For observant Jews, today marks the beginning of the three weeks. It starts off on the 17th of the Hebrew month of Tammuz and ends on Tisha b’Av, the 9th of Av. Today, all over the world, Jewish people are fasting and praying. For those interested in the coincidences of history and bad omens for the Jewish people, it is an auspicious period. It marks a period of calamities and danger.

Events occurring on the 17th Tammuz include:

• According to tradition, Moses broke the tablets with the Ten Commandments when he saw the Jewish people worshippping a golden calf
• The beginning of the Babylonian siege of Jerusalem when daily sacrifices of sheep/lamb stopped under Nebuchadnezzar
• The walls of Jerusalem were breached by the Romans in 69 AD after a long siege

The Three Weeks, Beyn haM’tsareem (in between the very narrow places), or Dire Straits is a period of repentance, prayer and mourning. Music is not listened to, there are no marriages or happy celebrations, the men do not shave or cut their hair, some refrain from eating meat, wearing bright clothes, jewelry, makeup or leather goods. In synagogue, portions of the Book of Lamentations are read as well as dark prophesies of Jeremiah and Isaiah.

Because really bad things usually happen at this time, the more superstitious will go as far as to refrain from any dangerous behavior, not undergoing unnecessary surgery, postponing flights and court cases on the weeks leading up to 9 Av.

Things really begin to heat up, both temperature wise here in the Northern Hemisphere as we go into the hottest part of summer and in the news cycle from 1 Av -9 Av. This year those days fall between sunset on 4 August until sunset on 13 August, 2024.

Now to get really creepy…. horrible things for the Jewish people seem to have taken place on the 9th Av. It is the absolute saddest day of the entire year. Some of the things that happened are:

• 10 of the 12 spies sent by Moses to scout the Promised Land came back with a bad report, thus dooming the Children of Israel to wander the desert for 40 years (1313 BC)
• The First Temple in Jerusalem, built by King Solomon, was destroyed by the Babylonians in 586 BC
• The Second Temple (rebuilt) was completely torn down and burned on this exact day in 69 AD
• The Bar Kochba Revolt was completely put down by the Romans in 133 AD
• The Jewish community of Beitar was massacred by the Romans in 134 AD on 9 Av
• The Romans plowed under the Temple Mount in 135 AD. Not a stone was left unturned (except for the Western Wall/the Kotel).
• 1099 the Crusaders entered Jerusalem and began to slaughter the Jews and Muslims there.. Some report as many as 70,000 were massacred and in the Holy City, the streets were filled with blood.
• The Jews were expelled from England by “ King Edward l “Longshanks” (the same guy that fought William Wallace and the Scots) in 1290 AD.
• The Kyburg, Switzerland Massacre of 1349 when 300-400 Jews were falsely accused of poisoning a well during the Black Death. Men and women were locked in a fortress and burned alive. The children under age 12 were saved but forcibly baptized.
• In 1492, on Tisha b’Av, the Jews were expelled from Spain under King Ferdinand and Queen Isabella (of Columbus fame).
• World War I starts on 9 Av as Germany declared war on Russia.
• The disengagement plan for Israel to give Gaza to the Palestinians, declaring it free of Jews, was implemented on Tisha b’Av, 2005

Today the world is more interesting than ever. More Biblical prophecies have been fulfilled in the last 75 years than at any other time in history. In every book of the Old Testament the Ingathering of the Children of Israel (we call it kibbutz galuyot) back into their land after exile is written (Jeremiah 52:31, Ezekiel 11:17, Psalm 106:47, Jeremiah 29:14…)It began in the late 1800s and is still going strong today (Deuteronomy 30:3-5) Lost tribes have been and are being identified (DNA) and have made Aliyah after millennia of being scattered and in obscurity. The people of Israel are again speaking Hebrew conversationally after it being only used liturgically for over 2000 years as a holy tongue (Zephaniah 3:9) Vineyards are once again being planted on the mountains of Samaria (Jeremiah 31:5) Knowledge is increasing at an unheard of rate (Daniel 12).

Zechariah 12:3, which refers to Jerusalem in the end times says, “And it shall happen in that day that I will make Jerusalem a very heavy stone for all peoples; all who would heave it away will surely be cut in pieces, though all nations of the earth are gathered against it.” Ezekiel further states that all nations of the earth will come against Israel. It sure appears that things are at least heading in that direction today.

Orthodox Jews throughout the world are crying out for Moshiach, the Messiah to come. It is not u common to see groups of Chabadnikim or Nanachs singing and dancing, “Moshiach!Moshiach!” here in Israel. Or to drive and see the words on a billboard “We want Moshiach now!” A must-visit place in the Old City of Jerusalem is the Temple Research Institute. These guys have studied and produced all the accoutrements necessary for the Third Temple and have the priestly line set up (Cohenim) to resume animal sacrifice. It’s incredibly interesting, and a little scary.

The Muslims are crying out for their version of the Messiah, the Mahdi. Some say that he is alive and walks among us somewhere in the Middle East Today. For them, he will only come and set up his caliphate when there is enough chaos and the bloodshed of infidels on the earth. That is very, very frightening.

Christians are awaiting the return of their Messiah, and his descent to Jerusalem to set up his kingdom of peace and justice. Everywhere people are trying to hasten the coming of their messiah. And so much is happening on a daily basis here and around the world, that it’s positively head-spinning. Every single day I hear someone say “May Moshiach come quickly and in our day.”

I have no idea when this will happen or how it will all actually play out. I’m no prophet, but I do find all of this so incredibly fascinating. I will tell you, that every year during the Three Week period, I become hyper aware of global events concerning Israel. With Netanyahu giving a speech before Congress in DC tomorrow, a planned meeting with the President (will it actually happen???), the huge rocket barrage near our house last night, and all the other happenings focused on this part of the world, this will also be a time of fasting and prayer for me.