The King's Donkey
25th September 2011, hej
This Article: (3 Pages)
- 1. Messiah Comes Riding Upon a Donkey
- 2. The Donkey Phenomena in Israel
- 3. Behaviours of the the Donkey
2) The Donkey Phenomena in Israel
Generally Israel presents as a very modern nation. Modern multi-storey glass buildings are surrounded by traffic in Israel's cities just as in any other developed nation. But fuel for cars has always been expensive in dramatic contrast to all Israel's neighbours. Israel, until recently, had not found oil. As a result, against all odds, Donkeys continue to be used by the poor who are mostly Arab, for carrying loads and for transport.
Donkeys are regularly found abandoned by roadsides, or straying onto Kibbutz's. Just one donkey sanctuary in 10 years has rescued, without effort, over 1,000 donkeys who were abandoned, unfit for work, or mistreated. They have nearly 150 donkeys some with colts which may be found at Gan Yoshiyya about 70km North of Jerusalem.
See http://www.safehaven4donkeys.org/ if you wish to see the work Safehaven does
Donkeys, if anything, are more plenteous in Samaria and Judea. They are so common in the area South of Jerusalem in Judea that they are as noteworthy as milestones!
Take a tour to Gush Etzion. Nearby, we began a hike along one of the most important byways in the Land of Israel. The main road between Hebron and Jerusalem, and obviously chosen because the land was so level, it has been named Patriarchs’ Way. For this is the route that Abraham would have taken with his son Isaac as they walked toward Mount Moriah for the sacrifice that was averted at the last moment.
King David would have traveled along this road when he and his household left Hebron to make Jerusalem the capital of Israel; and pilgrims took it when heading for the First and Second Temples. The Maccabees fought the Greeks on this road, in stirring battles.
And a few centuries later, the Romans widened it, erecting milestones along the sides....
Along the way you pass milestones and donkeys...
http://www.jpost.com/Travel/
The very road that King David would have taken to Jerusalem is characterised by donkeys. This is agreed by another
“my kids love driving to Gush Etzion just to see the donkeys on the side of the road http://neemaneema.wordpress.com/
A third witness
The road to Hebron is deceptively quiet and tranquil. Orchards and vineyards wait patiently for spring. On the hillside men are ploughing their rain-soaked fields with horses or donkeys. jewishmag.com
And a fourth
I am a Jew living in the town of Neve Daniel ...Sometimes I try and race against the big trucks which look like they will never make it up the hill. There is not that much traffic on the road, but what there is contains a mixture of Arab and Jew, cars, trucks, and donkeys.
http://www.crossingtheyarden.com/tag/neve-daniel/page/2/
In GushEtzion, Judea the Jews (as Arabs) have donkeys. Recently the IDF attempted to demolish a Jewish settlement.
The forces succeeded in bulldozing a large stable, which Sde Boaz residents had built over the summer for their horses and donkeys. Sde Boaz is located less than a mile north of Neve Daniel and Efrat, the heart of the Gush Etzion settlement bloc. http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1555917/posts
In other words, in Judea, the very area associated with the Righteous King who brings salvation, it is remarkable that donkeys are exceedingly plenteous.
That a donkey is featured in the coming of the king to Jerusalem, would be a powerful reminder of the restoration of a peaceful value system. The new kingdom of Israel will be shown to return to values of Israel from its very beginning to the time of king David. The donkey symbolises, as shown by Balaam's donkey, strength, will and a steady, habitual and faithful service. It is right that a righteous king comes with a symbol of obedient faithful service, and leading a colt, a symbol of the type of people who might follow him.
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