Chile 1969 Spanish Bible

The 1569 Spanish Bible, known as La Biblia del Oso ("The Bear Bible"), was the first complete translation of the Bible into Spanish from the original Hebrew and Greek texts. It was translated by Casiodoro de Reina, a former Catholic monk who became a Protestant and fled Spain due to the Inquisition. 

Published in Basel, Switzerland, the Bible got its nickname from a bear on the cover reaching into a beehive, symbolizing the search for God’s truth. It was banned in Catholic Spain, and owning it could lead to punishment. 

In 1602, Reina's work was revised by Cipriano de Valera, leading to the well-known Reina-Valera Bible, still widely used by Spanish-speaking Protestants today.

USA 1952 Gutenberg Bible

The Gutenberg Bible, also known as the 42-line Bible, the Mazarin Bible or the B42, was the earliest major book printed in Europe using mass-produced metal movable type. It marked the start of the "Gutenberg Revolution" and the age of printed books in the West. The book is valued and revered for its high aesthetic and artistic qualities and its historical significance.

The Gutenberg Bible is an edition of the Latin Vulgate printed in the 1450s by Johannes Gutenberg in Mainz, in present-day Germany. Out of either 158 or 180 copies that were originally printed, 49 survive in at least substantial portion, 21 of them in entirety. They are thought to be among the world's most valuable books, although no complete copy has been sold since 1978.

A commemorative stamp honoring the 500th anniversary of the printing of the Gutenberg Bible, the first book to be printed from movable type, was issued on September 30, 1952, in Washington, DC, in a ceremony at the Library of Congress. 

Johannes Gensfleisch zur Laden zum Gutenberg (d. 1468), engraver, printer, and inventor from Mainz, Germany, produced the Bible. His moveable type or printing press started a revolution in printing which eventually transformed the world by making the printed word available to the masses. A painting by Edward Laning (1906-1981) titled "Gutenberg showing a proof to the elector of Mainz" appears on the stamp's left side.

The picture on the left side of the stamp is based on a detail of a mural painted by Edward Lansing (1906-1981) in the New York Public Library. It shows Gutenberg presenting a proof of his Bible to the Archbishop, Duke Adolph Nassau, the Elector of Mainz. 

Victor S. McCloskey, Jr., designed the stamp, using a photograph of Laning's painting as a model. Arthur W. Dintaman engraved the vignette, and John S. Edmondson engraved the frame, numerals, and lettering. Six 200-subject electric-eye printing plates (#24687-24692) were used on the rotary Stickney Press. Plates were used in pairs on the press, so each rotation of the press produced two sheets of 200 stamps, each of which was divided into four fifty-subject panes for distribution to post offices. Stamps were perforated 11x10.5 and printed on unwatermarked paper.

The 3-cent Gutenberg Bible stamp paid the postage rate for a one ounce first-class domestic letter.

Pitcairn Islands 1951 Bounty Bible

The Bounty Bible is a Bible that is thought to have been used on HMS Bounty, the ship famed for the Mutiny on the Bounty.

In January 1790, nine of the mutineers from the ship and their Tahitian companions (six men, eleven women and a baby) settled on Pitcairn Island, having anchored HMS Bounty in a small bay on the northern side of the island and set her on fire after everything of utility was landed. Pitcairn had ample food, water and land for everyone and a mild climate. However after four years the community was in turmoil due to discontent and disorder fuelled by home-distilled alcohol and disputes over women that eventually led to the deaths of all but two of the mutineers; the survivors being Ned Young and John Adams (also known as Alexander Smith).

Young was an educated man and had been accepted as the leader of the island with Adams as his friend and deputy. He taught Adams to read using a Bible from HMS Bounty, which had been presented to the ship by the Naval and Military Bible Society (now the Naval Military & Air Force Bible Society) prior to sailing from England.  When Young died of asthma six years later Adams ruled the community of 11 women and 23 children and had them follow a Christian way of life, as described in the Bible, observing the rules of the Church of England. He built a school and educated the children, using the Bible to teach them to read and write a little.

On 15 October 1940 the Pitcairn Islands Post Office opened with the release of the first Pitcairn Islands postage stamps; the 4d (fourpence) value issued on 1 September 1951 features an illustration of the Bible.

Pitcairn Islands 1957 John Adams and Bounty Bible

The Pitcairn Islands 1957 2d stamp, issued on July 2, 1957, commemorates John Adams and the Bounty Bible, two pivotal elements in the island's history. This stamp is part of a series that highlights significant aspects of Pitcairn Island's heritage.

John Adams and the Bounty Bible

In 1790, following the mutiny on HMS Bounty, nine mutineers and their Tahitian companions settled on Pitcairn Island. Among them was John Adams (born Alexander Smith), who, after the deaths of the other mutineers, became the leader of the community. He used a Bible from the Bounty to teach the islanders to read and write, establishing a foundation for education and Christian faith on the island. This Bible, known as the Bounty Bible, was later returned to Pitcairn in 1950 after being held in the United States for over a century. It is now preserved in the Pitcairn Islands Museum. 

Italy 2019 The Adoration of the Magi

The Adoration of the Magi is an unfinished early painting by the Italian Renaissance artist Leonardo da Vinci. Leonardo was given the commission by the Augustinian monks of San Donato in Scopeto  in Florence in 1481, but he departed for Milan the following year, leaving the painting unfinished. It has been in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence since 1670.

The Virgin Mary and Child are depicted in the foreground and form a triangular shape with the Magi kneeling in adoration. Behind them is a semicircle of accompanying figures, including what may be a self-portrait of the young Leonardo (on the far right). In the background on the left is the ruin of a pagan building, on which workmen can be seen, apparently repairing it. On the right are men on horseback fighting and a sketch of a rocky landscape.

The ruins are a possible reference to the Basilica of Maxentius, which, according to medieval legend, the Romans claimed would stand until a virgin gave birth. It is supposed to have collapsed on the night of Christ's birth. (In fact it was not even built until a later date.) The ruins dominate a preparatory perspective drawing by Leonardo, which also includes the fighting horsemen. 

The palm tree in the center has associations with the Virgin Mary, partly due to the phrase "You are stately as a palm tree" from the Song of Solomon, which is believed to prefigure her. Another aspect of the palm tree can be the usage of the palm tree as a symbol of victory for ancient Rome, whereas in Christianity it is a representation of martyrdom—triumph over death—so in conclusion we can say that the palm, in general, represents triumph. 

The other tree in the painting is from the carob family; the seeds from this tree are used as a unit of measurement for valuable stones and jewels. It is therefore associated with crowns, suggesting Christ as the king of kings or the Virgin as the future queen of heaven, as well as that this is nature's gift to the newborn Christ. 

As with Michelangelo's Doni Tondo, the background is probably supposed to represent the Pagan world supplanted by the Christian world, inaugurated by the events in the foreground. The artist uses bright colors to illuminate the figures in the foreground of the painting. 

The Virgin and Child are, in fact, painted yellow, the color of light. The trees are painted blue, an unusual color for trees of any kind. On the right side, the most credible self-portrait of Leonardo da Vinci as a 30-year-old can be seen, according to several critics. 

Israel 2017 Aromatic Plants

 

"Who is she that comes up from the desert like columns of smoke, in clouds of myrrh and frankincense, of all the powders of the merchant" (Song of Songs 3:6).

The Aromatic Plants stamp series features different types of myrrh and frankincense, aromatic plants which were very significant in the history of Eretz Israel.Today, Aromatic Plants are mostly thought of as fragrant plants used for the production of volatile fragrant materials – "essential oils", by the distillation process.  However, in the distant past this process was unknown and perfumes were produced using methods of extraction or resin drainage from certain plants.

Thus, myrrh and frankincense, which grew mainly in the Red Sea area of Africa and the Arabian Peninsula, became an important and precious source for perfumes.

Throughout history, these plants have been used for cosmetics, medicine and mainly for religious rituals in ancient Egyptian, Jewish, Christian and Far Eastern temples.

They are mentioned frequently in the Bible and are among the ingredients used in the incense offering made in the Temple.

The great demand for these plants led to the establishment of trade routes, where caravans of camels carried their wares from the key growing areas to Egypt, Eretz Israel and Europe. Over time, Eretz Israel became an important crossroads on the Incense Route, which was controlled by the Nabateans.

In addition, Eretz Israel was known for growing another well known aromatic plant – balsam, which grew mainly in the Dead Sea and Gilead area. Biblical balsam was unique to Eretz Israel and was also used for cosmetics, medicine and incense, and was an important economic resource. Thus, the method for its production was kept confidential, as referenced in the mosaic floor in the ancient synagogue unearthed in Ein Gedi.

 

Frankincense

A genus (Boswellia) of the Burseraceae family that includes a number of tree and bush species from which the resin used for the incense called frankincense is derived. The resin is collected in containers after puncturing the bark of the young tree trunk.

 

Myrrh

A genus (Commiphora) that also belongs to the Burseraceae family which includes species of bushes from which the resin used for the incense called myrrh is derived by slicing the bark of young branches. The species most commonly used is Commiphora mirrha.

 

Balsam

It is noted in the Bible that the balsam plant served as the source of high quality perfume. After some deliberation regarding the identification of the plant, there is now widespread agreement among researchers identifying it as one of the myrrh species of the Burseraceae family, Commiphora gileadensis, which still grows in the southern Arabian Peninsula. This plant was introduced to Israel and acclimatized in recent years and is now cultivated in the Ein Gedi and northern Dead Sea area.

Israel 2012 Koren Jerusalem Bible

The Bible, the Book of Books, is the central text of the Jewish people and the foundation of the Israeli nation.

From ancient times through the Talmudic period (4th – 6th century CE), biblical texts were written on parchment, similar to that of the Dead Sea Scrolls. Bound manuscripts containing handwritten parchment pages did not appear until the early Middle Ages. Opulent editions, such as the Aleppo Codex, written in the 10th century CE, were quite expensive and custom-made. Following the printing revolution in the 15th century, the Bible became accessible to all, however typographical errors inevitably ensued.

In the mid-20th century, in the newly created State of Israel, the late master typographer Eliyahu Koren produced the Koren Bible, the first Jewish Bible edited, designed and produced by Jews in nearly 500 years. Working with a group of experts, Mr. Koren corrected the typographical errors that had made their way into earlier editions, created a clear, beautiful layout and crafted a special font to symbolize the rebirth of the Hebrew language in modern times.

The innovative design and uncompromising precision of the Koren Bible were applauded and heralded a new age in Bible publication. Shortly thereafter, Speaker of the Knesset Mr. Kadish Luz declared, “From this day forth, all of Israel’s presidents shall take their oaths of office upon this Bible. We have been governed by a Provisional State Council, a Provisional Government and even now sit in the temporary Knesset building. To date, Israeli presidents have been sworn in using a temporary edition of the Bible. This occasion symbolizes our overcoming of foreign heritage and return to our origins”.

Throughout history, editions of the Bible have served as time capsules attesting to the economic, social, cultural and technological characteristics of each era. The Koren Bible reflects the technological and graphic capabilities of its time and constitutes a historic and cultural milestone in the tale of Israel. From its original font through its textual precision, printing and binding, the Koren Bible epitomizes the revival of Jewish texts in the homeland of the Jewish people.

India-Israel Joint Issue 2012 Hanukkah - Deepavali

 Israel and India established full diplomatic relations in 1992. The friendly ties between these two countries have flourished ever since and currently include agricultural cooperation, joint scientific and technological development, water management collaboration, thriving trade and more. The strong bond between these two ancient civilizations is based on eternal values such as the triumph of truth over falsehood, the triumph of knowledge over ignorance and the triumph of freedom over enslavement.

 

Festival of Lights – Hanukkah

Hanukkah commemorates the Maccabean victory over their enemies, the Hellenistic kings of the House of Selvecus, and the miracle that occurred when worship resumed at the Temple in Jerusalem. It is customary to light candles in windows or doorways on each of the eight nights of Hanukkah to make this miracle known.

In 167 BCE, King Antiochus IV forbade the Jewish residents of Eretz Israel to study the Torah and practice the Jewish mitzvoth (commandments). Matityahu the Hasmonean and his sons led the revolt against the cruel rulers, battling heroically and successfully liberating Jerusalem and the Temple.

The Babylon Talmud (Tractate Shabbat 21b) describes how the Maccabees found only one small cruse of pure oil, enough to light the Temple menorah for a single day. A miracle occurred and this oil lasted for eight days, until more pure oil could be prepared. Hanukkah is celebrated for eight days as a reminder of this miracle.

For the Jewish people, the Hanukkah candles symbolize the triumph of good over evil and the victory of justice over injustice. The menorah featured on the stamp was inspired by the wooden menorah used by the Jewish community in Bombay, India.

 

Festival of Lights – Deepavali

Deepavali is the most significant and joyful holiday in the Indian year. In ancient Sanskrit, the word “deepavali” means “row of lamps” and it is customary to illuminate homes and streets with thousands of candles, lights and fireworks.

The holiday traces back to a story in the ancient book Ramayana, one of Hinduism’s most important holy scriptures. The book depicts the adventures of Rama, a prince who was banished from the palace although innocent of any wrongdoing, and his faithful wife, Sita.

The fascinating tale describes Sita’s abduction by the demon king Ravana and Rama’s quest to rescue her, aided by Hanuman, the monkey prince. The high point of the tale comes after a large battle, as Rama slays the evil demon and he and Sita are invited by his followers to return and rule his father’s kingdom. Their route back to the palace was illuminated with thousands of candles and lights.

Indians express the wish that the path of lights which led Rama toward his just victory over his evil enemies shall also guide today’s celebrants toward a better life of justice and enlightenment.

Israel 2011 Herod's Building Projects

Thanks to support from the Romans and following bloody battles against the last of the Hasmonean kings, Herod was crowned King of Judea in the year 37 BCE. King Herod was loathed by his Jewish subjects, who saw him as a representative of foreign rule who undermined their traditional institutions and murdered their legitimate rulers, those of the Hasmonean dynasty. Talmud scholars called him an “Edomite slave”, as he was the grandson of an Edomite, and described him in extremely negative terms. Herod made an attempt to become closer to the Jewish people, mainly through renovating the Temple, but his first loyalty was to Rome. Herod was a decisive ruler who did much to develop the Land of Israel and its Jewish population as well as its foreign residents. During his long reign over Judea, Herod erected numerous elaborate and innovative buildings throughout his kingdom which were revolutionary from an engineering standpoint.

 

Masada

In the year 40 BCE Herod was forced to flee to Rome following a rebellion that broke out in Eretz Israel. He left his family in the Masada fortress, where they withstood the siege but nearly died from lack of water. When Herod became king, he decided to turn Masada into a stronghold that could serve him as a place of refuge if another insurrection should arise. Herod built two magnificent palaces, huge storerooms for arms and food and water reservoirs holding some 40,000 cubic meters of water atop the mountain adjacent to the Dead Sea. This turned Masada into a unique combination of a regal palace and a fortified stronghold.

 

Caesarea

Herod erected his kingdom’s main port city along the Mediterranean shore, in an area that was only sparsely populated beforehand. He invested most of his efforts in building the sophisticated port, which was among the largest in the Roman Empire. He put up a broad breakwater topped with a wall and towers and built docks for ships, warehouses for storing goods and lodgings for sailors. He called the city “Caesarea” in honor of the Roman Caesar Augustus and populated it with foreigners. Herod constructed lavish entertainment facilities such as a theater and a race track, as well as a high aqueduct which brought fresh water from afar for the benefit of city residents, thus making Caesarea the crown jewel of Herod’s building projects.

 

Jerusalem

Herod renovated and glorified the Temple and its surroundings for his Jewish subjects. He demolished the old, dilapidated Temple, which was built some 500 years earlier, in the days of Ezra and Nehemia, and erected a new magnificent Temple in its stead. He enlarged the area on which the Temple stood using a series of arches and surrounded it with splendid buildings. The area around the Temple Mount and the paths leading thereto were renovated to accommodate the throngs of pilgrims who visited the Temple during festivals. Sages referred to this building enterprise, saying “Anyone who has not seen one of Herod’s buildings, has never seen a beautiful building” (Bava Batra tractate, 4, 71).

 

Herodian

When Herod fled his pursuers during the rebellion of 40 BCE he was forced to fight for his life a few kilometers to the southeast of Jerusalem. When he became king, he decided to erect a site there in which he would be buried upon his death. He called the place “Herodian” and built a round building surrounded by an artificial mountain. Herod built an enormous compound around the mountain, including palace chambers, a garden and large pool. Herod died in Jerusalem in the year 4 BCE and a grand funeral procession brought his body to his burial site at Herodian.

Israel 2010 Bible Stories

The Bible is sacred to billions of people throughout the world. It is the fundamental book of the Jewish people, describing the way in which the Jewish people developed and became unified and instructing believers how they should serve God. Christianity adopted the Bible as part of its Holy Scripture and the Koran, Islam’s holy book, features many of the characters that appear in the Bible.

Many Bible stories present people’s actions and the ways in which they coped with hardships and challenges. These stories are meant to provide readers with explanations for various phenomena they see in the world around them and to guide them to behave as moral and good people.

Adam and Eve

One of the first stories in the Book of Genesis describes the actions of Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden and was intended to explain the reason for the existence of need, grief and pain in the world.

The Garden of Eden is described in the Bible as a perfect place, which God created so that Adam and Eve would be provided with everything they needed. Their lives were simple and innocent and they enjoyed all the bounty of the Garden of Eden, except the fruit of the tree of knowledge, which was forbidden to them.

Evil entered this perfect world in the form of the snake, who enticed Eve defy the explicit prohibition, eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge and share it with Adam. The punishment for this act was swift and harsh. Adam and Eve were banished from the Garden of Eden and sentenced to a life of hardship and suffering.

Samson and the Lion

The character of Samson is unique among the judges who ruled the people during the period preceding that of the kings. Before he was even born, Samson’s parents were told that he would one day save Israel from the Philistines, and the spirit of God surged through him in his youth.

Chapter 14 of the Book of Judges tells of one of the acts that attested to Samson’s heroism and strength. While walking alone on the outskirts of the Philistine city of Timna, Samson ran across a young lion that roared at him and stood poised to attack. Although carrying no weapon, Samson was not intimidated by the lion. He was bolstered by the spirit of God and charged the lion, killing it with his bare hands.

The story continues, describing how Samson returned to the spot afterward and discovered that a swarm of bees had nested in the lion’s carcass. He ate of their honey and later composed his well known riddle “Out of the eater, something to eat; out of the strong, something sweet”.

Jonah and the Great Fish

God commanded Jonah to go eastward to the great city of Nineveh, capital of the Assyrian empire, to caution its inhabitants against their bad behavior. Jonah feared the mission and tried to flee as far away as possible. He went westward, arrived at the sea port of Jaffa and boarded a ship bound for the islands of Tarshish.

A great storm arose at sea, threatening to sink the ship. Jonah asked the sailors to throw him overboard and save themselves. God brought forth a great fish, which swallowed Jonah. He spent three days inside the fish’s belly, where he repented for his actions and prayed that God would save him. God forgave him thanks to his sincere repentance, the fish spat him out on to dry land and Jonah proceeded to perform the mission God had assigned him.

It is customary to read the Book of Jonah, which epitomizes the strength of repentance and forgiveness, in synagogue during the Yom Kippur prayers.

Parting of the Red Sea

The long period of slavery the People of Israel suffered in Egypt and the miracles that God performed in order to save them are central to the historical collective memory of the Jewish people. The story of the exodus from Egypt is told during the Passover holiday, which is also referred to as the Holiday of Freedom, the “sukkah” booths of the Sukkoth holiday are meant to remind us of the huts in which the People of Israel lived after they left Egypt and the Shavuot holiday marks the giving of the Torah to the People of Israel during their journey from Egypt to the Land of Canaan.

The story of the parting of the Red Sea, which appears in chapter 14 of the Book of Exodus, is a key point in the exodus from Egypt:

Shortly after permitting the People of Israel to leave and be free, Pharaoh changed his mind and led a large military force to chase after them and return them to slavery. Despite having witnessed the great miracles that God performed in Egypt, the People of Israel were nonetheless afraid and anxious, as characteristic of slaves who had no control over their own destinies. It is not difficult to imagine the terror they felt when they saw the Egyptian army’s chariots approaching quickly, closing in on their camp on the shore of the Red Sea. A particularly large and unique miracle was needed to show the people that their status had changed drastically and that God’s might was protecting them and would lead them to their new land.

It was late evening when God commanded Moses to raise his staff toward the sea that blocked the People of Israel’s escape route. The sea split in two and created a path through which the people of Israel passed throughout the night. At dawn, when the last of them reached the other side, God commanded Moses to raise his staff once again toward the sea, which then returned to its former state and drowned the Egyptian army as it pursued the People of Israel.

The faith that motivated the People of Israel to take the risk and walk between the threatening walls of water created by the split sea strengthened the spirit of the former slaves and constituted an important and vital step in the process of unifying the People of Israel.

India 2010 Bible Society of India

The Bible Society of India is a Christian organization and a member of the United Bible Societies. The mission of the Bible Society is to bring the Word of God to people in languages and formats they can understand. Working closely with several organizations in Bible India, it strives to translate the Bible into the various languages spoken in the country. Presently, the Bible is accessible in 74 Indian languages, and the New Testament in 92 more languages. 

In recognition of the growth and development of the Bible Society of India, the Indian Postal Department issued a postage stamp in the name of the Bible Society of India stamp in 2010. The Braille Bible is available for visually impaired individuals in 15 Indian languages, and the Scriptures are offered in 48 languages.

Israel 2005 Animals in the Bible

Man’s world in ancient times reflected the animal world. This is shown in the Bible where animals are a source of poetic inspiration, a basis for the prophet’s tales and an important part of the dietary laws referring to which animals can be eaten and which are forbidden. Many zoologists in Israel have researched the correlation between animals mentioned in the Bible and animals that are known today, whilst trying to match names to the wild animals that are found in Israel. This stamp series depicts some of the animals that are mentioned in the Bible and includes an endangered wolf species and other species that were made extinct from Israel during the 20th century (ostrich, Nile crocodile, brown bear). Since the end of the 1960’s Israel’s Nature and Parks Authority breed small reproductive groups of wildlife that are extinct in Israel. In the Yotvata Hai-Bar (Wildlife Preserve) Nature Reserve there are reproductive groups of desert animals and in the Carmel Hai-Bar (Wildlife Preserve) Nature Reserve there are reproductive groups of Mediterranean animals. Until now animals that have been released from the reserves into their natural environment are the Wild Ass and the White Oryx released into the Negev, the Carmel deer released into the South Carmel region, and the Fallow Deer in the Western Galilee.

 

 

The Ostrich

The ostrich is the largest bird that exists today. Its height is 2.5 meters and its weight can reach 150 kilograms. Its wings are too small to carry its body weight. The ostrich’s legs are particularly  strong and its movements are based on walking and running. The male ostrich has black feathers whereas the female is covered in grey-brown feathers. In the past the ostrich lived in the East Mediterranean region between the Syrian Desert and the Arabian Desert including the Negev and Sinai. In ancient times (6000 years ago) there were also ostriches in the coastal region. (An ancient nest from 5000 years ago was found on the coast near Herzliya). The last evidence indicating presence of ostriches in Jordan and the Negev was found in the beginning of the 20th century. The ostrich became extinct from the region after the 1940’s due to hunting and collection of ostrich eggs. Today, Hai Bar Yotavta

 

Nature Reserve raises reproduction groups of ostriches, which originated in Ethiopia, in order to return them to nature within the next few years.  The ostrich is mentioned several times in the Bible 

"…like ostriches of the desert" (Lamentations 4,3).

 

The Brown Bear

The bear is the largest of the terrestrial carnivores but it has a mostly vegetarian diet, including fruit, seeds and honey, as well as insects. The Brown Bear’s weight is approximately 200 kilograms and it can be nearly 2 meters long. Its fur is yellowish-brown with white at the tip. The necks of the cubs are white which disappears during the first year. The uprooting of the forests and increased hunting (with the introduction of guns) caused the bears to move to unpopulated areas and the last bears were hunted down on the slopes of the Hermon Mountain at the beginning of the 20th century so that this species was made extinct from the region. During Biblical times the bears were spread over the forests in the Mediterranean area and Jordan Valley.  The prophet, Elijah described were the bears lived “two she-bears came out of the woods…" (2 Kings 2,24). The bear is also mentioned 13 times as a large impressive animal symbolizing strength and as a vision of peace as in Isaiah’s words “The wolf shall dwell with the lamb…The cow and the bear shall graze…" (Isaiah 11,6-7).

 

 

The Wolf

The wolf is the largest mammal of the canine family in Israel. Its body is grey/brown or yellowish with white markings around the mouth and its tail is long, reaching just over the heel. The wolf is one of the largest carnivores in Israel and is found in most of the areas where human population is sparse – from Ramat Hagolan in the north through Ramot Menashe and the Gilboa to the Judean Desert, Negev and Arava in the south. 

It is estimated that there are a few hundreds of wolves in Israel. They usually live in packs where the dominant pair mate and take care of their off-springs together with other members of the pack. The wolf packs live in a territory spread over tens of kilometers where they hunt and raise their off-spring. The wolf is mentioned seven times in the Bible and mostly as a fable describing their carnivorous activities 

"...the wolf of the desert ravages them" (Jeremiah 5,6).

  

The Nile Crocodile

The Nile crocodile is one of the largest reptiles in existence today. Its can be up to 5 meters long and its weight can reach 2 tons. The color of the back is black/grey. The crocodile is carnivorous and feeds on insects (food for small crocodiles), fish, reptiles, and mammals that it drags from the river bank. The crocodile lives in sweet water rivers, ponds and swamps. Until the early 20th century crocodiles lived in the Kabara swamps and the Taninim stream.          They were the remnants of pre-historic creatures that lived in the region during periods of time in which the climate was warmer. It is likely that over-hunting was the cause of the extinction of crocodiles from Israel and Egypt in modern times. Only a few crocodiles were left by the end of the 19th century and hunted down. The crocodile is mentioned a few times in the Bible “…each cast down his rod, and they turned into serpents" (Exodus 7,12).

Israel 2004 Bread

Bread – the most important staple in a human’s diet – is made from flour that has been milled from wheat or barley. It is not a coincidence that wheat and barley are at the top of the list of the seven species that characterize Eretz Israel (Deuteronomy 8:8).  The word for bread was used in Hebrew, Arabic and in other languages as a general word for food.
 
Wild wheat and barley grew in Eretz Israel and ancient man, twenty thousand years ago, already included them in his diet. During the agricultural revolution, approximately 9000 years ago, man began to grow wheat and barley, mill the grains, knead dough and bake bread. The grains were also eaten when they were green and soft or after being roasted on the fire. Cultivation of the different grains is dependent on rain since it is not possible to irrigate such large areas of land.
 
It is said in the Bible: "In the sweat of your face you shall eat bread" (Genesis 3:19). Man worked hard for a slice of bread. At the beginning of the winter the fields were ploughed and seeds sown; in the spring the crop was reaped and gathered to the threshing floor, where the hard work was done: the grains were threshed with a stick, or threshing board, in order to separate the grains from the straw and chop the straw; the mixture was thrown in the air by a wooden fork so that the straw and chaff would be flown away by the wind and the seeds would fall down; the grains were then sieved to get rid of the chaff and stones. The amount of crop was measured and stored in bins. The grains were grounded with millstones and the flour was kneaded into dough – it was only then that bread was baked. In Biblical times bread was more like the thin flat pita bread we know today.
 
Today, the farmers' work is a lot easier. They use tractors and combine harvesters to plough the fields, reap the crop and separate the grain from the straw. The crop is stored in huge silos, the milling is done in mechanical flour mills and the baking by modernized bakeries.
 
Wheat is preferable to barley, in so far as nutritional value and ease of milling, but wheat requires better soil and climate conditions. Wheat was therefore grown in the central and northern valleys and hills of the country where there was enough rain. Barley was grown mainly in semi-arid areas like the northern Negev and eastern Sameria.
 
Most of today’s grains are imported because the yield of local crops is too small.  The variety of types of breads produced today is enormous, including whole wheat bread, rye bread, and low calorie bread. This is due to the refinement of tastes of the customers and quality of Israeli cuisine.
 
Description of the stamps:
 

NIS 1.50 Stamp

 

This stamp represents the crop growing in the fields. The stamp depicts an ear of wheat clearly showing the grains.  Above is a sheaf of wheat with an iron sickle of the type used for thousands of years to cut the crop by hand.
 

NIS 2.40 Stamp

 

This stamp represents the threshing and milling process. The stamp shows a round basalt hand mill of the type used to ground grains for nearly two thousand years.  A wooden fork is show on the top of the stamp. This was typically used in the north of Israel for throwing the crop into the air to separate the grain from the straw by wind power.
 

NIS 2.70 Stamp

 
This stamp represents the baking of the bread. The stamp shows a loaf of bread in the oven and above it a long-handed wooden bread shovel. This was used to place the bread in the oven and take it out after baking.

Israel 2002 The Menorah

 

 

 

 

Different and varied artifacts were found in the Jewish Temple on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem as were found in other ancient places of worship. Three objects were particular only to the Jerusalem Temple: The Table of Showbread, incense altar and the seven-branched menorah made of pure gold. The menorah became the symbol of the people of Israel. The Bible contains descriptions of both the seven-branched menorah and the menorah in the vision of the prophet Zechariah, (Exodus 25 31-40,37 17-24; Zechariah 4 1-7). With the destruction of the First Temple by Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon (586 B.C.E) the menorah was taken, along with other treasures, from the Temple to Babylon and its fate was unknown.

When the Second Temple was built a new golden menorah was made, probably from the original mold, and this was sanctified for hundreds of years until the destruction of the Second Temple by the Roman army led by Titus (70 C.E.)  The Roman army paraded with the sacred vessels in their triumphal procession throughout the streets of Rome.   An illustration of the procession was engraved in a stone victory arch, which was built in Rome and shows the Judean prisoners carrying the sacred vessels with the seven-branched menorah in the center.

According to written descriptions, the sacred menorah had a tripod base and this is how it is illustrated in hundreds of works of art, as a symbol of Judaism, for generations after the destruction of the Temple. Illustrations from the Second Temple period were found in the archeological excavations of the Jewish quarter and include an engraving of the menorah, with a tripod base, on the wall of one of the houses.

 The menorah on the Arch of Titus actually shows a solid base and not a tripod base. In addition ,animal reliefs appear on the engraving – something that did not exist in Jewish art of the Second Temple period and certainly not on holy objects of the Temple. The Romans might have added pagan images to the menorah.
 A few months after the declaration of the State of Israel, (15 May 1948) the first Israeli government decided on the country’s emblem and flag (10 February 1949). It was natural that the seven-branched menorah be chosen as the emblem of the re-born State, since, more than anything else, it was the symbol of the Jewish people from the time of the Second Temple. Indeed Professor Michael Avi-Yona, one of the great scholars of ancient Jewish art, recommended the menorah from the Arch of Titus for the State’s emblem. Graphic artists, Gabriel and Maxim Shamir designed the emblem. Professor Avi-Yona chose the Titus Arch Menorah since the procession in Rome represents the destruction of Jewish independence and two thousand years later independence was renewed. The State’s emblem was therefore based on the Titus Arch Menorah with the animals slightly blurred but the base as a whole and not a tripod. Two olive branches surround the menorah on the emblem. This motif was taken from the Book of the Prophet Zechariah which tells of the prophet’s vision of menorah and olive branches. The word “Israel” is written beneath the menorah on the emblem. This is the name of the new country but also relates to Jewish inscriptions found in synagogues at the time of the Mishna and Talmud and also relates to the inscription “ Shalom al Yisrael” which appears under the seven-branched menorah on the mosaic floor of the Jericho Synagogue from the 7th/8th century.

Israel 2002 Wine

 

The culture of wine came to ancient Israel from the region of Anatolia, which is in today’s Turkey, during the Cananite period, some 2,800 years B.C.E. In Biblical times the culture surrounding wine flourished, as indicated in phrases such as “wine gladdens the heart of man”. Wine was then particularly prominent in customs of the table, leisure and religious rituals. Also, the vine has an honorable place among the Shivat Haminim (The Seven Species) with which Eretz Israel is blessed. The fruit of the vine appears in the Bible story of the spies who entered ancient Israel and brought back a bunch of grapes to Joshua Bin Nun as a symbol and proof of the prosperity and affluence of the Promised Land. After the exile of the Jewish people to the Diaspora, viticulture in Eretz Israel ceased to exist. This was mainly because the area was conquered by nations who forbade the drinking of wine.   Merchants and conquerors took the vine and wine industry in the beginning to North Africa then later to Southern and Central Europe.

 

 The birth of the Eretz Israel wine industry was due to the readiness of Baron Edmond de Rothschild to help the Jewish agricultural settlement in Eretz Israel. After visiting Eretz Israel in 1887 the Baron decided to seriously develop the wine industry so that it would be based on good quality wines produced from high standard grapes such as Cabernet Sauvignon, Malbec and Semillon. In order to avoid damage by pests that plagued in the French vineyards, the first vines were imported from Kashmir, India.  The massive planting of vineyards, supervised by the Baron’s experts, took place in Rishon Leziyyon and Rosh Pinna.  In 1890, building commenced on the large winery in Rishon Leziyyon and later on in Zikhron Yaaqov. A glass factory was set up in Tantura for the production of wine bottles at the time of the establishment of these wineries.

 

 Already in 1896, a wine from Eretz Israel was exhibited in an international exhibition in Berlin and in 1900 Eretz Israeli wines participated in a large exhibition in Paris and won a gold medal.

 

   In 1906 the management of the Rishon Leziyyon and Zikhron Yaaqov wineries and the ownership of the vineyard were transferred to the wine growers who founded the Wine Growers Cooperative, “Carmel Mizrachi”. At the same time, a number of private wineries were founded.

 

 10,000 dunams of vineyards and approximately 14 wineries existed at the time of the establishment of the State of Israel.  Viticulture then spread to other areas of the country such as the Northern Negev, the Judean Hills, Adullam and the Galilee. The waves of immigration brought changes in wine drinking habits. Whereas, in the past most of the wine was sweet and used mainly for religious blessings, in the sixties the trend veered towards dry and semi dry varietal wines. At the beginning of the eighties the wine industry entered a difficult period. Many vineyards were barren and abandoned. However, in the second half of the eighties new vineyards were planted and new types of grapes were introduced from North Ramat Hagolan and Upper Galilee, to Mizpe Ramon and Ramat Arad.  Since the end of the eighties the wine industry in Israel has experienced a technical revolution. Today, table wines of international standard are produced by leading wineries in Israel and have been highly complimented by international awards and acclaim. In Israel today, there are four main wineries, some medium-sized wineries and about 20 “boutique wineries”.