Now for the other country mentioned: Who are the Assyrians? No, not the Syrians. The Assyrians conquered and ruled the Middle East centuries B.C. We simply have never heard of them today because the world media has ignored their cause. They are Christians who have not resorted to terrorist activities, but instead have patiently petitioned the League of Nations for the return of their land.

Let us quickly explore the histories of Israel and Assyria.

History of Israel

In 1000 BC King David of the ancient Israelites conquered Jerusalem and made it his capital city. Israeli territory extended from the Mediterranean Sea and through beyond the Jordan river, where two and a half of the twelve tribes settled in what came to be known as Trans-Jordan (present-day Jordan). Northwards the territory extended beyond Damascus (capital of present-day Syria).

After being overrun by the successive empires of the Assyrians, Babylonians, Greeks and Romans, Jerusalem was finally reduced to rubble in 135 AD by the Emperor Hadrian of Rome. He hated the Jews of the province of Judea so much that he banished the survivors and changed the name to Palestine, i.e. the land of the Philistines, who in ancient times had lived in present-day Gaza until the Babylonians destroyed them.

History of Assyria

Since the 21st century BC the Assyrians had ruled the area which is today southeastern Turkey, northwestern Iran, northern Iraq and eastern Syria. In 722 BC they conquered the northern half of Israel and extended their rule over most of the present day Middle East, but were in turn defeated by the Babylonians. During the successive empires that ruled in the Middle East, they were able to maintain their Assyrian province with its capital of Nineveh. They became Christians between the 1st and 3rd centuries and formed an important centre of the Church of the East (Byzantine Empire with Constantinople as its capital).

During the first World War, Britain obtained the help of the Assyrians against the Ottomans, promising independence for their province after the war. The British reneged on this promise and today the once-proud and ancient Assyrians are landless and being persecuted by the Turks and other Muslims that surround them.

The Middle East today

The Middle East is dominated by Muslim Arabs, Turks and Iranians. The goal of Islam is world domination and the Muslims of the region cannot tolerate the Jewish Israelis and the Christian Assyrians in what they regard as 'their' land. The president of Iran has on numerous occasions declared his intention to be "to wipe Israel off the face of the earth." Terrorist organisations, such as the Palestine Liberation, Hamas and Hezbollah, refuse to recognize Israel as the national land of the Jews.

At the same time the Turks, Arabs and Kurds have been committing genocide on the Assyrians through massacres, starvation and disease. Just on the opposite bank of the Tigris river from the ruins of ancient Nineveh, the modern city of Mosul has arisen. Since rich deposits of oil have been discovered in the region, both the Turks and the Iraqis have laid claim to it. The Assyrian population of the Middle East has been decimated through forced emigration to the West.

In order to understand the development of this situation, we have to go back and look at the history of the Middle East.

EVENTS IN THE MIDDLE EAST BEFORE WW I

In the 7th century AD the Arabs of Arabia set forth to conquer the world for Islam. After initial successes in northern Africa, they swept through the Middle East. They were the first to unify the entire Middle East as a distinct region, and to create the dominant ethnic identity that persists today.

In the 11th century the Seljuk Turks migrated south and conquered parts of the Middle East. They were followed by the Crusaders and Mongols.

The Ottomans captured Constantinople in the 15th century, and by the next century had conquered the whole of the Arab-held Middle East and northern Africa, as well as parts of Europe. They divided the Middle East into provinces and allowed the local inhabitants to govern themselves. Thus there were the provinces of Palestine (Jews and Arabs) and Assyria (Assyrians and Arabs), amongst others.

In the 19th century the European countries asserted themselves against the Ottomans and regained independence. The Ottomans were fearful of insurrection among the Christians in the eastern part of their domain, and did not interfere in the attempted extermination of the Assyrians and Armenians by the Kurds and Young Turks. In 1908 the Young Turks seized power in the Ottoman empire and tried to modernize the Middle East in order to compete with Europe. The Turkish language and centralized government were imposed, giving rise to Arab nationalism.

WW I

When Germany declared war on Britain and France in 1914, the Ottomans took the fatal step of joining Germany. Britain saw the Ottomans as the weak link and determined to knock them out. They encouraged Arab nationalism and fomented revolt. Sayyid Hussein bin Ali, the Sharif and Emir of Mecca, orchestrated the uprising in exchange for a promise of Arab independence. The Armenians and Assyrians (persecuted Christian minorities) and the Palestinian Jews allied themselves with the British because they also were promised independent states.

However, in 1916 Britain and France signed the Sykes-Picot Agreement to partition the Middle East between them: France to get the northern province of Syria, and Britain to get the southern three provinces of Mesopotamia and two of Palestine (comprising modern Israel, the West Bank, Gaza and Trans-Jordan). In 1917 the Balfour Declaration stated the support of Britain for the international Zionist Organization to create a homeland for the Jews in Palestine. This incensed the Arabs because there was a large Arab population, especially in Trans-Jordan and Mesopotamia, who had ruled themselves during the Ottoman empire.

During the war in 1915-16 the Turks, Kurds and Arabs turned on the Christians of Assyria and Armenia, massacring thousands of them and causing them to flee their ancestral lands.

The Allies occupied Istanbul (Constantinople renamed) and the Ottomans were defeated in 1918. The Treaty of Sevres, designed by the Allies to dismember the remaining Ottoman territories, triggered a nationalist movement and the revolutionaries led by the Young Turks were able to reclaim Istanbul and force the Treaty of Lausanne (1923) on the Allies. This Treaty formally ended all hostilities and created the modern Republic of Turkey. The new League of Nations also gave the Mandate of Syria to the French and the Mandates of Mesopotamia and Palestine to the British.

THE AFTERMATH OF THE WAR AND THE CARVING UP OF THE MIDDLE EAST

When the hostilities ended Prince Abdullah, the second son of Hussein of Mecca, was a ruler of Trans-Jordan. His third son, Prince Faisal, was the ruler of Syria and parts of Mesopotamia. When Abdul Aziz al Saud defeated Hussein of Mecca in 1924, the latter abdicated his Hashemite Kingdom and other titles to his eldest son, Prince Ali. However, both had to flee Arabia.

The British had decided not to help defend the old King of Arabia, but instead helped his two sons to establish their kingdoms in the Middle East. When the French expelled Faisal from Syria, the British welcomed him in Mesopotamia and granted him the provinces of Baghdad and Basra to form Iraq. In 1926 they added the province of Assyria (Mosul) to the territory of Faisal, and he became known as the Hashemite King Faisal 1 of Iraq. Although early in 1922 the British and the League of Nations had determined to give the whole of Palestine as a homeland to the Jews, by the end of the same year Britain had obtained permission to exclude Trans-Jordan from the deal and rather to establish the Hashemite kingdom under Prince Abdullah there.

Under pressure from the Arabs, the British government withdrew from its commitment to the region under its Mandate. The White Papers of 1930 and 1939 severely restricted Jewish immigration to Palestine, but the growing menace of Adolf Hitler in Germany made it more imperative for the Jews of Europe to escape to their homeland. Throughout all the persecution and extermination in the death camps of Hitler, the British refused to allow the Jews into Palestine. When they defied the British and attempted 'illegal' entry from the sea, the British hunted them down like criminals and incarcerated them behind barbed wire on Cyprus.

Another important fact was the discovery of oil, first in Persia (1908) and later in the whole of the Middle East (1920s-1930s). The West was hungry for oil to feed the expansion of their industries. Since the British granted most of the Middle East to the Arabs after the war, they now became the newly rich and could dictate their wishes to the rest of the world.

The Assyrians in 1918 found themselves in a unique position - after fighting for the British and surviving the persecution of the Muslims, they had gained nothing but instead had lost their land. The Treaty of Sevres in 1920 determined safeguards for the protection of the Assyrians, but Mosul (Nineveh, Assyria) was given to Iraq while France was guaranteed 25% of Mosul's oil production.The Treaty of Lausanne in 1923 refused Turkey's demand to have Mosul returned to them, ostensibly because Britain planned to reserve the region for the future settlement of the Assyrians and Kurds. At the same time the USA was awarded 20% of the oil industry profits.

The Assyrians continued to protest about their mistreatment and continued to send letters to the League of Nations, which requested a report from both the governments of Britain and Iraq about the situation. The Permanent Court of International Justice in The Hague (1927) did not accept the reports of Britain and Iraq and demanded that both countries fulfill their obligations towards the Assyrians.

Even though Britain, Turkey and Iraq admitted to the legitimacy of the Assyrian claim over the region, none were prepared to give justice to their cause. Turkey consistently refused to allow any Assyrian onto their soil, and Iraq continued to persecute those on 'their' soil. Moreover, Britain stood by and washed its hands in innocence after causing this gross travesty of justice. Because the Assyrians are Christians and have not resorted to terrorist activities but instead have followed the legal means at their disposal, the world media have ignored their plight and today they are still landless.

WW II AND ITS EFFECT ON THE MIDDLE EAST

When the war started in 1939, Hitler quickly defeated a few European countries and then proceeded to round up the Jews for his 'final solution' of the Jewish problem. When news of the death camps filtered out to the world, no-one believed these 'preposterous' reports. All countries firmly closed their doors to Jewish immigration. Britain became more adamant to placate the Arabs, and land acquisition became very difficult for the Jews after the 1940 Land Transfer Regulations.

During and after WW II, the British and French departed many parts of the Middle East. The following states had independence restored or became independent: Persia (1941), Lebanon (1943), Syria (1944), Jordan (1946) and Iraq (1947).

When the war ended in 1945 and the atrocities of the holocaust could no longer be denied, the United Nations agreed that the Jews must have a homeland in Palestine (1947). After Britain gave away most of Palestine to the Arabs, only the narrow strip of land between the Jordan river and the Mediterranean Sea was left. Most of the 700,000 non-Jews living in that area were Muslim Arabs from the surrounding states. Nevertheless, the Muslims were bitterly opposed to any Jewish presence in the region. The United Nations proposed to partition this piece of land and create independent Arab and Jewish states. This plan was accepted by the Jewish leaders, but rejected by the Arab leaders.

When on 14 May 1948 the British Mandate expired, the Zionist leadership declared the State of Israel. The troops of the surrounding Muslim states were poised in readiness for the attack. They ordered the Arabs out of Palestine, thereby themselves creating the so-called 'Palestinian problem.' They fully expected to annihilate the Jews, but were defeated by Israel to the surprise of the whole world. They tried again in 1967, and this time Israel was so victorious that it conquered additional territory: the 'Golan Heights' of Syria (ancient land of the tribe of Naphtali) from where Syrian snipers had been harassing Israeli farmers on the shores of the Lake of Galilee; the ancient provinces of Samaria and Judea (now referred to as the 'West bank') as well as the whole of the ancient city of Jerusalem, including the sacred Temple Mount; and lastly the 'Gaza Strip' which also used to be part of Judea.

After the third Muslim defeat of 1973, they realized that they could not achieve their ends through the medium of war and had to design another plan. Yasser Arafat of the Palestine Liberation Organization tried political diplomacy: he invented the 'Palestinian people' as an excuse for his terrorist war against Israel. As there is no language known as Palestinian, no distinct Palestinian culture and there has never been a land known as Palestine governed by Palestinians, there are no historic Palestinians. With the help of the world media, Arafat sold his fantasy to the rest of the world so that sympathy lies with the 'poor, downtrodden' Palestinians and Israel is condemned as the aggressor and accused of unlawful 'settlement activity' on 'legal' Palestinian land.

Conclusion

The two most maligned peoples in the Middle east are the Assyrians who have lost all of their land, and the Israelis who have not even received a quarter of what was originally promised. Furthermore, they are expected to give away more land for the sake of a hollow 'peace accord' with their arch enemies who are still intent on "wiping them off the face of the earth". The one group who has profited the most is the Arab nation, who has acquired most of the Middle East on top of their homeland of Arabia. Yet they are the most vociferous in their complaints against injustice.

The God of the Bible has declared the land of Israel to be His land, [1] the people of Israel to be His people, [2] and the city of Jerusalem to be His holy city. [3] He has pronounced condemnation on anyone who divides His land [4] and divine vengeance on any nation that attacks His people. [5] At the battle of Armageddon He will finally defeat His enemies [6] and establish the reign of the Messiah over the whole world, from His throne in Jerusalem. [7] And every knee shall bow before the Messiah, who is Jesus Christ the Lord God. [8]

"In that day there will be a highway from Egypt to Assyria.... The Egyptians and Assyrians will worship together. In that day Israel will be the third, along with Egypt and Assyria, a blessing on the earth. The Lord Almighty will bless them, saying, 'Blessed be Egypt my people, Assyria my handiwork, and Israel my inheritance.'" [9]

"So shall My word be which goes forth from My mouth; it shall not return to Me empty, without accomplishing what I desire, and without succeeding in the matter for which I sent it." [10]

References:

1. 2 Chronicles 7:20; Ezekiel 36:5
2. Deuteronomy 7:6
3. 2 Chronicles 6:6; Ezra 7:15,19; Nehemiah 11:1,18; Psalm 122:1-4; Matthew 4:5
4. Joel 3:1-2
5. Ezekiel 38:18-23; Zechariah 2:8-9, 12:3
6. Revelation 16:16, 19:11,15,21
7. Isaiah 24:23; Jeremiah 23:5-6; Daniel 2:44; Zechariah 14:8-9; Revelation 11:15
8. Psalm 2:7-9; Psalm 72:11; Isaiah 11:4; John 1:1-3, 14
9. Isaiah 19:23-25
10. Isaiah 55:11

If you find yourself being intimidated by the process, it's important to remind yourself that everyone has to start somewhere. And as with anything else in life, the more you cook, the better you will get. Don't judge yourself on your first new dishes because chances are they won't be that spectacular. Or they might turn out great, but you'll never know if you don't give it a shot. It's important to balance realistic expectations while having faith that you can handle anything that comes your way.

Think about the worst thing that can happen in the kitchen, and you'll realize that there's really nothing to be afraid of. Even if you happen to ruin a meal, you can chalk it up as a valuable learning experience. Even professional chefs make blunders from time to time, and many of them started off with mistakes in the very beginning. Quite simply, without making a few errors here and there, you will never become a better cook. This is why you should embrace challenges that come your way while being as adaptable as possible. Start off slowly with something you can handle and build up your routine to broaden your repertoire even more.

There are many benefits to cooking your own meals and one of the greatest is getting a nice alternative to high cholesterol foods from restaurant sources. The time it takes to learn how to cook can be paid off exponentially with the amount of choice you have in the future. Not only can you enjoy food more, it will add an element of health like never before. If you're in the habit of eating out or ordering takeout food, you can bet you're ingesting way too many calories and fat for your own good. By controlling everything in your own kitchen, you can also keep an eye out for peripheral concerns such as foods high in iron and elements that had more fiber.

If you feel that you need more guidance, don't be afraid to sign up for a class that will show you the basics. You can even team up with a friend to overcome your fear of cooking together. Once you put together basic dishes you'll realize that it's basically a matter of following steps carefully. And when you can master these elements, to be free to use your own creativity to adapt and change recipes as you see fit. It might be scary at first, but it's a fear you should work to overcome because the benefits are incredible.

Losing grip and having a nasty fall is one of the major problems that often worries people when they first consider running in the winter. This is why it is a good idea to have at least two pairs of running shoes: a normal pair for all your road running in the dry, and a separate pair of trail running shoes for use off road or when it is wet or muddy. Snow and ice are an even bigger problem if you get those kinds of conditions where you live. A good option is to invest in a pair of traction devices, for example Yaktrax, which easily attach to the bottoms of your regular running shoes and grip the icy ground as you run.

Once you have your shoes sorted out, the next main concern is keeping warm while out running. The best option is to layer several lightweight garments rather than going out with a single heavy warm coat. A thin base layer or compression shirt is great, in combination with your regular running jersey. This will usually be enough as you'll warm up while exercising. However, if you are out in the snow, then it is also advisable to wear a waterproof third layer, such as a breathable running jacket. It is also important to ensure all your layers are able to wick moisture from the surface of your skin, to keep you dry and warm effectively in the cold weather.

When you are running, your legs will warm up pretty quickly, so it is simply a matter of personal choice whether you stick with a pair of shorts in winter, or whether you go for something which covers the full length of your legs. In snow, it is probably wiser to choose full-length garments, such as tights or tracksters, both of which are very light in weight and allow moisture to escape. A pair of heavy cotton jogging pants might not be such a good idea though because their weight will slow you down and use up valuable energy.

The final consideration is those accessories which you never need in the summer, but which are heavenly in the winter. They include a lightweight pair of gloves and a running beanie to keep your hands and head well protected from the icy winds.

If you make sure you are properly prepared with the correct attire, you will be able to go and run whatever the weather, and be fit and lean for the next racing season in spring. To learn more about what to wear for your winter running, visit Triathonline.com.

The most important thing for making perfect pancakes is to use a good non-stick pan. When you are ready to start frying them, heat a little oil in the pan and then wipe it all around the inside of the pan. You don't have to use any more oil, because the oil in your batter keeps on lubricating the pan. Fry them over a fairly high heat.

Ingredients for 3-4 normal-sized pancakes:

(Double up for 2 hungry people)
1 cup flour
1 cup water
1 egg
30 ml (2T) oil
15 ml (1T) vinegar
2.5 ml ( ½ t) baking powder
pinch of salt

How to prepare pancakes:

Put all the liquids into an electric beater.
Add the solids slowly, while processing, till smooth.
Allow to stand for 30 min.
Pour just enough batter into the pan to cover the bottom when tilted around.
(about half a cup)
Fry until brown underneath.
Flip over and fry the other side.

Savoury pancakes with cheese sauce

Here are 3 very easy savoury fillings for pancakes. Pour over cheese sauce, and it's a feast.

Savoury fillings:

1. Mushrooms

Wash and slice the mushrooms.
Fry them in a little butter. Add a pinch of salt.
Place a portion on each pancake and roll them up.
(If you want to, you can use a drained tin of sliced mushrooms.)
Pour over cheese sauce.

2. Asparagus

Drain the tin. Divide the contents between the pancakes and roll them up.
Warm up in the Microwave.
Pour over cheese sauce.

Cheese sauce for 6-8 pancakes:

Bring 1 cup of milk almost to boiling point.
Slowly add 15 ml of maizena, mixed with a little water, while stirring.
When thickened, add half a cup of grated cheese and mix.

Lazy cheese sauce:

Use a mild- flavoured cup-a-soup and follow the instructions on the packet.
Add grated cheese and stir.

3. Seafood

Ingredients:

1 tin drained tuna
1 tin drained cocktail shrimps
125 ml cream
8 fried pancakes
a double measure of cheese sauce
extra grated cheese

Method:

Reserving 125 ml of the cheese sauce, mix the tuna into the rest of it.
Carefully stir in the shrimps.
Divide the mixture between the pancakes and roll them up.
Place them into a suitable baking dish.
Mix the last 125 ml of cheese sauce with the cream, and pour over the pancakes
Sprinkle the extra grated cheese over.
Bake at 180°C for 10-15min., till the sauce bubbles.

Prevention Tips

Here are some basic tips on preventing cats from peeing outside the liter box in the first place.

Place rocks at the top of potted plants. Cats may be drawn to the dirt in a potted place as a place to pee but covering the dirt with rocks will persuade them otherwise.

Keep the litter box clean. This should go without saying but an overly full litter box is a recipe for disaster.

If you have multiple cats, use multiple litter boxes. Some cats just won't share and they'll share this with you by peeing elsewhere.

Indoor/Outdoor Cats. If you're comfortable letting your cat outside, many cats will naturally begin using the bathroom outdoors. I've had more than one cat that ended up training me (!) to always let her outside (she would scratch) when she had to pee. Be sure to always keep a litter box available in the house even if you know your cat goes outside most of the time.

Removing Tips

Here are some specific tips on how to remove cat urine from various items.

Removing cat urine from fabric is always risky. Keep in mind you might damage the item in the process. When possible, test a hidden area of the fabric first with whatever method you're using to see how the fabric reacts.

Commercial cleaners like Sport Wash can be used to clean up cat urine on both hard surfaces, carpets, fabric, and leather. If possible, soak the item in a mixture of Sport Wash and water for several hours and then wash as you normally would.

Mix equal parts water and vinegar and spray directly on hardwood floors to remove any left over smells after wiping away urine with a towel.

Another cheap solution is to go to your local Dollar Store and pick up some cleaner there. Most of the time you can find something for removing cat urine in a spray bottle and it will just cost you $1.

Finally, one of the best home remedies for removing cat urine is to make your own cleaner by combing 8 ounces of hydrogen peroxide, 1/2 tablespoon of baking soda, and 1/2 teaspoon of liquid dish detergent. Vigorously stir until parts combine and then pour into a spray bottle. Spray area directly but do not apply pressure with any towels or do anything other than spray it with this solution! Allow it to air dry before vacuuming area. This trick is effective at removing the smell out of many carpet stains!

Thanks to Ben at The Portable Closet Guide for giving us these tips on dealing with cat urine smells and how to remove them! If you're looking for a way to create some extra closet space on a budget, be sure to check out his great site on portable closets.

You should not expect to get answers to all of your questions from a personality career test, mainly because it’s doesn’t take into account your subjective preferences, which are not detectable through a series of questions and can only be pointed out by psychologist or by yourself, if you spend a lot of time analyzing your own thoughts. No matter what the career test is saying, eventually you will choose something that you like doing, even if it contradicts the advices given by the test results.

The test is good at giving you essential information about potential careers in which you might do well. The problem with a career test, and any test for that matter, is that it does not offer a complete picture of your career perspective. You need to connect all the pieces together: the results from the test, your preferences, your experience in various activities, your talents and your intuition. By combining all these pieces you will obtain a complete result your own most important question: “what career should I choose?”.

All careers are gradually shifting toward being more flexible and incorporating other professions. If managing companies was done perfectly without computer knowledge, these days that's almost impossible to do. You need to combine your IT knowledge with your management skills in order to be successful in a management career.

About 80% of the Scrolls discovered were published. The other 20% consisted mostly of fragments found in cave 4 to which only a few scholars had access. In 1965 John Allegro, the agnostic team member, published his allotted fragments, but was criticized for shoddy and hasty work. The rest of the scholars did not publish their fragments, and would not allow anyone else access to them. Speculation became rife. There were accusations of cover ups, suppression, conspiracy and deception.

Because of the lack of information, sensationalists and cults were able to use the Scrolls to question the accuracy of the Bible and the basic tenets of Christianity. Responsible scholars could not reply to these charges, because they lacked accurate information. Finally, in 1990, photographs of the fragments were made available, but they have still not been published in the Discoveries in the Judean Desert series. Even today, with all the information available, sensationalists continue to allude to secret codes and hidden meanings. Bestselling novelists continue to write books exploiting the long silence and promoting the idea of the suppressed anti-scriptural content of the Scrolls. So what are the true facts and the significance of the Scrolls for Christianity?

The discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls

The semi-nomadic Ta'amireh Bedouin tribe had settled in the Judean desert between Bethlehem and the Dead Sea. For generations their shepherds kept their flocks and herds among the scattered ancient caves. One day a young man, Muhammed edh-Dhib, instead of finding his stray goat, found ancient clay jars in a cave. One jar contained intact leather Scrolls which he hoped could be used for sandal straps. He hanged them in his tent and years later sold them to a merchant in Bethlehem.

Finally an antiquities dealer in Bethlehem, Jalil Iskander Shahin Kando, bought the first four Scrolls for 16 Jordanian pounds. When the Bedouin discovered the monetary rewards they all went looking for more Scrolls in other caves. After hearing in a news broadcast that these Scrolls were valuable, they sold more to Kando for $5500. Archeologists only discovered the location of the caves after asking the help of the Jordanian government. Around the ruins of the Qumran community, close to the north-western shore of the Dead Sea, Caves 1-11 all contained Scrolls or fragments of Scrolls. Most of these were published in the Discoveries in the Judean Desert series, but the difficult fragments of cave 4 were assigned to seven scholars who failed to publish them.

The reasons for the delay

While almost all scholars admit that the delay in publishing these Scroll fragments was excessive, there are some explanations for it.

For a start almost all the scholars had permanent positions at universities, and so had to do the work in their spare time. The cave 4 fragments were so fragile that the scholars only had access to photographs of them. Whenever disputes arose, the originals had to be consulted. As these were kept at the scrollery of the Rockefeller Museum in Jerusalem, it meant travelling there during a summer recess.

The political situation: the Jordanian government refused to allow any Israeli scholar access to the Scrolls. As Hebrew, the main language of the Scrolls, is their native tongue, their participation might have speeded up the process. In addition, most members of the original Scroll Team were anti-Semitic and, after the 1967 Six-Day War, refused to publish their work under Israeli auspices or threatened to discontinue their work in protest against 'Israeli occupation'.

From the beginning it was obvious that too much material was assigned to the team of only seven scholars. In addition, instead of publishing simple transcriptions of the texts to the waiting world, the team scholars felt that they should write extensive commentaries. And, because John Allegro incurred such widespread criticism of his work, the other scholars were more cautious.

Still, whatever the reasons, the handling of the Cave 4 Scrolls by the original team of scholars can be regarded as scandalous. Instead of handing their allotted texts over to other scholars, they often just abandoned the work. Therefore they should be held accountable for the much-publicized Dead Sea Scrolls "controversy."

The scribes of the scrolls

Traditionally it has been accepted that the Essenes, a Jewish sect that developed after the Babylonian exile, had separated themselves unto God, and lived at the Qumran community under spartan conditions. Archeologists discovered a large room, which was accepted as a 'scriptorium', a place where the scribes could copy the Scriptures and other documents. It was accepted that the scribes of the scrolls lived and worked at the Qumran community, stored the scrolls in clay jars made on the site, and hid these jars in the surrounding caves for safekeeping.

Later theories were postulated: that the Qumran community did not consist of Essenes, but any of a number of other Jewish sects of the time; that the scribes did not work in the 'scriptorium', but that the scrolls were copied elsewhere and then transported to the caves. Whatever the case may be, the Dead sea Scrolls gave us copies of the Hebrew and Aramaic texts of the Old Testament at least 1000 years older than the earliest copies we had.

The significance of the Scrolls

The first seven Scrolls discovered at Qumran have been hailed as "the greatest manuscript discovery of modern times." They, and later finds, have been dated as early as 225 B.C. - A.D. 68. Before this discovery, the earliest copies of the Old Testament that we had, are from 1000 A.D. As these early Scrolls are almost identical with the later ones, they attest to the accuracy of the copying of the scribes, the reliability of the Scriptures and the traditional dates of the original compositions. For example, modern critical scholars have attacked the integrity of the Scriptures, and especially the books of Isaiah and Daniel. Their claim of a later date of composition, after the fulfillment of the prophecies, have been refuted by the evidence of the Qumran Scrolls.

Early Judaism (536 B.C. - A.D.70)

The 400 years between the Old and New Testaments do not represent a vacuum or period of total silence, rather the 78 OT apocryphal and pseudepigraphal works form a historical bridge to connect the two Testaments. Added to that, the 170 Dead Sea Scrolls allow us a glimpse into the times before and after the birth of Jesus, and thus we can see more clearly how He, His disciples, and the New Testament writers related to the Old Testament.

Before the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls, our knowledge of early Judaism came from writers such as Josephus (about 37-100 A.D.), Philo (died 45 A.D.) and rabbinic literature. Josephus identified four Jewish sects of the time: Pharisees, Sadducees, Essenes and Zealots. The Qumran Scrolls revealed a more complex Judaism, and for the first time gave us the actual writings of one of these sects, describing their lives and beliefs.

Context for early Christianity

The struggles of this sect during this time of religious and political upheaval, were similar to those of the early Jewish-Christian church and therefore bears witness to the development of Christianity. Jesus, John the baptist and the writers of the New Testament have been returned to their Jewish context. For example, terms that are used only once in the New Testament have been identified as part of the Jewish vocabulary of the period.

The Qumran texts also reveal mysticism and the development of Gnosticism as a trend in Jewish tradition before the advent of Christ. Therefore the Gnosticism that both Paul and John warned against was not a new development within Christianity, but rather has its roots in Jewish tradition.

Thus the Dead Sea Scrolls attest to the validity of both the Old and New Testaments, and Christians need not be alarmed by any sensational literature.

Over the years as I have tried to bake banana loaf - as it was known to me - I've come to expect a dry, flat result. It had to be rescued by lots of butter. Then I came across this banana cake recipe, and decided to try it. What a difference! A lovely, moist cake, rich in flavour and light in texture. My baking skills had not improved. This recipe is truly foolproof.

Ingredients:
1 cup (250 ml) fine castor sugar
125g softened margarine
2.5 ml vanilla essence
2 eggs
4-5 ripe but firm bananas (depending on size)
2 cups (500 ml) flour
1.25 ml salt
10 ml baking powder
2.5 ml bicarbonate of soda
125 ml milk

Method:
Cream sugar and margarine in an electric mixer until light in colour.
Add the vanilla and mix.
Add the eggs, one at a time, beating after each addition.
Mash the bananas and stir into the mixture.
Sift together the dry ingredients and mix into the batter.
Add the milk and beat well.
Line a large bread tin with paper, pour in the batter, and bake at 180°C for 1 hour.
Or use 2 cake tins, and bake at 180°C for 30 min.
Fill and decorate to taste.

If you are a troubled sleeper, or insomniac, you should carefully analyze the different types of sleeping disorders and how they might affect you.  Disorders can be broken down into three major categories that describe their root cause.

• Extrinsic -- These are things that occur outside of your body, but not outside of your control.  Things like poor sleep environment, time constraints dependent on work, and high doses of caffeine are all extrinsic factors that contribute to poor sleep quality.  In and of themselves these things may not necessarily be disorders, but coupled with cases of sensitivity to external stimulus like light or caffeine, they can become real problems.
• Intrinsic -- Disorders that occur within the body and effect things like brain activity and the body's physiological state.  These disorders will often interfere with the body's natural adjustment to a more relaxed state of breathing and decreased temperature.  Things like apnea specifically will abruptly shatter a normal and relaxed breathing pattern, leading to quick degradation of sleep quality.
• Circadian Rhythm -- Any sleeping problem that is associated with the timing of going to sleep.  Our body operates on it's own clock, but over time it adjusts to our societies norm and standards.  Some people find themselves unable to make that adjustment and are afflicted by an inability to fall asleep before certain hours of the day.  This can be extremely problematic when taking into consideration a normal work schedule.  Anyone that has suffered from more serious cases of "jetlag" will have a better understanding of circadian rhythm disorders.

Extrinsic disorders are typically the easiest to fix.  Simple adjustments can be made to the environment that are safe in every way.  Other internal disorders may instead require the attention of a professional.  Hard to identify disorders are particularly difficult to deal with because it isn't always clear what the originating cause is.  Some lack of sleep symptoms might look exactly the same, but the underlying causes can be vastly different.  If you suspect that you might be suffering from any of the intrinsic sleeping disorders contact a professional sleep specialist.

Park the car - most people spend a tremendous amount of time in their cars. Sometimes it's a matter of necessity especially when you have to commute to work, but with a bit of creative planning and scheduling there's no reason why you can't park the car more often. You'd be surprised at how much walking you can actually do if you make a firm commitment to park your car for a few days out of the week.

Walk during your break - lunch time is the perfect opportunity to combine your meal with a little bit of exercise as well. One of the simplest things you can do is pick a spot outdoors where you can eat your lunch, and walk there. If time is limited, then think about other times of the day where you can fit in a brisk stroll. Right before dinner is often a good choice, and don't forget about bringing along a friend or family member as well. If you have a dog - walk it, if you need something from the store – walk there, if you’re feeling bored – take a walk. You get the point.

Sports - one of the reasons why people don't keep up with exercise is defined tedious or boring. Don't forget that it's possible to distract yourself from the fact you are actually exercising. This is especially true when you are actually having fun doing some sort of physical activity. If you make some kind of sport a regular part of your routine you are exercising whether you realize it or not. The more fun you have the better, and there are plenty of opportunities that come in the form of workout classes or organized sports as well.

Commercial time - are you really sure you don't have enough time to exercise? What about those 2 minutes in between your favorite television program? You can make a commitment to yourself that you are going to actually get up off the couch during commercial breaks and move around a little bit. You don't have to go for a full workout or even work up a sweat, but at least do something other than staying on the couch while eating snacks. This is a very useful tip for any fast weight loss program.

Set up a Gym - home gyms work wonderfully for some people while they can be ineffective for others. It all boils down to whether or not you're actually going to use your home exercise equipment. Get creative with how you want to set things up and experiment with combining your exercise room with your home entertainment room. You might just be the type of person who doesn't mind hopping onto an elliptical trainer as long as you can watch television at the same time.