ern farmer lived close to nature and in fact did want the animals in his house for at least two reasons he could verbalize. First, the animals helped

sting of the family living room terrace (Wohnterrasse) and a lower level (Hausboden) with mangers (Futtertroger) built into the floor of the former. This same house has an adjoining special guest room (Gastehaus). Such a home precisely fits the requirements of Luke 2:7.26 This leads us to ask whether this option has been considered by modern scholars other than Bishop, Dalmann, Thompson and Miguens. Scholarship has long noted “guest room” as a primary meaning for kataluma. Moulton and Milligan suggest “lodging place” for Luke 2:7 and observe, “Elsewhere in Biblical Greek, e.g. I Kings 1:13 (sic. 1:18), Mk 14:14, it has rather the sense of ‘guest room’.”27 Plummer long ago questioned the translation “inn” for kataluma. He writes: It is possible that Joseph had relied upon the hospitality of some friends in Bethlehem, whose “guest chamber” however was already full when he and Mary arrived. See on xxii.11.28 Leaney used the translation “lodging house,” but does not discuss the question.29 Marshall and Danker reject “inn,” preferring “room in a house,” but then affirm the birthplace to be some place for animals.30 Brown leaves the question unanswered and translates “lodgings” for kataluma.31 In short, Luke’s own meaning of “guest room” has long been recognized but not used in translations due to an inadequate understanding of the wider cultural background of the Palestinian village home with its mangers in the family room. This brings us to an important final question: how has the text been understood in the Middle East itself? Presumably, the cultural origins of the text would be understood here in the Middle East and reflected in translation and commentary. What then do we find? We have observed that Justin allows for time spent in the village and then insists that Joseph found nothing and resorted to a cave outside the village. The cave tradition we have accepted. But why the insistence by Justin and the Protevangelium of James that the birth took place outside the village rather than in it as Luke simply states? After reading a number of Arabic and Syriac fathers’ writings on the question, one has the distinct feeling there is an unspoken subjective pressure to understand the birth as having taken place without witnesses because of the sacred nature of the “mother of God” giving birth to the “Son of God.” Even as the sacraments are consecrated in utter seclusion behind an altar screen, so the eyes of even the faithful might not look on the holy event, even so Middle Eastern Christology, Mariology and piety seem to combine to insist that the birth took place where no eye beheld the divine mystery. For this to be possible the story must take place outside the village in some secluded spot. Is it not possible to assume Justin’s outside-the-village account coming from this kind of theological pressure? We can add to this the early allegorization of the text of the New Testament, where attention is focused on the mystical and allegorical meanings behind words,



And the exegete is not interested in the humanness of the incarnation in its Palestinian setting.
A revealing retelling of Justin’s account, combined with elaborate allegory, can be seen in the work of the great 12th century commentator of the Syriac church, ibn Salîbî. He interprets Luke 2:7b by saying: Spiritually interpreted, the wrapping with cloths and wraps signifies that the Christ bore our sins and that He was nailed to the Cross in order to cleanse the old man by His blood. Also the cloths and wraps are a sign of poverty and freedom from this world and its goods. He allowed Himself to be put down in a manger so that He could arise on behalf of the human race which is like beasts and animals in that it committed the crime of base rebellion. Thus Christ endured all of this to return us to Himself and to give us the power of life and the drink of the wine of joy. It is said that the manger refers to the tomb because the master will die and be buried in a tomb that looks like a manger. Luke explains the placing of the Christ in a manger by saying that there was no place for Mary and Joseph in any of the lodging places or houses because of the many travelers from the house of David coming for the registration. So the two of them were obliged to go to a cave near Bethlehem which was a shelter for animals (my translation).32 Here we enter an entirely different exegetical world. This venerable father’s account is rich in the spirituality of his age and his tradition is well worth reading. It is of little help, however, in our attempt at recovering the original Palestinian intent of the material. The Arabic and Syriac versions, like Brown, have opted for neutral words, such as “lodgings,” as their traditions focus on the allegories of the medieval period. What, then, does all of this mean for the faithful as we look forward to the recollection of the miracle of the incarnation? We all face the enormous weight of church tradition which surrounds us with the “no room at the inn” mythology. If our conclusions are valid, thousands of good Christmas sermons, plays, filmstrips, films, poems, songs and books will have to be discarded. But is the traditional myth of a lonely birth in a stable a help or a hindrance to the reality the text proclaims? Surely a more authentic cultural understanding enhances the meaning of the story, rather than diminishing it. Jesus was rejected at His birth by Herod, but the Bethlehem shepherds welcomed Him with great joy, as did the common people in later years. The city of David was true to its own, and the village community provided for Him. He was born among them, in the natural setting of the birth of any village boy, surrounded by helping hands and encouraging women’s voices. For centuries Palestinian peasants have been born on the raised terraces of the one-room family homes. The birth of Jesus was no different. His incarnation was authentic. His birth most likely took place in the natural place for a peasant to be born—in a peasant home. We can and should theologize on the glorious resurrected Christ who meets us in the Eucharist. But a proper understanding of the story of His birth forces us to not lose sight of the One who “took upon himself the form of a servant and was found in the likeness of man.” And, after all, it is still possible for us to sing: Ox and ass before Him bow,For He is in the manger now,Christ is born to save,Christ is born to save. (Reprinted by permission from the Theological Review of the Near East School of Theology, Vol. 2, No. II, November 1979.) Recommended Resources for Further StudyJesus ThroughMiddle Eastern Eyes 50 Proofs for the NTNIV ArchaeologicalStudy Bible Footnotes 1 M. Baily, “The Crib and Exegesis of Luke 2, 1–20,” Irish Ecclesiastical Record, 100 (1963), 358–376; R.E. Brown, “VI. The Birth and Naming of Jesus,” in The Birth of the Messiah (London: Geoffrey Chapman, 1977), pp. 393–434; J.D.M. Derrett, “The Manger: Ritual Law and Soteriology,” Theology, 74 (1971), 566–571, and “The Manger at Bethlehem: Light on SRosetta Stone

. After almost 200 years of archaeological research in Egypt and Israel, why do so many challenge the Exodus account? The stakes are not small, as the

reliability—on His confidence that the Israelites actually did eat manna in the desert as the Scriptures describe. If this account were not true, then Jesus was wrong, and so are some of His teachings.We should not be surprised, then, that some critics have focused so much attention on this fundamental event in the Bible. They try to discredit the story of the Exodus to undermine its historical validity.Biblical historian Eugene Merrill describes the importance the Exodus has for the rest of the Bible:The exodus is the most significant historical and theological event of the Old Testament because it marks God’s mightiest act in behalf of his people...To it the Book of Genesis provides an introduction and justification, and from it flows all subsequent Old Testament revelation...In the final analysis, the exodus served to typify that exodus achieved by Jesus Christ for people of faith, so that it is a meaningful event for the church as well as for Israel (1996:57–58).Limits of ArchaeologyMany critics who doubt the historicity of the Exodus share a problem: over-reliance on what archaeology can prove. Archaeology is, in fact, a limited and imperfect area of study in which the interpretation of findings, as archaeologists readily admit, is more of an art than a hard science.Archaeologist Edwin Yamauchi points out the limits of this science when he explains: (1) little of what was made or written in antiquity survives to this day; (2) few of the ancient sites have been surveyed and a number have not even been found; (3) probably fewer than 2 percent of the known sites have been meaningfully excavated; (4) few of these have been more than scratched; and (5) only a fraction of the fraction that have been excavated have been published and data made available to the scholarly world (1972: chapter 4).Considering not only the limits but also the positive side of archaeology, it is remarkable how many Biblical accounts have been illuminated and confirmed by the relatively small number of sites excavated and finds uncovered to date. Even though, regrettably, some professionals go out of their way to present a distorted picture of what archaeology does reveal, it does provide some of the strongest evidence for the reliability of the Bible as credible and accurate history.Evidence DestroyedA major challenge in reconstructing an accurate view of history is that, through the ages, most negative or embarrassing evidence was never written down or was intentionally destroyed by later rulers. In fact, the Bible stands in marked contrast to most ancient literature in that it objectively records the facts about Biblical personalities, whether good or bad.When new kings ascended the throne, they naturally wanted to be seen in the best light. So in many nations they covered up or destroyed monuments and records of previous monarchs. This pattern of expunging earlier historical evidence can be repeatedly seen in Egyptian monuments and historical records. For example, after the Hyksos rulers were expelled from Egypt, the Egyptians erased the records of that humiliating period so thoroughly that some of the names and the order of the Hyksos kings remain uncertain.Some time later Pharaoh Thutmosis III destroyed virtually all records relating to Queen Hatshepsut, the previous ruler, whom he despised. Visitors to her famous temple can still see where Thutmosis’s workmen carefully chiseled away her image from the walls of the structure. A few decades afterwards, the ruling priests eliminated virtually all possible traces of the teachings of Pharaoh Akhenaten, who had introduced what they considered to be heretical Egyptian religious reforms.Akhenaten (ca. 1350–1334 BC), the heretical king whose religious reforms were quickly reversed following his death. Mike Luddeni.So it should come as no surprise that the ancient Egyptians would not have wanted to record or even remember what was perhaps their greatest humiliation—the national devastation that occurred when their Israelite slaves won their freedom and Egypt’s might proved powerless to stop them. This attitude is not limited to the past. Even today, some of what went on during the two world wars is still hotly debated by historians on both sides of the issue.It seems too much to hope for, then, that a proud and powerful nation such as Egypt, whose rulers were considered gods, would record that their mighty army was ignominiously crushed by a band of virtually unarmed slaves who had a more powerful deity on their side. This would have embarrassed them in front of the entire known world. It’s more natural to believe they simply licked their wounds and tried to cover up all traces of this humiliating national episode, especially since they are known to have done this on other occasions.Image of Hatshepsut (ca. 1503–1483 BC) seated on a throne, erased by Thutmosis III. Deir el-Bahri, mortuary temple of Hatshepsut at Thebes, Egypt. Bryant Wood.Bias against the BibleBesides these limits of archaeology, an additional problem exists that is seldom noted—the ever-present scholarly bias. It takes only a brief reading of archaeological journals to witness how alive and well human nature is among many of the experts. Differing opinions can stimulate public accusations that are envious, arrogant, spiteful and even hateful.Radio commentator Dennis Prager made an insightful comment about Rabbi Wolpe’s skepticism of the Exodus account noted earlier:According to the [Los Angeles Times] article, most archaeologists...do not believe the Biblical Exodus occurred. That most archaeologists conclude from the alleged lack of archaeological evidence that Jews were never slaves in Egypt and the Exodus to Canaan never took place tells us something about these individuals, but nothing about the Bible or the Exodus.What does it tell us? That most of these archaeologists have the same bias against traditional religious beliefs that most academic colleagues have. Ten years ago, Dr. Robert Jastrow,...founder of NASA’s Goddard Institute...,wrote about this in his book, God and the Astronomers.



Jastrow described a disturbing reaction
Among his colleagues to the big-bang theory—irritation and anger. Why, he asked, would scientists, who are supposed to pursue truth and not have an emotional investment in any evidence, be angered by the big-bang theory?The answer, he concluded, is very disturbing: many scientists do not want to acknowledge anything that may even suggest the existence of God. The big-bang theory, by positing a beginning of the universe, suggests a creator and therefore annoys many astronomers. This anti-religious bias is hardly confined to astronomers. It pervades academia, home to nearly all archaeologists (The Jewish Journal, April 20, 2001, emphasis added).Uphill Battle for BelieversWhen it comes to the Bible, archaeologists and Biblical scholars categorize themselves into two groups: minimalists and maximalists. The minimalists (also called deconstructionists of the Bible) generally hold the view that the Bible is full of myths and is therefore unreliable. So they vigorously try to refute any evidence that supports Rosetta Stone Chinese

calling the President a criminal.

This is the same Saddam Hussein who attempted to overthrow the governments of Iran and Kuwait through the use of naked and aggressive military force. Hussein justified his behavior in a variety of ways, but when the same was done to him, he objected! Somehow, even a homicidal maniac like Hussein thinks there is a standard of right and wrong to which he can appeal.Another angle that Lewis takes is comparison. Once you compare two moral ideas to one another, and determine that one is superior to the other you are comparing them to a standard. He states the case in this fashion:If no set of moral ideas were truer or better than any other, there would be no sense in preferring civilized morality to savage morality, or Christian morality to Nazi morality. In fact, of course, we all do believe that some moralities are better than others. The moment you say that one set of moral ideals can be better than another, you are, in fact, measuring them both by a standard, saying that one of them conforms to that standard more nearly than the other. But the standard that measures two things is something different from either. You are, in fact, comparing them both with some Real Morality, admitting that there is such a thing as a real Right, independent of what people think, and that some people’s ideas get nearer to that real Right than others.9 A man does not call a line crooked unless he has some idea of a straight line.10 Of even greater interest is the fact that, if you continue upward with each higher moral standard succeeding the previous standard, you must continue with comparisons until you reach an ultimate, absolute standard. This progression must eventually terminate in an eternal, uncaused, absolute, perfect, moral, personal standard. You cannot terminate the chain of standards at a finite level, because the finite level you appeal to must have a standard by which it can be measured. The line of increasingly superior moral standards can only terminate in an infinite, absolute moral standard. Only Christianity provides that type of personal and absolute standard. That standard is, and only can be, the God of the Bible.To further substantiate our case, we return to C.S. Lewis. Lewis not only speaks of an appeal to an independent moral authority and to moral comparisons between certain actions, he also discusses the inherent sense in all humanity that we somehow fall short of a standard that we know we should achieve, but somehow cannot. He writes:I now go back to what I said at the end of the first chapter, that there were two odd things about the human race. First, that they were haunted by the idea of a sort of behaviour they ought to practice, what you might call fair play, or decency, or morality, or the Law of Nature. Second, that they did not in fact do so.11 The laws of nature [physical laws], as applied to stones and trees, may only mean ‘what Nature, in fact, does’. But if you turn to the Law of Human Nature, the Law of Decent Behavior, it is a different matter. That law certainly does not mean ‘what human beings, in fact, 'do' for as I said before, many of them do not obey this law at all, and none of them obey it completely. The law of gravity tells you what stones do if you drop them; but the law of Human Nature tells you what human beings ought to do, and do not. In other words, when you are dealing with humans, something else comes in above and beyond the actual facts. You have the facts (how men do behave) and you also have something else (how they ought to behave). In the rest of the universe, there needs not be anything but the facts. Electrons and molecules behave in a certain way, and certain results follow, and that may be the whole story. But men behave in a certain way that is not the whole story, for all the time you know that they ought to behave differently.12 This law hangs over us, constantly reminding us that we fall short of its standards. It is certainly real, and really cannot be rationally denied. It is somehow a real thing, a law which we did not create, but we nonetheless find it persistently whispering to us, sometimes screaming at us, but always pressing in on us in some tangible way. Skeptics often call this guilt, imposed upon us by parents, environment, societal standards, etc. But this argument is untenable. How do small children know they should hide when they knock over the lamp for the first time, and have never seen such a thing before? Some SS officers in the Third Reich committed suicide because of their guilt in committing murder. Their guilt was not derived from human law (it was legal to do this in Nazi society), but from a Law higher than man, higher than themselves. The proper purpose of these human institutions is to keep us tune with the Law of Nature. They are not the creator of the standard itself. They are intended to help us, to attempt to minimize the deviation from the Law of Nature. Of course, they never work to perfection, for we all fall short. (Romans 3:23). These standards run through most societies to one degree or another. They are quite universal. Human imperfection makes them inexact at points, but they are consistent for the most part. And, we never evaluate these societal standards in isolation; we always compare them to one another. This returns us to the idea of the comparison between two moral ideas, and each must appeal to another standard in order to be weighed. Nazi laws dehumanizing Jews cannot be deemed immoral unless we can assert that some other standard is morally superior to them, and that can only be determined when it is weighed against some transcendental norm. This is inescapable.In conclusion, we can say the following with certainty: 1) It seems quite impossible that personal moral standards can even exist in an impersonal universe. 2) Even if personal moral standards could arise in a materialistic universe13, how could we determine their certainty if our very thoughts are random chemical processes? 3) It is certain that once you admit the superiority of one moral idea against another, you cannot logically substantiate your argument without ultimately appealing to an absolute, personal source of morals, the God of Scripture. 4) All human beings know there is a standard which they fall short of, and they often demonstrate this knowledge in their own hypocrisy. This knowledge of good and evil is the human conscience, given by Almighty God. 5) Subjectivism is logically impossible, for its assertion is self-refuting. Only personal absolutism can rationally explain morals at all, and as we have stated previously, morality can only have its origin in the God of the Bible. Recommended Resources for Further StudyWhy Trust the Bible?Searching for theOriginal Bible Bibliography Batten, Don. “That’s Nice For You But It’s Not For Me.” Creation, 26(1) December 2003-February 2004, 6. Frame, John. Apologetics to the Glory of God. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Company, 1994. Frame, John. The Doctrine of God. Phillipsburg, NJ: Presbyterian and Reformed, 2002.Gish, Duane. Creation Scientists Answer Their Critics. El Cajon, Ca.: Institute for Creation Research, 1993.Ham, Ken, Jonathan Sarfati and Carl Weiland. The Answers Book. Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, 1990.Lewis, C.S. Mere Christianity. New York, New York: Harper Collins Publishers, 1952. Morris, Henry. Many Infallible Proofs. Green Forest, Arkansas: Master Books, 1974.Morris, Thomas. Our Idea of God. Vancouver, BC, Canada: Regent College Publishing, 1991.Nash, Ronald. The Concept of God. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan, 1983.NIV Men’s Study Bible. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Zondervan Publishing House, 1997.http://www.carm.org/relativism/relativism_refute.htm.. "Refuting Relativism", Christian Apologetics and Research Ministry. http://creationontheweb.com/content/view/5836/"Can We be GoodWithout God?", Creation Ministries International. Footnotes[1] The creationist Duane Gish has sarcastically pointed out that perhaps the cosmic egg was laid by the cosmic chicken, but this would leave us wondering where the cosmic chicken came from![2] John Frame, Apologetics to the Glory of God.

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The foundation supported a multistory mudbrick and timber temple

With an entrance flanked by two large towers. Stager hypothesized that the courtyard of this temple could have been where Joshua “took a large stone and set it up there under the oak near the holy place of the LORD” (Jos 24:26).Stager (2003: 68) places the destruction of the Fortress-Temple around 1100 BC. So does Seger (1997: 22), who correlates the destruction debris found at Level XI as being from the Iron IA period. Campbell (1993: 1347) states that there was a “significant” destruction “around 1100 BCE” and guardedly concludes, “connecting Level XI with the story underlying Judges 9 is plausible” (1993: 1352).Dating Shechem’s destruction to 1100 BC helps confirm the Biblical date of 1406 BC as the beginning of the Conquest in Canaan. To do this, it is necessary to know that immediately after we read in the Bible of Abimelech’s destruction of Shechem, Jephthah, the ninth Judge, appears (Jgs 11, 12). Jephthah was hired by Israelites who lived in Gilead, east of the Jordan River, to confront the Ammonites who had made war on them for 18 years. Jephthah first attempted diplomacy with the Ammonite king. He reminded the Ammonite king that the Israelites had been in the land east of the Jordan River for “300 years” (Jgs 11:21–26). Jephthah, of course, was referring to the time when Moses led the Israelites through that region and defeated numerous kings (Nm 21:21–31).Thus, if Abimelech destroyed Shechem ca. 1125–1100 BC (Jgs 9), and Abimelech was a contemporary of Jephthah, the Conquest would have occurred about 300 years earlier, in ca. 1400 BC (1100 BC + 300 years = 1400 BC).Shechem in the Time of the Divided MonarchyThe Bible sheds little light on Shechem’s role during the reigns of Saul, David or Solomon. Rehoboam, Solomon’s son, was next in line for the throne. All the Israelites assembled at Shechem to anoint Rehoboam king. Rehoboam, however, acted foolishly by chiding the northern tribes and telling them he would tax them heavily. In defense, the northern tribes retaliated by separating themselves from Rehoboam and the southern kingdom. The northern tribes made Jeroboam I king of their region. The country, formerly unified under David and Solomon, became divided. The northern region and tribes, led by Jeroboam I, was known as Israel. The southern area and tribes, first led by Rehoboam, is referred to as Judah in the Bible.Levels X and IX at Tell Balata represent the Jeroboam I period and are noted for carefully built houses of selected stones. The discovery of stone foundations for stairs suggests two-story, four-room houses, typical homes of that period (Dever 1994: 80–81). Campbell concludes that Level IX (920–810 BC) has “tangible evidence of Jeroboam I’s rebuilding (1 Kg 12:25) and a return to city status” (1993: 1352–53).The Assyrian invasion of Israel in 724 BC (2 Kgs 17:5–6) brought another destruction to Shechem. The evidence is in Level VII. Toombs noted that in Level VII the city was “reduced to a heap of ruins, completely covered by debris of fallen brickwork, burned beams and tumbled building stones,” typical examples of Assyrian thoroughness (1992: 1185). In addition to the destruction, the Assyrians placed exiled peoples from other nations into the region around Shechem, a common Assyrian practice (2 Kgs 17:23–24).These new peoples added Yahweh to their own beliefs (2 Kgs 17:25–30). The new religion mimicked Judaism in many respects and Mt. Gerizim was made the center of its worship. New Testament practitioners of the cult are called “Samaritans,” which also referred to the people who lived in the vicinity (Mt 10:5; Lk 9:52, 10:53; 17:16; Jn 4:7, 9, 22, 39, 40; 8:48; Acts 8:25). A remnant of the ancient Samaritans still lives on Mt. Gerizim and they practice sacrifices there just as they did 2,700 years ago.7Shechem in the Intertestamental PeriodBetween the Old and New Testaments, Shechem had a modest recovery and there is an abundance of evidence that excellent buildings were constructed in this, the Hellenistic, period (ca. 330–107 BC). It was during this time that the Samaritans built a large temple and sacrificial platform on Mt. Gerizim, the remains of which were still visible in Jesus’ day (Jn 4:20).As fighting between the Ptolemies and Seleucids swirled around the country in the intertestamental period, physical decline again took place at Shechem. This decline culminated when the Jewish leader, John Hyrcanus, took advantage of the temporary absence of outside armies and destroyed the Samaritan temple on Mt. Gerizim (ca. 126 BC). He leveled the city in 107 BC. Shechem never recovered from this destruction and lay in ruins until identified by Tierschin 1901.Shechem in the New Testament PeriodSamaritans continued to live in the area during the following years, the Roman period. This is confirmed by the discovery of human burials from the period on the lower slopes of Mt. Ebal (Magen 1993: 1358–59). It is known that Samaritans also made several attempts to renew their cult worship on Mt. Gerizim. The Romans suppressed their efforts and in AD 72 constructed a new city, Flavia-Neapolis, about 1 mi (1.6 km) west of Tell Balata (Magen 2001: 40). This new city is now Nablus, a modern Arab city of about 120,000 people8 whose name is probably a corruption of Roman city, Neapolis.About 500 yd (460 m) southeast of Tell Balata is an ancient well, venerated to be a well that Jacob, the Patriarch, dug when he lived there. Such a well is not mentioned in the Old Testament. There is a small Arab village, Askar, just north of the well. Most scholars associate Askar with Sychar, the village in John 4 near “Jacob’s well” (Jn 4:6). The authenticity of the well is not only based on its physical identification in John 4, but also on “the fact that all traditions-—Jewish, Samaritan, Christian and Muslim-—support it” (Stefanovic 1992: 608). Several churches in Christian history have been built on the site of the well and today it is located under a recently constructed Greek Orthodox church. Access to the well is gained by going down steps from the apse of the new church..Jacob’s well as it appeared in the 1870s. In the right background is Mt. Gerizim with the tomb of the Arab sheikh, where the ruins of the Samaritan temple were located in New Testament times, visible at the peak. Todd Bolen.Jacob’s well, at the base of Mt. Gerizim, is at the junction of the main road leading from Jerusalem in the south. Here, the road splits with the eastern branch going toward the Jordan Valley and the western branch leading to Nablus, and in NT times, Samaria and the Galilee. It is an excellent setting for one of the most important passages in the Bible-—the account of Jesus’ verbal Messianic announcement in the fourth chapter of John. In this passage Jesus meets a Samaritan woman at Jacob’s well, dialogues with her, and tells her He is the long-awaited Messiah.Mt. Gerizim (left peak) as seen from Jacob’s well. When the Samaritan woman said to Jesus, “Our fathers worshipped on this mountain,” she was no doubt referring to the ruins of the Samaritan temple on top of Mt. Gerizim. The small structure on the peak marks the location of the ruins of the Samaritan temple that easily could have been seen from Jacob’s well in Jesus’ day. Bryant Wood.Significance of Shechem in Understanding John 4This article began by stating that context in reading the Bible was important to full understanding of what the original writers wanted the original hearers/listeners to know. In the case of Shechem, it is clear that the writer of John’s Gospel was appealing to the hearer/reader’s understanding of Shechem’s unique historical and theological context.First, the author established that the event took place at Sychar (Jn 4:6). By making reference to Jacob he reminded his readers/hearers that this is where Jacob first settled when he returned to the Promised Land from Paddan Aram (Gn 33:18). At this spot Abram received God’s promise that To your offspring I will give this land”

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10 Mar 11 HIRE Act Primer For Enrolled Agents

HIRE Act Primer For Enrolled AgentsBy: Sawyer Adams .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet The recently enacted HIRE Act of 2010 is intended to offer tax incentives to employers who hire eligible employees by offering payroll tax credits. Overall, the HIRE Act is straight- forward and determining who is an eligible employee is not overly difficult.Under the HIRE Act, employers can receive a payroll exemption of their 6.2% share of social security tax on all wages paid to qualified employees, exempting the employer from their share of Social Security taxes on 2010 wages paid to these workers after March 18, 2010. Employers are still liable for Medicare tax on all wages. In addition to the 6.2% savings, businesses who retain a qualified employee for a 52 consecutive week period can qualify for a tax credit of up to $1,000 provided the employee's pay does not decrease significantly in the second half of the year. The employer may claim the new hire retention credit on their 2011 ine tax return.What employees are eligible for the HIRE Act?The basic instructions, as explained on IRS Form W-11 are as follows. Employee must begin employment after February 3, 2010 and before January 1, 2011. An eligible employee has not been employed for more than 40 hours during the 60-day period ending on the date the employee begins work with employer. The employee must sign a W-11, or similar affidavit to be eligible. An employee is not eligible if heshe replaces a fired employee, but is eligible if filling a voluntarily vacated position, or as a result to downsizing. Employees who are also not eligible for the HIRE Act are any persons related to the employer, or a relative or dependent of anyone who owns more than 50% of outstanding stock or capital of a business. The HIRE Act does not apply to household employees.Who is an eligible employer for the HIRE Act?Businesses, agricultural employers, tax-exempt organizations, temp agencies, employees in U.S territories and public colleges and universities all qualify to claim the payroll tax benefit for eligible newly hired employees. The HIRE Act also applies to brand new businesses. A business that lays off workers due to lack of work and hires new staff when business improves may qualify. The hire act even applies to employees who are laid off and rehired for the same position, and employees hired from a temp agency if the temp agency has not claimed said employees wages.For an employee to be eligible heshe does not need work a minimum amount of hours or for a set period. Of course, to receive the general tax credit the employee must be employed for 1 year. Employers may claim the Cobra Premium Assistance Credit and the Payroll Tax Exemption for new hires on the same employment tax return.As you can see, the requirements for the HIRE Act are not overly stringent or difficult to meet. The W-11 Affidavit is currently available on the IRS official website as well as additional information regarding more specific tax questions. Enrolled agents, CPA's and other registered tax preparers should be aware of this opportunity to help clients save money under the Hire Act. These new rules cannot show up on the enrolled agent exam until the 2011 testing period, so if you are a prospective enrolled agentcurrently studying for the 2010 EA exam, you will not need to know these rules. The 2011-2012 enrolled agent course will cover this new law.Article Source: abcarticledirectoryFast Forward Academy is a leading publisher of IRS enrolled agent study guides, enrolled agent exam review questions and continuing education for all tax professionals. Information on the pany including free access to an online question bank for the EA exam is available on their website.Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Sawyer AdamsRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Auditing via RSS!Additional Articles From - Home Accounting AuditingWhat you need to know about Auditing from the experts.- By : john newportCulture and business proposition- By : foxhatsNavigating Miscellaneous Itemized Deductions- By : Sawyer AdamsAbout The National Association Of Enrolled Agents (NAEA)- By : Sawyer AdamsThe History Of Enrolled Agents- By : Sawyer AdamsThe Canon Sd780is Black Silver Gold Red - Very Nice Christmas Gift- By : ArticleSubmit AutoIRS Increasing Enforcement Activity- By : Sawyer AdamsDestination Military Surplus Products- By : Ali Khan5 Tips For Getting The Right Health Insurance For Your Needs- By : danica12 Quick Tips For Eye Shadow- By : Ali Khan Still Searching? Last Chance to find what you're looking for. Try using Bing Search!

5 Mar 11 Beatin' The Blues And Bringin' In The Bucks

Beatin' The Blues And Bringin' In The BucksBy: Johnny Albertson .... Click author's name to view profile and articles!!!Retargeting by ChangoTweet My first love is music, hands down. I front a band called You Can Call Me Al (in honor of that wonderful musician, Paul Simon -- one of my greatest influences). I play guitar, sing NHL Shop
and play alto saxophone, depending on the gig, and I love doing all three.There's nothing quite like getting up on stage and belting out the blues while people sing along, dance, drink and laugh in the audience. It's such a rush to see people having fun in the crowd! The problem is, for a bunch of aging hippies like me and my band mates, the tip jar rarely covers the night's beer consumption, let alone pays the bills.That's all right, though, because I'm lucky. I've got another love, which is writing, and I might have finally found a way to something I love and actually make some real income! I've been waiting for a gig like this. And I'm so excited that it's finally here!I've actually been writing articles about my music (and my day job) for a few months now. I've done the research and submitted articles myself to several different content sites in an effort to drive traffic to my new blog, called Beatin' the Blues. My blog is mainly there to talk about the music, but I'm also thinking about joining a couple affiliate programs. Currently, I have a decent-paying day job selling multi-level marketing products, but it's so far from what I enjoy doing I can't tell you! It makes me enough to get by on, but I'm ready to put some money away for my retirement and the kids' college. Taking on a 9-to-5er doesn't appeal to me, since it would probably mean backing way off from playing two or three gigs a week. The operative word is "aging" after all!If possible, I want to keep playing music at least that often, and set up a new online revenue stream for supplemental income. I've heard that if you do it right, you really can succeed.I've checked out several affiliate programs, so I'll start by talking about some of those. The first one I found is called Article Post Robot. It's a goofy name, but they have three different affiliate programs you can sign up for. The first gives you 40 percent, or $40-$50, of every product sold on your site. The second one is also 40 percent, at $35 to $40, and the third gives only 25 percent, estimated at about $8 per sale. I'm feelin' the first two; maybe not so much the third one.The first program is an affiliation of Article Post Robot itself, a software system you purchase that allows you to post articles on sites around the Web. Personally I've been down that road with the software, but I still might be willing to join their affiliate program! Some people prefer to use software that lets them control where their articles end up. At this point, I'm looking for the widest distribution to the largest lists possible. Moving on!Another site I am looking at is called iSnare. They do it a little differently, using a referral rather than a straight-out affiliate program. It works like this: For everyone you refer to use iSnare's service (everyone who then purchases article posts) you earn free article post slots. You get one post for every five slots your referral buys, six for every 40 slots on up to 10 for 100 slots purchased.There is an option to submit articles for free on iSnare, and like any new system I explore that's the one I'll start with. To be distributed to the entire list, you Montreal Canadiens jersey
must pay a fee for your post. Definitely an option -- if I like what they have to offer after a little more exploration.I read about Article Marketer when researching Jason Develvis's website, Adventures in IM. He has a lot of great advice about how to market yourself online, and he is an affiliate of Article Marketer, so I decided to check them out.Article Marketer has a very attractive affiliate program. You put their links up on your site, and they pay you 50 percent their sales made through your website. Then, if one of your referrals becomes an affiliate, you get 5 percent of those sales too! Seems almost like they're giving away too much. I wonder if there's a catch.I've read through their spiel and it seems pretty air-tight, but again I'm a skeptic. I'm going to sign up for their free service before I make a commitment to post their links on my precious blog. So there you have it! I guess for me the jury's still out on these affiliate programs. But now you're at least semi-informed. So, what are YOU gonna do? Hopefully start making the big bucks, right along with yours truly.Article Source: http://www.shop-on-sale.com Johnny Albertson is a musician, blogger and writer. Visit his blog, Beatin' the Blues for more insights and pearls of wisdom. Johnny is a big fan of Article Marketer, an online article distribution service.Note: The content of this article solely conveys the opinion of its author, Johnny AlbertsonRetargeting by ChangoDid You Like This Article? Share It With YourFriends!Please Rate this Article 5 out of 54 out of 53 out of 52 out of 51 out of 5 Not yet Rated Click the XML Icon to Receive Free Articles About Affiliate Programs What Cloth Diaper Provides The Top Match For Newborns?- By : mirtagaylWhat is Affiliate Marketing and Why You Should Do It?- By : James A AndersonEarning Money Quickly With Email Marketing - True or False?- By : chad buistMoney Creating Tips For Individuals Involved In An Online Affiliate Marketing Home Business- By : Johnny BarrellGlobal Success Club And How To Make Money Online- By : Don Canadiens jersey
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24 Jan 11 UCLA Bruins Hope for a Healthy Kevin Prince Against Washington State

Kevin Prince played well against Texas, but has missed practice this week due to injury.Ronald Martinez/Getty ImagesFolks in Westwood had plenty of reason to be excited after the UCLA Bruins trounced the Texas Longhorns in Austin, 34-12.However, even triumphs of such magnitude come with some trepidation.In UCLA's case, it comes in the person of Kevin Prince.The redshirt sophomore has missed the last few days of practice with a sore knee, an injury that he suffered while hooking the 'Horns and that has led him to have his knee drained twice this week, Miami Dolphins jersey
Needless to say, this comes as a rather disappointing, if predictable, piece of bad news for Rick Neuheisel's Bruins.With momentum on UCLA's side after a huge victory, Neuheisel and offensive coordinator Norm Chow had hoped to take advantage of a home date with the hapless Cougars of Washington State.However, with Prince potentially out for Saturday's game at the Rose Bowl, the Bruins may have to put their plans to open up the playbook on hold for the sake of winning.Prince's absence in practice has left the bulk of the snaps to true sophomore Richard Brehaut, Minnesota Vikings
who hasn't exactly looked sharp this week. After duking it out with Prince for the starting gig before the season and splitting time with the first unit in the summer, Brehaut has seen his opportunities dwindle in the last couple weeks, leaving him rusty and ill-prepared to lead the offense.Given more time under center, Brehaut should be able to get himself back up to speed, particularly since the Bruins won't need him to be a world-beater against Wazzu.However, win or lose, the UCLA football team may look back at this week as a monumental moment missed, a shot to show off the offense squandered.Even if Prince is able to play on Saturday, he may still be limited by his injury, which would once again force the coaching staff to scale back the attack and have the team play conservatively rather than take risks against the Cougs.Which brings up a more important issue underlying UCLA's chances of success this year and going forwardthe health of Kevin Prince.Prince has shown a propensity for injury ever since his high school playing days at Crespi Carmelite High School in Encino.And though the Bruins' O-line hasn't done Prince many favors in his two years in Westwood, Bruins fans still can't help but cringe at the thought of their quarterback going down with another sprain, bruise, or tear every time he takes New England Patriots jersey
off from the pocket.If Rick Neuheisel has any hope of getting his guys to play as well the rest of the season as they did against Houston and Texas, he'll need Prince on the field and playing well.Whether Prince can delivery is still very much up in the air.