LEBANON - Southern Lebanon Is Northern Israel
Historically speaking, southern Lebanon is in fact northern Israel, and the roots of the Jewish people in the area run deep. Whether or not this can or should be translated now into a political reality is a far more complex question, but there is simply no denying our connection to the land.
Indeed, back in biblical times, southern Lebanon was clearly part of the Land of Israel. In the Book of Genesis (10:19) it says, “and the borders of Canaan reached from Sidon toward Gerar as far as Gaza, and then toward Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Tsevoyim as far as Lasha.” Sidon, a city in Lebanon, is about halfway between the current Israeli border and Beirut.
Just prior to his death, our biblical patriarch Jacob blessed his 12 sons, and the blessing he gave to Zevulun was “Zevulun will live by the seashore and become a haven for ships; his border will extend toward Sidon” (Genesis 49:13).
The Book of Joshua (13:6) mentions Sidon explicitly as being promised to the Jewish people, and it also says (19:28) that the border of the tribe of Asher extended to Sidon.
According to Israeli archaeologist Zvi Ilan, Oholiav’s [Ex. 31:6] burial place was an important Jewish pilgrimage site during the Ottoman period. Local Arabs also revered the site and said that it was the tomb of a “Jewish prophet.”
Yet another Jewish holy site in southern Lebanon is the tomb of the biblical prophet Zephaniah, which is located in the Lebanese village of Jabal Safi.
It should perhaps come as no surprise that one of the oldest synagogues in the world is located in Sidon’s Harat-Al-Yahud, or Jewish Quarter. Built nearly 1,200 years ago in 833, it is believed to have been constructed on the site of an older Jewish house of worship dating back to shortly after the destruction of the Second Temple.
Though no longer in use due to the emigration of most Lebanese Jews during the country’s civil war between 1975 and 1990, it stands as a silent testament to the long-standing Jewish presence in the region.
-www.jpost.com, 17 November 2024
Arno's Commentary
Whatever happens in the meantime is not decisive when viewed from Biblical, prophetic perspectives. When we read the Bible, we realize—as we have repeatedly mentioned in our columns—that the hotspots around Israel are primarily due to Arab-occupied Israeli territory.
We know that Gaza is part of the Promised Land; so is southern Lebanon and much of Syria, even the territory above the Arnon River on the Jordanian side. It was given to the two and a half tribes of Israel, thus added to the Promised Land. Apparently, for that reason, there is relative peace in the area.
When we look at the south, the original territory of Israel started at the brook of el-Arish. Wikipedia has this to say: “According to Exodus 13:18–20, the locality from which the Israelites journeyed after departing Egypt was Sukkot. The name Sukkot means ‘palm huts’ in Hebrew and was translated El-Arish in Arabic. It lies in the vicinity of El-Arish, the hometown of the Jewish commentator Saadia Gaon who identified Naḥal Mizraim with the wadi of El-Arish.”
Here again we see that the danger for Israel does not come from the south, because only a small sliver is still Egyptian occupied Israeli territory.
In the meantime, hundreds of thousands, maybe millions, of Jews are seriously contemplating to return to the land of their fathers, Israel.
Arno Froese is the executive director of Midnight Call Ministries and editor-in-chief of the acclaimed prophetic magazines Midnight Call and News From Israel. He has authored a number of well-received books, and has sponsored many prophecy conferences in the U.S., Canada, and Israel. His extensive travels have contributed to his keen insight into Bible prophecy, as he sees it from an international perspective.
