Israeli paratroopers and archaeologists announced Wednesday that they unearthed the remains of a 2,700-year-old watchtower at an undisclosed location in southern Israel. Archaeologists from the Israel Antiquities Authority say they cannot reveal the exact location for security purposes but did say that it sits on an elevated location.

The tower was likely used as a watchtower for the protection of Israel. A watchman stationed in the tower would be able to see approaching enemies. The towers were also useful for communication between the national border and Jerusalem. The watchmen used smoke to communicate during the day and fire at night.

The soldiers and archaeologists reported that the tower measured 5×3.5 meters and that the ruins were 2 meters high. They believe the tower likely stood about 4 meters high, which would make it about two stories tall. The large stone blocks used to construct the tower weighed up to eight tons.

The excavation was the result of a joint project between the IDF’s Technology and Maintenance Corps, the Israel Antiquities Authority, the Society for the Protection of Nature in Israel, and the Israel Nature and Parks authority. Second Lieutenant Roi Ofir took part in the excavation and explained its importance. He said, “This is the first time I participated in excavations. The connection to the land and the fact that there were Jewish fighters…

JOS, Nigeria, June 21, 2019 (Morning Star News) – Muslim Fulani herdsmen continued a campaign of seizing land for their cattle and territory for their religion this week, killing 11 Christians in eastern Nigeria’s Taraba state, sources said.

The herdsmen on Sunday and Monday (June 16-17) entered villages on motorcyles outside of the Taraba state capital, Jalingo, shooting firearms after attacks in the same area in early May that reportedly also killed 11 people in predominantly Christian villages.

“I know that 11 persons were killed and their corpses were taken to mortuaries in some hospitals in the town of Jalingo,” Joseph David, a 30-year-old resident of one of the communities attackd this week, told Morning Star News by phone.

He said the assailants arrived about 6 p.m. on Sunday and continued the assault the next day.

“The attacks were carried out by Muslim Fulanis riding Bajaj motorcycles,” he said. “They burned houses and shot us as we fled.”  

The herdsmen attacked the predominantly Christian villages of Kona and ATC outside Jalingo, as well as Tudiri and Janibanibu villages in Ardo Kola County. Residents in the communities are mainly members of the United Methodist Church in Nigeria (UMCN), Lutheran Church of Christ in Nigeria (LCCN), Christian Reformed Church Nigeria, the Roman Catholic Church, and the Church of the…

A Texas pastor is crediting divine intervention for saving lives from a major storm that damaged his church’s building.

Highland Terrace Baptist Church in Greenville, Texas, was preparing to hold its mid-week service Wednesday night when pastor Chet Haney and his congregation decided to cancel. Half an hour later, much of the building was destroyed. 

“It was a funny feeling, because about 5:30 [p.m.] everything was normal,” he told KTVT-TV in Dallas-Fort Worth. “Without hesitation, we all decided together: We better tell everybody to stay home. Thank the Lord we did, because in 25 minutes we didn’t have a church anymore in terms of the building.” 

The National Weather Service says straight-line winds, not a tornado, slammed the region. Winds peaked at 85 mph.

The storm tore a hole into the roof of the worship center. Much of the roof caved in and was destroyed. 

“It’s actually my granddaughter’s Sunday School room – it’s completely demolished. Something fell out of the sky and landed on top of it,” Haney said. 

The Sunday School room, he told KXAS, would have been filled with children if services had been held. 

Church member Wynema Payne had arrived early for choir practice.

“Within three seconds, we heard a loud boom and the roof here was taken off and deposited in that Sunday School class probably 30 feet from us,”…

Book publishers are asking President Donald Trump to reject a proposal for what many are calling a “Bible tax.”

According to CBN News, the proposed tariffs are on $300 billion of Chinese goods and include printed materials, such as Bibles and children’s books, which are made in China. The tariff is about 25 percent.

Bloomberg reports that those materials are printed in China because of “the unique paper, printing technology and skills needed.”

During a hearing this week, however, companies and trade groups that would be impacted by the proposed tariffs ask the U.S. International Trade Commission to reconsider the tariffs.

Mark Schoenwald, the chief executive officer of HarperCollins Christian Publishing, attended the hearing.

“We believe the administration was unaware of the potential negative impact these proposed tariffs would have on Bibles and that it never intended to impose ‘a Bible tax’ on consumers and religious organizations,” Schoenwald said.

He added that the tariff would impact the entire publishing market.

In response to the tariff, publishers would have to raise their prices. CBN News also said Christian booksellers, ministries and churches would face the new challenges.

“If tariffs are imposed, there will be fewer books available to American kids,” said Daniel Reynolds, CEO of Workman Publishing Co. in New York.

He…

A new report from Inside Higher Ed revealed this week that Liberty University has made the decision to cut several divinity school staff members.

According to CBN News, the Lynchburg, Virginia school has seen a steady decline in enrollment in their divinity school since 2015. Inside Higher Ed reports that the university’s online program has dropped from 19,727 students in 2015 to 13,688 students in 2017. The on-campus program has lost some traction as well, with the number of enrolled students dropping from 1,078 students in 2015 to 992 students in 2018. 

Some have attributed the decline in enrollment to the school’s close relationship with President Donald Trump. According to Christianity Today, however, the school believes it is a result of the change in the times and the evolution of ministry.

“Really, it’s a sign of the times,” Liberty’s senior vice president for spiritual development and campus chaplain David Nasser told Christianity Today. “The landscape of the way churches are staffing is changing, the landscape of the way mission organizations are staffing is changing, and I think that’s why we’ve seen some decline in the school of divinity in that sense.”

The school has, however, seen an increase in graduate-level applications to the divinity school.

Liberty University administrators noted that they have seen that this generation of…