Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Baptist House Jerusalem Vandalized

JPost - Reuters
The Jerusalem Post is reporting that the Baptist House in Jerusalem has been vandalized again. The story offers a good historical recap of the various acts of vandalism that have happened there over the years, including the arson that led to the rebuilt sanctuary that appears in the accompanying photo.

For those that don't/can't read Hebrew, the graffiti says, " Jesus the son of a whore. Price tag. We will crucify you." The article explains a bit about the first two phrases, but totally disregards the latter. I'll add a few more thoughts about these phrases.

1. Israelis commonly refer to Jesus as Yeshu, rather than Yeshua. Because this usage/identification is so common, many Israelis honestly believe his name to be Yeshu, which is an acronym for "May his name and memory be erased." Some counter that the acronym explanation is simply a Christian attempt to gain sympathy. If that's the case, what's the explanation for the use of Yeshu, rather than the common Hebrew name Yeshua? 

2. "Price tag" is the call phrase for a group of West Bank Jews who are vandalizing mosques and other buildings in a similar (or sometimes more severe) way.

3. The JPost completely disregards the phrase, "We will crucify you." That coupled with "price tag"  might be intimidating for those who are left to wonder who did this, and whether it may have future implications. Because the perpetrators are unknown, those questions remain unanswered. I wonder why the JPost didn't mention the most threatening graffiti? Update: The JPost did mention this phrase in a previous article.

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