Teaching Team
Baseball in the Land
Yesterday, a notable event took place in both Baseball and Israeli history. With over 2,500 Israelis in attendance, the Modi'in Miracle beat the Petach Tikva Pioneers 9 to 1. This marked the first ever professional game of baseball that was played in Israel... or so some think. Apparently an ancient baseball game is hidden within the Hebrew text of the Tanakh. Here is the evidence “clearly” laid out by an elite group of scholars from the Israeli Baseball League.
While baseball is generally considered a “modern” sport, there are references in the Bible that could lead one to deduce that, in fact, baseball dates back thousands of years. Along the same line of thinking as The Da Vinci Code, note the pattern of the following passages, which clearly illustrate that there were Giants in those days as well.
And Abner said to Joab, “Let the young men…arise and play before us” -- Samuel II 2:14…and all the people rose up… -- Exodus 33:8
And Juhoshaphat the son of Ahilud was the recorder; and Sheva was the scribe…” -- Samuel II 20:24
And they said unto Jephtha, “Come and be our Captain” -- Judges 11:6...and he measured two lines… -- Samuel II 8:2
...and he set the bases… -- Kings I 7:39
And they stood every man in his place round about the camp -- Judges 7:21
Behold, Rebecca came forth with her pitcher… -- Genesis 24:45
Ehud, the Benjamite, a man left-handed… -- Judges 3:15
The children of Israel asked,…”Who shall go up for us first against the Canaanites? -- Judges 3:15
...Seek out a man who is a skillful player… -- Samuel I 16:16
...Judah shall go up first… -- Judges 20:18
And Judah took… -- Judges 1:18
Three times… -- Exodus 23:14
...and it was good… -- Genesis 1:4
And Abram went down… -- Genesis 12:10
...out at the base… -- Leviticus 4:18
And Moses …smote… -- Exodus 7:20
...and (it)…was foul… -- Exodus 7:21
And Moses went out… -- Numbers 11:24
...and none came in… -- Joshua 6:1
...and there was not a man left… -- Joshua 8:17
And Miriam was shut out… -- Numbers 12:15
And the children of Benjamin went out… -- Judges 20:31
...and went into the field… -- Numbers 22:23
...and Aaron waved… -- Leviticus 9:21
And he looked this way and that way… -- Exodus 2:12
...and he delivered up… -- Numbers 21:3
...and they ran as soon as he had stretched his hand…And they fell on their faces to the ground… -- Judges 13:20
Get thee up; wherefore liest thou upon thy face? -- Judges 7:10
...for it was an error… -- Numbers 15:25
...second and third… -- Genesis 6:16
And Joseph spoke… -- Genesis 45:3
...concerning the error which he had committed… -- Leviticus 5:18
...make an atonement for thyself… -- Leviticus 9:17
Thou shalt fan them… -- Isaiah 41:16
Then Joseph commanded to fill…the…sacks… -- Genesis 42:25
...and all the people saw this and they shouted… -- Leviticus 9:24
Who can stand before the Giants? -- Deuteronomy 9:2
...and Aaron waved… -- Leviticus 9:21
...and pitched on the other side… -- Numbers 21:13
And suffered not a man to pass… -- Judges 3:28
...but…the seventh… -- Exodus 31:15
Gideon… smote… -- Judges 8:21
...Israel…at first… -- Joshua 8:33
And Noah went in… -- Genesis 7:7
And the young man ran… -- Numbers 11:27
...he turned and went back… -- Judges 18:26
...unto the base… -- Numbers 8:4
Noah walked… -- Genesis 6:9
Let us go and sacrifice… -- Exodus 5:8
And Moses lifted up his hand and with his rod he smote… --Numbers 20:11
...the hide… -- Leviticus 9:11
...a long blast… -- Joshua 6:5
...outside the camp… -- Judges 7:17
...for an ‘omer… -- Exodus 16:36
And the men of Israel and of Judah arose, and shouted… -- Samuel I 17:52
I always knew it was a mitzvah to be a baseball fan!
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Visitor Feedback:
You have wicked sweet midrash skills!
Jeremiah | June 26, 2007 1:05 AM
Thanks, Jeremiah. Actually I didn't come up with it. If you click on the link in "Israel Baseball League," you will see the site I got this from. Explore the site, there's a lot of interesting stuff about the league. You can even order hats! It is nice to see something positive going on in Israel amongst all the chaos.
Toby Janicki | June 26, 2007 2:35 AM
Noah would have been a heavy hitter because he would have developed some "big guns" from building the ark.
Perhaps, The Master might have been just as good, if not better, with the bat because of His own legendary carpentry skills.
Also, Messiah would have obviously been The Catcher for the team, I surmise, becasue everyone knows that the heart and soul of every defense is an excellent catcher behind home plate acutely aware of every move on the field.
"When Shimon Peter saw [the catch], he fell down at Yeshua's knees..." -- Luke 5:8
Nu?
webbmd | June 26, 2007 3:21 AM
One thing is for sure; If there was baseball in the Apostolic Writings then perhaps the Master had a long-standing tradition of hitting "walk off" (game-winning) homers. After all, He was “carried off the field” in celebration of His last game.
... He was lifted up while they were looking on ... Acts 1:9
Joel | June 26, 2007 4:05 AM
You guys are too much! Excellent exegesis of the text.
Joel, I remember that walk off homer well:
Matthew 9:7 And he got up and went home.
Toby Janicki | June 26, 2007 5:16 AM
You don't have to go any further than the first few words of the Torah to prove baseball as the chosen sport: In the "big-inning". Shalom.
Jay | June 26, 2007 12:32 PM
yeah I just found that out but still it is pretty cool.
Jeremiah | June 26, 2007 12:54 PM
“But the brother of humble circumstances is to glory in his high position…” James 1:9
Upon reviewing the various rosters for the IBL (Israel Baseball League) I noticed that at least one of our Messianic Jewish Brothers is in the league. I knew him when he was just a young man in Israel and attended his Bar Mitzvah. I know which team that I am rooting for!
Boaz Micahel | June 26, 2007 1:20 PM
What team is he playing for?
Toby Janicki | June 26, 2007 4:17 PM
Can't say on this forum...you'll just have to wait till I get my signed team hat...
Boaz | June 26, 2007 4:40 PM
Like Toby, I can not claim this but I thought it would fit in well with today's repartee....shalom.
1 The devil was the first coach - he coached Eve when she stole 1st; Adam stole 2nd.
2 When Isaac met Rebecca at the well she was walking with a pitcher.
3 Samson struck out when he beat the Philistines.
4 Moses made his first run when he saw the Egyptians.
5 Moses shut out the Egyptians at the Red Sea.
6 Cain made an error when he killed Abel.
7 Abraham made a sacrifice.
8 The prodigal son made a home run.
9 David was a long distance thrower.
-Jay
jay | June 26, 2007 4:40 PM
Nice, Jay!
Boaz, I will be waiting to see the hat.
Toby Janicki | June 26, 2007 4:58 PM
Now, I'm as big a fan as any... my daughter's birth announcement was in the form of a trading card.LOL ...BUT, this is actually kind of scary because it shows you can make the scriptures say just about ANYTHING if you take bits and pieces out of context...
Pretty funny, tho!
~ Anne
Anne Mandell | July 8, 2007 1:22 PM