The Mountains of Israel [Paperback]

Norma Parrish Archbold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 20, 1993

Acclaimed on five continents as the book about the Arab-Iraeli conflict that every believer should read, some 60,000 copies of The Mountains of Israel have been sold in English, Norwegian, Spanish, and Telagu. German and Hebrew translations are yet to be printed.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Norma Archbold, MA, former Director of Religious Education, served the Lord in Jerusalem and the West Bank where she researched and wrote The Mountains of Israel, provided free Bibles for Arabs, arranged for emergency aid to Christians, and fought for a high standard of truth in the media and for the release of new believers jailed and tortured by the PA.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PREFACE

For everyone who loves the Lord, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, the events unfolding in the Middle East are important.

It is difficult, however, to form a clear picture of what is happening. The news in the West about the Arab-Israeli conflict is incomplete and often inaccurate and is interpreted by people, who do not necessarily believe in the Bible, or have a clear overall picture of the 4,000-year-old conflict.

Without an overall picture of the conflict the events mentioned in the news are meaningless. Years of historical research is necessary to find the missing pieces. To match history with the Word of God one must also be a serious student of the Bible.

For many people understanding the Arab-Israeli conflict is so difficult that they have given up.

In studying the Middle East conflict I was struck by the similarity of Middle East events and chapters 35 and 36 of Ezekiel.

These chapters are two halves of a whole. Chapter 35 is a prophecy "against" a mountain (Mount Seir) and chapter 36 is a prophecy "to" mountains (the mountains of Israel). Mount Seir and the mountains of Israel are the homelands of twin brothers Esau and Jacob, ancestors of today's Arabs and Jews.

Although chapter 35 contains warnings and chapter 36 contains promises, the purpose is the same. Both chapters end with the same words, "Then they shall know that I am the Lord."

By revealing the similarity between these chapters and historical and current events The Mountains of Israel provides a context for the bits and pieces we pick up in the news.

The Bible has much to say about the Arab-Israeli conflict. But without knowing the identity of Edom and the location of Mount Seir and of the mountains of Israel, one can read right past some startling information without understanding that it affects the Middle East, the world and important decisions being made today.

The Mountains of Israel provides important missing pieces which point out the truth of the Bible, revealing God's great power, wisdom, and faithfulness.

This is not a chatty book. I use just enough words to help you to see the picture without getting lost in complicated side issues. Simple maps and other illustrations make a point with few words.

To help you to feel the desolation of Israel before the return of the Jewish people, I have included quotes from eyewitnesses—Gentiles who traveled here in the 18th and 19th centuries. You will see that Israel was a treeless, barren wasteland.

The population a century and a half ago was less than 4% of today's population. As you read the eyewitness reports, imagine what Israel must have been like without 96% of its population.

In the19th century those who visited the Holy Land testified of its condition. "A desolate country," "wretched desolation and neglect," "almost abandoned now," "unoccupied," "uninhabited," "Thinly populated" is how they described the land.

The Reverend Samuel Manning said about the coastal plain, "This fertile plain, which might support an immense population, is almost a solitude...Day by day we were to learn afresh the lesson now forced upon us, that the denunciations of ancient prophecy have been fulfilled to the very letter—'the land is left void and desolate and without inhabitants.'"

Jews were among the sparse population—as prophesied more than 2,500 years ago. "...the forsaken places are many in the ...Land...but yet a tenth will be in it...as an oak whose stump remains when it is cut down so the holy seed shall be its stump." (Isaiah 6:12-13)

An official report in 1864 reveals that the largest group living in Jerusalem was Jewish.

God is keeping his promise to bring the children of Israel back to their land. Jewish people have been returning to Israel for more than 120 years. For a glimpse inside their hearts I have included the story of an Ethiopian girl, who walked through a desert, to fulfill her desire to be in Jerusalem.

What is happening today was foreseen and is working out according to the promises of God.

When the Bible and the events in the Middle East are understood one cannot reasonably deny the existence of God. Properly understood, the events of today are earth shaking.

I took information from many sources and named them so you can study the subject as thoroughly as you wish. Bible references are given. The authority for this work rests firmly on the Bible—the Word of the Lord.

Those who do not accept God's Word will not accept the conclusions in The Mountains of Israel. But those who do accept the Bible as God's Word and who love Him, will find reason to rejoice. The Lord is keeping His promises in our day, proving that the Bible is true.

If you are one of the small group who have a good basic understanding of the Middle East situation, you already know how difficult it is to explain to others. The Mountains of Israel can give your family and friends the overview they need to understand the issues. Teachers and others who speak about the Arab-Israeli situation will find this book helpful. You may want to use it as a text.

Product Details

• Paperback: 120 pages
• Publisher: Phoebe's Song (August 20, 1993)
• ISBN-10: 9659010001
• ISBN-13: 978-9659010004
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.4 x 0.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 5.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (21 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #300,252 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #6 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Middle East > Israel
  • #11 in Books > 4-for-3 Books > History > Middle East > General
  • #87 in Books > History > Middle East > Palestine

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Good primer into the Middle East situation, April 28, 2003

By 

clue (usa) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Mountains of Israel (Paperback)

This book was a very basic introduction into the Arab-Israeli conflict - and therein lies its strength and weakness. The reader will have a better understanding of the root causes of the conflict, but it does leave her wanting to know more.

The story was repetitive at first, but if you can get past this, you will be amply rewarded. Ms. Archbold clearly presents her assertion - that the Jewish people have a God given right to the land of Israel that overrides anybody else's claim to it. She mainly focuses on chapters 35 (a curse AGAINST Mount Seir or the Arab peoples) and 36 (a blessing FOR the Mountains of Israel or the Jewish people) of Ezekiel to prove her point.

At first glance, the observer might accuse God of being unfair to the Arab nations. But Ms. Archbold plainly demonstrates how God has NOT been unfair to them. She points out how much land they already do have, how much natural resources (i.e. oil) they have been blessed with, and STILL they begrudge Israel and what little she has. Also, Ms. Archbold imparts how Israel has always tried to treat the Arab nations fairly (in the past and present), but these nations have mostly refused to return the same courtesy. However, she gently reminds us that it is the Arab leaderships that deserve our condemnation. The Arab people, though, need to know what we Christians already know - that God wants to extend His grace to them as well.

As other reviewers have stated, the maps were very effective in illustrating the territories in question.

All and all, a very good, lucid primer into the Middle East situation.

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Mountains of Israel, April 11, 2001

By 

Al Petrie (Virginia Beach, VA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Mountains of Israel (Paperback)

This book is as timely and accurate today (2001) as it was when written in 1993. The author superbly explains and documents the causes behind the on-going conflict between the Hebrews/Israelites and Moslems/Islam. The conflict has been going on for centuries, and the author provides sound references and proof for its causes using primarily only two chapters of one book of the Old Testament of the Bible. If you want to understand the conflict taking place in the Middle East (Israel) today, this book is a must read; in fact, without an understanding of this material, you cannot understand the conflict or its implications for the destiny of mankind.

19 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Bible and the 'West Bank'. A priceless study !, December 1, 2002

By 

M. D Roberts (Gwent, United Kingdom) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Mountains of Israel (Paperback)

An excellent study in the legitimacy of Israel in Judea & Samaria, or what the world calls the 'West Bank', from a Biblical perspective.

Most readers will be familiar with the term 'West Bank' as there is rarely a day when the term is not used on one television news station or another. However, few will be aware of how the term came into being, or recognise it's historical relationship to what the Hebrew Scriptures & Christian Bible refer to as 'the mountains of Israel'.

This is a very timely & extremely important, perhaps unique, book which seeks to convey the often overlooked foundation to the increasingly significant situation in the Middle East.

The author openly states at the outset, that the authority for the disclosed contents of this work rest firmly on the Bible & that those who do not accept such a foundation for the veracity of this work will not accept the conclusions, declarations or findings so commendably outlined.

The writer reminds us that in 1948, Jordanian forces captured the historical Jewish regions of Judea and Samaria. Then, in 1950, Jordanian King Abdullah annexed the districts of Judea, Samaria and East Jerusalem, although only two nations (Britain and Pakistan) recognised the move.

The writer continues to explain that, in order to reduce Jewish claims to the aforementioned areas, Jordanian King Abdullah dropped the names Judea and Samaria, announcing that the annexed land would henceforth be known as the 'West Bank of the Kingdom of Jordan', since it was located to the west bank of the Jordan River. These historical facts can be investigated by any interested party.

This book then studies in some detail, quoting a vast number of references, a considerable & significant amount of promises made to the Jewish people in the Hebrew/Christian Scriptures pertaining to the Land which has been known as the 'Mountains of Israel, Judea & Samaria and most recently in the political realms of today's international community as the 'West Bank'.

It is clearly illustrated in this work that the 'Mountains of Israel' and the 'West Bank' are identical. The 'Mountains of Israel' being the very heart of the Land promised by God to the children of Israel and their descendants. The areas of Judea and Samaria being the inheritance of the Jewish tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Joseph, and include the historical Jewish towns/cities of Jerusalem, Bethlehem, Bethany, Bethel, Shilo, Shechem and Hebron, to mention but a few.

This highly recommended book should be read by everyone, every Christian, every Jew and every Arab...and every politician. To ignore this perspective on the subject is to bury one's head in the sand. All the prophetic sources quoted by the author have proved factual to date, and those still to be fulfilled are already taking shape.

This book is well documented with the provision of numerous maps showing the location of the disputed areas.

We all owe it to ourselves to be aware of the facts illustrated in this book. An excellent read which will instill a new perspective on Israeli/Jewish legitimacy in the so-called 'West Bank'....Judea & Samaria.