Messianic beef might also refer to the blemish free red heifer that must be slaughtered and sacrificed to God, and then the ashes used as part of the priestly rituals before the third Temple of Solomon can be rebuilt on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem, an important task of messianic Judaism.
There are U.S. Christian fundamentalists who are trying to breed the perfect red heifer to present to ultra-orthodox Jews in Israel who want to rebuild the Temple, which is currently the site of several important Islamic shrines including the Dome of the Rock and the al-Aqsa mosque.
The Christians are doing it because they believe Jesus cannot return until the Jewish Temple is restored. The Jews don't think Jesus is coming back, but they need the heifer to rebuild the Temple.
= = =
Will fundamentalist Christians and Jews ignite apocalypse? First in a two-part series - National Catholic Reporter By MARGOT PATTERSON
"Responding to verses in the Book of Numbers that say only the ashes of an unblemished red heifer that has never been yoked can purify a priest to enter the Temple, Lott joined forces with Rabbi Chaim Richman in Israel in an effort to raise red cattle suitable for Old Testament sacrifices. An Internet page for the Canaan Land Restoration, Inc., solicited tax-deductible contributions that would cover the costs of shipping red cows from the United States to Israel. Lott's project is now idle because of internal problems and fear of an impending war, but Dean Hubbard, the vice president of the now-bankrupt organization, said the idea is to regroup and refocus when they can. "It's staggering to see how it's all on schedule," Dean Hubbard said of the pace of world events."
http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives/101102/101102a.htm
Also Gorenberg:
http://www.prospect.org/print/V12/2/platt-l.html
= = =
Chip Berlet Senior Analyst Political Research Associates Webmaster http://www.publiceye.org
> -----Original Message-----
> From: Doug Henwood [mailto:dhenwood at panix.com]
> Sent: Sunday, April 11, 2004 6:39 PM
> To: lbo-talk at lbo-talk.org
> Subject: Re: [lbo-talk] Protestant fundamentalism: pro-Israel
> & anti-UNbefore they existed
>
>
> Michael Pollak wrote:
>
> >The same is true of Jewish fundamentalism. It has a similar
> >reinforcing relation. And both produce secular types who
> find in the
> >hawkish worldview a secular substitute for such faith -- "a faith in
> >fundamental values."
>
> There's a kosher deli across from our apartment on W 85th St that's
> festooned with pix of the Lubavitcher Rebbe. Recently, awning
> appeared with a passage from the Psalms (something about "bulls will
> then be offered") and a banner flying over the entrance that promises
> "un avant-gout de la boeuf messianique" (excuse me if I'm screwing up
> my genders there - my French was never very good). Does anyone have
> any idea what they're talking about? Are the hamburgers they serve
> somehow a foretaste of the end-times?
>
> Doug
> ___________________________________
> http://mailman.lbo-talk.org/mailman/listinfo/lbo-talk
>