Pilgrims And Strangers

Why did Plymouth Colony collapse?

In 1621 AD, the Pilgrims founded Plymouth Colony.  There was peace between Wampanoags and Pilgrims for many years.  Plymouth Colony was self-sufficient within five years, due to the help of Tisquantum (Squanto).  For the first forty years, it was prosperous.  Then it was beset with war, civil unrest, and economic ruin.  It came to an end in 1691 AD, when what was left of it, was absorbed into the Providence of Massachusetts Bay.

In order to understand why this occurred, you have to start with the beginnings of Plymouth Colony.  Like most things, the seeds that bring the end, were planted in the beginning.

The Pilgrims were not the only ones to come on the Mayflower in 1620 AD.  Of the seventy three men passengers on board, only forty one were Pilgrims.  The other thirty two men on board, as well as the crew of fifty men that manned the Mayflower, were called, "The Strangers" by the Pilgrims.

The Strangers were not a single group of people like the Pilgrims.  They were simply any one that was not a Pilgrim.  Just as Gentiles are not a single group of people, but people that are simply not Jews.

Most of the Strangers were members of the Church of England - the very organization that the Pilgrims went to the New World to escape.  They did not have the same plans and purposes as the Pilgrims.  They did not come to Plymouth Colony for the same reasons.  However, the Mayflower Compact signed by all forty one Pilgrim men, gave the men among the Strangers an equal vote in the governance of Plymouth Colony.  This had an immediate effect, before the Pilgrims even set foot on the New World.

The Pilgrims had learned after they set sail, that their representative, Thomas Weston, a Stranger that was part of the Merchant Adventurers, who financed the voyage, had reached an agreement with the London Company, also ran by Strangers, to allow them only one day off per week, instead of two days off, as they had asked.  While there was no dispute that their day off would be used for going to church, there was a sharp disagreement over which day that would be.  Most of the Pilgrims wanted Saturday, because it is the actual Sabbath.  All of the Strangers wanted Sunday, because they did not know who changed the Sabbath.  So, the first vote under the Mayflower Compact was conducted to settle the matter.  The Strangers won by a single vote with only five of the Pilgrims voting with them.  So, Sunday became the day of worship.  If the Strangers had not been allowed to vote, then Saturday would have won by a large margin.

The Pilgrims unanimously elected John Carver as governor in January, 1621 AD to replace Christopher Martin, who died on the Mayflower, not long after it reached the shores of the New World.  He was the first person to obtain their office by popular vote in America.  If the Strangers wanted someone different, then they would have been outvoted.

About three months later, John Carver also died on board the Mayflower.  Again there was an election for governor.  This time the Pilgrims unanimously voted for William Bradford as the new governor, again making any candidate proposed by the Strangers irrelevant.

 In November of 1621 AD, a second ship of colonists arrived with more Pilgrims, but also some Strangers, including Thomas Prence.  This Stranger became one of the eight elders of Plymouth Colony by 1626 AD.   Thomas Prence appears to have eventually became one of the Pilgrims, since he married the daughter of William Brewster.

The Strangers joined the congregations of the Pilgrims, which were at the center of life in every Pilgrim town.  Soon there were divisions among the Pilgrims, effectively forming different denominations, as some Pilgrims wanted to compromise their teachings to accommodate the Strangers, and others did not.

More ships bringing in more Pilgrims and Strangers continued to arrive, until the last ship carrying Pilgrims from the Netherlands arrived in 1630 AD.  The Pilgrims were still the clear majority in Plymouth Colony, but their growth from immigration was over.  Only a few Pilgrims would immigrate from Plymouth, England after this.  All future growth of the Pilgrims would be limited to growth through reproduction and conversions among the Strangers.

However, ships carrying new colonists continued to come to Plymouth Colony - almost all of them Strangers.  The Strangers continued to gain more and more influence, especially after William Bradford died in 1657 AD.  So by 1661 AD, they were running many of the affairs of Plymouth Colony.  The Pilgrims however managed to hold onto the position of governor until the colony came to an end.

Soon, the Strangers constant refusal to honor the treaty that the Pilgrims had made with the Wampanoag, caused trouble.  In 1662 AD, Metacom, who the colonists called King Philip, came to resent the constant squatting and demands for land, outside the borders of the treaty made with the Pilgrims, that were being made by the Strangers.  Metacom soon began attacking individual homes and taking hostages for ransom.  These were mostly Strangers, who had violated both the law of Plymouth Colony, and the treaty, by squatting on Wampanoag land.

The Strangers were gaining control of the courts, where they were effectively changing the laws created by the Pilgrims, when they refused to give sentences that applied the penalties prescribed by those laws. The Pilgrims had sought to create a self-contained colony where they could live in accordance with the Book of Truth (The Bible), while the Strangers came to benefit from the prosperity of Plymouth Colony.  This lead to ever growing unrest between the Pilgrims and Strangers in Plymouth Colony.

Finally, in 1675 AD, a member of the Wampanoag tribe, who had came into the House of Truth through the work of Pilgrims, was killed by other members of the Wampanoag tribe for doing so.  Some of the advisors of Metacom were arrested by the Pilgrims for the crime.  They were tried for murder by a jury consisting of twelve colonists and six other members of the Wampanoag tribe, who had came into the House of Truth.  They were found guilty and executed.

Metacom responded by organizing all of the tribes in New England to wage guerilla warfare on all of the colonies in New England.  When Metacom was killed in 1676 AD, and Prince Philip's War came to an end, the casualties among the colonists were high.  In fact, proportional to the population it was the bloodiest conflict in American history.  It was twice as costly, in these terms, as the American Civil War.

It was especially devastating to Plymouth Colony, which never really recovered economically from the damage done during the war.  The Pilgrims were already a minority in their own colony.  The Strangers were unwilling to do the things that the Pilgrims had done to make Plymouth Colony great.  It was certain that the Strangers would have gained complete control of Plymouth Colony, if it had not been absorbed into the Providence of Massachusetts Bay in 1691 AD.

The story of Pilgrims and Strangers in Plymouth Colony is a microcosm of the story of the United States.  The United States was founded by people, who wanted to live in accordance with the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), like the Pilgrims.  It created a constitution modeled after the Mayflower Compact.  It created a three branch form of government patterned off of the government created by the Pilgrims.  However, it has always had those, who came over to gain the benefits that came from laws based on the Book of Truth, but did not want to obey those laws, like the Strangers.  They have ignored the treaties made with Native Americans, like the Strangers.  They have sought to change the laws that made America great, like the Strangers.

Around 1870 AD, waves of these immigrants started coming over for the benefits, until they became the majority in many cities, like the Strangers.  Like the Strangers, they began changing the laws of America through a subtle influence, until homosexuality went from a capital crime, to the point that people are living, like they were married in Sodom.  Like the Strangers, they joined congregations and denomination to subtly steer them away from following the Book of Truth, so that the Spirit of Truth is no longer the American Spirit.  Like the Strangers, they have so little in common with the Pilgrims, that they have caused the disintegration of Thanksgiving.   Eventually, they so influenced America, like the Strangers, that many Americans have been given over to the Dawkins Delusions.

This has led to great division in America, like that between Pilgrims and Strangers.  It has led to disastrous unending wars for America, like Plymouth Colony, because there is the resolve to fight them, but not the resolve to win them quickly.  These wars have strained the economy of America, like King Philip's War strained that of Plymouth Colony.  All of these factors make the death of America a certainty, just like it did for Plymouth Colony.

So, why did the Pilgrims even allow the Strangers into their colony?

The Pilgrims needed the Stranger Thomas Weston and the Merchant Adventurers to finance their voyage.  They needed Strangers to sail the Mayflower to Plymouth Colony.  They hired Miles Standish, who was one of the Strangers when they hired him, to train them to provide for their own defense.  They needed various other Strangers to provide the understanding and skills necessary for Plymouth Colony to survive.

The Pilgrims lacked the skills to create a colony that could survive, much less thrive, on their own.  Most of them were lacking in education and useful skills.  They were so afraid of the education systems, that many attempted to home school their children.  This was often the uneducated educating the uneducated.  They had became so separate from the world, that they did not have what it took to thrive in the world.   They simply never learned how to win at Greco-Judeo wrestling.

This fear does not come from the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD)!  Moses (Moishe) was educated by the Egyptians, but his heart still belonged to the Father of Truth (Acts 7:22-25)!

Daniel and his three friends did not lose faith by eating the unclean food of the Babylonians (Daniel 1:8-13).  Yet they were the top of the class at the university of Babylon (Daniel 1:18-20).

Paul the Jew (Shaul aka Saul aka The Apostle Paul) was taught by the greatest Rabbi of his day (Acts 22:3). He was among the most educated men of his day (Acts 26:24).  He exceeded all others in the teachings of Judaism (Galatians 1:14).  Yet, when his ignorance ended, he put that zeal for the Father of Truth into telling people about the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) (1 Timothy 1:12-14).

The Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him) are called be in this world, even though they are not part of it (John 17:14-16).  This fear of obtaining education is not from the Father of Truth, but a sound mind is (2 Timothy 1:7).

The Children of Truth must talk to their children all the time about living a life that is pleasing to the Father of Truth, while they are young (Deuteronomy 6:6-7).  If they do this, then there is nothing to fear from education, because their children will not depart far from what their parents taught them (Proverbs 22:6).

The Children of Truth should go into every noble profession, and be a light there (Matthew 5:14-16).  The Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost) that lives in them, cannot be overcome by the spirit of this world (1 John 4:2-4).

People every where need to know how to come into the House of Truth!

They need to know, that they need to surrender control of their lives to the Man of Truth, because they believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead, so they can come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:9).

Come into the House of Truth!

Greco-Judeo Wrestling

What is the longest wrestling match in history?

This year, the games of the thirty-first modern Olympiad are being played in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.  The return of the Olympics in modern times is but one of many signs of Greece rising as foretold in the Book of Truth (The Bible).

One event that has consistently been around since the very first modern games that started at Athens, Greece, in 1896, is Greco-Roman wrestling.

This event is based on an even older event that was part of the ancient Olympics that were originally known as just Greek wrestling, until the Romans began to compete, after they conquered Greece.

The Romans were obsessed with Greek culture and often adopted Greek culture with a Roman adaptation.  For example, the Romans made concrete pillars that looked like the marble pillars used by the Greeks.  So anything that the Romans adopted from the Greeks and then adapt to fit into Roman culture, became known as being Greco-Roman.  So the wrestling style that was part of the first modern games was called "Greco-Roman" wrestling, because it was adopted from ancient Greek wrestling and adapted to fit in the culture of the area that had been the Roman Empire.

The ancient Olympics lasted for 291 Olympiads, and began around 776 BC.  Ancient Greek wrestling was the first game that was added to the ancient Olympics that was not a foot race.  It was added in 708 BC, so it is the oldest form of wrestling in all of sports.  The wrestling arena was huge by modern standards, roughly 100 feet by 100 feet (30 meters by 30 meters), and a wrestling match could continue for several hours between well matched opponents.

However, there has been an even older wrestling match involving the Greeks that has not been finished yet.  That wrestling match is best described as Greco-Judeo wrestling.

It is important to understand the two sides involved in Greco-Judeo wrestling, in order to understand when this wrestling match started and when it will be finished.

On the one side, there are the Greeks.

The Greeks are part of the lighter skinned people who came from Japheth the son of Noah like the Germans (descendants of Ashkenaz) (Genesis 10:1-3).  The Greeks are descendants of Javan (Yavan) through his son Elishah (Genesis 10:4).

The Greeks have always revered Elishah. 

Elishah is called "Elusius" ("Elysius") in Greek, for the same reasons that Yah'shua is called "Iesus" in Greek.  The name that the Greeks call themselves, "Elenis" ("Ellynis"), literally means "descendant of Elysius (Elisha)".  The oldest rites of the ancient Greek religion are the Elysian (Elusian) Mysteries (the Mysteries of Elisha).  In the ancient Greek religion, the worthy went to the Elysian Fields (the fields of Elisha) after death.  Even the chief idol of their ancient religion, Zeus, was a descendant of Elysius (Elisha).

The Olympics were first held at the foot of Mount Olympus, where the original statue of Zeus had been erected.  The Olympics were the second oldest religious rite among the Greeks.  It was established to remind them every four years, that through all of their wars with each other that they were still all brothers, because they all descended from Elysius (Elisha).

The Greeks are closely related to the Spaniards and Portuguese (descendants of Tarshish), Italians (aka Romans) (descendants of Kittim (Chittim)), and the Cretans (descendants of Dodanim), although Javan (Yavin) is frequently used to refer to the Greeks, because Elishah was the oldest son (1 Chronicles 1:7).

In reality, frequently in the Book of Truth Javan really means all of his descendants who collectively colonized all of the isles of the Mediterranean Sea, and most of the coast of it, along with the coast of the Black Sea (Genesis 10:4-5).  This is important to understand, since Greco sometimes not only refers directly to Greeks, but also to related people who share a common ancestor with the Greeks, especially Cretans, but sometimes Romans or even Spaniards.

This is particularly true of the Cretans.

Dodanim means "Leaders", and it is very fitting for the Cretans in so many ways. 

They led the world in literature, being the first to develop writing.  They led the world in transportation, being the first to develop sailing.  They led the world in the arts, being the first to develop many forms of art.  They led the world in civilization, with the Minoan civilization being the first to develop the principles of western civilization.  They led the world in sports, being the first to develop athletic contests.  They led the world in government, being the first to provide representation for all.

The Cretans were not just limited to Crete, for the ancient Greek name for them was Rhodioi.  The isle of Rhodes is named after them, and they were the original inhabitants of Cyprus as well.  They filled all of the Aegean islands, particularly the Cyclades that start off the southern shore of Greece and extend to Cretan Sea.  They were the first to colonize the Greek Isles.

The earliest Greek civilization, called Mycenaean, got the first Greek writing system, linear B, from the Minoans, the earliest Cretan civilization, after they invaded Crete.  The Cretans also gave the Greeks the first Greek alphabet.  In fact, Greek civilization was basically so transformed by Cretan civilization, that it effectively adopted and adapted everything Cretan, similar to what the Romans did with Greek civilization, over a thousand years later.

Even today, the Greeks and Cretans are so intertwined, that most people are unaware, that they are two different ethnic groups.  The Cretans are called Greeks by most people, because the islands that make up their homeland are part the country of Greece.  So the term "Greco" in the modern sense usually means associated with either the descendants of Elisha or Dodanim, that is to say the Greeks or Cretans.  In modern Hebrew, the term "Yavan" is often used in the same way for the same reasons.

On the other side, there are the Jews.

The Jews are part of the medium skinned people, who came from Shem the son of Noah, like the Persians (descendants of Elam) (1 Chronicles 1:17-23).  The father of the man who the Jews came from, Isaac (Yitzakh), was born nine generations later than Javan, the father of the man who the Greeks came from (1 Chronicles 1:24-28).  The Jews are descendants of Isaac (Yitzakh) through his son Israel (1 Chronicles 1:34).

The Jews have always revered Israel. 

The name that the Jews call themselves when they are in the Promised Land, "Israeli", literally means "descendant of Israel".  They do not eat the sinew of any animal to this day, because Israel walked with a limp after the Father of Truth (YHVH aka God aka THE LORD) gave him this name (Genesis 32:28-32).  Their father Israel had twelve sons (1 Chronicles 2:1-2).  Each son began a tribe, and many of the Jews to this day still have surnames that identify the name of the tribe of Israel, which they came from (1 Chronicles 27:16-22).

The grandfather of Israel, Abraham (Abram), was called a "Hebrew", because he came from the other side of the Euphrates River into the Promised Land (Genesis 14:13).  (The word "Hebrew" means "one from beyond", that is to say, a foreigner.)  So the sons of Israel were called Hebrews in ancient times (Genesis 43:30-34).  Jews are still sometimes referred to as Hebrews (Jeremiah 34:9).  The language of the Jews is still called "Hebrew" to this day (Acts 22:1-3).

The descendants of Israel are also called Jews, because they lived in the kingdom of Judah until the Babylonians destroyed the kingdom. 

The united kingdom of Israel was split into two smaller kingdoms called Israel and Judah (1 Kings 12:19-21).  First the smaller kingdom of Israel came to an end when the Assyrians invaded (2 Kings 15:29).  Then the smaller kingdom of Judah came to an end when the Babylonians invaded (2 Kings 25:21).  Then the descendants of Israel returned to the smaller kingdom of Judah seventy years later (Nehemiah 7:5-7).  Since then, descendants of Israel from all twelve tribes have been called Jews (Acts 26:7).

So the term "Judeo" refers to anything, that is associated with the descendants of Israel, whether they are called Hebrews or Israelis or Jews.

Now that the two sides of Greco-Judeo wrestling have been identified, we can now discuss what exactly is Greco-Judeo wrestling.

The best place to start is with understanding where these two sides came from, and what they represent.

The Greeks are part of the descendants of Japheth (Yafpet), that includes those who originally settled Europe and the northern half of Asia (Genesis 10:2).

Japheth means "expansion".

Japheth primarily represents the soul, especially the intellect, for his descendants have been responsible for the expansion of the intelligence of the human race.  Virtually every system for collecting information, and expanding intelligence, has came from his descendants.  For example, his descendants invented writing, books, libraries, movies, radio, television, computers, the internet, and smart phones.

This has been true since ancient times.

The Greeks and Cretans virtually invented science, math, and history, all by themselves.  The father of virtually ever branch of science, like medicine, is a Greek.  The same is true of mathematics.  The father of writing history, for the sake of history, (and geography) is Herodotus, a Greek.

They also invented many of the arts, like literature, theater, comedy, tragedy, and drama, as well as things like philosophy, that appeal to the emotions.

The fact is, that change is in the very nature of the descendants of Javan like the Greeks.  "Javan", "Yavin" in Hebrew, ("Ion" in Hebrew, if the Yod and Vwavw indicate vowels instead of consonants), means "effervescent" or "ever changing".  This why Greeks have always been pursuing new things (Acts 17:21).

Due to their advancements in technology (another Greek invention), the descendants of Japheth have expanded into the lands that were originally occupied by descendants of Shem, like Australia, North America, and South America.  Their advancements in expression of culture have made their culture to dominate the native culture of all these lands. 

This expansion of their dwelling places is what Noah had said, that the Father of Truth would bring about (Genesis 9:27).

So the Greeks are the epitome of the soul of humans.

The Jews are part of the descendants of Shem that includes those who originally settled the southern half of Asia that is east of the Euphrates River, Australia, North America, and South America (Genesis 10:2). 

Shem means "name".

Shem primarily represents the spirit, as expressed through religion, for his descendants have been responsible for making known the name of the Creator of the human race.  Virtually every religious system in the world today has came from his descendants.  For example, his descendants created Hinduism, Buddhism, Shintoism, Taoism, Islam, Judaism, and Christianity.

This has been true since ancient times.

The Jews virtually brought about Judaism and Christianity (in its original form) all by themselves.  The father of virtually every branch of theology is a Jew.  Even Mohammad studied under the Jews before bringing about Islam.

In fact, his favorite wife after his first wife had died, was a Jew named Rayhana bint Zayd who had great influence on him.  (It was also rumored after his death that she had killed him with poison to avenge her first husband, whom Mohammad had killed when he first acquired her as a slave.)

They have also brought about psalms, hymns, and the like to proclaim the name of the Creator.

So due to their advances in religion, the descendants of Shem have made the name of the Creator of the human race to be known in all lands. (The name as they understand it.  Obviously, some of them have the name of the Creator wrong, or attribute the wrong spiritual entity as the Creator.)

So the Jews are the epitome of the spirit of humans.

Now, that where the two sides came from, and what they represent has been established, Greco-Judeo wrestling can be explained.

Human beings are all spirits who have a soul that lives in a body.  No one is soul only or spirit only.  No one can focus on just the soul or the spirit.  They must achieve a balance between the two in order to be successful in carrying out their purpose.

This is never easy to do and is an on-going struggle.  This is especially true for the Children of Truth (those who obey The Father of Truth because they love Him). 

They must not become so Earthly minded that they are no Heavenly good.  They must not become so Heavenly minded that they are no Earthly good.  They must wrestle to achieve the right balance between their soul that interacts with other people, and their spirit that is interacts with the Spirit of Truth (Ruach HaQodesh aka The Holy Spirit aka The Holy Ghost).

This struggle to achieve this balance is epitomized by the wrestling of Greeks and Jews to acquire the benefits of the contribution of the other group, without losing the benefits of the contributions of their own group.

For example, even though Greeks invented medical science, the Jews have produced many great doctors who have made many great contributions.  In like manner, even though the Jews brought about the Renewed Covenant (B'rit Chadashah aka The New Testament), the Greeks have preserved it and disseminated it throughout the world.

This struggle has been going on for a long time.  Like the soul and spirit of each human being are intertwined, so also are the histories and cultures of the Greeks and Jews intertwined.  This struggle between them to achieve this balance, as played out in their interactions with each other, is the epitome of the struggle that every Child of Truth faces to achieve balance, as played out in the interactions of their soul and spirit.

This struggle to achieve balance between the soul and spirit, that is clearly seen in the interaction between Greeks and Jews, is Greco-Judeo wrestling.

The arena for this wrestling match is truly huge, for it covers the entire Earth.  Both Greeks and Jews have been scattered throughout the Earth in their own diaspora (a Greek word that means "scattered").   There is hardly a major city on Earth that has not either had a community composed of each group, or at least people with ancestry from each group, sometimes without the people knowing it themselves.

For example, Tulsa has a Greek community and a Jewish community that are about the same size, even though it is far away from both Greece and Israel.

Both Greeks and Jews have influenced, and been influenced by, the culture of the places that they have been scattered to. 

For example, America has a Greek form of government, democracy, but the basis of its laws is the Law of Truth (Torah aka The Law), which was given to the Jews by Moses (Moishe).  That is why Moses is in the center of the facade above the entrance to the US Supreme court, which has Greek revival architecture.  In like manner, the Statue of Liberty is dressed in the clothing of Ancient Greece, but the poem on the base of the statue was written by a Jewish girl.

These twin forces have wrestled for influence and balance with each other across the entire globe.

The Greeks and the Jews are well matched in this wrestling.  They both have more in common than either one really wants to admit.

Arguing is in the blood of both Greeks and Jews.

It is said in Israel, that if arguing was an Olympic sport then the Jews would bring home the gold every four years.  However, I used to live in Greece, and I am not really convinced that the Greeks would have to settle for silver in every Olympics.  When the Greeks talk to each other in Greek, they even sound like they are arguing when they are just making polite conversation.

They both have legendary levels of stubbornness.

Another thing that they would medal in constantly, if it was an Olympic sport, is stubbornness.   This stubbornness has served them well when they have been right about something, but has proven to be disastrous when they were wrong about something.

For example, only the Greeks would have resisted the Persians, year after year, when the Persians kept showing up with overwhelming forces.  Sometimes, the Greeks were outnumbered forty to one, but they were too stubborn to consider surrender, no matter how favorable the Persians made the terms. 

The Jews showed themselves to be equally stubborn, when they returned to the Promised Land and were faced with similar odds against the Arabs.

They both cling to tradition.  The Greeks still do many things to this day because that is their tradition. 

In Greece, the Greeks say, "all of Greece does....", and as far as they are concerned, if you are a Greek then that has settled the matter.  For example, all of Greece loves the color white first, and then the color blue.  So there is no point in asking a Greek, what their first or second favorite color is, instead you ask them what their third favorite color is. 

The Jews have also clung stubbornly to tradition, even when those traditions seem pointless.

Both Greeks and Jews cling to these traditions, because it keeps their descendants from losing their identity of what it means to be part of their group, as they have been dispersed throughout the world for century after century.  They both have far more people living outside of the land of their ancestors than in the land of their ancestors.  

So, the dispersed Greeks make their children go to Greek school to learn a language that they will never speak, outside of their own community, just as the dispersed Jews make their children go to Hebrew school to learn a language that they will never speak, outside of their own community.  So they both have managed to keep their ancient languages from disappearing completely off the face of the Earth.

They both observe their own set of holidays, instead of, or sometimes in addition to, the holidays of the host community where they live.  They also both eat different foods than those around them.

They both had their countries return from the dead. 

Both Greece and Israel ceased to be their own country and did not exist as such for thousands of years.  They are the only two countries that have ever completely disappeared into history, and then were revived.

They both long to return to the land of their ancestors.

The Greeks will display the Greek flag in the front yard of a house that is naturally made in Greek revival style, sometimes so much that it reminds other people of the Parthenon in Athens.  The Jews will also display the Israeli flag on their front yard with a house that has a mazusa on the doorpost of every door, except the bathrooms.

Lastly, they both have a grudging admiration and respect for the other group. 

That is because, they have both been participating in this match of Greco-Judeo wrestling for a time.

The match began, when the Jews got their original alphabet from the Phoenicians.  The original Hebrew alphabet, called Paleo-Hebrew, came from the Phoenicians.  The modern Hebrew alphabet, called Block Hebrew, is the Aramaic alphabet that came from the Syrians (Arameans).

The Phoenicians had colonized the coast of modern day Lebanon, just north of the Promised Land, and called their country Phenice (Phoenicia) (Acts 15:3-4).  It was called Phenice, after the city of Phenice on the western end of the Crete, where they had came from (Acts 27:12).

When the Father of Truth gave the Law of Truth to the Jews, it was written using the Ancient Greek alphabet (Exodus 24:12).  In fact, the entire Original Covenant (Tanakh aka The Old Testament) before the Babylonian Exile was written using the Ancient Greek alphabet. 

This intertwining between Greeks and Jews in the delivery of the spiritual message given through the Jews, using Greek communication tools, has continued through the ages. 

The very first translation of the Original Covenant from Hebrew into another language was done in Greek, at the command of the Greek Emperor, Ptolemy II, who ruled over the Jews who had been scattered to Egypt.  It is no accident, that except for the Gospel of Matthew, that Greek is the language of the Renewed Covenant.

So Greco-Judeo wrestling began when Israel, the father of the Jews, began using the alphabet of the Cretans that the Ancient Greeks had already adopted.

The match continued when the Jews left Egypt, for there were Greeks in the mixed multitude who left Egypt with them (Exodus 12:37-39).  (The Egyptians had hired Greeks for their skills in mathematics and engineering in order to build their great monuments.  The Jews had been enslaved to provide the labor.)

This intertwining of Greeks and Jews living among each other has continued ever since that time.

The famous Spartans of Ancient Greece were originally known as Danaoi, literally "descendants of Dan".  Later they were called "Spartans", after their most prominent city, Sparta.  They were particularly noted for keeping different customs than all of the Greeks who they lived among, just as Jews have always been noted for doing.

Israel had prophesied, that the descendants of Dan, who made up the tribe of Dan, would be known for their military cunning and delivering unexpected defeats to their enemies (Genesis 49:16-17).  Moses had prophesied, that the tribe of Dan would be like young lions - terrible to fight against (Deuteronomy 33:22).  Samson, the mightiest warrior during the entire period of the Judges of Israel, was from the tribe of Dan (Judges 13:2-24).  The tribe of Dan conquered a strong city with only 600 of its warriors, then renamed the city to Dan and made it their capitol (Judges 18:16-29).  The tribe of Dan was known for being experts in war (1 Chronicles 12:35).

Not only were the descendants of Dan known for their military prowess, but also for their long standing connection to the Greeks.

The tribe of Dan was known for it seafaring ways like the Greeks, after they settled in the Promised Land (Judges 5:17).  The tribe of Dan was particularly known for its connection to the Greeks, and other descendants of Javan, through it interaction with the Phoenicians of Tyre (Ezekiel 27:19).

The descendants of Dan were also the most educated of the Jews in the technologies of the Greeks.

Aholiab, of the tribe of Dan, was a partner in building the Tabernacle, because he was an expert in creating blue and purple cloth (Exodus 38:21-23).  Creating this purple and blue cloth was a secret of the Ancient Greeks (Ezekiel 27:7).  So apparently the Greeks who went with the Jews into the wilderness, had taught this to him at that time.   So Jews from the tribe of Dan were using Greek technology to carry out the mission of the Father of Truth.

The man in charge of building the Temple had a Phoenician father from Tyre, and his mother was from the tribe of Dan (2 Chronicles 2:12-14).  So Jews, from the tribe of Dan were again using Greek technology to carry out the mission of the Father of Truth.

Lastly, the tribe of Dan was susceptible to idolatry like the Greeks.

The tribe of Dan took the priest and the idols that Micah had made by force to their own land, so they could set up their own idolatrous religion (Judges 18:17-26).   Later, the city of Dan became a center for idolatry in the smaller kingdom of Israel (1 Kings 12:28-30).

So Jews from the tribe of Dan began to live among the Greeks in Greece, as the Spartans, just as the some of the Greeks had been living among the Jews as part of the mixed multitude.

This pattern of some of the Greeks living among the Jews, and some of the Jews living among the Greeks, has continued throughout the ages.

Tyre (Tyrus) had long been established as the capital of the Phoenicians by the time that the Jews came into the Promised Land, and it was just north of the border of the Promised Land (Joshua 19:29-31).

It was the Phoenicians of Tyre who built the palace of David, the king of the Jews (2 Samuel 5:10-12). It was another partnership of Jewish inspiration and Greek technology.

The man who created the artifacts of the Temple also had a Phoenician father, but his mother was from the tribe of Naphtali and lived among the Phoenicians, until Solomon, the king of the Jews, sent for him (1 Kings 7:13-31).  The Greeks were again intertwined with the Jews in carrying out the mission of the Father of Truth.

So King Solomon gave twenty of the cities of Galilee to the Phoenicians, and they began to live among the Jews in the land of Israel (1 Kings 9:11).  For this reason, Galilee became known as Galilee of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1).  Galilee had become full of Greek cities.

Hundreds of years later, when the Babylonians came to exile the Jews from the Promised Land, the Phoenicians of Tyre enslaved the Jews who came to them for help, and sold them to the Greeks who hauled them off to Greece (Joel 3:4-6).  Then Tyre was destroyed for not remembering the brotherly covenant that their king had made with King David (Amos 1:9-10).  So Greece was again filled with Jews.

Still, the Phoenicians of Tyre continued living in the Promised Land among the Jews, after the Jews returned from the exile in Babylon to the smaller kingdom of Judah (Nehemiah 13:15-17).

Then the Greeks took over the Persian Empire that included the Promised Land, before breaking into four smaller Empires (Daniel 8:20-22).  Then two of the smaller Greek empires fought over the Promised Land and filled it with Greek cities (Daniel 11:3-20). 

Then the northern Greek Empire prevailed over the southern Greek Empire until the Romans (Chittim) came in ships to protect the southern Greek empire (Daniel 11:21-30). 

Then the northern Emperor turned his full attention to turning the Jews completely away from the Law of Truth, so that they did everything the Greek way, including worshiping Greek idols (Daniel 11:28-31).  However, the Jews who were faithful to the Father of Truth prevailed against the northern Greek empire, and established their own independent Jewish kingdom, even though their land was still filled with Greek cities (Daniel 11:32-35). 

These Jews showed the Greeks that resistance is essential in carrying out the will of the Father of Truth.

So Galilee was still called "Galilee of the Gentiles", when the Man of Truth (Yeshua HaMashiach aka Jesus Christ) came to this Earth, because it was full of Greek cities (Matthew 4:14-16).  This is why the Phoenician woman from the Roman providence of Syria, was a Greek who sought after the Man of Truth when he was near Tyre (Mark 7:24-26).  Greek was so widely spoken throughout the Promised Land that the accusation against the Man of Truth was written in Greek as well as Hebrew (Luke 23:38).

The Jews, in like manner, were scattered among the lands of the Greeks. 

There were Jews, who had lived in Greek cities, from all over the territory of the former four smaller Greek empires that formed their own synagogue (another Greek word) in Jerusalem (Acts 6:9).  The Jews were not only living Phoenicia (Phenice), but were also living in Cyprus and Antioch (Acts 11:19).  The Jews were living in the cities of Crete, like Salamis (Acts 13:5).  The Jews were living in Greek cities of Roman providences that were near the Mediterranean Sea, like Antioch Psidia (Acts 13:14).  The Jews were living in the Greek cities of Roman providences that were far from the Mediterranean Sea, like Iconium (Acts 14:1).  The Jews were living in the most prominent Greek city in the world that was outside of Greece, Ephesus (Acts 18:18-20).

The Jews not only lived in the cities of the Greeks outside of Greece, but they lived among the Greeks in Greece. 

So many Jews lived in the Greek city of Thessaloniki in northern Greece, (about seventy percent of the population), that it was called the Second Jerusalem until the Nazis destroyed most of its Jewish population (Acts 17:1).  There were Jews living deep in the interior of Greece in Berea (Acts 17:10).  There were Jews living in Athens, the cultural capitol of the Greece and the center of Greek idolatry (Acts 17:16-17).  Jews made up about half of the population of Corinth in southern Greece (Acts 18:1-4).

In short, there were always Greeks living among the Jews in the Promised Land, and there were always Jews living among the Greeks throughout every land that they had colonized or conquered.

Of course, this living among each other for almost two-thousand years by the time of the Apostles of Truth, had caused both Greeks and Jews to influence, and be influenced, by the other group.

The Greeks influenced the Jews to adapt many Greek practices.

Jews started giving their children Greek names, like Andrew (Matthew 10:2).  Jews took up the Greek custom of Greek family surnames, like Thaddaeus (Matthew 10:3).  Jews took up the Greek custom of naming their children after their own relatives (Luke 1:60-63).

Jews were so familiar with plays by Greeks like Ascylus that they quoted lines from them to each other (Acts 9:4-5).  Jews were so familiar with Greek poets and philosophers that they could use their quotes in Greek trials (Acts 17:18-28).  Jews attended Greek athletic events like the Olympics (1 Corinthians 9:24-26).  (Herod the Great came up with giving gold, silver and bronze medals, instead of olive branch wreaths.)  Jews were so familiar with Cretan prophets that they could quote them as well (Titus 1:12).

Some Jews were so immersed in Greek culture that they were called Greeks by the Jews who lived in the Promised Land (Acts 6:1).

Many Jews became skilled in Greek technology (Mark 6:3). [The word translated as "Carpenter" is "Tekton" and means a technology worker.]  Jews took up Greek occupations, like being a medical doctor (Colossians 4:14).

Some Jews even took up Greek sorcery (Acts 13:6).  Some Jews were married to Greeks (Acts 16:1-3).  Some Jews were so influenced by the Greeks that they became uncircumcised, effectively becoming Greeks (1 Corinthians 7:18). 

The Jews also had great influence on the Greeks.

Many Greeks had came to fear the Father of Truth, instead of idols, because of the influence of the Jews (Acts 13:16).  Many Greeks became proselytes to the religion of the Jews (Acts 13:42-44).  Many Greeks were devoted to the Father of Truth (Acts 17:1-4).  Many Greeks had taken up the habit of attending synagogue with the Jews on the Sabbath (Acts 18:4).

Many Greeks were so influenced by the Jews that they made the long journey from Greek lands to travel with the Jews to Jerusalem to worship the Father of Truth at the Feasts of Truth (Acts 2:9-11).

Some Greeks were so influenced by the Jews that they became circumcised, and obligated themselves to keep the entire Law of Truth, effectively becoming Jews (Galatians 5:3).

So the Greeks had great influence of the souls of the Jews, while the Jews had great influence on the spirits of the Greeks.

This match of Greco-Judeo wrestling had left the Greeks and Jews so intertwined that it was about impossible to separate them. 

They lived among each other all the time.  They benefited from each other at times, but fought with each other at other times.  They were wrestling to acquire the benefits of the contribution of the other group, without losing the benefits of the contributions of their own group.  They needed to learn how to work with each other, instead of against each other.  They needed to find balance to gain the maximum mutual benefit, just like the Children of Truth need to find balance between their souls and spirit to gain maximum mutual benefit.

Fortunately, the Father of Truth had provided a way for them to find this balance in the Man of Truth.

The Man of Truth knew that it was time for him to suffer, die, and rise again, when the Greeks started seeking after him at one of the Feasts of Truth that had been given to the Jews (John 12:20-23).

The Man of Truth made it possible for both Greeks and Jews to come into the House of Truth (Romans 1:16).  There is no difference between the two, when they come into the House of Truth (Romans 10:12).  He gives both the satisfaction of the soul that the Greeks need, and the satisfaction of the spirit that the Jews need, when they come into the House of Truth (1 Corinthians 1:22-24).  They are both able to work together in unity when they come into the House of Truth (Galatians 3:28).   It is the end of Greco-Judeo wrestling when they come into the House of Truth, and they both win (Colossians 3:11).

For this reason, the Apostles of Truth were sent to Phenice (Phoenicia) to let Jewish Children of Truth know that there was a way to win at Greco-Judeo wrestling (Acts 15:3).  Since they had learned how to win at Greco-Judeo wrestling, these Jews went into Greece, the Greek homeland, to tell the Greeks how to win as well (Acts 20:1-3). 

The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling meant that many Greeks and Jews would come into the House of Truth together (Acts 17:10-12).  The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling meant that both Greeks and Jews could learn together how to walk in truth (Acts 19:8-10).  The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling caused many Greeks and Jews to surrender to the Man of Truth (Acts 19:17-20).  The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling made it possible to tell both Greeks and Jews what they needed to do to come into the House of Truth (Acts 20:18-21).

The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling made it possible, for the Jews returning to Jerusalem to live as brothers with the Phoenicians of Tyre (Acts 21:2-6).  The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling meant that Greeks would no longer be compelled to become Jews through circumcision, to be accepted as equals with the Jews (Galatians 2:1-5).  The end of Greco-Judeo wrestling made it possible for Greeks to have an equal part with Jews in carrying out the will of the Father of Truth, especially in Greek lands (Titus 1:4-5).

This has caused those Greeks who have came into the House of Truth, to work with those Jews who have done the same, to bring about the will of the Father of Truth.

It is no accident, that Greeks were the first Gentiles to seek after the Man of Truth.  It is no accident, that the majority of the focus of the Apostles of Truth was ending Greco-Judeo wrestling by bringing Greeks into the House of Truth. 

It was no accident that one of the Gospels was written as a history for a Greek (Luke 1:3).  It is no accident that the Acts was written as a follow up history for the same Greek (Acts 1:1-2).  It no accident,that the many of the Epistles were written to Greeks.  It is no accident that the Revelation was written for Greeks as well as Jews (Revelation 9:11).

It had always been the plan of the Father of Truth to end Greco-Judeo wrestling by sending the Jews to the Greeks, and the rest of the descendants of Javan, to tell them how to come into the House of Truth (Isaiah 66:19).

Elishah, the name of their ancestor, whom they named themselves after, means "My God is coming". [In Hebrew, placing a "yod" after a word, makes it become possessive, usually "my", so "Eli" is "My God" and "shah" is "is coming".] 

So they were always looking for the Man of Truth to come to the Earth, even after they forgot about the Father of Truth and turned to idols. 

They frequently had stories, of their gods coming down in the likeness of men, because of this expectation (Acts 14:11).  They had been groping after the Father of Truth, like blind men feeling their way around in the dark, due to their ignorance of Him (Acts 17:27-30).  The Greeks only needed to be told the message that had been given to the Jews, so they could see that the Man of Truth was the fulfillment of their longing (Romans 3:1-2).

The Greeks, who came into the House of Truth could be trusted by the Apostles of Truth to carry on their mission, like they were their own sons (Titus 1:1-5).

It was the Greeks who made sure that there are no books missing from the Book of Truth.  It was Greeks who made sure that no additional books were added to the Renewed Covenant.  They have done their part in maintaining the incorruptible Word.

When Latin speakers tried to change the cannon of the Book of Truth, especially the Renewed Covenant, they could not convince the Greeks to do so, and the Greeks had all of the original documents.  That Greek stubbornness made them completely unwilling to compromise about this.  They had the cannon that the Apostles of Truth had left them, and there was no room for negotiation.

This is not surprising, considering that the Greeks still roast a lamb whole at Passover when they celebrate the resurrection of the Man of Truth, because the Apostles of Truth told them to do this about two-thousand years ago.  Greeks are serious about keeping their traditions, and especially anything that came from the Apostles of Truth.

For this reason, Greeks have served as a little sanctuary to the Jews, whom they called "the holy people", where ever they have been scattered at (Ezekiel 11:16).

For example, the Greeks of Greece allowed the Jews to live in their own cities for hundreds of years, and keep their own customs there. 

One example is Sourmena, where I lived at in Greece.  The Jews of Sourmena relocated to present day Turkey in a town that they gave the same name to (it was the Greek thing to do), after siding with the Turks in the Greek war of Independence in 1821.  This was not anything against Jews of Sourmena by the Greeks.  The Jews of Sourmena had not discerned, that the Father of Truth was bringing Greece back up from the dead.

While living among the Greeks, the Jews developed a hybrid language of Hebrew and Greek called "Yavanic", after Javan, the ancestor of the Greeks.  These Jews who lived in Greece were known as Romanoit Jews, because the Romans also came from Javan, though his son Kittim (Chittim).

Later, Greeks were the first to bring Jews from the lands that surround the Black Sea, and the Greek isles to the Promised Land in ships that they acquired from Spain (Tarshish) (Isaiah 60:9).

Afterwards, that famous Greek stubbornness when it came to the Jews, caused Hitler to turn against the Greeks, and add them to the list of races to be exterminated in the Holocaust, because they refused to turn over their Jewish neighbors, even at the expense of their own lives.

So the Man of Truth has brought an end to Greco-Judeo wrestling for those Greeks, who have came into the House of Truth.  Those Greeks have been working with Jews in carrying out the will of the Father of Truth.

However, Greco-Judeo wrestling has not yet come to a permanent end, for Greeks or Jews, who have not come into the House of Truth.  This wrestling match continues until this day.

Greco-Judeo wrestling will come to a permanent end when every Jew who lives in the Promised Land, and every Greek who lives in the Greek isles, as well as everywhere else on Earth, lives in total surrender to the Man of Truth (Psalm 72:8-11).  The Man of Truth will bring a permanent end to Greco-Judeo wrestling when he rules over the Earth (Zechariah 9:9-13).

This Greco-Judeo wrestling is representative of the wrestling that goes on in the life of each of the Children of Truth. 

They must learn how to be effective, as they interact with this world, even though, they do not belong to this world (John 17:14-16).  They must do this without becoming friends with this world, because then they become enemies of the Father of Truth (James 4:4).

The Children of Truth are wrestling to acquire the benefits of the contribution of other people, without losing the benefits of being in the House of Truth.  They must strive to find a balance between their souls and their spirits.

It is like the Greeks and the Jews. 

The Greeks created the systems for storing, and effectively communicating messages, while the Jews had the message of the Father of Truth that needed to be stored and communicated.  When the Greeks and the Jews worked together, then they were able to store and effectively communicate the message of the Father of Truth.  It was by working together that they were able to achieve the maximum benefit for the Father of Truth.

The Children of Truth must not be so focus on developing their souls that they have no time for developing their spirits.  They must not be so focus on developing their spirits that they have no time for developing their souls.  They have to develop both.  When they learn how to make their souls and spirits work together, then they are able to achieve the maximum benefit for the Father of Truth.

So they must spend time improving their understanding of everything that they do (Proverbs 4:7).  They must develop the gifts, that the Father of Truth has given them, because it will open up doors of opportunity for them (Proverbs 18:16).  They must be diligent in whatever they do, so they can influence those who rule nations, for the Father of Truth (Proverbs 22:29).

At the same time they must trust the Father of Truth, instead of their own understanding of things (Proverbs 3:5-7).   They must spend time fasting (Matthew 6:16-18).  They must persevere in praying (Luke 18:1-6).  They must study the Book of Truth to learn how to live a life that the Father of Truth approves (2 Timothy 2:15).  They must build their faith up by praying frequently in the tongues, if they have been baptized in the Spirit of Truth (Jude 1:20).

It is never a matter of doing one or the other.  It is a matter of doing both.

They must strive to do whatever they do, better than than those who have not come into the House of Truth.  At same time, they must learn to rightly divide the Word of Truth.  They must learn to be effective communicators of the Good News.  At the same time, they must learn how to produce the sound of power, so they can back up their words with action.  They must work hard, six days a week, at improving everything that they are involved in.  At the same time, they must be sure to give the Father of Truth, one day a week.

None of it is meaningless.  Everything matters in the effort to carry out the Great Commission.

When the Children of Truth learn how to balance their time between taking care of the needs of their souls and the needs of their spirits, then they will become effective in carrying out the will of the Father of Truth.  When the natural and the supernatural come together, it makes an explosive force for the Father of Truth.  This is what it takes to fully carry out the Great Commission.

For example, the doctor who takes care of my daughter has three specialties, and is recognized as one of the foremost authorities in the world in certain areas of medicine.  He also is baptized in the Spirit of Truth, frequently prays in tongues, and is ordained as a minister, because he completed a four years study course of the Book of Truth.

So he is able to go to foreign countries, at his own expense, to provide free medical help to the impoverished.  While he is there, he is able to spend some of his time preaching the Good News. 

Sometimes, what he cannot cure with his medical knowledge, the Father of Truth cures when he lays hands on the sick, and prays for them in the name of the Man of Truth.  Because he developed both his soul and his spirit, many people in many countries have come into the House of Truth.  He has learned to make his soul and spirit work together, and been able to achieve the maximum benefit for the Father of Truth.

He has learned how to win at Greco-Judeo wrestling.

So the Children of Truth need to do everything to the uttermost of their ability (Ecclesiastes 9:10).   They need to do everything that they do for the glory of the Father of Truth (1 Corinthians 10:31).  They need to do this to carry out the will of the Father of Truth in their lives (Ephesians 6:5-7).  

That is how they win at Greco-Judeo wrestling.

Of course, the first step to learning how to win at Greco-Judeo wrestling is to come into the House of Truth. 

You start learning how to bring balance between your soul and your spirit from the Man of Truth, when you come into the House of Truth (Matthew 11:27-30).  You come into the House of Truth, when you put him in charge of every area of your life, because you believe that the Father of Truth raised him from the dead (Romans 10:9).  You will win at Greco-Judeo wrestling when you come into the House of Truth, and submit to his training in every area of life, just like every Olympic champion comes into the gym, and submits to their coach in everything (1 Corinthians 9:24-27).

Come into the House of Truth!