The Israeli Embassy Flags off The Third National Bible Contest.
By Ene Ikpa
The Third National old Testament Bible contest takes off in Abuja.
The competition which kicks off on Wednesday has the theme “Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity”- (Psalm 133:1)
The Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency Shimon Ben- Shoshan in his flagship speech noted that the relationship between Nigeria and the state of Israel.
According to him, “This year, we are commemorating 60 years of diplomatic relations and and friendship between the state of Israel and the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
Reiterating the significance of the Bible contest, the Ambassador said, the Bible has served has a compass in faith, uniting humankind despite various differences.
Over the years, the contest has helped to bring together people of diverse backgrounds while stressing the importance of Biblical education.
Speaking on the focus on the old testament, Deputy Chief of mission Yotam Kreiman, said, the old testament is what is considered in Hebrew as the ’Torah’ the law , the first five book of Moses.
For Christianity, there’s Old Testament and the New Testament. We feel the Old Testament is what brings the different phase together because this is what we have in common. So focusing on the Old Testament is relevant for Jews, Christians and anyone who has understanding for faith and believes in their heart.
It’s where the Ten Commandments are, and we are following the rules that guide us. It is our moral compass. This is where we base our unity, our friendship, our collaboration and ability to do things together.
The Bible contest commences in all states of the federation of Nigeria on Wednesday March 4, 2020 . The competition is open to all candidates from age 18 and above. Registration begins on Wednesday through a link that will be available on the website of the Embassy to Israel in Nigeria.
The Bible contest will proceed in three stages: at state, zonal and national levels, with two finalists from each state proceeding to the next level to compete against the others. The first two stages will be internet- based and the final stage will be handwritten in front of panel of professional judges some of whom will come from the Israeli ministry of Education.
