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Stand For Israel Blog
IDF Reservist Dies in Southern Lebanon as Withdrawal is Contested
An IDF fuel truck overturned and killed one reservist and wounded another.
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Stories
'This is Invaluable Help that Cannot be Replaced”
The Fellowship helped Katsiaryna's elderly mother make aliyah and settle in Israel.
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ROAD WIDENING REVEALS 10,000 YEAR OLD HOUSE Dateline: Eshta'ol. 25 November 2013 The first picture shows an aerial view of the large excavation along Highway 38 near Beit Shemesh. (241U1) The second picture shows a 10,000 year-old house, the oldest dwelling to be unearthed to date in the Judean Shephelah. (241U2) The third picture shows a standing stone (mazzev) which is worked on all of its sides. This is evidence of cultic activity in the Chalcolithic period. (241U3) The fourth picture shows a Chalcolithic period building and the standing stone (mazzev) positioned at the end of it. (241U4) The fifth picture shows a typical jar of the Early Bronze Age that was discovered buried beneath the floor of a building. (241U5) An extensive archaeological excavation of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) prior to widening Highway 38 some twenty-five kilometers west of Jerusalem is producing amazing finds that provide a broad picture covering thousands of years of development of human society. Settlement remains were unearthed at the site, the earliest of which dates to the beginning of the eighth millennium BCE and latest to the end of the fourth millennium BCE. The finds revealed at the site range from the period when man first started to domesticate plants and animals, instead of searching for them in the wild, until the period when we see the beginnings of proper urban planning. The oldest artifacts that were exposed at the site are ascribed to the Pre-Pottery Neolithic period (10,000 years ago). According to Dr. Amir Golani, Dr. Ya'akov Vardi, Benyamin Storchan and Dr. Ron Be'eri, excavation directors on behalf of the IAA, "This is the first time that such an ancient structure has been discovered in the Judean Shephelah. The building, almost all of which was found, underwent a number of construction and repair phases that allude to its importance. It should be emphasized that whoever built the house did something that was totally innovative because up until this period man migrated from place to place in search of food. Here we have evidence of man’s transition to permanent dwellings and that in fact is the beginning of the domestication of animals and plants; instead of searching out wild sheep, ancient man started raising them near the house." A cluster of nine flint and limestone axes that were discovered lying side by side was found near this prehistoric building. "It is apparent that the axes, some of which were used as tools and some as cultic objects, were highly valued by their owners. Just as today we are unable to get along without a cellular telephone and a computer, they too attributed great importance to their tools. Based on how it was arranged at the time of its discovery it seems that the cluster of axes was abandoned by its owner for some unknown reason." In the archaeological excavation conducted at Eshta'ol an important and rare find from the end of the Chalcolithic period (second half of the fifth millennium BCE) was discovered in the adjacent area. During the course of the excavation six thousand year old buildings were exposed and a stone column (called a standing stone or 'mazzev') was discovered alongside one of them. The standing stone is 1.30 meters high and weighs several hundred kilos. According to the excavation directors, "The standing stone was smoothed and worked on all six of its sides, and was erected with one of its sides facing east. This unique find alludes to the presence of a cultic temple at the site." The archaeologists said, "In the past numerous manifestations have been found of the cultic practice that existed in the Chalcolithic period; however, from the research we know of only a few temples at ‘En Gedi and at Teleilat Ghassul in Transjordan." "We uncovered a multitude of unique finds during the excavation," says Dr. Amir Golani, one of the IAA excavation directors. "The large excavation affords us a broad picture of the progression and development of the society in the settlement throughout the ages. Thus we can clearly see that in the Early Bronze Age, 5,000 years ago, the rural society made the transition to an urban society. We can see distinctly a settlement that gradually became planned, which included alleys and buildings that were extremely impressive from the standpoint of their size and the manner of their construction. We can clearly trace the urban planning and see the guiding hand of the settlement's leadership that chose to regulate the construction in the crowded regions in the center of the settlement and allowed less planning along its periphery. It is fascinating to see how in such an ancient period a planned settlement was established in which there is orderly construction, and trace the development of the society which became increasingly hierarchical." Copyright: ASHERNET Ref: (6082)
Stand For Israel Blog
Bronze Age Storage Jars Found at Ancient Shiloh
The jars were found near the site where the Tabernacle stood.
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TOUR IDF base at Lebanon Border -12-_14651509 (1)
Stand For Israel Blog
Israel and Lebanon Discuss IDF Withdrawal
The fifth round of talks between Israel and Lebanon suggests pilot zones.
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Fellowship Blog
Celebrate America 250: Maurice Sendak and the Wild Things
Celebrate America 250 with one of the most important children's book authors, Maurice Sendak.
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Matias Golda, oleh from Argentina. young adult man standing near river outdoors, boats by dock, bridge, light blue shirt and gray shorts, text and graphic on shirt reading "hang loose", smiling, happy
Stories
‘I Hope I Can Do My Best in Defending the
Matias made aliyah from Argentina to serve in the IDF with The Fellowship's help.
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U.S. President Donald Trump attends an event in the East Room of the White House in Washington, DC, on February 11, 2026.
Stand For Israel Blog
U.S. and Iran Give Contradicting Reports on Nuclear Inspections
U.S. President Donald Trump says Iran agreed to nuclear inspections while the regime says otherwise.
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View of the skyline of the city of Montreal, with a building mural depicting Jewish Canadian Singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, as seen from Mount Royal Park, in Quebec, Canada, on June 2, 2018. Photo by Hadas Parush/Flash90 *** Local Caption *** מונט רויאל הר תצפית עיר מונטריאול קוויבק קנדה גרפיטי ליאונרד כהן
Stand For Israel Blog
Three Dead in Montreal Jewish Community Shooting
The three fatalities were a Jewish local, a police officer, and the shooter.
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Fellowship Blog
Project Spotlight: Emergency Support for Olim
The Fellowship helped Igor and Olga's family after their apartment was hit by an Iranian missile during the war.
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STORY Yelena Zaretsky - Damaged Home in Metula_46.jpg
Stand For Israel Blog
U.S. and Iran Enter First Week of Talks After Agreement
Mediators report progress while the U.S. and Iran contradict each other.
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Metula, near the Israeli border with Lebanon, was hit by a rocket fired from Lebanon. One Israeli farmer and 4 foreign workers were killed when rockets crashed in agricultural field near border townOctober 31, 2024. Photo by Ayal Margolin/Flash90, soldier seen from behind at checkpoint, flags of Israel, border crossing
Stand For Israel Blog
Israel and Iran Harden Stances on Lebanon
Israel says the IDF will remain in southern Lebanon as Hezbollah attacks remain a threat.
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STORY Lyubov Poliakov - WDF elderly_15.jp
Stories
‘I Am Grateful that People Remember Me’
Lyubov and her family experienced anti-Semitism after the Holocaust as Jews in the Soviet Union.
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