Religious

In the original Hebrew, the name of God is given as four letters, YHWH, known as the Tetragrammaton; these letters are the root of both Jehovah and Yahweh. In “Parsing the Divine Name” in the Fall 2024 issue of Biblical Archaeology Review, biblical scholar Ronald Hendel explains how scholars and archaeologists came to the conclusion that Yahweh was the most likely pronunciation of the Tetragrammaton. As Hendel argues, “The vocalization of the first syllable is actually preserved, mostly in liturgical expressions and personal names. ‘Halleluyah,’ a frequent refrain in the Psalms, means ‘Praise Yah.’” Likewise, Hendel explains, the names of many individuals in the Hebrew Bible contain the name “Yah,” such as Obadiah, Isaiah, Hezekiah, Josiah, and Nehemiah. Therefore, Hendel concludes, “this is obvious evidence for the ancient pronunciation of the first syllable of the name YHWH as Yah.” — Bible History Daily, 10/14/2024 (Editor’s note: A majority of the editors support the pronunciation Ye’-Ho-VaH’ (in English), as scholar Jehemiah Gordon’s evidence seems stronger.)

Two years ago, as weekly worshippers re-emerged after Covid, the Church of England statisticians were desperate to see if they would return at least to their 2019 numbers, when about 854,000 people turned out to church. In 2023, that figure was just 685,000. Put another way, 169,000 weekly worshippers have vanished over a four-year period. Fewer people now go to their parish church than attend a local mosque or a Catholic mass. At the turn of the century, 1 million people went to church each year; in 1980, the number was 1.3 million. — The Guardian, 10/24/2024

A team of specialists from the University of Valencia is hard at work lifting a nearly complete Phoenician shipwreck from the seafloor off the Spanish coast of Murcia. While the ship, dubbed Mazarrón 2, has been protected by sand for more than two millennia, recent changes in coastal currents have torn away much of that protective blanket, posing an existential threat to this incredible archaeological wonder. The Phoenician ship dates to around 600 BCE, when much of southern Iberia was settled by Phoenician merchants and traders. Likely struck by a sudden storm, the ship sank only a few yards from the coastline and was quickly covered over by sand. Today, the ship is one of the most complete ancient sea vessels ever discovered. — Biblicalarchaeology.org, 10/30/24

Social

Women are the fastest-growing population behind bars. Though they represent only 10% of the nation’s overall prison population, female incarceration rates have jumped from about 26,000 in 1980 to nearly 200,000 today. Most women have been locked up for nonviolent crimes that often are drug related. — AP, 11/1/2024

Tensions had been building for months before fighting between Sudan’s army and the paramilitary Rapid Support Forces (RSF) erupted in the capital Khartoum on April 15, 2023. The army and RSF had been in a fragile partnership after staging a coup in October 2021 after Omar al-Bashir was ousted in Now it is reported that Sudan’s Rapid Support Forces (RSF) and allies have committed “staggering” levels of sexual abuse, raping civilians as troops advance and abducting some women as sex slaves during the more than 18-month war. Victims have ranged between eight and 75 years, in an attempt to terrorize and punish people for perceived links to enemies. The RSF has seized control of large parts of Sudan including in West Darfur where it is accused of carrying out ethnic killings against the Masalit people with the help of Arab militias. The report echoed other investigations by Reuters and rights groups. — Reuters, 10/30/2024

Two Australian mathematicians have called into question an old adage, that if given an infinite amount of time, a monkey pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare. Known as the “infinite monkey theorem,” the thought-experiment has long been used to explain the principles of probability and randomness. However, a new peer-reviewed study led by Sydney-based researchers Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta has found that the time it would take for a typing monkey to replicate Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets and poems would be longer than the lifespan of our universe. Which means that while mathematically true, the theorem is “misleading,” they say. — BBC News,11/1/24

A Michigan couple raced to the hospital after the woman went into labor a day early and thought they would get pulled over by a cop. Instead, they got a police escort. Utica Officer Liz Demuynck said she saw the erratic driving of the young, panicked couple making an illegal turn, and the couple spotted her patrol car. Officer Demuynck, who is a mother of two young children herself, jumped into action and escorted the couple to Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital instead of initiating a traffic stop. On the body camera video, you can see Demuynck escorting the couple to the hospital, calming Weertz down and guiding them to the proper hospital entrance. The Utica police officer has stayed in touch with the family, meeting up with them and showering baby Henry with toys. — Scripps News, 10/30/2024

Two Australian mathematicians have called into question an old adage, that if given an infinite amount of time, a monkey pressing keys on a typewriter would eventually write the complete works of William Shakespeare. Known as the “infinite monkey theorem,” the thought-experiment has long been used to explain the principles of probability and randomness. However, a new peer-reviewed study led by Sydney-based researchers Stephen Woodcock and Jay Falletta has found that the time it would take for a typing monkey to replicate Shakespeare’s plays, sonnets and poems would be longer than the lifespan of our universe. Which means that while mathematically true, the theorem is “misleading,” they say. — BBC News,11/1/24

A Michigan couple raced to the hospital after the woman went into labor a day early and thought they would get pulled over by a cop. Instead, they got a police escort. Utica Officer Liz Demuynck said she saw the erratic driving of the young, panicked couple making an illegal turn, and the couple spotted her patrol car. Officer Demuynck, who is a mother of two young children herself, jumped into action and escorted the couple to Corewell Health Beaumont Troy Hospital instead of initiating a traffic stop. On the body camera video, you can see Demuynck escorting the couple to the hospital, calming Weertz down and guiding them to the proper hospital entrance. The Utica police officer has stayed in touch with the family, meeting up with them and showering baby Henry with toys. — Scripps News, 10/30/2024

In Ecuador, some of the forces driving migration to the U.S. comes from gangs which have unleashed a wave of violence and extortion in every corner of this nation of 18 million people, upending lives and spurring an unprecedented exodus. Entire communities and industries have been consumed by it, and families torn apart. The threat of organized crime generally doesn’t qualify people for asylum in the U.S., but that hasn’t prevented Ecuadorians from leaving, making them the fourth-largest nationality arrested at the U.S. border with Mexico over the last year. Those who flee often spend thousands of dollars and risk being killed or kidnapped. If they make it to the U.S., the world’s top destination for asylum-seekers since 2017, they enter into a system of overwhelmed immigration courts where cases can take years. Most people can stay and get work permits until they’re resolved. — AP, 11/1/2024

Ernie LaPointe, a 73-year-old from South Dakota, has been identified as the great-grandson and closest living descendant of Sitting Bull, the renowned Lakota leader. This was made possible by a groundbreaking DNA analysis of a lock of Sitting Bull’s hair, which had been carefully preserved. Sitting Bull, born in 1831, was a chief and medicine man of the Hunkpapa Lakota Sioux, celebrated for uniting the Sioux tribes in resistance to settlers during the late 19th century. This discovery strengthens LaPointe’s decades-long quest to relocate his ancestor’s remains to a more culturally significant resting place. Tatanka Iyotake, or Sitting Bull, was killed by Native American police in 1890 and buried in Mobridge, South Dakota, according to NBC News. — Upworthy News, 10/8/2024

Political

40,000: total number of jobs Britain’s departure from the European Union cost London’s financial centre, according to the Lord Mayor of the City of London, a far deeper impact from Brexit than the 7,000 jobs that consultants calculated had left London for the European Union by 2022. — Reuters, 10/16/2024

President Volodymyr Zelenskyy unveiled his much anticipated “victory plan,” calling on his allies to take urgent steps to bolster Kyiv at a precarious moment in a bid to end the war with Russia (in 2025). As Moscow’s forces advance in the east and a bleak winter of power cuts looms, he told parliament his plan contained five main points in the hands of his allies, including an unconditional invite to join NATO now, and weapons support. In return, he offered a Western role in developing Ukraine’s natural mineral resources and said Ukrainian troops could enhance the security of NATO and replace some of the U.S. forces in Europe. — Reuters, 10/16/2024

The party of Botswana’s opposition candidate Duma Boko was declared the election winner October 25, 2024, over incumbent President Mokgweetsi Masisi in a seismic change that ended the ruling party’s 58 years in power since independence from Britain. Masisi’s BDP dominated politics in Botswana for nearly six decades, since independence in 1966.The nation of just 2.5 million people will now be governed by another party for the first time. Botswana is considered one of Africa’s most stable democracies, having built one of the highest standards of living in the region through an economy largely reliant on diamonds — the world’s second biggest natural diamond producer behind Russia. Botswana faces new challenges, as the global demand for diamonds badly impacted the economy, becoming the central issue for the campaign. — AP, 11/1/2024

China will never commit to renouncing the use of force over Taiwan, the government in Beijing said after another bout of war games and a visit by Chinese President Xi Jinping to the scene of a famous defeat for Taiwanese forces. China, which views democratically governed Taiwan as its own territory, staged a day of large-scale drills around the island that it said were a warning to “separatist acts” following a speech by Taiwan President Lai Chingte. The defeated Republic of China government fled to Taiwan in 1949 after losing a civil war with Mao Zedong’s communists. No armistice or peace treaty has ever been signed. — Reuters, 10/16/2024

Canada kicked out six Indian diplomats, linking them to the murder of a Sikh separatist leader and alleging a broader effort to target Indian dissidents in Canada. India retaliated by telling six Canadian diplomats to leave. Canada is home to the highest population of Sikhs outside their home state of Punjab, or about 2% of Canada’s population. Demonstrations in recent years to carve a separate homeland have irked India’s government, which regularly accuses Canada of harboring separatists. — Reuters, 10/16/2024

Financial

In March, a Wharton professor who studies artificial intelligence and start-ups claimed on X, “The modern economy rests on a single road in Spruce Pine, North Carolina. The road runs to the two mines that are the sole supplier of the quartz required to make the crucibles needed to refine silicon wafers.” Ethan Mollick noted at the time, “There are no alternative sources known” if supply disruptions were seen in Spruce Pines. It looks like rail and road in the area are gone, along with a chunk of Spruce Pines. —
Allsides, 9/30/2024

Disillusioned Chinese bankers and fund managers are giving up careers in the $67 trillion finance sector where government campaigns and regulation have colored prospects to the extent that areas as varied as education and even stand-up comedy seem preferable. Tightening scrutiny of trading, financing and dealmaking as well as a slump in stock turnover in a sluggish economy has dried up private equity and venture capital and decimated the market for stock market listings, bringing pay and job cuts. The “common prosperity” campaign launched in 2021 aimed at closing the wealth gap and brought measures to the sector including caps on salaries and clawing back of bonuses. — Reuters, 10/15/2024

Britain’s new finance minister Rachel Reeves announced the biggest tax increases in three decades in her first budget, accusing the former Conservative government of breaking the country’s public services. She painted a grim picture of Britain, with record waiting times in the health service, children studying in crumbling schools and dysfunctional transport and justice systems. Businesses and the wealthy will bear the brunt of the tax hikes and Reeves also paved the way for higher borrowing for investment to speed up Britain’s economy. Reeves’ plans would take the government’s tax take to a historic high of 38.2% of economic output by the end of the decade. — Reuters. 10/30/2024

Travelers have better protection and a quicker path to refunds when flights don’t go as planned, thanks to a new rule from the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT). If a flight is canceled or delayed by more than three hours domestically or six hours internationally, airlines are now required to refund passengers automatically, no more waiting for travelers to request money back. Refunds must be sent to the original payment method, covering the entire unused portion of the ticket. Significant delays are now defined, making it easier for travelers to know when they are refund eligible. If there are changes to a flight’s route or seating that inconvenience the passenger, such as a different airport for departure or a downgraded seat, refunds are required if the passenger opts not to take an alternative. If checked baggage does not arrive within 12 hours, or 30 hours on international flights, passengers can get bag fees refunded. — Sunnyskyz, 10/31/24

Israel and the Middle East

Amid the ongoing wars against Hamas and Hezbollah, countless artifacts from the Second Temple era, the Late Roman period and more were uncovered across Israel in 2024. “Despite the difficult year we experienced due to the war, the Israel Antiquities Authority [IAA] continued to carry out rescue excavations throughout the country,” said the body’s director-general, Eli Escusido. “Over the past year, approximately 120 sites were excavated (compared to the usual 250-300). Tens of thousands of significant finds were uncovered, from prehistoric to modern times — most notably in Jerusalem in the City of David and the Ophel Garden,Yavne, Yehud, Kiryat Gat, Caesarea and more.” The IAA donated some of its findings to museums and research institutes across Israel for visitors to enjoy. — Jewish News Syndicate, 10/23/2024

The batteries inside the weaponized pagers that arrived in Lebanon at the start of the year, part of an Israeli plot to decimate Hezbollah, had powerfully deceptive features and an Achilles’ heel. The agents who built the pagers designed a battery that concealed a small but potent charge of plastic explosive and a novel detonator that was invisible to Xray, according to a Lebanese source with first-hand knowledge of the pagers. The stealthy design of the pager bomb and the battery’s carefully constructed cover story shed light on the execution of a yearslong operation which struck unprecedented blows against Hezbollah and pushed the Middle East closer to a regional war. — Reuters, 10/15/2024

Israel’s retaliatory strikes on Iran on October 25 significantly degraded Iran’s integrated air defense system and made subsequent Israeli strikes on Iran easier and less risky. Senior US and Israeli officials confirmed that the IDF strikes rendered Iran’s S-300 air defense systems inoperable, likely by destroying
the radars that the systems rely on. The S-300 is the collective name for a number of individual platforms. Destroying the radars that the S-300 uses to engage targets would render the entirety of the S-300 system unable to engage air targets. The strikes also successfully targeted two Iranian Ghadir passive array detection radar sites, advertised as being capable of detecting ballistic missiles and stealth aircraft in Iranian airspace. — ISW, 10/30/24

IDF troops located and conducted targeted raids on a large network of underground infrastructure and tunnel shafts that included living quarters, and armories, and found a large quantity of weaponry. According to the IDF, the infrastructure was intended to aid Radwan forces as part of Hezbollah’s “Conquer the Galilee” plan. “The tunnel network was embedded in the heart of a town, beneath the homes of Lebanese civilians that were used by Hezbollah terrorists, who cynically exploited civilian infrastructure in southern Lebanon,” the IDF stated. — Israel National News, 10/15/2024

The US Department of Transportation has ordered the German airline Lufthansa to pay a $4 million fine for a 2022 incident in which 128 Jewish passengers were denied boarding. The incident, which occurred on May 3, 2022, affected passengers wearing traditionally Orthodox Jewish clothing who were traveling from New York City through Frankfurt to Budapest. In response to a few passengers’ alleged misbehavior partly related to mask compliance, Lufthansa employees reportedly treated the 128 Jewish passengers as one single group, though many of the passengers did not know each other, nor were they traveling together. Airline employees prohibited them from boarding their flight to Budapest. — Times of Israel, 10/16/2024