"So you came back alive?"
This was the most common question people asked me once I got back home to Finland after my six weeks voluntary time in Caspari Center. That shouldn't have been such a surprise, because everybody was praying for me in panic! I've been many times in Israel because my hobby is biblical archaeology. This summer I wanted to stay longer in Israel after the excavations and spend more time in the land. But how to do that cheaply and in a useful and interesting way?

For me as a Christian, Israel is most of all the land of Jesus and the Bible. But although it is the land of biblical history it doesn't belong only to the past. Israel and the Jewish people still have a role in God's plans. To bless Israel in the best way is to give them the best I have and that is the forgiveness of sins and eternal life in Yeshua. Actually, we are bringing back the Gospel to its roots, back to where it started!

When I heard about the possibility of working as a volunteer at Caspari Center I was excited. To be able to meet local people, Jews and Arabs who believe in Jesus, hear the latest news, and sense the atmosphere on the spot sounded like a good way to spend my summer holiday. And if I could support the work of the Gospel in Israel by cleaning floors, arranging books in the library, and going to the post office, that wasn't too much to ask.

I really enjoyed my time at Caspari. They probably test the sense of humor of every person they hire to work for the Center! Cleaning floors isn't any nicer or holier a thing to do in Israel than in Finland, but during these weeks I once again realised the importance of prayer. We are called to pray for the peace of the land, but most of all for the peace of hearts on both sides of the conflict. People are seeking in Israel, and in many cases they are very open with their questions about the purpose of life and religious things. I had an unforgettable three hours when I answered the questions of one haredi (ultra-orthodox) man and talked very directly about sin and forgiveness in the blood of Yeshua.

Israel is geographically, culturally, politically, religiously, and in many other ways a land of extremity. Spiritually, people can be very open and "ready" and at the same time you can find the most stubborn and religiously misguided people. Although Israel is the Holy Land, the holiness isn't in the buildings or places and definitely not in the people! The holiness is in and comes from the Holy God of Israel. God has a plan for Israel, as well as for our lives. He is faithful in His promises and able to fulfill them. It is a great privilege and mercy to be part of God's plan and very exciting to wait and see what He does!

Hanna Lindberg is a schoolteacher from Finland who took time during her summer vacation to come and volunteer at Caspari Center.


Carl Paul Caspari - Who Was He?
(Editors note: We are frequently asked, "Who was Caspari and why is our study center named after him?" This article, adapted from a longer article by Oskar Skarsaune, should help answer your questions.)

Carl Paul Caspari was born of Jewish parents in Dessau, capital of the small principality of Anhalt-Dessau, in what later became East Germany. His parents belonged to the Haskalah (Enlightenment) movement inspired by Moses Mendelssohn. Caspari received both a Jewish and a modern education, being taught European languages and literature as well as Hebrew and Torah (although not Talmud). He also studied classical Greek and Latin before going to university. He enrolled in the University of Leipzig as a student of Oriental languages, specializing in Arabic. He produced an Arabic grammar text book which was the standard work in its field for many years.

Behind this brilliant academic facade, Caspari was deeply troubled by religious questions. He began as a convinced Jewish rationalist. As a disciple of Kant and Mendelssohn he adopted the slogan "You shall, therefore you can!"

His own experience did not prove this to be true, however, and this, together with a Christian student friend, led him into an excursion into Romanticism. This too failed to provide a solution to his dilemma. From this point, Caspari was influenced by Christian friends who belonged to the Lutheran Pietist revival movement. The most influential of these friends was another study comrade, Franz Delitzsch.

Caspari began to attend church regularly in 1836. Gradually, he grew convinced that Jesus the Messiah was the only one who possessed the solution to his existential problems. He was baptized at the age of 24, on Pentecost day, June 4, 1838. At this time he added Paul to his name.

His friend Franz Delitzsch tried to persuade him to become a full-time missionary to the Jews, but Caspari decided that he had a different calling. He would use his competence in Old Testament exegesis and Oriental languages in the service of apologetic Old Testament theology, against rationalism and its criticism of the Bible. He felt that "In this way I would also serve my brothers according to the flesh … not in the ordinary way as a missionary, but through my writings." Caspari studied Old Testament from 1839-41 in Berlin under the famous scholar Hengstenberg. He then returned to Leipzig and worked with Delitzsch in publishing Old Testament studies. His life took an unexpected turn in 1847 when he applied for a position as lecturer at the University of Oslo (then Christiania). Following his appointment he spent the rest of his life as a lecturer (from 1857 as professor) of Old Testament at the Theological Faculty. Although he was very influential as a biblical scholar, he became even more well known for his pioneering research into the history of early Christian creeds.

Caspari was also active in Norwegian church life. In 1861, he became the first chairman of the Committee for the Mission Among the Jews, established in Oslo that year. He remained in that position until his death in 1892. It was this organization (renamed the Norwegian Church Ministry to Israel) which established, in 1982, the study center in Jerusalem which bears his name - The Caspari Center for Biblical and Jewish Studies.


Israelis in India
India is an exciting destination which promises much to the young seeker. It is colorful, vibrant, and exotic, and drugs are freely available. It therefore comes as no surprise that it is one of the most popular places on the itinerary of Israelis. Some are looking for an escape from the pressures of daily life in Israel; others are seeking a more profound spiritual experience. There are tens of thousands of young Israelis in India at any given time, many of whom are far more open to the good news of Jesus there than at home.

Caspari recently initiated a project called "Jews in the East." The project is designed to assemble, train, and send small outreach teams to the Far East. Lisa Loden, Caspari's Managing Director, recently joined the first team in India for ten days and experienced first-hand the challenge of mingling with Israelis who may or may not be looking for answers, confronting their openness to all forms of spirituality, and getting past the drug-haze which many of them inhabit.

Caspari intends to conduct this project twice a year, in April and September. The teams spend a month training at Caspari and three months in the Far East. They are led by an experienced team leader with four years' experience in the field. The hope is that team members will come from Israel and around the world.

While the main focus is on Israelis, there are many opportunities to reach out to the international seekers and travelers who are also a part of the India scene. The most recent newsletter sent out by the team leader in India mentioned encounters with Japanese, French Canadian, Dutch, British, and other Europeans. The famous full moon trance parties that cater to the pleasure seekers continue, and in the words of the Jews in the East team leader, "There are lots of Israelis here, parties are booming most nights and there's an even more frantic edge then usual."

This is a time of great opportunity to share the gospel with Israelis traveling in the Far East. If you are interested in this program, would like more information, or know anyone who might be a candidate to join one of the Caspari Jews in the East teams, please contact us.





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