The story of Vendyl Jones
 
 
Vendyl M. Jones, a native of Sudan, Texas, has been excavating the Caves of
Qumran beside the Dead Sea for over twenty years. Vendyl and his Jewish wife,
Zahava, live in Qiryat Bialiq, Israel and have their U.S. Office in
Arlington, Texas. He holds both American and Israeli citizenship although he
is a Christian and holds degrees in Divinity and Theology.
 
In 1977 Randolph Filmore, a free lance journalist volunteered to work at
Jones' Qumran Excavation. He wrote a script about Jones and the excavation
"In Search For The Ashes of The Red Heifer." The script came out in the form
of the movie "Raiders Of The Lost Ark" with another "Indiana Jones."
 
"That is a great movie," says Vendyl. "The main difference is that the show
was really a drag as compared to our excavation. More than anything else,
that was `fiction' while our excavation is fact."
In April, 1967, Vendyl moved his late wife, Lois, and five children to Israel
so he could enroll in Hebrew University Department of Jewish Studies. His
studies were interrupted in June '67 by the Six Day War. June 16, 1967 issue
of TIME magazine featured Jones "as the only American to fight with the
Israeli Army." Though color blind, he volunteered as a forward observer and
in a matter of minutes on the front lines he spotted four Jordanian anti-
personnel bunkers and sixty-six anti-tank bunkers that the Israeli Army had
not seen. "I had a ring-side seat for half the duration of the war --- three
days." He also served in the 1982 conflict in Lebanon. He remains active in
high tech Israel defense projects, but refuses to discuss their particulars.
 
The Israeli Government commissioned Jones to do a texts information for the
Israel tour guide course at Hebrew University. The project was extended to
his being appointed as Southwest Director of the Government Tourist Office
to develop college consortium programs between the Americans and Israeli
universities in archaeological excavations in the Land.
Jones is considered as a foremost authority in Judaism as well as the
geography, history and archaeology of the Land of Israel. In addition to his
studies in Judaica at Hebrew University, he studied in the Lubervitchur
Chabad Yeshiva and in Beit Kabballah, the two most Orthodox Rabbinic schools
in Israel.
 
He pioneered the concept of Covenant Plurality which has of recent been
accepted in three major denominations. "Covenant Plurality" says Jones, "is
very simple. You simply interpret the Bible in the plain, ordinary, simple
and normal meaning of the words. Don't add unstated meaning or `spiritualize'
the passages. Define the words based on the root of the original tongue.
Interpret the words based on the hermeneutical principles of each particular
level. Do not conjure theological expressions into the text that are not
stated. If one follows these principles he will conclude that every covenant
God made with mankind is eternal and as valid today as when it was spoken."
 
"Jesus did not alter one jot or tittle of the Law and Prophets. Therefore,
the church had no right to do so four centuries later as the Byzantine church
fathers did. Nor do we have the right to do so today. If Jesus did not change
it, theologians have no authority to do so."
"Covenant Plurality" means, that when God makes a deal He keeps it, and he
did not put all his eggs in one basket.