"Brit-Am Now"-860
Contents:
1. Rabbi Feld Deliberately Misrepresented?
2. Dr Richard Griffiths: The Spartans & Simeon
3. COMMONALITIES by Yaacov Levi
4. The term "Hebrew"
5. Christianity and Identifying the Lost Ten Tribes
6. How Can Brit-Am Believers Become More Involved?
7. New Books from Brit-Am
1. Rabbi Feld Deliberately Misrepresented?
....
Nevertheless,
Just for the record:
There is no work dealing with the Messiah son of Joseph and the
Lost Ten Tribes APART from the Brit-Am publication "Joseph. The Israelite destiny of America"
http://britam.org/bkjoseph.html
There is NO book in Hebrew promoting the "Ephraimite"
point of view APART FROM the Brit-Am work "Achim Acharim".
There is very little in "Achim Acharim" beyond what
is found in our work "Origin" and in articles on the Brit-Am web site.
http://britam.org/origin.html"Achim Acharim" has been and is being distributed to potentially interested
personages who often happen to be rabbinical scholars
but this is not our only audience.
We have no idea of the number of "Rabbis" as distinct from "non-Rabbis" involved.
Any Statistics to the contrary are inventions.
So far we have received quite a few positive reports.
We also received some criticisms but these concerned
the style of presentation etc and not (so far at least) the content matter.
On the one hand we are not anti-Christian
neither are we engaged in religious polemics.
Nevertheless to present Brit-Am or the private views of Rabbi Feld
as favorable to any version of non-Jewish doctrine is blatantly dishonest.
2. Dr Richard Griffiths: The Spartans & Simeon
From: rgriff9243@aol.com
Subject: The 300: Go tell the Spartans & Simeon
A new movie is out "the 300" on the epic stand of the 300 Spartans against the Persians at Thermopylae. The sight of the Spartans in their fearsome armor in the movie trailer is strirring (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wD4cnvyqiqM).
These heroic and martial qualities of the Spartans may have an Israelite connection.
Steve Collins has an excellent article on the missing Simeonites in Numbers (http://www.stevenmcollins.com/html/simeon.html). Apparently there is a large number of Simeonites that go missing after the Levitical priest Phinehas (Number 25:7-8, 14) runs through one of their leaders. Where did they go? Steve makes a compelling case they may well have migrated to Greece and founded the city-state of Sparta. If so it explains why they marched into battle playing a primitive version of the bagpipes (not the flutes) according to one history of the bagpipes that I read a while ago.
Perhaps Simonides famous epitaph to the fallen 300 should have read: Go tell the Spartans, stranger passing by,that here, obedient to their laws and our Father Simeon, we lie
Dr. Griffiths
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Leonidas_statue1.jpg
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Battle_of_Thermopylae
Brit-Am Comment: Even when Steven Collins says something we disagree with (which is not often)
he is nearly always worth taking notice of.
"Steven" is another "Stephen/Steven" whose prominence has been brought to our attention recently.
[
We however identify the Spartans with Edom.
The Spartans also contributed to the foundation of Rome.
"Edom" has been given a bad press.
They were blessed with material bounty and military prowess.
They are the greatest people on earth apart from the Israelites.
In the end times Israeli will fight with them
and eventually Joseph will defeat them.
A remnant will survive who will join with Israel.
[Genesis 27:38] AND ESAU SAID UNTO HIS FATHER, HAST THOU BUT ONE BLESSING, MY FATHER? BLESS ME, EVEN ME ALSO, O MY FATHER. AND ESAU LIFTED UP HIS VOICE, AND WEPT.
[Genesis 27:39] AND ISAAC HIS FATHER ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, BEHOLD, THY DWELLING SHALL BE THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH, AND OF THE DEW OF HEAVEN FROM ABOVE;
Esau is here promised a fertile place to dwell in. The Talmud says that at one stage this was Magna Greacia or Southern Italy which was once very fertile. From there the sons of Esau moved on. Some Christian commentaries say the verse should be read: THY DWELLING SHALL BE [far away from] THE FATNESS OF THE EARTH: I do not know the source of this explanation and it does not fit the Hebrew as I understand it. It appears in some translations and is accepted by several Christian exegetes. It may be that the land southeast of Israel that is known as Edom is not regarded as being terribly fertile and the translators were trying to rationalize their translation and adapt the translated meaning according to their own understanding of reality as it was in the past. Against this it can be said that the Land of Edom was once much more fertile than it now is. Also Edom was scattered to several areas. A passage in an inscription from the ancient city of Ugarit on the north Syrian coast speaks of the well-watered land of Edom. There was a region belonging to Edom in the north. A region (usually ruled from Assyria) by the Habor River in Northern Syria was once known as "Idam Araz" meaning "Land of Edom".
Our impression is that Edomites were prominent in the hierarchies of Babylon, Ugarit, Assyria, and Phoenician Tyre.
[Genesis 27:40] AND BY THY SWORD SHALT THOU LIVE, AND SHALT SERVE THY BROTHER; AND IT SHALL COME TO PASS WHEN THOU SHALT HAVE THE DOMINION, THAT THOU SHALT BREAK HIS YOKE FROM OFF THY NECK.
Esau was a military man. The Talmud says that every war requires the presence of Esau in order to achieve victory.
<<THAT THOU SHALT BREAK HIS YOKE FROM OFF THY NECK>>:
Onkelos translates this to say that when Jacob sins then Esau is asserting his independence or even acquiring domination.
3. COMMONALITIES by Yaacov Levi
From: "Root & Branch Association, Ltd." <rb@rb.org.il>
Subject: COMMONALITIES by Yaacov Levi
CELTIC-ISRAELITE COMMONALITIES
copyright (c) 2007 by Mr. Yaacov Levi
mailto:jlevi_us@yahoo.com
Excerpt: "Being both Irish and Jewish, I grew up familiar with customs and cultures of both Peoples, Irish and Jews, only in later years becoming aware that they had quite different cultures and greatly varying cultural characteristics. Yet growing up with both cultures, I had noticed similarities even on a casual basis. Over the years I began to see more of this similarity and in recent years I began to collect this data into what I term an Overview which I am still assembling. It is this Overview in differing areas of life that I will discuss here".
YERUSHALIYIM, Israelite Tribal Territories of Judah and Benjamin, Kingdom of David and Solomon, United Israelite Kingdom of Judah and Joseph, Twenty Fifth Day, Eleventh Month ("Shvat"), 5767; Yom Shlishi (Third Day of the Week/"Tues"-day, February 13, 2007), Root & Branch Information Services [mailto:rb@rb.org.il] [www.rb.org.il]:
To those interested in the history of the Celtic Peoples and their modern descendants in Ireland, Wales, Scotland, Brittany and Cornwall and their descendants around the world, a subject often raised is possible connections with ancient Israelites, in particular the Lost Tribes of Israel.
The purpose of this article is not to confirm Celtic connections with the Lost Tribes of Israel, but to discuss some of the many common characteristics of modern Celtic Peoples and ancient Israelites. These characteristics I call "commonalities". I am not attempting in this short essay to establish connections which have been addressed in many other volumes. I will point out and discuss a few of the commonalities between these Peoples.
Lost Tribes of the House of Israel
The Peoples we refer to as the Lost Tribes were part of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, conquered by the Assyrians around 740-720 B.C.E. and exiled to areas in Assyria and to the north. This story is told in the Bible in the Second Book of Kings, Chapters 17 and 18. About the same time a contingent from the Kingdom of Judah was also exiled to northern lands. It is these Peoples and their immediate descendants who are also variously referred to as the Lost Tribes, and the subject of many works and studies.
Being both Irish and Jewish, I grew up familiar with customs and cultures of both Peoples, Irish and Jews, only in later years becoming aware that they had quite different cultures and greatly varying cultural characteristics. Yet growing up with both cultures, I had noticed similarities even on a casual basis. Over the years I began to notice more and more similarities and in recent years I began to collect this data into what I term an Overview which I am still assembling. It is this Overview in differing areas of life that I will discuss here.
There are a number of areas that I have been looking at which include: Language, agriculture, religion and taboos, burial practices, music and folk dancing, the traditions and self determinations and self-identification of the Celts and other areas as they arise. I will point out a few items in each category and note that these are just a few of a great many commonalities. I mention them as examples.
Language is one of the subjects that led to my overall interest in the topic as early on I noticed similarities. Considering the long period of time from the expulsion of the Israelites until today, it would seem likely that there should be little, if any, common letters, words or structures. This is not the case. There is much in common.
Gaelic is a member of the Celtic group of the Indo-European family of languages that includes Russian, English, German, Spanish, French, Hindi and Italian. The Celtic group has been confined to the British Isles, part of the French coast and a tiny enclave in Spain.
Linguistic Similarities
The Celtic language group is divided into two divisions which has three languages in each division. Each division makes up its own unique language. The two branches are:
The BRYTHONIC branch which is made up of the Welsh, Breton and Cornish languages.
The GOIDELIC branch with the Irish, Scots and Manx Gaelic languages.
The Breton and Cornish languages are seeing some resurgence after near extinction. The Irish, Scots and Welsh languages are holding their own at this time. Manx is an ancient form of Irish and is considered to be the oldest and purest Irish Gaelic in existence.
Manx is very close to the extinct dialects of nearby Ulster and Galloway. It separated from Old Irish around the Fifth Century B.C.E. Manx occupies much the same relation to Old Irish as Icelandic does to Old Norse. For the purpose of my study I have chosen to concentrate on Manx and Scots Gaelic. I am sure though that an in-depth study of Welsh or other Gaelic languages would provide much food for thought on this issue.
The Gaelic alphabet as well as the ordinal numbers show more commonality with Hebrew than might be expected after 2,700 years of divergence. For example, we have a Hebrew "s" retained in the modern Gaelic. The Hebrew Sheen, pronounced "Sh" is found in the Irish "s" as in the name Sean, pronounced Shawn. Other letters are also similar. The ordinal numbers 6 & 7 are pronounced almost the same in Hebrew and Gaelic.
Words with same or similar meanings abound. For example, the Hebrew word for "holy" in common usage according to Halacha (Jewish law) is Kasher. The word in Manx Gaelic for "hallowed" or "holy" is Casherick. The syntax of Gaelic is entirely different from any other European language, especially English. R.L. Thompson, in his work "Outline of Manx Literature and Language" says that "in several respects Gaelic syntax has similarities with that of languages like Hebrew and Arabic".
As in Hebrew, adjectives follow the noun that they describe. For example, "ben vie" = "a good woman in Gaelic. "Rosh ketan" = "small head" or "stupid" in Hebrew. ("Vie" or "ketan" being the adjectives). Word order is also similar in Hebrew in that the verb usually comes first in the sentence, unlike English or many other European languages. These are just a very few of the many commonalities that I believe suggest a definite connection between the two languages and their family streams. This alone should be a subject for a major comparative study.
Commonalities in Ethnic Customs
One of the first areas in which I noticed similarities was in customs, notably folk dancing; and, later, musical instruments. The Hebrew Hora and other old traditional dances are paralleled in many Gaelic folk dances, especially the wedding dance of the Gaels which is very similar to the traditional Ashkenazi wedding dances of Europe.
Musical instruments of the Gaels are found in the Israelite tradition, notably the harp in both Celtic tales and certainly Hebrew tradition as the favoured instrument of the psalmist David (please see the article "The Harp of David and the Harp of Ireland" by John Wheeler in the August-October, 2006 issue of "Origins of Nations").
One of the most intriguing discoveries was that the Irish and Scots pipes with which we are all familiar have their origins in the desert flute played daily throughout the Middle East. The flute of desert shepherds is identifiable in the "chanter" of the Irish and Scots pipes.
Amazing Religious Parallels
The ancient religion of the Celtic Peoples prior to Christianity was generally believed to be Druidism, of which little is known. That which we do know indicates many similarities to Canaanite religions that the Northern Israelite Tribes turned to after they separated from the Kingdom of David and Solomon after Solomon's death. Like the pagans of Canaan, the sacred places of the Northern Israelite Tribes became high hilltops and sacred groves, notably oaks.
Archeology shows many similarities between Northern Israelite Kingdom ritual sites and Druidic sites in the Isles. Additionally, the burial practices of both the Peoples of the Northern Israelite Kingdom and the Celts show much similarity in the presence of Dolmens -- large slabs of stone placed horizontally across upright stones with the graves under them. These are found in areas of Europe through which Celtic Peoples passed and are found also in areas of present day Jordan and Israel where Northern Israelite Tribes dwelt.
After the Roman invasion of the Isles, white cattle were introduced and later used. Until that time red was the preferred color. One of the most famous wars in Irish history was over a Red Bull stolen by a northern Irish tribe. Swine were not raised in early Celtic areas until after they were introduced by the Romans. The Celts had a taboo against eating swine and also against eating scaleless fish such as eels and shellfish. Celts, like the Israelites, were excellent herdsmen and developed identifiable breeds of sheep, cattle and horses, which carried on Israelite traditions.
Other Proofs
Perhaps one of the most telling commonalities is simply the self-identification as Israelites of Hibernians -- name of the Irish, Scots and Hebrides Islands off the coast of Scotland. Milesians, one of the early Celtic Peoples to come to Ireland from Spain, had a tradition that they were of the Lost Tribes of Israel. The name "Heber", "Eber", or "H'berian" is found throughout early literature to describe the Celts as they described themselves to be "Of Eber", grandfather of Abraham.
[Brit-Am Interjected note: see understand the Celtic term "Heber" to be derived from
the Hebrew word "Ibri" meaning Hebrew
see below note #4. The term "Hebrew"]
What I have presented here in greatly abbreviated form just skims the surface of the commonalities between the Celts and Israelites. There is a tremendous amount of information available for those who would like to learn more. A few resources are listed below. This is one of those subjects about which at first one may say "Oh, that is an interesting coincidence".
The sheer mass of such "coincidences" that accumulate after one studies the subject should raise eyebrows. The fact that so much of the languages are similar almost three thousand years later, that customs are clearly identifiable as being related, that religious practices are uniquely similar and that the everyday agricultural practices and crops were similar all along, together with many other commonalities, suggest possible common origin.
For those interested in studying this subject further I wish you well and much enjoyment.
Suggested information sources:
Manx Gaelic Society, Yn Cheshaght Ghailckagh, St Judes, Isle of Man IM7 2EW United Kingdom
Gaelic Books Council, Department of Celtic, University of Glasgow, Glasgow G12 8QQ, Scotland
Chadwick, N. (1965) "Celtic Britain", London
Chadwick, N. (1970) "The Celts", United Kingdom
Rankin, H. (1987) "Celts and the Classical World", London
Squire, C. (1905) "Celtic Myth and Legend, Poetry and Romance", London
Squire, C. (1909) "The Mythology of Ancient Britain and Ireland", London
Shalom from the Jewish Pioneering Community of Itamar,
Mr. Yaacov Levi
mailto:jlevi_us@yahoo.com
About Yaacov Levi:
Yaacov Levi served with the United States armed forces in Vietnam, in an armored cavalry unit and as a recon leader. During the Yom Kippur War in October, 1973, Mr. Levi served as a volunteer with the Israel Defense Forces. He has served as a K9 officer and trainer, worked in U.S. Law Enforcement, and several years ago was training security dogs in the Jewish Pioneering Communities of Tapuach and Itamar.
4. The term "Hebrew"
"Heber" is indeed very common amongst the western "Celts"
both in the British Isles and in Western Europe.
The early inhabitants of the British Isles called themselves and were called by others
"Hiberi" (from where we have the term "Hibernian" for Irishman) or "Iberi".
This is a form of the term "Ibri" or "Hebrew" which may or not be ultimately derived
from the Biblical Eber who preceded Abraham but IT IS directly derived
from the Ancient Hebrews and from Abraham "the Hebrew".
The Hiberi (Hiberni) in Ireland are identified as the Milesians who were also known as Scotti. From Ireland the Scotti colonized a portion of Scotland which is therefore named after them. In Gaelic "Scotti" is said to mean "Wanderer" which is one explanation of the Hebrew term "Ibri". Numerous place-names in the west derive from the root "iber" which is considered typically "Celtic" and an indication of Celtic presence.
[FREDERIC DE ROUGEMONT, "L'Age de Bronze, ou Les Semites en Occident", Paris, 1866, p.102
HENRI HUBERT, "The Rise Of The Celt" London 1934, p. 288].
It is agreed that later application of the term "Iberian" to the Spaniards is a misnomer.
Examples of place names containing the root "eber" (meaning "Hebrew") in places somehow or other regarded as those of a sometime Celtic presence are multitudinous and include "Hibernia" the name of Ireland, the "Hebrides" , and numerous others.
They include the "Iberni" in southwest Ireland, the "Iberni Ocean" east of Ireland, and "Eboracum" the original name for the city of York in north England. York gave its name to the North American city of New York where there are reportedly more people of Jewish extraction (mainly from the tribe of Judah) than anywhere else apart from in the modern State of Israel!
"Eburodunum" also known as "Embrun" in the French Alps of ancient Gaul.
"Evorolocum" in Auvergne, Gaul.
"Eborobritum" in Beira, Gaul, note the combination of Brit (Briton) with EBER.
"Eborovices" i.e. Evreux, in Gaul
"Eborobriga" i.e. Yonne, in Gaul.
"Eboromagus" (in the region of Aude, in Gaul) also known as "Hebromagus" and close to Narbonne in southern France an historically significant center in many ways.
"Eborodunum" i.e. Yverdon, in Switzerland, once dominated by the Celtic Tribe of Helveti.
"Eboresheim", "Eporestal", "Eburingen": all Celtic place names in Germany. The Galatian Celts were once based in west central Germany but were driven out. Note the Semitic interchange of p for b as in Eporestal.
"Eburones": a Celtic people who once dwelt between the Main and Rhine rivers.
In addition,
>> there were twenty or more places in Wales, the names of which begin with another form of the name Eber Aber such as Aberystwyth and Aberdare. In Scotland we find Aberdeen, Aberfoyle, Aberdour, Aberargie, Abruthven and several others|<< W.H. BENNET, "Symbols of Our Celto-Saxon Heritage", London, 1976, p.114
Another name of significance is" Hyperborean" meaning "Northern Hebrew" and this appellation in Classical Literature was applied to dwellers of the far north and to the Celts of Britain.
Modern linguists give several different and contradictory explanations as to the meaning of the word-root "iber" or "heber". Our explanation that it comes from the word "Hebrew" is as "scientific" as any other and fits Irish and Scottish traditions better than any other.
5. Christianity and Identifying the Lost Ten Tribes
Simchah <simchah00@yahoo.com> wrote:
Shalom-
Looking at your site....I came across this passage which interests me, but I do not fully understand it.
it says:
"# 24 - Baal Worship and Notsrim
They shall worship the Baal (Hosea 2:8, 2:13, 2:16) like the Celts in Britain and Gaul once did. Baal was a god who died and was resurrected. They shall mistake Baal for the God of Israel (Hosea 2:16).
Who is this referring to?
Who will do this thing?
Can you explain a bit more with any references if you have?
Thank you, Roni
It is referring to mainstream Christianity according to our understanding.
We discuss this in detail in our work,
"Ephraim. The Gentile Children of Israel"
http://britam.org/bkephraim.html
Whether a person agrees with our religious views or not
it is quite clear from the Hebrew Bible that the
Lost Ten Tribes are today to be found amongst Christian populations.
The only question that remains is
"Which ones?"
and this is a question that Brit-Am also answers.
God bless you
Yair
6. How Can Brit-Am Believers Become More Involved?
From: J
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-859
In a message dated 2/12/2007 10:52:41 A.M. Central Standard Time, britam@netvision.net.il writes:
<<If Brit-Am is not correct please show us why not?
<<People who think Brit-Am is on the right track should support Brit-Am.
Our impression is that without Brit-Am or another organization
like Brit-Am (and such an organization at present does not exist)
nothing can be done.
The first step should be
to research and spread this knowledge
as Brit-Am is doing.>>
Yair:
I think the Brit Am message is essentially correct, and I applaud you for devoting your life to it. I'm sure that there are a few things that have not been discovered yet, or lie concealed, but overall, the message is sound.
Having said that, I would like to point out something that has been bothering me and I feel needs to be addressed.
Here is what is bothering me:
We all know that Israel is encountering a very tough time in her national existence, and is suffering greatly. Every day seems to be worse news. The military and terrorist threats are growing, and people are suffering from a wide variety of economic effects. I could go on, but we all know how bad it is. We also pretty much know that there may be a time in the future that requires some type of intervention on behalf of the tribes in order to guarantee the national survival of Israel.
I'm quite certain that there are many people who have found their Israelite identity and are in various stages of repentance, acceptance of the G-d of Israel, and observance of the appointed times, feasts, and commandments of G-d. Some of these people are ardent Zionists- and would readily die for Israel if asked. Some have found Brit Am, and learned from you. Others are going it on their own, with little or no resources to help them, and a large variety of snake oil salesmen waiting to lead them into false teachings and indecisiveness.
However, America, Great Britain, and the other Israelite nations have just as many problems with the Erev Rav as Israel does. You can see their advantages in political power, media, and information outlets, just by listening to the anti-Israel babble that they promote.
The anti-Israel babble proposes a staged solution to the "Israel problem" by first making Israel a pariah nation, and eventually putting Israel into a place of strategic disadvantage where it will be totally impossible to defend itself from the destruction planned by it's enemies.
It isn't hard to imagine that of their plan were to come to fruition, and the destruction were to occur, there would be a lot of media interviews with fake, pathetic, faux hand wringing going on in public, while in private, the enemies of Israel congratulated themselves.
Israel, the USA, and Great Britain are virtually a mirror image of each other at this moment. We are all suffering from a massive change of demographics due to societal changes, political intrigue and doublespeak, lack of political empowerment, and mass legal and illegal migration. Political forces hostile to Israel seem to proliferate.
Therein lies the problem. Returnees to the Lost Tribes need to understand that history has proven that when the chips are down, they cannot rely on institutions of man, governments, alliances, supposedly friendly governments, the media, or politics to help them guarantee the survival of Israel. History has also proven beyond a doubt that we can only trust Hashem.
Brit Am serves one of the most useful purposes I know - that of educating the returnees to Israel of their identity. But there is another issue below the surface that is looming, and it is this:
The Lost Tribes who are coming to consciousness need to stand up and be counted, and the time is now, not yesterday. Even if this is not the time of the end, as some suspect, it is a time when friends are needed, and assistance would be helpful. Words and knowledge are useless without actions, and another Holocaust seems to be on the horizon. If we were to fail or be useless in helping Israel at a critical time in her survival, then we can expect to be marginalized for a long time.
History has also proven that the Glory of Hashem is best illustrated by ordinary men and women overcoming impossible events and incredible adversity, using only faith. I think this is one we have to take as a step of faith.
Most all Lost Tribes returnees know this, and want to help as much as they can. We cannot be sureof the end of days is upon us, or if the regathering is pending. Only Hashem knows. It may be for another generation.
We do know that we do not want to sit idly while another Holocaust is being planned and executed before our eyes. There are people to feed, clothe, and if necessary, provide as much help as we can to help Israel survive in an increasingly hostile world.
I often wonder if the Israelite neshoma of the Lost Ten tribes is just as potent as the Jewish neshoma. If we were to prove ourselves brothers to Judah by our actions, it would be much more important that giving Israel lip service while the whole world plans it's destruction.
I submit to you that Brit Am has a higher calling. If it were to stick with it's educational message and combine the educational message with an outlet which provides genuine and needed help to Israel, in a time of great need, from people who have had the experience of coming to identity as members of the tribes, this would be one of the most positive developments Brit Am could make, for now and the future.
Ok...I'm done.
regards
J
Brit-Am Reply: We should serve our peoples.
Someone who is impelled to attach themselves to Judah or simply come to Israel
should do so. Brit-Am could even make this easier if Brit-Am ever grows
as it should do.
Nevertheless,
Go deeper.
The best service that can be done today to "Joseph" (and even to "Judah")
is to spread Brit-Am knowledge or similar knowledge along Brit-Am lines
i.e.
the Israelite Origins and Destiny of "Joseph".
the need to reach an eventual reconciliation with "Judah"
or at least help "Judah" be Judah in the Land of Israel.
God bless you
Yair Davidiy
on behalf of
Brit-Am Israel
Jerusalem
Israel
7. New Books from Brit-Am
In a short while two new books will be available from
"Brit-Am" (God willing).
These works may be the instruments of a breakthrough in the presentation
of the Brit-Am message.
At all events they are important to Brit-Am
and probably to you as well.
We need funds to complete them and pay for the printing of them.
"When the solution is simple, God is answering."
Albert Einstein.
Help Brit-Am.
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