from www.power-gengreen.com
The Future of Renewable Energy is NOW.
EXHIBIT AT POWER-GEN RENEWABLE ENERGY & FUELS, the industry's premier event covering the most important trends and issues impacting the renewable energy market.
Be a part of this important event and display your products and services to a qualified audience of leading decision-makers with the power to purchase. America's premier all-renewables conference and exhibition, POWER-GEN Renewable Energy & Fuels is the industry's leading hotspot for connecting renewable energy suppliers and customers in one place to do business. Bringing together an estimated 2,500 power professionals from the wind, solar, biomass and fuels, hydro and geothermal sectors, you'll join the biggest names in renewables in three days of fast-track networking and new business negotiation.
More than 80 companies have already booked space including such companies as:
• Mitsubishi Wind
• BP Alternative Energy
• Babcock & Wilcox
• Black & Veatch
• Kyocera
• Sterling Planet
• Powerlight
• Solar Turbines
• MAN B&W Diesel
• And others
Exhibition sales are going strong - 71% of the floorplan is already sold.
For exhibiting and sponsorship information and pricing, contact:
Dick Rauner
+1-918-832-9249 Direct
+1-918-831-9875 Fax
pgreexhibit@pennwell.com
Companies who should exhibit:
• Equipment manufacturers
• Architecture & Engineering Firms
• Finance Providers
• Research and Development Companies
• Interconnection Companies
• Insurance Companies
• Construction & Rigging Companies
• NGOs
• Associations
• Project Developers
• Law Firms
• And others
Book your space today for prime location!
Contact: Dick Rauner at pgreexhibit@pennwell.com or by phone at 918.832.9249.
Friday, December 08, 2006
Sunday, December 03, 2006
Sargas to build ultra-clean coalplant in Norway
story from PlanetArk.org
An international group of companies launched a plan on Monday to build a novel coal-fired power plant in Norway by 2011 that would curb global warming by capturing 95 percent of all greenhouse gases emitted.
Many countries are trying to find ways to clean up emissions from coal, among the dirtiest of fossil fuels and a big source of gases blamed for heating the planet, in a race likely to yield billions of dollars for the best technology.
The group, including France's Eramet, US Alcan and Norway's Norsk Hydro, said it would seek bids from construction firms for a 400-megawatt coal-fired plant in west Norway for about 4.5 billion crowns (US$700 million).
The plant would use a new technology, developed by Norwegian clean energy group Sargas, that is meant to capture more than 95 percent of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as well as noxious nitrous oxide, in coal fumes from the plant's chimneys.
"We think we have a significant advantage -- we are ready to build now," Sargas chief executive Henrik Fleischer told Reuters, saying all the components used in the pressurised coal-burning process were known and tested.
Among rivals, the US-led FutureGen Alliance plans to build a coal plant around 2012 to produce both clean electricity and hydrogen.
"We expect power generation to cost about 0.30-0.35 Norwegian crowns (US$0.047-$0.055) per kilowatt hour including costs of capture," Fleischer said.
COSTS UP
He said costs of carbon capture would push up basic power generation costs by about 25 percent. Still, the price was below forecast long-term industrial electricity prices in Norway of about 0.40 crowns per kilowatt hour, he said.
The planned Norwegian plant would strip out 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The gas could then be piped or shipped to offshore oil or gas fields, where it could be buried deep below the seabed.
Fleisher said the group expected the government to help. "We will be the first to come to the government with a significantly large amount of carbon dioxide. That's never happened before. We will see how they react," he said.
Norway has one of the world's few commercial carbon capture systems in operation at the Sleipner gas field, where about a million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year is buried below the seabed.
However, a coal-fired power plant would be a radical departure in Norway where almost all electricity is generated from non-polluting hydroelectric power.
Backers of the plan are Soer-Norge Aluminium, owned 50-50 by Alcan and Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian unit of Eramet, Norwegian family-owned industrial company Tinfos AS and Sargas. All four groups have a 25-percent stake in the project.
The four said in a statement that a bid for delivering the plant could be ready in 2007, a go-ahead ready in 2008, and production could start in 2011.
Most industrial countries have agreed to cap their emissions of carbon dioxide under the UN Kyoto Protocol as a first step to slow the feared effects of climate change such as more floods, heat waves and droughts, and rising sea levels.
Story by Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
www.PlanetArk.or
An international group of companies launched a plan on Monday to build a novel coal-fired power plant in Norway by 2011 that would curb global warming by capturing 95 percent of all greenhouse gases emitted.
Many countries are trying to find ways to clean up emissions from coal, among the dirtiest of fossil fuels and a big source of gases blamed for heating the planet, in a race likely to yield billions of dollars for the best technology.
The group, including France's Eramet, US Alcan and Norway's Norsk Hydro, said it would seek bids from construction firms for a 400-megawatt coal-fired plant in west Norway for about 4.5 billion crowns (US$700 million).
The plant would use a new technology, developed by Norwegian clean energy group Sargas, that is meant to capture more than 95 percent of carbon dioxide, the main greenhouse gas, as well as noxious nitrous oxide, in coal fumes from the plant's chimneys.
"We think we have a significant advantage -- we are ready to build now," Sargas chief executive Henrik Fleischer told Reuters, saying all the components used in the pressurised coal-burning process were known and tested.
Among rivals, the US-led FutureGen Alliance plans to build a coal plant around 2012 to produce both clean electricity and hydrogen.
"We expect power generation to cost about 0.30-0.35 Norwegian crowns (US$0.047-$0.055) per kilowatt hour including costs of capture," Fleischer said.
COSTS UP
He said costs of carbon capture would push up basic power generation costs by about 25 percent. Still, the price was below forecast long-term industrial electricity prices in Norway of about 0.40 crowns per kilowatt hour, he said.
The planned Norwegian plant would strip out 2.6 million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year. The gas could then be piped or shipped to offshore oil or gas fields, where it could be buried deep below the seabed.
Fleisher said the group expected the government to help. "We will be the first to come to the government with a significantly large amount of carbon dioxide. That's never happened before. We will see how they react," he said.
Norway has one of the world's few commercial carbon capture systems in operation at the Sleipner gas field, where about a million tonnes of carbon dioxide a year is buried below the seabed.
However, a coal-fired power plant would be a radical departure in Norway where almost all electricity is generated from non-polluting hydroelectric power.
Backers of the plan are Soer-Norge Aluminium, owned 50-50 by Alcan and Norsk Hydro, the Norwegian unit of Eramet, Norwegian family-owned industrial company Tinfos AS and Sargas. All four groups have a 25-percent stake in the project.
The four said in a statement that a bid for delivering the plant could be ready in 2007, a go-ahead ready in 2008, and production could start in 2011.
Most industrial countries have agreed to cap their emissions of carbon dioxide under the UN Kyoto Protocol as a first step to slow the feared effects of climate change such as more floods, heat waves and droughts, and rising sea levels.
Story by Alister Doyle, Environment Correspondent
www.PlanetArk.or
Saturday, October 28, 2006
California, Massachusetts consider multi-billion clean energy trust funds
story from NYT editorial, via Boston.com
Cash for clean energy
WHILE Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey opposes the Cape Wind project and her Democratic opponent for governor Deval Patrick favors it, the two agree on the need for more renewable energy. The question is whether the renewable energy trust -- the arm of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative that funds alternative-energy projects -- has the wherewithal to meet the challenge.
The trust was created in 1998 as part of deregulation of the state's electric power industry. The deregulation law also mandates that renewable sources must provide a growing share of the state's electricity needs, reaching 4 percent by 2009.
The average homeowner's electric bill includes a fee for the trust that amounts to about $5 a year. A utility's suit against the fee was not resolved until 2000, which delayed the trust in getting started on its mission. By 2003, the trust had still made so few grants that critics talked about eliminating it.
Since that low point, the trust has now become involved in a range of projects, from wind to solar to the harnessing of landfill methane. Its director, Warren Leon, says current outlays, drawing on funds accumulated during the slow years, exceed the trust's annual $24 million in revenues. But even that is dwarfed by the $34 million subsidy a Massachusetts solar company, Evergreen Solar of Marlboro ugh, got from the German government to build a factory in that country. California could have a renewable energy fund as large as $4 billion by 2017 if voters approve a proposition on the ballot there.
The trust's former director, Robert L. Pratt, now with the nonprofit Kendall Foundation, says the biggest problem the trust faces is NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) opposition, especially to wind turbines. Leon said another hurdle is the complexity of getting permits for any energy proposal in Massachusetts. The trust secured two wind turbines for a project in Orleans, only to have it delayed by the need to get legislative approval for the site. The town of Princeton considered using the turbines on a ridge there, but the manufacturer said they were not suitable for that site. A wind project at Cape Cod Community College had to be redesigned when the Federal Aviation Administration said the turbines were too tall.
Before long, wind turbines will become an accepted feature of the landscape and NIMBY opposition will melt away. At that point, the biggest hurdle to the trust's growth will be its revenue source. For the state's renewable energy industry to compete with other states and nations and provide the environmental and economic benefits that many believe it can, the trust could well need an expanded funding base.
Cash for clean energy
WHILE Lieutenant Governor Kerry Healey opposes the Cape Wind project and her Democratic opponent for governor Deval Patrick favors it, the two agree on the need for more renewable energy. The question is whether the renewable energy trust -- the arm of the Massachusetts Technology Collaborative that funds alternative-energy projects -- has the wherewithal to meet the challenge.
The trust was created in 1998 as part of deregulation of the state's electric power industry. The deregulation law also mandates that renewable sources must provide a growing share of the state's electricity needs, reaching 4 percent by 2009.
The average homeowner's electric bill includes a fee for the trust that amounts to about $5 a year. A utility's suit against the fee was not resolved until 2000, which delayed the trust in getting started on its mission. By 2003, the trust had still made so few grants that critics talked about eliminating it.
Since that low point, the trust has now become involved in a range of projects, from wind to solar to the harnessing of landfill methane. Its director, Warren Leon, says current outlays, drawing on funds accumulated during the slow years, exceed the trust's annual $24 million in revenues. But even that is dwarfed by the $34 million subsidy a Massachusetts solar company, Evergreen Solar of Marlboro ugh, got from the German government to build a factory in that country. California could have a renewable energy fund as large as $4 billion by 2017 if voters approve a proposition on the ballot there.
The trust's former director, Robert L. Pratt, now with the nonprofit Kendall Foundation, says the biggest problem the trust faces is NIMBY (not-in-my-backyard) opposition, especially to wind turbines. Leon said another hurdle is the complexity of getting permits for any energy proposal in Massachusetts. The trust secured two wind turbines for a project in Orleans, only to have it delayed by the need to get legislative approval for the site. The town of Princeton considered using the turbines on a ridge there, but the manufacturer said they were not suitable for that site. A wind project at Cape Cod Community College had to be redesigned when the Federal Aviation Administration said the turbines were too tall.
Before long, wind turbines will become an accepted feature of the landscape and NIMBY opposition will melt away. At that point, the biggest hurdle to the trust's growth will be its revenue source. For the state's renewable energy industry to compete with other states and nations and provide the environmental and economic benefits that many believe it can, the trust could well need an expanded funding base.
Vencap star Vinod Khosla says solar energy to power utility plants
story from: http://www.eetimes.com/showArticle.jhtml?articleID=193303526
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The big opportunity for solar energy is in utility plants, according to Vinod Khosla, who gave back-to-back keynotes on the subject here Tuesday (Oct 16.). The iconic venture capitalist who has started his own alternative energy investment company also stumped for California's Proposition 87, which would fund research into so-called clean technology.
"I now believe that thermal solar will be cheaper than coal-fired electricity plants. It is far more risky to build a coal-fired plant than a solar thermal one today," said Khosla, speaking at the Emerging Ventures conference.
Photovoltaic cells have made significant advances with thin film, multi-junction technology. Utilities represent an opportunity for solar energy that could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, said Khosla, who earlier in the day he delivered a keynote at a solar power conference a block away that attracted an estimated 7,000 attendees.
Although many developers are pursuing the low-cost solar cells, Khosla said "that's exactly the wrong way to go.
"Solar systems would still cost $2 kiloWatt/hour if the cell cost went to zero. What we need are higher efficiency cells. We should be saying we will accept higher costs to get 30 percent efficient cells," he said.
Separately, Khosla spoke out in favor of California's Proposition 87 that would levy a fee on petroleum to be used in part to fund alternative energy technologies.
"This is probably going to be the most expensive race in the country this year," Khosla said, estimating oil companies have already spent $67 million attacking the measure and could spend $80-$100 million before the November vote.
Thirty percent of the Prop. 87 funds would go to university R&D, Khosla said. "Clean tech R&D has been declining in this country for 30 years. We absolutely need to have more R&D in this area," he said.
Another 57 percent of the Prop. 87 fees would be used to lower oil consumption, he added.
"Oil companies get a 500-percent depreciation on some assets. That's just one of a half dozen clauses I know of that are in effect subsidies for oil companies," he said.
Khosla is mainly known for funding a number of Silicon Valley's biggest ventures as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. He now devotes much of his time to the clean tech area which is the focus of Khosla Ventures. The new company has a broad portfolio of investments including bets on as many as eight alternative fuel companies.
"When oil went above $40 a barrel, a host of things became viable," said Khosla.
SAN JOSE, Calif. — The big opportunity for solar energy is in utility plants, according to Vinod Khosla, who gave back-to-back keynotes on the subject here Tuesday (Oct 16.). The iconic venture capitalist who has started his own alternative energy investment company also stumped for California's Proposition 87, which would fund research into so-called clean technology.
"I now believe that thermal solar will be cheaper than coal-fired electricity plants. It is far more risky to build a coal-fired plant than a solar thermal one today," said Khosla, speaking at the Emerging Ventures conference.
Photovoltaic cells have made significant advances with thin film, multi-junction technology. Utilities represent an opportunity for solar energy that could amount to hundreds of billions of dollars, said Khosla, who earlier in the day he delivered a keynote at a solar power conference a block away that attracted an estimated 7,000 attendees.
Although many developers are pursuing the low-cost solar cells, Khosla said "that's exactly the wrong way to go.
"Solar systems would still cost $2 kiloWatt/hour if the cell cost went to zero. What we need are higher efficiency cells. We should be saying we will accept higher costs to get 30 percent efficient cells," he said.
Separately, Khosla spoke out in favor of California's Proposition 87 that would levy a fee on petroleum to be used in part to fund alternative energy technologies.
"This is probably going to be the most expensive race in the country this year," Khosla said, estimating oil companies have already spent $67 million attacking the measure and could spend $80-$100 million before the November vote.
Thirty percent of the Prop. 87 funds would go to university R&D, Khosla said. "Clean tech R&D has been declining in this country for 30 years. We absolutely need to have more R&D in this area," he said.
Another 57 percent of the Prop. 87 fees would be used to lower oil consumption, he added.
"Oil companies get a 500-percent depreciation on some assets. That's just one of a half dozen clauses I know of that are in effect subsidies for oil companies," he said.
Khosla is mainly known for funding a number of Silicon Valley's biggest ventures as a partner at Kleiner Perkins Caufield and Byers. He now devotes much of his time to the clean tech area which is the focus of Khosla Ventures. The new company has a broad portfolio of investments including bets on as many as eight alternative fuel companies.
"When oil went above $40 a barrel, a host of things became viable," said Khosla.
Friday, October 20, 2006
Canadian Wind Energy consolidating amid takeovers
Caught in the winds of change
story from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061020.RWIND20/TPStory/Business?pageRequested=all&print=true
Canada's highly fragmented windpower business is being swept up in a global consolidation, RICHARD BLACKWELL of Toronto's Globe and Mail writes
The consolidation of Canada's wind power business is under way.
With two takeover deals in the past 10 days, the industry is following the model taken by its more mature counterparts elsewhere in the world, where big, well-financed players predominate.
Just last week, Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. agreed to pay $6.3-million for Vector Wind Energy Inc., a small firm listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. And yesterday, Toronto wind farm developer Gale Force Energy Ltd. announced a takeover by an Irish-based multinational wind power firm, Airtricity Inc.
With big wind projects eating up considerable amounts of capital, and some provinces specifying that only well-financed companies will get electricity contracts, much of the industry is expected to end up in the hands of big energy firms and power utilities. Some wind assets may be held by income trusts that spin off to investors the steady cash flow that comes from generating power.
Print Edition - Section Front
Enlarge Image
More Business Stories
Google blows past its rivals
Ottawa's emissions stance gets thumbs-up
TV Guide zaps paper edition
Economic headwinds greater than feared: Dodge
A record day (again)
DIVIDENDS
Go to the Business section
Canada's wind energy business -- now fractured among players ranging from small entrepreneurs to energy giants -- is almost certain to evolve in a similar fashion to Europe and the U.S., where the wind sector has already consolidated dramatically, said Josh McGee, an analyst at Emerging Energy Research, a worldwide consulting firm based in Cambridge, Mass.
"Wind power globally has gone from being a kind of boutique, idealistic, source [of power] to a real competitor that requires scaling, a large in-house balance sheet, and in-house expertise on project management," he said.
In the U.S., large energy companies and financial players have snapped up most small wind power producers, and in Europe "there are only large transnational wind development companies left that are competing in the [large] markets," Mr. McGee said.
Currently, the Canadian industry is highly fragmented, with players that include private companies (such as SkyPower Corp.), publicly traded ventures (Canadian Hydro Developers), energy giants (Suncor Energy Inc.) and utilities (SaskPower).
Over the past few years, several dozen wind power projects have been built Canada, in all provinces except British Columbia. They range from huge wind farms with dozens of turbines to tiny single-turbine operations. Currently, Alberta has the biggest installed base with about 285 megawatts of wind on-stream, followed closely by Ontario and Quebec.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Canada passed the 1,000-MW mark in wind energy production in June, putting us among the top dozen producers worldwide. But we're nowhere near the world leaders -- Germany and Spain have more than 18,000 MW and 10,000 MW in production, respectively.
In Canada, wind fulfills only about half a per cent of our electricity demand, compared with Denmark, which generates almost 20 per cent of its electricity from wind.
Still, the Canadian industry is expanding rapidly, with several new projects soon to link to the power grids and dozens more in the planning stages. The burst of activity has been ignited by provincial governments, many of which have set wind energy targets, then used competitive tendering processes to choose suppliers.
Ottawa has also helped boost the industry through the Wind Power Production Incentive -- essentially a subsidy that pays wind power producers about 1 cent for each kilowatt-hour they produce. The WPPI is currently in limbo under the Conservative government, however, and the wind industry is holding its breath to see how it fares in the ongoing environmental policy revisions.
There has been a smattering of mergers in the Canadian wind businesses in past years. In 2002, Alberta power firm TransAlta Corp. bought Vision Quest Windelectric Inc., at the time the country's second-biggest wind energy producer. Then, in 2004, TransCanada Corp. bought 50 per cent of Cartier Wind Energy Inc., one of Quebec's major wind power firms, and in 2005 boosted its stake to 62 per cent.
But the demands for capital inherent in the wind energy business are likely to push many more firms together in the coming months and years.
"I think what you're going to see ultimately is fewer companies," said Stephen Probyn, chief executive officer of the Clean Power Income Fund, an investment trust that owns the recently opened 99-MW Erie Shores wind farm in Ontario. "The privately financed entrepreneurial companies will either evolve . . . so they have access to capital, or they'll get consolidated."
Foreign wind energy giants -- seeing the Canadian market in a fast-growing phase that mirrors where Europe was 10 years ago -- will likely be among those buying up smaller Canadian wind industry players or joining Canadian joint ventures. There have already been a few international forays into the Canadian market, before Airtricity's purchase of Gale Force:
Spanish wind giant Acciona is a partner with Suncor and Enbridge in several projects, including the soon-to-open 30-MW Chin Chute wind farm in Southern Alberta.
This summer German financier HSH Nordbank AG, a big investor in energy projects, bought a minority stake in private Toronto wind farm developer SkyPower Corp.
British-based Renewable Energy Generation Ltd. paid $29.1-million for AIM PowerGen Corp., an Ontario developer that has projects planned in six provinces.
North Dakota-based heavy steel fabricator DMI Industries has opened a wind-tower manufacturing plant in Fort Erie, Ont.
"Outside entities have begun to realize that Canada is going to be a very good market for wind power," Mr. Probyn said, particularly with government incentives making the economics of the business more favourable. " I think you'll see more foreign entrants into Canada."
While there will likely be fewer players fighting for the big wind farm contracts over the next few years, there will still be room for some very small players, said Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
"[The provinces have] a growing interest in developing small-scale wind energy projects of one or two turbines," he said. Nova Scotia, for example, has awarded about a dozen contracts for projects of 2 MW or less, and Ontario is going to launch a similar program for projects under 10 MW.
The idea, Mr. Hornung said, is to broaden participation by "encouraging municipalities, co-operatives, or groups of farmers to proceed with their own projects."
CANADA'S TOP WIND POWER PLAYERS
TransAlta Corp. The Alberta-based power generation firm has three wind farms in southern Alberta, operated through its VisionQuest subsidiary, that now generate almost 200 megawatts of power. It has proposed several new wind farms in Ontario.
SaskPower The provincial government-owned utility this year opened its 150-MW Centennial wind farm near Swift Current, the biggest operating wind facility in Canada. SaskPower also has another 11-MW wind plant in southeastern Saskatchewan.
Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. This TSX-listed firm, which also runs hydro and biomass plants, has three wind power operations in southwestern Alberta that generate almost 50 MW of electricity, and it recently opened the 68 MW Melancthon wind farm in Ontario. Several others are in development.
Axor Group Inc. The Montreal engineering firm built Canada's first large-scale wind farm, the 100-MW Le Nordais project in Quebec's Gaspésie region.
Clean Power Income Fund An investment trust that holds biomass and hydro power assets in Canada and the U.S., and owns the recently opened 99-MW Erie Shores wind farm in Ontario.
Nexen Inc. This Calgary-based energy firm is completing a 70.5-MW wind farm near Fort McLeod, Alta., with partner GW Power Corp.
Algonquin Power Income Fund This investment trust owns several power-generating facilities, and recently bought all the units of AirSource Power Income Fund, a Manitoba-based limited partnership with a 100-MW wind farm near St. Leon, Man.
Northland Power Income Fund An independent power producer that owns the 54-MW Mont Miller wind farm in the Gaspésie region of Quebec.
Brookfield Power The power generating and distribution arm of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is completing a 189-MW wind farm near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. About 99 MW have recently been connected to the Ontario power grid.
Creststreet Power and Income Fund This investment trust owns and operates a 54-MW Mount Copper wind project in Quebec and a 30-MW Pubnico Point wind farm in Nova Scotia.
Ventus Energy Inc. This Toronto company is developing projects in six provinces. It recently began construction of a wind farm in Prince Edward Island.
SkyPower Corp. A Toronto-based private company that has several wind and solar projects planned across the country. Its first will open soon near Rivière-du-Loup, Que.
Epcor Utilities Inc. The Edmonton-based natural gas, power and water company opened the 40-MW Kingsbridge Wind Power Project on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario this spring. A second phase will add another 160 MW.
Enbridge Inc. The income trust arm of the Calgary energy company jointly owns, along with Suncor, wind farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan that generate about 40 MW of power. It also has plans for a 200-MW Ontario wind farm on the shore of Lake Huron, although the project has been delayed because of snags in the approval process.
TransCanada Corp. The Calgary-based energy infrastructure firm owns 62 per cent of Cartier Wind Energy Inc., which has been awarded six major projects by Hydro-Québec. The first, the 110-MW Baie des Sables project, is expected to be added to the power grid by the end of this year.
Suncor Energy Inc. The big oil sands player owns wind farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan that generate about 40 MW of power, with another 30-MW Alberta project starting up this month. A 76-MW project on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario is in the works.
-- Richard Blackwell
Wind power generation, by province (megawatts)
PROVINCE INSTALLED PROPOSED
British Columbia 0 325
Alberta 285 235
Saskatchewan 171 25
Manitoba 104 0
Ontario 221 1,059
Quebec 212 1,244
New Brunswick 0 20
Nova Scotia 41 61
Prince Edward Island 14 39
Newfoundland 1 0
Yukon 1 0
SOURCE: CDN. WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION
Canada's installed wind power capacity (megawatts)
2000 137
2001 198
2002 236
2003 322
2004 444
2005 683
2006* 1,049
*to June 30
SOURCE: CDN. WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION
See also:
Solar Power Investing Blog
story from: http://www.theglobeandmail.com/servlet/story/LAC.20061020.RWIND20/TPStory/Business?pageRequested=all&print=true
Canada's highly fragmented windpower business is being swept up in a global consolidation, RICHARD BLACKWELL of Toronto's Globe and Mail writes
The consolidation of Canada's wind power business is under way.
With two takeover deals in the past 10 days, the industry is following the model taken by its more mature counterparts elsewhere in the world, where big, well-financed players predominate.
Just last week, Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. agreed to pay $6.3-million for Vector Wind Energy Inc., a small firm listed on the TSX Venture Exchange. And yesterday, Toronto wind farm developer Gale Force Energy Ltd. announced a takeover by an Irish-based multinational wind power firm, Airtricity Inc.
With big wind projects eating up considerable amounts of capital, and some provinces specifying that only well-financed companies will get electricity contracts, much of the industry is expected to end up in the hands of big energy firms and power utilities. Some wind assets may be held by income trusts that spin off to investors the steady cash flow that comes from generating power.
Print Edition - Section Front
Enlarge Image
More Business Stories
Google blows past its rivals
Ottawa's emissions stance gets thumbs-up
TV Guide zaps paper edition
Economic headwinds greater than feared: Dodge
A record day (again)
DIVIDENDS
Go to the Business section
Canada's wind energy business -- now fractured among players ranging from small entrepreneurs to energy giants -- is almost certain to evolve in a similar fashion to Europe and the U.S., where the wind sector has already consolidated dramatically, said Josh McGee, an analyst at Emerging Energy Research, a worldwide consulting firm based in Cambridge, Mass.
"Wind power globally has gone from being a kind of boutique, idealistic, source [of power] to a real competitor that requires scaling, a large in-house balance sheet, and in-house expertise on project management," he said.
In the U.S., large energy companies and financial players have snapped up most small wind power producers, and in Europe "there are only large transnational wind development companies left that are competing in the [large] markets," Mr. McGee said.
Currently, the Canadian industry is highly fragmented, with players that include private companies (such as SkyPower Corp.), publicly traded ventures (Canadian Hydro Developers), energy giants (Suncor Energy Inc.) and utilities (SaskPower).
Over the past few years, several dozen wind power projects have been built Canada, in all provinces except British Columbia. They range from huge wind farms with dozens of turbines to tiny single-turbine operations. Currently, Alberta has the biggest installed base with about 285 megawatts of wind on-stream, followed closely by Ontario and Quebec.
According to the Canadian Wind Energy Association, Canada passed the 1,000-MW mark in wind energy production in June, putting us among the top dozen producers worldwide. But we're nowhere near the world leaders -- Germany and Spain have more than 18,000 MW and 10,000 MW in production, respectively.
In Canada, wind fulfills only about half a per cent of our electricity demand, compared with Denmark, which generates almost 20 per cent of its electricity from wind.
Still, the Canadian industry is expanding rapidly, with several new projects soon to link to the power grids and dozens more in the planning stages. The burst of activity has been ignited by provincial governments, many of which have set wind energy targets, then used competitive tendering processes to choose suppliers.
Ottawa has also helped boost the industry through the Wind Power Production Incentive -- essentially a subsidy that pays wind power producers about 1 cent for each kilowatt-hour they produce. The WPPI is currently in limbo under the Conservative government, however, and the wind industry is holding its breath to see how it fares in the ongoing environmental policy revisions.
There has been a smattering of mergers in the Canadian wind businesses in past years. In 2002, Alberta power firm TransAlta Corp. bought Vision Quest Windelectric Inc., at the time the country's second-biggest wind energy producer. Then, in 2004, TransCanada Corp. bought 50 per cent of Cartier Wind Energy Inc., one of Quebec's major wind power firms, and in 2005 boosted its stake to 62 per cent.
But the demands for capital inherent in the wind energy business are likely to push many more firms together in the coming months and years.
"I think what you're going to see ultimately is fewer companies," said Stephen Probyn, chief executive officer of the Clean Power Income Fund, an investment trust that owns the recently opened 99-MW Erie Shores wind farm in Ontario. "The privately financed entrepreneurial companies will either evolve . . . so they have access to capital, or they'll get consolidated."
Foreign wind energy giants -- seeing the Canadian market in a fast-growing phase that mirrors where Europe was 10 years ago -- will likely be among those buying up smaller Canadian wind industry players or joining Canadian joint ventures. There have already been a few international forays into the Canadian market, before Airtricity's purchase of Gale Force:
Spanish wind giant Acciona is a partner with Suncor and Enbridge in several projects, including the soon-to-open 30-MW Chin Chute wind farm in Southern Alberta.
This summer German financier HSH Nordbank AG, a big investor in energy projects, bought a minority stake in private Toronto wind farm developer SkyPower Corp.
British-based Renewable Energy Generation Ltd. paid $29.1-million for AIM PowerGen Corp., an Ontario developer that has projects planned in six provinces.
North Dakota-based heavy steel fabricator DMI Industries has opened a wind-tower manufacturing plant in Fort Erie, Ont.
"Outside entities have begun to realize that Canada is going to be a very good market for wind power," Mr. Probyn said, particularly with government incentives making the economics of the business more favourable. " I think you'll see more foreign entrants into Canada."
While there will likely be fewer players fighting for the big wind farm contracts over the next few years, there will still be room for some very small players, said Robert Hornung, president of the Canadian Wind Energy Association.
"[The provinces have] a growing interest in developing small-scale wind energy projects of one or two turbines," he said. Nova Scotia, for example, has awarded about a dozen contracts for projects of 2 MW or less, and Ontario is going to launch a similar program for projects under 10 MW.
The idea, Mr. Hornung said, is to broaden participation by "encouraging municipalities, co-operatives, or groups of farmers to proceed with their own projects."
CANADA'S TOP WIND POWER PLAYERS
TransAlta Corp. The Alberta-based power generation firm has three wind farms in southern Alberta, operated through its VisionQuest subsidiary, that now generate almost 200 megawatts of power. It has proposed several new wind farms in Ontario.
SaskPower The provincial government-owned utility this year opened its 150-MW Centennial wind farm near Swift Current, the biggest operating wind facility in Canada. SaskPower also has another 11-MW wind plant in southeastern Saskatchewan.
Canadian Hydro Developers Inc. This TSX-listed firm, which also runs hydro and biomass plants, has three wind power operations in southwestern Alberta that generate almost 50 MW of electricity, and it recently opened the 68 MW Melancthon wind farm in Ontario. Several others are in development.
Axor Group Inc. The Montreal engineering firm built Canada's first large-scale wind farm, the 100-MW Le Nordais project in Quebec's Gaspésie region.
Clean Power Income Fund An investment trust that holds biomass and hydro power assets in Canada and the U.S., and owns the recently opened 99-MW Erie Shores wind farm in Ontario.
Nexen Inc. This Calgary-based energy firm is completing a 70.5-MW wind farm near Fort McLeod, Alta., with partner GW Power Corp.
Algonquin Power Income Fund This investment trust owns several power-generating facilities, and recently bought all the units of AirSource Power Income Fund, a Manitoba-based limited partnership with a 100-MW wind farm near St. Leon, Man.
Northland Power Income Fund An independent power producer that owns the 54-MW Mont Miller wind farm in the Gaspésie region of Quebec.
Brookfield Power The power generating and distribution arm of Brookfield Asset Management Inc. is completing a 189-MW wind farm near Sault Ste. Marie, Ont. About 99 MW have recently been connected to the Ontario power grid.
Creststreet Power and Income Fund This investment trust owns and operates a 54-MW Mount Copper wind project in Quebec and a 30-MW Pubnico Point wind farm in Nova Scotia.
Ventus Energy Inc. This Toronto company is developing projects in six provinces. It recently began construction of a wind farm in Prince Edward Island.
SkyPower Corp. A Toronto-based private company that has several wind and solar projects planned across the country. Its first will open soon near Rivière-du-Loup, Que.
Epcor Utilities Inc. The Edmonton-based natural gas, power and water company opened the 40-MW Kingsbridge Wind Power Project on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario this spring. A second phase will add another 160 MW.
Enbridge Inc. The income trust arm of the Calgary energy company jointly owns, along with Suncor, wind farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan that generate about 40 MW of power. It also has plans for a 200-MW Ontario wind farm on the shore of Lake Huron, although the project has been delayed because of snags in the approval process.
TransCanada Corp. The Calgary-based energy infrastructure firm owns 62 per cent of Cartier Wind Energy Inc., which has been awarded six major projects by Hydro-Québec. The first, the 110-MW Baie des Sables project, is expected to be added to the power grid by the end of this year.
Suncor Energy Inc. The big oil sands player owns wind farms in Alberta and Saskatchewan that generate about 40 MW of power, with another 30-MW Alberta project starting up this month. A 76-MW project on the shores of Lake Huron in Ontario is in the works.
-- Richard Blackwell
Wind power generation, by province (megawatts)
PROVINCE INSTALLED PROPOSED
British Columbia 0 325
Alberta 285 235
Saskatchewan 171 25
Manitoba 104 0
Ontario 221 1,059
Quebec 212 1,244
New Brunswick 0 20
Nova Scotia 41 61
Prince Edward Island 14 39
Newfoundland 1 0
Yukon 1 0
SOURCE: CDN. WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION
Canada's installed wind power capacity (megawatts)
2000 137
2001 198
2002 236
2003 322
2004 444
2005 683
2006* 1,049
*to June 30
SOURCE: CDN. WIND ENERGY ASSOCIATION
See also:
Solar Power Investing Blog
Monday, October 09, 2006
Australia's New Singles Chart combines offline and online sales
For the ARIA Singles chart, where you can seel the full 50:
http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1U50
I WISH I WAS A PUNK ROCKER (WITH FLOWERS IN MY HAIR) Sandi Thom
http://www.ariacharts.com.au/pages/charts_display.asp?chart=1U50
I WISH I WAS A PUNK ROCKER (WITH FLOWERS IN MY HAIR) Sandi Thom
SBME
SEXYBACK Justin Timberlake
JVE/SBME
I DON'T FEEL LIKE DANCIN' Scissor Sisters PDR/UMA
MANEATER Nelly Furtado GEF/UMA
LONDON BRIDGE Fergie A&M/UMA
U + UR HAND P!nk LAF/SBME
CALL ME WHEN YOU'RE SOBER Evanescence EPI/SBME
TALLER, STRONGER, BETTER Guy Sebastian SBME
BUTTONS The Pussycat Dolls Feat. Snoop Dogg
WHEN YOU WERE YOUNG The Killers IUS/UMA
Story from The Australian / The Nation:
Pop charts get in tune with online sales
Iain Shedden, Music writer
October 09, 2006
PUNK rock ushered in the future of Australian music yesterday when the first ARIA singles chart combining online and conventional sales was released.
Scottish singer Sandi Thom's I Wish I Was a Punk Rocker (With Flowers in My Hair), which has been No1 on the established ARIA singles chart for the past six weeks, came out on top of the new chart, which also recognises sales of songs bought online at websites such as iTunes and BigPond Music.
The combined chart signals a trend away from CD sales in shops towards the purchase, storage and playing of music through digital technology. Sales in the digital market have increased 30per cent since ARIA introduced a Digital Track chart in April and digital sales account for about 5.5 per cent of the overall music market in Australia.
That was an increase of four percentage points on the whole of last year.
ARIA chart and marketing committee chairman John Parker said combining both sets of retail figures was healthy for the local industry.
"The charts are a promotion tool for music," he said. "With the explosion of MP3 players, I think that digital sales will continue to grow at a rapid rate."
Twice as many digital tracks a week are bought in Australia than CD singles, although at the top end of the charts the No1 physical single outsells the top digital track by three to one.
The top of the new chart bears a striking resemblance to lastweek's conventional chart, with Thom, Justin Timberlake, Nelly Furtado and Fergie in the top five.
Further down the ladder, however, the combined chart benefited one Australian band, Perth's Eskimo Joe.
Their song Black Fingernails, Red Wine dropped out of the conventional chart last week, but re-entered the combined chart atNo23.
New Zealand trio Evermore also re-entered the singles chart with their song Running.
Monday, October 02, 2006
New Regional Parliament Proposed for Middle East
A Vision of Peace: Regional Empowerment as a Tool for Mideast Conflict Resolution
Proposal for an Asia West Parliament, part of a comprehensive Middle East Peace Plan
2006-2007
an offering of Yuya Joseph, Canadian singer-writer
Shalom, Namaste, Tenaystilin, Inshallah
October 2006
Purpose and Implementation Summary
Envision how a peaceful Middle East would look five years after an enduring agreement, and work backward from there to find some paths to reconciliation. Expanding economic activity and improving security are complementary objectives. The region has suffered from outside interference for so long that the idea of regional cooperation and empowerment is still met with some suspicion. There is the obvious Palestinian-Israeli battle, and the fault line within Islam, the Sunni-Shia divide. The idea that all these groups would converge in a parliament to settle differences through legislation may seem utopian but it is not. The need for representation and openness and justice are basic human wants, and being able to vote on who represents your country in an international forum provides both power and responsibility. Of course, in some countries candidate lists may at first be not be quite as representative as they should be, but over time those with fair elections prosper economically, so there is a built-in bias that will lure the best candidates.
To get the Asia West Parliament from vision to reality, it will first be necessary to have a long-term deal on a two-state solution, with massive international backing.
The criteria for the stages of the Road Map, the Oslo Accords and the Saudi Initiatives are all basic and fundamental to the progress of security negotiations and the implementation of peace in the Middle East. An end to terror and the strategies of violence, plus recognition of Israel’s right to exist and acceptance of previous Israeli-Palestinian agreements and UN resolutions are important milestones. With regard to the possible formation of a unity government in autumn 2006, international observers have to realize that Hamas faces an age-old political dilemna. They are at record lows in the polls, and yet a majority of voters polled say they don’t want to recognize Israel. Hamas fears losing even more public support, so the wording of the agreement should not be as crucial as the intent and the durability. For example, if Hamas were to agree to either the 1967 borders, or to Israel’s right to exist within borders “agreed to by Palestine and Israel and approved by the international community,” it wouldn’t be ideal but may allow them enough room to begin to lay down sectarian arms and start to build up the Palestinian nation through negotiations and compromise.
Some of the initial steps in the Road Map have already been completed, including the withdrawal of Israel from Gaza and the holding of democratic elections in Palestine. In the spirit of peace and goodwill towards Palestinians and Israelis, the very best elements can be synthesized from the various peace offerings to create optimism and energy across the region.
To an outside observer, it may seem that the Oslo Accords, the Road Map and the Saudi Initiative have all lacked traction and been ultimately disappointing. There are important lessons in all of their failures, and in each of their successes. President Hosni Mubarak of Egypt and Jordan’s King Abdullah II were correct to recently suggest a consensus on initial borders be developed ahead of the major conference, as visualization of success often leads to realization of same. The purpose of this Israel-Palestine peace plan or proposal is to inject ideas of actual industrial, commercial and tourism development into the discussions of borders and security. Ontario can offer up some locations near Toronto for Israeli and Palestinian technocrats to attend a series of low-key meetings to draw up the initial borders in a spirit of cooperation. This would include a land bridge to provide contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza, and can be done as a key part of the groundwork preceding the signing ceremony to be held a month or two later. If Palestine is serious about peace, it is also time to get going with coinage portraying Yasser Arafat, with later issues possibly including other founders such as Habash, Rantisi, Zahar, and also someday, Abbas. The fact that not all of these men are popular in Israeli and western eyes doesn’t change the fact that Palestinians followed them. A suggested value for the Palestinian monetary unit could be one-fifth of a Euro, as that would avoid having to tie the new currency directly to Israeli or US exchange rates, though transparency would remain clear. Another possibility would be to link it to a basket based on a blend of local and international currencies. The latter strategy would be more expensive and perhaps not as economically and politically advantageous as tying to the multi-country Euro.
As for implementation of regional security, the Quartet (USA, Russia, EU, UN) can sponsor the peace conferences and finance and oversee on-the-ground developments, with input and assistance from Saudi Arabia, Egypt and Jordan. Although all Middle East peace plans are offered with tremendous goodwill, the potentially fatal flaw in two of the main current proposals may be their origins. The Quartet’s road map is perceived as being dictated from above; from the north and from the west. The Saudi initiative is considered more regional, but remains a contribution of the surrounding players, including Egypt and Jordan. It is good for others to help, and countries such as Canada, France, South Africa, India and Ethiopia must be encouraged to contribute their wisdom, skills and experience to help foster regional security and trade not just in Israel and Palestine, but also in Lebanon and Jordan. Other nearby nations such as Syria, Egypt, and Saudi Arabia will benefit from the resultant higher living standards associated with greater peace and economic development.
The real and enduring peace deal must come from the hearts of Israelis and Palestinians, and for that to happen they must learn to embrace each other’s sad flaws as not so different from their own. Written another way, Israel must become more independent of USA-UK strategy and seek local solutions, while Palestine must look within for direction and leadership and ignore destructive forces trying to control events from other countries. There are fast-rising princes of peace in both Palestine and Israel, and it is time to let them do their magic.
A viable Palestinian economy is crucial to the two-state solution. It may take two or three years of planning and groundbreaking ceremonies to really get the engine humming with a full head of steam, but over a seven to twelve year stretch, Palestine could experience massive yet steady growth. Together with the effects of rebuilding efforts in Lebanon and the free market approach of Jordan, the entire region could be experiencing double-digit growth for decades.
Stage One – Truce Among Combatants, and Nationhood for Palestine
The twentieth century can be marked by severe trauma to both the Judaic and Palestinian populations, in addition to the mammoth man-made travesty known as Africa today. In the twenty-first century, we are faced with the global problems of starvation and malnourishment, and with the daily reality of ecological breakdown. It is time to be planting trees and building heat exchangers, not fighting the same war over and over again.
If humanity were to be continually distracted by war in the Holy Lands, it would be a travesty that would likely end our species and many other mammals’ existences on this planet. Our attention right now needs to be focused on global survival issues, such as ending war, pollution, hunger, thirst and starvation. We as a people need a directly elected Global Parliament almost as much as the Middle East needs a democratic Asia West Parliament; that will come in time, and Montreal would be an excellent home for that facility. Let us for now focus on the core of the issue, the root of the division, the crux of the problem: the Holy Lands.
If Abbas and Haniyeh are able to put together a unity government that can meet the minimal requirements of the Road Map and other peace plans, they will deserve international support. The leaders have stuck to the truce even when underlings were doing their utmost to break it. If Haniyeh and Mashal decide to put off recognition until after negotiations have been completed, they may be abandoning the peace process, for it is difficult to negotiate borders with someone who will not agree that you should have any. As an absolute minimum, as part of the long-term hudna that will advance Palestinian statehood, Hamas must agree to recognize that Israel has the right to exist within borders negotiated by Palestine and Israel and approved by the international community.
Though all of the Holy Lands are Sacred to Christians and Muslims, it is the Israelites as a people who have suffered when they were away from their home for too long; what was experienced cannot be described, and not just in Europe, as Jews were driven from many Arab lands also, and the persecution continued throughout the twentieth century. Much of Palestine has also endured many decades of pain. Children of Arafat have lived for half a century in their own diaspora, and it is time to give the younger generations some beacons of hope. Opportunities for training, jobs and housing must present themselves for the rising tide of young adults. There is enough great land for both Israel and Palestine to be cornerstones of Middle Eastern industry, trade, and tourism. It is time for healing, and time for peace.
As a prelude to the establishment of the Nation of Palestine, and of Israel signing a peace, security and trade agreement with Palestine and other nearby nations, it is proposed that Israel enter into a ten-year renewable truce with each of Hamas and Hezbollah. Recognized as organizations that were leaders in the battle for the establishment of a Palestinian state, they would each agree to retire from military activity upon its achievement. Members of these organizations would mostly be given asylum status but would have to abandon military pursuits and all violence, and become political, social and spiritual leaders; essentially agreeing to represent community concerns in a civil manner.
Israel isn’t just another nation state; it is the homeland of a people and a religion, so she shouldn’t shy away from signing a truce agreement with Sunni and Shia groups. It is now imperative for Judaic religious leaders in Israel and abroad to speak up about their desire for peace with neighbors; if precedents are required for guidance, it would be wise to study the reign of Ashoka, in ancient India. The reason for the proposed ten-year term is that in Islamic tradition, it is the maximum period of time allowed for a truce with a non-Muslim nation, though renewals are clearly acceptable, and have been successful in the past. When a nation wants to be respected for its deep faith, it must also honour the religion of its neighbors, which in this case is overwhelmingly Islamic, though Christians too have been brutalized by the crossfire.
It is a fact that there are deep scars in Palestine and Lebanon, and Israel and the world at large need to help with the healing. Seven decades ago Hitler and Mussolini began a wave of terror like the world had never seen, and one decade later we all began to slowly heal the damage inflicted by that madness. If nations such as Germany, Italy and Japan have been able to recover so well from shameful prejudice and violent anti-Semitism, it is likely that Israel’s neighbors can also be expected to prosper in a more tolerant, peaceful environment.
All parties to the agreement are advised to view the effectively twenty-year truce as a minimum duration of the desired peace, a way to generate even longer-term discussions and agreements while cooler heads are prevailing. It will be seen yet again that economic and social development can only become truly sustainable in an environment of glasnost and perestroika; the world spins every day and hard lessons are learned and relearned.
The sometimes seemingly insurmountable task of maintaining calm in the Middle East is in reality just a progression that every civilized planet must go through. Before global democracy and rule of the people can fully take root, there must be some sort of agreement on how to care for the Holy Lands. Jerusalem is the holiest city for Christians and Jews, and the third holiest for Muslims. Both Christians and Muslims owe some of their love of Jerusalem to that most celebrated Judaic persona ever, Ari Isa Jeshua Iyasus, Jesus of Nazareth. In any case, it is really only the Jews that find all of Israel and Judea to be sacred, ancestral lands, and this will never change. By agreeing to the provision of a nation state for Palestine in Gaza and the West Bank (and possibly including some of the Golan, see below), Israelis are acknowledging that even though their people once thrived in towns such as Shechem (now Nablus) and Jericho, these regions are now home to Palestinians, and will stay that way.
The example of Northern Ireland, after the IRA became a political rather than a military force, can provide lessons of transition. Even the conciliatory voices from inside the prisons are valuable, for these men have the respect of the street, and if they are preaching that it is time for Palestinian unity and statehood, now is the time to look within the nation for the answers. Foreign influence is desired only when it leads to improved welfare for Palestinians, and the destructive outside meddlers must soon be ignored.
Jordan’s peace and trade deals with Israel boosted economic activity and security; these and other precedents are to be studied for elements advantageous to resolution of our conflict. India and South Africa are democratic nations won by the majority through civil participation and non-violent protest, and the humanity that Gandhi and Mandela brought to the body politic are not to be ignored here.
A contiguous Palestinian state may be created via a land bridge above the southeast end of Gaza and southwest edge of the West Bank. The shape of this land will be wider where it joins Palestine, narrowest where it intersects Israel, via vehicle underpass (Stage Two) and rail overpass (Stage One). Palestine needs contiguity, but it also means that Israel loses a very small portion of her own contiguity; a workable Palestinian state requires this, and without healthy neighbors, anarchy will reign. The junction will be constructed so that neither Palestine nor Israel feels they have surrendered contiguity, with an internationalized area of highly secure bridges and underpasses allowing for uninterrupted travel within each nation.
This intersection can be looked at as a tremendous security risk, but also as a phenomenal social, cultural and commercial opportunity. There could be no passable borders at all at first, and in fifteen years we may see an international airport and rail connections; a thriving new gateway to Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and more.
In exchange for a general amnesty and an agreement for the establishment of the State of Palestine, Hamas and Hezbollah would each recognize Israel, renounce all violence everywhere, and express their desire in speech and written treaties for a minimum of twenty years of peace. With Israeli, Palestinian and Lebanese political and religious leaders signing the ten-year renewable truce with Hamas and Hezbollah, this will complete the first stage of the road map and the next phase must happen immediately. Ideally both would agree to help Palestine, but even if Hezbollah were to decline and Hamas were to go it alone, partnering with Fatah and other groups to create a peaceful new nation state, miracles have been wrought from less. In either case, the representative local parties will have agreed on the essential terms, and the United Nations will declare Palestine a full nation state with regular membership privileges.
As a way to ensure that the nation can be secure for generations, I would like to ask these five countries to each donate US$1 billion dollars to the Palestine national treasury within ninety days of statehood being declared by the United Nations: Libya, Saudi Arabia, Iran, Japan and the USA. This could be done with a $100 million deposit from each of the five nations, $50 mil to the national pension and $50 mil to the treasury for operating expenses (government salaries and programs), followed by $20 mil (10 + 10) payments each quarter for next 45 quarters, or 3.75 years.
Stage Two – Regional Peace, Security and Trade Agreement
Subsequent to the truce and the achievement of nationhood for Palestine, concurrent with border talks and to be coordinated all within weeks rather than months, a five-year, renewable peace, security and trade pact will be entered into among Israel, Palestine, Jordan, Lebanon and if conditions can be met and an understanding achieved, Syria. This four or five-nation landmark agreement will ensure non-aggression, opening up of markets, and the building of new roads, railways, seaports and airports. A host or hosts will be required for these talks, and it may be best for the negotiations to progress through several phases, perhaps beginning in Beirut, moving on to Damascus, then being nearly finalized in Paris and London, fine-tuned in Montreal and New York before the signing ceremony in Toronto.
Now, going forward, the key to maintaining regional peace, security and economic development will be long-term investment initiatives. It is imperative that Christians, Muslims, Jews, Hindus, Buddhists, Bahia, Sikh and other faiths and secular folk all invest together in the future of Palestine. This will include grants, loans, equity and contributions of goods and services by individuals, corporations, nation states, foundations and other NGOs. A message to you, Palestine: If you build your nation as an open, democratic force in the region, you will become extremely attractive to Arab and foreign investors. It will be worth it to have some Israeli and other foreigners living in Palestine and paying double taxes, for this will provide a generous revenue stream plus prove to the world that Palestine, though newly a nation state, is already a mature country where people are respected and safe.
The initial lands of Palestine will include the West Bank and Gaza, and if Syria agrees, the Shaba Farms and the northeast section of the Golan. If Israel finds a way to strike a peace deal with Syria, they can then ask the USA to help find a longer term peace and security deal with Iran. If an arrangement can be found to develop the area rather than wage war upon it, Iran will probably emerge with the largest number of seats in the proposed Asia West Parliament (see Stage Three, below).
The Shaba farms / NE Golan region may be earmarked for construction and development before new settlers move in, with 35,000 homes being built in three new connected towns, one with 15,000 new homes and two each with 10,000. These could be 3 and 4 bedroom primarily townhomes but some will be one, two and three bedroom apartments, and a smaller number will be 4 and 5 bedroom detached houses. The apartments could be built first and then lived in by the workforce who would build the townhomes and detached houses they would later move into with their families, freeing up the apartments for more transferees from refugee camps. The architecture should represent regional excellence and the main streets should allow for shops with apartments above. The commercial activity could consist of agricultural farms and town markets, plus light industrial such as manufacturing and assembling, plus retail, professional, community and tourism services.
It is suggested that an international coalition (eg. G8, EU, UN, IFC etc.) be put together to raise the estimated $4 to $4.5 billion these homes will cost (plus infrastructure development expenses of a similar amount for roads, sewers, electricity), with Palestinian, Syrian and Lebanese contractors bidding together with companies from Canada, France, Egypt, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the USA, Russia and other nations to ensure the highest quality buildings. As the project is at the juncture of four nations and very close to two more, skilled tradesmen and laborers can be easily hired from Palestine, Israel, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan and Saudi Arabia.
Development funding, technological expertise and institution and infrastructure-building assistance will be provided to all treaty signatories, with special emphasis on Palestine, Lebanon and Syria. It will be worthwhile to invest heavily in the first seven or eight communities such as this proposed for Shaba, for after that, organic growth will be occurring that can maintain some of the momentum originally supplied by international support, NGOs and first-mover entrepreneurs.
The goal of this agreement is to bring peace and prosperity to the entire region, but considering where Palestine is starting from, she will likely have to be among the leaders in regional economic growth for twelve to fifteen years for this to fully succeed. If Palestine is eventually granted one-half to two-thirds of the Golan (primarily the middle, eastern and southern sections) in addition to the Shaba Farms region, and these lands are first linked by rail and later by highway to the West Bank and Gaza, it is conceivable that she could become the second (after Israel) most powerful economy in the region within fifteen to twenty years. This is not utopian or even viewing with rose-colored glasses; Palestine has the double benefit of being Israel’s closest neighbor and also being a natural conduit for Arab businesspeople in or near to the region. Palestine may well become not just the Arab gateway to Israel, but also the Western gateway to Arab nations such as Jordan, Egypt, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia and Syria.
A high-speed Palestine National Railway can be constructed joining Damascus to Cairo via Nablus, Jericho and Rafah, with offshoots hooking up Amman and Gaza City. The tracks would run south from Damascus into Palestine along the edge of Shaba Farms, roll along roughly parallel to the Jordan River, jutting southwest to cross a small portion of Israel and entering the West Bank at it’s most northern central point. From there the PNR will travel south via Nablus and Jericho and hook up with the Amman line, then exit the west bank south of Hebron, crossing over to Gaza just north of Rafah, junctioning with the Gaza City line near the airport and continuing on from there to Cairo.
If a five-nation (Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria) peace, security and trade deal can be agreed upon and signed, the initial Nation of Palestine is proposed to include Gaza and the West Bank, plus the Shaba Farms region and the northeastern section of the Golan. The negotiations over final border status will include a second phase to be finalized within three to five years, whereby Palestine will be awarded additional lands in Golan and the Negev, for having achieved peace and development goals. A railway (Palestine National Railway, or PNR) will then connect the three land groupings of Golan, West Bank and Gaza. In Phase Three a four to six-lane Trans-Palestine Highway can be built, almost entirely within Palestine and roughly along the route of the PNR. This would provide seamless travel and commerce from the Shaba Farms region all the way to Rafah and the thriving new metropolis of Khanara, or Khan Arafat.
In mid to northern Gaza, redevelopment of Gaza City and its environs is crucial to the social and economic health of both Israel and Palestine. A series of waterfront and inland projects can be connected by modernized public transit, with community services such as new and refurbished schools and hospitals being the necessary foundation to restore the area to attract the business and tourism investments it requires to regain robust growth. A community-based redevelopment initiative, combined with open private sector bidding, is likely the smoothest way forward for northern Gaza, with inner city rebuilding providing a healthy complement to newer developments in the suburbs and in the south.
Ramallah, Nablus and Jericho all require attention and infrastructure improvements, and these metro areas will be much easier to develop once they are part of the new nation state.
Which brings us to the delicate issue of Jerusalem. If God were here to comment, it is likely that no politicians would be overly welcome in the holiest of cities. In the near term it looks like the wall will separate the capitals of two nations, but it is doubtful that this is the best solution for the metropolis and the world. A divided city may provide some temporary resolution but in the longer term it would be better for Jeru to be unified, even if that meant that the municipality was internationalized, and the capitals of Israel and Palestine had been transferred to Tel Aviv and Ramallah.
The building of a new city in southern Gaza, between Khan Younis and Rafah, will help restore health and vitality to all Palestinians, and even inject some life into nearby Egypt. To be constructed from northwest of the airport to southwest of Khan Younis, the project is for now named Khanara (or longer form, Khan Arafat). This new city is envisioned to include a university, a hospital and a beachfront area, with all of these amenities radiating out from two central pyramids. The inner, downtown one situated at the center of the commercial district will be slightly taller than the one closest to the campus and the shoreline. Educational, entertainment and tourist facilities reach toward the water, while mid-rise office buildings and apartment and condo towers can be constructed inland and outwards from the two showpiece buildings, which should have mostly unobscured views of the sea.
Maybe it will take ten billion of public sector funding and five billion dollars of private money, but for a new city of peace in the Holy Lands, it will surely be worth that and many lives more. It is estimated that 85,000 homes to house an estimated 320,000 to 425,000 people can be built within eight to ten years, with the highest densities close to downtown, and lower rise neighborhoods stretching out towards Rafah, the airport and Khan Younis. In addition, the downtown areas of both ancient Rafah, and the more recently inhabited refugee city, Khan Younis, will each need to be redeveloped and connected by public and private transit to Khanara and each other.
To the north of the new city, along some of the beaches west and northwest of Younis, will be built the community of Isa Beach, with modern tourist facilities for travelers from all over the world who are coming to see the Holy lands. The seaside amenities of Khanara and Isa Beach will become new ports of call for global pilgrims of many faiths.
In Lebanon, the international community must undertake massive infrastructure rebuilding and the redevelopment of housing, and this must be performed as part of wide-ranging cooperation. One-off deals don’t bridge the gap; peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan were crucial watersheds, but without a Palestinian state, in each case it was clear that war would go on, in some form or other. The Cedar Revolution embraces non-violence and a civil society, and the world must support these positive movements. Faoud Siniora, Chibli Mallat, Walid Jumblatt, Mahmoud Abbas, even Yousef and Haniyeh and other powerful leaders are now willing to sit at the negotiating table, so let’s get cooking!
For peace to spread throughout the region, it will be important to stay focused on where help is needed most. In Syria, significant improvements must be funded for the promotion of democratic institutions via educational and technological assistance. Modernization of Damascus’ transportation and communications facilities plus development of the area west of the city are priorities that the international community can assist with. Even the terrorist organizations not directly affiliated with Hamas or Hezbollah, but who call Damascus their headquarters, will have to either join in the peace initiative, desist from agitation, or leave. If the Syrian PM can become a broker in peace as he has been in covert war, then he will have helped his nation regain status that had been lost, in the eyes of Arab countries and in the international community. If the Asia West Parliament is initially slated for the Syrian side of the border on the road from Damascus to Beirut, it is a powerful olive branch that can be utilized by the reigning family In Syria and the Imams in Iran, and also will be a signal of hope for many of the long-suffering citizens of Iraq.
How will Iran react if Israel and Palestine form a longer-term peace, security and trade deal with their neighbors, including Syria? Iran can spin Hezbollah’s truce and the establishment of a Palestinian state into a victory parade in Tehran. The announcement of the Asia West Parliament with Iran’s large representation will also be something to celebrate. This will give them time to analyze the shifting sands and their loss of direct control over Syria, much like Syria has had to digest the fact that Lebanon has gone and will never fully return to the fold. In any case Iran will not overtly oppose a peace deal that establishes a Palestinian state and an essentially twenty-year truce. Regarding the latter, many mullahs will be secretly happy knowing they will have Israel to blame their problems on for at least another twenty years, and probably a lot, lot longer.
Stage Three – Establishment of Asia West Parliament
The western portion of Asia (an area commonly referred to as the Middle East) and the northeast portion of Africa (eg. Sudan and Egypt) is perhaps the last remaining region on earth where large numbers of people still believe that violence is an effective means of solving political problems, so the example of the peaceful transfer of power as occurs in democratic nations will have widespread appeal. One way to allocate the seats would be to withhold a portion of the representation until it could be proven that there was representative democracy on at least three levels, and that the campaigning and voting for the regional congress was open and unhindered.
While it is true that hatred and bitterness are not likely to disappear overnight, healthier conditions can be created that allow these corrosive symptoms to dissipate over years and decades, and for genuine cooperation to return. There was a time when Muslims and Jews ruled the world together for almost four hundred years, during the seventh to eleventh centuries. Northern Ireland is a more recent example of a nation overcoming deep-rooted violence to emerge as a participatory democracy, and other countries and regions that have recovered well from wars should also be studied.
Dearly desired at this time are any efforts that regional and international partners can put forth that promote dialogue rather than push war. Ideally, every nation would have some form of direct democratic representation on as many as five levels: local / municipal, regional / county, provincial / state, national, and continental / multinational.
Encouraging West Asian citizens to vote on their representatives to a new regional multinational parliament would instill both cooperation and participation in decision making, where they are clearly needed most. This is not a magic pill and will not transform societies overnight, but having a say in how their region is represented could lead to people experiencing the value of this form of confrontational yet nonviolent communication, and many would likely want to experience more elections. The Palestinians held exemplary elections yet still learned a hard lesson when they voted for Hamas and war, because they got what they voted for. If Abbas and Haniyeh can put together a Unity Government with Fatah sharing power alongside moderate and reformed Hamas parliamentarians, plus key technocrats and international spokesmen such as the highly regarded Saab Erekat, then Abbas and the PM will have the authority and respect required to launch the new nation of Palestine into full statehood.
A four-nation agreement between Palestine, Israel, Lebanon and Jordan is not difficult to imagine, but many readers are likely to have problems envisioning the currently pro-terrorist Baath regime in Syria ever agreeing to a meaningful peace deal.
OK, first picture a scenario where both Hamas and Hezbollah leaders are about to sign peace treaties with Israel, Lebanon and Palestine, and word hits Damascus, directly north of Amman; Jordan is getting in on a four-nation trade bloc. If instead of being left on the sidelines, Syria were to agree to implement democratic initiatives at the regional and national levels, and to grant the Palestinians the Shaba farms plus a good portion of the Golan lands, then Syria would receive massive development funding and a full endorsement as host of the proposed Asia West Parliament. This new regional facility would be constructed along the Damascus – Beirut highway, west of Damascus near the Lebanese border. If the five nations in the agreement and the international community all support Syria as host of the new house of representatives, then the West Asian powerhouses such as Iran, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and Iraq are unlikely to dissent.
It is up to the Quartet and partners to help both Iran and Syria see the wisdom in creating the Asia West Parliament; Iran will likely be allocated the most seats, plus regional offices, and Syria will be first choice as host, but each must first commit to peace and democracy for the entire region.
What’s in it for Israel? From Herzl to Ben Gurion, Meir to Begin to Sharon, it has been a long, tough battle. People on both sides of the wall deserve peace. By accepting defined borders and supporting Palestinian and regional economic growth, Israel will have created a new bridge to the Arab world, one so powerful it could replace all those shattered since 1948 by confrontational and violent types on both sides of the conflict. Everyone can surely anticipate the dividends of peace, but let’s go further back to learn from history and avoid repeating fateful errors.
Two-thirds of the way through the first century, the Jerusalem and Judaic communities were deeply divided along lines that have some parallels today. The secular Jews of twenty-first-century Israel are reminiscent of both the Sadducees and the Nazarenes, the followers of the Way who would later become known as Christians, in that all of these groups have preached internationalism, tolerance, reconciliation and respect for other ethnicities and faiths.
The devout but mainstream Israelis can be likened to the Pharisees and the more responsible of the Essenes, as both then and now they are strong believers in the Torah and the Law. These communities embody both the stability and the establishment of the faith, and believe wholly in what is written.
The downfall of Jerusalem over nineteen hundred years ago was due to the disintegration that followed the rise to power of the Zealots and their mercenary, misguided foot soldiers, the Idumaeans. For over five decades the Sadducees had been able to maintain some elements of self-rule by ensuring cooperation of major Jerusalem and Judea stakeholders with reasonable requests of the Roman governors. While it is true that Nero and Festus passed the point of no return in their blatant disrespect for Judeans, but if you look at the three to four years previous to that dishonorable attempt to steal the Temple treasury, you can see that a lot of the rot had come from within. By the time Titus laid siege to the Holiest of Cities, many leading Judaic families had already left for Rome and other European destinations.
The flies in the ointment who exhibit Zealot-like qualities are the fundamentalists on both sides of the Palestinian-Israeli divide. When Ariel Sharon returned Gaza to the Palestinians, he changed the impact of his own career and the future of two nations, for this one act signified two things. First, the dreamers of Eretz Israel, who wanted it all and at any price, were finally and permanently discredited and abandoned, never again to be taken seriously. People outside the region are mostly not aware how important this was, but Palestinians and Arabs in the Holy Lands had believed that Israel really did want it all, and up to that point the facts on the ground kept proving the conspiracy theorists to be correct. It was a watershed event for Israel and Palestine, and the crown on Sharon’s career.
The second major significance of the Gaza pullout involved timing, and together with the building of the wall, indicated that the end game had begun. The wall and the Gaza withdrawal are each partly designed to permanize the two-state concept. Those two steps were an attempt to start dividing the land into two nations, and it is a process that will continue with some outposts being abandoned and other unsupportable West Bank communities being resettled inside Israel. Palestine should try and keep some of these settlements, to help build a modern, integrated nation, and for the lucrative tax and consumer base.
The coming of the Asia West Parliament will inspire much progress over the next twenty to twenty-five years. If a regional desire for more democracy arises, the Quartet and other global powers should do everything in their power to promote this development. It may mean more open elections coming to Egypt, and even the possibility of Saudi Arabia evolving into a real democratic nation state, with only the area around Mecca and Medina surviving as a theocracy.
The establishment of an Asia West Parliament in southwestern Syria, on this road between Beirut and Damascus, is therefore advised for the security and prosperity of the region. It is suggested that this home of governance be built about 10 to 30 kilometers from the Lebanon border, possibly near the ancient village of al-Is, said to be the former home of a first-century Herodian king named Aristobulus, who was known for his wise, peaceful ways. If Syria isn’t amenable to regional democratic and peace developments, alternative locations for the parliament would be on the same road, but another twenty to thirty kilometers to the west, on the Lebanese side of the border, or possibly in Jordan near Amman.
Another scenario would see a four-nation deal done as a first stage, and then King Abdullah II of Jordan can sponsor both Egypt and Syria as the next partners to enter the new peace arrangement and emerging economic market.
Though Lebanon and Jordan would each make exemplary hosts for the Asia West Parliament, selecting Syria as host nation has distinct advantages for the region and for all humanity. With Israel, Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon already forming an oasis of tolerance, adding Syria to the progressive zone widens peace efforts and helps bring Sunni-Shia concerns to the negotiating table, and off the battlefield. The alternative, of ostracizing and alienating Syria, could help turn that great nation into a battleground for sectarian and ideological concerns. By including Syria in both the security and the economic blocks, and by locating the regional parliament here, livability in the entire area is improved.
If regional stability is not restored, then Palestinian nationhood could be delayed further, and nobody wants another Baghdad or Gaza where secure Damascus now sits. Why should the hopes and dreams of Palestinian statehood and Lebanese rebuilding be held hostage to wider conflicts? The answer is they shouldn’t, and it is wise to start at the core.
Under this proposed comprehensive regional peace, security, prosperity and democracy plan, each West Asian nation will receive between 2 and 15 parliamentary seats in the Asia West Parliament / Parliament Asia Ouest, to be elected by popular ballot.
Asia West Parliament – Parliament Asia Ouest Very Preliminary Allocation Estimate
Iran 15
Saudi Arabia 12
Iraq 12
Turkey 12
Syria 10
Palestine 7/8
Israel 7/8
Lebanon 7/8
Jordan 6/7
Turkmenistan 4/5?
UAE 4/5
Azerbaijan 3/5?
Yemen 3
Other likely members of the parliament, who would be allocated two to four seats each, are nations such as Georgia, Armenia, Oman, Kuwait, Qatar, Bahrain.
Honorary members, with representatives to have voting rights and to be elected by their national populace:
Egypt 2 (one man, one woman)
Pakistan 2 (one man, one woman)
Afghanistan 2 (one man, one woman)
Note: If Turkey joins the European Union and is deemed ineligible for full membership in AWP / PAO, then she will gain the same honorary status as Egypt and the others, and will send two elected members.
Total estimated representation would initially be estimated at 130 to155 members, to be elected by direct public voting. Construction on the parliament buildings is proposed to begin in late 2007, with the first election to be held in autumn of 2009, for sitting beginning winter 2010.
NOTE: Feel free to post commentary, suggestions, corrections, additions, and omissions; all constructive feedback will be greatly appreciated. I am especially seeking to hear from those who love both Israel and Palestine, and from any who know of similar proposals, or any other innovative plans for regional economic growth. Peace, blessings and good health, God willing; Shalom, Namaste, Tenaystilin, Inshallah.
Yuya Joseph
yuyajoe@yahoo.ca
Sunday, September 10, 2006
Aristobulus and Salome, excerpt from 2nd draft of new Yuya book
Herod Joseph and Mariamne IV and their twelve-year old son Aristobulus Jeshua, entered the Jeru Temple for devotional worship, and also for the purpose of inspecting the premises. In addition to being responsible for the governance of the northern territories, Joseph was custodian of the Temple, and ensuring for the fullness of the tradition and the sanctity of the Holy of Holies fell to him. He considered this the highest aspect of his office, and those who knew him believed that he was wholly devoted to his most sacred duty. He was the father of the one who was known as the wonderful counselor, and the depth of his duties always astonished even his own soul.
This fatherly example of stewardship of the Temple would mark Aristobulus with a similarly protective streak, which would flare up when corruption seeped in almost three decades later. Constant threats to the Temple got the young Ari thinking about a more decentralized faith, where the kingdom would be in the hearts of the followers, and the places of worship would be wherever the Chosen found themselves. He had these dreams from a youthful age, but as he was still wholly devoted to his father and the Temple, he shared them only with his mother.
The arriving party was greeted by Caiaphas, High Priest of Judea who had been appointed by Valerius Gratus, together with senior Rabbis and other officials of the Temple, and their assistants. Caiaphas had performed the duties of High Priest for nearly a decade and the subjects of his retirement and of his successor were on the minds of many. It was the tradition for this post to be appointed by the northern king, and Caiaphas, knowing full well his days as High Priest, and his days on this very earth, were numbered, asked Herod Joseph if he may be allowed to offer advice on the succession.
Joseph responded positively, replying, “My mind is still open. It would be of great value to hear your thoughts.”
Caiaphas was nodding appreciatively and told him “Two of the worthiest candidates will be at today’s briefing.”
During the tour Herod and family were shown the current status of the areas of teaching, of prayer, of sacrificial offerings and of communal cooking and eating. Ari liked to look into the corners, and out the windows, and perused almost every book he came across. At one point he went through a doorway and started into an attached dwelling, but was quickly advised to return to the main room. The living quarters of the Rabbis and Temple workers were not included on this visit.
At the end of this quiet tour, each of the royals took time to pray, in the chapel adjoining the Holy of Holies. Herod waited outside the chapel for Ari, and together they walked back to the main hall.
There followed a briefing in the council room, where Herod of Chalcis (with Aristobulus listening attentively) was apprised of events and developments regarding the various competing factions within Judaism, and the encroaching influences on the perimeter of the Holy Land. Regarding Jerusalem, all the discussion focused on Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes. Considering the Judaic Holy Lands and the frontiers, Samaritans, Philistines, Idumeans all were worthy of inclusion.
In addition to Ari and his father and two of his father’s advisors, others present at the meeting included High Priest Caiaphas, Jonathan ben Ananias, Theophilus ben Ananias, and the noted scribe and teacher Gamaliel, a grandson of Hillel.
Caiaphas opened with a general update. “The Pharisees and Sadducees have agreed to work together on most matters. The Essenes are occasionally held in suspicion by the Romans, but they are nearly always cleared of charges, and for the most part deserve their lofty reputation.”
“Certain of the rural families, however, have hooked up with the Zealots, and rumblings of rebellion are heard in the hills and in the towns, from Shechem to Jericho, Hebron to Rafah. Some of them want to be rid of the Romans, others would like to see you and I go as well.”
He had been looking directly into the face of Herod of Chalcis, then slowly turned his gaze to Aristobulus, and then to Gamaliel.
Gamaliel in in turn began to speak. “ We can tolerate Roman rule, our leaders work with Romans at the highest levels. What would become of Us if the region were to fall into the wrong hands … the enemy within is as dangerous to us as those along our borders. I think we need to get some more food stored in and near Jerusalem.”
Jonathan ben Ananias was nodding agreement, and added his own commentary. “Our people have been battered by persecution and famine, yet the resilience is powerful. Storing food is vital for the near term, but I know we can all agree that growing food is how we can improve our own lives over the medium to longer term.” Aristobulus shot him a knowing glance, the youngster wondering if Jonathan has somehow learned about the seeds Ari was carrying in his pockets.
Relations with Egyptians, Syrians, Greeks and Romans were all included in the report, with the developing situations in Alexandria, Tiberias and Caesarea discussed more specifically, together with Roman attitudes to each of the jurisdictions. At the end of this relatively brief yet crucial meeting, the royals got up and joined with a larger group of people waiting in the communal eating room nearby.
Many cousins and officials, from Hashmonein, Levite, Davidic and Herodian streams, journeyed from all over Israel and Judea, traveling to the Temple to honour and meet with the royals. There were more than four dozen guests, of which about half were relatives and half were officialdom, and they gathered together in the kitchen / dining area while Ari Jesh and his family were touring the buildings and praying, and were elated to now see them entering the room. There was a measure of festivity in the air, a quiet yet confident celebration of the eternally divine, the shared LORD who moves with history, and provides guidance to the Chosen People.
Everyone gathered in the large dining area, and Jesh got speaking with two youthful Rabbis about interpretations of Holy Scripture. These men were both fully willing to hear young Ari out, but it was true that there were others, the elder teachers, who were waiting to speak to this prodigious soul. When they told him that Hillel had requested a get-together, Ari Jesh immediately followed the resident Rabbis into the council meeting room, not noticing that at that same moment his family had been leaving to continue eating and conversing at the Agrippa home a few blocks away, the mansion on a hill overlooking the City.
The quieter of the two Rabbis broke the silence, speaking quietly in Jeshua’s direction. “The Teacher has requested a personal meeting with you, if your time permits today.”
Jeshua spoke directly and immediately. “This is perfect, as I was just waiting for the right moment to ask you brothers if it would be possible for myself to reason with the Master.”
The two men and the lad left the room and along the hallway enroute to the chambers Hillel appeared out of a side doorway, and a smile came across the old man’s face. He extended his hand, and young Ari Jeshua took it into his own, and slowly walked beside the grand master until each took their seat at the table in the main council room.
A frail and elderly Hillel sat at the head of the table, with his grandson Gamaliel at his left hand, and young Aristobulus at his right. Hillel formed the Holy Triangle with his fingers on the table in front of him, and began speaking slowly.
“Messiah, I am old and have taught many men in my time. My wisdom and knowledge remains sound, yet my years are numbered and I feel my teachings may be losing some of their fluidity. I want you to benefit from my guidance while you can, and realize that much of my philosophy and insight has already been written down, with more to come. Your parents have set you on a righteous path; know always that the Rabbis are here to help you, to work with you.”
“These men before you will carry on the teachings, and guide you upon your way, especially my grandson here Gamaliel, whom I have appointed as your personal tutor. Questions of Providence, of Justice, and of Scriptural interpretation may be brought to him.”
Jesh was appreciative, yet already had business on his mind. “Thank you my Lord. You are speaking of my destiny, and I honour your respect and acknowledgements. I am privileged to meet with you and to speak with you and to have access to God’s learned and wise souls within these Holy walls. I will forever remember this day and do my best not to disappoint yourselves or Our Father in the months and years to come.”
“Let us use our time together here today to discuss the state of teaching in Israel and Judea, and if I may be permitted to say so, we should also take it upon ourselves to analyze the even more important subject of the general conditions Our people have been living in. A man hears little and learns even less when his stomach is growling louder than the teacher is speaking.”
The Rabbis looked at each other in astonishment and the room fell silent. Hillel smiled, and then he chuckled out loud. He gestured to Gamaliel to respond, which he did. “We had heard that you are a seeker of Truth, and that you take your Chosen status and that of Our people quite seriously, so fine, tell us what is going on out there, and what if anything we may be able to do for the benefit of Israel and Judea. We also know of the troubles, but have been at a loss when trying to settle on a strategy to improve the welfare of all.”
Young Jeshua Aristobulus spoke with the men about Jeru and Shiloh, about Jericho and Caesarea, about Alexandria and Rome. What he knew best was Galilee, Nazareth, Tiberias and Caesarea Philippi. For news of locales further away, he often had to rely on second and third-hand sources. It wasn’t just that he seemed more in tune with the pulse of the people than those in the Temple, but he seemed to be one of them.
They were impressed at his ability to perceive the essence of the matters at hand, and his knowledge of scriptural meanings was astounding to the elders. Ari told them about towns where the synagogue was crowded and needed more land, such as Caesarea, and other places where the house of worship had plenty of available land that could be used to build housing and farms.
He knew which libraries needed repairs, and which needed books. He pointed out which classrooms required more chairs and tables, and which schools needed more teachers. It was not a complete report of the nation, more like an analysis of Galilee, Qumran and a few other centers, but it was an astoundingly perceptive summary. When they asked him how a boy of twelve could come across such knowledge, he replied that he was fortunate to have cousins throughout the region, and that his father’s employees were keeping him regularly informed about places of learning, and of worship. The utterance of this last word made a couple of the Rabbis feel uneasy, for how or why would a twelve-year old be monitoring the houses of faith?
Ari made no mention of his own mission or status, and spoke only of the difficult life facing many who wish to study and continue the teachings. He also pleaded for the farmers to be given lenience and support, for many had resorted to eating seed during the preceding years of famine. They were now subsisting poorly, yet most needed only a helping hand to surely thrive again, and restore bounty to the marketplace.
Young Jeshua pulled out several different, overly large seed grains, and set them on the table. “These are from the days when Salome and the Pharisees ruled peacefully together. Our farms brought forth cartloads of the biggest ears of corn and sheaves of barley that any men had ever seen. I have brought these only to illustrate our collective sin, and to show that this is not the way it always has to be.”
Again the room fell silent, and as the seeds were passed around the table, one of the men bowed his head, while another put his hands together to pray. Rarely had they been met with the folly of sin in such a forceful way, and the lesson drove deep into their hearts and souls.
Ari then asked for resolution, speaking softly yet forcefully. “I am requesting that two of the hardest-hit regions, Hebron and Shechem, be provided with allocations of seed and tools, for this is all that is truly required to get the lives moving again.”
Gamaliel looked briefly to Hillel, but was basically unhesitant in his response. “We will send relief, and soon, to both of these areas.”
Not long after arrival at the home and gardens of the Agrippa family palace across town, Herod Joseph noticed that young Aristobulus was not to be seen among his extended family. He enquired around the house, and at first nobody knew of his whereabouts, and deep concern began to show on his face. His mother Mariamne and others also noticed that Ari Jesh was not among the revelers, and people had begun enquiring of his whereabouts.
A disappointed and upset, though still radiantly beautiful, young Salome turned to a family member at the gathering and enquired, “I thought that cousin Aristobulus was going to be here; he is the only reason I wanted to come to this place today. Where is he?”
She was fourteen years of age, and cousin Ari no longer seemed like a young boy to her, he was now sophisticated and insightful. Her uncle, Herod of Chalcis, had been raising him since he was a toddler, and loving him and teaching him as if he were his very soul. He wasn’t even a teenager yet, but he was already her best friend ever, and it bothered her that he was not here where she expected him to be.
Salome was to remember this day for all of her life, and though Jesh thought of it fondly, Sal considered it the beginning of a downward trend that kept her away from Ari Jesh for long periods of time. During her unhappy first marriage, she thought of this day and how she would someday marry the boy prophet, for very few had ever said Jahn Philip was the Messiah or the Annointed One, and even those few that said it were not considered reliable. When people referred to Jeshua as the Messiah or the Anointed, nobody ever seemed to say a word against him, and everyone proclaimed his goodness and worthiness. Was She also not the Holy Princess of Judaea, deserving of a Righteous King and all of Israel? Surely her destiny was not to be designated a half portion and an old man that only extremists still openly supported. Her mother Herodias would marry King Agrippa, changing the course of history, but all this would come much later.
Just as casual worry started to build into mounting familial concern, a latecomer to the gathering mentioned he had seen young Ari talking with Hillel and Gamaliel back at the Temple, to which Herod replied, “This is not a joke. You swear you saw my son just now with Hillel and Gamaliel inside the Temple?”
“Yes, my Lord, I swear that it was only a short time ago when I saw them walk into the council meeting room; it was onlyminutes before you yourself left the building, I am sure they dhould be finishing their discussion soon. I shall go and wait for him and then bring him here; shall I?”
Mariamne was told that he was safe, and everyone was content that the young Prince Jeshua Aristobulus was in the best possible place he could be, and they all expected the lad to join the party at any moment. Herod of Chalcis spent much of the time conversing with Bernice, and this had not gone unnoticed by the old and the young. She had grown into an intelligent, attractive young lady, and Herod Joseph was smitten with her charms.
Three and a half hours later Ari Jesh was still not there, and his family returned to the Temple to find him just leaving the council chambers, walking and still chatting with Gamaliel and the same two Rabbis who originally spoke with him in the dining room. The guard who had been waiting outside the door for him now walked slowly behind, still not wanting to interrupt what to him seemed to be dialogue of enormous import.
This fatherly example of stewardship of the Temple would mark Aristobulus with a similarly protective streak, which would flare up when corruption seeped in almost three decades later. Constant threats to the Temple got the young Ari thinking about a more decentralized faith, where the kingdom would be in the hearts of the followers, and the places of worship would be wherever the Chosen found themselves. He had these dreams from a youthful age, but as he was still wholly devoted to his father and the Temple, he shared them only with his mother.
The arriving party was greeted by Caiaphas, High Priest of Judea who had been appointed by Valerius Gratus, together with senior Rabbis and other officials of the Temple, and their assistants. Caiaphas had performed the duties of High Priest for nearly a decade and the subjects of his retirement and of his successor were on the minds of many. It was the tradition for this post to be appointed by the northern king, and Caiaphas, knowing full well his days as High Priest, and his days on this very earth, were numbered, asked Herod Joseph if he may be allowed to offer advice on the succession.
Joseph responded positively, replying, “My mind is still open. It would be of great value to hear your thoughts.”
Caiaphas was nodding appreciatively and told him “Two of the worthiest candidates will be at today’s briefing.”
During the tour Herod and family were shown the current status of the areas of teaching, of prayer, of sacrificial offerings and of communal cooking and eating. Ari liked to look into the corners, and out the windows, and perused almost every book he came across. At one point he went through a doorway and started into an attached dwelling, but was quickly advised to return to the main room. The living quarters of the Rabbis and Temple workers were not included on this visit.
At the end of this quiet tour, each of the royals took time to pray, in the chapel adjoining the Holy of Holies. Herod waited outside the chapel for Ari, and together they walked back to the main hall.
There followed a briefing in the council room, where Herod of Chalcis (with Aristobulus listening attentively) was apprised of events and developments regarding the various competing factions within Judaism, and the encroaching influences on the perimeter of the Holy Land. Regarding Jerusalem, all the discussion focused on Pharisees, Sadducees, Zealots, and Essenes. Considering the Judaic Holy Lands and the frontiers, Samaritans, Philistines, Idumeans all were worthy of inclusion.
In addition to Ari and his father and two of his father’s advisors, others present at the meeting included High Priest Caiaphas, Jonathan ben Ananias, Theophilus ben Ananias, and the noted scribe and teacher Gamaliel, a grandson of Hillel.
Caiaphas opened with a general update. “The Pharisees and Sadducees have agreed to work together on most matters. The Essenes are occasionally held in suspicion by the Romans, but they are nearly always cleared of charges, and for the most part deserve their lofty reputation.”
“Certain of the rural families, however, have hooked up with the Zealots, and rumblings of rebellion are heard in the hills and in the towns, from Shechem to Jericho, Hebron to Rafah. Some of them want to be rid of the Romans, others would like to see you and I go as well.”
He had been looking directly into the face of Herod of Chalcis, then slowly turned his gaze to Aristobulus, and then to Gamaliel.
Gamaliel in in turn began to speak. “ We can tolerate Roman rule, our leaders work with Romans at the highest levels. What would become of Us if the region were to fall into the wrong hands … the enemy within is as dangerous to us as those along our borders. I think we need to get some more food stored in and near Jerusalem.”
Jonathan ben Ananias was nodding agreement, and added his own commentary. “Our people have been battered by persecution and famine, yet the resilience is powerful. Storing food is vital for the near term, but I know we can all agree that growing food is how we can improve our own lives over the medium to longer term.” Aristobulus shot him a knowing glance, the youngster wondering if Jonathan has somehow learned about the seeds Ari was carrying in his pockets.
Relations with Egyptians, Syrians, Greeks and Romans were all included in the report, with the developing situations in Alexandria, Tiberias and Caesarea discussed more specifically, together with Roman attitudes to each of the jurisdictions. At the end of this relatively brief yet crucial meeting, the royals got up and joined with a larger group of people waiting in the communal eating room nearby.
Many cousins and officials, from Hashmonein, Levite, Davidic and Herodian streams, journeyed from all over Israel and Judea, traveling to the Temple to honour and meet with the royals. There were more than four dozen guests, of which about half were relatives and half were officialdom, and they gathered together in the kitchen / dining area while Ari Jesh and his family were touring the buildings and praying, and were elated to now see them entering the room. There was a measure of festivity in the air, a quiet yet confident celebration of the eternally divine, the shared LORD who moves with history, and provides guidance to the Chosen People.
Everyone gathered in the large dining area, and Jesh got speaking with two youthful Rabbis about interpretations of Holy Scripture. These men were both fully willing to hear young Ari out, but it was true that there were others, the elder teachers, who were waiting to speak to this prodigious soul. When they told him that Hillel had requested a get-together, Ari Jesh immediately followed the resident Rabbis into the council meeting room, not noticing that at that same moment his family had been leaving to continue eating and conversing at the Agrippa home a few blocks away, the mansion on a hill overlooking the City.
The quieter of the two Rabbis broke the silence, speaking quietly in Jeshua’s direction. “The Teacher has requested a personal meeting with you, if your time permits today.”
Jeshua spoke directly and immediately. “This is perfect, as I was just waiting for the right moment to ask you brothers if it would be possible for myself to reason with the Master.”
The two men and the lad left the room and along the hallway enroute to the chambers Hillel appeared out of a side doorway, and a smile came across the old man’s face. He extended his hand, and young Ari Jeshua took it into his own, and slowly walked beside the grand master until each took their seat at the table in the main council room.
A frail and elderly Hillel sat at the head of the table, with his grandson Gamaliel at his left hand, and young Aristobulus at his right. Hillel formed the Holy Triangle with his fingers on the table in front of him, and began speaking slowly.
“Messiah, I am old and have taught many men in my time. My wisdom and knowledge remains sound, yet my years are numbered and I feel my teachings may be losing some of their fluidity. I want you to benefit from my guidance while you can, and realize that much of my philosophy and insight has already been written down, with more to come. Your parents have set you on a righteous path; know always that the Rabbis are here to help you, to work with you.”
“These men before you will carry on the teachings, and guide you upon your way, especially my grandson here Gamaliel, whom I have appointed as your personal tutor. Questions of Providence, of Justice, and of Scriptural interpretation may be brought to him.”
Jesh was appreciative, yet already had business on his mind. “Thank you my Lord. You are speaking of my destiny, and I honour your respect and acknowledgements. I am privileged to meet with you and to speak with you and to have access to God’s learned and wise souls within these Holy walls. I will forever remember this day and do my best not to disappoint yourselves or Our Father in the months and years to come.”
“Let us use our time together here today to discuss the state of teaching in Israel and Judea, and if I may be permitted to say so, we should also take it upon ourselves to analyze the even more important subject of the general conditions Our people have been living in. A man hears little and learns even less when his stomach is growling louder than the teacher is speaking.”
The Rabbis looked at each other in astonishment and the room fell silent. Hillel smiled, and then he chuckled out loud. He gestured to Gamaliel to respond, which he did. “We had heard that you are a seeker of Truth, and that you take your Chosen status and that of Our people quite seriously, so fine, tell us what is going on out there, and what if anything we may be able to do for the benefit of Israel and Judea. We also know of the troubles, but have been at a loss when trying to settle on a strategy to improve the welfare of all.”
Young Jeshua Aristobulus spoke with the men about Jeru and Shiloh, about Jericho and Caesarea, about Alexandria and Rome. What he knew best was Galilee, Nazareth, Tiberias and Caesarea Philippi. For news of locales further away, he often had to rely on second and third-hand sources. It wasn’t just that he seemed more in tune with the pulse of the people than those in the Temple, but he seemed to be one of them.
They were impressed at his ability to perceive the essence of the matters at hand, and his knowledge of scriptural meanings was astounding to the elders. Ari told them about towns where the synagogue was crowded and needed more land, such as Caesarea, and other places where the house of worship had plenty of available land that could be used to build housing and farms.
He knew which libraries needed repairs, and which needed books. He pointed out which classrooms required more chairs and tables, and which schools needed more teachers. It was not a complete report of the nation, more like an analysis of Galilee, Qumran and a few other centers, but it was an astoundingly perceptive summary. When they asked him how a boy of twelve could come across such knowledge, he replied that he was fortunate to have cousins throughout the region, and that his father’s employees were keeping him regularly informed about places of learning, and of worship. The utterance of this last word made a couple of the Rabbis feel uneasy, for how or why would a twelve-year old be monitoring the houses of faith?
Ari made no mention of his own mission or status, and spoke only of the difficult life facing many who wish to study and continue the teachings. He also pleaded for the farmers to be given lenience and support, for many had resorted to eating seed during the preceding years of famine. They were now subsisting poorly, yet most needed only a helping hand to surely thrive again, and restore bounty to the marketplace.
Young Jeshua pulled out several different, overly large seed grains, and set them on the table. “These are from the days when Salome and the Pharisees ruled peacefully together. Our farms brought forth cartloads of the biggest ears of corn and sheaves of barley that any men had ever seen. I have brought these only to illustrate our collective sin, and to show that this is not the way it always has to be.”
Again the room fell silent, and as the seeds were passed around the table, one of the men bowed his head, while another put his hands together to pray. Rarely had they been met with the folly of sin in such a forceful way, and the lesson drove deep into their hearts and souls.
Ari then asked for resolution, speaking softly yet forcefully. “I am requesting that two of the hardest-hit regions, Hebron and Shechem, be provided with allocations of seed and tools, for this is all that is truly required to get the lives moving again.”
Gamaliel looked briefly to Hillel, but was basically unhesitant in his response. “We will send relief, and soon, to both of these areas.”
Not long after arrival at the home and gardens of the Agrippa family palace across town, Herod Joseph noticed that young Aristobulus was not to be seen among his extended family. He enquired around the house, and at first nobody knew of his whereabouts, and deep concern began to show on his face. His mother Mariamne and others also noticed that Ari Jesh was not among the revelers, and people had begun enquiring of his whereabouts.
A disappointed and upset, though still radiantly beautiful, young Salome turned to a family member at the gathering and enquired, “I thought that cousin Aristobulus was going to be here; he is the only reason I wanted to come to this place today. Where is he?”
She was fourteen years of age, and cousin Ari no longer seemed like a young boy to her, he was now sophisticated and insightful. Her uncle, Herod of Chalcis, had been raising him since he was a toddler, and loving him and teaching him as if he were his very soul. He wasn’t even a teenager yet, but he was already her best friend ever, and it bothered her that he was not here where she expected him to be.
Salome was to remember this day for all of her life, and though Jesh thought of it fondly, Sal considered it the beginning of a downward trend that kept her away from Ari Jesh for long periods of time. During her unhappy first marriage, she thought of this day and how she would someday marry the boy prophet, for very few had ever said Jahn Philip was the Messiah or the Annointed One, and even those few that said it were not considered reliable. When people referred to Jeshua as the Messiah or the Anointed, nobody ever seemed to say a word against him, and everyone proclaimed his goodness and worthiness. Was She also not the Holy Princess of Judaea, deserving of a Righteous King and all of Israel? Surely her destiny was not to be designated a half portion and an old man that only extremists still openly supported. Her mother Herodias would marry King Agrippa, changing the course of history, but all this would come much later.
Just as casual worry started to build into mounting familial concern, a latecomer to the gathering mentioned he had seen young Ari talking with Hillel and Gamaliel back at the Temple, to which Herod replied, “This is not a joke. You swear you saw my son just now with Hillel and Gamaliel inside the Temple?”
“Yes, my Lord, I swear that it was only a short time ago when I saw them walk into the council meeting room; it was onlyminutes before you yourself left the building, I am sure they dhould be finishing their discussion soon. I shall go and wait for him and then bring him here; shall I?”
Mariamne was told that he was safe, and everyone was content that the young Prince Jeshua Aristobulus was in the best possible place he could be, and they all expected the lad to join the party at any moment. Herod of Chalcis spent much of the time conversing with Bernice, and this had not gone unnoticed by the old and the young. She had grown into an intelligent, attractive young lady, and Herod Joseph was smitten with her charms.
Three and a half hours later Ari Jesh was still not there, and his family returned to the Temple to find him just leaving the council chambers, walking and still chatting with Gamaliel and the same two Rabbis who originally spoke with him in the dining room. The guard who had been waiting outside the door for him now walked slowly behind, still not wanting to interrupt what to him seemed to be dialogue of enormous import.
Saturday, September 09, 2006
Aristobulus and Salome; advance chapter from forthcoming Yuya Joseph book
D – Ari Loves Salome
Aristobulus was a son of Antipater at birth, and therefore a great-grandson of Herod the Great. It is not known how long his mother Mariamne stayed with Antipater, only that he was considerably older than she when they were first united. She became engaged to Herod Joseph Polli while Ari was still a baby living with relatives in Egypt, and he was almost two years old when he returned to Nazareth.
After his mother Mariamne IV was wed to the northern King Herod Joseph of Chalcis, Ari was then adopted into this Hashmonein family. His new stepfather was a direct descendant of Johannan Maccabeus, and a builder of many of Tiberias’ finest structures. The city had begun a modernization using Greek architects, and the family of Herod was the major creative and financial force behind the dozens of new buildings that had gone up over the previous three decades.
As per prophecy, Aristobulus was the new Joshua, and his life was to be patterned after previous Holy Joshua’s, or Saviour’s. In time He would grow comfortably into the role, and became the Crown Prince, theKing of the Jews and the Messiah of the new Way, a true prophet of peace and equality.
The royal daughter, Princess Salome, herself of Macaabean strains, was two years older than Ari, and was raised primarily in Jerusalem. Her regal heritage was unassailable, with her father being Herod Philip the Tetrarch, and her mother the internationally known Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. She was destined to be married two times; first to Prince Philip Jahn Herod II, as fulfillment of prophecy, then later marrying Aristobulus and bringing forth sons to carry on the Covenant.
Salome was nobody’s fool and she knew the significance of the marriage better than anyone save Aristobulus, but these were not the matters on her mind as the big day approached, No, Salome was smitten, she was dreamy, she was having a hard time believing that it was all really true. Yet it was, she and Jesh had always been destined to be together, and now that was going to be sooner rather than later. Her dreams of being the special princess to the most-loved man were about to be realized, and her heart pounded with the excitement of it all.
As a child, Ari had grown strong under the tutelage of his stepfather, Herod Joseph of Chalcis, who was also Salome’s uncle, her mother Herodias’ own brother. When his father remarried, to Bernice daughter of Agrippa, Ari stayed in the palace after his mother moved away. Mariamne took Jesh’s younger sister Polla with her, but it was clear to all that Aristobulus Jeshua would stay in the palace and continue his education with the spiritual leaders of Galilee and Judea. Nobody suggested otherwise, as there were many roads ahead for young Jeshua to travel.
Over the years Aristobulus had built a reputation as an honourable man, something royal, unwed men were not always able to do, the Roman influence being what it was. The prospect of a life with Salome Mariamme was enough to keep Ari on the straight and narrow path, and his years of abstinence and discretion were paying off with happiness and joy as the moment of union drew closer.
The much-anticipated wedding of Prince Jeshua Aristobulus to Princess Salome Mariamme was the focus of Judaic Brethren and the royal families throughout the Middle Earth Sea region. In Beirut and Damascus, Caesarea, Tyre, Sidon and Tiberias, the wedding emerged as the primary topic in the socialite circles. In Jeru and Alexandria, both the bride’s and the groom’s families were excited, even elated about the new union, and an invitation was considered proof of Chosen status.
Even though many believed that their marriage was pre-destined, everyone who knew Ari and Salome could feel the magnetic energy flowing between them. In any case, they had a felt a deep bond since they were teenagers. Ari had been none-too-happy about Salome’s first marriage, to Herod Philip Jahn. He knew the future exactly, yet that does not mean that he did not ask God, why?
Salome tried hard in her marriage to Philip II, she was devotedin practice and in principle, but in her mind there was turmoil, for she found him to be too old, and considered him unimaginative and dull, relative to Ari. Even though she respected what he did for the purification of the nation, at the river and in the Temple, her thoughts were often elsewhere. True, he had healed many by installing the public baths, and led even more into a stronger belief with his baptisms by Qumran and along the Jordan, yet still Salome searched for meaning in her own life, and she dreamed of how she could be a vehicle for the promise and redemption of Her People. She fell into crying and a remote desperation, detaching herself from day-to-day routines to study and write and otherwise escape the drudgery that was life without Aristobulus.
She believed it was to be her duty and her reward to marry the Saviour and Defender of the Faith, the man she had loved since he was a boy. Finding herself widowed while still in her twenties, her heart, mind and soul turned again to Aristobulus, the man of her blissful visions from her days as a youth, and again during her years as an unhappy spouse. With her second wedding feeling to he like a first and lifetimecommitment,she had never felt so alive, as a woman and as a human being. He was looking to marry and raise children, and Salome had always been the Princess of his heart and his soul; the timing was perfect for both of them.
At the time of their engagement, Salome had to let him know of her one reservation. “You know about my family, and I know about yours, but what about Aristobulus the person? Who are you, that you will now sit on my couch and eat from my table?”
Ari responded. “I am he who is from the One, and the things that belong to the father have been given to me.”
Salome knew that she was every bit as royal as Jesh, moreso in the eyes of the orthodox; still, she was temporarily insecure, as she had been following his teachings for the past four years. “But I am your disciple,” she pleaded.
Ari Jesh was deeply comforting with his words. “When the disciple is divided there is darkness, yet when Unity happens, everywhere is Light.” Salome hugged him and looked forward to a future with the only man that she would ever truly love in all her days on this earth.
As news of their engagement and imminent union spread through the hills of Ephraim and through Shiloh and Hebron to Rafah and Alexandria, from Caesarea and Tyre to Sidon and Beirut, up and down the coast and by the river, people prayed for them. In the hills their names were added into the chants, “May Ari and Salome be happy in this life, May Ari and Salome be blessed in this life. Praise Ari-Sal, Praise Ari-Sal!” In the valleys candles and lanterns were lit, songs were sung and honour feasts were held for locals and travelers alike. Some celebrated the news as if redemption itself had come, as if the Chosen Redeemer had Himself arisen from the dead.
Salome fretted during the days before the ceremony, as family had traveled from Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome and Athens to be with her on the biggest day of her life. Her first wedding had been rushed and ill planned, a truly sorry affair, and there was no way she would endure that type of humiliation ever again. She had been told that even her first nuptials divinely ordained, even were written in scripture, and she had now come to peace with that stage of her life, appreciating the wisdom gained but believing in so much more. In this moment both will and destiny were colliding to make for the most exciting days Salome Mariamme could imagine; the anticipation was unlike anything she had ever felt in her entire life. She rarely cried during these weeks, and when it happened, they were usually tears of joy, shared with family and close friends.
Many relations arrived three to four days before the actual wedding, so there was enough frantic worrying to go around. Salome’s sisters and cousins were happy along with her, each bringing her finest dresses for this occasion. The young ladies discussed the differences between Egyptian and Roman men, Greek and Syrian, but only in terms of manners and how they treat their wives. The conversation rapidly turned to how Jews generally are being treated, and they exchanged stories of fear and trepidation. It was safe to talk of Judaic concerns, for most of the guests had not even begun to arrive. When the topic returned again to eligible men, unity was found being bolstered by pride, when they all agreed that, “Our men are the best of all these worlds!!!”
The boys and young men had been arriving and introducing themselves, speaking in Greek and in Hebrew. They were eager to impress each other, and draw the eyes of the girls, many of whom had grown into womanhood since they were last all together. It was said that couplings that would affect the next three generations were decided at this gathering, and for the older ladies, matchmaking gossip was more than idle chatter. The family had to stay strong, and each outpost and village had a pretty clear idea of whether they needed more young men or more young women. More than a few introductions were made that may have had wider, though never ulterior, motives.
Produce had been ordered from the best regional markets, and the mothers were reasonable about dividing up some of the duties. Jeshua’s mother Mariamne took on responsibility for fruits and cakes, while Salome’s mother Herodias ordered the vegetables and the ingredients for the sacrificial dishes.
Mother Mariamne had ordered special pastries made by a baker from Gaul, who was living in and operating his business out of Beirut. Eight varieties had been chosen, with three to six dozen ordered of each. Herodias had special meats prepared by Judaic, Greek and Syrian chefs, all supervised by the local chief rabbi. Beef, goat, lamb and chicken were all being smoked, pickled, sautéed, braised and charred to perfection.
Jesh himself also liked to inspect the cooking process, as much to learn technique and artistry as to ensure no dietary laws were broken. In any case, followers of the Way, the Nazarenes, were not strictly forbidden from eating certain foods. If poverty and necessity forced a human being to react in a certain situation, Ari Jesh firmly believed that act of eating for nutrition would not be equivalent to gluttony or other similar transgressions. He could see that people will also eat what their parents have taught them to eat, through no fault of their own soul. Sustenance screams loudly, and arrives in many forms. Jesh was far more concerned about what came out of men and women than with what had gotten into them.
In general the Nazarites were actually more observant of dietary laws than the average Judaic soul in these times, but they were more tolerant of the wider population than were the stricter Essenes. The Nazarites were suspect because they sometimes ate with gentiles and tax collectors, and followers of the Way often came under heavy criticism. The believers were right there at Qumran, at Alexandria, and in the Temple, yet their voices were often silent when the most orthodox elders were around. Ari and the Twelve were always walking a delicate line, and though he sometimes struggled with social graces as a young prince, together with Salome he was really shining, a true and lasting king, yet still in the making. People were amazed to see his radiance, and marriage and fatherhood brought a new appreciation of earthly problems and pleasures to his consciousness.
Royals and dignitaries came to the wedding from nations near and far; Ari and Salome took great care to assure that humble friends and relatives were also included in the celebration. These two were both divinely glorious but each fully possessive of the most genuine humility. Judaic insiders claimed that the marriage was pre-ordained and written in the stars and in Scripture, with many commenting on how peaceful Jews and Gentiles alike are attending the festivities together.
To the Greeks he was a magoi, a mejooseean, what the Persians term a moghan, and the Brits call a magician, but a dearly beloved magoi he was to them. Even at this early stage of his manhood, there were some in Athens who referred to him as Jah Zeus Chrystos, the saviour, Alexander returned; Horus of Egypt, Hercules of Greece. The fact that his namesake was a major participant in and chronicler of Alexander’s travels and conquests was not lost on these people, and neither was the fact that Jeshua’s grandmother had the same name as Alexander’s own mother. The true relevance was for him to know, and for him to understand.
A Greek priest, speaking to his fellow travelers as they reached the gates, confirmed his deep belief in Jeshua and the Way. “Jah Zeus Aristobulus is our awaited Chrystos, the saviour, Alexander returned. See the mothers, and see the names; only the century has changed.”
However fate may have played its mighty hand, everybody was in agreement that this was no marriage of convenience, and that Ari and Salome were deeply in love and exhibited an electric attraction when near each other. Some thought they were too public with their affection, but their duty at this time was only to keep themselves and their mothers happy, everyone else was really just along for the ride.
On the day of the actual wedding, a chapel had been set up inside a tent beside the Capernaum house. Guests were streaming in, from Jerusalem and Jericho, Rafah and Alexandria, Beirut, Damascus and Antioch. These had traveled for a day or much more, while people were also arriving from closer locales such as Cesareas, Cesareas Philippi, Tiberias and Tyre.
Vespasian, Polla and their toddler Titus approached with great fanfare, and were welcomed heartily into the gathering. Mariamne and Herodias greeted the arriving family, friends and assorted travelers, some of whom had heard of the wedding from others and decided to come and beg for admittance, or at least be nearby to feellike part of the celebration. Few were turned away, as a friend of a friend or family was considered to be already within the community, and distant relatives had often traveled along way.
Gamaliel performed the ceremony, and James Herod and Matthew and Simon all stood by Aristobulus. Ruth and Tamar and Taraha stood by Salome. Their mothers beamed with pride from the front rows, and everyone was feeling safer and stronger in their presence; the love in the air was palpable. The bride looked resplendent in her gown, her long regal neck accented by finely beaded lady locks.
Noted spiritual leader and senior Temple Rabbi Gamaliel gave a sermon about unity in trying times, and harkened back to Babylon and Egypt as exiled eras to draw strength from. It was clear that he believed there was no imminent, near-term answer to the Judaic search for respect and nationhood. Everyone listened attentively, as he was considered the foremost speaker from the Jerusalem Temple.
Gamaliel finished his eloquent plea for understanding and unity, let thesilence absorb the lesson, then spoke again. “May the bride and groom join us here.”
Ari Jesh and Salome each now entered with their companions, four men and four women in total walking up the aisle. The choirmaster started into an ancient hymn of love, and the choir and everyone attending was either singing or humming along. There were smiles everywhere, a few tears, and Salome stole a glance at Jesh, as if to see if he was singing along. It was true that he did love to sing, but with for family and friends, and he was respecting of the solemness of this occasion. Salome felt a surge of elation as the sparks of love briefly traveled back and forth between their eyes and into each of their souls for all time.
Ari vowed that he would forever be appreciative of having his lifelong friend as loving wife, and Salome vowed that together she and Ari would lead a loving, fruitful life, and she promised to stand by his side through this life and into eternity. Ari Jesh spoke about his mother Mariamne and the father who had raised him, Herod Joseph of Chalcis, in reverential tones. He spoke of the gloriousness of Salome’s heritage, of Her importance to the Judaic People and faith. He estimated that the union would bring about fifteen families closer together.
They each thanked the ancestors and the LORD and Jesh added that however gracious God is to them, they know and feel that they are meant to represent unity for millennia; Our love is just that strong. There were many fewer dry eyes by this time, and all at that holy union were giving thanks for each of their own breaths, as God was in the very room with them.
Gamaliel blessed the bride and the groom and they embraced before the crowd, and everyone sat down for an amazing feast, and the wine and the tales of travel and life began to flow.
At one point in the evening Ari was told, by his mother Mariamne, that the house wine was running low, saying that they were down to the second-last cask, and that there were only seven bottles of table-quality wine left. She estimated that there were one hundred and twenty more guests than had been planned for, and suggested “we may run out of wine within one to two hours.”
Ari Jesh looked to Salome to see if she had heard what mother just said, and she nodded. Jesh remained looking into Salome’s face, as if awaiting further response, and Salome nodded again.
Ari Jesh then took his main chef aside and whispered quietly into his ear. “Grape concentrate from Gaul; bitters from Briton and Germany …plus the best water you have. Add a small squeeze of lemon and a dash of pomegranate juice. Taste, then add more grape or more bitter.”
The chef looked pleased, smiling, both astonished and puffed up with honour, feeling as if he had been let in on a treasured family secret. “Yes, my Lord. As Our Lord wishes, we shall shortly have.”
After the chef had gone off to replenish the social nourishments, Ari and Salome each made up four plates of food, and they balanced them delicately as they walked across the front yard to the gates of the palace compound. Outside there were about twenty-seven or twenty-eight people, of various ages, mostly in rags and appearing undernourished.
Salome motioned to a mother with three children, beckoning her to approach the gate. “Mother Mari I am not worthy,” she spoke softly, with her head bowed down as she stood in front of Salome.
“Then give most of this to your children, which I already knew you would do. So see, you are worthy. Go now, you are a good mother.” With that she handed the women the plate and heard the woman telling her children, “Thank Jeshua and Mariamme, thank them now” and the two little girls and one boy were each heard saying “thank you Jesh, thank you Salome” as there mother led them off to the side to eat their meal.
Jeshua handed two plates to a family of seven. Four of the remaining six plates were given to others with a child or children. With two plates left, there were seven adults standing. Jesh asked, “Who is hungry?”
The men laughed, and one of them took the bait. “We all are my king; but I have three fruits in my satchel, and if one or two of these men would like to share a plate with me, I shall be grateful.”
Another spoke, saying “I have some bread” and a third man also offered up his meager foodstuffs, saying “I have some small fish, and some really good olives.”
Salome handed the final two plates to the men, and wished them well on their journeys, as they sat in an oval with the two plates and all the additional food they had brought out now in front of them. “You have shown faith and honour by attending our wedding, and Aristobulus and myself bless you, your families and your children. When you are traveling, if someone asks you for sustenance, remember this day, and stay always on the path of the Chosen, the Way.”
At that Salome took hold of Ari’s hand and they walked back to the house, entering through a side door that led to a small room just off the main hallway. Once inside the door, Jeshua pulled Salome close to him and gave to her the deepest, longest kiss she had ever received in her life.
Halfway through the moment, he held her cheeks between his hands and drew a breath, penetrating deep into her eyes and telling her, “We are One.”
He continued kissing her lovingly, then drew her into a tight hug and rubbed his hands up and down her back, and lifted her gently into the air, setting her down a few seconds later. She felt as if she was in a dream, and straightened her hair and her gown before the two of them emerged back into the main party.
Ari and Salome walked down the hallway hand-in-hand, and Aristobulus spoke gently. “My birth father was a ruthless man, and my earth father may seem flawed, but in his way he is loving and loyal. Our Father in Heaven is really really good to Us, to bring these Holy Days to Our People.”
Aristobulus smiled widely for Salome, and looked at her face as he appreciated their togetherness. Salome leaned in to Jesh’ ear, and their slow walk came to a standstill. “You know I will love you every day of my life. I have always loved you Ari honey, and I never have to hide it again.” She kissed him on the lips and then walked off laughing joyously, joining her sisters and cousins at the sweets and fruits table.
Each half of the royal couple fully believed in their ancestor Herod as a modern, re-incarnated David, and thus they had tremendous faith in their own divinity and destiny. Ari and Salome entered into their union with both the promise of bliss and the expectation of tribulation. The Polli family home at Capernaum in Galilee became their first residence (it would later serve as their summer home, and then, briefly, their retirement home), with Ari able to attend to business and government obligations in Bethsaida and Tiberias nearby, and travel easily to Ptolemais, Tyre, Caesarea Philippi, Nazareth and Shechem, with Jerusalem and Chalcis each just two to three days journey away.
Children became a bigger factor in the lives of Ari and Salome, as Herod Timothy, Yuya Agrippa and Aristobulus Justus were all born during the years in Capernaum. The family home would come alive with the sounds of tears and laughter, and in the distance a palace was being constructed for them, but knives were also being sharpened.
Aristobulus was a son of Antipater at birth, and therefore a great-grandson of Herod the Great. It is not known how long his mother Mariamne stayed with Antipater, only that he was considerably older than she when they were first united. She became engaged to Herod Joseph Polli while Ari was still a baby living with relatives in Egypt, and he was almost two years old when he returned to Nazareth.
After his mother Mariamne IV was wed to the northern King Herod Joseph of Chalcis, Ari was then adopted into this Hashmonein family. His new stepfather was a direct descendant of Johannan Maccabeus, and a builder of many of Tiberias’ finest structures. The city had begun a modernization using Greek architects, and the family of Herod was the major creative and financial force behind the dozens of new buildings that had gone up over the previous three decades.
As per prophecy, Aristobulus was the new Joshua, and his life was to be patterned after previous Holy Joshua’s, or Saviour’s. In time He would grow comfortably into the role, and became the Crown Prince, theKing of the Jews and the Messiah of the new Way, a true prophet of peace and equality.
The royal daughter, Princess Salome, herself of Macaabean strains, was two years older than Ari, and was raised primarily in Jerusalem. Her regal heritage was unassailable, with her father being Herod Philip the Tetrarch, and her mother the internationally known Herodias, daughter of Aristobulus IV and Berenice. She was destined to be married two times; first to Prince Philip Jahn Herod II, as fulfillment of prophecy, then later marrying Aristobulus and bringing forth sons to carry on the Covenant.
Salome was nobody’s fool and she knew the significance of the marriage better than anyone save Aristobulus, but these were not the matters on her mind as the big day approached, No, Salome was smitten, she was dreamy, she was having a hard time believing that it was all really true. Yet it was, she and Jesh had always been destined to be together, and now that was going to be sooner rather than later. Her dreams of being the special princess to the most-loved man were about to be realized, and her heart pounded with the excitement of it all.
As a child, Ari had grown strong under the tutelage of his stepfather, Herod Joseph of Chalcis, who was also Salome’s uncle, her mother Herodias’ own brother. When his father remarried, to Bernice daughter of Agrippa, Ari stayed in the palace after his mother moved away. Mariamne took Jesh’s younger sister Polla with her, but it was clear to all that Aristobulus Jeshua would stay in the palace and continue his education with the spiritual leaders of Galilee and Judea. Nobody suggested otherwise, as there were many roads ahead for young Jeshua to travel.
Over the years Aristobulus had built a reputation as an honourable man, something royal, unwed men were not always able to do, the Roman influence being what it was. The prospect of a life with Salome Mariamme was enough to keep Ari on the straight and narrow path, and his years of abstinence and discretion were paying off with happiness and joy as the moment of union drew closer.
The much-anticipated wedding of Prince Jeshua Aristobulus to Princess Salome Mariamme was the focus of Judaic Brethren and the royal families throughout the Middle Earth Sea region. In Beirut and Damascus, Caesarea, Tyre, Sidon and Tiberias, the wedding emerged as the primary topic in the socialite circles. In Jeru and Alexandria, both the bride’s and the groom’s families were excited, even elated about the new union, and an invitation was considered proof of Chosen status.
Even though many believed that their marriage was pre-destined, everyone who knew Ari and Salome could feel the magnetic energy flowing between them. In any case, they had a felt a deep bond since they were teenagers. Ari had been none-too-happy about Salome’s first marriage, to Herod Philip Jahn. He knew the future exactly, yet that does not mean that he did not ask God, why?
Salome tried hard in her marriage to Philip II, she was devotedin practice and in principle, but in her mind there was turmoil, for she found him to be too old, and considered him unimaginative and dull, relative to Ari. Even though she respected what he did for the purification of the nation, at the river and in the Temple, her thoughts were often elsewhere. True, he had healed many by installing the public baths, and led even more into a stronger belief with his baptisms by Qumran and along the Jordan, yet still Salome searched for meaning in her own life, and she dreamed of how she could be a vehicle for the promise and redemption of Her People. She fell into crying and a remote desperation, detaching herself from day-to-day routines to study and write and otherwise escape the drudgery that was life without Aristobulus.
She believed it was to be her duty and her reward to marry the Saviour and Defender of the Faith, the man she had loved since he was a boy. Finding herself widowed while still in her twenties, her heart, mind and soul turned again to Aristobulus, the man of her blissful visions from her days as a youth, and again during her years as an unhappy spouse. With her second wedding feeling to he like a first and lifetimecommitment,she had never felt so alive, as a woman and as a human being. He was looking to marry and raise children, and Salome had always been the Princess of his heart and his soul; the timing was perfect for both of them.
At the time of their engagement, Salome had to let him know of her one reservation. “You know about my family, and I know about yours, but what about Aristobulus the person? Who are you, that you will now sit on my couch and eat from my table?”
Ari responded. “I am he who is from the One, and the things that belong to the father have been given to me.”
Salome knew that she was every bit as royal as Jesh, moreso in the eyes of the orthodox; still, she was temporarily insecure, as she had been following his teachings for the past four years. “But I am your disciple,” she pleaded.
Ari Jesh was deeply comforting with his words. “When the disciple is divided there is darkness, yet when Unity happens, everywhere is Light.” Salome hugged him and looked forward to a future with the only man that she would ever truly love in all her days on this earth.
As news of their engagement and imminent union spread through the hills of Ephraim and through Shiloh and Hebron to Rafah and Alexandria, from Caesarea and Tyre to Sidon and Beirut, up and down the coast and by the river, people prayed for them. In the hills their names were added into the chants, “May Ari and Salome be happy in this life, May Ari and Salome be blessed in this life. Praise Ari-Sal, Praise Ari-Sal!” In the valleys candles and lanterns were lit, songs were sung and honour feasts were held for locals and travelers alike. Some celebrated the news as if redemption itself had come, as if the Chosen Redeemer had Himself arisen from the dead.
Salome fretted during the days before the ceremony, as family had traveled from Jerusalem, Alexandria, Rome and Athens to be with her on the biggest day of her life. Her first wedding had been rushed and ill planned, a truly sorry affair, and there was no way she would endure that type of humiliation ever again. She had been told that even her first nuptials divinely ordained, even were written in scripture, and she had now come to peace with that stage of her life, appreciating the wisdom gained but believing in so much more. In this moment both will and destiny were colliding to make for the most exciting days Salome Mariamme could imagine; the anticipation was unlike anything she had ever felt in her entire life. She rarely cried during these weeks, and when it happened, they were usually tears of joy, shared with family and close friends.
Many relations arrived three to four days before the actual wedding, so there was enough frantic worrying to go around. Salome’s sisters and cousins were happy along with her, each bringing her finest dresses for this occasion. The young ladies discussed the differences between Egyptian and Roman men, Greek and Syrian, but only in terms of manners and how they treat their wives. The conversation rapidly turned to how Jews generally are being treated, and they exchanged stories of fear and trepidation. It was safe to talk of Judaic concerns, for most of the guests had not even begun to arrive. When the topic returned again to eligible men, unity was found being bolstered by pride, when they all agreed that, “Our men are the best of all these worlds!!!”
The boys and young men had been arriving and introducing themselves, speaking in Greek and in Hebrew. They were eager to impress each other, and draw the eyes of the girls, many of whom had grown into womanhood since they were last all together. It was said that couplings that would affect the next three generations were decided at this gathering, and for the older ladies, matchmaking gossip was more than idle chatter. The family had to stay strong, and each outpost and village had a pretty clear idea of whether they needed more young men or more young women. More than a few introductions were made that may have had wider, though never ulterior, motives.
Produce had been ordered from the best regional markets, and the mothers were reasonable about dividing up some of the duties. Jeshua’s mother Mariamne took on responsibility for fruits and cakes, while Salome’s mother Herodias ordered the vegetables and the ingredients for the sacrificial dishes.
Mother Mariamne had ordered special pastries made by a baker from Gaul, who was living in and operating his business out of Beirut. Eight varieties had been chosen, with three to six dozen ordered of each. Herodias had special meats prepared by Judaic, Greek and Syrian chefs, all supervised by the local chief rabbi. Beef, goat, lamb and chicken were all being smoked, pickled, sautéed, braised and charred to perfection.
Jesh himself also liked to inspect the cooking process, as much to learn technique and artistry as to ensure no dietary laws were broken. In any case, followers of the Way, the Nazarenes, were not strictly forbidden from eating certain foods. If poverty and necessity forced a human being to react in a certain situation, Ari Jesh firmly believed that act of eating for nutrition would not be equivalent to gluttony or other similar transgressions. He could see that people will also eat what their parents have taught them to eat, through no fault of their own soul. Sustenance screams loudly, and arrives in many forms. Jesh was far more concerned about what came out of men and women than with what had gotten into them.
In general the Nazarites were actually more observant of dietary laws than the average Judaic soul in these times, but they were more tolerant of the wider population than were the stricter Essenes. The Nazarites were suspect because they sometimes ate with gentiles and tax collectors, and followers of the Way often came under heavy criticism. The believers were right there at Qumran, at Alexandria, and in the Temple, yet their voices were often silent when the most orthodox elders were around. Ari and the Twelve were always walking a delicate line, and though he sometimes struggled with social graces as a young prince, together with Salome he was really shining, a true and lasting king, yet still in the making. People were amazed to see his radiance, and marriage and fatherhood brought a new appreciation of earthly problems and pleasures to his consciousness.
Royals and dignitaries came to the wedding from nations near and far; Ari and Salome took great care to assure that humble friends and relatives were also included in the celebration. These two were both divinely glorious but each fully possessive of the most genuine humility. Judaic insiders claimed that the marriage was pre-ordained and written in the stars and in Scripture, with many commenting on how peaceful Jews and Gentiles alike are attending the festivities together.
To the Greeks he was a magoi, a mejooseean, what the Persians term a moghan, and the Brits call a magician, but a dearly beloved magoi he was to them. Even at this early stage of his manhood, there were some in Athens who referred to him as Jah Zeus Chrystos, the saviour, Alexander returned; Horus of Egypt, Hercules of Greece. The fact that his namesake was a major participant in and chronicler of Alexander’s travels and conquests was not lost on these people, and neither was the fact that Jeshua’s grandmother had the same name as Alexander’s own mother. The true relevance was for him to know, and for him to understand.
A Greek priest, speaking to his fellow travelers as they reached the gates, confirmed his deep belief in Jeshua and the Way. “Jah Zeus Aristobulus is our awaited Chrystos, the saviour, Alexander returned. See the mothers, and see the names; only the century has changed.”
However fate may have played its mighty hand, everybody was in agreement that this was no marriage of convenience, and that Ari and Salome were deeply in love and exhibited an electric attraction when near each other. Some thought they were too public with their affection, but their duty at this time was only to keep themselves and their mothers happy, everyone else was really just along for the ride.
On the day of the actual wedding, a chapel had been set up inside a tent beside the Capernaum house. Guests were streaming in, from Jerusalem and Jericho, Rafah and Alexandria, Beirut, Damascus and Antioch. These had traveled for a day or much more, while people were also arriving from closer locales such as Cesareas, Cesareas Philippi, Tiberias and Tyre.
Vespasian, Polla and their toddler Titus approached with great fanfare, and were welcomed heartily into the gathering. Mariamne and Herodias greeted the arriving family, friends and assorted travelers, some of whom had heard of the wedding from others and decided to come and beg for admittance, or at least be nearby to feellike part of the celebration. Few were turned away, as a friend of a friend or family was considered to be already within the community, and distant relatives had often traveled along way.
Gamaliel performed the ceremony, and James Herod and Matthew and Simon all stood by Aristobulus. Ruth and Tamar and Taraha stood by Salome. Their mothers beamed with pride from the front rows, and everyone was feeling safer and stronger in their presence; the love in the air was palpable. The bride looked resplendent in her gown, her long regal neck accented by finely beaded lady locks.
Noted spiritual leader and senior Temple Rabbi Gamaliel gave a sermon about unity in trying times, and harkened back to Babylon and Egypt as exiled eras to draw strength from. It was clear that he believed there was no imminent, near-term answer to the Judaic search for respect and nationhood. Everyone listened attentively, as he was considered the foremost speaker from the Jerusalem Temple.
Gamaliel finished his eloquent plea for understanding and unity, let thesilence absorb the lesson, then spoke again. “May the bride and groom join us here.”
Ari Jesh and Salome each now entered with their companions, four men and four women in total walking up the aisle. The choirmaster started into an ancient hymn of love, and the choir and everyone attending was either singing or humming along. There were smiles everywhere, a few tears, and Salome stole a glance at Jesh, as if to see if he was singing along. It was true that he did love to sing, but with for family and friends, and he was respecting of the solemness of this occasion. Salome felt a surge of elation as the sparks of love briefly traveled back and forth between their eyes and into each of their souls for all time.
Ari vowed that he would forever be appreciative of having his lifelong friend as loving wife, and Salome vowed that together she and Ari would lead a loving, fruitful life, and she promised to stand by his side through this life and into eternity. Ari Jesh spoke about his mother Mariamne and the father who had raised him, Herod Joseph of Chalcis, in reverential tones. He spoke of the gloriousness of Salome’s heritage, of Her importance to the Judaic People and faith. He estimated that the union would bring about fifteen families closer together.
They each thanked the ancestors and the LORD and Jesh added that however gracious God is to them, they know and feel that they are meant to represent unity for millennia; Our love is just that strong. There were many fewer dry eyes by this time, and all at that holy union were giving thanks for each of their own breaths, as God was in the very room with them.
Gamaliel blessed the bride and the groom and they embraced before the crowd, and everyone sat down for an amazing feast, and the wine and the tales of travel and life began to flow.
At one point in the evening Ari was told, by his mother Mariamne, that the house wine was running low, saying that they were down to the second-last cask, and that there were only seven bottles of table-quality wine left. She estimated that there were one hundred and twenty more guests than had been planned for, and suggested “we may run out of wine within one to two hours.”
Ari Jesh looked to Salome to see if she had heard what mother just said, and she nodded. Jesh remained looking into Salome’s face, as if awaiting further response, and Salome nodded again.
Ari Jesh then took his main chef aside and whispered quietly into his ear. “Grape concentrate from Gaul; bitters from Briton and Germany …plus the best water you have. Add a small squeeze of lemon and a dash of pomegranate juice. Taste, then add more grape or more bitter.”
The chef looked pleased, smiling, both astonished and puffed up with honour, feeling as if he had been let in on a treasured family secret. “Yes, my Lord. As Our Lord wishes, we shall shortly have.”
After the chef had gone off to replenish the social nourishments, Ari and Salome each made up four plates of food, and they balanced them delicately as they walked across the front yard to the gates of the palace compound. Outside there were about twenty-seven or twenty-eight people, of various ages, mostly in rags and appearing undernourished.
Salome motioned to a mother with three children, beckoning her to approach the gate. “Mother Mari I am not worthy,” she spoke softly, with her head bowed down as she stood in front of Salome.
“Then give most of this to your children, which I already knew you would do. So see, you are worthy. Go now, you are a good mother.” With that she handed the women the plate and heard the woman telling her children, “Thank Jeshua and Mariamme, thank them now” and the two little girls and one boy were each heard saying “thank you Jesh, thank you Salome” as there mother led them off to the side to eat their meal.
Jeshua handed two plates to a family of seven. Four of the remaining six plates were given to others with a child or children. With two plates left, there were seven adults standing. Jesh asked, “Who is hungry?”
The men laughed, and one of them took the bait. “We all are my king; but I have three fruits in my satchel, and if one or two of these men would like to share a plate with me, I shall be grateful.”
Another spoke, saying “I have some bread” and a third man also offered up his meager foodstuffs, saying “I have some small fish, and some really good olives.”
Salome handed the final two plates to the men, and wished them well on their journeys, as they sat in an oval with the two plates and all the additional food they had brought out now in front of them. “You have shown faith and honour by attending our wedding, and Aristobulus and myself bless you, your families and your children. When you are traveling, if someone asks you for sustenance, remember this day, and stay always on the path of the Chosen, the Way.”
At that Salome took hold of Ari’s hand and they walked back to the house, entering through a side door that led to a small room just off the main hallway. Once inside the door, Jeshua pulled Salome close to him and gave to her the deepest, longest kiss she had ever received in her life.
Halfway through the moment, he held her cheeks between his hands and drew a breath, penetrating deep into her eyes and telling her, “We are One.”
He continued kissing her lovingly, then drew her into a tight hug and rubbed his hands up and down her back, and lifted her gently into the air, setting her down a few seconds later. She felt as if she was in a dream, and straightened her hair and her gown before the two of them emerged back into the main party.
Ari and Salome walked down the hallway hand-in-hand, and Aristobulus spoke gently. “My birth father was a ruthless man, and my earth father may seem flawed, but in his way he is loving and loyal. Our Father in Heaven is really really good to Us, to bring these Holy Days to Our People.”
Aristobulus smiled widely for Salome, and looked at her face as he appreciated their togetherness. Salome leaned in to Jesh’ ear, and their slow walk came to a standstill. “You know I will love you every day of my life. I have always loved you Ari honey, and I never have to hide it again.” She kissed him on the lips and then walked off laughing joyously, joining her sisters and cousins at the sweets and fruits table.
Each half of the royal couple fully believed in their ancestor Herod as a modern, re-incarnated David, and thus they had tremendous faith in their own divinity and destiny. Ari and Salome entered into their union with both the promise of bliss and the expectation of tribulation. The Polli family home at Capernaum in Galilee became their first residence (it would later serve as their summer home, and then, briefly, their retirement home), with Ari able to attend to business and government obligations in Bethsaida and Tiberias nearby, and travel easily to Ptolemais, Tyre, Caesarea Philippi, Nazareth and Shechem, with Jerusalem and Chalcis each just two to three days journey away.
Children became a bigger factor in the lives of Ari and Salome, as Herod Timothy, Yuya Agrippa and Aristobulus Justus were all born during the years in Capernaum. The family home would come alive with the sounds of tears and laughter, and in the distance a palace was being constructed for them, but knives were also being sharpened.
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