Shiloh Should Be Internationally Recognized as Historic Site

It's so easy to take nearby things for granted.  While Jews and Christians, too, all over the world may yearn to make a pilgrimage to Holy Shiloh, too many Israelis, even the most religiously observant, seem to have  forgotten it exists.  Granted that in most Jewish schools and yeshivot the Bible learning is concentrated on the חומש Chumash,  The Five Books of Moses.  Joshua and Samuel are pretty much ignored, and they are the books which mention Shiloh the most.

I've taken it on, as a pledge of sorts, to try to bring Shiloh back to the forefront of Jewish Prayer. Why Jewish Prayer?  It's simple.  Shiloh played a very important role in Jewish national and religious history as told in the Bible.  It was Shiloh which was the capital city of the Jewish Nation and the location of the Holy Tabernacle for 369 years, from Joshua until Samuel.  For almost four centuries Jews came from all over to pray.  Among them was Hannah, the barren wife of Elkanah.  She prayed to G-d for a son who would lead the Jewish People.  Her prayer was granted by G-d, and Samuel was her son.

Hannah's Prayer is considered so important to the Jewish Religion that the Laws of Prayer are formulated according to that narrative in the Bible.  1Samuel Chapter 1

ט וַתָּקָם חַנָּה, אַחֲרֵי אָכְלָה בְשִׁלֹה וְאַחֲרֵי שָׁתֹה; וְעֵלִי הַכֹּהֵן, יֹשֵׁב עַל-הַכִּסֵּא, עַל-מְזוּזַת, הֵיכַל יְהוָה.	9 So Hannah rose up after they had eaten in Shiloh, and after they had drunk--now Eli the priest sat upon his seat by the door-post of the temple of the LORD;
י וְהִיא, מָרַת נָפֶשׁ; וַתִּתְפַּלֵּל עַל-יְהוָה, וּבָכֹה תִבְכֶּה.	10 and she was in bitterness of soul--and prayed unto the LORD, and wept sore.
יא וַתִּדֹּר נֶדֶר וַתֹּאמַר, יְהוָה צְבָאוֹת אִם-רָאֹה תִרְאֶה בָּעֳנִי אֲמָתֶךָ וּזְכַרְתַּנִי וְלֹא-תִשְׁכַּח אֶת-אֲמָתֶךָ, וְנָתַתָּה לַאֲמָתְךָ, זֶרַע אֲנָשִׁים--וּנְתַתִּיו לַיהוָה כָּל-יְמֵי חַיָּיו, וּמוֹרָה לֹא-יַעֲלֶה עַל-רֹאשׁוֹ.	11 And she vowed a vow, and said: 'O LORD of hosts, if Thou wilt indeed look on the affliction of Thy handmaid, and remember me, and not forget Thy handmaid, but wilt give unto Thy handmaid a man-child, then I will give him unto the LORD all the days of his life, and there shall no razor come upon his head.'

Moshe Dayan may have given the Keys to the Temple Mount to the Muslims after we liberated it in June, 1967, but Shiloh is still in our hands.

I've established the custom to pray at Tel Shiloh with other women every Rosh Chodesh, the first of the Jewish Month.

Next month's prayers:

The Rosh Chodesh Av Women's Prayers at

Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh, Tel Shiloh

Friday, July 20, 2012 8:30am

Shiur Torah, Short Tour & Torah Lesson

Please come and invite family, friends and neighbors

תפילת נשים ראש חודש אב שילה הקדומה, בתל שילה

יום ו' 20-7 8:30

יהיו סיור ודבר תורה קצרים

נא לבוא, לפרסם ולהזמין חברות, משפחה ושכנות

 

You're welcome to join our facebook page. Tel Shiloh is open to visitors daily. Tours can be arranged through the Shiloh HaKeduma, Ancient Shiloh office. Email telshilo@gmail.com or phone 02-994-4019.