cliffm@tektronix.UUCP (07/08/83)
My apologies to Andy Tannenbaum if my use of the term "Holy
Land" (in the Dr. Eby article) offended him. It most certainly
was NOT intended as a racial slur against Jews or the nation of
Israel. I'm not sure where this term originated, but a possibility
is in reference to Exodus 3:5 (Moses and the burning bush) where
God commanded Moses to take the shoes off his feet because the place
whereon he stood was "holy ground".
I would be interested in knowing if the term "Holy Land" was
used prior to 1948 when Israel became a republic (I suspect that
it was, though that was a little before my time). In any case, I
do know that this term is frequently used by travel and tour
agencies and it also seems to be used frequently in Christian
circles. I suspect that "Holy Land" is a generic term which
depicts all of the lands of the Bible, of which Israel is a very
important subset.
Again, I want to emphasize that I have a great deal of love
and respect for the Jewish people -- as does anyone who has truly
accepted the Messiah.
Cliff Morgan
tektronix!cliffm