"Brit-Am Now"-368
March 2, 2004
Contents:
1. Phoenicians
2. John Salverda: Europa Lost
3. Questions on the results of intermixing and the Promised Seed.
4. Compliment on Web-Site
5. Question on Viking Surname
6. Miracles in WW1
7. Question on Should the Lost Tribes Keep the Law?
1. Phoenicians
http://www.dailystar.com.lb/opinion/23_02_04_e.asppinion
DS 23/02/04
So how far did the Phoenicians really go in the region?
In one of the early adventures of Asterix and Obelix, a Phoenician trade
ship takes the world's funniest Celtic warriors from the Gaul's last
village free from Roman rule to Queen Cleopatra in the land of the Nile.
Now, of course this is but an image in a comic book, but still, is it
possible that the Phoenicians, generally known as the greatest seafarers of
antiquity, actually reached Brittany, or even further?
There's no doubt that Phoenicians were well established all over the
Mediterranean. Archeological remains prove they lived in a vast network of
cities at Cyprus, Malta, Sicily, Spain and the African coast, where
Carthage became the powerbroker of the western Mediterranean till the rise
of Rome.
Archeological finds take us even further, past Gibraltar's "Pillars of
Hercules," to Phoenician settlements on the Atlantic coast of Morocco and
Portugal. But that's it. So far no physical proof of any further exploits
has been found. However, there are some spectacular written sources.
First of all, there are two Latin texts that relate of the journey of
Himilco, who in the 5th century BC sailed from Carthage around Iberia
(Spain) to northern Europe. According to these sources, Himilco did not go
ashore in Brittany to pick up any Celtic warriors, but crossed the Channel
to Great Britain.
"It's a story not that unlikely," said Helen Sadr, professor of Archeology
at the American University of Beirut. "The Phoenicians always had a keen
interest in precious metals and Britain was renowned for its tin, which was
already traded over land. What's more, finds in Britain prove close
contacts with Iberia, which for centuries was a colony of Carthage. Combine
that with the Phoenician settlements found in Portugal and
a journey to England is not that
far-fetched."
A second story about Phoenician exploits stems from the Greek "father of
history" Herodotus. In a chapter on the world's (three) continents in
"Histories," he writes that "as for Libya (Africa), we know it to be washed
on all sides by the sea, except where it's attached to Egypt. This
discovery was made by Necos, the Egyptian king, who . sent to sea a number
of ships manned by Phoenicians, with orders to make it to the Pillars of
Hercules (Gibraltar) and return to Egypt."
According to Herodotus the Phoenicians sailed south from the Red Sea. Every
autumn they went ashore, sowed corn and waited till it was ripe to set to
sail again. It took them three years to get back to Egypt. "On their
return," Herodotus writes, "they declared I for my part do not believe
them that in sailing around Libya they had the sun upon their right hand."
It should be noted that Herodotus, who was born in the 5th century BC, is
also known as "the father of lies" and indeed some of his stories, such as
on the man-sized desert ants of Persia, are just fables. He himself said
that "my business is to record what people say, I'm by no means bound to
believe it." What furthermore speaks in his favor, is that no one believed
his accounts of Amazons and a man-made canal between the Nile and the Red
Sea, until archeologists proved both actually existed.
To the Greek historian the changed position of the sun in the southern
hemisphere was just too much to believe. "It is precisely for that remark,"
said Sadr, "that most scholars believe the story is probably true."
Third, there's the journey of Hanno, which stems from a Greek text of the
10th century AD. That's a bit late for a trip that took place some 1,500
years earlier, yet what makes the text plausible are the incredible details
described, which were not generally known in 1,000 AD. According to the
text, which is said to be a translation from a much older Phoenician
tablet, Hanno set sail from Carthage with 60 ships.
After sailing beyond the Pillars of Hercules, Hanno founded several cities
on the coast of today's Morocco. They passed a river called the Lixos, took
translators aboard and sailed for days along a large desert coast until
they reached a small island called Cerne, which was situated in the mouth
of a large river. According to Hanno, Cerne was as far from the Pillars as
is Carthage.
Most scholars agree that the description fits Somalia, and several other
texts confirm that the Phoenicians used to trade with Cerne. Sailing onto
the river, Hanno and his men saw "mountains crowded with savages clad in
skins of wild beasts" and reached a second big river "teeming with
crocodiles and hippos."
They returned to Cerne and sailed further south. Passing the coast, which
is described as "mountainous, clad with trees and inhabited by Ethiopians"
they reach a large bay where they went ashore. "By day we could see nothing
but forest, but by night we saw many fires burning and we heard the sound
of flutes and the beating cymbals and drums, and a great din of voices.
Fear came upon us and our soothsayers bade us to leave."
And so they did. Further south they reached a "fiery coast with great
streams of fire and lava pouring down into the sea." The dubbed the volcano
"Chariot of the Gods" and continued their journey, till they reached
another bay with an "island full of savages."
"By far the greater number were women with shaggy bodies whom our
interpreters called gorillas." They were unable to catch any of the men,
but caught three women, "who bit and mangled those who carried them off."
Hanno's men decided to kill them and take but their skin to Carthage.
The lively description of the green African coast most probably refers to
Cape Verde and Gambia, while the volcano can only be in Guinea or even
Cameroon. Again, seeing the settlements in Morocco, and the many existing
references to Cerne, most scholars believe the story is true. If so, the
many Lebanese living in West Africa are perhaps but
following in the footsteps of their ancie-
nt ancestors.
Unfortunately, as both Tyre and Carthage were destroyed to the ground, the
main sources of Phoenician civilization were forever lost to mankind. We
can only imagine what our view of history would be, if the Greek and Romans
had done a less thorough job. Some say, the Phoenicians also sailed to
India and even reached America. Now, the latter is most probably a bit too
far-fetched, but fact is, that even if only half the stories above is true,
the history and map of the world, both of which are predominantly European,
may have to be reviewed considerably. So, the Street of Magelaen, named
after the Portuguese explorer, south of the African continent may have to
be called Phoenician Street.
Peter Speetjens is a Beirut-based freelance writer
2. John Salverda: Europa Lost
Read the following then see the Brit-Am comment below:
From: John Salverda <john_salverda@
Europa Lost
Europe is named after a descendant of Io's who was called, "Europa." The
myth of Europa can be found in any book of Greek Mythology, and has been
well known for almost 3000 years. Can anything new be learned from it? No,
but oddly enough, we can still learn something old, from it. Let us begin
by examining the name itself. The name Europa, is a feminized form of the
same Hebrew name that comes to us through Biblical sources, in it's
masculine Latin form, "Jeroboam." I learned this, when I compared two maps
of the same city in Syria, one had the city labeled, "Jerobulos," while the
other had it as, "Europolis." It occurred to me that this was a perfectly
reasonable transliteration, and that both names were one and the same. King
Jeroboam, the first king of the northern ten tribes of Israel, is mentioned
often in the Bible, unfortunately his name usually follows after the
phrase, "the sins of..." This is because Jeroboam was infamous for
reintroducing the worship of god in the form
The Greek myths tell us that Europa had a son who ruled over the Island of
Crete, his name was Minos. If Europa be from Jeroboam, and the Cretans
spoke Western Semitic, (the same language as the land of Canaan) which they
did, then I'll bet "Minos," is the same name as "Manasseh." In fact one
wonders indeed, if there wasn't a bit of confusion between the stories of
the Cretan, King Minos, and the later Judean, King Manasseh. How many other
kings, from this same area, with the same name, were famous for sacrificing
youths to a bull headed god? (Minotaur, Manasseh's Torah? is Manasseh an
alternate version of the name Moses? as in Judges, chapter 18, Verse 30, if
so, perhaps the Minotaur was blasphemously named for the Law of Moses.)
Thus it seems likely that the "Minoan" civilization was named for the son
of Joseph, Manasseh.
This series of coincidences about Europa is impressive enough without
mentioning this other weird point, which was the fact that Israel was
prophesied to be regathered by an heir to the throne, and returned to her
homeland in the last days. (Isa. 11;10-12) But, this famous promise, must
be cited here as evidence that the maiden Europa is the virgin Israel,
because this hopeful prophecy is also coincidental to the "myth." The Greek
myth asserts that the true heir to the throne was sent to find the lost
Europa, and he was told not to return until he could bring her back. He
didn't return, and he hasn't found her yet, down to this very day.
Cadmus and the Brothers of Europa
Although the story of Io must have been in existence in one form or
another, since the Exodus, (parts of her story belong to the days of
Abraham, but most of it, is the story of Hermes Argiophontes, her
deliverer, who plays the role of Moses at the Exodus) there is no doubt
that the version of her story which has come down to us, did not receive
it's final form, until after her descendant Cadmus came to Greece. We know
this, because the story incorporates the use of the Alphabet within it's
body, for Io was able to spell her name in the sand with her cow hoof.
(This part of the story relies upon the fact that the Greek "I" was just a
"Jot," and the letter "o," resembles a hoof print.) She was thereby
identified when she returned home after her extensive "wanderings." This
detail limits the Greek antiquity of Io's story, until about 850 BC. when
the Greeks first began to use the Alphabet. But, this was a Phoenician
story that was brought to Greece at a later date, generations after
No one doubts that the Hebrew alphabet was used in Greece, but it seems to
me, calling it "Phoenician," is a bit misleading. If Moses, famous for his
writings, wrote anything, then it is logical to assume him to be the oldest
known user of this alphabet. The Greeks, in keeping with the identification
of Moses with Hermes, (the serpent stick carrying messenger of god who
delivers god's earthly wife from her bondage,) credit Hermes as the
inventor of the alphabet. Cadmus is accredited with bringing the alphabet
of Hermes, from Phoenicia to Greece, but, not until about 850 BC. It's easy
to dismiss all myths in a group as fairy tales, but Cadmus was not a god,
he was a man who is famous for doing something which really happened,
others who lived within a few hundred years of him speak of Cadmus as an
actual historic personage. He came to Greece with a colony and was
considered to be the founder of Thebes, a quite well known city in Boeotian
Greece, which was even called "Cadmea," afte
The Sparti remained in Greece, where they left many descendants, and
worshipped Cadmus as a hero, with shrines. One famous, such hero shrine of
Cadmus, was located in the Greek nation of Sparta, on the Laconian coast,
and was maintained by the Spartans, (sown ones) even down to the days of
the Jewish high priests Onias, and Jonathan. As reported by Josephus, and
recorded in Rabbinical writings, Onias and the Spartans, wrote to each
other, and both recognized the Spartans as lost Israelites. If only the
modern Jewish leaders had the faith, to see with an open heart, as Onias
apparently did! Only then will they begin to find the vast multitudes of
Israelites, who are sifted amongst the Gentiles of today.
Brit-Am Comment: in "Lost Israelite Identity" we produced evidence that the
Tribe of Dan and probably other Israelites had once conquered Greece and
influenced its culture. At all events Greek Mythology un many details and
even in the names of its heroes
often was borrowed from Middle eastern sources including those of the
Hebrews and Canaanites.
In "Ephraim" we showed how Arab sources had recorded a Jewish tradition
that the Lost Tribes had been exiled
and gone to France and Britain. Our interpretation of these sources has
since been confirmed.
It may be that Greek sources once properly understand also could be used as
additional evidence in favor
of Brit-Am truths.
Two points worth noting are that the earliest examples of Greek writing
only date to around the 500s BCE or later.
The Spartans are recorded as having a tradition of mutual ancestry with the
Jews but this may refer to Esau
who was the twin brother of Jacob and had been blessed that he would live
by the sword
and the Spartans indeed were a warrior nation, in fact, that is about all
they were.
3. Questions on the results of intermixing and the Promised Seed.
Mike wrote:
>Brother,
> I have a few honest questions.
> 1.) I have been told by several people that with all the
> intermarriage and multicultural conversions you cant really determine who
> is who and that it doesnt matter since God will pull remnants from
> "every nation, kindred, and tongue. So, in keeping with that, does it
> really matter and why? Arent the covenant promises to all of the "commonwealth?
> 2.) I have been told that my last name, is Hebrew or Jewish,
> 3.) What would happen if anti-zionists got on the cable networks and
> taught this stuff? Would the Zionists be able to find us and silence us
> like they have in the past?
> Shalom Blessingas upon you, Mike
Answers:
1. The Bible says the Lost Tribes will return and Jewish tradition confirms
this. If you want to argue with the Bible
that is another matter. Maybe they did not mix in so much? People often
marry within their own kind.
Maybe the descent will be reckoned through the male line so it will not
matter much who the females
were along the way? Or maybe the Almighty has another standard.
The fact is that people of a similar kind do congregate together.
Even in the USA, the great "Melting Pot" surnames of certain types and
origins are often heavily concentrated
in certain areas and sparse in others.
see our Commentary to Amos:
[Amos 9:9] FOR, LO, I WILL COMMAND, AND I WILL SIFT THE HOUSE OF ISRAEL
AMONG ALL NATIONS, LIKE AS CORN IS SIFTED IN A SIEVE, YET SHALL NOT THE
LEAST GRAIN FALL UPON THE EARTH.
The dispersed of Israel and the exiled will always stay together or if
not will somehow intermarry with each other or if not their children (even
from mixed marriages) will still be counted as Israel. We do not know
everything nor should we expected to. Our studies and what we have shown
of them demonstrate very well that somehow or other most of the northern
Tribes managed to stay together. A Talmudic sources say that the Jews of
Judah were destined to be dispersed all over but the Ten Tribes to remain
together in one or two or three places or more places but at all events as
coherent entities.
2. It may well be Jewish (or Scottish) and should not be too difficult to
clarify
3. I do not understand the last question. I am a Zionist. Anyone who is not
a Zionist is denying the Bible
and more than likely is both bad and mad.
4. Compliment on Web-Site:
>From: "Stan St. Clair" <srstclair@>
>Subject: Web Site
>
>Hello,
>
>I have studied the subject of the ten lost tribes of Israel for many
>years. Your web site is the most well organized source of information with
>no "Ax to grind" that I have ever seen!
>
>Congratulations on a job well done!
>
>Stan St. Clair,
> (Of Norman descent)
Answer:
Thank you for your compliment. The credit for the site should go to our
webmaster Betty Matteson Rhodes
who runs the site, does all the graphic work and related arrangements, and
takes most of the decisions as to what
material is included in the site and how it is to be set out.
By virtue of people like Betty Brit-Am functions well.
There is a feeling that God is with us and even people with whom we have
strictly business type relationship (such as our
Printers) often go out of their way to assist us and recognize the
positive goodness and potential importance of the Brit-Am message.
5. Question on Viking Surname
> Dear Yair,
>
>
Recently I visited your website and found it very
> interesting. I have a question that I would like to ask? I`ve
> discovered my surname is of Norman descent and subsequently of Viking
> descent. I realize that you have not completed the genealogy part of the
> your website, so my question may be hard to answer. I would like to know
> if my name indicates an origin of ''Israelite'' ancestry? I would
> appreciate any insight that you could give me. Bob
Answer:
We cannot go back very far with surnames
but we can "home" in on certain groups and say with a reasonable degree of
certainty
that they are of Hebrew origin.
6. Miracles in WW1
Yair you made comments about miracles and events happening on the
behave of Israelites by the Almighty in Britam posting Joshua 23:3. My
Grandfather fought in WW1 and was a sniper. He fought in all the major
battles. One battle which I think was Canada's efforts to attack Vimy
ridge. My Grand father woke up the next day after the battle and in the
light of the day he saw all over his uniform about 60 to 70 lines of frayed
material which were where bullets skimmed him but did not hit. My
Grandfather could not believe that he survived and could only say that it
was a miracle that he was alive.
My Grandfather often spoke to my father that when things seemed bad
for the allied forces something would always happen to turn the tide of the
battle into their favour. My Grandfather also insisted that in the battle
of the Somme in France angles appeared and attacked the German forces that
where encircling and preparing to destroy the English forces. CB
7. Question on Should the Lost Tribes Keep the Law?
>From: Halachajoe@
>Subject: Returning to the Covenant
>
>Shalom Yair, Hosea stated that Hashem has removed His mercy from the House
>of Israel and they were no longer His people and Jeremiah stated that
>Hashem had issued them a get, or divorce. Halachically, what does the
>assimilated House of Israel need to do to rectify these judgements and
>return to the Covenant, short of Jewish conversion ?
>
>Thanks
>John
This question borders on areas beyond the Mandate we have to spread
knowledge of Israelite Brit-Am Identity
and not enter into religious discussions. We wrote an article on this in
the past but it was not one of our most
successful efforts and perhaps we should re-write it.
In general the Lost Ten Tribes according to our understanding of Scripture
and related sources are required
at present (not necessarily in their order of importance):
To acquire consciousness of their identity and to confirm it as strongly as
possible, see Jeremiah 31 and our commentary there.
To seek reconciliation with Judah.
To support the State of Israel and Zionism.
To turn back to the God of Israel.
To pray. to be honest, not to do injustice but to right what is wrong. Not
to lie or steal.
Not to come on the wife of another, not to kill or oppress. to avoid
excessive drink and abusive substances, etc
To look after themselves, their families, communities, and nations, and
wherever else they dwell.
They are also called upon to turn back to the Law but not necessarily keep
it in its full sense at least not at this stage.
These are all my impressions.
I may write this all up with more detail and references at some time.
Even so, I am not an authority in this area. Anyone who takes a Bible and
goes through it carefully with honest or at least
objective intentions could come up with answers as good as, or better than,
these given here.
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