Page 22 - TORCH Magazine #23 - July 2023

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4. Mystery of the Stone of Destiny
A significant, and rather mysterious, link to the Bible is the Stone of Scone, also known as Stone of Destiny, or Stone of Jacob. This
large oblong block of red sandstone was originally used in the coronation of the monarchs of Scotland before it’s first use by an English monarch, King Edward I, who captured
it from the Scots in 1296. Historically, the monarch would sit on the stone itself until a wooden platform was added to the Coronation Chair in the 17th century. Today, the Stone of Scone is kept in Scotland, but was brought down to London specially for the Coronation. There is a tradition that the Biblical Jacob used the stone as
a pillow when he had the dream of angels ascending and descending the staircase that reached into heaven, known as Jacob’s ladder. Jacob blessed and anointed the stone with
oil. We don’t know if this theory is true, but there
is a matching stone in Bethel. The mention of a pillar stone in the kingly anointings in 2 Chronicles 23 and 2 Kings 11 has led some to speculate that it could be this same stone.
5. Israel’s support today
President Isaac Herzog represented the State of Israel at the Coronation. The Palace made arrangements for him and his wife Michal
The Stone of Scone during a service marking its arrival to Westminster Abbey.
to stay at a royal residency within walking distance so that they could walk to the ceremony without violating their Shabbat (Sabbath) observances.
A similar arrangement was made for the UK’s Chief Rabbi, Sir Ephraim Mirvis, who described the Palace’s handling of the logistics as “respectful and sensitive”. Buckingham Palace kindly allowed him to stay at
the King and Queen’s residence the night before the Coronation. They even arranged for Rabbi Mirvis
to walk the same route
taken by a predecessor, Chief Rabbi Hermann Adler, who, in 1902, attended the coronation of King Edward VII, also on a Shabbat.
On that occasion the Coronation was moved to
a Saturday due to the King being ill, setting a precedent for Rabbi Mirvis to follow.
Our prayer is that King Charles III will lay hold of the Biblical values that are the fabric of this nation’s Judaeo-Christian heritage and that his ‘Jerusalem anointing’ will lead him in turn to bless Israel during his reign.