Brit-Am Now no. 1314
March 12 2009, 16 Adar 5769
Contents:
1.
Khazar
Origins
2. Another Brit-Am Appeal
3. Was Esther Blond?
4. Joan Griffith: Joseph Dumond
quotes Brit-Am
5. Question on the Galilee and Benjamin and Early Christianity:
6. More on Ephraimites
Converting and Brit-Am Advice
7.
Parshat
HaShavua
(Weekly Torah Portion) Ki
Tisa
Exodus 30:11-34:35
1.
Khazar
Origins
http://www.britam.org/KhazarIndex.html
The Khazars traced themselves to the Tribe of Simeon [The Schecter Text]. Eldad
HaDani (ca. 850 CE) who was himself a Khazar (as well as other Jewish sources)
traced the Khazars to the Israelite Tribes of Simeon and Manasseh.
Two different copies of a letter purportedly from a King of Khazaria to Hasdoi
Iben Shaprut (915-970 CE) traced their origins to Kozar, a son of Togarmah.
Togarmah is mentioned in Genesis in the Bible as a grandson of Japheth. Togarmah
traditionally was identified with the Turks. Unfortunately the documents from
Iben Hasdoi now in our possession had passed through the hands of Abraham
Firkovitch (1786-1874) a noted Karaite and forger. Firkovitch tried to provide
proof that the Karaites were descended from the Khazars and that the Khazars
were not of Hebrew ancestry. He hoped that if his case was accepted the Russian
officials would treat the Karaite community more leniently than if they were to
be regarded as of Jewish origin. Firkovitch is on record as having
"manufactured" evidence. The Letters from Iben Hasdoi have definitely been
tampered with. That is why we have two different versions of them. Internal
evidence indicates that the information concerning Khazar origins in the letters
of Iben Shaprut is an interpolation. This information appears to derive from the
same source as that found in the boos "Sefer HaYashar" and "Yossippon" which are
Medieval forgeries.
All other Jewish sources appear to assume that the Khazars are "Jews" meaning
from the context of Hebrew descent.
The Arabs were familiar with the Khazars. Some of the Arab sources describe them
as "Jews" while others give them other origins.
The Early Russians at the beginning were subject to the Khazars and most of
their sources describe them as "Jewish".
English and German sources describe the Khazars as "Jews" from the Lost Ten
Tribes of Israel.
Archaeological and historical studies confirm the Hebrew origins of the Khazar
people.
http://www.britam.org/Khazarbook.html
2. Another Brit-Am Appeal
Here we go again.
Last week we made an appeal and people answered.
This helped us take some of the burden of some of the debts that have
accumulated in these past months.
If every week was like last week Brit-Am might reach a new peak.
As it is Brit-Am functions beyond its means.
Veteran subscribers are aware that, taken overall, we do not really exaggerate.
Sometimes we make appeals frequently and at other times relatively seldom.
We may be approaching a new era for Brit-Am.
We hope to be able to take the message to many more people, to improve and
deepen it.
At present we have a hurdle to overcome and we ask you, our subscribers, to help
us do so.
The Brit-Am Message may well help the State of Israel, the Jewish People, the
USA, Britain,
Scandinavian nations, the Netherlands, South Africa, Ireland, Australia, New
Zealand,
and all other entities in which are to be found descendants of the Lost Ten
tribes
of Israel in significant numbers.
We believe we have an answer.
At all events we do what we can.
We endeavor to impart a realization of ancestral Biblical truth into your lives
to bring a blessing to yourselves and us.
Relatively speaking there are not that many of you. Statistically only a few of
you will be able or willing to help us.
If our numbers increase we may not need to bother you all about money so much.
Anyway we need funds quite badly.
We sincerely believe that anyone who gives to Brit-Am will be blessed by the
Almighty
in both the spiritual and material-physical spheres.
Please make an offering to Brit-Am either through PayPal or snail mail.
If you have not purchased our publications it is recommended that you do so.
Brit-Am really is a good thing and you are part of it.
Show us that you believe we are worth it.
God bless you
Yair Davidiy
Brit-Am works on behalf of ALL Israelites including both the Ten Tribes and
Judah.
Brit-Am depends on offerings and purchases of Brit-Am Publications.
To contribute to Brit-Am send a check to one of the addresses below:
In North America:
Yair Davidiy
2017 Van Buren St.
Hollywood
FL 33020
USA
Outside of North America and in Israel
or from North America if wishing to attach a personal note to Yair.
Yair Davidiy (please make checks out to Yair Davidiy)
POB 595
Jerusalem 91004
Israel
or by PayPal:
http://britam.org/contribute-Brit-Am.html
3. Was Esther Blond?
Tuesday (10th March 2009) was Purim in most places outside of Jerusalem and
a few other places where Purim took place on the next day.
Purim concerns the Book of Esther.
A Midrash says that "Esther" was "yirakraket".
The word for green is "yerak" but in Midrashic terminology it can also mean
"yellow".
"Yirakreket" according to Iben Ezra and in Modern Hebrew would mean "a little
green" but in Midrashic (and according to Rashi Biblical)
Hebrew it can mean "very yerak".
i.e. it could mean "very blond".
Esther apparently did not look typically Jewish.
This could be why King Ahaseurus did not realize from what nation she came?
At all events, whether Esther was really blond or not,
blonds were to be found amongst Israelite Peoples alongside brunettes,
black-hairs,
and redheads.
See:
THE PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY OF THE HEBREW PEOPLES
http://www.britam.org/anthropology.html
and
Pictures of Ancient Hebrews
http://www.britam.org/HebrewTypes.html
Whether Esther was or was not blond she was an important heroine in Israelite
History.
The Book of Esther in the Bible is dedicated to her.
A New BAMBI Broadcast discusses Esther.
The Book of Esther Summarized with some Brit-Am Insights
http://britam.org/Broadcasts/newBAMBI/Esther.mp3
(ca. 1 hour 13 minutes)
Talk is a little long but it has been well received.
To ensure uninterrupted listening preferable to save broadcast to your hard
drive.
4. Joan Griffith: Joseph
Dumond
quotes Brit-Am
Subject: Sabbatical Cycle
I am watching a Canadian guy, Joseph Dumond, talk about the next Sabbatical year
beginning I guess at Passover. It is a video online at
http://video.yahoo.com/watch/2876786/8261629
The reason I am bringing this to your attention is that he mentions
Yair Davidiy and The Tribes and another of your books.
================================================
================================================
Brit-Am Comment:
Good to see someone giving us accreditation.
Ephramite activists often use our sources and research but sometimes fail to
mention us.
5. Question on the Galilee and Benjamin
and Early Christianity:
Hey Yair,
I've read from a lot of people that Benjamin settled the region of Galilee by
the time of Christ. So far, the only justification (besides theological
reasoning I doubt you'd agree with since it has to do with things Jesus said)
I've heard of is from Nehemiah 11 where Judah settles Jerusalem and villages
south of it while Benjamin settled in the villages north of it. Do you know of
anything specific concerning the house of Judah settling the Galilee region?
Nathan Proud
================================================
================================================
Brit-Am Reply:
We usually avoid questions of this nature but for once will make an
exception.
The Galilee belonged to Tribes from Northern Israel who were exiled by the
Assyrians.
Isaiah speaks of "Galilee of the Nations" in connection to the exile of
Israelite Tribes:
[Isaiah 9:1] BUT THERE WILL BE NO GLOOM FOR HER THAT WAS IN ANGUISH. IN THE
FORMER TIME HE BROUGHT INTO CONTEMPT THE LAND OF ZEBULUN AND THE LAND OF
NAPHTALI, BUT IN THE LATTER TIME HE WILL MAKE GLORIOUS THE WAY OF THE SEA, THE
LAND BEYOND THE JORDAN, GALILEE OF THE NATIONS.
##GALILEE OF THE NATIONS has been understand to refer to the Galilee in Israel
whereat dwelt many Gentiles.
A Jewish Commentator (whose name we have temporarily misplaced) however says
that here it refers to the area of
Gozan by the Habor River in the North where a portion of the Ten Tribes were
exiled to. We agree with this explanation.
In the time of Josiah ben Amon small groups of Scythians and Jews may have tried
to re-settle the Galilee in Israel but were unsuccessful and left.
For more than a hundred years after the exile of the Northern tribes it was
practically unpopulated.
In fact for several centuries there were not so many people there despite the
relative fertility and benign climate of the region.
Later it began to be re-populated by non-Jews but slowly.
By the time of Ezra and Nehemiah and the Jews returning the area was controlled
by Gentiles but Jewish settlement did begin.
The Hasmoneans conquered the area and intensified Jewish settlement in the
region.
Nevertheless there were always many Gentiles in the area.
I do not know of any source suggesting that the Jewish inhabitants were mainly
from the Tribe of Benjamin
but that does not mean that such a source does not exist. If it does, please
produce it.
Obadiah says that Benjamin shall possess Gilead but it is doubtful what he
means. He is speaking of the End Times
and anyway Gilead is not Galilee.
[Obadiah 1:19] AND THEY OF THE SOUTH SHALL POSSESS THE MOUNT OF ESAU; AND THEY
OF THE PLAIN THE PHILISTINES: AND THEY SHALL POSSESS THE FIELDS OF EPHRAIM, AND
THE FIELDS OF SAMARIA: AND BENJAMIN SHALL POSSESS GILEAD.
The Talmud says that inhabitants of the Galilee had their own dialect and could
not pronounce Hebrew correctly.
Some have suggested that the Galilean pronunciation gave rise to that of
European Jews
and that the Ashkenazic Jews (i.e. those of Europe) were predominantly from
Benjamin.
In the NT it says that 11 of the disciples were from Galilee while Judas was
from Judah.
Judas was the one who betrayed the Christian Messiah. Certain Central European
anti-Semites suggested
that the 11 disciples were descended from Gentiles who had settled in the
Galilee and converted to Judaism.
They were "Aryan" and loyal whereas the only one who was not loyal happened to
be the one who was truly Jewish.
The idea that they were all from Benjamin may be a variation of this
myth.
Paul said he was from Benjamin and there were some Gentile sources claiming he
was a convert.
Traditionally Jews have been reluctant about accepting converts for several
reasons.
These reasons include:
a. Incidents of unreliability in times of stress.
b. Acceptance of converts is perceived by the Gentiles as a threat and engenders
hostility and persecution
in which very often the new converts are the first to leave.
c. Converts sometimes having religious notions, ideological commitments, and
moral understandings of their own that they try to combine with Jewish
practice.
We mention these points due to the recent talk of "Ephraimites" Converting.
6. More on
Ephraimites
Converting and Brit-Am Advice
Ben
Zentgraf
<ben@hostawebsite.co.za>
wrote:
Shalom Yair
I appreciate your feedback and understand why BritAm does not involve itself
directly within the conversion/religious sphere of discussions. This makes
100% sense considering your organization's goals.
I'm very glad that we both foresee a similar method regarding a "conversion"
process for Ephraimites. Your illustration of other groups of non-jews who
"converted" and joined the Jews in Eretz Israel is a very practical one and
definitely provides the highest chance of long term success. Such a pilot
group of Ephraimites would result in a massive awareness of the 10 Tribe
movement and lend much more credibility to the movement and its proponents.
Jewish and break away Christian (Bnei Ephraim) communities throughout the
world would at long last have some form of recognition. This will set the
basis from which many other institutional structures can be built upon.
I can easily see 1000 or so Ephraimites join into such a pilot group with
some of their core motives being,
1. Recognized as the spiritual/physical decedents of the
lost ten
tribes and to openly repent from rebelling agains haShem and his anointed.
2. to learn Hebrew & Torah in a systematic way
3. to learn the customs and traditions of the house of
Israel as
nurtured by the Jews in exile.
4. to attend pilgrimage festivals of Israel
5. to re-introduce the structured synagogue service with
the
rabbi-talmid structure of learning
6. to eventually settle Samaria and other regions as
indicated in
prophesy in close-nit communities with self supporting and complementing
industries.
7. to prepare for the final reconciliation of the Two
Houses at the
appearance of Messiah ben David
8. and very importantly, and I believe the main reason for
the majority
of Ephraimites converting now and "loosing" their identity, the motive of a
structured and torah true community wich will allow for our children to grow
up as Jews/Ephraimites/Israelites.
With backing from several scholars such as yourself, and hopefully also 1 or
2 prominent Rabbis this group could make serious strides in promoting the
prophetic goals of reconciliation. These Rabbis could work in close
co-operation with the newly established Sandherin and other major yeshivot
in Eretz Israel. They would be able to successfully compile a "soft"
conversion syllabus in consultation with Ephraimites that could be
implemented during the span of several years. Local co-operation from Beit
Dins in countries like the USA, South Africa, New Zealand etc. etc. could be
brought onboard to facilitate Hebrew/Aramaic training which will allow them
to learn and understand the literature and songs of the synagogue. The same
Jewish communities could then also present this "soft conversion" syllabus
to Ephraimite groups and help them to establish torah-aligned communities
and synagogues.
The Christian Bible in Acts chapter 15 instructs gentile converts to go to
synagogues on Shabbat and there they'll "hear" Moshe being proclaimed. This
concept would be essential in convincing Ephraimites, from their own
writings, to actually drop their replacement theology based community
structures and teaching and once again involve themselves in authentic Torah
learning under Judah's watchful eyes.
I suppose there are several ways that this reconciliation can/will happen,
but I thank you for any comments as they can only help in refining the
concepts.
Regards,
Ben Zentgraf
===============================================
================================================
Brit-Am Reply and Advice:
You do not need a 1000 applicants to start with. Even 10 or 20 should be enough.
Take who ever comes and appears committed enough to see the process through.
Do away with any "Ephraimite" notions of compromise on religious matters. It
will be not accepted
and only cause trouble for others who are genuine.
Instead of thinking of a "soft conversion" syllabus consider the possibility of
an intensified learning course
that reduces time limitations while actually heightening the standards to be
achieved.
Normally less than 15% of converts remain religious. You should aim for a 100%
that remain Jewishly observant.
If you are forced to settle for less do not let the percentage of non-religious
be a large one.
You want people who are prepared to obey the Halachic Law and desire to do so.
No need to look for Rabbis. Genuine prospects for conversion are much much more
important especially
at the beginning. If these are available the Rabbis will be found.
Forget the so-called "Sanhedrin".
It does not exist and it now seems to have been a pity that an attempt was ever
made
to create it.
Avoid any such "creations" in the future.
Forget beti-din (Jewish Religious Coursts) outside of the Land of Israel.
Aim for standards that the Ultra-Orthodox would accept.
If the Ultra-Orthodox say OK everyone else will follow.
Keep away from nut-cases and eccentrics who are liable to embarrass these
efforts and confound them.
The aim should be to find Ephraimites who want to convert anyway; Who will come
together in a group;
and request that on their Conversion Centificate mention be made that they may
be descended from the Lost
Ten Tribes. This is enough. It could be an important beginning.
The Conversion Centificate in itself is nothing more than a bureaucratic legal
document.
It has no halachic standing.
This actually helps us since even if there be authorities who disagree with us
there should be no serious
opposition to such a provision being made.
After the Conversion it would be good if the "group" were able to stay together.
Jewish settlement in Israeli kibbutzim and settlements has often been planned
along similar lines.
A group of people form in their home country, get to know each other, come to
Israel and settle in the
same place providing mutual support in the initial stages.
In this case the "getting to know each other" phase could be during the
Conversion Course and immediately after it.
Avoid extraneous considerations.
Emphasize quality of commitment and speed of proecessing.
Be prepared for opposition as well as support from unexpected quarters.
Ephraimites should realize that these efforts are furthering their cause.
Jews should be given NO reason to think an attempt is being made to missionize
them or to do anything against
Judaism.
7.
Parshat
HaShavua
(Weekly Torah Portion) Ki
Tisa
Exodus 30:11-34:35
http://britam.org/Broadcasts/newBAMBI/PaKiTisa.mp3
(ca 44 Minutes)
The half-shekel piece, Atonement through Giving,
Incense, Annointing Oil, Shabat, the sin of the Golden Calf
and an explanation for it, the only GOD is the God of Israel
as HE reveals HIMSELF in the Bible, Divine Providence,
the Choseness of Israel.
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