Past Hi-Lights

Past Hi-lights of In Ancient Footsteps

Ancient Olive Press

This is a picture of an olive press used in Israel from ancient days. There are many such wells situated all over the state of Israel and in the Middle East. The wheel

The oil of olives had a variety of uses during most of Bible History and was a well known and valuable commodity in every region of the Mediterranean area. The uses ranged from the sacred - offerings, anointing the living as well as the dead, to the mundane - lighting lamps, cooking and for healing purposes. Olive oil was also used for personal beauty and was (as it still is) an ingredient for soaps.

Read more about how olive oil was produced by various methods and the natural and spiritual uses of Olive Oil by clicking here. To purchase your own pure, organic olive oil check out our Marketplace or click here to buy.

The Month of Aviv/Nisan

Or some may know it simply as April. But this wonderful time of redemption has been celebrated by a holy people for almost 3500 years!

In the beginning books of the scripture, Shemot (Exodus) Yahweh tells His people to celebrate one of the seven commanded Feast Days called Chag Ha-Matzot (Passover/Pesach). The various scriptures that command His holy people to keep this festival can be found in Shemot (Exodus) 12:17; Shemot 23:15; Shemot 34:18; Vayikra (Leviticus) 23:6; Bamidbar (Deuteronomy) 16:16; 2 Chronicles 8:13; 2 Chronicles 30:13; 2 Chronicles 30:21; 2 Chronicles 35:17; and Ezra 6:22 .

The name Chag Ha-Matzot symbolizes the bread baked by the Hebrews which had no time to rise as they made their journey out of Egypt. In the Hebrew language, the unleavned bread is known as 'matzo'. This unleavened bread is the symbol of their redemption and is associated with the historical point in time during the Exodus from Egypt.

The evening before the day of Chag Ha-Matzot, which is celebrated on the 15 day of the Month of Nissan, the festival (chag) of Pesach oocurs. This is literaly the 'Fesival of the Lamb". This redemptive Feast Day was a commemoration for the remembrance of the ten plagues that were demonstrated under the Egyptian Pharoh when Yahweh smote the Egyptians with horrible plagues yet continuously spared the Hebrews. The final plauge, the plague of the 'first born', was the final straw when Pharoh finally acknowledged the one true G-d of the Hebrews and allowed the Hebrews to leave Egypt.

On the eve of the Passover, the Hebrew children were told to place the blood of an unblemished sacrificial lamb on the two doorposts and the lintel of each household. Yahweh then 'passed over' each door that had the blood and struck down the firstborn of all who didn't have the blood smeared on the doorposts.

The dates for this year's spring Feasts are: