"Brit-Am Now"-748
Contents:
1. New Dolmen [Israelite?] site discovered in Syria
2. Compliments to Brit-Am
3. Robert Jones: Kurds and Moab
4. Kevin: Russian Germans in America
5. Steve Coneglan: The Civil War and Joseph
1. New Dolmen [Israelite?] site discovered in Syria
Satellite images spy ancient history in Syria
Australian National University reports on what recently declassified satellite images have revealed about ancient human settlements in Syria,
http://www.physorg.com/news73840698.html
"The dolmen site in particular is a significant find, because in other parts of the Middle East these structures are usually associated with Bronze Age pastoral peoples," Ms Mottram said.
2. Compliments to Brit-Am
(a) "a great web-site"
You have a great web-site and I always eagerly anticipate your updates. I purchased a copy of THE TRIBES a few years back and was delighted with it.
Thanks.
Shalom forever.
Tommy West
NC
(b) Fast Delivery of Books
From: "K"
Dear Yair,
Thank you for sending the books so quickly. I live in Alaska and often expect quite a delay as it usually takes an additional 2 weeks from the continental US to recieve packages and bulk rate mail. (First class and priority services are very reasonable)
I placed an order with you on July 25th and recieved the order on Aug 8th. I am amazed at the rapid shipping the Israel Post Office gave to the package. You may pass on my congratulations to the workers who did such a nice job--and in time of war, too.
My prayers are with all of you.
Brit-Am Reply: In the above case everything apparently "clicked" at the right moment.
Normal delivery time however from our receiving the order until it reaches the customer
can vary from ca. ten to twenty-one days.
3. Robert Jones: Kurds and Moab
Mr. Davidiy,
About the Kurds. Agree that the Kurds have little chance of being from the tribe of Israel. However, there is a better chance that they are Moabites. Many have said that modern Jordan and the Hashemites were Ammonites who returned to their "homeland". They would use their ancient name as their new capital in Amman. The Moabites have been more or less lost. If my memory serves me correct, the Moabites were called Kir-Moab.
Their capital was called Kirharesh or Kir Hareseth and I've even seen just Kirak Moab. I imagine the abbreviation of Kir comes from Kiriath or City.
There was a city in the Assyrian empire that was called Kir that the Arameans of Damascus were carried off too. This name of Kir written by Isaiah may have been an Anachronistic name that was given to it after further exiles were brought into this area. So quite possibly, this place of exile is where the name Kurd comes from. Whoever these exiles were who were placed in this Assyrian city of Kir developed a tradition of being called Kurds. Today in "Kurdistan" Iraq there is also a city of Kirkuk within the same area of exile.
There is a distinct possibility that today's Kurds are the Moabites of old.
Rob Jones
Florida
4. Kevin: Russian Germans in America
Dear Yair
I read your conclusion on German Descent which stated: "that large numbers of Israelite descendants once dwelt in Germany but they moved out. The last great movement taking place in the early 1800s to North America." However I wanted to get your opinion on the Russian Germans. My personal family history is that my fathers side were Russian German Jews, with a large amount of Jewish Women marrying into our family. Upon the late 1880's my forfather moved to romania then hungary then southern Russia, over a short 2 year period. He did not state why he moved, but we have concluded that since it was a time of great German prosperity and he moved to poor contries, it is becasue they were not excepted because they were too Jewish. Then in southern Russia they lived in a small community of some 300 people. His records also do not state why he left there, but they do state that when he arrived in SD, America the first people he saw on the frontier were his neighbors in that small russian community. This was all about the time period that the Russians were kicking out the Jews in southern russia, as portrayed on Fiddler on the Roof. He also stated that when they arrived on the SD prarie there was nothing but bones scattered as far as they eye could see, and they had to eat bone bread for the first winter to survive.
However they stayed in SD, so it was somehow better that they other plaves in europe and russia. Anyway the small town of Eureka which was where they went and founded completely by Russian-Germans, as well as most in the area, strangely has many Jewish families in them, and the graveyards contain many Jewish names. And the Russian Germans that still reside in these tight nit communities have a very Jewish appearance and personalities. Some even speak some Yiddish. Anyways the Russian Germans in the late 1800's came to America by the thousands founding town after town throught the Dakotas, Wyoming, Montana, Ect. All of the wide open spaces. What do you think jewish integration with them, israelite descent, or maybe both? I personally identify them with either Dan or Manasseh for numerous reasons I wont state becasue of length. However I would love to hear your educated opinion. I also have been informed that the Russian Germans were kicked out of Germany in the late 1800's and then out of Russia in the 1890's. And they are much different in physical features and personallity and culture than the Germans of today, they are definately of a different nationality, and quite a numerous one. Though due to struggles they have not had much of a homeland to identify them with, so they have been kind of lumped with Germans. A kind of forgotten nationality.
Shalom and thank you
Kevin
5. Steve Coneglan: The Civil War and Joseph
From: Steve Coneglan <swaggerz@hotmail.com>
Subject: The Civil War and Joseph
(a)
Dear Yair,
I don't know if anyone has brought up this point before, but here is a little something relating to the American Civil War that seems to justify your contention that Manasseh is best exemplified by the USA.
http://www.civilwarhome.com/1manassas.htm
It appears that the first major battle of the Civil War was called the Battle of First Manassas by the Confederates; and the First Bull Run by the Unionists. Both of these names point to Manasseh: a most telling factor considering the impact of the Civil War upon the American psyche.
Joseph was represented by the banner of the Bull (the Hebrew 'owth' refers, among other things, to tribal signs - Numbers 2:2 - and to star signs - Genesis 1:14) as we see at Deuteronomy 33:13-17, and Ephraim and Manasseh are the horns. Because Manasseh is the firstborn, he can rightly claim to be the first bull. Thus the Battle of First Manassas also being the First Bull Run.
In related matters, the breastplate stone for Joseph is the shoham, our modern white agate. Surprisingly, the old Jewish sources claim the shoham is black, the exact opposite to what colour it actually is! However, it must be remembered that these old sources are nothing short of guesswork, and no authority deserves to be attributed to them. The Northern Kingdom was ancient history by the time these writers were commenting on the breastplate, and nothing tangible remained of either the tribes or the breastplate as a source for tribal colours. I believe we have a lot more information on these topics in our day and age to make a better judgment on these matters.
The most likely etymological source for the shoham is the verb "shaw'ham", meaning 'to be pale', or 'to blanch', indicating whiteness.
The Bull being Joseph's tribal emblem, we note the words of Virgil - already ancient folklore at the time he wrote - that 'the white bull with golden horns opens the year'. A quick look into ancient history, including druidic and Hindu sources, shows that it was the white bull that was regarded as sacred.
Little wonder, then, that we see the national colour of Ephraim / England is white; and that Manasseh / American governance is symbolised by the White House. It makes sense that Joseph's colour is white. Although he was given the coat of many colours, which probably symbolised all his brothers and thus piqued their jealousy, we now know that all colours are merely subsets of white light. Joseph was made the head of his brethren, the chief of the colours, just as white is the origin of all colours.
A further thought. The four leading tribes in the Wilderness were Reuben, Judah, Dan, and Ephraim. Standing in for Joseph, Ephraim's colour is the white of shoham. (In any case, Ephraim is represented by one of the white shoham shoulder stones of the ephod). Reuben's colour is red, the colour of the odem stone. Judah's colours are red and white, the nophek being a mixture of shoham and odem, our modern sardonyx. (There's a lot of symbolism in this aspect of Judah's stone). Dan's colour is the blue of sappir, the lapis lazuli. This is why the colours red, white and blue are so prevalent amongst the tribes today.
Very much enjoyed the Israeli postage stamps at your website. Don't necessarily agree that all the tribal symbols are correct, but that is neither here nor there. Particularly pleased to see that each tribe has its full spelling, namely Zebulun and Benjamin.
My thoughts and prayers are with our Jewish brethren as you resist the Islamic fascists at your doorstep. Be strong in the Lord and in His mighty power.
Stephen Coneglan
(b)
First the etymology of shoham. The same triliteral root (shin - heh - mem) means, according to Gesenius, 'to be pale' (Gesenius's Hebrew and Chaldee Lexicon, ed. and trans. Samuel Prideaux Tregelles, Samuel Bagster and Sons, 1856(?), p.DCCCVII). James Strong attributes to the same root the meaning 'to blanch', ie to make white, although I don't have a copy of his lexicon with me at present to give a page reference. I can assure you, however, that this is so. I am not familiar with the Hebrew 'shacham', but do not believe it has any part to play in the etymology of the shoham stone. The shoham is definitely not black, burnt, or dark. It is white!
The national colour of England is white, and this is emphatically shown in the teams that represent the nation in sports. We don't march out to war any more and carry our colours. The closest we come is when we carry our nation's colours in sports. In former days I was a great enthusiast for rugby union (which I firmly believe to be the quintessential Israelite sport), particularly its history. The only major rugby playing nation that never changed its national colours (until 1999, that is) in over more than 120 years of international competition was the English, a fact of which they were very proud. They always wore white. White shorts, white shirts with a red rose on the breast. England also competes in white at the Commonwealth games.
In New Zealand we refer derogatarily to the English as lily-white poms. I know you hail from Australia, Yair, and may have an inkling of how important sports in particular are to the nations descended from Ephraim.
I will put a little more research into this matter over the coming weeks, and maybe can come back to you with more information on this subject.
Brit-Am Reply: The point about "the Battle of First Manassas" the Little Bull Run
has been brought up before on our list but it is good to hear such points afresh.
See:
http://britam.org/now/now486.html
#1. The Civil War: Manasseh versus Ephraim?
see also:
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesUSA.html#Confederates
Shoham in Hebrew "shoham" is a precious stone in Hebrew
translated as Onyx (Exodus 25:7).
A related word is "ShaCham" usually understood to mean "burnt" or
"dark".
This matter needs looking into. It does happen that the same or similar word-root
can in some cases be applied to describe both one thing and its diametrical opposite.
The Midrash says that the National Color of Joseph was black.
The point about red, white, and blue being Israelite national colors was also
mentioned by S.R. Hirsch in his Biblical Commentary and whom we have quoted
from in the past.
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