Stakelbeck Tonight

Erick Stakelbeck: The Bible Comes Alive | Stakelbeck Tonight

December 12, 2025 | 24:2

Join us on Stakelbeck Tonight as we uncover the ancient evil and pagan worship in the Valley of Hinnom, now transformed into a vibrant, life-filled oasis by the City of David. Ze'ev Orenstein guides us through the valley's dark history and bright future, showcasing the revival of biblical Jerusalem. From child sacrifices to olive oil press demonstrations, witness the resurrection of this sacred site. Explore the biblical significance of the Shmita year and experience hands-on activities that bring the words of the Bible to life. Discover the spiritual journey of restoration and the triumph of light over darkness in the heart of Jerusalem.

#News #Media #Israel #Hell #Bible #BibleHistory #BiblicalArtifacts #Archaeology #Theology #Christianity #ErickStakelbeck #Ze'evOrenstein

Closed captions

Show Timecode

Stakelbeck Tonight | Erick Stakelbeck: The Bible Comes Alive | Stakelbeck Tonight | December 12, 2025

Coming up on stakelbeck tonight.
00:00:03.927 --> 00:00:05.395
It was a place of great evil and a center for pagan worship,
00:00:05.395 --> 00:00:09.599
According to the bible. for centuries,
00:00:09.599 --> 00:00:11.734
The valley of union was a god forsaken place.
00:00:11.734 --> 00:00:15.405
But today, the city of david is revitalizing the hinnom valley
00:00:15.405 --> 00:00:19.209
And bringing light to a place that has seen far
00:00:19.209 --> 00:00:22.078
Too much darkness.
00:00:22.078 --> 00:00:23.613
Our good friend ze█ev orenstein
00:00:23.613 --> 00:00:25.014
Joins us to give us an inside, exclusive journey
00:00:25.014 --> 00:00:28.118
Into this ancient jerusalem site
00:00:28.118 --> 00:00:30.420
And how it's coming back to life today.
00:00:30.420 --> 00:00:33.223
And it all starts now.
00:00:33.223 --> 00:00:59.516
Ze█ev great to see you, my friend.
00:01:00.283 --> 00:01:02.051
Good to see you, my friend.
00:01:02.051 --> 00:01:03.019
Great to be back with you here in jerusalem.
00:01:03.019 --> 00:01:06.523
That's right.
00:01:06.523 --> 00:01:07.590
Amazing place today that you're going to show us
00:01:07.590 --> 00:01:09.626
A lot happening here.
00:01:09.626 --> 00:01:10.793
It's alive, it's vibrant, there's action here.
00:01:10.793 --> 00:01:13.930
But it wasn't always so alive.
00:01:13.930 --> 00:01:16.332
Tell us about where we are right now
00:01:16.332 --> 00:01:18.301
And why it's so important.
00:01:18.301 --> 00:01:19.469
So we're standing right now here in the hino valley.
00:01:19.469 --> 00:01:23.606
Now, this is a place that i bet many of your viewers
00:01:23.606 --> 00:01:26.643
They may not know what the hinnom valley is,
00:01:26.643 --> 00:01:29.212
But they've heard of a place called gehenna. yes.
00:01:29.212 --> 00:01:32.582
Now, what's gehenna? gehenna? hell.
00:01:32.582 --> 00:01:35.151
We are standing in gehenna right now.
00:01:35.151 --> 00:01:37.987
Now, you might wonder, how could a place
00:01:37.987 --> 00:01:39.822
That looks like this.
00:01:39.822 --> 00:01:41.224
You got the lush green, the waterfalls paradise.
00:01:41.224 --> 00:01:45.929
How is this hell?
00:01:45.929 --> 00:01:48.031
So first, what is gehenna?
00:01:48.031 --> 00:01:49.933
The hannah actually comes.
00:01:49.933 --> 00:01:51.634
It's a play of the hebrew
00:01:51.634 --> 00:01:53.169
For the name of where we are right now.
00:01:53.169 --> 00:01:55.004
The hebrew name for this place, the hinnom valley in hebrew
00:01:55.004 --> 00:01:58.975
Is gay ben hinnom.
00:01:58.975 --> 00:02:00.443
Now, if you take those words and just smush them together,
00:02:00.443 --> 00:02:03.479
That becomes gehenna.
00:02:03.479 --> 00:02:05.381
Okay, right.
00:02:05.381 --> 00:02:06.416
Now, to orient ourselves just the north of us,
00:02:06.416 --> 00:02:08.851
Literally about a five minute walk is the city of david.
00:02:08.851 --> 00:02:12.188
The place where jerusalem began.
00:02:12.188 --> 00:02:13.623
A historic site of biblical jerusalem.
00:02:13.623 --> 00:02:15.558
A little bit north of the city of david
00:02:15.558 --> 00:02:17.794
Is mount moriah, the temple mount,
00:02:17.794 --> 00:02:19.395
The western wall, the old city.
00:02:19.395 --> 00:02:21.231
We also got the mount of olives over here.
00:02:21.231 --> 00:02:23.099
Mount zion.
00:02:23.099 --> 00:02:24.200
We are in the heart of biblical jerusalem,
00:02:24.200 --> 00:02:27.670
Where the kings of the bible ruled.
00:02:27.670 --> 00:02:29.072
Were the prophets of the bible were preaching.
00:02:29.072 --> 00:02:31.107
So this sounds like a really holy place.
00:02:31.107 --> 00:02:33.176
Yeah. what makes this hell?
00:02:33.176 --> 00:02:35.011
And the answer is really simple the bible.
00:02:35.011 --> 00:02:37.714
There's one thing we know god hates idolatry.
00:02:37.714 --> 00:02:41.985
And the bible goes through different forms of idolatry.
00:02:41.985 --> 00:02:43.987
You got bill the storm god.
00:02:43.987 --> 00:02:45.755
You have asherah, which is a different form of idolatry.
00:02:45.755 --> 00:02:49.025
And then you have
00:02:49.025 --> 00:02:50.293
The most evil form of idolatry, which is molech.
00:02:50.293 --> 00:02:54.030
You heard it, molech.
00:02:54.530 --> 00:02:55.365
Yes. i'm thinking child sacrifice.
00:02:55.365 --> 00:02:58.334
That's right.
00:02:58.334 --> 00:02:59.402
We're talking about some 2700 years ago.
00:02:59.402 --> 00:03:02.138
Manasseh, son of king hezekiah.
00:03:02.138 --> 00:03:04.240
King hezekiah, of course, direct descendant of king david,
00:03:04.240 --> 00:03:07.110
One of the most righteous kings of the bible.
00:03:07.110 --> 00:03:09.812
And yet, in this case, the apple fell a little bit far
00:03:09.812 --> 00:03:12.582
From the tree. right?
00:03:12.582 --> 00:03:13.616
Because manasseh, who ruled for 54
00:03:13.616 --> 00:03:15.451
Years, the longest ruling king in the kingdom of judah,
00:03:15.451 --> 00:03:18.721
He was the most wicked king, perhaps in all the bible,
00:03:18.721 --> 00:03:22.292
Right up there with ahab.
00:03:22.292 --> 00:03:24.160
And one of the things that he brings to jerusalem
00:03:24.160 --> 00:03:27.230
Is the molech form of idolatry.
00:03:27.230 --> 00:03:29.666
Over here in this area where you have
00:03:29.666 --> 00:03:31.301
All the beautiful trees, the gardens, the waterfalls,
00:03:31.301 --> 00:03:35.038
Some 2700 years ago, you had something else.
00:03:35.038 --> 00:03:38.207
You had an enormous tower.
00:03:38.207 --> 00:03:40.176
And what would happen?
00:03:40.176 --> 00:03:41.411
Parents and children would climb up this tower.
00:03:41.411 --> 00:03:45.148
And then in front of the tower there was a giant fire pit.
00:03:45.148 --> 00:03:48.651
And one of two things would happen.
00:03:48.651 --> 00:03:50.453
There's a little bit of a debate. both are evil.
00:03:50.453 --> 00:03:52.655
The parents would then either take their kids
00:03:52.655 --> 00:03:55.124
And either throw them into the fire or through the fire.
00:03:55.124 --> 00:03:59.228
But either way, parents are essentially sacrificing
00:03:59.228 --> 00:04:02.231
Their children to a fire.
00:04:02.231 --> 00:04:03.433
God here in jerusalem, just a few feet away
00:04:03.433 --> 00:04:07.337
From the city of david, a few feet
00:04:07.337 --> 00:04:09.439
Away from the temple mount, mount moriah.
00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:11.274
When the temple was standing.
00:04:11.274 --> 00:04:12.775
And a few feet away from where we are standing, right?
00:04:12.775 --> 00:04:15.244
That's right.
00:04:15.244 --> 00:04:16.312
It is hard to believe, as we're talking about this,
00:04:16.312 --> 00:04:18.448
To look out at this beautiful area in jerusalem
00:04:18.448 --> 00:04:21.384
And think that literally, children were sacrificed here.
00:04:21.384 --> 00:04:24.220
And during the time of the first temple, no less.
00:04:24.220 --> 00:04:26.622
As you mentioned, solomon's
00:04:26.622 --> 00:04:28.124
Temple was just a stone's throw away. that's right.
00:04:28.124 --> 00:04:30.059
This was going. on. that's right.
00:04:30.059 --> 00:04:31.627
One of the beautiful things.
00:04:31.627 --> 00:04:33.029
And we're going to talk about it a little bit more as we get
00:04:33.029 --> 00:04:34.964
A little bit deeper into where we're standing right now,
00:04:34.964 --> 00:04:37.734
Is that today it's a place of life, right?
00:04:37.734 --> 00:04:40.002
That once upon a time,
00:04:40.002 --> 00:04:41.471
This was a place of death, of destruction, of evil.
00:04:41.471 --> 00:04:45.475
And one of the things that we're trying to do here
00:04:45.475 --> 00:04:47.777
Through all the projects of the city of david is involved
00:04:47.777 --> 00:04:50.012
In, is bring jerusalem, its heritage back to life.
00:04:50.012 --> 00:04:54.217
But in this case, what we're bringing back to life
00:04:54.217 --> 00:04:56.319
Is not the idolatry.
00:04:56.319 --> 00:04:57.620
It's not the child sacrifice,
00:04:57.620 --> 00:04:59.322
But is the building, the planting, the growing,
00:04:59.322 --> 00:05:02.358
Making this a place
00:05:02.358 --> 00:05:03.693
Where young people, older people, can come and celebrate
00:05:03.693 --> 00:05:06.996
The heritage of jerusalem?
00:05:06.996 --> 00:05:07.997
Yeah.
00:05:07.997 --> 00:05:08.798
I think this is kind of a microcosm
00:05:08.798 --> 00:05:09.932
Of the state of israel, how the land has been reborn.
00:05:09.932 --> 00:05:13.102
And now this area, the valley of, you know,
00:05:13.102 --> 00:05:15.471
Which again, like you said, was used for evil.
00:05:15.471 --> 00:05:17.774
And not too long ago, by the way,
00:05:17.774 --> 00:05:19.409
There was other things going on here
00:05:19.409 --> 00:05:20.910
That weren't too savory, but now it is a positive place.
00:05:20.910 --> 00:05:24.781
It's booming and good things are coming here.
00:05:24.781 --> 00:05:27.450
We're going to talk about all of it today.
00:05:27.450 --> 00:05:29.485
Do you want to lead the way down the valley? let's go.
00:05:29.485 --> 00:05:35.958
How did the.
00:05:36.292 --> 00:05:36.959
People of
00:05:36.959 --> 00:05:37.627
Israel get to a place where
00:05:37.627 --> 00:05:38.561
They were actually sacrificing children?
00:05:38.561 --> 00:05:41.130
Right where we're standing right now, even though the temple
00:05:41.130 --> 00:05:43.866
Was there?
00:05:43.866 --> 00:05:44.700
I mean, these are god's chosen people.
00:05:44.700 --> 00:05:46.335
It wasn't too long after david and solomon.
00:05:46.335 --> 00:05:49.739
We see here the importance that the bible places on leadership.
00:05:49.739 --> 00:05:54.911
You reap what you sow when you have a leader like david,
00:05:54.911 --> 00:05:58.080
Like solomon, like hezekiah,
00:05:58.080 --> 00:06:00.483
The people follow and they follow in god's ways.
00:06:00.483 --> 00:06:04.053
When you have a leader like vanessa, who not for a year
00:06:04.053 --> 00:06:07.857
And not for two years,
00:06:07.857 --> 00:06:08.958
But for five and a half decades, for 54 years,
00:06:08.958 --> 00:06:12.261
Where the values that he is putting out into society,
00:06:12.261 --> 00:06:15.431
The culture that he's promoting, is one that rejects
00:06:15.431 --> 00:06:19.435
The bible, rejects god's ways, rejects the temple service
00:06:19.435 --> 00:06:23.573
More about adopting the values of the surrounding nations.
00:06:23.573 --> 00:06:27.743
Well, then that's what you get.
00:06:27.743 --> 00:06:28.744
And this was the son of hezekiah.
00:06:28.744 --> 00:06:30.480
That's right. it's one of the good. that's right.
00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:32.648
Which means you can't take it for granted.
00:06:32.648 --> 00:06:34.150
I mean, we're both fathers.
00:06:34.150 --> 00:06:35.618
Yeah, we got families.
00:06:35.618 --> 00:06:38.187
We're. you're in united states.
00:06:38.187 --> 00:06:39.789
I'm here in israel.
00:06:39.789 --> 00:06:40.790
And both of our nations are going through
00:06:40.790 --> 00:06:43.059
A bit of a transitional period here.
00:06:43.059 --> 00:06:45.561
And the question is, what's the future going to look like?
00:06:45.561 --> 00:06:48.164
What are the values that we want our societies to be adopting?
00:06:48.164 --> 00:06:52.635
Yeah, and a big part of that
00:06:52.635 --> 00:06:54.237
Comes from the top down also comes from the bottom up.
00:06:54.237 --> 00:06:57.540
But you can see what happens
00:06:57.540 --> 00:06:59.442
When you have a lack of clarity on those values.
00:06:59.442 --> 00:07:01.644
Or you have clarity, but you're choosing the wrong values.
00:07:01.644 --> 00:07:04.280
How society can be destroyed.
00:07:04.280 --> 00:07:06.182
And, you know, it says in deuteronomy,
00:07:06.182 --> 00:07:08.417
I have placed before you today life and death.
00:07:08.417 --> 00:07:11.220
God says, choose life.
00:07:11.220 --> 00:07:13.589
There's no place better than where we're standing right now.
00:07:13.589 --> 00:07:16.526
Here in the hinnom valley,
00:07:16.526 --> 00:07:18.160
Just south of the city of david, where those words ring true
00:07:18.160 --> 00:07:21.163
Because 2700 years ago, people chose death.
00:07:21.163 --> 00:07:24.901
Here today you look around, we're choosing life, right?
00:07:24.901 --> 00:07:28.571
We're bringing this place back, not back, god forbid,
00:07:28.571 --> 00:07:31.607
With the idolatry that was once here,
00:07:31.607 --> 00:07:33.342
But back in terms of bringing this place
00:07:33.342 --> 00:07:35.177
Back to life with the planting,
00:07:35.177 --> 00:07:36.512
With the growing, with the families coming here.
00:07:36.512 --> 00:07:38.948
That's the energy we're trying to bring back into this place,
00:07:38.948 --> 00:07:41.350
The values that we're trying to bring back over here.
00:07:41.350 --> 00:07:43.419
We talk about the biblical
00:07:43.419 --> 00:07:44.587
History of this place, not too long ago,
00:07:44.587 --> 00:07:46.255
You had drugs and gangs operating right here.
00:07:46.255 --> 00:07:50.693
This was really, some people would say, a god forsaken place.
00:07:50.693 --> 00:07:53.896
In many ways.
00:07:53.896 --> 00:07:55.097
Where did the vision come from?
00:07:55.097 --> 00:07:57.600
From the city of david to do something wonderful here.
00:07:57.600 --> 00:08:00.336
How did this all begin during covid.
00:08:00.336 --> 00:08:02.872
All the lockdowns, restrictions?
00:08:02.872 --> 00:08:04.507
Who could work? how many people at the same time?
00:08:04.507 --> 00:08:06.976
And we were limited in the city of david
00:08:06.976 --> 00:08:08.978
And what we can do in our excavations.
00:08:08.978 --> 00:08:11.013
And so we had this idea to do something here for a while,
00:08:11.013 --> 00:08:14.283
And at the same time, the municipality of jerusalem
00:08:14.283 --> 00:08:17.186
And the israel parks and nature
00:08:17.186 --> 00:08:18.554
Authority, they come to us and say, hey,
00:08:18.554 --> 00:08:20.823
Maybe you could do something with this area,
00:08:20.823 --> 00:08:22.925
Which has been largely for for decades, neglected.
00:08:22.925 --> 00:08:26.062
This was essentially just a garbage dump.
00:08:26.062 --> 00:08:28.164
You had a few olive trees and that was about it.
00:08:28.164 --> 00:08:30.399
Aside from, as you mentioned,
00:08:30.399 --> 00:08:31.968
A bunch of drug dealers, gangs, violence, crime, right?
00:08:31.968 --> 00:08:35.404
Right here.
00:08:35.404 --> 00:08:36.439
It was almost like the stain of 2700 years ago,
00:08:36.439 --> 00:08:39.575
Kind of remained throughout the centuries.
00:08:39.575 --> 00:08:41.711
And it was still just nefarious activities going on here.
00:08:41.711 --> 00:08:44.880
And it's a neglected part of jerusalem,
00:08:44.880 --> 00:08:46.549
A few feet away from the city of david,
00:08:46.549 --> 00:08:48.150
A few feet away from mount moriah, from the western wall.
00:08:48.150 --> 00:08:50.653
It's hard to believe
00:08:50.653 --> 00:08:51.887
Looking at it now, but this was there was nothing here, right?
00:08:51.887 --> 00:08:54.223
Aside from a few olive trees and some crime.
00:08:54.223 --> 00:08:56.792
And so we came in here during covid
00:08:56.792 --> 00:08:59.362
And we said, alright, well, let's
00:08:59.362 --> 00:09:00.363
Try to bring this place back to life.
00:09:00.363 --> 00:09:01.897
Let's take a place
00:09:01.897 --> 00:09:03.199
That represented death and destruction,
00:09:03.199 --> 00:09:06.035
And let's turn this into a place where children, parents,
00:09:06.035 --> 00:09:09.872
Grandparents, jews, christians, muslims, where they could
00:09:09.872 --> 00:09:13.376
All come here and connect to jerusalem and its heritage.
00:09:13.376 --> 00:09:17.079
Now, you know, some people,
00:09:17.079 --> 00:09:18.114
They connected jerusalem through the bible,
00:09:18.114 --> 00:09:20.149
Maybe some through archeology, others through history.
00:09:20.149 --> 00:09:22.785
But we're trying to do here in the hinnom valley,
00:09:22.785 --> 00:09:25.588
In this park that we've created here,
00:09:25.588 --> 00:09:27.590
This biblical park
00:09:27.590 --> 00:09:28.991
Is allow people to connect to jerusalem, their heritage
00:09:28.991 --> 00:09:31.727
Through nature, through planting, through building,
00:09:31.727 --> 00:09:34.196
Through picking, through growing,
00:09:34.196 --> 00:09:36.098
To connect to a side of jerusalem
00:09:36.098 --> 00:09:37.933
And to connect to the bible in a way
00:09:37.933 --> 00:09:39.935
That people don't traditionally associate.
00:09:39.935 --> 00:09:42.705
Now, you've been to jerusalem
00:09:42.705 --> 00:09:44.073
Many, many times, and especially
00:09:44.073 --> 00:09:45.808
In this part of jerusalem, the holy basin.
00:09:45.808 --> 00:09:48.044
There's a lot of history here.
00:09:48.044 --> 00:09:49.145
There's a lot of bible here,
00:09:49.145 --> 00:09:50.680
There's a lot of old stuff here,
00:09:50.680 --> 00:09:51.947
A lot of rocks, a lot of ancient stones and ruins.
00:09:51.947 --> 00:09:54.884
There's not a lot of green.
00:09:54.884 --> 00:09:56.352
And what we're doing here is bringing the green,
00:09:56.352 --> 00:09:59.288
The nature back to jerusalem, to biblical jerusalem,
00:09:59.288 --> 00:10:02.558
Just a few feet away from the city of david.
00:10:02.558 --> 00:10:04.627
That's the idea here, is to make this a place
00:10:04.627 --> 00:10:07.496
Where everyone can come
00:10:07.496 --> 00:10:09.365
And be a part of bringing jerusalem
00:10:09.365 --> 00:10:11.801
Back to life, not just learning about it
00:10:11.801 --> 00:10:14.303
And hearing a tour, seeing some things,
00:10:14.303 --> 00:10:16.639
But with your own hands.
00:10:16.639 --> 00:10:18.574
Bringing jerusalem back to life.
00:10:18.574 --> 00:10:30.219
Folks, isn't it incredible how this place that was once
00:10:31.320 --> 00:10:33.789
So full of death is now so full of life?
00:10:33.789 --> 00:10:37.793
Up next, we'll see the fields they've planted to grow
00:10:37.793 --> 00:10:40.062
The same indigenous crops of the land of israel
00:10:40.062 --> 00:10:43.265
That are mentioned in the bible, said vaughan's team
00:10:43.265 --> 00:10:45.868
Will also teach us about the shmita year
00:10:45.868 --> 00:10:48.170
On the jewish calendar and why it matters to you.
00:10:48.170 --> 00:10:51.340
Stick around.
00:10:51.340 --> 00:10:54.002
Stick around.
00:10:54.002 --> 00:11:23.039
Well ze█ev, we're standing in this field,
00:11:23.874 --> 00:11:25.542
In the amazing biblical park that the city of david
00:11:25.542 --> 00:11:28.011
Is building here in the hinnom valley.
00:11:28.011 --> 00:11:30.647
But this isn't just any field.
00:11:30.647 --> 00:11:33.383
This actually has biblical significance.
00:11:33.383 --> 00:11:36.353
Tell us why.
00:11:36.353 --> 00:11:37.387
Well, first,
00:11:37.387 --> 00:11:38.555
Almost everything in jerusalem has biblical significance.
00:11:38.555 --> 00:11:41.591
This has extra special biblical significance,
00:11:41.591 --> 00:11:44.694
The type of biblical significance
00:11:44.694 --> 00:11:46.062
That comes around once every seven years.
00:11:46.062 --> 00:11:49.800
You know, this past year here in israel
00:11:49.800 --> 00:11:52.402
Was what we call a shmita year, the sabbatical year.
00:11:52.402 --> 00:11:55.438
The bible talks about how here in the land of israel,
00:11:55.438 --> 00:11:59.242
Every seven years
00:11:59.242 --> 00:12:00.710
You have to let for the seventh year, you let the land rest.
00:12:00.710 --> 00:12:04.414
You don't plant, you don't work the land.
00:12:04.414 --> 00:12:06.416
You just let it be.
00:12:06.416 --> 00:12:08.351
And this past year was one of those shmita years,
00:12:08.351 --> 00:12:10.854
One of those sabbatical years.
00:12:10.854 --> 00:12:12.622
Now different people relate to how they fulfill the shmita
00:12:12.622 --> 00:12:17.060
Commandment, the sabbatical year commandment, differently.
00:12:17.060 --> 00:12:19.095
But here in the hinnom valley, we were keeping the shmita year.
00:12:19.095 --> 00:12:22.399
We were keeping the sabbatical year,
00:12:22.399 --> 00:12:23.900
Which meant for a full year we did not plant anything.
00:12:23.900 --> 00:12:27.504
And so now here we are, and you can see
00:12:27.504 --> 00:12:29.439
This is the first planting of the new year.
00:12:29.439 --> 00:12:32.475
So what's growing here?
00:12:32.475 --> 00:12:33.844
You have things like cabbage and lettuce and kale and kohlrabi.
00:12:33.844 --> 00:12:37.914
You have herbs and spices that are growing here.
00:12:37.914 --> 00:12:40.483
Mint and louisa and ginger and all sorts of things
00:12:40.483 --> 00:12:44.087
That are all being planted here to grow in the new year.
00:12:44.087 --> 00:12:48.191
So we are literally the fulfillment of what it talks
00:12:48.191 --> 00:12:51.962
About in the bible respecting the land,
00:12:51.962 --> 00:12:53.697
Honoring the sabbatical year, the shmita year.
00:12:53.697 --> 00:12:56.233
And god says, when you do that, you get triple blessing
00:12:56.233 --> 00:12:59.970
Because you get blessing in the sixth year,
00:12:59.970 --> 00:13:02.272
You get blessing in the seventh year,
00:13:02.272 --> 00:13:03.940
And then you get blessing here in the eighth year,
00:13:03.940 --> 00:13:05.976
Which is what we're beginning now.
00:13:05.976 --> 00:13:07.777
So, god willing,
00:13:07.777 --> 00:13:08.979
This will be a year of blessing for us here in the hinnom
00:13:08.979 --> 00:13:11.715
Valley, in the city of david, in jerusalem, in israel,
00:13:11.715 --> 00:13:14.885
And for the whole world.
00:13:14.885 --> 00:13:15.952
And a place of blessing for jerusalem and beyond.
00:13:15.952 --> 00:13:18.488
And you think of shabbat, obviously, a day of rest.
00:13:18.488 --> 00:13:20.824
It's very interesting how god did that
00:13:20.824 --> 00:13:22.259
With this shmita year, an entire year of just
00:13:22.259 --> 00:13:24.928
Kind of laying off the land.
00:13:24.928 --> 00:13:26.596
And this was prevalent during biblical times. that's right.
00:13:26.596 --> 00:13:28.732
I mean, it still applies today. and you said shabbat.
00:13:28.732 --> 00:13:31.234
Shabbat comes from the word sabbath.
00:13:31.234 --> 00:13:34.104
It's the very same idea as sabbath and sabbatical year.
00:13:34.104 --> 00:13:36.306
So the sabbath is the one day in seven where we rest
00:13:36.306 --> 00:13:39.709
The sabbatical, the shmita year is one year in seven.
00:13:39.709 --> 00:13:42.646
But it's the same idea where god says, rest just be.
00:13:42.646 --> 00:13:47.083
Things will work out.
00:13:47.584 --> 00:13:48.685
It used to be people would say, well,
00:13:48.685 --> 00:13:50.086
How can we honor the sabbath?
00:13:50.086 --> 00:13:51.354
We have to go to work and we got to support our families.
00:13:51.354 --> 00:13:53.790
God's like, it'll be okay. yeah. right.
00:13:53.790 --> 00:13:56.026
Trust me.
00:13:56.026 --> 00:13:56.860
And an entire year. yeah. it's not.
00:13:56.860 --> 00:13:58.728
Not work. the land.
00:13:58.728 --> 00:13:59.663
I mean, i had to be among farmers.
00:13:59.663 --> 00:14:01.598
Some. some anxiety, i'm sure.
00:14:01.598 --> 00:14:03.500
Yeah. like you said, god works it out.
00:14:03.500 --> 00:14:05.368
That's right.
00:14:05.368 --> 00:14:05.969
Trust god.
00:14:05.969 --> 00:14:06.903
And so you're seeing here you already see
00:14:06.903 --> 00:14:08.772
The first sprouting coming out here.
00:14:08.772 --> 00:14:11.474
And god willing,
00:14:11.474 --> 00:14:12.442
When you come back here in a couple of months,
00:14:12.442 --> 00:14:13.910
Just like you can see the rest of this area lush
00:14:13.910 --> 00:14:16.479
With green, with life, with vegetation,
00:14:16.479 --> 00:14:18.748
This field, you're going to able to walk through it.
00:14:18.748 --> 00:14:20.183
It's just be overflowing with with abundance.
00:14:20.183 --> 00:14:22.686
And we've got more to see. right. what's next?
00:14:22.686 --> 00:14:24.521
So the bible refers to the land of israel
00:14:24.521 --> 00:14:27.457
As having seven species that are special to the land.
00:14:27.457 --> 00:14:30.627
We are now going to go
00:14:30.627 --> 00:14:32.462
And take one of those species and create something
00:14:32.462 --> 00:14:35.465
Very special. lead the way, my friend. let's go.
00:14:35.465 --> 00:14:40.403
Up next,
00:14:40.670 --> 00:14:41.371
Vaughn stein shows us
00:14:41.371 --> 00:14:42.372
Some of the amazing hands on features
00:14:42.372 --> 00:14:44.574
They've built at the valley of known
00:14:44.574 --> 00:14:46.710
To educate those who visit the site
00:14:46.710 --> 00:14:48.878
About the ancient jewish culture and ways of life.
00:14:48.878 --> 00:14:52.182
I even get to try my hand at making olive oil,
00:14:52.182 --> 00:14:54.985
Just like they did in bible times.
00:14:54.985 --> 00:14:58.088
Don█t move.
00:14:58.088 --> 00:15:03.004
Don█t move.
00:15:03.004 --> 00:15:33.323
Ze█ev,
00:15:33.523 --> 00:15:34.524
This looks like olive trees right before us.
00:15:34.524 --> 00:15:37.160
What are we about to do?
00:15:37.160 --> 00:15:38.261
It's this ancient olive tree over here.
00:15:38.261 --> 00:15:39.729
You could see we're in this season.
00:15:39.729 --> 00:15:41.965
And so what we're going to do right now
00:15:41.965 --> 00:15:44.968
Is something very biblical.
00:15:44.968 --> 00:15:46.336
Because the bible tells us that the land has seven species
00:15:46.336 --> 00:15:50.540
That are particularly unique, singular, blessed here
00:15:50.540 --> 00:15:54.010
In the land of israel.
00:15:54.010 --> 00:15:55.278
One of them, of course, is olives, olive oil.
00:15:55.278 --> 00:15:58.481
Right.
00:15:58.481 --> 00:15:59.716
And so what we're going to do right now is you, my friend,
00:15:59.716 --> 00:16:03.153
Are going to make some biblical jerusalem grown olive oil.
00:16:03.153 --> 00:16:08.091
That's exciting.
00:16:08.091 --> 00:16:08.691
So first thing
00:16:08.691 --> 00:16:09.826
You got to do here, grab some, olives off that tree.
00:16:09.826 --> 00:16:13.663
Thank god i'm six foot five, which helps.
00:16:13.663 --> 00:16:16.666
Let's see.
00:16:16.666 --> 00:16:17.534
I got some good ones. black olives.
00:16:17.534 --> 00:16:19.269
This would be very good on a pizza. right. let's see.
00:16:19.269 --> 00:16:23.006
Okay,
00:16:23.239 --> 00:16:25.008
Okay, i'm going to hand these to use
00:16:25.008 --> 00:16:26.609
Because i know we need more to make olive oil.
00:16:26.609 --> 00:16:29.112
So everything
00:16:29.112 --> 00:16:30.780
That i'm taking out of this bag came from this tree.
00:16:30.780 --> 00:16:33.483
And you're standing now by an ancient olive press. wow.
00:16:33.483 --> 00:16:36.986
And this is what we've been doing in this land
00:16:36.986 --> 00:16:39.222
Literally for thousands of years,
00:16:39.222 --> 00:16:40.957
Going back to the time of the bible.
00:16:40.957 --> 00:16:42.692
So i'm not going to do all the work here.
00:16:42.692 --> 00:16:45.261
We brought you here. you're the talent.
00:16:45.261 --> 00:16:46.963
So, so so let's go get after.
00:16:46.963 --> 00:16:50.166
Oh, man. look at this.
00:16:50.166 --> 00:16:53.736
God, i put put some muscle into it.
00:16:53.736 --> 00:16:55.205
Some muscle? that's right.
00:16:55.205 --> 00:16:56.940
I'm going to go around a couple times.
00:16:56.940 --> 00:16:58.508
Crush those olives.
00:16:58.508 --> 00:16:59.576
Yeah, like your forefathers did 3000 years ago.
00:16:59.576 --> 00:17:03.613
That's right.
00:17:03.613 --> 00:17:04.747
Well, yours also.
00:17:04.747 --> 00:17:05.949
Here we go in. mine too. that's true, that is true.
00:17:05.949 --> 00:17:08.585
But it's a little more significant,
00:17:08.585 --> 00:17:09.919
A little more special doing it in jerusalem.
00:17:09.919 --> 00:17:12.021
And, you.
00:17:12.021 --> 00:17:13.089
Know, you think of the like the anointing of solomon,
00:17:13.089 --> 00:17:14.390
The way the kings in the bible would be anointed with olive.
00:17:14.390 --> 00:17:17.427
Oil. olive oil.
00:17:17.427 --> 00:17:18.261
Think of the hanukkah festival.
00:17:18.261 --> 00:17:20.430
All right.
00:17:20.430 --> 00:17:21.097
So what we're going to do now,
00:17:21.097 --> 00:17:22.132
We're going to take these olives that you crushed
00:17:22.132 --> 00:17:24.601
And we're going to put them in this sack over here.
00:17:24.601 --> 00:17:27.504
And anyone, by the way, anyone coming
00:17:27.504 --> 00:17:29.305
Here, visitors are going to be able to do this in olive season.
00:17:29.305 --> 00:17:32.041
Oh, and all. right that's how it works.
00:17:32.041 --> 00:17:33.810
You got to come in the right time of year.
00:17:33.810 --> 00:17:35.111
Hands on people
00:17:35.111 --> 00:17:36.212
Will have a lot of fun doing this
00:17:36.212 --> 00:17:37.647
And stepping into the pages of the bible.
00:17:37.647 --> 00:17:39.849
This is how it was done.
00:17:39.849 --> 00:17:41.351
When you're still is where the bible happened.
00:17:41.351 --> 00:17:43.219
The words of the bible come to life.
00:17:43.219 --> 00:17:44.587
This is going to be the,
00:17:44.587 --> 00:17:45.455
You know, the same type of olive oil
00:17:45.455 --> 00:17:46.923
From the time of the baby, right? you can take this now.
00:17:46.923 --> 00:17:49.092
Great day and we're going to walk over here.
00:17:49.092 --> 00:17:52.929
Now this is an olive press.
00:17:52.929 --> 00:17:55.632
There you crush the olives
00:17:55.632 --> 00:17:56.866
And this is what is going to bring out the oil.
00:17:56.866 --> 00:18:00.136
Bring out the best of the olives okay.
00:18:00.136 --> 00:18:01.571
So you're going to go clockwise. clockwise. gotcha.
00:18:01.571 --> 00:18:04.440
And pretty soon what you're going to see
00:18:04.440 --> 00:18:06.009
Once you put enough pressure there there it is.
00:18:06.009 --> 00:18:08.545
I see it i'm going to dip
00:18:08.545 --> 00:18:09.512
My bread in this when we're finished.
00:18:09.512 --> 00:18:11.080
That and there it is folks.
00:18:11.080 --> 00:18:13.616
There's you got some olive oil. got some olive oil.
00:18:13.616 --> 00:18:15.718
You bring the bread i've got the oil. right.
00:18:15.718 --> 00:18:17.420
Good meal afterwards.
00:18:17.420 --> 00:18:18.221
Now one of the things also
00:18:18.221 --> 00:18:19.422
People do here, they bake pita bread from fresh flour grown
00:18:19.422 --> 00:18:23.259
In ground here in the hinnom valley biblical park.
00:18:23.259 --> 00:18:26.029
So you got your olive oil, you break your pita,
00:18:26.029 --> 00:18:28.932
And, you got za'atar growing over here.
00:18:28.932 --> 00:18:31.267
Yeah, i'd say you're good to go.
00:18:31.267 --> 00:18:32.802
You know, the kids will love this, too.
00:18:32.802 --> 00:18:34.704
It's a family friendly experience,
00:18:34.704 --> 00:18:37.840
And that's one of the great things about it.
00:18:37.840 --> 00:18:39.242
Kids will love this making olive oil.
00:18:39.242 --> 00:18:41.144
There's animals here as well. donkeys.
00:18:41.144 --> 00:18:43.379
A lot of great things happening.
00:18:43.379 --> 00:18:44.480
In a place that used to be not so family friendly.
00:18:44.480 --> 00:18:46.649
Yeah, right.
00:18:46.649 --> 00:18:47.517
I mean, think about kids here like,
00:18:47.517 --> 00:18:48.618
Oh, we're going to the heenan valley.
00:18:48.618 --> 00:18:49.552
They're like, oh no.
00:18:49.552 --> 00:18:50.687
Like i guess we're not going to see billy anymore.
00:18:50.687 --> 00:18:52.388
But now it's kids like coming here, right?
00:18:53.289 --> 00:18:55.925
Parents, grandparents. this is it.
00:18:55.925 --> 00:18:57.694
Bringing the bible to life. yeah.
00:18:57.694 --> 00:18:58.962
There's a spirit of joy here.
00:18:58.962 --> 00:19:01.030
I felt it when i walked in. your team here, as well as.
00:19:01.030 --> 00:19:03.733
Incredible. everyone's welcoming.
00:19:03.733 --> 00:19:05.668
There's really
00:19:05.668 --> 00:19:06.502
A sense of excitement in the air
00:19:06.502 --> 00:19:08.171
Because you're building something special here, right?
00:19:08.171 --> 00:19:10.306
And god's in it now, ze█ev, we made the olive oil,
00:19:10.306 --> 00:19:14.477
But that was only the beginning.
00:19:14.477 --> 00:19:16.346
We're about to do something with great biblical significance.
00:19:16.346 --> 00:19:20.049
What do we have here?
00:19:20.049 --> 00:19:21.017
So we have a recreation of an ancient oil lamp
00:19:21.017 --> 00:19:24.721
That would have been used thousands of years ago,
00:19:24.721 --> 00:19:27.090
Again with oil that would have been
00:19:27.090 --> 00:19:29.792
Freshly crushed here in jerusalem.
00:19:29.792 --> 00:19:33.396
When you think of the festival of hanukkah,
00:19:33.396 --> 00:19:35.732
You have the menorah.
00:19:35.732 --> 00:19:36.666
The olive oil that has many is used to light
00:19:36.666 --> 00:19:39.702
The miracle of eight days, that it remain lit.
00:19:39.702 --> 00:19:42.372
You think of the symbol
00:19:42.372 --> 00:19:43.306
Of the state of israel, also the menorah.
00:19:43.306 --> 00:19:45.275
And beneath the menorah you have the two olive branches.
00:19:45.275 --> 00:19:48.611
And so oil, the olive oil is very central
00:19:48.611 --> 00:19:52.515
Going back to who the jewish people are, the bible
00:19:52.515 --> 00:19:55.785
Going back thousands of years,
00:19:55.785 --> 00:19:56.953
But also the fulfillment of biblical prophecy,
00:19:56.953 --> 00:19:59.956
The return to the land of israel, to jerusalem today.
00:19:59.956 --> 00:20:02.992
So with this oil that we made, we are going to.
00:20:02.992 --> 00:20:09.198
Try to bring the bible to life.
00:20:09.832 --> 00:20:12.969
And we did.
00:20:13.303 --> 00:20:15.605
Look at that. wow.
00:20:15.605 --> 00:20:18.041
Here you go.
00:20:18.041 --> 00:20:18.775
There it is.
00:20:18.775 --> 00:20:19.776
Your own olive oil press with your own hands.
00:20:19.776 --> 00:20:21.911
Here in the hinnom valley,
00:20:21.911 --> 00:20:24.347
You're lighting up jerusalem.
00:20:24.347 --> 00:20:25.448
Pretty amazing.
00:20:25.448 --> 00:20:26.649
And this is how people lit their homes, in biblical times.
00:20:26.649 --> 00:20:29.519
That's right.
00:20:29.519 --> 00:20:30.453
Love their homes.
00:20:30.453 --> 00:20:31.154
The temple with the menorah.
00:20:31.154 --> 00:20:34.190
When you're in the place where the bible happened,
00:20:34.190 --> 00:20:35.758
The words of the bible are coming to life right here.
00:20:35.758 --> 00:20:37.627
And everything that was old is made new again.
00:20:37.627 --> 00:20:39.996
That's right
00:20:39.996 --> 00:20:42.365
Folks, i so appreciate seven time
00:20:42.365 --> 00:20:44.600
From the city of david and the great work
00:20:44.600 --> 00:20:46.302
That his team is doing
00:20:46.302 --> 00:20:47.236
To restore the land of israel to its glory.
00:20:47.236 --> 00:20:50.139
When we come back,
00:20:50.139 --> 00:20:51.240
I'll share some final thoughts on the valley of hinnom
00:20:51.240 --> 00:20:54.210
And what god thinks about all that
00:20:54.210 --> 00:20:56.145
Is happening to the apple of his eye
00:20:56.145 --> 00:20:59.248
Stick around.
00:20:59.248 --> 00:21:03.007
Stick around.
00:21:03.007 --> 00:21:06.323
Welcome back to stakelbeck tonight as we wrap up
00:21:07.257 --> 00:21:09.860
An incredible journey
00:21:09.860 --> 00:21:10.928
Through the valley of, you know, with our good friend
00:21:10.928 --> 00:21:12.930
Ze█ev orenstein, with the city of david.
00:21:12.930 --> 00:21:15.199
I'm reminded of psalm 137, which says, if i forget you,
00:21:15.199 --> 00:21:19.269
O jerusalem, let my right hand forget its cunning.
00:21:19.269 --> 00:21:22.973
Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth.
00:21:22.973 --> 00:21:26.610
If i forget you, o jerusalem.
00:21:26.610 --> 00:21:28.812
Hey folks, that's some very strong stuff
00:21:28.812 --> 00:21:30.748
From the psalmist,
00:21:30.748 --> 00:21:31.782
But it reflects exactly
00:21:31.782 --> 00:21:33.317
How god feels about this city, jerusalem.
00:21:33.317 --> 00:21:36.587
This is a city
00:21:36.587 --> 00:21:37.721
Where god almighty has written his name forever.
00:21:37.721 --> 00:21:40.357
So it makes perfect sense that the valley is, you know,
00:21:40.357 --> 00:21:43.427
Which is an
00:21:43.427 --> 00:21:44.595
Incredibly central location in the city of jerusalem,
00:21:44.595 --> 00:21:47.564
Would once again come back to life,
00:21:47.564 --> 00:21:49.833
Because every single inch of that city, yes,
00:21:49.833 --> 00:21:52.936
Including the hinnom valley, belongs to god almighty.
00:21:52.936 --> 00:21:56.340
And remember,
00:21:56.340 --> 00:21:57.241
When you stand with jerusalem,
00:21:57.241 --> 00:21:59.009
You are standing with god's promises.
00:21:59.009 --> 00:22:01.678
You're standing with prophecy
00:22:01.678 --> 00:22:03.380
Being fulfilled before your very eyes.
00:22:03.380 --> 00:22:06.583
Don't miss what god is doing right
00:22:06.583 --> 00:22:08.485
Here, right now in his city, jerusalem.
00:22:08.485 --> 00:22:11.922
Great stuff.
00:22:12.256 --> 00:22:13.223
Thanks so much for joining us. until next time.
00:22:13.223 --> 00:22:15.359
God bless you. we'll see you soon.
00:22:15.359 --> 00:22:15.359

Erick Stakelbeck: The Bible Comes Alive | Stakelbeck Tonight

December 12, 2025 | 24:2

Closed captions

Share