A.J. Kolatch - The Jewish Book Of WHY (1981)

"The Jewish Book of Why", by Alfred J. Kolatch, New York, 1981.
PDF with copies of the original pages and also searchable text under.
333pp.

Written by a Rabbi, this addresses in question and answer format the more commonly encountered rules of religious and ethnic observance of Judaism. The book's avowed purpose is to explain the origin of these rules but not to pass comment on their present day relevance or aptness.

INITIAL SEEDING: LOTS TO UPLOAD TODAY AND A THIN PIPE SO I WILL STOP ONCE 1 OR 2 HAVE IT, PLEASE CONTINUE TO SEED.

Even though it appears sanitised* the book does have a certain unintentional naïve charm, as it repeatedly remarks without apology (or even the slightest hint of self-consciousness) the absurdity that such and such a practice has been adopted because it is the direct opposite of the relevant practice adopted by non-Jews...

In similar vein: http://www.jewishanswers.org/

[*Example #1: Pages 4/5:
"During the first five centuries of the Common Era, scholars in the academies of learning in Babylonia and Palestine were busily engaged in explaining and interpreting the words of the Bible. ...This body of literature is called the Mishna, which, once edited, was considered final. It became the authoritative source of halacha (Jewish law), second only to the Bible itself."
Compare to: ...Rabbi Lewis in his book, Stranger than Fiction, writes; " . . . the Jews lifted it (The Talmud) to a place of importance above the Bible." (Page 72 of J.C. Scott (Lieut.-Col.): Hidden Government (1954)).
Example #2: see extract below which asserts kosher butchery dispatches the animal "instantaneously".]

Be now prepared to swallow a camel and strain at a gnat...

CONTENTS:

General Introduction.
1. The Early Years.
2. Marriage and Divorce.
3. Death and Mourning.
4. The Dietary Laws.
5. Objects and Garb.
6. The Synagogue.
7. Posture and Prayer.
8. The Sabbath.
9. Passover.
10. Shavuot.
11. The High Holidays.
12. Sukkot, Shemini Atzeret and Simchat Tora.
13. Chanuka.
14. Purim.
15. Minor Observances.
16. General Questions.
Bibliography.

The following are direct quotations from the text.

Page 7:
It should also be noted that Jewish conduct has always been greatly influenced by the practices of the outside world, particularly the Gentile world. For example, the Talmud (Taanit 22a) suggests that Jews in mourning not wear black shoes because this was a distinctly Gentile practice. What prompted Jews to require the wearing of a headcovering at religious services was an aversion to the Christian practice of keeping heads uncovered during worship.

Page 9 (regarding the Jewish Lunar calendar)
Up until the year 359 the arrival of the New Moon was announced by the Sanhedrin each month, based on the testimony of two eyewitnesses who appeared before the Sanhedrin and were questioned about the crescent of the New Moon that they reported having observed. If the Sanhedrin was satisfied with the integrity of the witnesses and their testimony, it then checked that testimony against its own (secret) calculations, which had been worked out in advance using mathematical and astrological knowledge. If everything harmonized, the Sanhedrin would send torch signals from mountaintop to mountaintop to notify all communities that the New Moon had officially been sighted. At a later date the Sanhedrin decided to relay the information by messenger rather than by signalling with torches because dissidents such as the Samaritans, who did not accept the authority of the Patriarch and his Sanhedrin, were known to send up false flares in order to confuse the message being transmitted. ...

Page 13:
Judaism is more than a religion. It is a way of life. Over the centuries it has created standards of practice, most of which have been codified in the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law), referred to in the General Introduction. These laws spell out what the conduct of the Jew should be from the moment he opens his eyes in the morning until the moment his head touches the pillow at night.

Pages 14-5:
Among Sephardic Jews the Shalom Zachar is held on the night before the circumcision. They believe that the presence of a group of people will deter Satan, who is eager to prevent Jews from observing the rite of circumcision.

Page 16:
In England, the Royal House has a long tradition requiring that all royal male children be circumcised by the Jewish _mohel_ of London.

Page 18:
Today, all Jewish religious groups accept circumcision as an important religious rite, although there are individuals who still oppose it on the grounds that it is a traumatic experience for the child. Few medical authorities
agree with this contention, citing the tens of millions of Jews and non-Jews who have been circumcised without ill effect.
See also: "Male Circumcision in the USA: A Human Rights Primer" (2005) by Rich Winkel (sic, LOL).
http://www.tranquility.net/~rwinkel/MGM/primer.pdf ]

Page 20:
'Why is a Chair of Elijah provided at a brit?'
During the circumcision ceremony a chair is placed next to the seat reserved for the sandek. This chair, which remains unoccupied, is reserved for the prophet Elijah, who according to tradition attends every brit to protect every infant from danger.
In some synagogues, especially in Oriental communities, there is a permanent Chair of Elijah, which always remains empty. To make sure that no one sits in this Chair of Elijah, the chair is sometimes placed high on a wall.

Page 48:
' Why is the get cut after it is written?'
The custom of cutting the get with a scissor or knife after it is written began during Hadrian's rule over Palestine (117-138 C.E.), when all legal authority was denied the Jewish community. During that time, Jewish courts continued to function secretly. When a get was issued, the document was cut so that if it were discovered by Roman authorities, the Jews could always deny that the document was legal. After the cut get was returned to the Jewish court by the wife, the court presented her with a document verifying the divorce.

'When a get was issued, the document was cut so that if it were discovered by Roman authorities, the Jews could always deny that the document was legal...' [Oh sublime joy, what a priceless pearl among these jewels of legalism! This typifies to the nth degree the shameless rabbinical madness that is Jewish legalism. This and the undue influence of Judaism in western society does much to explain the incessant, massive volumes of detailed nit-picking legislation being introduced through the undue influence of rabbinical Judaism. If the culture of a society is right, you have general consensus on mores and no need for dual-minded Jew-laws: Japan, for instance. You need Jew-laws (gee-gaws?) only in a fractionalised, 'diverse' society infiltrated by Jew wrecking. 'Corruptissima res publica, plurimae leges' ventured Tacitus. See also page 164.]

Page 52:
Jewish law forbids mutilating the body; hence, autopsies may be performed only when absolutely essential. ...
In Israel, autopsy has been the subject of much controversy. The current law limits the freedom of doctors to perform autopsies and organ transplants by requiring them to respect the wishes of relatives of the deceased when they oppose operations on the cadaver.
[Most interesting. This might go to explain why the Israelis and elements of organized Jewry have been found to have had involvement in organ harvesting of non-Jews.]

Page 70:
'Why do some Jews mourn (sit Shiva [7 days' mourning]) when a child of theirs has abandoned the Jewish faith or intermarried? '
The abandonment of one's faith is considered a total betrayal of one's heritage. Some Jews carry on a period of mourning for a child who has defected, because they feel the child is now lost to them; they consider that child dead.

Pages 84-5:
If Jews have derived any health benefits from observing the dietary laws (such as a lower incidence of trichinosis, which can be traced to the eating of pork products), those have been unexpected. Studies have shown that the life span of the Jew is not affected by the observance of the dietary laws, nor is his general health improved. ...
One additional value of the dietary laws is reflected in attitudes of the early Rabbis. They believed that the secret of Jewish survival was separatism. Holiness means being separate. Being a holy people, to them, meant being a people apart.
Adhering to the dietary laws keeps the observant Jew apart from those who have rejected him. He cannot mingle freely because socializing together often means dining together. And the Rabbis, taking this point to its outer limits, noted, in effect, that "if we cannot eat with them, our sons will not marry their daughters and Judaism will be preserved."

Page 88:
'Why is hunting forbidden in Jewish tradition?'
Animals killed by hunters, even kosher animals (those that have split hooves and chew the cud), are considered terayfa [forbidden food] as designated in the Book of Exodus (22:30). ...Rabbi Akiba, one of the martyrs of Jewish history (killed in the first century at the hands of the Romans), ruled that it is even forbidden to take the life of a wild animal without giving it a fair trial before a court of twenty-three judges, the same as for a human being. Undoubtedly, this was not meant to be taken literally, but it did emphasize the sanctity and importance of all living creatures.

Page 89:
When an animal is slaughtered in accordance with Jewish ritual law, the jugular vein is severed, the animal dies instantaneously, and the maximum amount of blood leaves the body.
[The more skeptical may reasonably doubt this statement, first, because in New Zealand shochet / kosher slaughter has recently been made illegal and secondly because you can view such a slaughter taking place and the pitiful effect it has on the animal in the Nazi film The Eternal Jew. Transparent anti-Eastern Jew / racial propaganda that may have been but it does not detract from the gruesome cruelty this method of killing involves. (In Mullins' New History of the Jews it will be recalled that the Jews were originally named Habiru sagaz, the cut-throats from across the river...)]

Pages 90-91:
... many ultra-Orthodox Jews are very careful to ascertain the source of the milk they drink. They will drink the milk of an animal only if a Jew was present at the milking and bottling. This type of milk is called chalav Yisrael, meaning "milk of Jews."

Page 94:
Jewish dietary law requires that the sciatic nerve and the blood vessels attached to it be completely removed from meat. This is based on the biblical encounter between the patriarch Jacob and an angel who wrestled with him one night. Jacob's hip socket was wrenched in the encounter, and he became lame. "Therefore, the Children of Israel, to this day, do not eat the sinew of the thigh-vein which is upon the hollow of the thigh" (Genesis 32:33)

Page 96:
'Why do some food packages have a (u) or K or some other symbol on them?'
Generally, the manufacture and/or processing of kosher foods is supervised by various organizations in cooperation with the Orthodox rabbinate. Each vies for the lucrative business involved in certifying a product as kosher. ...

Page 113:
That a mezuza be placed on the doorposts of every Jewish home is mandated in the Bible: "And thou shalt write them [the commandments] upon the doorposts of thy house and upon thy gates" (Deuteronomy 6:9). Its function is twofold: to serve as a reminder of God's laws and to serve as a symbol of a Jew's loyalty to the Jewish people.

Page 117:
...If one sells his house to a non-Jew, he must remove all mezuzot [pl. of mezuza], lest they be profaned.

Pages 118-9:
...In early times, the hexagram was used on Roman mosaic pavements as a decorative design without special significance. Its earliest use in a synagogue dates back 1,800 years, when it appeared next to a five-pointed star (pentagram) and a swastika on a frieze in the Synagogue of Capernaum. ... The origin of the Star of David is clouded, and it probably has no connection whatsoever with King David. ...

Page 125:
...Over the centuries the function of the synagogue changed. In addition to serving as a House of Prayer, it became a House of Assembly-a community meeting hall-and hence took on the name Bet Knesset ("house of assembly"). ...

Pages 127-8:
'Why is the Tora referred to by some people as the Chumash?'
In its original sense, the word Tora signified only the Five Books of Moses. In Hebrew the word for "five" is chamaysh, from which the word Chumash is derived. In later centuries the word Tora took on the meaning of the whole body of Jewish learning, of which the Chumash was only one part.

Page 150:
'Why are objects often held up and waved in Jewish worship?'
The first mention of waving in Jewish worship is found in connection with the sacrificial system. In Leviticus 7:34 and 14:12 there is reference to the sacrifice being "waved" before the Lord. The act of waving has been interpreted as an aid in bringing the offeror of the sacrifice closer to God. Some talmudic authorities believed that waving keeps away the evil spirits. ...

Page 152:
'Why is the word "Amen" used often during public prayer?'
The Talmud (Shabbat 119b) indicates that "Amen" is an acrostic from the first letter of the three Hebrew words El Melech Ne'eman ("the Lord is a trustworthy King"). The word "Amen" itself appears for the first time in the Book of
Numbers (5:22). ...
[not from Amon then as some people would have us believe?]

Page 153:
Many of these practices were later adopted by the synagogue. The Talmud (Berachot 36a) says of Rabbi Akiba that when he prayed privately, he would begin in one corner of the room, and as a result of his kneeling and prostrations he would end up in the opposite corner of the room. When Christianity adopted kneeling and prostration as postures of prayer, the Rabbis prohibited them in Jewish worship. The only exception was on Yom Kippur: ...

Page 155:
The words "Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One" (Deuteronomy 6:4) are then pronounced, with the final word, echad ("one"), prolonged and uttered with gusto. ...

Page 158:
'Why are the hands and fingers of the Priest (Kohayn) spread apart when he delivers the Priestly Benediction?'
While pronouncing the Priestly Benediction, the Priest stretches both arms and hands forward, extending the fingers straight ahead and separating the little finger and ring finger of each hand from the other fingers, forming a V shape. Although this custom is not mentioned in the Talmud, it is referred to in Midrash Rabba ...
[cool! Like Spock's* salute on Star Trek! No, seriously, check out what Charles Giuliani says on Truth Hertz about that er, program, being an allegory of world government. *(played by Leonard Nimoy - Jew; name also from Dr Spock, ANOTHER Jew??) Sign seen in occult practices.]

Page 159:
'Why isn't the Ten Commandments included in the prayerbook?'
...When these Temple prayers were incorporated into the synagogue service (which ultimately replaced the Temple as the central institution of Jewish life), recitation of the Ten Commandments was omitted because certain sects (Samaritans in particular) overemphasized its importance and claimed that the Ten Commandments was given to Moses on Mount Sinai but the rest of the Tora was not. Not to lend credence to this belief, in talmudic times (Berachot 12a) the Ten Commandments was no longer included in the prayerbook, although despite this ban some congregations continued to recite it.
[see reference on page 9 above to "dissidents such as the Samaritans". Rejection of the Patriarch and his Sanhedrin was then nothing new by the time JC turned up.]

Page 163:
'Why does Jewish law classify as "work" many more activities than are mentioned in the Bible?'
The Bible categorizes only a few activities as "work," including plowing and harvesting (Exodus 34:21) and the kindling of fire (Exodus 35:3). But the Talmud, elaborating on this concept of work, lists thirty-nine categories (Mishna Shabbat 7:2).

Page 164:
'Why is an eruv tavshilin procedure required in order to cook on holidays?'
One is permitted to cook on a holiday only food that will be eaten on that holiday. One is not permitted to cook food that will be eaten after the holiday.
When the Sabbath is preceded by a holiday, it is very difficult for the housewife to prepare Sabbath meals two days in advance for the Sabbath. The law, therefore, permits her to cook on the holiday in preparation for the Sabbath through the eruv tavshilin procedure. The words mean "the link that unites the cooking." Usually, an egg is roasted before the holiday as a symbol of the eruv tavshilin. By this symbolic action, a legal fiction is created whereby the cooking for the Sabbath that will be carried out during the holiday is considered to have actually begun with the cooking of the egg, which was done before the holiday.

Page 166:
'Why is the Shabbes goy an important part of Jewish life?'
The Shabbes goy is a non-Jewish person who is engaged by a strictly observant family to perform certain activities forbidden to Jews on the Sabbath: to put lights on and off, start a fire, etc. Without him strict compliance with Jewish law would be difficult.
The importance of the Shabbes goy to the Jewish community was once quite evident. On the afternoon before Yom Kippur, in the vestibule leading to the synagogue of most Orthodox congregations, long tables covered with white tablecloths were set up with rows of collection plates for a variety of organizations and study groups within the community. One of the plates was for donations to the Shabbes goy, an integral part of the Jewish community.

Page 185:
'...In the last years of the Second Temple, the Passover holiday was very popular. The Jewish historian Flavius Josephus and the Roman historian Tacitus estimated that the number of participants who celebrated Passover in Jerusalem in the year 65 C.E. was "not less than three millions." This figure corresponds with the statement in the Talmud (Pesachim 64b) that describes the census taken by King Agrippa. Agrippa ordered the Temple Priests to set aside one kidney from each offering of the Paschal lamb. Since not less than ten people shared in eating the lamb, from the number of kidneys set aside it was estimated that 3,000,000 Jews were in Jerusalem to celebrate Passover that year (five years before the destruction of the Temple)

Page 189:
'Why is a search for chametz conducted on the night before Passover Eve?'
The search for leaven is called bedikat chametz. ...
After the house has been thoroughly cleaned and scoured by the lady of the house, the master of the house, on the evening of the fourteenth of Nissan, concludes the process of removing all chametz, seen or unseen, by conducting a religious ceremony in which he symbolically searches for the last vestige of leaven in every room of the house.
The procedure usually consists of the woman placing small pieces of bread in key places in the house, usually on one window sill in each room. It is customary among some to distribute ten pieces, representing the kabbalistic notion of ten sefirot-ten manifestations of God. To others, the ten pieces of bread are reminders of the ten wicked sons of Haman. The man of the house, followed by any children present, then proceeds from room to room by candlelight. Using a feather, he brushes the bread crumbs or pieces into a wooden spoon. All of this (spoon, bread, and feather) is wrapped together and on the following morning is burned. Appropriate prayers are recited during the burning the next morning.

Pages 202-3:
'Why is red rather than white wine served during the Seder meal?'
Red wine is traditionally served at the Seder table because the Talmud considers red wine superior.
Because of the use of red wine at the Seder, blood-libel accusations were often leveled against Jews in the course of history. Charges were made that Jews drink the blood of Christian children at the Seder. Such accusations were always proven unfounded.
Recently, as early as this century, in Messina, New York, such an accusation was filed. The rabbi of the town was questioned when a little Christian girl happened to disappear at Passover time. The girl was found unharmed the next day, and the town mayor apologized publicly. Instances such as this encouraged the use of white wine at the Seder, and several rabbinic authorities even forbade the use of red wine. However, the use of red wine still predominates.

Page 216:
'Why was there objection to the reading of the Ten Commandments on Shavuot?'
The Tora reading for the first day of Shavuot includes the verses in the Book of Exodus (20:2-14) which enumerate the Ten Commandments. This selection was read daily in the Temple, but after the Temple was destroyed, the Rabbis discouraged its recitation in the synagogue lest some people claim that only these commandments, not the whole Tora, were given to Moses on Mount Sinai (Berachot 12a).
Although the custom today is to rise when the Ten Commandments are read from the Tora, during the Middle Ages there were some protests against this practice by those who feared that undue importance would be attached to them.
[you couldn't make this stuff up!]

Page 222:
'Why is there more than one New Year in the Jewish calendar?'
Although Rosh Hashana literally means "head of the year" or "beginning of the year," the civil calendar year for the early Jewish nation actually began with the month of Nissan (March-April), when the first crops were harvested, that is, at Passover time. The month of Tishri, when the High Holidays fall, was the beginning of the Jewish religious year. The Bible refers to it as the seventh month of the year.
There are other New Years in Jewish tradition listed in the Talmud (Rosh Hashana 1:1). The Rabbis acknowledged four beginnings of the year relating to different events:

1. the first of Nissan for royalty (dating of royal events).
2. the first of Tishri for agriculture (the beginning of the harvest season) and in commemoration of Creation.
3. the first of Elul for the tithing of cattle.
4. the first (but according to Bet Hillel, the fifteenth) of Shevat as the New Year for Trees.

Page 232:
'Why does the cantor kneel and prostrate himself during the High Holiday services?'
During the Musaf service of Rosh Hashana and Yom Kippur, when the cantor chants "We bend the knee and prostrate ourselves before the King of Kings," he kneels and touches his forehead to the ground. In some congregations many worshippers do likewise.
This custom was practiced in the Temple by the Priests. And although the words "we kneel and worship" are part of the Alenu prayer recited daily today, kneeling and prostration have been abandoned for the most part because the Christian Church has adopted these postures.

Page 237:
...The head of the fish is served on Rosh Hashana with the hope that greatness and leadership may be man's lot in the coming year.
When the fish is first tasted, the Shulchan Aruch (Code of Jewish Law) suggests that these words be recited: "May the coming year help us achieve leadership among our fellow man; may we be the head and not the tail."

Page 238:
'...Chassidim serve beet roots or beet leaves on Rosh Hashana because the Hebrew word for beet, selek, is similar in sound to the Hebrew word she-yistalku in the phrase sheyistalku oivaynu ("may we rid ourselves of our enemies"), a phrase used on Rosh Hashana.'

Page 240:
'Why do some Jews allow themselves to be flogged on the day before Yom Kippur?'
The custom of having oneself flogged before Yom Kippur is an ancient one, dating back to the days of Rashi (the eleventh century). Today it is rarely practiced. The flogging ritual may be traced to the malkot mentioned in the Bible, which consisted of punishing a criminal by striking him on the back thirty-nine times with a leather strap. As the person is flogged, he confesses his sins. Self-flagellation is prevalent in the Muslim world today.
[More evidence along with the likes of the rejection of JC as godly, pilgrimage (p.249) and the practice of ritual genital mutilation a.k.a. circumcision that Judaism is the father of Islam. Was Cherep-Spiridovich right?]

Page 242:
'Why is the Kol Nidre prayer chanted three times?'
Kol Nidre ("All Vows"), the prayer for nullification of vows made innocently or under duress, is repeated three times so that latecomers will have an opportunity to hear it. A second reason is that in Jewish law, when a person is released from a vow, the court declares three times "you are released."

Page 244:
'Why is the Book of Jonah read on Yom Kippur?'
The Book of Jonah was selected for the haftara reading for the Mincha service on Yom Kippur because God is represented there as the God of all nations. The concept of the universality of God is emphasized throughout the High Holiday liturgy. The Book of Jonah also addresses itself to another High Holiday theme: that man can abandon his evil ways, accept responsibility for his actions, and return to God.
[This seems to be the only passage which suggests the Jewish god might be a universal not tribal god.]

Page 249:
'Why is Sukkot referred to as a "Pilgrim Festival"?'
In the Jewish calendar Pesach, Shavuot, and Sukkot are referred to as "Pilgrim Festivals" because on these holidays all men were required to make a pilgrimage to the Temple in Jerusalem (Exodus 23:17). All three were originally agricultural holidays, and in celebration of them the Jews of Palestine brought the first crops of the season to the Temple, where a portion was offered as a sacrifice and the balance used by the Priestly families. Only after this obligation was fulfilled were the new season's crops permitted to be used as food.

Page 259:
In recent years, to counteract the strong influence of the Christmas season and its festivities on the lives of Jewish children, who might otherwise feel "left out," Jewish parents have begun to celebrate Chanuka in a more elaborate way.

Page 268:
Judith, according to legend, was a daughter of one of the Hasmoneans who fed cheese to Holofernes, the general of Nebuchadnezzar's army, an archenemy of the Jewish people. As a result, the general became very thirsty, consumed large amounts of wine, became drunk, and was beheaded by Judith, leading to a Jewish victory. To commemorate this event, it is said, Jews eat cheese on Chanuka.
[Now they just sell you potato chips in bars.]

Page 276:
'Why are hamantaschen also called oznay Haman ("Haman's ears")?'
It was once the practice to cut off the ears of criminals before hanging. Since Haman (the criminal) was hanged, a special holiday pastry called "ears of Haman" (oznay Haman) was introduced. In Holland the pastry is called Hamansoren, and in Italy orrechi d'Aman. It is a favorite food in Germany, Switzerland, Austria, Turkey, and Greece. Oznay Haman are shaped like the traditional hamantaschen. (See previous questions.)
[Arnold Leese mentions this in "My Irrelevant Defence; being Meditations Inside Gaol and Out on Jewish Ritual Murder".]

Pages 280-1:
'Why is the beginning of each month of the Jewish year celebrated as a semiholiday?'
The celebration of the New Moon (Rosh Chodesh) as a semifestival has deep roots in Jewish tradition. In Talmudic times, whenever witnesses testified that they had observed the crescent of the New Moon, the Sanhedrin (highest court), after accepting the testimony, declared the New Moon's arrival official, and that became an occasion for celebration. Special sacrifices were offered in the Temple, the shofar was blown, and the population carried on in a festive manner. To the prophets, particularly Isaiah (1:13), the New Moon celebration was equated in importance with the Sabbath.
[More evidence Judaism like Islam is a moon god cult?]

Page 283:
...Lag B'Omer [Scholars' Day] occurs on the thirty-third day after the second day of Passover. The word lag is an acronym made up of two Hebrew letters, lamed and gimmel, which have a numerical value of thirty-three. (See Chapter Nine, Passover, for a discussion of Omer.)...

Page 296:
'Why are the words shaygetz and shiksa used?'
Shaygetz and its feminine counterpart, shiksa, are derogatory words for "non-Jew." They are distorted forms of the Hebrew rootword sheketz, which appears in the Bible four times and refers to the flesh of a tabooed animal. Hence, anything taboo or abominable became known as sheketz. Since intermarriage with non-Jews is taboo, this term was applied to them. Sheketz, the masculine form, is pronounced shaygetz in the vernacular, and shiktza, the feminine form, is pronounced shiksa in the vernacular.

Page 298:
'Why do most Jews consider Jerusalem the eternal capital of Israel?'
Jewish history and Jewish tradition is linked to Jerusalem more than to any other place on earth. From about 1000 B.C.E., when David seized that city from the Philistines (of whom there is no longer any trace) and set it up as his capital, Jerusalem has been sacred to Jews. When Solomon built the First Temple there, it became a holy city, often called "the Eternal City." Jews lived in Jerusalem and prayed for its well-being for 1,000 years before there were Christians on the face of the earth and for 1,600 years before Islamic nations came into being.
[Chuzpah. Per L.A. Waddell, King Brutus established London about 1100 BC, long before Jerusalem, Rome or Athens; and there is no archaeological trace of any so-called Jewish Patriarch: 'The Phoenician Origins Of Britons, Scots & Anglo-Saxons' (1925) by Lawrence Austine Waddell LL.D., C.B., C.I.E. on www.archive.org.]