"Brit-Am Now"-197
Febraury 19, 2003
Contents:
1. Theodor Opatowski: Israelites in Cornwall and King Alfred
2. Why are Western Jews called "Ashkenazim"?
3. Viking-Origins and Crusader Explanation
4. Ancient DNA may be misleading scientists
5. Quotation
6. Jewish and Israelite Souls and Ancestry
7. Replies to The troublemakers for Brit Am
1. Theodor Opatowski: Israelites in Cornwall and King Alfred
Subject: Re: Brit-Am Now"-196
It may be a coincidence that you are discussing the tribe of Asher and the
connection between the ten lost tribes and Britain just when I was going to
raise the subject, or maybe not.
While researching my wife's ancestors who hail from the south-west of
Britain I came across some very interesting facts. In his book " The Jews
of Soutth-West England" Rabbi Dr. Susser Gives the earliest history of the
Jews in Cornwall and he connects them with the voyages of the Phoenicians
from Tyre and Sidom in search of the tin and lead that was mined there (and
is still mined there). They were, of course, closely connected to the
tribe of Asher who's territory was in the same location and who traded and
sailed with them, possibly being the motivating partners. One of the
obvious places for the Tribe of Asher to escape to was therefore the known
harbours of Cornwall. Rabbi Susser quotes numerous Israelite connections to
Cornwall including ancient place names and the similarity of the local
Celtic language. From there they may well have traded into such places as
Ireland, Scotland and Scandinavia in general which became at one time part
of a great maritine trading empire governed by strict laws. They may also
have traded to Nornandy, which is close to Cornwall in many ways, and which
later also added itself to Britain.
The point should be made that it is not so much the people of the ten lost
tribes that have an effect as the Torah that they bring with them and which
they preserve. Following this logic I looked up early English history in
Chuchill's "The Island Race" and found a very interesting series of
historical facts relating to King Alfred and the kingdom of Wessex. On
page 20 of the above book there are two maps of England, one being the
position before the Danish invasion and the other being during the Danish
invasion.The map of Wessex before the invasion shows that Cornwall (called
West Wales) was not part of Wessex. The second map shows Cornwall as
having joined Wessex. On his accession to the throne of Wessex King Alfred
met defeat after defeat with a five year interval bought with a high ransom
to the Danes. Nothing much happened in those five years. After a final
defeat where he was himself a fugitive his men managed a local victory on
Exemoor which is close to Cornwall. Then everything changed. He routed
the Danes at a huge battle and they in turn were completely defeated. And
suddenly King Alfred turned into a merciful if not magnanimous statesman
sending his enemies away from the battlefield with gifts. He then
strengthened his kingdom and particularly the navy and negotiated a
political boundary with the Danes. But more importantly he set up a system
of law. To quote Churchill;
"King Alfred's book of laws, or Dooms, as set out in existing laes of Kent,
Wessex and Mercia attempted to blend the Mosaic code with Christian
principles and old German [Anglo-Saxon] customs. The laws of Alfred,
continually amplified by his successors, grew into that body of customary
law administered by the shire and hundred courts [captains of hundreds?]
which, under the name of the laws of St. Edward (the confessor), the Norman
Kings undertook to respect and out of which ... the common law was founded."
In other words Mosaic law, the Torah, is the basis that Alfred put into
English law to this day and British law is very close indeed to the Bible
and the Mishnah. [For example the smallest legal entity is a peppercorn in
both legal systems and they do not grow pepper in England.] Where could
King Alfred have got the 'Mosaic code' from except from the influence of
tribe of Asher when Cornwall joined Wessex? And it is this element of Torah
that has given success to the English speaking peoples ever since.
Theodor Opatowski
2. Why are Western Jews called "Ashkenazim"?
Question:
Why are Western Jews called "Ashkenazim"? Is it because of the Khazars?
Answer:
The reason European Jews are called Ashkenazim has nothing to do with the
Khazars.
The whole idea of the Khazars and their conversion and awareness of it is
largely a modern
phenomenon. It did happen historically that at least some (maybe all) of
the Khazars converted to
Judaisim but people in the west were largely unaffected by it.
Germany was considered to be the land of Ashkenaz. The Gentiles of Germany
were considered
to be at least partly descended from Ashkenaz. A Jew from Germany was
termed an "Ashkenazi"
in the same way as a Jew from Australia amongst other Jews might be termed
an "Australian".
Jews from Germany ("Ashkenazim") came to have a dominant influence (after
moving eastward) over
all European Jews. Subsequently all European Jews came to be called
"Ashkenazim".
Similarly, Spanish Jews were called "Sephardim" since "Sephard" was the
name for Spain.
After the Jews were expelled from Spain they went mainly to North Africa
and the east. They became
the leaders and influential elements in those communities. Consequently in
popular parlance all
Eastern Jews came to be called "Sephardim".
This is well known and I think quite simple to understand and easily verified.
Incidentally even though the Khazars converted to Judaism, they did have a
prior tradition of having been Jews.
Many Jews lived amongst them. The Khazars had a tradition (accepted by Jews
who were familiar with them)
that they were descended from the Tribes of Manasseh and Simeon.
3. Viking-Origins and Crusader Explanation
From: vonquark
Subject: Re: Brit-Am Now"-196
A more plausible explanation is this: The Crusaders came
from Norman England [descended from Norman Vikings],
Norman/Frankish France [the Franks may have come
from Denmark] and Germany primarily. These intermingled
and it is NO WONDER the DNA of Lebanon shows
Viking traces. Have you ever seen Lebanese, they are
whites in a sea of browns. The kids have fair hair.
But you may be confusing cause and effect. The Viking
DNA match agree with the history of the crusades.
Reply by Yair: The Crusaders were in the Middle East and Lebanon for
several hundred years, on and off,
so it is indeed more than likely that they left marks of their sojourn
behind them.
Quite a few Arabs are blond, sometimes nearly whole villages, but most are not.
Also, both the Ancient Canaanite peoples and the Ancient Hebrews had
strongly represented
blond and red hair elements amongst them, as we discussed in our books "The
Tribes", and
"Lost Israelite Identity".
Even so, in the specific example of examining DNA and history. scientists
have ways of determining
which came first, i.e. where the most probable direction of origin began.
They are quite confident in these determinations.
As I understand it, put very simply they say something like:
In Area X we find Y chromosomes (Male DNA) of E1.
In Area Y we also find Y chromosomes (Male DNA) of E1, along with
variations such as E1a, E1b, E1c,
and related groups such as E2, E3, etc. We therefore assume that the E1 in
area X came originally from
area Y since all the E-types appear to come from there. We check our
assumption with other criteria
and if everything corresponds assume we are right.
It may be however that the study in question REALLY was mistaken at first.
See following article.
4.
Ancient DNA may be misleading scientists
Ancient DNA may be misleading scientists
Tuesday, 18 February 2003
[] []
[] Dating skeletal material with DNA may not be as acurate as thought
Ancient DNA in skeletons has a tendency to show damage in a particular
region, resulting in misleading genetic data and mistaken conclusions about
the origin of the skeleton, British scientists said.
A group of researchers at the Henry Wellcome Ancient Biomolecules Centre of
the University of Oxford, in Britain, made the finding while studying
Viking specimens. They found that about half of the specimens had DNA that
suggested they were of Middle Eastern origin.
But more detailed analysis revealed that many of the genetic sequences in
the double helix molecule, which carries the genetic information of every
individual, were damaged at a key base that separates European sequences
from Middle Eastern genetic types - damage which made the skeletons appear
to have originated in the Levant.
The results are published in the February 2003 issue of the American
Journal of Human Genetics.
Damage events appear to be concentrated in specific 'hotspots', indicating
that a high proportion of DNA molecules can be modified at the same point.
These hotspots appear to be in positions that also differ between different
human groups. In other words, the DNA damage discovered affects the same
genetic positions as evolutionary change.
"Now that this phenomenon has been recognised, it is possible to survey the
ancient sequences for damage more accurately, and determine the correct
original genetic type - open the way for more reliable future studies,"
said Professor Alan Cooper, director of the centre.
Cooper has hopes the finding may have implications for future research. "It
also appears that we can use damage cause after death to examine how DNA
damage occurs during life - a completely unanticipated, and somewhat ironic
result," he said. "Potentially this allows us to get uniquely separate
views of the two major evolutionary processes, mutation and selection."
5. Quotation
From: Verba Volant <quotation@verba-volant.net>
Author - Diderot Denis
French - l'ignorance est plus proche de la verite que le prejuge
English - ignorance is closer to the truth than a priori knowledge
6. Jewish and Israelite Souls and Ancestry
Nancy wrote:
>There are people who claim they have Jewish souls and feel a need to
>convert to Judaism. Are they the people who unknowingly are Israelites?
>Thank you.
>
>Nancy
Answer:
You are right. A strong tradition says that people who convert to Judaism
or wish to do so
are of Jewish descent.
Likewise we can see that people who are pulled to Brit-Am themes are
answering an inner
call from their forefathers.
7. Replies to The troublemakers for Brit Am
From: William Rasmussen
Subject: The troublemakers for Brit Am
Shalom Yair: I just read your posting regarding the individuals who have
been attacking Brit Am and slandering you. What with all the problems in
the world at the moment, one would think these people would have enough to
do. Would to G-d that they would devote their energies against Sadaam
Hussein, Al Qaida and Osama Bin Laden et nauseum.
Kind of reminds me of Sanballat and Tobiah who sent letters of fear
against Nehemiah. Nehemiah responded by saying, "Be not afraid of them:
remember HaShem, which is great and to be feared, and fight for your
bretheren, your sons and your daughters, your wives and your houses." In a
way Yair, you are like those who stood on the walls of Jerusalem, mortar
trowel in one hand and sword in the other. I am at your service. Let me
know how I can help. Shalom and may a hedge of protection encircle you and
protect you. -Bill
From: yoseph
Shalom to you and your family Yair
Yair i can only speak for myself:
i am with you all the way.
it is only natural that as the light of truth extends deeper into the
darkness for our ten tribes to come out of the Galut, embrace Teshuvah,
and obey Torah, that men destined to do so will try and extinguish that
lamp of truth, or at least try to muddy the waters and derail the process.
if what you are doing is blessed by HaShem [and it IS] it cannot fail.
my warmest greetings to you there.
b'shalom Yair
Yoseph
From: Joan Griffith
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-195
Yair,
It bears repeating: if you are being attacked, the message is getting out!
And, with them attacking, the message will be spread farther.
Thanks be to God!
Joan Griffith
Just living is not enough... One must have sunshine, freedom, and a little
flower.
- Hans Christian Anderson
>Dear Yair,
> My congratulations to you for your even-handed, low-key handling
>of the insulting attack against you personally. You've acted wisely in
>a) publishing it, and b) refuting it in such a brief yet essential
>way--dealing with issues, not personality. I am impressed. Yes, you ARE
>doing something right, and this is exactly why such enemies are stirred
>up. But be of good cheer: "We can do nothing against the Truth" said
>someone, and in this case, the truth is on our side.
> Tim Murray
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