In the January 2000 issue of Israel Today, a magazine published, obviously, in Israel is the story of the "Hill of Evil Counsel". This hill is south of the Old City of Jerusalem and south of the Mount of Olives. It has had its name since the time of Jesus.

Interestingly, in order to get to the Hill of Evil Counsel from the Old City one must pass through the Valley of Gehinnom (or Gehenna) or through Akeldama. In Greek Gehenna means "hell". It was where the city's trash was thrown. There were rats and vermin there and fires smoldered there continually. Akeldama is the field Judas bought with the money obtained by his betrayal of Jesus (Acts 1:19).

In the time of Jesus, the Hill of Evil Counsel was where the homes of two High Priests were located. Hannas and his son-in-law Caiphus lived there. It was Caiphus who led the Sanhedrin when it demanded the death of Jesus.

Prior to the time of Jesus this same hill was home to Antioches Epiphanes IV. It was he who in 165 B.C. foreshadowed the anti-Christ by desecrating the Temple of God. It is said that he sacrificed a pig on the altar of the Temple.

In 1920 the Hill of Evil Counsel became home to Government House, the headquarters for the British in Palestine. The British were not very supportive of the Jews. The Jews suffered at the hand of the British. The Jews were not allowed to have any weapons, not even pistols or revolvers. In 1948 when Israel became a state, the British withdrew from what they called Palestine and left all of their weapons, tanks and artillery, to the Arabs!

By the way, the land is properly known as Israel. It was Israel until the Romans deported the Jews in 135 A.D. The Romans shipped the Jews to slave markets all over the Roman Empire and then renamed the land of the Children of Israel. They named the land for the enemy of the Jews, the Phillistines. In Latin "Phillistine" is Palestine. In their own language today the Palestinians call themselves "Phillistines".

It is interesting how traditions continue to hold true. Black or darkness traditionally indicates evil. White or light traditionally indicates good. The Hill of Evil Counsel traditionally has been the location of anti-God or anti-Israel forces.

Who lives on the Hill of Evil Counsel today? The United Nations has an administrative compound on the hill. In the future will the United Nations fill the role of an anti-God or anti-Israel oppressor?