"Brit-Am Now"-851
Contents:
1. Randall Stiver: The Bow of Ephraim
2. Tamar Yonah and company: Remarks on the Radio Show with Yair Davidy and Rabbi Feld
3. Alternative Commentary: New Insight?
4. Re-Unification Candidate?
5. Not Happy with Brit-Am?
1. Randall Stiver: The Bow of Ephraim
From: Randall Stiver <rpstiver@earthlink.net>
Subject: The English Longbow
Hello Yair,
Have enjoyed the two letters about the English longbow as a key of identifying England with Ephraim. The subject strikes a chord with me because I carve primitive longbows as a hobby. My goal this coming summer in Ohio is to carve a classic English style "D" longbow.
The bow - whether long or shorter - is prominent in the prophecy of the tribe of Joseph in Genesis 49: "...the archers have bitterly grieved him, shot at him and hated him. But his bow remained in strength..." From this we notice that archery was pervasive in the ancient world, but Ephraim and Manasseh would excel with the bow.
The great English longbow was a man tall bow (often over six feet long). It was a simple design that could be made very strong and durable for battle or the hunt. Edward I fought the Welsh who rudely introduced him the their elm longbows' efficacy in battle. He brought the idea back to England and the yew longbow resulted.
We know how strong the battle bows were because the Mary Rose sank in the harbor on her maiden voyage. When she was raised in the 1980s (if memory serves) were several dozen bows, hundreds of arrows and other archery supplies. The ship had cannon because it was the Elizabethan era, but the longbows were apparently used in the crow's nest to clear an enemy ship's deck when the English sailors were preparing to board.
Exact dimensional replicas of the Mary Rose bows were made by skilled bowyers in England to see how powerful the battle bow really was. They found that the lightest bow pulled 90 pounds at full draw and the heaviest pulled 160 pounds. For comparison purposes the six foot longbow I hunt deer with now only pulls 68 pounds and few of my friends are able to pull it comfortably. The English longbows were fiercely strong. They were designed to efficiently shoot heavy arrows that had the momentum the shoot through most armor of the day at closer ranges.
To use bows that strong the common Englishmen who formed the ranks of archers had to condition themselves from boyhood on. Laws were passed by various kings to ensure that all able bodied men and boys shot so many arrows as certain distances every week. The British monarchs essentially trusted the common man enough to require him to become proficient with a weapon that could shoot through his kingly armor. Not many countries trusted their peasants so much. The longbow in a way ensured the development of English democracy and ultimately the prophesied greatness there an in America.
The longbow came into its own during the battles of Crecy and Agincourt in France during the Hundred Years War. Although England won the battles, they lost the war in the sense that they lost control of any part of France. The longbow helped establish England as a nation on her own and a mighty force to be reckoned with, thus forging the future of Great Britain and the USA.
But the longbow was not the first time in the tribe of Joseph's history that the bow played an important role. The Parthian Empire was ruled and dominated by Scythians. Of them the Parthi were the ruling class and the Massagetae were at times allies and citizens. The Scythian composite bow was a highly recurved bow made of wood, horn, sinew and rawhide - very short (for shooting from horseback) and very powerful.
I believe it was Herodotus who recorded the requirement to become a typical Scythian warrior. The mounted archer had to shoot three arrows at a target 60 bow-lengths away (60 to 70 yards), and the third arrow had to be in the air before the first arrow hit the target. I have taught archery are our church youth camps for over ten years. Recently I had some of my best camper-archers join me in trying to do some speed shooting to help them comprehend the difficulty that was the routine of the Scythians. Our attempts were slow and clumsy.
Like the Scythian archers, the recurved Scythian bow was impressive and heavily copied. From my reading it appears to be the ancestor of the Mongol, Indian (in India), Magyar, and Turkish composite, recurved bows that were so devastating in the hands of those armies.
Back to Parthia - Rome fought the Parthians on numerous occasions and each time the mounted archer light cavalry served the Parthi cause well. In one of their first battles against Rome the Parthians archers almost annihilated the entire force of 40,000 men under the command of general Crassus in 54 BCE. They developed the terrifying tactic of the Parthian Shot - ride up to the enemy infantry, mill around as if in confusion, then when the troops drop their shields to charge the horses, shoot rapid fire arrows back over the rump of your horse.
Which Israelite tribe were the Parthi? Could they possibly have been Ephraimite, or at least Josephite? The word for covenant as in "covenant people" was in Hebrew B-R-T. B and P are phonetically interchangeable, thus B-R-T could also be P-R-T, the keys consonant sounds of Parthi. Thus the battle bow of Britain, although different in design, is connected to the battle bow of the Parthian Scythians.
Kind regards,
Randy Stiver,
Pataskala, Ohio, USA
Randall Stiver
rpstiver@earthlink.net
EarthLink Revolves Around You.
2. Tamar Yonah and company: Remarks on the Radio Show with Yair Davidy and Rabbi Feld
http://www.britam.org/Broadcasts.html
This entry consists of
(i) A letter from Tamar Yonah to Yair Davidiy
(ii) A Letter from TS to Tamar Yonah
(iii) Tamar Yonah Quoting a latter from TS
(iv) Tamar Yonah Replying to TS
(v) Brit-Am at the request of Tamar Replying to TS.
Note: TS is a Messianic Christian and part of the correspondence between her and Tamar
concerned religious issues that Brit-Am does not wish to be concerned with
and which perhaps were of a private nature. We have therefore removed these sections.
(i) From: Tamar Yonah <tamary@israelnationalradio.com> wrote:
Hi Yair,
Just in case you would like to comment on this. If you don't want to, then you can just read it so you are aware what someone wrote, and you may want to clear things up, maybe write an article on your website making your stance on this issue clearer?
Best,
Tamar
(ii)
From: TS
Subject: Re: Show with Yair davidy and Rabbi Feld
To: Tamar Yonah <tamary@israelnationalradio.com>
Tamar,
I was simply asking, as I said do you really believe these guys...? To me they sound iffy about some, but as I said I do agree with some of their information. I did listen to their interview and have looked at the website, I know they say they don't agree with replacement theology, and that is why I used the word AKIN TO. The thing I found a problem with is that it seemed like they were possibly encouraging people who they felt had ancestry of Ephraim and other nations and felt a kinship with Israel to claim Jewish or Israel Identity, without proof. I think this can be dangerous, you can have every Sam, Joe, and Ralph, jumping on the band wagon! You understand the issue.? Where I got this opinion mainly from is not only from what he said but his Ephraim criteria on his website. and I believe he gives other Jewish and or Israel criteria on the website that can be very misleading. I am not judging the mans heart, I do not know him, that is for G-D of course...
Many Blessings on You,
T
(iii)
Tamar Yonah <tamary@israelnationalradio.com> wrote:
At 11:25 PM 1/25/2007, you wrote:
Tamar,
First off let me say I love your show! I have been in California all my life but I would love to be in Israel! I am sure you miss California at times! Especially with such as it is there. However I understand the ice issue I have lived in the mountains here in Southern California and currently live in high desert, snows once or twice a year. OK to the point! I don't know when their interviews aired?but... Do you really believe these guys? I am not saying they are all wrong, of course there are some of the lost 10 tribes throughout the world. and yes I am sure some people are not aware of their Jewish ancestry. Yes many forsake the G-d and the Torah and should return to Judaism. However I came upon the brit-am website by accident and by their belief since my ancestors are dutch, Irish, Scottish, British, and others, and I've always had a real deep desire almost yearning you'd say to help and relate to the Jewish people / Israel in general then I must be the most Jewish person in my Messianic congregation!!! I should go announce it on shabbat. I don't think that would go over very well! That is like saying because I have Indian in me and I have always felt for the Indian people and their trials I should convert to the religion begin worshiping the sun gods and receive all the inheritance that goes with it. or because I feel for the Africans in the Sudan I am African, and of one of those lost tribes. You get my point. It is not that I don't think they have come up with some truths about ancestry of the lost tribes that have been scattered and are not in groups like the ones coming home that have kept their Jewish roots. I just think alot of what they are saying is akin to the replacement theory and the Ephraimite error which are some of the biggest lies of satan out there today! If satan can sway G-D's people to believe lies and mix the truth with lies then he ultimately wins. This Yair Davidy..? is this his real name? he doesn't articulate very well... yes an Australian accent, however he sounds more like, well not to be mean but as the teens here in the states say "are you on crack?" and I will end with this question for you about yair davidy, in your opinion......do you really believe him?
In my prayers,
TS
(iv)
Shalom TS,
I don't know EVERYTHING that Yair Davidy has on the webite but I do know he is a very frum [religious] Torah jew. I know him for years and he is not at all a believer in replacement theology. In fact, I think he states that somewhere on his website... wait, i did a search. See: http://209.85.135.104/search?q=cache:aJ5GM9N-9GYJ:www.britam.org/now/686Now.html+replacement+theology+site:www.britam.org&hl=en&ct=clnk&cd=7
and look for # 3 and start reading from there.
Yair does not and never has said that the people who once might have stemmed from a lost tribe are Jewish. Anyone wanting to be a Jew cannot claim he is by his belief that he stemmed from a lost tribe. one must have a halachic orthodox conversion by a kosher orthodox
'bet din' (court) and must agree to taking on the mitzvoth, must renounce any thoughts of another god ....
Also, in an interview I did with him, he speaks about this, http://www.britam.org/Interview.html (mid page).
So, my answer to you that yair is not on crack, or anything else. He is a Torah observant orthodox Jew. There are 'crazzies' who like to attack people who don't believe as they do, and many of these people were once christians themselves, so have an agenda to attack and try to prove they are true Jews, this is very sad. They besmirtch the name of good people, and this is a very serious offence in Judaism. ..
All the best,
Tamar
(v) Brit-Am Answer:
The writer apparently was not at ease with our message though lacking a coherent explanation as to what exactly was wrong with it.
The objections are not all explicitly enunciated but are implied. They seem to be:
a. The Brit-Am message is too broad and lets in too many outsiders who may not really belong.
b. The Brit-Am message though opposed with Replacement Theology could be confused with it?
c. Yair Davidiy is not Messianic?? and is against missionaries.
d. People tend to identify with who they associate with or learn about so Christians will tend to identify with
Israelites.
e. Yair Davidiy has an Australian accent, does not speak properly and gives a bad impression?
and does not go by his real name?
f. Maybe Brit-Am does have some true points but mixes them with what may be false ones
and therefore is an agent of bad egg agencies?
In reply
(a) the Brit-Am message is the truth as far as we know it.
Potentially it could encompass a great many people and Scripture says a great many people are involved.
http://www.britam.org/Proof/Blessings/blessNumbers.html
The Brit-Am message is getting out but it is not getting out enough
and "too many people" is definitely not a problem at the moment.
There is however another problem.
Our message is that a significant proportion of people within certain nations are of Israelite
descent. On a collective level the nations they belong to have obligations as a nation:
See:
"The Duties of Ephraim"
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesJoseph.html#DUTIES
As individuals no-one can be sure that they descend from Israel.
They may assume that they are so based on their instinctive inner feelings
and also based on the degree of probability that exists if they belong to
a group has a high proportion of probable Israelites within it.
Even if technically they do not descend from Israel they will be considered Israelites in the End Times through dwelling amongst Israelites and identifying with them as prophesied by Ezekiel.
[Ezekiel 47:22] AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS, THAT YE SHALL DIVIDE IT BY LOT FOR AN INHERITANCE UNTO YOU, AND TO THE STRANGERS THAT SOJOURN AMONG YOU, WHICH SHALL BEGET CHILDREN AMONG YOU: AND THEY SHALL BE UNTO YOU AS BORN IN THE COUNTRY AMONG THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL; THEY SHALL HAVE INHERITANCE WITH YOU AMONG THE TRIBES OF ISRAEL.
A problem arises however when people take it for granted that they are Israelites
and make their own deductions assuming that they should be considered as fully-fledged
Israelites by everybody else.
This phenomenon can take the form of a demand that either at the level of religion they should be
accepted as the same as Jews amongst Jews or be given equal rights as Israelites alongside the
Jews under the Law of Return.
These are extreme cases but they exist.
These cases emanate from groups other than Brit-Am whose membership sometimes takes
a parallel interest in Brit-Am. Very often the people concerned have not read much of what Brit-Am
or anybody else actually says but are moved by their emotions.
It is difficult to know how to address this issue
but we can emphasize:
If you belong an "Ephraimite" nation your nation has peculiar Israelite national duties.
You have an obligation as a member of the nation to do what you can that the national duties
be fulfilled.
You also have obligations on the private level as someone who may be aware that they are
of Israelite origin.
Nevertheless until your Israelite Origin has been publicly resolved
you cannot expect public recognition.
The process that will bring about the necessary recognition involves spreading the relevant information
as a preliminary step. This is what Brit-Am is doing.
(b) The Brit-Am Message could also be used to counter Replacement Theology.
(c) Our religious beliefs do not get in the way of our spreading the truth as we believe it to be.
Our purpose for being (rightly or wrongly) is not to counter any particular belief but rather to spread
the truth concerning Israelite ancestry as we understand it.
We are opposed to Missionaries since we are religious Jews and all religious Jews should
be opposed to attempts to subvert their beliefs. This however is not something we push.
It is there if one looks for it. It is not the reason for our existence but something that is forced on us
due to pressure in the opposite direction. We are not the ones initiating deviation from
a concentration on Israelite Ancestry. Neither are we allowing ourselves to be dragged
into other matters. Our record is clear on this issue and here as in everything else we strive to
maintain the maximum degree of visibility.
(d) Most Christians do not identify with Israelites. Most of those who do are Israelites.
It may be that they identify as Israelites having been lead to do so through their religious studies.
If such is the case, this was the intention of Divine Providence.
(e) Yair Davidiy according to reports sometimes speaks reasonably well and sometimes less so.
The Australian accent combined with a tendency not to always properly enunciate every word
can make understanding the message difficult but most people do understand it
and some even find the accent attractive.
Broadcasts by Yair may be heard from the Brit-Am Web Site:
http://www.britam.org/Broadcasts.html
Dissatisfaction with Yair Davidiy or with any other member of Brit-Am as personalities should not be allowed
to disqualify the validity of the Brit-Am message.
Yair Davidiy has lived in Israel since 1974. He changed his name from something that meant approximately the same in English. The name change was partially due to a mix up on his part combined with certain Israeli Bureaucratic Regulations. What ever the reasons the name has stuck and Yair is pleased with it and so are most others.
The name has been with us longer than any other name we ever had.
It is what we are known by and identify with and what we bequeathed to our children.
Evidence just received also indicates that the name we had previously may not have been our original
family name anyway.
(f) One cannot please everyone.
Our impressions are that the Brit-Am research conclusions are correct ones and have been confirmed by additional information.
People who believe in Brit-Am make a good impression.
Brit-Am has had a good effect on the whole as far as we can tell.
The Brit-Am Message is a true one.
There may be imperfections in the way it is presented etc and in everything else.
Nevertheless, as we repeat frequently, the question should be only:
Is the Brit-Am Message Correct??
If it is, everything else is superfluous. If you decide you basically agree with Brit-Am then you can help
us by supporting us and empowering us to improve and also through Constructive Criticism.
3. Alternative Commentary: New Insight?
http://azamra.org/Bible/Hosea%201-2.htm
"Say to your brothers, My people and to your sisters, Shown love" (v 3). Metzudas David and RaDaK (in the name of Rav Sa'adia Gaon) interpret: "You, the children of Judah and Benjamin, say of your brothers, the children of the Ten Tribes, that they are My People just like you and likewise say Shown-Love of the women of the Ten Tribes". In this verse Jews thus have a clear directive to reach out to the returning members of the Ten Tribes and help them return to their Israelite roots.
4. Re-Unification Candidate
From: Rosemary <ro.isi@siouxvalley.net>
Subject: RE: "Brit-Am Now"-840
NONSENSE!
Dankenbring talks of possibly George Bush being the anointed one of "ben
Joseph" that would rise up and unite the tribes of Judah and Jospeh. It is
interesting to note on www.koshertorah.com that Rabbi Tadzok also believes
that a "ben Joseph" will arise just before the ben David messiah. Tadzok
also states this ben Joseph will be of Israel decent (from today's
geographic Israel) but Dankenbring's suggestion that Bush could be that ben
Joseph is really interesting. Tadzok said the ben Joseph would not be seen
outwardly as an Israelite just as Joseph did not in Egypt. ...Blessings
5. Not Happy with Brit-Am?
From: Michelle
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-850
You know what I find most annoying? the fact that you state with utter assurance what the children of Jacob from Ephraim's line is supposed to do in one breath , then in the next, claim that your do not support a religious stand point, when in this instance you are supporting the Noahide Law movement. Well, I happen to believe what Yahweh says about the Law covenant that he made for ALL TWELVE TRIBES. Why do you persist in believing and teaching that Torah observance {10 commandments}is only for Judah , Benjamin and Levi? This is Against He whom you call HaShem!!!I suggest you stop mis-representing the Ephraimites as Foreigners whose forefathers NEVER received the covenant with Judah because it is an all out LIE!!!!
You know that the curse of the law is hurting the USA and Britain right now, because they don't do Torah. The blessings came as unconditional promise to Abraham but are only there for a time . In order to retain these blessings of physical and National wealth, they are only kept through obedience. But, you are not allowing them to know that all their Sabbath breaking and pagan mixture of worship with the true is killing them. Don't you care? Or, are you worried about the Rabbis Law that says that a Goy can't keep The Sabbath Holy and is punishable with death? If you support Them keeping the Torah like the covenant they accepted at Sinai with your fathers that said they should, you will be safe from the Almighty One, Blessed be He. Remember Watchman, the blood is on your hands if you do not warn them correctly. The reason it is so important to know who they are, is so they can take their rightful place and obey for the good of the world. If they don't know who they are, then when something good happens in the bible, it is for them, and if something bad happens, it is for the Jews 'over there'. They will blame Ephraim and Manasseh or House of Israel stuff on you, and they do, and they loose out on their blessings, and will continue to falter. It's time for them to take responsibility for their own sins, instead of foisting them upon Judah!! Believe me, if and when the USA and Britain falls, this world will not be a pretty place for anyone.
Michelle
Note: Brit-Am does not really support the Noahide Movement.
We leave it alone but wish them well.
Your points may be correct but possibly for another time
and another entity. Read entry no.2 above carefully.
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