“When And How the Jewish People Was Invented”

[Redlettervoice]

You are on a subject that is "dear" to the "heart of God."  I'll tell you why.  Because the MYSTERY of Christ, "is" Jew and Gentile
becoming ONE, and IN HIM, there is neither. But before we are IN HIM, He is IN US, to get us IN HIM. Is Christ being formed in
you? Then you will have no Jew nor no Gentile when the Mystery is
complete.  Selah.

But til then, let me tell you of "MY" studies in this subject which actually "began" in April of "this" year!!! I had NEVER noticed so profoundly that Jesus came to minister "first" to the Jew, that He was a
minister of the circumscism for the fulfillment of the covenant.
Now what all does "that" mean?  When I understood, finally, I had
someone tell me of Romans 11 and how that God does not want me
to be "ignorant" of this MYSTERY........He does not want me to be puffed up concerning the Jews, nor does He want me to NOT acknowledge their role in receiving the covenants from God and
passing them down generation after generation.

So ....tho we are gentiles, God must put IN US a LOVE for the
"cut off" Jew, and a Mercy, which surely should be in people who
believe in UR, because it is thru OUR Mercy, that they will obtain
Mercy.  And God knows, what is happening there now, Mercy is
sure needed.  So what kind of Mercy can we show!  God says, "MY house shall be a house of prayer for ALL people."  Not just for the
Jews, but for the Palestianians too. 

Before I can "pray" even knowing the "will" of God, for that is the
prayer He will answer, His Own Will, but before I can "pray" I must
have an understanding given me from God concerning these issues,
else I will just pick one of the two sides and go with it, then our
prayers will be just as divided as the opinions of man.

So..........I have resolved that I will study this issue, and I am glad
that this Noname person has included this side of the issue.  I have
noticed right off that the Jews have as many "opionions" as do us
Christians ........making it hard to but hope that God will see our
struggle in trying to learn about it, and REVEAL SOME THINGS TO US.
FOR IF HE DOESN'T HOW MUCH WE ARE LIKE ALL MEN.  OPINIONATED.

[Molly]

[The recounting of the lost ten tribes of the northern country of Israel, taken into captivity by the Assyrians, and lost to history forever, in 2 Kings 17]


5 The king of Assyria marched into the whole land of Israel. He marched to Samaria and surrounded it for three years. From time to time he attacked it. 6 Finally, the king of Assyria captured Samaria. It was in the ninth year of Hoshea. The king of Assyria took the people of Israel away from their own land. He sent them off to Assyria. He settled some of them in Halah. He settled others in Gozan on the Habor River. And he settled still others in the towns of the Medes.


7 All of that took place because the people of Israel had committed sins against the Lord their God. He had brought them up out of Egypt. He had brought them out from under the power of Pharaoh, the king of Egypt. But they worshiped other gods.
8 The Lord had driven out other nations to make room for them. But they followed the evil practices of those nations. They also followed the practices that the kings of Israel had started. 9 The people of Israel did things against the Lord their God in secret. What they did wasn't right. They built high places for worship in all of their towns. They built them at lookout towers. They also built them at cities that had high walls around them. 10 They set up sacred stones. And they set up poles that were used to worship the goddess Asherah. They did that on every high hill and under every green tree.

11 The Lord had driven out nations to make room for Israel. But the people of Israel burned incense at every high place, just as those nations had done. The Israelites did evil things that made the Lord very angry. 12 They worshiped statues of gods. They did it even though the Lord had said, "Do not do that."



17 They sacrificed their sons and daughters in the fire. They practiced all kinds of evil magic. They gave themselves over to do what was evil in the sight of the Lord. All of those things made him very angry.

20 So the Lord turned his back on all of the people of Israel. He made them suffer. He handed them over to people who stole everything they had. And finally he threw them out of his land.



35 The Lord made a covenant with the people of Israel. At that time he commanded them, "Do not worship any other gods. Do not bow down to them. Do not serve them or sacrifice to them. 36 I am the one you must worship. I brought you up out of Egypt by my great power. I saved you by reaching out my mighty arm. You must bow down to me. You must offer sacrifices to me. 37 You must always be careful to follow my directions and rules. You must obey the laws and commands I wrote for you. Do not worship other gods.

38 "Do not forget the covenant I made with you. And remember, you must not worship other gods. 39 Instead, worship me. I will save you from the powerful hand of all of your enemies. I am the Lord your God."

40 But the people wouldn't listen. Instead, they were stubborn. They continued in their old practices. 41 They worshiped the Lord. But at the same time, they served the statues of their gods. And to this very day their children and grandchildren continue to do what their people before them did.



Matthew 15:24
But he answered and said, I am not sent but unto the lost sheep of the house of Israel.

[Molly]

To my mind all of this mess started when the original 12 tribes of Israel demanded a king [which goes along with worshipping false gods].  After that, it was all downhill, until Jesus.


One of the saddest statements in the Bible is this--

1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

[martincisneros]

If you could show me where the word is used, where it does not refer to either the tribe of Judah or the kingdom of Judah, that would be helpful. 

I don't see it being applied to the Hebrews or the Israelites as a whole.  But, maybe I'm wrong.

The tribe of Judah are descendants of Abraham, as are the original residents of the country of Judah.

I'm not sure of a passage that I could show you that would satisfy you, since I'm never going to quote the book of Mormon for a potential "Jew" reference that's not middle eastern, & most things that I could say could be presupposed to be talking about "over there" because with the exception of a few parts of the New Testament, some of Paul's epistles & Revelation, much of it was written in the middle east.  However, the word does take on different meanings in it's usage throughout Scripture, such as obviously referring to the priests and Rabbis in the Gospels, almost exclusively.  & in the mouths of the priests in the Passion drama & perhaps the early chapters of Acts, they're using it in a national sense with being fearful of the Romans destroying the Jewish nation.

The whole original argument that started this thread is a common subterfuge that's never about whether or not the term "Jews" applies to all 12 tribes of Israel, or the Hebrews, but is often a fancy bit of pseudo intellectual propoganda tossed out there on the part of nit-wits hoping to discredit Israel's rights to exist as a nation.  Yet in the era when the Kingdoms of this world are becoming the Kingdoms of our Lord, of His Christ, & of His saints, it makes sense that He'd be resurrecting the nation to have the distinction of being among those nations that the Body of Christ rules over during the coming millenium that precedes the return of Jesus Christ to judge the living & the dead.

I'm a bit of a renegade for a Postmillenialist in allowing for the Jeremiah 31 land grant to include a natural land of Hebrew/Jewish Israel in addition to a spiritual inheritance of Mt Zion for Christians described in Hebrews of our immortality in this life & all of the riches of the nations & of the Kingdom being ours. It wouldn't have millenial significance in the way that dispensational premillenialist would view it, i.e., that because of this, then Lord Jesus's return is any minute.  But it would have "beloved for the sake of the fathers: Abraham, Isaac, & Jacob" millenial significance as it says in Romans & "the gifts & callings of God being without repentance" which contextually is about a nation of Jews/Hebrews, i.e. the fulfillment of the prayer prayed in Acts 1 that Israel would be restored.  Most people have never looked at that question asked there as a prayer, yet Who was being asked about Israel's restoration?

& His answer wasn't a "no." His answer was about those times & seasons being with the Father, or in other words, "encoded" in the Old Testament, & that was from the mouth of the one that St. Paul calls in 1Timothy 2 the One Mediator.  Israel was restored in 1948 & regained it's capital in 1967 in answer to that prayer that was prayed that day in Acts 1.  Israel was restored, a nation of Jews, BECAUSE this IS the time of the regeneration of all things & those Apostles, thru the preaching of the Gospel in our day, have every right to judge all 12 tribes.

As we preach the Gospel, the nations are judged.  As we preach the Gospel, the Apostles are judging Israel.  As we preach the Gospel, the whole earth is filled with His glory.  If Hebrews 11 were to include the names of the Apostles at it's close, then they without us cannot be made perfect. Or in other words, the faith that Lord Jesus is the developer, or finish carpenter, of in the next chapter requires our preaching the Gospel so that they with us are made perfect & so that the Written Judgments are executed upon these nations as it says in Psalm 149, which includes Israel.

The real questions aren't about whether or not a Jew is a Jew or what's a Jew, but regarding whether or not God is faithful & whether or not His Gospel rules over all, is the Governor among the nations, & is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen; whether or not by the Gospel the ages were created, aligned, & adjusted or whether we look for another; whether or not He who began a good work in them will be faithful to complete it 'til the Day of Christ Jesus, same as in us.

This cuts to the very heart of the matter of whether or not we have a Gospel that was born illegitimately or whether His marriage with the Hebrews continues from His rebetrothal to Israel when Lord Jesus was born that's described in the book of Hosea.

If the Jews are not His Chosen people, then Lord Jesus was born illegitimately and God's a fornicator caught in a hypocrisy of the very sin He condemns.  What kind of flesh are we to confess that He came in, in 1John, otherwise we're speaking the spirit of AntiChrist according to St. John?  What kind of flesh did that Jewish fisherman gone Rabbi by His grace have in mind, if not Jewish in fulfillment of all of the promises given to the Fathers: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, & their heirs of a national existence, a Messiah with Messianic People, & the world?  We're their inheritance as He is ours & as they are ours!  Reread Song of Solomon as Lord Jesus being Solomon, the 60 queens being the Church, the 80 concubines being the nations, & the dark yet lovely bride being introduced with chapter 1 onwards being the Jews & you'll know Father's Heart in the matter.

They search the Scriptures for in them they think they have eternal life, yet they haven't come to Him yet to have that life, so He's vanished on them after having put His Hand thru the door trying to get the chain off of the door while the foolish betrothed one didn't know the time of her Visitation. Her time of Visitation was when He was beating on her door trying to get in, but she knew not the time of her Lord's coming. So they search for coming of Messiah, with some among them, perhaps most, mocking saying "where is the promise of His coming?" while the more devout describe how beautiful the groom is that they see in the Scriptures that's finer to look at than ten thousand & they plead with their own in their own circles to help them find their beloved Groom, seemingly all to no avail as they frantically continue in their Jewish traditions.

But the day is coming when they're going to be caught away to be with us forever & they'll sit with us in the Kingdom of our Father rejoicing in the Gospel that God preached to Abraham as they see Christ Jesus "like a gazelle or like a young stag on the spice-laden mountains" in Revelation 19 when they're finally His, seeing Him in the Scriptures & in us for the first time in their lives & are made to lie down in green pastures by still waters with a table before them in the presence of their enemies as the desire of the wicked perishes & all of their iniquities are subdued & they embrace their book of Isaiah "Great Commission" (chapter 42, etc.) of discipling the nations WITH US.

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: Beautiful post, Martin. Amen. Come Lord YESHUA, Come.  :thumbsup: Blessings....

[Beloved Servant]

Acts 9:

18 And immediately fall from his eyes as if scales, and he receives sight. Besides, rising, also, he is baptized,

[jabcat]

:cloud9: Beautiful post, Martin. Amen. Come Lord YESHUA, Come.  :thumbsup: Blessings....

Amen!      :thumbsup: RL

[jabcat]

One of the saddest statements in the Bible is this--

1 Samuel 8:7
And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

Yes, sad.

[noname]

I think the point some are missing is that there are people calling themselves "Jews" who are from all colours and creeds of the world forcing the real inhabitants of a land out because they have declared themselves superior to others (these others being called "human animals")...they are taking these people's land, demolishing their homes, killing their women and children in the most shocking way...and at the end of it they claim that they are the victims...
these same people want to declare their occupied land to be for "Jews only"...discriminating against any other person who is not of their RELIGION (including Christians)...these people have the audacity to demand that other sovereign countries be pre-emptively "nuked to oblivion" because of an unverified nuclear threat, yet they themselves with their cronies poses the biggest threat to world peace with their THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of nuclear war heads...they accuse other countries of being a threat to world peace when it is only themselves who are making war with other countries...they themselves being accused in international courts of gross war crimes...yet they deny everything

I don't care what you want to call them...call them "Jo's" if you want (descendants of Joseph, which also they're not)...everyone with half a brain can smell the hypocrisy of this "Jewish state" and "nation"

[Paul Hazelwood]

I don't care what you want to call them...call them "Jo's" if you want (descendants of Joseph, which also they're not)...everyone with half a brain can smell the hypocrisy of this "Jewish state" and "nation"

Actually people like you are the hypocrites.   You critisize violence, but only from the side of those you would like to see eliminated from the earth.   

[noname]

I don't care what you want to call them...call them "Jo's" if you want (descendants of Joseph, which also they're not)...everyone with half a brain can smell the hypocrisy of this "Jewish state" and "nation"

Actually people like you are the hypocrites.   You critisize violence, but only from the side of those you would like to see eliminated from the earth.   

smoking that stuff again?

[Paul Hazelwood]

I don't care what you want to call them...call them "Jo's" if you want (descendants of Joseph, which also they're not)...everyone with half a brain can smell the hypocrisy of this "Jewish state" and "nation"

Actually people like you are the hypocrites.   You critisize violence, but only from the side of those you would like to see eliminated from the earth.   

smoking that stuff again?

Did you stop beating your girlfriend yet?

[noname]

I don't care what you want to call them...call them "Jo's" if you want (descendants of Joseph, which also they're not)...everyone with half a brain can smell the hypocrisy of this "Jewish state" and "nation"

Actually people like you are the hypocrites.   You critisize violence, but only from the side of those you would like to see eliminated from the earth.   

smoking that stuff again?

Did you stop beating your girlfriend yet?

paul...you have a problem buddy...when you do not agree with someone's opinion...or even facts presented to you, you get personal and call people names...why bother posting if this is your modus operandi?

the article i posted was not from a jew-hating nazi or as i've heard judge Goldstone being accused of as being a "self-hating jew"...it was from a jewish historian himself...
as for violence...yes i detest it in the strongest sense...ANY violence...but people will defend themselves from an aggressor...especially one coming with an overwhelming force to destroy...
study history yourself to see who these aggressors are/were...be honest with yourself even if these acts are purpotrated by your own government/people/country/race/religious orientation...without admitting our sins we cannot be forgiven, and also it is impossible to forgive others

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: And you think just because he's Jewish himself, he's not blinded to what God is doing? No one is overlooking anything they do, as they are still carnally minded men, many of them, and they will do the things carnally minded men do; that's a given.

But in the big scheme of things, God is still working all things to HIS pleasure and it was His pleasure to set them there at this time.

Deut 30:3 That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.  4 If any of thine be driven out unto the outmost parts of heaven, from thence will the LORD thy God gather thee, and from thence will he fetch thee: 5 And the LORD thy God will bring thee into the land which thy fathers possessed, and thou shalt possess it; and he will do thee good, and multiply thee above thy fathers.

So saying that they are not Jews because they are coming from all nations and skin colors is just ridiculous, when HE says HE scattered them there in the first place, knowing they would intermarry among the nations.

What you fail to see is, that THEY WERE SEEDED into the nations, so that He would have mercy upon ALL. This is the root of UR, and the reason it says salvation is of the Jews. Blessings.....

[Molly]

Cardinal, that was quoted out of context.  Can you explain to me how this applies to the current state of Israel?

1And it shall come to pass, when all these things are come upon thee, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before thee, and thou shalt call them to mind among all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath driven thee,

2And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

3That then the LORD thy God will turn thy captivity, and have compassion upon thee, and will return and gather thee from all the nations, whither the LORD thy God hath scattered thee.

--Deut 30


Do you really think they are obeying the voice of God and turning to him with all their hearts?

[Cardinal]

 :cloud9: I think we're held accountable for what we know, and to the extent that they currently know, I think a portion of them turned their hearts unto the Lord, for this to happen. And again, the timing is now for the fulfillment of all things that He has spoken, and that includes them.

There are also a sizable number of Messianic Jews over there now, too, that have received Him, that no one ever hears about because they are no longer considered Jews by the Jews. Blessings....

[Molly]

I was googling to see what percentage of Israeli's consider themselves atheists/non believer in God [it's pretty high] but I was shocked to see the huge numbers of people all over the world that consider themselves atheists/nonbelievers in terms of percentage.  It's as high as 85 percent in Sweden.

Could this be the great falling away?

http://www.adherents.com/largecom/com_atheist.html


2 Thessalonians 2:3
Let no man deceive you by any means: for that day shall not come, except there come a falling away first, and that man of sin be revealed, the son of perdition;




"The abstract at the top of the paper ends with the following sentence: "Finally it considers the one thoroughly secularized country -- East Germany -- and concludes that the 'demand' for religion can be diminished considerably if a ruthless government takes control of the process of religious socialization." "

[Paul Hazelwood]

paul...you have a problem buddy...when you do not agree with someone's opinion...or even facts presented to you, you get personal and call people names...why bother posting if this is your modus operandi?

Jesus called people names when it fit, deal with what you are.

[WhiteWings]

I was googling to see what percentage of Israeli's consider themselves atheists/non believer in God [it's pretty high] but I was shocked to see the huge numbers of people all over the world that consider themselves atheists/nonbelievers in terms of percentage.  It's as high as 85 percent in Sweden.

Could this be the great falling away?

I think that was thought throughout the ages.
I also think/fear the survey is worthless.
If you simply ask: "Do you believe in God" a Moslim, tree worshipper etc will also answer yes.
So the believers in God quite often believe in the wrong God.
Plus imo believing is some sort of 'activity'. As an explanation everyone that runs to fridge for another six-pack isn't an athlete. I know people that call themself religious because they had child baptism. But besides of that they never pray. Never read anything religious. Everyone is entitled to his/her defenitions but according to mine such people are not religious.

[Paul Hazelwood]

study history yourself to see who these aggressors are/were...be honest with yourself even if these acts are purpotrated by your own government/people/country/race/religious orientation...without admitting our sins we cannot be forgiven, and also it is impossible to forgive others

The problem is past names you have called me over our disagreements and is why you are a hypocrit.   I posted that the bombing of Japan were justified based upon the times and situations NOT hindsight.   I do not care if you disagree with me, but you decide that when you think you are right it is ok for you to make accusations while whining that someone does that to you.

I am not bothered by your accusations I simply am pointing out why your a hypocrit,  I condone accusations and that's how I am right now.  

You say you detest violence, but then you welcome it from the palestinians because it is justified and it wouldn't bother you if they wiped israel off the planet.

Because whether you like it or not,  if they had the means that's exactly what they would do. So rather than see the problem as a whole based upon articles other people have written, you simply will point to an article that explains what the palestinians "really" meant by such a comment.   Right.

So long as you support the palestinian cause, your simply a part of the problem.  So long as a palestinian killing "women and children" are justified by parrots like you, you are part of the problem of terrorism and the cowardly ways it is justified all over the world.

[Molly]

I was googling to see what percentage of Israeli's consider themselves atheists/non believer in God [it's pretty high] but I was shocked to see the huge numbers of people all over the world that consider themselves atheists/nonbelievers in terms of percentage.  It's as high as 85 percent in Sweden.

Could this be the great falling away?

I think that was thought throughout the ages.
I also think/fear the survey is worthless.
If you simply ask: "Do you believe in God" a Moslim, tree worshipper etc will also answer yes.
So the believers in God quite often believe in the wrong God.
Plus imo believing is some sort of 'activity'. As an explanation everyone that runs to fridge for another six-pack isn't an athlete. I know people that call themself religious because they had child baptism. But besides of that they never pray. Never read anything religious. Everyone is entitled to his/her defenitions but according to mine such people are not religious.

I was reading a little more about it--70 plus percent identify themselves as Lutheran--yet up to 85 percent say they are agnostic, nonbelievers, atheists?  I wonder what's going on.  They also have the 6th highest suicide rate by population in the world.  I don't have time to really study this right now but from a cursory point of view things seem to be trending in a certain direction.

I was wondering if you had any insight into what is going on in Europe?

[WhiteWings]

I was reading a little more about it--70 plus percent identify themselves as Lutheran--yet up to 85 percent say they are agnostic, nonbelievers, atheists?  I wonder what's going on.  They also have the 6th highest suicide rate by population in the world.

And now you think "is it God related."?
Their climate is 'doomy' I think that's of some importance too.

I don't have time to really study this right now but from a cursory point of view things seem to be trending in a certain direction.

I was wondering if you had any insight into what is going on in Europe?

Jabcat asked that a few weeks ago in another thread. I'll only speak for my own little country. I think Christianity will be wiped out next generation. For now I would add at least 20% to the figures.
I would like to see that survey redone. And add 2 questions. Who is your God? Do you spend more that 15 minutes a week on relgious things. Then I expect much different results.

[Molly]

Their climate is 'doomy' I think that's of some importance too.

What do you mean, doomy?  You mean no sun?  gloomy?  I thought of that, too.  You would have to look at trends and statistics to see what falls out--if lack of religion adds to suicide rate.  It could be done and probably has been done.  I'll look for it when I have some time.

Why do you think Europe is turning away from Christianity?

[WhiteWings]

Their climate is 'doomy' I think that's of some importance too.

What do you mean, doomy?  You mean no sun?  I thought of that, too.  You would have to look at trends and statistics to see what falls out--if lack of religion adds to suicide rate.  It could be done and probably has been done.  I'll look for it when I have some time.

With doomy I indeed mean no sun. During hot summers aggresion rises. During 'perfect' weather people seem more happy.
But I would expect the same numbers for all Scandinavian countries. Besides of the weather it are good countries to live in. Stable economy and government and such.

Why do you think Europe is turning away from Christianity?

I was speaking for the Netherlands only but expect similar patterns elsewere.
Well I live here so I do notice things... Churches are closing. The few schools with a tiny Christian stamp are infected with muslims. Speaking up for Christianity means your are braindead. Speaking against islam means you are neo-nazi.
Thoughts of no more holiday during Christmas, Easter and a few other days. (I know the roots are pagan but at least most see it as Christian). Again as kneeling for islam.
BTW I can't believe the percentage of atheists is so extremely low in the USA. (You  don't wanna know what people here think about the US Bible belt)
Some people think yoga is spiritual....

[Molly]

Playing with fire: UN turns Gaza shelling into theatre
A show about the fate of an aid warehouse has caused controversy in Israel

Rory McCarthy in Jerusalem guardian.co.uk, Thursday 29 October 2009 19.24 GMT

Chris Gunness, chief spokesman for the UN Relief and Works Agency, performs his play. Photograph: Quique Kierszenbaum


There is nothing ordinary about this advocacy campaign for a large UN institution. The lights dim before a packed audience and a slideshow begins: images of Gaza in conflict, people fleeing their homes, buildings on fire.

Then stands Chris Gunness, the chief spokesman of the UN Relief and Works Agency, the organisation responsible for the support and welfare of Palestinian refugees. "I am a warehouse," he says. "I am a dying warehouse, the victim of an excruciatingly painful fire that burned me down."

It is the start of a remarkable 20-minute, one-man play intended for Israeli audiences but so far unwelcome in Israeli theatres. It tells the story of the main UN warehouse in Gaza, a storage point for food and aid for a million Palestinians, and how it was hit repeatedly by Israeli artillery shells, some loaded with white phosphorous, during the Gaza war – how it was set ablaze and burnt to the ground.

This is a story that "until now has remained buried, untold," Gunness said at the debut performance of his show at the French Cultural Centre, east Jerusalem, on Wednesday night.

His play, Building Understanding: Epitaph for a Warehouse, is a challenge to the criticism the UN has faced within Israel. Many aid organisations and human rights groups highlighting the Palestinian cause have faced increasing opposition since the war, as has Richard Goldstone, the South African judge who authored a highly critical UN report accusing Israel and Palestinian militant groups of war crimes.

Some critics, among them the Israeli right and US neoconservatives, regard UNRWA in particular as unfairly and unnecessarily perpetuating the Palestinian refugee issue and their claim to a right of return. The organisation insists it was established by a UN resolution and that it offers vital food, shelter and education to millions of people who would otherwise go without. It says the refugee issue should be resolved as part of a final-status Israeli-Palestinian peace agreement.

Nonetheless, this is an unusual approach for the UN. It began because Gunness, a British former BBC correspondent, was frequently on air during the war highlighting the damage to life and property. That led to an invitation by an Israeli artist to take part in a project about storage space, for which he offered the story of his warehouse.

There were heckles from the Tel Aviv crowd at the first show, of what was an earlier version of the play. About 20 people, out of an audience of around 100, walked out. The script was refined and the play then booked at two Israeli theatres, in Tel Aviv and Haifa. Both later cancelled before the first performance.

Gunness defended his work. "This is about as far away from propaganda as I think you can get," he said. "It is a genuine attempt to tell a story in an apolitical way. We were overly meticulous in making quite sure there was no politics on both sides."

They chose not to include clips of Ban Ki-moon, the UN secretary general, talking about the war and the warehouse.

The centre of what is an unexpectedly compelling performance is the warehouse manager, a phlegmatic Australian UN staffer called Jodie Clark, who was in the compound on the day of the attack. She saw shells land close by her, showering her with concrete. She telephoned the Israeli military to explain that their shells were hitting the UN. In the compound were six trucks, each filled with thousands of litres of fuel. "It took us two hours to convince them they were hitting the UN compound," she said in a video interview during the show.

Her matter-of-fact account is dramatic. She describes how, with a colleague, she ran out as the white phosphorous shells rained down. White phosphorous burns on contact with air, and burns through flesh to the bone. She tried to rescue the trucks, armed only with a fire extinguisher and a wooden stick. "We flicked the white phos out from under the vehicle," she said. The trucks were saved and driven away to safety, sparing a greater fire, but the warehouse was hit and burned to the ground at a cost of more than $10m.

The play was so popular Gunness had to give two showings and book a third for later this week. At the end of the performance, he talks of the "unanswered questions" of why the war unfolded as it did and of the suffering of Gazans and the people of southern Israel, who were targeted by Palestinian rocket attacks. "Until we have answers to these questions the Palestinian people and the people of Israel will continue to live in fear and insecurity," he said.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2009/oct/29/un-play-on-gaza-shelling