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Various Traditions #11 by Yair Davidiy adapted from: "Lost Israelite Identity. The Israelite Origin of Celtic Races" (1996). The JUDAH TOUCH and the RED HAND of ULSTER. The Prophet Joel condemned the major Phoenician cities of Tyre and Sidon for having sold Judaeans to the Greeks: "Yea, and what have you to do with me, Tyre, and Sidon, and all the coasts of Palestine?... "Because you have taken my silver and gold... The children also of Judah and the children of Jerusalem have you sold unto the Greeks, that you might remove them far from your border" (Joel 3:4-6). Even so, revenge was destined to be taken: "When I have bent Judah for me, filled the bow with Ephraim, and raised up your sons, O Zion, against your sons, O Greece, and made you as the sword of a mighty man" (Zechariah 9:13). What exact events the above verses are referring to is unclear. Nevertheless, the Irish sources do state that a portion of their ancestors had been captives in Greece and had freed themselves. They also refer to possible Judean origins, in part. THE RED HAND OF ULSTER Previously we discussed the presence amongst the Ancient Irish and Scottish of the descendants of Yair and the Iari. Yair was counted with Menasseh but actually was born to Segub son of Hezron son of Pharez of Judah. Judah through Tamar begat Pharez and Zerah. One of the sons of Zerah was Calcol (1-Chronicles 2:6). Calcol had been one of those whose name was remembered for their great wisdom (1-Kings 5:11). Calcol was also counted amongst the ancestors of the Irish. Camden (1551-1623) stated that Calcol of Judah sailed from Egypt to Spain (where the city of Zaragossa was named after Zerah), and then on to Ireland where he founded Ulladh. [ "Ulladh" (i.e. Ulster) has actually a name similar (in some types of Hebrew pronunciation) to that of ELADAH of Ephraim (1-Chronicles 7:20).] Zerah and Pharez were brothers born to Judah (son of Israel) from Tamar. In Southwest Britain Ptolemy recorded the Tamarus River. There was also a Tamarus River in northwest Spain where the Gaels had sojourned before moving to Ireland Britain. Zerah and Pharez were twins. The manner of their birth is described in the Bible. [Genesis 38:27] AND IT CAME TO PASS IN THE TIME OF HER TRAVAIL, THAT, BEHOLD, TWINS WERE IN HER WOMB. [Genesis 38:28] AND IT CAME TO PASS, WHEN SHE TRAVAILED, THAT THE ONE PUT OUT HIS HAND: AND THE MIDWIFE TOOK AND BOUND UPON HIS HAND A SCARLET THREAD, SAYING, THIS CAME OUT FIRST. [Genesis 38:29] AND IT CAME TO PASS, AS HE DREW BACK HIS HAND, THAT, BEHOLD, HIS BROTHER CAME OUT: AND SHE SAID, HOW HAST THOU BROKEN FORTH? THIS BREACH BE UPON THEE: THEREFORE HIS NAME WAS CALLED PHAREZ. [Genesis 38:30] AND AFTERWARD CAME OUT HIS BROTHER, THAT HAD THE SCARLET THREAD UPON HIS HAND: AND HIS NAME WAS CALLED ZARAH. The present day official symbol of Northern Ireland (Ulster) is a scarlet hand superimposed upon the Star of David which universally is taken as representing the Tribe of Judah and appears upon the flag of the modern State of Israel. The Star of David has twelve junction-points and shows how the Tribes of Israel were encamped around the Tabernacle when they came out of Egypt. This has been explained in ur work "The Tribes". The red hand has been interpreted to represent Zarah of Judah father of Calcol who according to the legend quoted above sailed to Ireland and founded Uladh (i.e. Ulster). Bennett states that, "the ancient and traditional emblem of Ulster was and still is a Red Hand circled by a Scarlet Cord". "Three of Ulster's six counties, as well as the towns of Bangor and Dungannon, have the Red Hand as part of their official emblems" . From Ireland, the Scots migrated to Scotland, and the Red Hand, says Bennett: "appears in the Arms of several of the old families and in those of at least fourteen of the Clan Chiefs: Davidson, MacBain, MacNeil, MacNaughton, MacPherson, MacGillivray, MacDonald of Sleat, Clanranald, and Shaw of Rothiemurchus". Red Hand of Ulster From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Red_Hand_of_Ulster Extracts: ## The Red Hand of Ulster ...is a symbol used in heraldry to denote the Irish province of Ulster. It is less commonly known as the Red Hand of O'Neill and the Red Hand of Ireland. Its origins are said to be attributed to the mythical Irish figure ...Labraid of the Red Hand... The symbol is strongly rooted in Irish Gaelic culture and is particularly associated with the Ui Neill clan of Ulster. The Red Hand symbol is believed to have been used by the Ui Neill clan during its Nine Years' War (1594-1603) against the spread of English control. The war cry ... "Red Hand to victory!".. was also associated with the Ui Neill. After Walter de Burgh became Earl of Ulster in 1243 the de Burgh cross was combined with the Red Hand to create the modern Flag of Ulster. The Red Hand was later included in the Northern Ireland flag and on the shields of counties Cavan, Tyrone, Londonderry, Antrim and Monaghan. It is also used by many other official and non-official organisations throughout the province of Ulster. ## The Red Hand was incorporated into the flag of Ulster. The Protestants of Northern Ireland saw it as a symbol of their cause. There was an ongoing struggle between the Irish Catholics in Ulster and the Protestants. This spread to the spectators of football matches. The Catholics often identified with the IRA who maintained an uncertain contact with the Palestinians. Catholics seemed to identify with the Arabs in their conflict against the Jews. Supporters of Catholic-dominant soccer teams in matches against Protestant teams began beginning the PLO flag to wave about in support of their team. Partly as a reaction to the Catholic gestures and partly out of a genuine deep-seated identification Protestants began to display a new flag that combined the Red Hand of Ulster with the Magan David of Israel!!! Dr. Clifford Smyth informed us of this development and sent us photographs of the Phenomenon. See: TR22 Ten Tribes Tribal Report no.22 #3. Ulster: Israeli Flag Combined with Ulster Banner http://www.britam.org/TR/TR22.html#Ulster It should be noted that at one stage a belief in Israelite Origin was widely spread amongst the Scotch-Irish and Irish of Ulster and is considered to have been a formative element in their culture. |
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