Dates from time of Maccabees & Jesus are revived, bring Jewish, Arab unity

By Michael M. Cohen
The Jerusalem Post
September 14, 2020

Grown at the Arava Institute with its Palestinian, Israeli and Jordanian student body, the 'Methuselah' and 'Hannah' dates show the potential for renewal, like Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones.

In times of turmoil, the prophets of the Bible offered messages of societal chastisement, as well as words of hope. One of the most powerful communiques of assurance is Ezekiel’s vision of the dry bones, in which the bones reanimate their sinews, flesh, skin and breath, as well as movement (37:1-10). It is the ultimate directive of revival and redemption, remaining one of the most compelling Biblical images.

Since 1996, the Arava Institute for Environmental Studies has brought together Israeli, Palestinian, Jordanian and international college students from around the world to learn to cooperatively solve the regional and global challenges of our time. It is a Middle East environmental and academic institution that advances cross-border environmental cooperation and cross-border environmental discourse at a time when it is so needed.

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