Prologue Journal – Page 35556 – Understanding current events through the lenses of the past and future.

Watch: The Joy and Dancing During Rabbi Pinto’s Visit to Israel

Jerusalem Post https://www.jpost.com/judaism/article-736167

Archaeologists find 12 severed hands from ancient Egypt

Jerusalem Post The hands may be part of a trophy-taking practice in which the people of Hyksos took the right hands of their enemies. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-736155

No More Blank Checks: Saudi Arabia Clamps Down on Regional Aid

New York Times The kingdom used to send money to poorer countries like Egypt with few strings attached. But it is increasingly leveraging its economic power for influence in the Middle East and beyond. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/02/world/middleeast/no-more-blank-checks-saudi-arabia-clamps-down-on-regional-aid.html

Archaeologists to find lost underwater civilization with magnetic fields

Jerusalem Post Magnetic data, like seismic data, is collected by those looking to extract energy sources from the sea floor in order to map out the landscape for construction. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-736139

Far-Left Canadians Susceptible to Russian Influence Too

New York Times Researchers found that on Twitter, members of Canada’s far left joined those on the far right in embracing pro-Russian messages created by a two-year Russian influence campaign. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/01/world/canada/twitter-russian-influence-campaign.html

Top Ukraine cleric accused of glorifying Russian invasion appears in court

Jerusalem Post The UOC has been accused of maintaining links to the pro-invasion Russian Orthodox Church, which used to be its parent church but with which the UOC says it all broke ties in May 2022. https://www.jpost.com/christianworld/article-736122

Security Force or Anti-Arab Militia? Israelis Feud Over Far-Right Plan

New York Times The far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, wants to create a national guard that he would control, saying it is needed to guarantee Israel’s security. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/01/world/middleeast/israel-netanyahu-ben-gvir-national-guard.html

Researchers use 21st century methods to record 2,000 years of ancient graffiti in Egypt

Jerusalem Post This three-dimensional visualization will also make it possible for researchers to study the relationship between a figural graffito. https://www.jpost.com/archaeology/article-736117

Inside Saudi Arabia’s Global Push for Nuclear Power

New York Times Despite qualms in Washington, Saudi officials have pressed the United States to help them develop nuclear power. But they are also exploring other options, including China. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/04/01/us/politics/saudi-arabia-nuclear-biden-administration.html

Israeli Police Fatally Shoot Arab Outside Jerusalem Holy Site

New York Times The man was shot dead early Saturday at the edge of the Aqsa Mosque compound, known to Jews as the Temple Mount. The circumstances of the killing were disputed and risked raising tensions during Ramadan. https://www.nytimes.com/2023/03/31/world/middleeast/aqsa-mosque-shooting-jerusalem.html