Lechem Hapanim

Here at the Temple Institute, where sacred vessels are being prepared for the Third Beis HaMikdash, we see history coming alive. Take the Lechem Hapanim, the Showbread. Twelve loaves, representing the twelve tribes of Israel, miraculously stayed fresh all week. Every Shabbos, the Kohanim would eat them as a sign of Hashem’s constant blessing and presence in the Beis HaMikdash. The Jewish people have lived in the Holy Land since the days of Yehoshua (Joshua), who first led us across the Jordan into Eretz Yisrael. Let’s take a look at our timeline a history that shows our unbroken connection to this land for over 3,000 years. Then we can truly ask: Where is “Palestine” really?