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Was Buddha an Israelite?
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Cam Rea
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It sounds crazy, it sounds stupid, and it just cannot be true or possible.
Nevertheless, maybe it is possible that the one known as Buddha was indeed an
Israelite.
In order to understand how this could be or how this is possible, let us
backtrack for a short bit to something many of you are already familiar with,
and that is the Assyrian invasion and deportation of the Northern Kingdom of
Israel.
In 734 BCE, the Assyrian forces invaded the Kingdom of Israel and
took part of the tribes into captivity this was the first invasion. The second
invasion was around 720 BCE in which the Assyrians deported the rest who stayed
who were not deported during the first invasion.[1] Now according to the Bible
the Israelites were sent to various locations to the east of their former
kingdom. The books of I Chronicles and II Kings give us a description as to
where they were resettled. In the book of I Chronicles 5:26 it says:
"And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria, and the
spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria, and he carried them away, even the
Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh, and brought them
unto Halah, and Habor, and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day."
However, the book of II Kings 18:10-11 gives us additional detail to where the
exiles were sent:
"10And at the end of three years they took it: even in the sixth year of
Hezekiah, that is in the ninth year of Hoshea king of Israel, Samaria was taken.
11And the king of Assyria did carry away Israel unto Assyria, and put them in
Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes:"[2]
The Israelites were scattered and settled in five different areas throughout the
Assyrian Empire and maybe even more. However, our focus will be the areas
further to the east where some of the tribes of Israel were sent such as Hara
and the possible vassal states to Assyria, which were Magan and Meluhha. These
areas just mention were located in Aria/Hara[3] and in the Indus valley or in
India itself.[4] Now from these areas emerged a people known as the Saka or
Scythians. These various Saka/Scythian tribes were none other then the exiles or
the descendents of the exiles from the northern Kingdom of Israel. The name Saka
is a form of the name Isaac for the consonants S-C or S-K and we must understand
that in Hebrew no vowels were listed.[5] These various Saka/Scythian tribes
eventually migrated to the east entering into what is today the nation of India
particular the northwestern part of India. However, some seem to have penetrated
and settled in what is today the nation of Nepal, and this is where are
investigation begins on origins of the one called Buddha.
Buddhism, a religion that has millions of followers worldwide may in fact have
Hebrew roots and Hebrew origins. We will not discuss the spiritual beliefs of
Buddhism but rather the founder's origins in terms of ethnic and tribal
identity.
Buddha, whose real name is Siddhartha Gautama, was born sometime in the late 6th
century BCE[6] in Lumbini grove, which is said to be a royal park of the Sakyas,[7]
which is located in between the Kapilavastu and Devadaha townships.[8] While
others suggest he was born in a village of the Sakyas rather then Lumbini
grove.[9] According to tradition, his father was King uddhodana of Kapilavastu
and his mother was Queen Maya who was the daughter of Devadaha. Devadaha was the
brother of King Suddhodana. The tribe, which Buddha is associated with, was
known as the Sakyas. Buddha is said to have come from the Gautama or in the Pail
language Gotama's clan, which are a branch of the Sakyas tribe. The clan from
which Buddha comes from is noticeable in his name, Siddhartha "Gautama or Gotama".[10]
But who were the Sakyas and who was this clan called Gautama? That is what we
are about to discover in this next piece.
The Saka tribes that settled in what is today Nepal was known and referred to as
"Shakya". However, the Shakya also referred to themselves as "Khathiya"[11] and
are said to be a branch of the Gautam family or clan.[12] The name Shakya is
another rendering of the name of Saka, which translates to Isaac.[13] The Shakya/Saka
also refer to themselves as "Khathiya". The name Khathiya is also rendered as
Koushal, or Kushal,[14] and the name Kushal seems to be another form of the name
of Cush/Kush. The name Cush can be applied to Ethiopia and Africa. However, the
name Cush was also applied to indicate ancient India or rather portions of what
are today the nations of Afghanistan and Pakistan as well as northwestern India.
However, due to the vast amount of land that is called Cush by the classical
writers, the specific area from which the Shakya came from within the land
termed as Cush is nearly impossible to determine.[15] In addition, and before we
forget, these Shakya in particular are said to be a branch of the Gautam family.
The name Gautam is of interest for the name itself seems to point to none other
then the Israelite tribe of Gad. When we take a closer look at the name Gautam
and break it down, we get the name Gaud for the "t" can sound as a "d:[16] and
thus be interchangeable, and sounds and looks similar to the Hebrew name for
Gad, which is "Gawd".[17]
In conclusion, when we break down the names, we get a partial picture of the
migrational trail in which these Shakya/Sakyas took. First is the name that they
are identified with, which is Shakya/Sakya, and as you can see it is another
rendering of the name Isaac, thus indicating that they are from the land of
Israel. This particular branch also refers to themselves as Khathiya, which as
you have just read is another name for Kush/Cush, and suggests that when they
were taken into exile by the Assyrians and were placed most likely in Hara and
from their migrated eastward to the land called Cush otherwise western portions
of India at a later date. Now, Buddha's clan as you already know by now is
Gautam/Gautama/Gotama. All of these names point to none other then the tribe of
Gad as already stated. When we add the fact that they referred to themselves as
Khathiya, which translates to Cush, then Gandhara seems to be the area of choice
for Gandhara is next door to the lands called Cush. Gandhara [im Old Persian was
named Gadar meaning Hara of Gad] and had been named after the tribe of Gad.[18]
This suggests a presence of that tribe at one time before this particular clan
made their push into the land of Cush and then finally settling in the land of
what is today the nation of Nepal.
[1] Rea, The Assyrian Exile, p. 43-44.
[2] King James Bible
[3] Davidiy, The Tribes, p. 72-73, 77
[4] A. Parpola and S. Parpola, 1975, On the relationship of the Sumerian
Toponym Meluhha and Sanskrit Mleccha, Studia Orientalia 46
[5] Collins, Israel?s Lost Empires, p. 197
[6] Hirakawa, Groner, A history of Indian Buddhism, p. 22
[7] Muthiah, Where the Buddha walked, p. 13
[8] Rahula, A critical study of the Mah vastu, p. 196
[9] Mukerji, Asoka, p.27, 201
[10] Hirakawa, Groner, A history of Indian Buddhism, p. 20-21
[11] Viyogi, Nagas: The Ancient Rulers of India, p. 138
[12] Gour, The Spirit of Buddhism, p. 51
[13] Collins, Israel's Lost Empires, p. 197
[14] Gour, The Spirit of Buddhism, p. 52
[15] Davidiy, The Tribes, p. 131
[16] Collins, Parthia, p. 17
[17] Strong's Exhaustive Concordance, H1410
[18] Davidiy, The Tribes, p. 91
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