The right of Jews to execute their rights as the indigenous people of the Land of Israel is in accordance with the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People and the U.N. resolutions on the Culture of Peace. The United Nations currently recognizes as indigenous any nation that declares itself as such, and according to section 10 of the UN General Assembly’s 2007 Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous People, “indigenous peoples shall not be forcibly removed from their lands or territories. No relocation shall take place without the free, prior and informed consent of the indigenous peoples concerned and after agreement on just and fair compensation and, where possible, with the option of return.”

This right, counters the false claim that Jews are “occupiers” in their homeland. “In accordance with international law,” the Jewish people have the right to live in all parts of their indigenous homeland and to maintain and develop their religious and cultural identity as indigenous to the land. Israel fits all the criteria to be recognized internationally as indigenous natives to the Land of Israel.

Please view the catagories on Maps of the Holy Land, Tombs of the Israel’s Ancestors and Prophets, Antiquities of the Holy Land etc.  its places, mountains, streams, rivers, Jerusalem Temple Mount and of course historical documentation of the people of Israel.

Note: the Gaza Flotilla and the ‘Mavi Marmara’ vessel translated from the Hebrew; “Mavi” means to bring and “Marmara” means bitterness or trouble; therefore was sent to ‘bring bitterness’ to Israel.

This is a time of G‑dly testing for all of humanity. Here is the word of G‑d from Jerusalem to the entire world: “If you stand with Israel, you will stand with Me! If you are against Israel, you will stand against Me!”

The war of Gog and Magog against Israel and the coming judgment of the nations is at the door (Ezekiel 38 & 39). The entire world is going to face the most significant and difficult period in its history. We can now recognize the beginning steps of this period. At the same time that G‑d’s judgment falls upon the nations who persecuted — and continue to persecute — His people Israel, G‑d is going to complete the redemption of His people Israel and the building of his end-time kingdom on the Temple Mount and in Jerusalem. During this godly end-time period and together with his chosen people Israel, He will redesign the face of humanity forever exactly as prophesied in Isaiah 2:1-5.

At this very critical hour Israel, the chosen people by G‑d and His anointed vessel, is facing violence, battles and hatred that are coming from the four corners of the world. Nations and powers — and in the midst of them the Arab and Islamic nations — are leading a cruel fight against the small nation of Israel. They are calling to remove Israel from the map of the world. Their agenda is to stop and to destroy what G‑d is doing together with His people Israel in order to rebuild His Holy Kingdom in Israel so that Israel can fulfill what G‑d anointed her to be: “A holy nation, a kingdom of priests and the light to the nations” (Exodus 19:5-6). Thousands of years ago G‑d called Israel to be His vessel to bring to pass His end-time dream to redesign the face of humanity according to His principles. It is not an accident that G‑d chose our present time, which is such a materialistic and immoral era, to rebuild mankind on a godly moral foundation, which is more necessary than ever before.

All the nations who want to eliminate and destroy Israel are actually and simultaneously waging a fight against the Almighty G‑d of Israel in order to stop His end-time plans concerning all of mankind. The Arab-Islamic nations realize that the G‑d and people of Israel are the only obstacles preventing their plans to control the entire world and to force Islam upon all the nations.

It is not an accident that the eyes and hearts of most of mankind, especially in the Western world, are covered by the excesses of hedonistic materialism that makes them blind and deaf so they can not understand the very dangerous plans of the Arab-Islamic world. At the same time they refuse to recognize what G‑d is doing with Israel for the sake of their own future. They can not hear the call of G‑d to the entire world to stand with Him and with Israel and to be a part of the rebuilding of His holy moral Kingdom that He ordained thousands of years ago to be located atop His Holy Mountain in Jerusalem among His people Israel so that His Word will go out from Jerusalem to all the nations. They prefer cheap oil and other materialistic goods that the Arab-Islamic kingdom provides for them rather than the Kingdom of G‑d with its beneficial spiritual gifts that Almighty G‑d wants to give them through His people Israel. In this way mankind brings itself closer and closer to the end-time war of Gog and Magog and the day of G‑d’s judgment.

I am calling every one and every nation in the world — especially the many cruel Arab-Islamic enemies of Israel to give attention to the Word of G‑d:

“For the day of the L‑rd is near upon all the nations: as you have done, it shall be done to you: your deeds shall return upon your own head. For as you have drunk upon my holy mountain, so shall all the nations drink continually, indeed, they shall drink, and they shall swallow down, and they shall be as though they had not been. But upon Mount Zion, there shall be deliverance, and there shall be holiness; and the house of Jacob shall possess their own possessions.” (Obadiah 1:15-17)

I call every one of them to consider their ways and immediately stop their plans to remove Israel from the map of the world and from the Land that G‑d gave only to them in an eternal covenant. This vital call is to end their hatred and violence against the people of G‑d and to understand that G‑d will never allow them to fulfill their plans to eliminate Israel. Even more than at any time in the past, Israel today is G‑d’s moral testimony to the entire world. The Almighty G‑d of Israel is determined to complete what He started when He re-established the Kingdom of Israel in the year 1948. He will not allow anyone or any power in the world — including the powerful leaders of worldly governments — to change His end-time plans concerning Israel or to stop the redemption of His people and the Land of Israel. G‑d will not allow any one in the world to hurt Israel, not even to touch one hair of her head. His love for Israel is unconditional and eternal.

The Flotilla of Terror From Turkey in the Sea Battle Against Israel
On the 31st of May, six ships of hatred, terror and violence against Israel made their way from Turkey to Gaza with the encouragement of the extremist Islamic government of Turkey, which is controlled by bands of extremist Islamic terrorists that declare again and again like their ally in Iran, Ahmadinejad, that their goal is to destroy Israel and to remove her from the map of the world. Their goal was to open the port of Gaza for the import of all kinds of heavy weapons that will originate from Iran and will help them fulfill their goal to destroy Israel. The six terror ships carried many terrorists, including members of Al-Qaeda, the terror organization that destroyed the twin towers in New York City on September 11, 2001. They brought many weapons with them. Israel could not allow herself to permit them to enter the Port of Gaza and turn it into an open-line of terror against Israel. Israel stated that if the ships wanted to deliver humanitarian products to Gaza, they could bring them to the Ashdod port where Israel would deliver the cargo to Gaza after examining the ships and their cargoes for weaponry. When the Israeli navy stopped the ships and Israeli soldiers boarded the vessels, the soldiers were attacked by the terrorists with knives and other weapons, including live-fire. The hostile terrorists started to lynch the Israeli soldiers. The soldiers had no choice but to protect themselves and to save their lives. Seven Israeli soldiers were injured, two of them critically. Nine of the terrorists were killed when they shot live-fire weapons at the Israeli soldiers. Afterwards the Israeli navy escorted the ships to Ashdod and delivered the humanitarian cargo to Gaza as Israel, herself, does all of the time.

It is a shame that most of the world started to bash and condemn Israel and in this way they gave their support to the terrorists showing their hypocrisy and immoral behavior. Instead of standing with Israel, who has not stopped sacrificing her precious sons and daughters throughout the past 62 years in order to protect herself during seven wars and the continual cruel terror of the Arab-Islamic nations that want to destroy and eliminate Israel from the map of the world. More than 22,000 Israeli soldiers and many, many thousands of civilians have fallen in these wars in order to protect Israel and the Kingdom of G‑d in the Holy Land. Today Israel says to the entire world: “No one will take from us the right to protect ourselves from the evil powers. Never again will we be taken like lambs to the slaughter as was done to us during the Holocaust and during the last 2,000 years of exile.” The Almighty G‑d of Israel is together with His people Israel to protect them and to fight with them in all the fields of battle against the many enemies that are coming to destroy them. As He has defeated, together with His Israeli soldiers, all the enemies that have come against Israel, so He will do in the future. All the Islamic enemies of Israel are preparing themselves for the coming war. They believe that this time they have a chance to destroy Israel; however, the G‑d of Israel is waiting for them and is ready to fight against them and to judge all of them. “Then shall the L‑rd go out, and fight against those nations, as when he fought in the day of battle.” (Zechariah 14:3).

On the 7th of June, the Iranians declared that they are going to send to Gaza another flotilla of terror that will be followed by Iranian-armed soldiers. This is the Iran that has stated again and again during the last couple of years that her goal is to remove Israel from the map of the world. We can be sure that Israel will not allow this terror provocation and attack against Israel to come to Gaza in order to further arm the Hamas terror organization that continues to attack Israel with rockets and missiles.

The terror ships to Gaza from Turkey and Iran indicate that the end-time Gog and Magog war and judgment of the Almighty G‑d of Israel upon the nations that are coming to destroy His people Israel and to stop the end-time godly event of the redemption of Israel and the entire world is behind the door.

As we see, today Israel is surrounded from every side by Islamic and Arab countries who prepare themselves to remove Israel from the map of the world by war, terror and violence. The holy book of Psalms prophesies about this and calls G‑d to judge these countries:

“Do not keep silence, O G‑d: do not hold your peace, and be still, O G‑d. For lo, your enemies make a tumult: and they who hate you have lifted up the head. They take crafty counsel against your people, and consult against your hidden ones. They have said, Come, and let us cut them off from being a nation; that the name of Israel may be no more in remembrance. For they have consulted together with one consent: they are confederate against you and said, Let us seize for our possession the pastures of G‑d. O my G‑d, make them like the whirling chaff: like the stubble before the wind. As the fire burns a wood, and as the flame sets the mountains on fire; so pursue them with your tempest, and terrify them with thy storm. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek your name, O L‑rd. Let them be confounded and affrighted forever; and let them be put to shame, and perish: that men may know that you alone, whose name is the L‑rd, are the most high over all the earth.” (Psalms 83:1-6,13-19 / Christian Bible: Psalm 83:1-6,12-18)

Now, the enemies of Israel have continued to circle around her from the sea as well. In the east it is Iran that prepares nuclear weapons for the goal to annihilate Israel. Iraq, with her Shi’a majority population (as in Iran) will become a part of Iran, when the American military, under orders from President Obama, will soon be removed from Iraq. Syria and the Hezbollah terrorists in Lebanon continue to form the militant circle around Israel with each of them possessing between 60,000-70,000 missiles directed against Israel that have the ability to strike every centimeter of the Land of Israel. They continually threaten Israel that these missiles will destroy her in the coming war. In the Gaza Strip the Hamas is armed with thousands of rockets and missiles that persistently strike Israel. The extremist Islamic government of Turkey, that sent the ships of terror against Israel, completes from the north the circle of militancy against Israel. Other multi-national ships that are going to be sent to Gaza again to provoke Israel will complete the circle of aggression against Israel. Anti-Israel demonstrations, with thousands of people, are taking place all over the world calling for the elimination of Israel. Some of them are calling for Israel to be sent back to Auschwitz! Others, like the White House journalist Helen Thomas, called for Israelis to be sent to Germany and Poland, where six million Jews were heinously murdered in satanic ways during WWII.

The meaning of all these actions and statements is very clear: the enemies of Israel, backed with the support of most of the world, prepare themselves and are making the first steps of the end-time Gog and Magog War against Israel that was prophesied by the prophets Ezekiel, Zechariah, Joel and others. Through this war the Almighty G‑d of Israel is going to show the entire world His greatness, His love, His faithfulness and commitment to the covenant that He made with His chosen people Israel and His determination to complete in our generation the end-time process of the redemption of Israel, and through Israel, that of the entire world. This will also be as it was prophesied: a war of judgment upon the enemies and nations that came to destroy Israel and G‑d’s dream for a godly moral revolution throughout the world. For thousands of years G‑d has prepared His people Israel for this critical hour and promised to protect and stand with them. He called this end-time war of judgment the “Gog and Magog War” that will start from the north (Turkey, Syria, Russia and others):

“Therefore, son of man, prophesy and say to Gog, Thus says the L‑rd G‑d; In that day when my people of Israel dwell safely, shall you not know it: And you shall come from your place out of the far sides of the north, you, and many peoples with you, all of them riding upon horses, a great company, and a mighty army: and you shall come up against my people of Israel, like a cloud to cover the land; it shall be in the latter days, and I will bring you against my land, that the nations may know me, when I shall be sanctified by you, O Gog, before their eyes. And you, son of man, prophesy against Gog, and say, Thus says the L‑rd G‑d; Behold, I am against you, O Gog, the chief prince of Meshech and Tubal: and I will turn you about, and entice you on, and will cause you to come up from the far sides of the north, and will bring you against the mountains of Israel: and I will smite your bow out of your left hand, and will cause your arrows to fall out of your right hand. You shall fall upon the mountains of Israel, you, and all your bands, and the peoples that are with you: I will give you to the ravenous birds of every sort, and to the beasts of the field to be devoured. You shall fall upon the open field: for I have spoken it, says the L‑rd G‑d. And I will send a fire on Magog, and among them that dwell securely in the coastlands: and they shall know that I am the L‑rd So will I make my holy name known in the midst of my people Israel; and I will not allow my holy name to be profaned any more: and the nations shall know that I am the L‑rd, the Holy One in Israel.” (Ezekiel 38:14-16; 39:1-7)

The prophet Joel described this war and day of judgment with very dramatic words and colors that cause us to think of a nuclear war, especially when we see Iran’s zeal towards having nuclear capabilities while she declares the removal of Israel from the map of the world. Like the prophet Ezekiel, the prophet Joel prophesies that G‑d will judge all the nations that come against Israel and He will protect His people and the Holy Land of Israel :

“And I will exhibit wonders in the heavens and on the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke. The sun shall be turned into darkness, and the moon into blood, before the coming of the great and the terrible day of the L‑rd. For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring back the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will enter into judgment with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and have divided up my land.” Joel 3:3-4; 4:1-2

The atmosphere in Israel at this special time is that the Gog and Magog war is really at the door. On June 6th, a conference of rabbis took place from the Jewish villages and cities located in the biblical heartland of Gush Etzion in Judea and Samaria. They called to Israel to get ready for the Gog and Magog war that is indicated by the violence surrounding Israel.

Everyone feels the significance of this special godly time. It looks like Israel is again alone among the nations. But everyone in the world should know that we do not feel alone because we know and we feel that G‑d is with us and among us, and we feel very safe with Him. There is no fear in Israel from all those many enemies and nations that are preparing themselves to eliminate Israel. Whom shall we fear if G‑d is with us? In a time when violence and hatred is coming from most of the world against Israel, and the President of the United States, Barack Hussein Obama, is putting pressure on Israel to divide her land and also Jerusalem, and to surrender to her Arab-Islamic enemies, Israel feels that we should answer President Obama: “No!” And to remind all of them of the Word of G‑d to Israel since ancient times: “Israel is a people that shall dwell alone and shall not consider the nations.” Numbers 23:9. But Israel should consider, listen and obey only their Beloved Almighty G‑d, the G‑d of Israel. We should always remember what G‑d said to Israel from the ancient times, “I chose you not because you are the majority of all the nations, but because you are the minority of all the nations and I love you. But together with Me, you are the majority and the entire world is the minority”:

“For you are a holy people to the L‑rd your G‑d: The L‑rd your G‑d has chosen you to be a special people to himself, above all peoples that are upon the face of the earth. The L‑rd did not set his love upon you, or choose you, because you were more in number than any people; for you were the fewest of all peoples: but because the L‑rd loved you, and because he would keep the oath which he had sworn to your fathers, has the L‑rd brought you out with a mighty hand, and redeemed you out of the house of bondmen, from the hand of Pharaoh king of Egypt. Know therefore that the L‑rd your G‑d, He is G‑d, the faithful G‑d, who keeps covenant and grace with those who love him and keep his commandments to a thousand generations; and repays them that hate him to their face, to destroy them: he will not be slack to him that hates him, he will repay him to his face.” Deuteronomy 7:6-10

In these days Israel is lifting her eyes, face and heart to heaven to the G‑d of Israel. We know, as always, that salvation for Israel will come from the beloved G‑d of Israel, who will fight together with His faithful Israeli soldiers that are ready to fight against the many enemies of the G‑d and people of Israel and to sacrifice everything when it is needed for Him, for His people, for His Land and for the betterment of mankind throughout the world.

A few words of love to the many, many friends and lovers of Israel and the Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement who are all over the world and are standing strongly with Israel and her Faithful Movement of G‑d at this time of darkness. We feel, and we know, that by this and by your good hearts you have touched the heart of G‑d and were chosen by Him from all the nations to have an important part in His end-time plans. You are carrying the torch of light at this time of darkness and you give hope to the entire world. The G‑d of the people of Israel will never forget what you are doing for the people of G‑d in a time when it is so needed. Soon we shall stand hand-in-hand in the rebuilt Temple of G‑d in Jerusalem, and we shall thank Him for the great privilege that He gave us to serve Him and His end-time plans at such a major, godly time. Thank you again and again so much for all of this and for who you are!

The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement wants to again thank all of you who stand with the Faithful Movement both spiritually and practically with such great faithfulness and love. At this special time the Faithful Movement is fulfilling an important part and role in the midst of all these end-time events that are increasingly focused on the Temple Mount and Jerusalem. From this most holy place starts all the godly end-time events, and here they will soon be completed, when G‑d will dwell in His rebuilt Temple among His people Israel and among all humanity. For this, and for making Israel once again a biblical nation with a biblical mission, the Faithful Movement is dedicated.

Any contribution that will help us complete this holy work, hand-and-hand with your gracious participation, will be accepted with deepest appreciation and can be made by personal check or money order payable to: Temple Mount Faithful Movement and sent to the following address:

In G‑d we trust!!

The Temple Mount and Land of Israel Faithful Movement
P.O. Box 18325, 4 Aliash Street, Jerusalem, Israel
Telephone: 02.625.1112 / FAX: 02.625.1113

It is commonly believed that the Romans named Palestine after the ancient Philistine tribe, as an afront to the Jews who  they forcibly removed from Judah after 70 C.E. This cannot be true because… …”As a result of consultation with a 95 year old lexicographer and language interpreter from Eastern Europe who has mastered 20 languages from the region and Middle East; the information is as follows. His conclusions are that the misinterpretations of the term “Palestine” used today need to be corrected since the use of the term is to identify a country or nation of peoples that never existed in the history of the region other than the nation of Hebrews/ Israel.

The word “Palestine” has not been found in the vocabulary of Middle Eastern languages other than early Christianity such as the Byzantines.. however after the Christian Crusades of the Holy Land numerous words for “Palestine” suddenly came about throughout the known world.  The word used by the Roman Empire  was Palaestina and was also used by some early Christians which held connotations of the Jews as being clans of Hebrew shepherds who sacrificed goats and sheep at their Jerusalem Temple in honor of their god.

According to historical text Palaestina was commonly used to refer to the coastal region and shortly thereafter, the whole of the area inland to the west of the Jordan River. The latter extension occurred when the Roman authorities, following the suppression of the Bar Kokhba rebellion in the 2nd century CE, renamed “Provincia Judea” (Iudaea Province; originally derived from the name “Judah”) to “Syria Palaestina” (Syria Palaestina), in order to complete the dissociation with Judea.

The term Palaestina has been used in references made in Roman Greek Christian literature from the latter part of the first century of the common era, hence the word is a Christian term or word.  The word would have been used by Christians in references to the Kingdom of Israel.  See example reference to the Italian Map (1759) found in the Maps and Borders of Israel posting on this site.

During the Roman Byzantine period, the entire region (Syria Palaestina, Samaria, and the Galilee) was named Palaestina, subdivided into provinces Palaestina I and II. The Byzantines also renamed an area of land including the Negev, Sinai, and the west coast of the Arabian Peninsula as Palaestina Salutaris, sometimes called Palaestina III. The Byzantine borders of Palaestina (I and II, also known as Palaestina Prima, “First Palestine”, and Palaestina Secunda, “Second Palestine”), have served as a name for the geographic area between the Jordan River and the Mediterranean Sea.

Medieval Arab Palestine Map - 7th century AD Filastin (or Jund Filastin) was used administratively to refer to what was under the Byzantines Palaestina Secunda (comprising Judaea and Samaria), while Palaestina Prima (comprising the Galilee region) was renamed Urdunn (“Jordan” or Jund al-Urdunn). Arabs took over Greater Syria in the 7th century, place names that were in use by the Byzantine administration before them, generally continued to be used such as Palaestina. The emergence of the Arabic form Filastin to this adoption, with Arabic inflection, of Roman and Hebrew (Semitic) names.

All the words in the  following list of languages mean palace or temple (a god’s palace). The term “Palestine” therefore in all likelihood is a English/Anglo derivative from Greco Roman languages with reference to Mons Palatinus, Etruscan Pales, Palatine etc.

Also see reference to Palaestina used in the Roman Byzantine Empire article on this web site.

The Latin word for palace came from Mons Palatinus, one of the seven hills of Rome.

• from Mons Palatinus “the Palatine Hill,” one of the seven hills of ancient Rome, where Emperor Augustus Caesar’s house stood (the original “palace”), later the site of the splendid residence built by Nero.
• Palaestina - palace, temple (god’s palace)
• Palatine (from Lat. palatium, a palace,)
• Palace (Lat. Palatium, the name given by Augustus to his residence on the Palatine Hill
• Palazzi
• Palazzo (cf. Sp. palacio, It. palazzo),
• late 13c., “official residence of an emperor, king, archbishop, imperial residence etc.,”
• from O.Fr. palais,
• from M.L. palacium “a palace,”
• from L. palatium “palace”
• The hill name probably from palus “stake,” on the notion of “enclosure.”
• from Etruscan and connected with Pales, supposed name of an Italic goddess of shepherds and cattle.
• Etruscan – The general sense of “splendid dwelling place”
• [Middle English, from Old French palais,
• from Palatium, Palatine Hill, Rome (from it being the site where emperors built their homes)
• Podesta (lat.potestas, power)
• Pallati - Albania
• Byzantine palaces -  Of Romanesque work
• porta - door
• palati - palace
• spiti - house

Most of the phonological and grammatical developments that separate present-day Greek from the Koine occurred during this period of the Greco- Roman influence. Thus, in the phonology the two high front vowels [i] and [ü] were merged, simplifying the six-vowel system to the five-vowel system [a,e,i o, u] of Modern Greek. In the morphology the frequent misuse of the dative case of nouns shows that it went out of use in the spoken language, and the infinitive was replaced by various periphrastic constructions.

The later period is characterized by the richness of its compound words, usually from native roots. Some of these, such as the compounds in which a modifying noun precedes its head noun, continued ancient patterns (thalassóvrakhi ‘sea rock,’ vunópulo ‘mountain lad’); coordinative compounds of the type common in Modern Greek, though rare in earlier periods, are also found (aristódhipnon ‘lunch and dinner,’ compare Modern Greek andróyino ‘man and wife,’ makheropíruna ‘knives and forks’).

Semantic shift was another source of innovation: álogho ‘horse,’ previously meant ‘irrational’; skiázome ‘I fear,’ earlier meant ‘I am in shadow’; and (u)dhén ‘not,’ meant, in Classical Greek, ‘nothing.

Perhaps this culture word [palace] has a more limited linguistic and geographic range than some we have seen.
Sumerian: é.gal
Akkadian: ekallu
Ugaritic: hkl
Hebrew: הֵיכָל
Aramaic: הֵיכְלָא

Nearly every Aramaic dialect from Imperial Aramaic to Late Syrian has this lexeme in it’s vocabulary. Mankowski, 51, notes the form άειχάλας on an inscription dated October 15, 245 CE from Admedera, Syria.

There can be no reasonable doubt that this lexeme came into the ancient Semitic languages from Sumerian e.gal. The Sumerian means palace (é, house, + gal, great or big).

When written syllabically, not all that common, the Akkadian generally reads e-kal-lu. There is no evidence for the lengthening of the /e/ in Akkadian.

Both the Hebrew and the Aramaic forms are not native unless one wants to take them to be some strange ה formative nouns as was sometimes thought by earlier scholars. Ugaritic hkl makes this all but impossible.

According to Blau, 49-50, who thinks the West Semitic forms came from the Akkadian, Aramaic hêkəlâ etc., Ugaritic hkl, Hebrew hêkhâl Akkadian ekallum, stemming ultimately from Sumerian e-gal may exhibit hyper-correction (false regression);

Since Akkadian ê could, in these languages, correspond to hê, it was, by over self-assertion, also employed in this case. Nevertheless, one wonders why h occurs in all these languages, though it is possible that it was introduced to one of them and spread to the others. But account must be taken of the possibility that the initial onset of Sumerian and Akkadian vowels contained laryngeals or pharyngeals.

“Akkadian ê could, in these languages, correspond to hê.” ; no cognate pairs exhibit such a phenomenon. And as already noted there is no evidence that the Akkadian e was long in ekallu. It seems unlikely that Semitic could have adopted the Akkadian much later than the Old Akkadian period. The reason “that the Sumerogram é could have the OAkk value of ’à, often continuing Semitic *ḥa, and, presumably, representing a comparable laryngeal or pharyngeal articulation in Sumerian.” Sumerian é.gal, Akkadian ekallu and its Aramaic and Hebrew counterparts.

The use of the word “Palestine” today to identify a region is an adoption of the Christian concept of the Holy Land.

None of these practices are common among the peoples of Zimbabwe or South Africa. The Lemba are also divided into 12 tribes, and among the Buba, the priestly class, was found the exact same DNA element as among those Jews of the priestly class elsewhere around the world.

A number of genetic studies have confirmed the findings. Initial research in 1996 indicated that more than half of the Lemba Y chromosomes (the male chromosome) are Semitic in origin. That study was followed by another in 2000, that reported more specifically that a significant group of Lemba males carry the “Cohen [Kohen] modal haplotype” (CHM) on the Y chromosome, which indicates the Y-DNA Haplogroup J found among Jews and some other populations across the Middle East.

The Buba clan carried most of the CMH markers among the Lemba, similar to other Jewish groups around the world where the males of the priestly class, the Kohenim, carry the CHM marker. Lemba tradition states that it was the Buba clan that had a “leadership role in bringing the Lemba out of Israel” and into southern Africa.

The oral tradition handed down among the Yemenite Jews is similar, stating that after the expulsion following the destruction of the First Temple, the Levi’im (assistant priests) and Kohenim fled towards Yemen; the group then split, with some continuing on towards the south, in the direction of Africa.

The University of London’s Professor Tudor Parfitt , who spent six months living with the tribe, and 20 years researching their people, expressed his amazement in an interview this week with the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC). Parfitt stated that it appears that the Jewish priesthood continued in the West by people called Cohen, and in the same way it was continued by the priestly clan of the Lemba. They have a common ancestor who geneticists state lived about 3,000 years ago somewhere in north Arabia, which is the time of Moses and Aaron, when the Jewish priesthood started.

The Lemba tradition states that their ancestors fled the Holy Land some 2,500 years ago, traveling first to “Sen’a” and then south to Africa. Their sacred prayer language is comprised of a mixture of Hebrew and Arabic. The tribe, approximately 80,000 strong, lives in central Zimbabwe and the northern part of South Africa, and prizes above all its holiest object: the ngoma lungundu, “the drum that thunders.” According to tribal leaders, it is this, a wooden replica of the Biblical Ark of the Covenant, that connects the Lemba to their Jewish ancestry.

The oral traditions regarding the ngoma lungundu said it had been used in battles, and thus was rebuilt several times, possibly from original remnants, Parfitt explained. He added that the replica that recently went on display at the Harare museum, about 700 years old, is “the closest descendant of the Ark that we know of.”

The Lemba people of today, however, are Christians and Muslims, although many define their ties to Judaism as their “culture.”

When leadership roles were being clarified, the staff of Aaron sprouted almond buds to show that he was chosen by G-d in Numbers 17.  Jeremiah also was shown an almond branch by G-d in his first prophetic vision (Jeremiah 1). The beautifully-blossomed almond tree featured prominently in Israeli celebrations of Tu b’Shevat has a dark side.

Nectar of almond flowers contains 4-10 milligrams per litre of amygdalin, which yields the potent poison cyanide. While sweet almonds are safe for eating (though causing an allergic reaction in some people), wild bitter almonds also contain amounts of amygdalin and could be toxic, especially for young children.

A group of researchers at the Department of Environmental and Evolutionary Biology and the Department of Science Education at the University of Haifa-Oranim investigated why the almond tree produces poison, especially when the purpose of flower nectar is to attract bees, which will pollinate them. They discovered that the lethal substance is actually there to give the lushly-flowered tree an advantage over nearby competitors.

The research team exposed honey bees to plates of nectar that had varying concentrations of the toxin and a plate of nectar without the toxin. The team first monitored four different amygdalin concentrations in the range of the natural levels of toxin typically found in almond tree nectar. A second experiment monitored levels much higher than those found in the natural form. In all cases, the bees preferred nectar containing amygdalin over the amygdalin-free variety. While amygdalin is poisonous for mammals, it is not poisonous for insects, such as the honey bee. In fact, it may act as a stimulant which attracts them.

Another theory is that “expert” bees”, the ones who have been pollinating for some time – will have built up a tolerance to amygdalin, resulting in the arrival of only the most seasoned pollinators at the almond tree. There is a posibility that the nectar toxin prevents bacteria from harming the nectar and threatening the pollination of the tree. Honey made from these almond trees is known to have medicinal properties, such as natural anti-biotics

Two genetic factors were identified. The study, funded by the British Heart Foundation, used gene-chip technology to scan DNA that had previously been identified to contain potential risk areas for heart disease. Farrall emphasized that “the increase in risk to people from high Lp(a) levels is significantly less severe that the risk from high LDL cholesterol levels. Lp(a) doesn’t trump LDL, which has a larger impact and which we can already control pretty effectively.” The aim, he added, is to find a medication that will simultaneously control both.

Another new form of “bad” cholesterol was identified earlier this year by a researcher at the Chinese University of Hong Kong. Khen-Yu Chen, Ph.D. presented his findings at the 238th National Meeting of the American Chemical Society earlier in the year. In an interview published by Science Daily this past August, Chen stated oxycholesterol which at present cannot be controlled by diet or current medications on the market might turn out to be the most serious threat of all to gene-chip technology health.

Oxycholesterol was proved to reduce the elasticity of arteries and impaired their ability to expand and carry more blood throughout the body. It also produced more deposits of cholesterol in the lining of arteries and a tendency to develop larger fatty deposits or atherosclerotic plaques which increase the risk for heart attack and stroke. The work demonstrated that oxycholesterol boosts total cholesterol levels and promotes atherosclerosis (hardening of the arteries) more than non-oxidized cholesterol.

Oxidation occurs when fatty foods are heated. Foods containing high amounts of oxycholesterol include anything fried or highly processed, including the average “fast food.” The good news is that a diet rich in antioxidants can counter these effects and might block the process that forms oxycholesterol. Such a diet includes fresh fruit and vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and certain herbs and spices.

Under the agreement, OncoGenex retains the right to co-promote the new medication in the United States and Canada. Teva will add the new treatment to its family of branded oncology products elsewhere in the world, including Israel. OGX-011 is a second-generation antisense drug that was co-discovered by OncoGenex and Isis Pharmaceuticals, Inc., which will receive a $10 million payment from OncoGenex as a result of the deal with Teva.

OGX-011 is designed to block production of clusterin, a cell survival protein. Increased clusterin production is observed in many human cancers and in response to many cancer treatments as well. It is linked to faster rates of cancer progression, treatment resistance and shorter survival. OncoGenex conducted five Phase II trials studies in which OGX-011 demonstrated effectiveness in fighting prostate and advanced non-small cell lung cancers. It also appeared to show potential benefit when added to therapy for breast cancer.

They currently have five product candidates in development: OGX-011, OGX-427, OGX-225, SN2310 and CSP-9222.

OGX-011, also known as custirsen sodium, inhibits the production of clusterin, a protein that is associated with treatment resistance in a number of solid tumors, including prostate, breast, non-small cell lung, ovarian, and bladder cancers. It has potential applicability as a therapeutic in a broad number of cancers at different stages and can potentially be used in combination with a variety of commonly used cancer treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and hormone ablation therapy. Preliminary data in a Phase 2 clinical trial evaluating OGX-011 in combination with second-line chemotherapy in patients with hormone refractory prostate cancer has shown that retreatment with docetaxel in combination with OGX-011 may reverse docetaxel resistance and improve patient survival. In July 2008, OncoGenex reached an agreement with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) on the design of a Phase 3 registration trial of OGX-011 via the Special Protocol Assessment (SPA) process;

OGX-427 is designed to reduce production of Hsp27, a protein that is over-produced in response to many cancer treatments including hormone ablation therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Hsp27 production has been shown to inhibit cell death in tumor cells through a variety of mechanisms. OGX-427 is in a Phase 1 clinical trial for the treatment of solid tumors including prostate, non-small cell lung, breast, ovarian, and bladder cancers. The company anticipates that the safety profile for OGX-427 as a single agent will be completed in the second half of 2008, and for OGX-427 in combination with chemotherapy in the first half of 2009. Like OGX-011, this product candidate has potential as a treatment in a broad number of cancers;

SN2310 is a novel prodrug of SN-38, which is a potent anti-cancer drug belonging to the class of topoisomerase I inhibitors. SN2310 is designed to enhance the delivery and exposure of SN-38 to the tumor by providing greater prodrug conversion and a longer half-life than achieved with irinotecan. It is currently in a Phase 1 trial and progress is being made to determine its safety and pharmacokinetic profile, in addition to the maximum tolerated dose;

CSP-9222 is a caspase activator presently in pre-clinical development. Caspase activators consist of small molecules that have been identified in preclinical research as activators of programmed cell death. Unlike normal cells, many tumor cell types have lost the ability to undergo the normal process of programmed cell death, known as apoptosis. CSP-9222 has demonstrated anti-tumor activity in a range of pre-clinical animal tumor models, including taxane-resistant tumors, following both intravenous and oral administration. The company expects to move this compound into Phase 1 clinical development within 12-18 months. The caspase program was in-licensed in August 2008 through an exclusive agreement with Bayer HealthCare LLC; and

OGX-225 aims to reduce the production of both Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein -2 and Insulin-Like Growth Factor Binding Protein -5 with a single product to enhance treatment sensitivity and delay tumor progression. IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-5 are both hormones that make an alternate hormone, IGF-1, available to the tumor that facilitates continued tumor growth. Employing OGX-225 as a single product to simultaneously inhibit the production of both IGFBP-2 and IGFBP-5 has the potential to delay disease progression in a number of cancers that are dependent upon IGF-1 for tumor growth. OGX-225 is in pre-clinical development and has completed pre-clinical pharmacology.

OGX-427 is a second generation antisense drug which in preclinical experiments, inhibits production of Heat Shock Protein 27 (Hsp27) a cell survival protein found at elevated levels in many human cancers including prostate, lung, breast, ovarian, bladder, renal, pancreatic, multiple myeloma and liver cancer. Many anti-cancer therapies are known to further elevate Hsp27 levels. For example, Hsp27 levels increased four-fold in prostate cancer patients after treatment with chemo- or hormone therapy. Increased levels of Hsp27 in some human cancers are associated with metastases, poor prognosis and resistance to radiation or chemotherapy.

Preclinical studies show that OGX-427 significantly decreases levels of Hsp27, induces apoptosis in several human cancer cell lines, has single agent anti-tumor activity, and acts as a chemosensitizer in combination with several cytotoxic drugs including docetaxel.

OGX-427 is being evaluated in a Phase 1 study in patients with breast, prostate, ovarian, non-small cell lung, or bladder cancer who have failed potentially curative treatments or for which a curative treatment does not exist. Patients are being enrolled at clinical sites in Canada and the United States.

Preliminary results of this phase 1 trial were presented during an oral presentation at the ASCO 2009 Annual Meeting. OGX-427 treatment was well tolerated as a monotherapy. No evidence of altered cardiac activity was observed. A majority of adverse events were mild and mainly occurred during the loading doses. The combination of OGX-427 with docetaxel at both dose levels was also well tolerated. This data is subject to further analysis.

Circulating tumor cells (“CTCs”), an emerging metric to assess treatment effect, were evaluated at baseline before treatment and during OGX-427 treatment as a monotherapy. Both total and Hsp27-positive CTCs were evaluated. Declines of 50% or greater in both total and Hsp27-positive CTCs were observed in over one-half of the patients in each cohort and in each type of cancer. Declines in Hsp27 CTCs to 5 or less cells occurred in 27% of patients who had greater than 5 CTCs at baseline. Reduction in tumor markers defined as declines of prostate specific antigen, or PSA, levels in prostate cancer or CA-125 levels in ovarian cancer were also observed. A reduction in PSA level was observed in 7 of 20 patients (35%) with prostate cancer and a reduction in CA-125 levels was observed in 3 of 5 patients (60%) with ovarian cancer.

A second investigator-sponsored phase 1 clinical trial evaluating OGX-427 when administered directly into the bladder in patients with bladder cancer was initiated in August 2009. The study, which will enroll up to 30 patients with bladder cancer, is designed to determine the safety and potential benefit of OGX-427 administered directly into the bladder using a catheter, which is known as intravesical instillation. In addition, the study will measure the direct effect of OGX-427 on expression of Hsp27 in bladder tumor cells as well as determine the pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of OGX-427 when delivered by intravesical instillation. This investigator-sponsored study is funded by the National Cancer Institute of Canada (“NCIC”).

SN2310 is a novel camptothecin for the treatment of cancer. Camptothecins are potent anticancer agents that belong to the family of drugs called topoisomerase I inhibitors that bind reversibly to the TOPO-I-DNA complex causing breaks in the DNA strands during replication resulting in cell death.

There are two camptothecins approved by the FDA: irinotecan (Camptosar) and topotecan (Hycamtin). Irinotecan is approved for the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer when used as a component of first-line therapy with 5-FU and leucovorin or when disease has recurred or progressed following initial 5-FU- based therapy. Topotecan is approved for second-line treatment of ovarian cancer and small-cell lung cancer. The combined sales of the two drugs were over $1 billion in 2006, with irinotecan sales of over $900 million.

SN-38 is the active metabolite of irinotecan. A major limitation of irinotecan is that the pro-drug requires enzymatic hydrolysis to the active drug, SN-38, and only approximately 3% is hydrolyzed. Based on literature reports, SN-38 is 200 to 2000 times more cytotoxic than irinotecan. SN-38 has not been successfully developed, at least in part due to its poor solubility.

SN2310 Injectable Emulsion is an oil-and-water emulsion that incorporates a new derivative of SN-38, SN2310. The conjugation of SN-38 to Vitamin E succinate enables increased solubility in a vitamin E-based, oil-in-water emulsion that can be administered without dilution. The difference in the structure is shown in the right sidebar.

SN2310 Injectable Emulsion is being developed with the objective of demonstrating improved anti-tumor activity as a result of increased exposure to SN-38 based on a longer half-life. In addition, the product is more convenient, with a shorter duration of administration and no requirement for reconstitution.

In preclinical studies, comparable or better cytotoxic activity in vitro was observed when results after administration of SN2310 were compared to results after administration of irinotecan or topotecan. Similarly, the anti-tumor activity of SN2310 was comparable or better than activity of irinotecan when compared in human tumor xenograft studies. To-date, we have demonstrated that SN2310 provides similar exposure of SN38 as irinotecan at approximately a 15-fold lower dose, with a half-life that is approximately seven-fold higher. Additionally, the Vitamin E chain is separated from SN38 via both enzymatic and hydrolytic cleavage, and in vitro studies suggest that this results in conversion of about 10 times more prodrug to active drug than irinotecan.

In September 2006, Sonus initiated a Phase 1 study of SN2310 which is presently ongoing.

CSP-9222 is the lead compound from a family of caspase activators that have been in-licensed from Bayer Healthcare LLC. These novel, small molecules have been identified as activators of programmed cell death.

Unlike normal cells, many tumor cell types have lost the ability to undergo the normal process of programmed cell death, known as apoptosis. By activating the caspase pathway, tumor cells can be triggered to undergo apoptosis resulting in cell death.

Preclinical data with CSP-9222 in numerous preclinical animal models, including taxane-resistant tumor cells, indicate anti-tumor activity across a broad spectrum of tumor cell types. Both intravenous and oral administration of CSP-9222 has resulted in anti-tumor activity in various animal models. Thus, CSP-9222 offers the potential for a novel therapy in the treatment of a variety of cancers.

They have conducted five Phase 2 clinical trials to evaluate the ability of custirsen sodium (OGX-011), our lead product candidate, to enhance the effects of therapy in prostate, non-small cell lung and breast cancers. Data from these Phase 2 studies demonstrates the potential benefit of adding OGX-011, a second generation antisense molecule, to existing cancer therapies. Based on our Phase 2 results in 294 patients, we believe that registration trials for market approval of OGX-011 are warranted in Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (CRPC) and Nonsmall Cell Lung Cancer (NSCLC). Our initial registration trials will focus on the CRPC indication.

OGX-011 is designed to block production of clusterin, a cell survival protein that is over-produced in several cancer indications and in response to many cancer treatments, including hormone ablation therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Increased clusterin production is observed in many human cancers, including prostate, non-small cell lung, breast, ovarian, bladder, renal, pancreatic, anaplastic large cell lymphoma and colon cancers and melanoma. Increased clusterin production is linked to faster rates of cancer progression, treatment resistance and shorter survival duration. Clusterin levels may be further increased in response to standard cancer therapies, including hormone ablation therapy, chemotherapy and radiation therapy. Clusterin expression is linked to disease progression, treatment resistance, poor prognosis and survival in scientific publications. For example, increased expression of clusterin in prostate cancer is closely correlated with increasing Gleason score, which is a strong prognostic factor for poor survival of patients with prostate cancer.

A broad range of preclinical studies show that OGX-011 decreases clusterin levels and sensitizes tumor cells to standard chemotherapeutic drugs, resulting in increased rates of tumor cell death. Preclinical results also show that reducing clusterin production sensitizes prostate tumor cells to hormone ablation therapy and sensitizes prostate and non-small cell tumor cells to radiation therapy. The Clinical program for OGX-011 is summarized below.

Three Phase 1 clinical trials, involving a total of 75 patients, have been completed with OGX-011. In all of these clinical trials, OGX-011 was well tolerated by the patients.

In the first Phase 1 clinical trial, OGX-011 was intravenously administered once per week in combination with hormone ablation therapy to patients with localized prostate cancer in advance of surgery to remove the prostate gland. This clinical trial showed that once weekly administration of OGX-011 reduced clusterin mRNA levels by approximately 92 percent in prostate cancer tissue and approximately 98 percent in lymph node tissue, and more than doubled the rate of prostate tumor cell death compared to hormone ablation therapy alone.

In the second Phase 1 clinical trial, OGX-011 was intravenously administered once per week in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy to patients with solid tumors known to express clusterin. This clinical trial showed that serum clusterin levels dropped in patients while on treatment with 640 mg OGX-011 in combination with docetaxel.

In the third Phase 1 clinical trial, OGX-011 was intravenously administered once per week in combination with two commonly used chemotherapeutic agents to patients with advanced non-small cell lung cancer. The one-year survival rate for patients that received at least one dose of OGX-011 in combination with these chemotherapies was approximately 60 percent. This compares with results from prior published Phase 3 clinical trials which reported one-year survival rates of 33 to 43 percent for patients that received chemotherapy treatment alone.

They have conducted five phase 2 clinical trials to evaluate the ability of OGX-011 to enhance the effects of therapy in prostate, non-small cell lung and breast cancer. Data is available from each of the five phase 2 studies which demonstrate that adding OGX-011 to therapy shows potential benefit of OGX 011:

• longer survival duration when adding OGX-011 to first-line docetaxel compared to first-line docetaxel alone in patients with CRPC within a randomized phase 2 trial;
• longer survival duration when adding OGX-011 to either mitoxantrone or docetaxel as second-line chemotherapy compared to survival duration observed in two published studies of CRPC patients receiving second-line chemotherapy;
  increased frequency and duration of pain palliation when adding OGX-011 to either mitoxantrone or docetaxel as second-line chemotherapy compared to the frequency and duration of pain palliation observed in the TAX 327 Study for first-line chemotherapy alone in patients with CRPC;
• and longer survival duration when adding OGX-011 to gemcitabine and a platinum-containing chemotherapy compared to the survival duration reported in prior published results from randomized clinical trials in NSCLC patients receiving gemcitabine and a platinum-containing chemotherapy.

Final results of a randomized phase 2 trial evaluating the benefit of combining OGX-011 with first-line docetaxel chemotherapy were presented during an oral presentation at the American Society of Clinical Oncology (“ASCO”) 2009 Annual Meeting. Analyses indicating a survival benefit in patients treated with OGX-011 in combination with first-line docetaxel compared to docetaxel alone, the latter of which being the current standard care for patients with advanced, progressive metastatic prostate cancer, are described below:

• The median overall survival in patients with advanced metastatic prostate cancer who were treated with OGX-011 plus docetaxel in a randomized phase 2 trial was 23.8 months compared to 16.9 months for patients treated with docetaxel alone, indicating a 6.9 month survival advantage in the OGX-011 arm;
• The unadjusted hazard ratio (“HR”), a measure used to compare the death rates between treatment groups, was 0.61, representing a 39% lower rate of death for patients treated with OGX-011;and
• A prospectively defined multivariate analysis indicated that the significant predictors of overall survival were treatment arm, performance status and presence of metastases other than in bone or lymph nodes. In the multivariate analysis, patients treated with OGX-011 had a rate of death of 51% lower than patients treated with docetaxel alone (HR=0.49; p=0.012).
• Additional exploratory analyses found that the lower rate of death was associated with the effect of OGX-011 treatment even when varying amounts of chemotherapy were administered (i.e. OGX-011 treatment resulted in a lower rate of death when compared to the control arm for patients receiving 6 or less cycles of chemotherapy as well as for patients receiving 10 cycles of chemotherapy).
  OGX-011 is being developed to work in combination with therapies that are broadly used by clinicians and considered highly effective in the treatment of each cancer indication that we are targeting with the intent of delaying treatment resistance to those therapies. Since production of clusterin and the resulting treatment resistance occurs in an array of cancer indications and in response to a variety of cancer treatments, we believe that our development options for OGX-011 are numerous.

Phase 1 Clinical Results

• OGX-011 in Combination with Hormone Ablation Therapy in Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer (Clinical Trial OGX-011-01)

For men with localized prostate cancer, hormone ablation therapy with surgery remains the initial standard of care. Hormone ablation causes death of prostate tumor cells.

The purpose of this clinical trial was to:

• determine safety and tolerability and define the recommended Phase 2 dose of OGX-011 when given in combination with hormone ablation therapy;
• determine the concentration and elimination profile of OGX-011 in serum and in the prostate when administered in combination with hormone ablation therapy;
  measure clusterin mRNA and protein levels in the prostate and other tissues and correlate with dose of OGX-011;
  measure serum clusterin levels and correlate with dose of OGX-011; and
• attempt to establish possible correlations between plasma and/or prostate concentrations of OGX-011 with patient response or toxicity measures.
  In order to determine these objectives, OGX-011 was administered in combination with hormone ablation therapy to patients with localized prostate cancer in advance of a surgical procedure to remove the prostate gland.

There were a total of 25 patients enrolled into treatment groups who received increasing doses of OGX-011 from 40 milligrams (mg) up to 640 mg. There was no dose limiting toxicity observed during OGX-011 dose escalation and adverse events were mild to moderate (grade 1 or 2). In summary, the results of the Phase 1 clinical trial of OGX-011 in combination with hormone ablation therapy were that:

• OGX-011 achieved high drug concentrations in the prostate and lymph nodes through once weekly intravenous administration;
• clusterin mRNA was inhibited in prostate tumor cells by more than 92 percent in patients receiving the highest dose of OGX-011 (640 mg);
• approximately double the amount of tumor cell death occurred in the prostate of patients receiving the highest dose of OGX-011 (640 mg) compared to hormone ablation therapy alone;
• OGX-011 was well-tolerated, with no dose limiting toxicity observed; and
• the recommended Phase 2 dose of OGX-011 was established at 640 mg.
• OGX-011 concentration in prostate tissue increased with higher doses, as shown in Figure 1 above. Dose-dependent decreases in clusterin mRNA in prostate tissue were also observed. At the highest dose (640 mg) of OGX-011, clusterin mRNA was decreased by more than 92 percent in prostate tissue when compared to the lowest dose level and other historical controls (patients with no prior hormone ablation therapy and patients with less than two months of hormone ablation therapy).
• Similarly, clusterin mRNA was decreased by approximately 98 percent in lymph node tissue when compared to the lowest dose level (data not shown).

To determine whether suppression of clusterin levels by OGX-011 treatment could increase tumor cell death in prostate cancer tissue, the percentage of dying tumor cells per high powered field of the microscope were counted as shown in Figure 3 below. At the Phase 2 dose (640 mg) the addition of OGX-011 more than doubled the percentage of dying tumor cells compared to hormone ablation therapy alone.

These data demonstrate that OGX-011 was able to:

• be delivered to prostate tumors and lymph nodes;
  get inside tumor cells where it is required in order to potentially have a therapeutic effect;
• significantly decrease clusterin production; and
  increase tumor cell death when combined with hormone ablation therapy.
• Based on achieving high drug concentration in prostate tissue and over 92 percent inhibition of clusterin mRNA in prostate tumor cells and lymph nodes, and a favorable safety profile, 640 mg was selected as the optimal dose for Phase 2 clinical trials of OGX-011.

Patients in this clinical trial experienced various “adverse events”, the majority of which are known to be associated with the other treatments in the protocol (hormone ablation therapy or prostate surgery). An adverse event is any unfavorable and unintended clinical laboratory value or symptom which is encountered during or after the use of an investigational product (i.e. OGX-011). These events may or may not be related to the patient’s disease, other therapies administered to the patient or the investigational product.

None of the events that occurred resulted in patients discontinuing OGX-011 and the majority of the adverse events were considered mild. The adverse events thought to be possibly related to OGX-011 occurred mainly within the first week and decreased with continued dosing. These events included mild suppression of white blood cell counts; flu-like symptoms that included fever, fatigue, and rigors; and mild elevations in liver enzyme levels. Most symptoms went away after one to three weeks despite continued administration of OGX-011.

There were no “serious adverse events” reported during this clinical trial. Serious adverse event means any adverse experience that results in any of the following outcomes: death, a life-threatening experience, inpatient hospitalization or prolongation of existing hospitalization, a persistent or significant disability/incapacity, or a congenital anomaly/birth defect.

OGX-011 in Combination with Docetaxel Chemotherapy in the Treatment of Solid Tumors (Clinical Trial OGX-011-02)

OGX-011 treatment in animal models has been shown to enhance chemosensitivity and to reverse chemotherapy resistance to docetaxel, a chemotherapeutic agent used in a number of cancers including lung, breast, ovarian, bladder, renal cell and hormone refractory prostate cancer. This clinical trial was undertaken to evaluate the safety profile of OGX-011 in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy.

The purpose of this clinical trial was to:

• determine safety and tolerability and define the recommended Phase 2 dose of OGX-011 when given in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy given either weekly or every three weeks;
• determine the concentration of OGX-011 and docetaxel in serum when administered in combination;
  measure evidence of the effect of OGX-011 on serum clusterin levels; and
• document any objective tumor responses.

In order to determine these objectives, OGX-011 was administered in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy to patients with cancers known to over-produce clusterin (prostate, non-small cell lung, breast, ovary, bladder and renal cell).

There were a total of 40 patients enrolled into treatment groups who received increasing doses of OGX-011 from 40 mg up to 640 mg. In addition to OGX-011 treatment, patients also received docetaxel chemotherapy given either as a weekly or every three week schedule as one cycle. The clinical trial was conducted at multiple clinical sites.

Although this was a group of patients with various cancer types, responses and stable disease were documented. OGX-011 treatment resulted in a trend towards dose dependent decreases in serum clusterin levels with the 640 mg dose level having the greatest change from baseline. There was no evidence that administration of OGX-011 affected the metabolism of docetaxel chemotherapy or that docetaxel chemotherapy affected the metabolism of OGX-011.

The recommended OGX-011 dose for treatment in combination with docetaxel chemotherapy was determined as 640 mg, based on acceptable safety results, documented responses/stable disease, and lowering of serum clusterin levels observed from this Phase 1 clinical trial.

Patients in this clinical trial experienced various adverse events, the majority of which are known to be associated with the other treatment in the protocol (docetaxel chemotherapy). Adverse events associated with docetaxel chemotherapy include reduced appetite, nausea, hair loss and decrease in blood counts.

Adverse events were primarily mild to moderate. The incidence of reduced appetite, nausea and hair loss increased as the OGX-011 dose levels increased. The decrease in white blood cell counts was consistent with other trials using docetaxel and did not decrease further with increased doses of OGX-011. Five of the 40 patients experienced dose-limiting toxicity. Four of these events were attributed to the docetaxel chemotherapy and one, fatigue, was attributed to the combination of OGX-011, docetaxel and the disease. Six of the 40 patients experienced a serious adverse event. All of these events were attributed to the docetaxel chemotherapy, except a case of upper gastrointestinal bleeding which was attributed to the combination of OGX-011 and docetaxel chemotherapy.

Phase 2 Clinical Trial Results

The Phase 1 clinical trials evaluated the safety and established the recommended Phase 2 dose of OGX-011 in combination with either docetaxel chemotherapy (two different schedules), gemcitabine/cisplatin chemotherapy or hormone ablation therapy. In all clinical trials, 640 mg was established as the Phase 2 dose.

They have conducted five Phase 2 clinical trials of OGX-011 to further evaluate the safety and efficacy of OGX-011 in combination with various cancer therapies for prostate, non-small cell lung and breast cancer, as further described below on the OncoGenex web site.

Prostate Cancer
Final Results of Phase 2 Clinical Trial in Patients Receiving
First-Line Chemotherapy Treatment for Castrate Resistant Prostate Cancer (Study OGX-011-03)
Phase 2 Clinical Trial – Hormone Ablation Therapy in Patients with Localized Prostate Cancer (Study OGX-011-04)
Preliminary Results of a Phase 2 Clinical Trial in Patients Receiving Second-Line Chemotherapy for Treatment of Hormone Refractory Prostate Cancer (Study OGX-011-07)

Lung Cancer
Preliminary Results of Phase 2 Clinical Trial in Patients Treated with First-Line Chemotherapy for Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer (Study OGX-011-05)

Breast Cancer
Preliminary Results of Phase 2 Clinical Trial in Patients with Advanced Breast Cancer (OGX-011-06)

G-d Bless Israel: Teva shares trading on the Tel Aviv Stock Exchange on December 22, 2009, rose 2.42% from their previous day’s level, and continued to rise in after hours trading. The stock reached its all time high on the TASE Tuesday, closing at 206.5 shekels a share. The rise was partially due to Teva’s announcement of its purchase on Monday of OncoGenex.

The dwelling and older discoveries of nearby tombs in burial caves suggest that Nazareth was an out-of-the-way hamlet of around 50 houses on a patch of about 1.6 hectares. Archaeologist Yardena Alexandre, stated it was evidently populated by Jews of modest means who kept camouflaged grottos to hide from Roman invaders.
Alexandre’s team found a camouflaged entry way into a grotto, which was used by Jews at the time to hide from Roman soldiers who were battling Jewish rebels at the time for control of the area. The grotto would have hid around six people for a few hours. Similar camouflaged grottos were found in other ancient Jewish communities of the lower Galilee such as the nearby biblical village of Cana, which did witness battle between Jews and Romans. However, Roman soldiers did not end up battling Nazareth’s Jews because the hamlet had little strategic value at the time. The Roman army was more interested in larger towns and strategic hilltop communities.

Alexandre’s team found remains of a wall, a hideout, a courtyard and a water system that appeared to collect water from the roof and supply it to the home. The discovery was made when builders dug up the courtyard of a former convent to make room for a new Christian centre, just meters away from a Basilica. It was not clear how big the dwelling is, however Alexandre’s team have uncovered about 85 square metres of the house, which may have been for an extended family and could be much larger.

As workers at the site carefully chipped away at mud with small pickaxes to reveal stone walls, archaeologists found clay and chalk vessels which were likely used by Galilean Jews of the time. Based on clay and chalk shards found at the site, the dwelling appeared to house a “simple Jewish family.” The scientists concluded a Jewish family lived there because of the chalk, which was used by Jews at the time to ensure the purity of the food and water kept inside the vessels. The shards date back to the time of Jesus, which includes the late Hellenic, early Roman period that ranges from around 100 B.C. to 100 A.D.. The determination was made by comparing the findings to shards and remains found in other parts of the Galilee typical of that period.

The absence of any remains of glass vessels or imported products suggested the family who lived in the dwelling were “simple,” since the remains did not indicate whether they were traders or farmers. The only other artifacts that archeologists have found in the Nazareth area from the time of Jesus are ancient burial caves outside the hamlet, providing a rough idea of the village’s population at the time.

Work is now taking place to clear newer ruins built above the dwelling, which will be preserved. The dwelling will become a part of a new international Christian centre being constructed close to the site and funded by a French Roman Catholic group. Alexandre stated limited space and population density in Nazareth means it is unlikely that archeologists can carry out any further excavations in the area, leaving this dwelling to tell the story of what Jesus’ boyhood home may have looked like.

The shroud was found in this 1 CE cemetery (Israel Antiquities Authority)

The Hebrew University’s Prof. Mark Spigelman, one of the leading researchers who studied the molecular evidence from the tomb, believes the isolation was due to the fact that the shrouded man suffered from leprosy and died of tuberculosis. The DNA of both diseases was found in his bones. The excavation also found a clump of the shrouded man’s hair, which had been ritually cut prior to his burial. These are both unique discoveries, as explained by Hebrew University spokespeople, because organic remains are hardly ever preserved in the Jerusalem area owing to high humidity levels in the ground.

The evidence revealed by the remains indicate that tuberculosis and leprosy may have crossed social boundaries in the first-century C.E. Jerusalem. A number of clues included the size of the tomb, its location alongside a High Priest, the type of textiles used as shroud wrappings and the clean state of the man’s hair; suggest that the shrouded individual was a fairly affluent member of society in Jerusalem or a priest himself. According to Prof. Shimon Gibson of Hebrew University, the tomb would have faced directly toward the Jewish Temple of the time.

This is the first time fragments of a burial shroud have been found from the time Jesus was alleged to have been active in Jerusalem. The shroud found in the cave known as the Tomb of the Shroud, is very different from that of the Shroud of Turin, which was claimed to be the one used to wrap the body of Jesus. Unlike the complex weave of the Turin Shroud, the recently discovered shroud is made up of a simple two-way weave, as the textiles historian Dr. Orit Shamir was able to show.

The burial shroud may disprove the claim that the Shroud of Turin is from first-century Jerusalem. Based on the assumption that this is representative of a typical burial shroud widely used at the time of Jesus, researchers concluded that the Turin Shroud did not originate from Second Temple-era Jerusalem. Further details of the discovery are published in the December 16, 2009, issue of PloS ONE Journal for peer-reviewed scientific and medical research.

There are two entrances to the ruins

The ruins were first discovered in 1934. The synagogue dates back to the fourth century, and Jews apparently abandoned it in the eighth century, during the beginning of Muslim rule. Dr. Doron Sar-Avi, explained that most ruins, such as those from the same period of time near Susiya (a Jewish town in the southern Hevron hills), happen to be in Jewish communities. Several Arab homes in Samoa include doorposts that stood in the ruins, including a depiction of menorahs.

Former place of altar and Holy Ark