As the COVID-19 crisis worsens worldwide, the Nation of Israel requests that the Vatican immediately return to Jerusalem the Temple vessels that have been stored in Rome for nearly 2000 years. 

Rabbi Levi Sudri, an award-winning Bible expert, noted that a divine message must surely be contained within the coronavirus.

“It is clear to everyone that we are living in powerful times,” Rabbi Sudri said. “It is our responsibility to understand what God wants from us. We have no prophets today, so we need to do our best to understand.”

Rabbi Sudri pointed out that the coronavirus began in China and very quickly took hold of Italy in a counter-intuitive manner. 

“What is the connection between China and Italy?” Rabbi Sudri asked. “They are geographically distant from each other. That is true but they have a spiritual connection in that they are both centers of two different types of idolatry.”

Italy is, in fact, the country with the second-largest outbreak of coronavirus outside of China with over 21,000 cases reported and over 1,400 deaths. The country’s healthcare system has been overwhelmed by the sudden spike of COVID-19 cases, despite a week-long lockdown of the entire nation in an attempt to slow the spread of the virus.

“In Daniel’s vision, he spoke of the feet of the idol which is Rome” Rabbi Sudri explained, noting that the distinctive boot shape of Italy hints at this Biblical reference and is referred to in Hebrew as ארץ המגף (eretz hamagaf; land of the boot). Rabbi Sudri noted that the word  מגף (magaf; boot) shares the same root as the word מגיפה (magefa; epidemic).

“The word ‘corona’ means crown and that is precisely the issue,” Rabbi Sudri said. “Rome stole the crown from Israel, the utensils from the Temple, so they are being struck by the crown virus.”

Josephus Flavius, a first-century Roman-Jewish scholar of priestly descent, reported that the Temple artifacts were indeed taken to Rome and placed in Vespasian’s Temple of Peace, completed in 75 CE.

Since that time, there have been several unverified sightings of the Menorah in the Vatican, but most are second-hand or anecdotal claims that point fingers without providing actual proof.  In the second half of the 12th century, a Spanish Jew known as Benjamin of Tudela made a tour of the known world, traveling as far east as Mesopotamia. He claims in his journal that the Jews of Rome knew that the Temple vessels were hidden in a cave in the Vatican.

“This is a historic opportunity to bring the world to its rightful state and to stop the Coronavirus from devastating humanity. The response of the global political, medical, and scientific communities in the face of the present pandemic is noble and necessary. We ask the Vatican to enable the Nation of Israel to do its true part,  beyond the development of vaccines and the effecting of quarantines in which Israel is already engaged.

Restoration of the Temple services will crown the Rock and Redeemer of Israel, thus completing the efforts needed to bring about the historic change that humanity now seeks.”

Rabbi Sudri also made his request in Italian.

“De Jérusalem, En ces jours difficiles de pandémie mondiale du au Corona, une demande historique a émergé du peuple d’Israel:

“Le peuple demande au Vatican de tenir une audience d’urgence au sujet des instruments du temple de Jérusalem ( détenus depuis 2000 ans au Vatican) et de les restituer au peuple d’Israel en Israël la terre sainte.

“C’est un événement historique! Nous émettons cette demande car il en va de la paix mondiale. In questi giorni difficili, arriva la richiesta storica: il pubblico israeliano chiede al governo italiano di tenere un’audizione di emergenza sulle navi del Tempio (che è tenuta dal Vaticano) e sul loro ritorno in Israele.  Questi sono i momenti storici”

Rabbi Sudri noted that the plague is focusing on religious centers.

“Italy is, of course, the crown of Catholicism, and has been hit very hard by the coronavirus,” Rabbi Sudri noted. “But also Iran, the head of Shia Islam has been hit equally as hard. And in Israel, the focus seems to be Bethlehem, the focus of Christianity.”

Rabbi Sudri noted an internal reason for the coronavirus to strike Israel.

“We are warned in the Bible not to count the Jews lest we bring upon ourselves a plague,” Rabbi Sudri said. “Due to excessive elections, we have counted Israel, not once but three times.”

“In addition, the Jews have to return the crown to Jerusalem,” Rabbi Sudri said, noting that Netanyahu made a political decision to deny the right of Jews to pray on the Temple Mount. “Instead of the proper crown, a Jewish Temple, there is the Dome of the rock, a modern day larger-than-life replica of the Golden Calf.”`

It should be noted that on Sunday, the Waqf (Muslim authority) ordered the silver-domed al Aqsa Mosque and the gold-domed Dome of the Rock closed until further notice. Jews are still visiting their holiest site; the Temple Mount.