Transcript [00:00] There is an incredibly exciting [00:01] development happening in Judea and [00:03] Samaria and it involves the opening of [00:05] one of the most significant and historic [00:07] biblical sites that you have heard about [00:09] for a very long time. This is Solomon's [00:13] pools, one of the very likely sources [00:15] for water in the temple of Jerusalem and [00:17] it's now being restored and open to the [00:19] public. By the way, this not only flies [00:22] in the face of those who wish to create [00:23] a Palestinian state, but it also [00:25] contradicts the alternate location [00:27] theory proponents who have been claiming [00:29] for years that the temple in Jerusalem [00:31] was not on the Temple Mount, but rather [00:33] somewhere else. This site, Solomon's [00:35] Pools, debunks that theory soundly, and [00:37] we'll get into that later in the video [00:39] right here at the Israel Guys. So, there [00:42] are hundreds of heritage sites in Judea [00:44] and Samaria. We're talking about caves, [00:46] tombs, wine, and olive oil presses, all [00:49] right here in Israel's biblical [00:50] heartland. Unfortunately, many of these [00:52] hundreds of sites are in grave danger, [00:55] especially because so many of them are [00:56] in area A and B. Several years ago, we [00:59] were even personally asked if we could [01:01] help protect these sites from vandalism [01:03] and looting and theft. Now, unlike other [01:06] parts of the world, many of these sites [01:08] contain artifacts that are just [01:09] completely untouched and unclaimed. And [01:12] these sites are thousands of years old. [01:15] When construction happens in Judea and [01:17] Samaria, when they're expanding a road, [01:18] like for instance, Highway 60 is being [01:20] expanded into a six-lane highway right [01:22] now, many times they find archaeological [01:25] artifacts and things and they have to [01:27] stop excavation, construction, road [01:30] expansion, bring in archaeologists, and [01:32] it becomes an archaeological site for a [01:34] period of time. But that's just because [01:37] all of Jerusalem, Judea, and Samaria is [01:39] just covered. And I don't exaggerate [01:42] when I see say literally there are [01:44] hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of [01:46] biblical archaeological heritage sites [01:49] all in Israel's heartland. And when so [01:51] many of so many of them are in [01:53] Palestinian authority controlled areas [01:55] and left unprotected by the state of [01:57] Israel that just leaves them open to [01:59] vandalism and looting. Even around [02:02] October 7th, 2023, we were flying a [02:04] drone every single day from our studio [02:07] right here on the Mount of Blessing to [02:08] Joshua's altar, which is on the [02:10] adjoining mountain mountain on Mount [02:12] Eval, just to check on the site and make [02:14] sure no one was vandalizing it. And that [02:16] was a real thing because the Palestinian [02:18] Authority was caught vandalizing the [02:20] site very shortly before that with plans [02:23] inside the bulldozer to create an Arab [02:25] town smack on top of the altar. Now, [02:28] because there's just so much heritage [02:30] and archaeology in Israel, it will take [02:33] many decades before Israel's antiquities [02:35] authorities and archaeologists can catch [02:37] up to every single site. In the [02:39] meantime, many sites are in danger due [02:42] to being under the jurisdiction of the [02:44] Palestinian Authority or an area A or B, [02:46] which is dangerous for Israelis or [02:48] tourists to even access. [snorts] After [02:51] all, the PA obviously does not want more [02:53] evidence of Jewish life in the Holy Land [02:56] uncovered because that would be [02:58] disastrous for their narrative. Now, [03:00] back to Solomon's uh pools. Thankfully, [03:03] a site like these pools, which is just [03:05] to the north of the Jewish community of [03:06] Ephrat, which is right next door to [03:08] Bethlehem in Judea, is uh these pools [03:11] are pretty big and they would be it [03:13] would be very difficult for the PA to [03:15] actually erase this site because you're [03:16] talking massive massive pools of water. [03:20] Unfortunately, it's also an area A which [03:23] has made it very difficult or even [03:25] impossible for Jews and tourists to [03:27] visit. But today, that is all changing. [03:30] The Ephra local council in cooperation [03:32] with the Etszion regional brigade has [03:35] successfully completed the first pilot [03:37] program that is allowing official [03:39] organized tours to the site of Solomon's [03:42] pools. A fraught council head Dove [03:44] Sheffller explained, quote, "For two [03:46] years, we've worked in close cooperation [03:48] with the military to bring groups into [03:50] this important site, but that is not [03:52] enough for it to become a genuine [03:53] tourist attraction that realizes the [03:55] enormous tourism potential of the water [03:58] system that supply Jerusalem during the [04:00] second temple period. Therefore, we [04:02] recently coordinated with the Etzion [04:04] brigade commander to publish dates [04:06] currently once a week on which travel [04:08] agents, educational tour organizations [04:10] and tour guides will be able to bring [04:12] organized groups into the Solomon's [04:13] Pools complex. This is only the first [04:16] stage with the ultimate goal of reaching [04:17] a situation which the site is freely [04:19] open to visitors every day. Now, you [04:23] might be wondering, what are Solomon's [04:25] pools? And I'm glad you asked because [04:27] they are really, really cool. These [04:30] pools were part of an extensive piece of [04:32] infrastructure that supplied water to [04:34] Jerusalem, including the temple in [04:37] Jerusalem. If you've been to Israel [04:39] before, if you have plans to go in the [04:41] near future, you're probably going to go [04:43] to the Western Wall in the Old City. And [04:46] if you do, you can stop on the stairs. [04:48] If you're going from the old city down [04:49] to the Western Wall, you can stop [04:51] partway down the stairs just above the [04:53] security entrance to the Western Wall [04:55] and you can see one of the pipes that is [04:58] preserved in the wall that were would [05:00] have carried the water from Solomon's [05:02] pools to the temple in Jerusalem. It's [05:04] still right there and it's just amazing [05:07] to see. King Solomon may have even [05:10] mentioned these this waterway in [05:11] Ecclesiastes 2:6 when he said, quote, "I [05:14] made myself pools from which to water [05:16] the forest of growing trees." Now, our [05:19] team actually had a chance to visit [05:20] these pools and capture some incredible [05:23] drone footage when we were filming our [05:25] viral series and documentary on the [05:27] location of the Temple Mount just a few [05:29] years ago. They are amazing and they are [05:33] massive. Solomon's pools are also [05:35] another reason why the theory placing [05:37] the temple in Jerusalem in an alternate [05:40] location is simply a lie. One of the [05:43] parts of the theory says that there was [05:45] simply no option on the temple mount to [05:47] supply the fresh water that the temple [05:49] required and therefore the temple had to [05:51] be somewhere else. Uh you may have heard [05:53] that they they the temple was in the [05:54] city of David. Now that has been [05:56] completely debunked. But in regarding [05:58] the water part of the issue, Solomon's [06:01] pools helped to debunk to debunk this [06:04] because they supplied more than enough [06:05] fresh water to the temple all the way [06:08] from the hills of Bethlehem. In addition [06:11] to that water, experts have also [06:13] uncovered evidence of massive water [06:15] sistns that were under the temple mount [06:17] that also could have just supplied more [06:18] than enough water to the temple. But [06:20] either way, the alternate location [06:22] theory just does not hold up, especially [06:24] in regards to the water question or any [06:26] of the other questions. And if you want [06:28] to know more, just watch our massively [06:30] viral series on the YouTube channel here [06:33] about the location of the Temple Mount. [06:35] We have a six video series and we have a [06:37] full-length documentary, both right here [06:40] on the channel. Now, before we get into [06:42] why hundreds of heritage sites in Judea [06:45] are in such grave danger of being [06:47] erased, real quick, I just wanted to [06:48] tell you about something that was just [06:51] added to our store. It's a new product. [06:52] It's called the Israel Tag Necklace. [06:55] Made like a classic military dog tag [06:57] with the outline of Israel and the Star [06:59] of David on the front. You can flip it [07:01] over and there's a Bible uh verse [07:03] engraved on the back. There are two to [07:05] choose from. The polished steel one [07:07] says, "For Zion's sake, I will not be [07:09] silent." And the black stainless one [07:11] says, "Pray for the peace of Jerusalem." [07:14] It's simple. It's built to last. It's [07:16] designed for men or women, so it makes a [07:18] great gift. And your purchase goes [07:19] straight to supporting our volunteer [07:21] work here on the ground in Israel. Click [07:23] the link in the description below or [07:25] scan the QR code on the screen to pick [07:27] up yours today. Now, back to the rest of [07:30] today's video. So, the question is, why [07:33] are hundreds of heritage sites in Judea [07:35] and Samaria in danger of being erased? [07:37] like Joseph's tomb in Sheckchham is in [07:40] area A. Although even in area A was [07:43] designated to be accessible under the [07:45] Oslo Accords, but that site has been [07:48] burned and vandalized more times than I [07:50] can count. There's even been Jews [07:51] murdered at that site. The Cave of the [07:53] Patriarchs, which I'm sure you've heard [07:54] of in Hebrron, has always been a [07:56] disputed place, even though it's [07:58] literally where Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, [08:00] and Leah were buried. UNESCO even [08:02] declared it a Palestinian heritage site [08:04] once, which would be laughable except [08:06] that actually happened and it's very [08:08] sadly uh what they actually said. The [08:11] Temple Mount is one of the most blatant [08:13] examples. Why in the world would it be [08:15] under the authority of the Jordanian [08:17] Muslim Walk as in the country of Jordan? [08:20] This is the holiest site in Judaism and [08:22] for all the Jewish people. And until [08:24] recently, you couldn't even pray there [08:26] if you were Jewish or Christian. And if [08:28] you are Jewish and you dare to ascend to [08:30] the Temple Mount, you might get listed [08:32] in the UN database as a violent settler. [08:35] Also, when groups of Jews do ascend the [08:37] Temple Mount, media like outlets are [08:39] likely to publish articles like that [08:41] have titles saying things like Jewish [08:43] settlers storm Alaka mosque. And that [08:45] has happened more times than I can [08:48] count. Thankfully, in a bit of good [08:50] news, Israel recently designated [08:52] designated millions of shekels to [08:54] protecting heritage sites all across [08:56] Judea and Samaria, which is another sign [08:58] that Israel is not planning on giving up [09:00] their biblical homeland anytime soon. [09:03] Now, there are lots of instances where [09:06] Israelis have entered areas A just in [09:08] the last couple of weeks. I've seen [09:09] videos, photos, and stories online about [09:12] Israelis who wander into uh Arab [09:15] controlled areas under the Palestinian [09:17] Authority. Uh whether intentionally or [09:19] accidentally, I don't know in every [09:20] instance, but every single time they [09:23] have narrowly avoided being injured, [09:25] maimed, or killed. Uh and that has been [09:28] pretty much every single inst in [09:29] instance. If you drive into Ramla or [09:32] Knobless or Janine as an Israeli uh [09:35] vehicle, a Jewish family, you're going [09:37] to get surrounded by a mob and uh [09:40] violently injured or killed if not [09:42] rescued very quickly. Now, it's [09:44] interesting to note that the Oslo [09:46] Accords never really intended to make [09:48] areas A and B off limits to Jewish [09:50] Israeli citizens. And they actually made [09:52] allowances for Israelis and tourists to [09:55] visit heritage sites in these areas. [09:58] like Joseph's tomb was supposed to be an [10:00] open heritage site. Um, Oslo courts even [10:03] spelled out how Israeli citizens should [10:05] be treated in areas A and B. But today, [10:08] if you enter these areas, like I just [10:10] mentioned, you will be immediately [10:11] surrounded by a violent mob. And if [10:13] you're not rescued by security forces, [10:15] you will be maimed or killed very, very [10:18] quickly. Those red signs that say it's [10:20] illegal and dangerous for Israeli [10:22] citizens to enter Area A, those signs [10:25] are put up by Israel and it's Israeli [10:27] law to protect their own citizens. But [10:29] under the Oslo Accords, even though [10:31] these sites such as Solomon's pools and [10:33] Joseph's tomb were placed inside of area [10:35] A, that was not a problem in the Oslo [10:38] Accords because they called for the [10:40] protection and access of these sites to [10:42] Jews and other visitors. By the way, the [10:46] Palestinian Authority could have [10:47] developed dozens of sites in Judea and [10:49] Samaria and massively profited off of [10:52] them. Solomon's pools, Joseph's tomb, [10:54] hundreds of other sites. Why not develop [10:56] them as tourism and attract millions of [10:58] people every single year and make money? [11:00] After all, the Cave of the Patriarchs [11:02] attracts over a million people as [11:04] visitors every single year. What about [11:06] Bethlehem, which is entirely under the [11:08] PA's jurisdiction? I've been there. It [11:10] could be a booming tourist town. and [11:12] instead it's become a place where the [11:14] Palestinian Authority oppresses [11:15] Christians. The town has gone from over [11:17] 90% Christian in the a few decades ago [11:20] to less than 10% uh today. In an ironic [11:24] twist about Solomon's pools, the Biden [11:25] administration, and my mind was kind of [11:27] blown by this when I read this, actually [11:29] gave the Palestinian authorities [11:30] $750,000 [11:32] to restore the pools with US Council [11:36] General Donald Bloom, saying, quote, [11:38] "This contribution from the US [11:40] government not only underscores [11:41] America's respect and admiration for [11:43] Palestinian heritage and its treasured [11:46] antiquities, but also the imperatives of [11:48] of supporting the Palestinian economy as [11:50] an essential element for peace. No [11:52] mention of the connection to Judaism or [11:54] Jewish heritage. O even though there's [11:57] zero connection for the Palestinians and [12:00] surprise surprise that money never [12:03] reached Solomon's pools. It was never [12:05] used to restore the site and one of the [12:07] pool walls actually collapsed in 2016 [12:10] which is another reason why today in [12:12] 2026 Israel is now stepping in. This [12:15] renewed interest by Israel and Israelis [12:18] have has led the PA to declare earlier [12:21] this year that these efforts are part of [12:22] quote ongoing threats and attacks by [12:25] Israeli occupation authorities and [12:28] settlers because Israel and the Jewish [12:30] people care about ancient biblical sites [12:32] and they want to restore them and make [12:34] them accessible to the public that is [12:36] classified and defined as Israeli [12:39] occupation authority and settlers. If [12:42] you think the hundreds of biblical and [12:43] historical heritage sites in Judea and [12:45] Samaria deserve to be protected and open [12:47] to the public for access, let me know in [12:50] the comment section below. The good news [12:52] is that Israel is now taking active [12:54] measures to protect, restore, and [12:56] excavate many of these significant [12:57] sites, which is also a slap in the face [12:59] to those who want to establish a [13:01] Palestinian state. Thank you so much for [13:03] watching. If you want a simple everyday [13:05] way to stand with Israel, check out our [13:06] new Israel dog tag necklace. Every one [13:09] that every purchase supports our [13:11] volunteer work here in Israel. Click the [13:13] link below or scan the QR code to get [13:15] yours today. Guys, make sure you [13:17] subscribed, have those notifications [13:19] turned on, and let me know what you [13:20] thought about today's video in the [13:22] comment section below. As always, thanks [13:25] for watching.
