A new document published by the Genographic Project, a study into human history using the science of genetics, claims that the the human race may once have come close to extinction in the not too distant past. Genetics has already shown how all of mankind can be traced back to one woman who is said to have lived around 200,000 years ago (according to the evolutionary timeframe). But this latest research has revealed that the human race recently entered a bottleneck, and that the global population could have fallen as low as 2000 people at this time. Researchers believe that harsh environmental conditions may have been responsible for this sudden decline in numbers, namely severe droughts across the African continent.

Quote: ""This study illustrates the extraordinary power of genetics to reveal insights into some of the key events in our species' history," Spencer Wells, National Geographic Society explorer in residence, said in a statement. "Tiny bands of early humans, forced apart by harsh environmental conditions, coming back from the brink to reunite and populate the world. Truly an epic drama, written in our DNA."

In reading these quotations, I can think of no other verse save that of Romans 1:22, "Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools". For the "epic drama" of which they speak has already been described for us in great detail in Genesis chapters 6 to 9. The fact that the scientists have discovered an 'echo' of the flood recorded in our DNA bears testament to the trustworthiness of the Scriptures. Palaeontologist Meave Leakey, an advisor to the Genographic Project, further states, "Who would have thought that as recently as 70,000 years ago, extremes of climate had reduced our population to such small numbers that we were on the very edge of extinction?" The answer is of course, anyone who is willing take the time to read the Biblical account of the Genesis flood. Only it wasn't extremes of climate that drove the human race to near extinction, it was extremes of sin...

Genesis 6:5-7
And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually. And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart. And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

As you can see from today's news, evolutionists are at pains to avoid any suggestion that the Biblical account of the Genesis flood might be true, preferring instead to believe in a continental drought rather than a global flood. In spite of the vast geological evidence for a worldwide flood... the Biblical account, the flood legends that have been passed down in the oral history of many cultures, the many eyewitness accounts of the ark on Mount Ararat, the millions of fossils buried in rock layers laid down by moving water all over the earth, mammoths instantly frozen to death in Siberia while eating tropical vegetation, the frozen tropical fruit discovered in Antarctic, fossils buried in the process of eating other fossils, fossils buried while giving birth to fossils, fossilized whales, fossilized shoals of jellyfish, fossilized trees spanning 'millions of years' of rock strata, the formation of the Grand Canyon, evidence of human habitation in areas now covered by water, etc... In spite of all of this, evolutionary scientists will still deny there ever was a global flood. Why? Because if a global flood occurred, and there is ample evidence that suggests such an event took place, it would destroy the fossil record which is the evolutionist's main argument for his theory. And secondly, if they admit that a global flood did take place, the Bible must be true and there is a Creator God to whom man is ultimately accountable. Science backs up what the Bible teaches, but as Paul states in his letter to the Romans, many of the scientists themselves do not wish to retain God in their knowledge (Romans 1:28). As evolutionary geneticist Richard Lewontin states in his book, Billions and billions of demons...

Quote: "We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counterintuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door. The eminent Kant scholar Lewis Beck used to say that anyone who could believe in God could believe in anything. To appeal to an omnipotent deity is to allow that at any moment the regularities of nature may be ruptured, that miracles may happen."

Peter foretold in his book that denial of the Genesis flood would be a characteristic of the days prior to the return of the Lord Jesus Christ.

2nd Peter 3:5-7
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.

It's one thing to be ignorant of God's judgements, but to be willingly ignorant is quite another. The Biblical account of the Genesis flood is true, it really did happen around 4500 years ago. The Lord did judge the world for its sin, and only eight people survived to tell the story. The Bible records that Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord (Genesis 6:8), and the Lord brought him and his family into his ark of salvation. Are you in God's Ark of salvation, which is Jesus Christ? Have you trusted in Him for forgiveness of sins? Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ and you shall be saved (Acts 16:31).

Forty days and forty nights, the rain came a tumbling down
Everyone inside the ark was warm and safe and sound
Only those outside, now they weren't laughing any more
Rain and tears were mingled as they scratched upon the door

Are you in the Ark? Or are you outside?
Oh don't hesitate, you'll be too late!
The door's open wide

Now Jesus is God's Ark today, and in Him you must be
His side was opened wide for you and me on Calvary
If you're in Him, and He's in you, then you'll be lifted high
When God comes back to judge the world, next time in flaming fire

Source Breitbart

I apologize for not being up to speed on the website. Following my trip to Israel I have been feeling very disorientated, feeling as if this is not really my country. It has taken a few days to get back into a routine. Hopefully things should improve this week. This link from my friend Michael. Scientists have revealed that a fossilized snake found in limestone rock in Lebanon has two legs. The stone shows the imprint of the body of a snake with one small appendage near the tail, but up until now, scientists have not been able to determine what happened to the other leg. Using a high-intensity light beam, scientists have now been able to view the other appendage that is still encased within the limestone.

Quote: "The E. descouensi investigation shows the second leg hidden inside the limestone is bent at the knee. "We can even see ankle bones," ESRF's resident palaeontologist Paul Tafforeau said. "In most cases, we can't find digits; but that may be because they are not preserved or because, as this is a vestigial leg, they were never present." To modern eyes, it may seem strange to think of a snake with legs. But look at some of the more primitive modern snakes, such as boas and pythons, and you'll see evidence of their legged ancestry - tiny "spurs" sited near their ends, which today are used as grippers during sex.

The scientists assume that modern snakes, which have claws near the end of their tail, gradually lost the use of their limbs and the limbs themselves over time. That could be true, for natural selection - which is not an evolutionary process, works in reverse to what evolution requires. Natural selection and genetic mutation reduces the amount of information stored in our DNA, and as a result the information required to produce limbs, wings and tails can be lost. What the theory of evolution can't answer is, where did the information to make snake limbs come from in the first place? And the second question the evolutionists can't answer is, how did this snake die and how was it covered in mud over a period of millions of years without being torn to pieces by other predators? At one time evolutionists would have mocked the idea of a snake having legs or a snake being upright as mentioned in the Bible. But modern science is once again proving the accuracy of the Scriptures. And the limestone? This snake had to be buried in mud extremely quickly in order to be preserved in such a fashion. And the Bible does mention a global flood in which millions of creatures were buried alive under hundreds of feet of sediment within a very short period of time. As the book of Romans states, professing themselves to be wise, they became fools. They have willingly rejected the Creator, and in doing so they have rejected wisdom and have turned themselves unto fables. God's Word is true, and can be trusted 100%. Just as He destroyed the anti-diluvian world with a flood 4500 years ago, so He has reserved this world for destruction by fire. Are you ready to meet your Creator? "Who is my Creator", you ask? He died for you upon a cross 2000 years ago. Trust in Him for salvation today.

2nd Peter 3:5-7
For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water: Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished: But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men.   

Source BBC

A half-shekel coin dating from the Second Temple period has been uncovered by archaeologists excavating a drainage channel in Jerusalem. The excavations are being carried out by Eli Shukron and Professor Ronny Reich of the University of Haifa on behalf of the Israeli Antiquities Authority. The half-shekel coin was minted in Tyre and has been dated to the year 22 AD. It bears the image of Melqart - the chief deity of Tyre on one side, and an eagle figurine on the prow of a ship on the reverse. Shukron believes the coin is of the same type that was used for the payment of the annual Temple tax. Each year every Jew was commanded to pay a half-shekel for the administration of the sanctuary. The half-shekel Temple tax also features prominently in the celebration of Purim, which happens to fall this Thursday and Friday. The Feast of Purim commemorates the miraculous deliverance of the Jewish people from the hands of wicked Haman, who conspired to destroy them during the reign of King Ahasuerus. Jews from around the world contribute a sum of money to charity on Purim in remembrance of the half-shekel tax.

Quote: ""Just like today when coins sometimes fall from our pockets and roll into drainage openings at the side of the street, that's how it was some two thousand years ago – a man was on his way to the Temple and the shekel which he intended to use for paying the half shekel head-tax found its way into the drainage channel," theorized archaeologist Eli Shukron of the Israel Antiquities Authority.

This article reminds us again of that occasion when the disciples were approached by those collecting the Temple tax (Matthew 17:24-27). Jesus Christ used the occasion to teach the disciples an important truth, and to prove beyond doubt that He is none other than the Son of God. When asked whether their rabbi paid the Temple tax, Peter answered "Yes", and entered the Lord's house in Capernaum to collect the money. But before Peter had a chance to say anything, the Lord asked Peter a question, "Of whom do the kings of the earth take custom or tribute? of their own children, or of strangers?". Of course no monarch would demand tribute of their own family. And when Peter answered, "Of foreigners", the Lord said, "Then are the children free". As the Son of God, Jesus Christ had no need to pay His Father money for the upkeep of the Temple. A greater Temple was now here, the Temple of the Lord's body (John 2:19-21). But so as not to offend those collecting the Temple tax, the Lord instructs Peter to go fishing. And in the mouth of the first fish that he catches he would find a shekel, which he would use to pay the Temple tax for him and the Lord. So how does this prove to us that Jesus Christ is none other than the Son of God? This miracle required the intervention of a greater power Who is in complete control of every little circumstance of life. The Person Who performed this miracle had to be in control of the man who dropped the coin into the sea, of the fish that swallowed the coin, and of Peter himself who would cast his hook into the water at the precise time and place to catch the fish. Of course many people have caught fish that have swallowed all sorts of different things, but only God could have foretold this event in advance, and in particular the first fish that Peter catches and the fact that it had swallowed enough money to pay the Temple tax for both Peter and the Lord. I don't know what the odds of this event happening by chance are, but they must be staggering. What this shows us is that without a doubt, Jesus Christ is the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end of all things (Revelation 1:8). And it shows us that not only does the Lord know the future (Isaiah 46:10), but that He is in complete control of it. If you are a believer then you have no need to fear, for God is in complete control of your life, right down to the most minute detail. Nothing happens to us by chance, and nothing happens to us without the prior consent of our Lord (Job 1:10). If we commit our lives into His hand, He will be our guide even unto the end of the world (Psalm 48:14, Matthew 28:20). But if you have not believed on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation, then you are not free. The Bible says he that commits sin is a slave to sin, and remains in bondage awaiting the judgement of God. Those who have not trusted in Jesus Christ for salvation are presently under God's wrath because of sin (John 3:36). But there is good news...

John 8:34-6
Jesus answered them, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Whosoever committeth sin is the servant of sin. And the servant abideth not in the house for ever: but the Son abideth ever. If the Son therefore shall make you free, ye shall be free indeed.

The law was given by Moses, but grace and truth came by Jesus Christ (John 1:17). All who believe on Him for salvation can be justified from their sins forever, not by keeping the law, but by God's grace through faith in His Son (Ephesians 2:8, Galatians 2:16). Jesus Christ died for you. He gave His life for yours upon the cross 2000 years ago, so that you could have a relationship with your Creator. Believe on the Lord Jesus Christ for salvation today.

Source Arutz 7, Forum Ancient Coins

Jan 17, 2008 1:26 | Updated Jan 17, 2008 15:21
By ETGAR LEFKOVITS

A stone seal bearing the name of one of the families who acted as servants in the First Temple and then returned to Jerusalem after being exiled to Babylonia has been uncovered in an archeological excavation in Jerusalem's City of David, a prominent Israeli archeologist said Wednesday. The 2,500-year-old black stone seal, which has the name "Temech" engraved on it, was found earlier this week amid stratified debris in the excavation under way just outside the Old City walls near the Dung Gate, said archeologist Dr. Eilat Mazar, who is leading the dig.

According to the Book of Nehemiah, the Temech family were servants of the First Temple and were sent into exile to Babylon following its destruction by the Babylonians in 586 BCE. The family was among those who later returned to Jerusalem, the Bible recounts.

The seal, which was bought in Babylon and dates to 538-445 BCE, portrays a common and popular cultic scene, Mazar said. The 2.1 x 1.8-cm. elliptical seal is engraved with two bearded priests standing on either side of an incense altar with their hands raised forward in a position of worship. A crescent moon, the symbol of the chief Babylonian god Sin, appears on the top of the altar. Under this scene are three Hebrew letters spelling Temech, Mazar said.

The Bible refers to the Temech family: "These are the children of the province, that went up out of the captivity, of those that had been carried away, whom Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon had carried away, and came again to Jerusalem and to Judah, every one unto his city." [Nehemiah 7:6]... "The Nethinim [7:46]"... The children of Temech." [7:55]. The fact that this cultic scene relates to the Babylonian chief god seemed not to have disturbed the Jews who used it on their own seal, she added.

The seal of one of the members of the Temech family was discovered just dozens of meters away from the Opel area, where the servants of the Temple, or "Nethinim," lived in the time of Nehemiah, Mazar said. "The seal of the Temech family gives us a direct connection between archeology and the biblical sources and serves as actual evidence of a family mentioned in the Bible," she said. "One cannot help being astonished by the credibility of the biblical source as seen by the archaeological find." The find will be announced by Mazar at the 8th annual Herzliya Conference on Sunday.

The archeologist, who rose to international prominence for her recent excavation that may have uncovered King David's palace, most recently uncovered the remnants of a wall from Nehemiah. The dig is being sponsored by the Shalem Center, a Jerusalem research institute where Mazar serves as a senior fellow, and the City of David Foundation, which promotes Jewish settlement throughout east Jerusalem.

Source Jerusalem Post