Dropsie Student Challenges Schools on Site of Bibical
PHILADELPHIA — A challenge
to archeologists as to the loca-
tion of the biblical town of Bethel
in Israel was raised by David
Livingston, a student at Dropsie
University here, in his scholarly
article published by Westminster
Theological Journal of Westmin-
ster Seminary here. He suggests
that archeologists look at the
possibility that the present-day
town of Birch is the biblical
Bethel.
Livingston advances the theory
that while no excavating has as
yet been done in this area, there
are many geographical reasons for
selecting Birch as the site of
Bethel. Located on the Jerusalem-
Nablus road, it was a main for
tress during the Crusades as well
as a place of pilgrimage.
"It seems significant," writes
Livingston, "that the Crusaders
chose this spot to defend rather
than Beitin. It is the place on the
Jerusalem-Nablus road to effect a
roadblock. The Israelis made good
use of this fact in the Six-Day War
when they captured this spot early
in the fighting."
For over a century, most schol-
ars have agreed that the village of
Beitin, north of Jerusalem, is the
site of biblical Bethel. Livingston,
in his article, "Location of Biblical
Bethel and Ai Reconsidered," un-
derscores the importance of its
proper location in the fact that
Bethel is mentioned more often in
Scripture than any other site ex-
cept Jerusalem.
Livingston, who lives in Willow
Grove, Pa., and is completing his
doctoral studies for a PhD degree
at Dropsie, was president of East-
ern Korea Christian College in
Kang Nung, Korea, before coming
here. The nonsectarian, nontheo-
logical Dropsie University is the
only institution of its kind in the
Hospitality consists in a litle fire,
United States completely dedicated
to the study of Hebrew, biblical a little food and an immense quiet.
and Middle East languages and
cultures.
Strategically located on the bor
der between Israel and Judah,
Livingston points out that Bethel
is the geographical key to locating
many other biblical cities which
are still clouded in uncertainty.
In spite of the excavations by out-
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Livingston maintains in his mi-
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PASSOVER
East"—appears submissive. The
job is imposed upon him, his
bride, the conformities of social
standards. But he knows his
aims in life. He is a Socialist.
He belongs to the noble class of
immigrants in the earlier part
of this century who would not
stoop to low tactics.
There are those, in the experi-
ences of this family described by
Weidman on "Fourth Street East,"
who did not have the high goals
in life, who cheated a little. Not
Benny Kramer's father. He lived
within his means, he supported his
family, he paid his debts.
The incidents recorded here are
so numerous that each is a story
in itself. For instance, there is the
story of Benny's winning the ora-
torical contest in his Public School
188. His teacher was that mar
velous Miss Bongiorno who took
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DEXTER
CHEVROLET
great pride in his loud voice and many details, Jerome Weidman
his enunciation. When the contest has woven a very fascinating novel.
was to take place he was almost
ruled ont as a participant because
all he had was a sweater.
The Italian teacher in this story,
the chapter of which is titled by
Weidman "Mafia Mia," goes to see
Benny's mother and when Benny
turns up he has to translate his
mother's Yiddish for the school-
marm. She is amazed by Benny's
linguistic knowledge. The purpose
of the visit is to ask that Benny
be provided with a suit for the
district contest in which he is to
represent his school as its winning
orator. Mother informs Miss Bon-
giotno that there is no money and
the Italian lady offers to advance
the money. Mother says it can't
be repaid and that's where the
father steps in as he eavesdrops
at the door that he will pay some-
how.
There is a new factor involv-
ing Mafia. An Italian who has
pride in his son insists that he,
not Benny, represent P.S. 1813.
There is a fire, Benny's suit is
destroyed, the teacher procures
another, they go to the district
contest, teacher and Benny are
kidnaped on the way. Benny's
father reads only the Yiddish
Forward and does not know that
Benny was replaced by the
Italian in the contest. The teach-
er Is transferred. Later Benny
learns from a friend who read
the New York Times that the
Italian replacement did not win
the district contest. "Mafia Mia"
could be a tragi-comedy. In
Wcidman's story it is one of the
many human incidents in life on
the old East Side.
There is the story of the pur-
chase and sale of votes. There is
humor in the transaction—Benny's
mother sells the vote but never
votes for the political gang. The
father makes no secret of his being
a Socialist.
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And
Benny graduates, gets a job,
works for a firm that has no
scruples and it capitalizes on
Benny's labors as investigator for
lawyers who transact bankruptcy
cases. Benny does so well his sal ,
ary is increased from $11 to $13
a week—and that ends "Fourth
Street East": the family moves
from Lower East Side Manhattan
to Tiffany Street in the Bronx. In
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Jerome Weidman Weaves His Most Fascinating
Narrative in New Novel 'Fourth Street East'
Jerome Weidman has written 17
or 18 novels, six books of short
stories, three volumes of essays
and five plays. To this reviewer,
his latest novel, "Fourth Street
East," might well be considered
his best work. His publisher (Ran-
dom House) can feel proud of be-
ing the producers of this book.
For those who know the mores
of more than one generation and
who appreciate family relations
and a son's recollections of the
human values of a father's gene-
ration, this work is especially en-
chanting.
Whether or not Weidman has
written autobiographically, the
fact is that he has gathered into
this work reminiscences that bring
back nostalgic feelings. He speaks
with such respect and admiration
for a father who may have been
considered stupid but whose high
standards superseded the wants of
a family in a very low economic
bracket.
The father in this story—all of
it Is enacted on "Fourth Street
THE DETROIT JEWISH NEWS
10—Friday, December 25, 1970
Town of Bethel
Town
is no clear archeological evidence
that present-day Beitin and bib-
lical Bethel are one. He further
points out that biblical evidence
as to its exact location is also
vague.
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