reliefs were installed when the House Chamber was remodeled from 1949-1950.

Prime Minister Netanyahu at the end of his speech quoted Moses from the Book of Deuteronomy, stating in Hebrew, “Be strong and resolute, neither fear nor dread them,” which were the leader’s parting words to the Israelites before they entered the land of Israel. For Netanyahu, they were words that highlighted the strength of friendship shared by the United States and Israel, two countries with a deep respect for the timeless road of history and the challenges along the way.

» Full Article

» Anav Silverman | Article Archive
» Breaking Israel News | Website
» Breaking Israel News | Twitter

The God Of Abraham, Isaac, And Jacob Regarding Israel

And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee:
and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
Genesis 12:3

PRAYER RETURNS TO CAPITOL HILL

America’s Independent News Network

“A Free Press for a Free People”

Benjamin Franklin, John Adams and Thomas Jefferson kneeling to pray
over the Declaration of Independence

Revival Of Worship Services Begun
By Founding Fathers

Garth Kant, WND — The view from the speaker’s balcony is spectacular and unlike any vantage in the nation’s capital.

From the crest of Capitol Hill looking across the West Lawn toward the Washington Monument, half of the city is laid out in plain view, and at night, the boulevards, which all seem to lead to the Capitol, sparkle as though lined with diamonds.

A historian recently leading a group of visitors pointed toward the end of the shimmering diagonal to the right, Pennsylvania Ave., and said you could see the White House in Thomas Jefferson’s day.

The guide told his guests how Jefferson, as was his custom, would ride his horse the 1.6 miles from the White House to the Capitol, whatever the weather, to attend church with his red Bible tucked under his arm. (“Yes,” the historian added, “It had the miracles he doubted cut out.”)

It might strike many as odd to learn the man who coined the expression “separation of church and state” would attend church services inside the Capitol.

However, no less an authority than the Library of Congress not only verifies this surprising fact, its website makes the astounding observation: “It is no exaggeration to say that on Sundays in Washington during the administrations of Thomas Jefferson (1801-1809) and of James Madison (1809-1817) the state became the church.”

“Within a year of his inauguration, Jefferson began attending church services in the House of Representatives. Madison followed Jefferson’s example,” the statement continued.

Non-denominational Christian church services were actually held in the old House of Representatives chamber, what is now called Statuary Hall, from 1807 to 1857. They were also held in the Capitol for a few years after the Civil War until 1870.

Now, after a hiatus of 144 years, weekly prayer services have returned to the Capitol, held exclusively for members of Congress and their staff.

The services were launched under the direction of Dr. Jim Garlow, lead pastor of Skyline Church in San Diego and Rev. Dan Cummins, an associate pastor of that congregation. They are hosted by several members of Congress including Representatives Trent Franks, R-Ariz., Doug Lamalfa, R-Calif., Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., Duncan Hunter, R-Calif., and Louie Gohmert, R-Texas.

Garlow is the oversight pastor and Cummins is the convening pastor of The Jefferson Gathering held for members of Congress and staffers every Wednesday evening in a modestly appointed but comfortable room in the Capitol’s lower level.

Cummins made the official announcement of the services to WND, waiting until they had been underway for seven weeks.

The pastor explained the services are held mid-week because, unlike in the days of Jefferson, most lawmakers travel back to their home districts on the weekends.

Muslims have been holding services in the Capitol on Fridays since 1993, a tradition begun in 1993 under former House Speaker Newt Gingrich, R-Ga.

Garlow invites nationally recognized pastors to preach at the services on a rotating basis. Information can be found at the Jefferson Gathering website.

WND agreed to respect the privacy of the members of Congress who attended by preserving their anonymity. The services WND observed were spirited, with participants enthusiastically singing hymns and evidencing what appeared to be real joy.

Reverent and solemn prayers called for the revival of America and implored God to bestow the nation’s leaders with divine guidance.

A pair of special guests preached on the special occasion of the official return of weekly services to the Capitol.

His Beatitude, Ignatius Youssef III Younan, Syriac Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, offered prayers for the Christians being martyred in the Middle East and asked God for blessings on America.

Jonathan Cahn, a messianic rabbi and author of the New York Times bestseller “The Harbinger” and the newly released “The Mystery of the Shemitah.”

The author said when George Washington dedicated America to God, it became only the second nation on earth to do so, after Israel.

But, Cahn warned, as happened in ancient Israel, “If we turn away from Him, God will remove His blessings.”

“Now, we’ve turned from God and, like (ancient) Israel, call good evil and evil, good.”

The rabbi related how his book “The Harbinger” outlined specific warnings America has received and how it is risking judgment for turning away from God.

Cahn said both his books show how the events of Sept. 11, 2001 were marked by key events of such uncanny timing as to be beyond coincidence in their mathematical improbability, and the same signs and warnings that appeared long ago in Israel “are now appearing here.”

He called that autumn day 13 years ago a prophetic warning, a “shaking,” and predicted more to come – a “great shaking” that will effect the economy and more, and its “purpose will be to call the United States back to God.”

“Is there hope?” he asked. “If there was no hope there would be no harbingers.”

“Now is the time to change your life, add and subtract whatever is necessary. God is calling us now.”

In his homily, Garlow called Cahn a prophet and, “One of the key figures God has raised up at this moment.” The pastor hoped Cahn’s books would go down in history as a turning point for the nation.

Cahn prayed, “Let this city on a hill be revived and honor you again.”

(Video of Cahn speaking in the Capitol courtesy JoAnn Cummins)

This is not the first time that pastors Cummins and Garlow have joined forces to make history in the U.S. Capitol. On May 8, 2012, Cummins was given permission by Speaker of the House of Representatives John Boehner, R-Ohio, to use prestigious Statuary Hall, the original chamber of the House, to hold “Washington: A Man of Prayer.”

It has become an annual event with growing support by members of the House and Senate. The 2014 event was aired globally by Daystar Television Broadcast Network and webcast by WND TV. It opened with a personal welcome from Boehner and was hosted by Rep. Michele Bachmann, R-Minn., and emceed by former Arkansas governor Mike Huckabee.

“Washington: A Man of Prayer″ commemorates the events of April 30, 1789, when, after being sworn in at Federal Hall, President George Washington, accompanied by Congress, proceeded, in session, to St. Paul’s Chapel where, as one of its first official acts, the newly elected president and Congress offered prayers of dedication to God on America’s behalf.

“Washington: A Man of Prayer″ has been held in Statuary Hall, where the House of Representatives originally met, because that is where church services were held from 1807 to 1857, according to the Library of Congress.

The Library also recorded an act that would likely provoke such outrage from secularists as to be inconceivable today: “The Gospel was also preached in the Supreme Court chambers.”

A popular modern interpretation of the First Amendment’s “establishment clause” that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion” is that is was designed to prohibit the government from promoting religion in general and to protect the state from the church.

Others see the clause as designed to protect the church from the state. Judging from his actions, Jefferson may have been in the latter camp. (The same may be true of the author of the establishment clause and the entire Bill of Rights, James Madison, who also attended church services in the Capitol.)

For, according to the Library of Congress, not only did he attend church services in the Capitol, “Throughout his administration Jefferson permitted church services in executive branch buildings.”

Another controversy has been whether the nation’s third president was a Christian or a deist, particularly in light of his excising miracles from his own Bible.

Jefferson may have had the last word on that, long ago.

On page 385 of “The Writings of Thomas Jefferson” the third president wrote, “I am a real Christian … that is to say, a disciple of the doctrines of Jesus Christ.”

A footnote to the historian’s tale of Jefferson’s horseback rides from the White House to church, as told to a small but intimate and enraptured gathering.

The historian related how, on one such Sunday, a friend asked Jefferson if he really was a believer, and, according to the president’s contemporary, Rev. Ethan Allen, who chronicled the exchange, the president responded:

“No nation has ever yet existed or been governed without religion, nor can be. The Christian religion is the best religion that has been given to man and I, as Chief Magistrate of this nation, am bound to give it the sanction of my example.”

» Full Article

About the Author

GARTH KANT is a WND staff writer. Previously, he spent five years writing, copy-editing and producing at "CNN Headline News," three years writing, copy-editing and training writers at MSNBC, and also served several local TV newsrooms as producer, executive producer and assistant news director. He is the author of the McGraw-Hill textbook, "How to Write Television News."

» Garth Kant | Article Archive
» WND

REMEMBERING NON-REVISED HISTORY: SEPTEMBER 18, 2013

George Washington

First President of the United States (1789-1797)

Father of the United States of America,
President of the Constitutional Convention
General of the Revolutionary Army

On ‘National Debt’

Today, the U.S. national debt stands at $16.9 trillion as the U.S. Congress is being pressured by President Obama to raise the debt ceiling under threat to shut down the government (which he will then blame on the Republicans). Conservative Republican/Tea Party congressmen and senators are currently seeking to fund the government while only defunding the socializing of American medicine, i.e., Obamacare.

Biography

George Washington (February 22, 1732 – December 14, 1799) was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, serving as the commander-in-chief of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War. He also presided over the convention that drafted the Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution established the position of President of the United States, which Washington was the first to hold. » Full Bio

» See All 'Quotable Quotes'

---

This Day In History 220 Years Ago
Washington, DC - September 18, 1793

U.S. Capitol Cornerstone Is Laid

Legislative Branch of American Government

On this day in 1793, George Washington lays the cornerstone to the United States Capitol building, the home of the legislative branch of American government. The building would take nearly a century to complete, as architects came and went, the British set fire to it and it was called into use during the Civil War. Today, the Capitol building, with its famous cast-iron dome and important collection of American art, is part of the Capitol Complex, which includes six Congressional office buildings and three Library of Congress buildings, all developed in the 19th and 20th centuries.

[...]

Today, the Capitol, which is visited by 3 million to 5 million people each year, has 540 rooms and covers a ground area of about four acres. » Full Article

Significant Events This Day In History

                      » History

» Ultimate History Quiz

“The Ultimate History Quiz features thousands of questions about American and global history trivia. Play now to challenge your friends, and see how you stack up to the competition.”

UPDATED: GLENN GIVES ROUSING CIVIL RIGHTS SPEECH OUTSIDE THE CAPITOL

Truth Lives Here

“Let us, today, raise a standard to which the wise
and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.”

Glenn returned to D.C. on Wednesday to give his first speech at a Tea Party event at the Capitol since Restoring Honor. Thousands showed up for the Tea Party Patriots ‘Audit the IRS’ event that coincided with the press conference, featuring Reps Bachmann, Gohmert, and King, to block any immigration legislation from passing through the House.

The ‘Audit the IRS’ event kicked off at 12pm ET, following the press conference on immigration. Glenn joined conservatives leaders like Dana Loesch, Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Rand Paul, and many others to speak at the event. While most focused on the issue of the IRS audits targeting conservative and religious groups — Glenn took on the fundamental basis of the issue: Civil Rights.

With the Black Robed Regiment at his side, Glenn tackled issues of equal rights, faith, and leadership in front of the large Tea Party crowd. He noted that a statue of Fredrick Douglas has just been dedicated just a few steps from where they were standing, inside the Capitol.

“A man born into slavery, but who knew instinctively that he was not born a slave,” Glenn said to start his speech. “No man is.”

Glenn highlighted that all Civil Rights movements boil down to one thing: Man’s quest and desire for power.

“Someone has always been on the losing end of the stick of power,” he said. ” Blacks are the most obvious, the Chinese, the Native Americans — but let’s not forget the Irish, the Catholics, the Mormons, the Jews, and now it seems all those of faith that will not conform.”

The Things Worth Believing In

But for those that believe the solution lies in putting the “collective” ahead of the individual, Glenn issued a stern warning…

“For those that think men make progress collectively, I warn you, history teachers: You couldn’t be more wrong.”

“We are redeemed one man at a time,” he continued. “There is no family pass ticket or park hopping pass to life. One ticket — one at a time. man doesn’t vanquish hatred or bigotry. the target keeps moving. From the blacks to the Irish; atheists to Christians. But as always there are a few leaders: Ben Franklin, John Quincy Adams, Harriet Beecher Stowe, Abraham Lincoln, Fredrick Douglas, Booker T Washington, Ghandi and Martin Luther King.

They know that the march toward freedom never ends, man must be ever vigilant and pray less with his lips and more with his legs.”

True Leaders Of The Civil Rights

Glenn closed his speech by reminding the crowd that if they’ve been looking for a leader, and they haven’t been able to find one, it might be because they’re the leader they’re looking for. And it’s time to take a stand.

“Let us, today, raise a standard to which the wise and honest can repair; the rest is in the hands of God.”

On tonight’s Glenn Beck Program, Glenn talked with Stu about his experience in D.C.:

Glenn Reacts To D.C. Event

Dana Loesch also joined Stu to talk about the wonderful crowd that descended on Washington D.C. today, and why she found herself so fired up.

Dana Loesch

» See Glenn’s Complete Remarks

Related Article:
» ‘We Will No Longer Accept the Lies’: Glenn Beck’s Powerful Speech at Washington, D.C. Rally

» GlennBeck.com
» The Glenn Beck Program on TheBlaze Radio
» Glenn Beck Live Radio Player 24/7
» TheBlaze
» TheBlaze TV

---

Other Vanguard News Items On TheBlaze TV

» The New Civil Rights Fight: Protecting Freedom Of Religion
“But after all that fighting to become equal as a black man, Glenn, I’m not up to putting up with having to fight all over again to get my equal rights as a Christian.”

» Chris Matthews Blames Horrible Obama Speech On…The Sun?
“He couldn’t use the teleprompter — the sun in his eyes.”

» WATCH: Former Senator Jim DeMint Talks Immigration Reform
Jim DeMint joined Stu on this evening’s Glenn Beck Program to talk about the true cost of immigration reform.