Over 100,000 Israel-supporters marched up Fifth Avenue in New York City on Sunday in the colorful and spirited annual Salute to Israel Parade. When it ended, some 20,000 of them packed into Central Park for an activism-geared Israel Day Concert. The parade was led by New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg, accompanied by Jerusalem Mayor Uri Lupoliansky. Various delegations and floats represented synagogues, temples and Jewish day schools from the greater New York area - and even from Maimonides Academy in Los Angeles. The Nefesh B'Nefesh Aliyah organization, Israel's Ministry of Tourism, El Al Israel Airlines, and many more were also represented. Participating politicians included New York Governor Eliot Spitzer and Congressmen Representatives Jerrold Nadler and Anthony Wiener. At the concert, MC'ed by radio host Nachum Segal, keynote speaker Minister of Knesset (MK) Effie Eitam (National Union Party) updated the crowd on the current political, military and social situation in Israel. The event focused on Israel's captives - particularly Gilad Shalit (held in Gaza), Ehud Goldwasser and Eldad Regev (both apparently held in Lebanon), and Jonathan Pollard (imprisoned in the United States).

Performers included Hassidic-music singers Shloime Dachs, Shlomo Katz, the Piamenta brothers, the Israeli-American trio Yood, Jewish rapper Remedy (Ross Filler), Kosha Dillz, Gershon Veroba, rock-and-reggae band Pey Dalid, and Chaim Kiss.

The nation of Israel set its troubles aside Saturday night and celebrated Lag B'omer, the thirty-third of forty-nine days of counting the traditional measure of barley in the spring harvest between the Passover and Shavuot (Greek: Pentecost) holidays.

Lag B'omer also marks the date on which the 22,000 disciples of Rabbi Akiva stopped dying of a plague during Roman rule. Another explanation for their deaths is that they were killed while fighting the Roman army. Tradition states that the plague was suspended on Lag B'Omer, which also is observed as the anniversary of the death of the Torah scholar Rabbi Shimon bar Yochai, whose grave is in Meron, west of Tzfat. More than 300,000 reached Meron by late Saturday night, and tens of thousands more are on their way, police reported.

Israelis from all parts of the religious spectrum find faith and hope through the holiday amid bonfires and songs which break the period of mourning. Beards, which have been grown as a sign of mourning, are shaven, and thousands of parents follow a tradition of giving their sons their first haircut on the holiday. Firefighters and medics are on alert, but increased awareness of safety and tighter government controls against recklessness have kept incidents to a minimum. Although a few of the fires did break out of control, no injuries were reported.

Professor Ehud Netzer (left) of Hebrew University, fulfilling a career-long goal of solving this national-historic mystery, has uncovered the grave of King Herod (right) - at the Herodium (Herodion), east of Efrat in Gush Etzion. Professor Netzer announced his discovery at a Tuesday morning press conference at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. He explained that a combination of the location, type of work at the tomb, the decorations, and pieces of the coffin led to the definite conclusion that this was the burial site of Herod (the Great).

Herod was the Roman-appointed king of Judea from 37 to 4 BCE. He was renowned for his many monumental building projects, including the expansion of the Second Temple in Jerusalem, the palace at Masada, and the Herodium complex, fifteen kilometers south of Jerusalem. The Herodium, Herod's final resting place, is the most outstanding among his building projects. Professor Netzer has led archaeological digs there since 1972, and the "exposure of the king's tomb here becomes the climax of this site’s research," Netzer said. The coffin was found broken into pieces, and the professor explained that it was likely broken some 70 years after the unpopular king's death, during the Jewish rebellion. Herod had also been known for his cruelty, killing his wife and children, among other perceived opponents.

The Herodium is famous for the well-known mountain-top structure comprising a palace, a fortress and a monument. The excavations on the slope of that mountain, where the tomb was found, began in August 2006. The expedition, on behalf of the Institute of Archaeology of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, was conducted by Professor Netzer, together with Yaakov Kalman and Ro'i Porat. The approach to the burial site was via a monumental flight of stairs 6.5 meters wide, leading to the hillside; the stairs were especially constructed for the funeral procession. Herod died in Jericho, but left instructions to be buried in the area known as the Herodium. The mausoleum itself was almost totally dismantled in ancient times, but part of its well-built podium remains. Spread among the ruins are pieces of a large, unique coffin, nearly 2.5 meters (over 8 feet) made of a Jerusalemite reddish limestone, decorated by rosettes. The sarcophagus (coffin) had a triangular cover, which was decorated on its sides. Only very few similar sarcophagi are known in the country, and can be found only in elaborate tombs such as the famous one at the King’s Tomb on Salah a-Din Street in eastern Jerusalem. Although no inscriptions have been found yet at Herodium, archaeologists are hopeful that some might yet be found.

The search for Herod’s tomb, which began thirty years ago, focused until last year on Lower Herodium, which includes an area built especially for the king's funeral and burial. However, atop the Herod-era ruins was a large complex of Byzantine structures that took many years to dig out first. Finally, Herod's Tomb Estate was dug. Though two monumental buildings and a large ritual bath (mikveh) were found, as well as a large route (350 meters long and 30 meters wide) that had been prepared for the funeral, no sign of the burial place itself was found. The expedition then started to search for it on the slope of the hill, where it was finally found. Professor Netzer emphasizes that there seems to be no doubt that the king's initial intention was to be buried in the estate. Herod later changed his mind, however, asking to be buried within the artificial cone which gave the hill of Herodium its current volcano-shape.

The main historical source of the Second Temple’s days, the historian Josephus Flavius, described the site of Herodium in detail, as well as the funeral - but left out the detail of the burial having taken place on the hillside instead of in the Tomb Estate. A complex of tunnels from the days of Bar-Kokhba within the Herodium mount was opened to the public in the 1980's. The archaeological excavations at the site, which stopped in 1987, were renewed 10 years later and continued until 2000, and after a second break, were renewed at the end of 2005.

Residents of Gush Etzion anticipate that the find will strengthen eastern Gush Etzion. The Herodium is located along the not-yet opened Zaatra bypass road between the southern Jerusalem neighborhood of Har Homa and the two Gush Etzion communities of Tekoa and Nokdim.

The Tzemach Institute has joined forces with the Christian Friends Of Israeli Communities (CFOIC) in planning a special tour of the heartland of biblical Israel. Join us as we explore Israel from a genuine Biblical Zionists perspective. Meet the people who are continuing the Biblical narrative in the Land today. See for yourself how ancient prophesies are being fulfilled. Discover how you too can participate in the ongoing process of Biblical Redemption. Join us for an opportunity of a lifetime, to see the real Israel from the viewpoint of those who are living the Bible today. The experience will change your life. The tour has been coordinated with Sondra Baras of CFOIC and will be guided by Associate Pastor Jon Klein [pictured left].
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