TODAY ON CHRISTIAN WORLD

NEWS, I'M HERE IN THE HOLY

LAND TO SHOW YOU SOMECH THE

SOME OF THE MOST AMAZING

DISCOVERYS, FROM KING

DAVID'S HOUSE TO SOLOMON'S

PALACE.

THIS WEEK ON THE BROADCAST,

HOW ARCHEOLOGY IS BEARING

OUT THE HISTORY OF THE BIBLE

AND BRINGING ITS CHARACTER

TO LIFE.

AND WELCOME TO THIS VERY

SPECIAL EDITION OF CHRISTIAN

WORLD NEWS, EVERYONE.

FROM JERUSALEM, I'M GEORGE

THOMAS.

HERE IN ISRAEL, THE VERY

GROUND YOU WALK ON IS

SATURATED IN BIBLICAL

HISTORY.

IT SEEMS JUST ABOUT EVERY

DAY ARCHEOLOGISTS ARE MAKING

NEW DISCOVERIES, MANY OF

THEM DATE BACK TO THE

BIBLICAL TIMES.

AND YOU KNOW, THEY HELP US

UNDERSTAND THE PEOPLE AND

PLACES IN THE SCRIPTURES.

WELL, NOT TOO LONG AGO, A

DISCOVERY SHED LIGHT ON THE

EXISTENCE OF THE MOST FAMOUS

LEADER, KING DAVID.

MY COLLEAGUE, JULIE STALL,

HAS MORE.

Reporter: THIS IS KIFA

IN THE ALLAH VALLEY.

NOT FAR FROM HERE THE BIBLE

SAYS DAVID KILLED THE GIANT,

GOLIATH.

WE DON'T KNOW MUCH ABOUT

WHAT EXISTED IN THE TIME OF

DAVID.

HERE FOR THE FIRST TIME WE

HAVE A FORTIFIED CITY FROM

THE TIME OF KING DAVID.

Reporter: ABOUT

20 MILES OUTSIDE JERUSALEM,

KERBET KIFA WAS A BORDER

CITY IN THE KING OF JUDAH.

CARBON DATING SHOWS IT

EXISTED FROM 1020 TO 980

B.C., ABOUT THE TIME OF KING

DAVID.

HEBREW UNIVERSITY

ARCHEOLOGIST JOSEPH GAR

FINKEL WORKED WITH THE

AUTHOR.

HE SAYS THEY EXCAVATED

DOZENS OF ROOMS AND BELIEVED

THREE WERE USED FOR

RELIGIOUS PURPOSES.

YOU HAVE A REAL TEMPLE.

Reporter: BUT THAT'S

NOT ALL.

GARFINKEL PRESENTED THESE

RELIGIOUS ARTIFACTS AT A

PRESS CONFERENCE IN

JERUSALEM.

WE HAVE TWO BOXES.

THESE ARTIFACTS THAT YOU SEE

HERE.

ONE MADE FROM STONE, AND

THEY WERE USED FOR KEEPING

GOLD.

Reporter: THE PORTABLE

SHRINES WERE SHAPED LIKE

TEMPLES, AND CONFIRMED THE

BIBLICAL DESCRIPTION FOUND

IN 1 KINGS.

THAT DESCRIBED THE

ARCHITECTURAL STYLE, AND

SHOWS THAT THE STYLE EXISTED

EVEN BEFORE SOLOMON.

THE SITE CONTAINED NO

STATUES OR PIG BONES.

THAT MEANS THE PEOPLE WHO

LIVED THERE FOLLOWED THE

BIBLICAL COMMANDMENTS NOT TO

EAT PORK OR KEEP GRAVEN

IMAGES, OWN LIKE THEIR

PHILISTINE NEIGHBORS.

THE CITY IS LIKE JUDAH.

Reporter: SO WHY ARE

THESE DISCOVERIES

IMPORTANT?

GARFINKEL SAYS IT DISPROVES

THE ARGUMENT OF SOME

SCHOLARS WHO SAYS THE BIBLE

WAS WRITTEN 800 YEARS AFTER

KING DAVID, WITH NO

CONNECTION TO REAL HISTORY.

IF YOU THINK THE STRENGTH

OF OUR ARGUMENT IS THAT WE

HAVE HISTORICAL MEMORIES

EMBEDDED IN HEBREW IN THE

BIBLE -- THEY WERE ACTUALLY

HUMAN BEINGS.

Reporter: GARFINKEL

SAYS THE BIBLE AND

ARCHEOLOGY HAVE TO WORK

TOGETHER.

JULIE STALL, CBN NEWS,

KIAFA, ISRAEL.

George: HAVE YOU EVER

WANTED TO STEP BACK 3,000

YEARS INTO THE PAGES OF THE

BIBLE?

NOW VISITORS AS A NEW SITE

IN JERUSALEM, THEY CAN DO

JUST THAT.

JERUSALEM BUREAU CHIEF CHRIS

MITCHELL EXPLAINS.

Reporter: FOR THE FIRST

TIME IN MODERN HISTORY, THIS

UNIQUE ANCIENT SITE HAS BEEN

OPENED TO THE PUBLIC.

BEGINNING TODAY PEOPLE

WILL BE ABLE TO ACTUALLY

WALK THROUGH FIRST PERIOD

REMAINS, TOUCH THE STONES,

ENJOY AND STUDY ABOUT YET

ANOTHER PERIOD OF THE

ARCHEOLOGY OF THE CITY OF

JERUSALEM.

Reporter: 3,000 YEARS

AGO, STONE MASONS BUILT

THESE WALLS TO PROTECT THE

CITY OF JERUSALEM.

ARCHEOLOGICAL EVIDENCE

INDICATES THAT THE ONE WHO

COMMISSIONED AND OVERSAW

THIS CONSTRUCTION WAS KING

SOLOMON.

THE REALITY IS THAT IT

WAS A VERY HIGH-SKILLED

FORTIFICATION WAS BUILT BY

KING SOLOMON.

AND THIS IS ONLY PART OF

IT.

AND YOU SAW THESE WALLS.

HUGE STONES.

AND IT CONTINUES.

Reporter: ARCHEOLOGIST

ALAT MAZAR UNCOVERED THE

SITE, CALLED THE OFEL, YES

BELOW JERUSALEM TEMPLE

MOUNT, RESTORED IT, AND TOLD

HER STORY IN THE BOOK,

"DISCOVERING THE SALOMONIC

WALL IN JERUSALEM."

SHE BELIEVES THE BIBLE

REFERS TO THIS AREA IN THE

FIRST BOOK OF KINGS.

IT SAYS, "UNTIL HE, KING

SOLOMON, BUILT HIS HOUSE AND

THE HOUSE OF THE LORD, AND

THE WALL OF JERUSALEM

ROUNDABOUT."

A LOT OF IT CAN BE SEEN

AND TOUCHED.

WE FIND A LOT OF STUFF

REALLY GOES DIRECTLY INTO

THE BIBLICAL SOURCES.

Reporter: OTHER

TANGIBLE EXAMPLES INCLUDE

THIS FLOOR THAT MAZAR

BELIEVES WAS PART OF A ROYAL

BUILDING DESTROYED IN 586

586 B.C., WHEN THE

BABYLONIANS CONQUERED

JERUSALEM.

AND THE EXCAVATION ALSO

EXPOSED THE STRUCTURE CALLED

THE DATE HOUSE, THAT WOULD

HAVE LOOKED LIKE THIS 3,000

YEARS AGO.

THE JERUSALEM MAYOR SEIZED

THE SITE AS NOT ONLY A GREAT

PIECE OF HISTORY, BUT AS

ANOTHER WAY TO SHARE THE

MAGIC OF THE OLD CITY.

ONE OF THE BEST

INVESTMENTS IN THE FUTURE IS

EXPOSING OUR PAST.

IT ENABLES PEOPLE TO COME

AND SEE THAT IT IS REAL,

COME AND VISIT AND GO BACK

HOME AS AMBASSADORS OF

PEACE.

IT SHOWS THAT THE BIBLE IS

REAL.

IT SHOWS THAT 2,000 AND

3,000 YEARS AGO, JERUSALEM

WAS THE CENTER OF THE

WORLD.

Reporter: CHRIS

MITCHELL, CBN NEWS,

JERUSALEM.

George: THANKS, CHRIS,

FOR THAT REPORT.

IN EARLY CHRISTIAN HISTORY,

WHEN CHURCH LEADERS THOUGHT

THEY HAD FOUND AN HISTORICAL

BIBLICAL SITE, THEY WOULD

BUILD A CHURCH TO MARK THE

SPOT.

JULIE STALL TAKES YOU TO AN

ANCIENT CHURCH WHERE

SCIENTISTS BELIEVE MARKS THE

BURIAL SITE OF THE PROPHET

ZACHARIAH.

Reporter: THE 1500 YEAR

CHURCH IS SITUATED IN THE

JUDEAN HILLS.

ARCHEOLOGISTS DISCOVERED IT

AFTER PALESTINIAN LOOTERS

DAMAGED THE SURFACE OF THE

SITE.

IN ORDER TO SAVE WHAT WAS

HERE, THE ISRAEL AUTHORITY

DECIDED TO START SCAIFE

EXCAVATING.

Reporter: THIS AR

COLOGIS ARCHEOLOGIST SAYS

WHAT IS SPECIAL ABOUT THE

CHURCH IS HOW WELL IT HAS

BEEN PRESERVED.

THE BEST WAY TO SEE THIS

IS BY LOOKING AT THE MOSAIC

FLOOR.

THE SOUTHERN HOLE IS THE ONE

BEST PRESERVED, AND YOU CAN

SEE THERE INTRICATE GEE

GEOMETRICAL DESIGNS.

YOU CAN SEE FISH SWIMMING IN

THE POND.

THERE IS ANOTHER SCENE OF A

LION HUNTING A GAZELLE.

Reporter: MARBLE IM

PORTED FROM TURKEY LINED THE

CENTRAL HALL OF THE

BASILICA.

WE'RE TRYING TO FIGURE

OUT WHY SUCH A MAGNIFICENT

BUILDING WAS BUILT HERE.

Reporter: ONE THEORY

GOES BACK TO BIBLE TIME.

THIS PART OF THE CHURCH WAS

BUILT OVER AN ANCIENT TOMB.

ARCHEOLOGISTS SAY IT COULD

BE THE TOMB OF THE PROPHET

ZACHARIAH, AND THE CHURCH

WAS PLACED HERE AS A

MEMORIAL.

REMAINS OF THE CHURCH ARE

THE ONLY THINGS VISIBLE ON

THE SURFACE NOW, BUT

ARCHEOLOGISTS SAY VILLAGES

EXISTED HERE DURING THE

TEMPLE PERIOD, AND HUNDREDS

YEARS LATER DURING THE GREAT

JEWISH REVOLT AGAINST THE

ROMANS.

JEWS OF THAT DAY BUILT A

SYSTEM OF TUNNELS AND CAVES

UNDER THIS HILL FOR LIVING

AND AS A MEANS OF ESCAPE.

EXPERTS SPECULATE AN

EARTHQUAKE IN THE EIGHTH

CENTURY DESTROYED THE

CHURCH.

ONE OF THE MOST WONDERFUL

THINGS ABOUT ARCHEOLOGY, AND

ESPECIALLY ABOUT SITES LIKE

THESE, IS THE VISITOR COMING

TO THIS CHURCH UNCOVERED

NOW, BASICALLY WALKS INTO

THE SAME BUILDING AND SEES

THE SAME THING THAT THE

CHRISTIAN WORSHIPPERS WOULD

HAVE SEEN 1500 YEARS AGO.

Reporter: THE ISRAEL

ANTIQUITIES AUTHORITY PLANS

TO OPEN IT TO THE PUBLIC.

IN THE MEANTIME, IT IS

PRESERVED FROM DECAY.

George: COMING UP ON

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS, A DATE

15 YEARS IN THE MAKING AND

THE DISCOVERY THAT MAKES IT

ALL WORTH IT.

George: WELCOME TO THIS

VERY SPECIAL EDITION OF

CHRISTIAN WORLD NEWS FROM

THE HOLY LAND.

HE HEALED THE SICK, RAISED

THE DEAD, AND CALLED FIRE

DOWN FROM HEAVEN.

THE PROPHET ELIJAH IS ONE OF

THE GREAT FIGURES OF THE

BIBLE.

MY COLLEAGUE, CHRIS

MITCHELL, HAS AN EXCLUSIVE

LOOK AT THE SITE THAT COULD

CONTAIN HIS HOUSE.

Reporter: THIS IS

TELLRAHOF, IN THE JORDAN

VALLEY.

DURING 16 YEARS OF DIGGING,

ARCHEOLOGISTS UNCOVERED A

3,000-YEAR-OLD WELL-PLANNED

CITY.

THEY ALSO FOUND A UNIQUE

BUILDING THAT MIGHT HAVE

BEEN THE HIGHWAYS OF

ELIJAH.

THE HOUSE WAS FILLED WITH

OBJECTS OF UNIQUE TYPE.

TWO ALTERING WE FOUND

THERE.

TWO ALTERS THAT WERE USED

FOR BURNING INCENSE.

Reporter: THE LEAD

ARCHEOLOGIST ALSO POINTS OUT

THE DIFFERENCE IN THE

STRUCTURE OF THE HOUSE.

NONE OF THE HOUSES HAD

ONE ENTRANCE LEADING INTO A

LARGE SPACE WITH ROOMS ALL

AROUND.

THIS HOUSE WAS DIVIDED INTO

TWO WINGS.

THE TWO WINGS WERE CONNECTED

TO ONE ANOTHER.

EACH ONE OF THE WINGS HAS AN

OPENING TOWARDS THE STREET.

Reporter: OUTSIDE THE

ROOM WHERE INCENSE ALTERS,

MAYBE USED TO MAKE AN

OFFERING TO GOD BEFORE

ENTERING TO HEAR THE

PROPHET'S MESSAGE.

DURING THE EXCAVATION,

ARCHEOLOGISTS DISCOVERED

THIS SPECIAL ROOM INSIDE THE

HOUSE WITH A TABLE AND

BENCH.

AND THEY DISCOVERED A

POTTERY CHARD WITH THE NAME

ELIJAH ON IT, WHICH LEADS

SOME TO BELIEVE THAT THIS

WAS THE ROOM OF THE PROPHET

ELIJAH.

WE FOUND AN INK

INSCRIPTION, WITH RED INK ON

POTTERY.

IT IS BROKEN, UNFORTUNATELY,

BUT WE RECONSTRUCTED THE

NAME AS ELIJAH.

Reporter: ELIJAH WAS

BORN ABOUT SEVEN MILES FROM

TELRAHOF, AND WENT THROUGH

THE KING DEMOCRAT OF ISRAEL,

FROM JERICHO TO SAMARIA TO

SHUMA.

WE CAN'T SAY THIS

PARTICULAR ELIJAH THAT WE

FOUND IS THE BIBLICAL

ELIJAH, BUT IT IS VERY

TEMPTING BECAUSE IT IS

EXACTLY THE PERIOD WHEN

ELIJAH ACTED, THE SECOND

HALF OF THE NINTH CENTURY

B.C.

Reporter: ELIJAH WAS

KNOWN FOR TELLING THE WIDOW

TO BORROW EMPTY POTS, FILL

THEM WITH A TINY BIT OF OIL,

AND SELL THEM TO PAY HER

CREDITORS.

RAISING THE SON FROM THE

DEAD, AND INSTRUCTING THE

COMMANDER NAMAN TO WASH IN

THE JORDAN RIVER SEVEN TIMES

TO BE HEALED OF LEPROSY.

THIS ARCHEOLOGIST CALLS THE

EVIDENCE COMPELLING.

WITH ONLY SIX OTHER

PEOPLE BY THE NAME OF ELIJAH

KNOWN IN THAT TIME FOR A

COUPLE OF CENTURIES ON

EITHER SIDE, WE CAN SOMEHOW

BELIEVE THAT EITHER THERE

WAS JUST THE LUCK THAT THIS

HOLY MAN WAS ALSO BY THE

NAME OF ELIJAH, OR THIS WAS

ELIJAH THE PROPHET HIMSELF.

Reporter: ANOTHER

DISCOVERY POINTING TO ELIJAH

IS THE DISCOVERY OF TWO

DIFFERENT INSCRIPTIONS,

MENTIONING THE FAMILY OF

NIMSHI.

IT WAS ELIJAH THAT WAS

TOLD TO ANOINT JAHU, THE SON

OF NIMSHI, TO BE KING.

HE SENT THAT OUT TO ELIJAH,

TO APPOINT SOMEONE TO DO THE

ANOINTING.

Reporter: SOME

ARCHEOLOGISTS SEE IT AS A

WAY OF PUTTING THE PIECES

TOGETHER.

ARCHEOLOGIS ARCHEOLOGY

IS LIKE A HUGE PUZZLE.

WE HAVE ONE EXCAVATION AND A

THESECOND AND A THIRD, AND

TOGETHER WE BRING IT IN,

INTO A LARGE PICTURE, A

LARGE PUZZLE, TRYING TO

DECIPHER THE CULTURE OF THE

ISRAELITES.

Reporter: FOR CARRIE

SUMMERS, IT IS EVEN MORE.

IT IS LIKE ANY OTHER

ARCHEOLOGICAL SITE, IN

ESSENCE.

EVERY SCOOP OF DIRT PROVES

THE BIBLE ONE SCOOP AT A

TIME.

AND THIS SITE IS ABSOLUTELY

MAGNIFICENT.

Reporter: THE FUTURE OF

THE SITE IS UNCERTAIN

BECAUSE ITS MUD BRICKS ARE

DETERIORATING.

EXPERTS HOPE, HOWEVER, IT

CAN BE PRESERVED TO HELP

FUTURE GENERATIONS

UNDERSTAND THE BIBLE.

CHRIS MITCHELL, CBN NEWS,

TELRAHOV, ISRAEL.

George: COMING UP,

YOU'VE SEEN HOW ARCHEOLOGY

IS BRINGING LIGHT TO

BIBLICAL TIMES.

NEXT, WE'LL SEE HOW IT IS

PROVIDING SOLID EVIDENCE FOR

THE RES CONDUCTION

RESURRECTION OF JESUS

CHRIST.

George: AND WELCOME

BACK BACK TO THE BROADCAST,

EVERYONE.

FOR CENTURIES, SKEPTICS HAVE

TRIED TO REBUNK THE

RESURRECTION OF JESUS

CHRIST.

IT IS WHY FOLLOWERS OF JESUS

CHRIST CAN THRIVE DURING

HEARTSHIP AND PERSECUTION.

HERE IS MY COLLEAGUE, CHRIS

MITCHELL ONCE AGAIN.

Reporter: JERUSALEM

ITSELF BEARS WITNESS TO THE

GREATEST STORY EVERY TOLD,

THE LIFE, DEATH, AND

RESURRECTION OF JESUS

CHRIST.

2,000-YEAR-OLD OLATRIS STILL

THRIVE IN THE GARDEN OF

GUESGUESSGETHSEMANE.

STONES FROM THE FORTRESS OF

PONTIUS PILOT BEARS THE

MARKS OF A ROMAN SOLDIERS'

GAME CALLED "KING FOR A

DAY."

THE IMPACT OF JESUS CHRIST

AND HIS DISCIPLES CHANGED

THE WORLD, WHEN ACCORDING TO

BIBLE, JESUS BECAME THE

PASSOVER LAMB TO AT TONE FOR

THE SINS OF THE WORLD.

WHILE SOME TRIED TO

UNDERMINE THE STORY, MANY

BIBLE SCHOLARS SAY THE LIFE

AND DEATH OF JESUS IS A

MATTER OF HISTORICAL

RECORD.

DARYL, AT DALLAS THEOLOGICAL

SEMINARY, POINTS TO

JOSEFUS.

IT IS SECTION 61 TO 64,

DESCRIBES BRIEFLY THE LIFE

OF JESUS.

SOME OF WHAT HE SAYS IS

DISPUTED AS TO WHETHER IT

GOES BACK TO HIM.

BUT THE PART THAT ISN'T

DISPUTED IS JESUS WAS

CRUCIFIED BY PONTIUS PILOT

AND IT WAS THE JEWISH

LEADERSHIP THAT WAS

RESPONSIBLE FOR BRINGING HIM

TO CRUCIFIXION.

THOSE ARE THE BASE FACTS

THAT CORRELATE VERY NICELY

WITH THE BIBLICAL STORY.

Reporter: THE BIBLICAL

STORY RUNS THROUGH THIS

ROAD, CALL THE VIA DE LA

ROSA, OR AS KNOWN IN

ENGLISH, THE WAY OF THE

CROSS.

IT MARKS THE PATH WHERE

PONTIUS PILOT PILOT SENT

JESUS TO BE CRUCIFIED.

IN ADDITION TO PONTIUS

PILOT, THERE IS EVIDENCE OF

OTHER PEOPLE INVOLVED IN THE

PASSION OF JESUS, LIKE SIMON

OF SIREN, WHO CARRIED THE

CROSS OF JESUS.

CLAIRE FOND IS AN EXPERT IN

EARLY CHRISTIANITY.

BOTH SIMON OF SIREN, THE

FATHER OF RUFUS AND

ALEXANDER, AND KIAFUS, WHO

WAS HIGH PRIEST AT THE TIME

OF JESUS AND OVERSAW HIS

JEWISH TRIAL ARE

INDEPENDENTLY TESTED BY

THEIR BONE BOXES OR

OSSUARIES.

IT IS EASY TO THINK WHEN YOU

LOOK AT THIS EVENT THAT

HAPPENED ON ONE WEEKEND IN

JERUSALEM NEARLY 2,000 YEARS

AGO, THAT THREE OF THE

PEOPLE WHO PLAYED

SIGNIFICANT ROLES IN THAT,

AND WHO ARE RECORDED IN THE

DOCUMENTARY EVIDENCE, ARE

ALSO ATTESTED TO

ARCHEOLOGICAL.

Reporter: BEYOND

ARCHEOLOGICAL, FATHER JERRY

O'CONNOR, WHO STUDIED THE AP

APOSTLE PAUL, BELIEVED THOSE

CLOSEST TO JESUS, THOSE WHO

DIED FOR THE FAITH, WOULD

NOT HAVE GIVEN THEIR LIVES

FOR A LIE.

WE CAN REST OUR FAITH ON

THE RESURRECTION OF JESUS

BECAUSE THAT WAS THE BELIEF

OF THIS DISCIPLES, THE ONES

WHO KNEW HIM, THE ONES WHO

TRAVELLED WITH HIM.

THE ONES WHO WERE THE

WITNESSES OF THE

APPEARANCES, THAT MEANT HE

WAS ALIVE.

THEY WERE THE WITNESSES OF

THE EMPTY TOMB.

AND THAT MEANT THERE WAS NO

BODY.

THAT'S WHY THEY HAD TO SAY

HE HAS RISEN FROM THE DEAD.

I THINK WE ALSO CANNOT

SET ASIDE THE FACT THAT PAUL

UNDERSTANDS US TO B THIS TO

BE A PHYSICAL RESURRECTION.

HE SAYS IF JESUS HAS NOT

BEEN RAISED FROM THE DEAD,

THEN OUR FAITH IS POINTLESS,

IT IS IN VAIN, AND

EVERYTHING THAT WE'RE DOING

IS FUTILE.

I DON'T THINK PAUL IS

TALKING ABOUT SOME TYPE OF

VISIBLE PERIO PERIOD OR MAN

TESTTATION.

HE IS TALKING ABOUT A

PHYSICAL RESURRECTION.

Reporter: SOME SCHOLARS

BELIEVE WE HAVE EVIDENCE

THAT DMENTD DEMANDS A

VERDICT.

WE HEAR THE SAME THING,

EVEN FROM THE PAGAN SOURCES,

ABOUT THE STORY THAT

ACCOMPANIES CHRISTIANITY.

AND WHAT WE FIND TODAY IS

THESE ARE ALL BEING

QUESTIONED AGAIN.

BUT IT IS GREAT TO HAVE

THINGS LIKE THE OSSUARY OF

KIAFUS, AND SIMON OF SIREN,

TO BEAR WITNESS TO THE FACT

THAT THESE STORIES ARE NOT

JUST FABRICATIONS, BUT

THEY'RE BASED UPON

HISTORICAL TRUTH.

Reporter: KEN, A GUIDE

AT JERUSALEM'S GARDEN TOMB,

SAYS THE GREATEST BENEFIT OF

THE RESURRECTION IS WHAT

JESUS DOES FOR EVERY MAN'S

SOUL.

THE MOMENT IN TIME WE DO

BUSINESS WITH HIM, HE TAKES

US IN HIS ARMS, AND HIS

BLOOD WILL DEAL WITH OUR SIN

PROBLEM, AND HE LIFTS US OUT

OF TIME AND PLANTS OUR FEET

WITH HIS IN THE HEAVENS.

HERE IS GOOD NEWS IN A DAY

OF BAD NEWS.

2,000 YEARS AGO DEATH

COULDN'T HOLD JESUS.

AND 2,000 YEARS ON, DEATH

WON'T HOLD THOSE OF US WHO

DIED IN CHRIST JESUS.

Reporter: BUT PERHAPS

THE GREATEST PROOF OF THE

RESURRECTION OF JESUS CHRIST

LIES BEYOND THE OLD CITY

WALLS OF JERUSALEM.

IT IS THE TESTIMONY OF MORE

THAN ONE BILLION CHRISTIANS

FROM EVERY TONGUE AND TRIBE,

WHO TESTIFY THEIR LIVES HAVE

BEEN FOREVER CHANGED BY THE

RESURRECTED JESUS.

CHRIS MITCHELL, CBN NEWS,

JERUSALEM.

George: AND IF YOU

WOULD LIKE TO LEARN MORE,

VISIT OUR HISTORY AND

ARCHEOLOGY PAGE ON

Facebook.

YOU CAN FIND LINKS TO THE

STORIES YOU'VE SEEN HERE, AS

WELL AS THE HISTORY OF THE

CHURCH.

EVEN CHECK OUT ONGOING

ARCHEOLOGICAL DIGS.

WE'LL BE BACK IN A MOMENT.

George: OUR FINAL STORY

DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TO DO WITH

ARCHEOLOGY, WHICH IS ABOUT

FINDING HISTORY BURIED IN

THE GROUND.

THIS STORY IS ABOUT LIVING

HISTORY AND GIVING VISITORS

AN OPPORTUNITY TO SEE UP

CLOSE AND PERSONAL SOME OF

THE ANIMALS THAT ARE

MENTIONED IN THE

SCRIPTURES.

BECAUSE HERE IN JERUSALEM,

HERE IN JERUSALEM, EVEN THE

ZOO HAS A BIBLICAL THEME.

DID YOU KNOW THAT MONKEYS

WERE AMONG THE TREASURES THE

SHIPS OF TARSHISH BROUGHT TO

KING SOLOMON EVERY THREE

YEARS?

THAT LITTLE KNOWN FACT AND

MANY OTHERS COME TO LIFE AT

THE TISH FAMILY ZOOLOGICAL

GARDEN KNOWN TO MANY AS THE

BIBLICAL ZOO.

SOME 700,000 VISITORS A YEAR

ALSO LEARN THERE IS MORE TO

ANIMAL LIFE IN ISRAEL THAN

CAMELS AND SHEEP.

EVERY AFTERNOON WE WANT

TO ENJOY THIS.

IT IS A BEAUTIFUL ZOO.

WE CAME TO SEE THE

ANIMALS, RIGHT.

Reporter: NOT FAR FROM

BUSY JERUSALEM STREET, THIS

BIBLICAL ZOO IS HOME TO MORE

THAN A THOUSAND ANIMALS.

MANY OF THEM ARE NATIVE TO

ISRAEL.

OTHERS HAVE BECOME EXTINCT

OVER THE YEARS, BUT THE ZOO

IS BRINGING THEM BACK TO

THEIR NATIVE LAND.

THAT INCLUDES ANIMALS FOUGHT

BY A YOUNG SHEPHERD NAMED

DAVID.

THE SYRIAN BROWN BEAR HASN'T

EXISTED HERE FOR MORE THAN A

HUNDRED YEARS.

LIONS NO LONGER PROWL THE

HILLS OF ISRAEL.

BUT AT ONE TIME THEIR

PRESENCE WAS COMMON PLACE.

WE THINK THAT THE ASIAN

LION IS THE LION THAT ROAMED

THE LAND OF ISRAEL MORE THAN

800 YEARS AGO.

MENTIONED IN THE BIBLE, OF

COURSE.

AND IT IS

ALSO THE SYMBOL OF

JERUSALEM AND THE TRIBE OF

JUDAH.

ALTHOUGH ELEPHANTS ARE

NOT FOUND IN THE BIBLE,

IVORY IS MENTIONED SEVERAL

TIMES AS A PRECIOUS

COMMODITY.

WHAT DO YOU LIKE ABOUT

THE GIRAFFE?

IT IS BIGGER THAN THIS.

Reporter: SOME JEWISH

SAGES BELIEVE THE MOUNTAIN

SHEEP WAS ACTUALLY A

GIRAFFE.

AND THE BEHEMOT OF JOB IS

THOUGHT TO BE A

HIPPOPOTAMUS.

IN THE BIBLE LAND PRESERVE,

YOU CAN SEE ANIMALS OF THE

BIBLE ROAMING FREELY IN AN

AREA LIKE THEIR NATURAL

HABITAT.

LIKE THIS, REFERRED TO AS A

WILD GOAT IN THE BIBLE.

THE HORNS OF THE MALE CAN

GROW MORE THAN 50 INCHES

LONG AND SERVED AS SHOFARCE,

OR CERIMONIAL HORNS.

OTHER ANIMALS WERE TOTALLY

EXTINCT IN ISRAEL.

TODAY, THANKS TO A

SPECIAL BREEDING PROGRAM,

YOU CAN ACTUALLY SEE THEM IN

MANY PARTS OF ISRAEL, IN

NATURE.

Reporter: THERE IS A

NOAH'S ARK'S VISITORS'

CENTER.

THIS IS ONE OF OUR

SYMBOLS, WHICH SCECTS

CONNECTS THE BIBLICAL STORY

TO THE ACTUAL THINGS WE'RE

DOING HERE NOW.

Reporter: YET THE

BIBLICAL ZOO IS ABOUT MORE

THAN JUST ANIMALS.

IT IS ABOUT CO-EXISTENCE IN

JERUSALEM.

ACTUALLY, THIS IS ONE OF

THE BEST PLACES TO BE WITH

THE CHILDREN, AND SPEND THE

TIME WITH THE CHILDREN.

WE WANT EVERYBODY TO COME

AND FEEL WELCOME IN A PLACE

THAT HAS A COMMON INTEREST,

WHICH IS THE ANIMALS, WHICH

IS NATURE, WHICH IS

CONSERVATION.

Reporter: JULIE STALL,

CBN NEWS, THE BIBLICAL ZOO,

JERUSALEM.

George: FOLKS, THAT'S

ALL FOR THIS WEEK'S VERY

SPECIAL EDITION OF CHRISTIAN

WORLD NEWS FROM THE HOLY

LAND.

I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED THIS

TRIP BACK TO BIBLICAL

TIMES.

I'M GEORGE THOMAS, FROM

JERUSALEM.

UNTIL NEXT WEEK, GOOD-BYE

AND GOD BLESS.