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Subject: Lost Tribes/Commentary: EPHRAIM -- SUPER POWER? by John
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Subject: Lost Tribes/Commentary: EPHRAIM -- SUPER POWER? by John Hulley
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Lost Tribes/Commentary: EPHRAIM -- SUPER POWER?
by John Hulley
MEVASSERET ZION, ISRAEL, Yom Sheini (Second Day - "Monday"), 26 Nisan, 5759
(April 12, 1999) [Day Eleven in Sefirat HaOmer], Root & Branch: The Lost
Tribes of Israel have been lost for so long that many have given up waiting
for their return. Today, however, we are closer than ever before to
identifying at least one or two of them.
The blessings of Jacob and of Moses mention some very distinctive
characteristics. For the two sons of Joseph the astonishing prophecy is
that Ephraim and to a lesser extent Menasheh are to become world powers:
"He shall gore nations to the ends of the earth"
(Deuteronomy 33:17)
To achieve such power the sons of Joseph are to multiply rapidly and become
enormously wealthy.
The Lost Tribes are also expected to join Judah in reconquering the land of
Israel.
So far we've seen Judah return to the land, but where are the others?
It's been a hard struggle and it's getting harder as the Moslem nations
develop nuclear, biological and chemical weapons. Syria, Iraq and Iran
already have poison gas. Iraq is believed also to be equipped to launch
germ warfare. Iraq and Iran are both within a couple of years or so of
having nuclear weapons.
Will the real Ephraim please stand up? Where is this numerous, wealthy
people wielding world power?
In search of answers I have been looking at historical evidence on the Ten
Lost tribes of Israel. Could any of the great powers in this century be of
Israelite descent? I found that some important facts have been discovered
by historical and archaeological researchers, which have not yet received
much attention.
For instance the royal correspondence (written in clay) of the Assyrian
captors of the Ten Tribes reveal that the Assyrians did not call the Ten
Tribes "Israelites". The Assyrians called the Ten Tribes Omrii, from the
name of Omri, an important ruler in the history of the northern kingdom of
Israel. There is nothing unusual in calling a foreign people by a
different name, just as Israelis call France "Tsarfat".
The name Omrii stuck to the captive Israelites, varying to Gimirri in parts
of the Assyrian Empire, Kimmeri in Greek and Cimmeri in western Europe. A
Danish historian has recently put out a study with some of the evidence.
Indeed, sections of the history of the Cimmerians have been known to
historians, long before their origins could be identified (see Barbara
Tuchman, "Bible and Sword", pages 5,6,7).
The path of the Cimmerians has been traced around the northern border of
the Assyrian Empire into western Turkey. From there they tried repeatedly
but fruitlessly to break through to the southeast. Why? Were they seeking
a way back to Israel?
Instead, around 600 B.C.E., they were driven out of Turkey northwards
across the Bosphorus into Europe. School children in Israel learn about
the disappearance of the Lost Tribes across a mysterious river named
Sambatyon. According to the Sages this strange river stops on the
Sabbath. Thus far no such river has ever been discovered.
Could it be the Bosphorus? This is a narrow strait through which water
from the Black Sea flows toward the Aegean. It looks like a river, except
that it stops every few days, depending on the winds over those two seas.
Did it happen to stop on the Sabbath during the period of the crossing by
the lost tribes? And did they so report to Jerusalem? (See my essay "Did
Any of the Lost Tribes Go North? Is the 'Sambatyon' the Bosphorous?" in
B'Or HaTorah, 1987)
The trail of the Cimmerians can be traced in western Europe in the names of
peoples, such as Cymru -- the Welsh name for themselves; and of places such
as the Cimbric peninsula -- the former name of Denmark. Folk traditions
also recall their wanderings.
Was it pure chance that places where they settled later became the scenes
of bloody religious struggle? On one side was the Catholic Church -- a
religion officially based on the Bible but which did not allow its
followers to read it. On the other side were groups of "heretics" striving
to get hold of the Bible and live by it.
The Church reaction was the Inquisition, with its torture chambers and
public executions by burning. Mere ownership of a Bible could get you to
the stake.
The Jews got a taste of it in Spain. When large numbers of them converted
to Christianity in order to evade expulsion, they thereby made themselves
subject to persecution in case of any heretical behaviour. Tens of
thousands of Jews were murdered by the Catholic Inquisition.
The Inquisition was largely successful for more than three centuries. Why
would a non-Jewish people think the Bible worth all that suffering? They
did not know they would some day be numerous and wealthy or that they would
rise to great power. All they could see ahead was the weapons of papal
soldiers and fires of the Inquisition. What gave them the strength to hang
on?
Finally, the heretics managed to attract political support which made it
possible to fight wars of survival: the Protestants, as they came to be
called, struggled against Catholic armies that were sent to exterminate --
yes, exterminate -- them. The worst of these ferocious battles, the Thirty
Years War, is estimated to have taken the lives of about five million
Protestants in central Europe, roughly 25% of all the Protestants in
existence anywhere at the time. What gave them the courage to persist?
The Bible of the Protestants includes not only the Greek ("New") Testament
but also the Hebrew Bible (what Christians call the "Old" Testament).
Could the Bible-reading martyrs have been guided in part by a subconscious
recognition of an ancestral heritage? Were they fulfilling the prophecy
that, after losing their faith and identity, the Lost Tribes would
eventually recover their loyalty to God?
Since Protestantism is based in part on the Hebrew Bible, does it represent
the beginnings of such a recovery? Certainly the characteristics
prophesied for Ephraim have been manifest among the Protestants -- numbers,
wealth and power. Once the battles of survival were over, they soon rose
to world leadership and have stayed there.
In that position it has been possible for some of them to play an important
part in the restoration of Israel. The battles for survival were still
going on when Protestant Zionism appeared in England and spread to America.
It laid the groundwork for such military and economic support as these two
nations have given to the Zionist program.
Being a relatively small people, the Jews needed such support if they were
to cope successfully with: the Turkish Empire, which ruled Palestine; the
other Moslem peoples living in the area; and the German Nazis who sent
armies toward the Near East.
Not all Protestant nations have been helpful, and the degree of helpfulness
has varied. Why the differences? To answer this question we need to look
more closely at the distinctions between Protestant groups, especially the
difference between the Independent and State Churches. Protestant groups
can be classified according to degree of attachment to the Bible, ranging
from those who believe every word to more liberal readers who don't. The
closer they are to the Bible, the more favorable their attitudes toward
Jews and Israel.
The three largest Protestant powers illustrate the difference:
In Germany, at the urging of Luther, tens of thousands of Independent
Church (i.e. non-Lutheran State Church) Bible-believers were massacred and
the rest driven out. Even today, more than four centuries later,
Independent Church Protestantism is still weak in Germany. Small wonder
that the Jews found so few defenders among the German churches during the
years of Nazi persecution.
In Britain, Independent Church (i.e. non-Anglican State Church)
Bible-believers were persecuted for a century. After that they were
tolerated, even though they never became mainstream. Britain played a
crucial role in throwing the Turks out of Palestine and admitting large
numbers of Jews.
But many Jews felt that the British were too sympathetic to the objections
of the Arab majority there. In 1939 the British promised to restrict
Jewish immigration severely in exchange for Arab agreement not to revolt
during the coming war with Germany. In 1944, as news of the Nazi genocide
against the Jewish People leaked out, some Jews attacked British forces in
the Land of Israel ("Palestine") in an effort to nullify the British
promise to the Arabs and to force the British to admit more Jewish
refugees.
As for the U.S., Independent Church Bible-believers have always enjoyed
favorable conditions and amount to between 35 and 45 percent of the
population, depending on the definition. A poll of public opinion by the
New York Times (April 26th, 1998), showed that 57% of the American public
supports Israel, compared to 10% who support Abdul Rauf el-Codbi
el-Husseini ("Yasser Arafat") -- a ratio of more than 5 to 1! Remember
that the Jews amount to only about 2% of the population in America. It
seems likely that a large proportion of these non-Jewish Israel-supporters
are from Bible-believing Independent Church groups.
The amount of American military and economic aid to Israel is establishing
world records. The U.S. is virtually the only defender of Israel at the
U.N. The Americans, along with the British, are leading international
military efforts to block Iraqi development of nuclear, biological and
chemical weapons, which could be used against Israel or other nations.
However, these forms of support generally come on condition that Israel
withdraw from liberated territories (Judea, Samaria, Gaza and the Golan).
As in the earlier relationship with Britain, many Jews feel that the
Americans are too sympathetic to the Arabs.
But this may be all you can hope for from people who feel a vague sympathy
for the Jews but are unaware of any kinship with them. Suppose an
important part of the American people really is descended from Ephraim, but
has not been conscious of it. Wouldn't you expect their policies toward
Israel to be a bit confused and confusing?
Suppose they begin to discover their real identity. Would they support
Israel more actively? According to prophecy, the differences between the
Lost Tribes and the Jews will be happpily resolved, and all of them will
settle in an enlarged Israel. In the Messianic Era Israel will no longer
be tiny and divided. It will be united and the greatest power on earth.
John Hulley
Mevasseret Zion, Israel
[jonhully@netmedia.net.il]
-----------------------------------------------------------
ABOUT JOHN HULLEY:
Mr. John Hulley is the Chairman of the Center for the Study of Bible-based
Societies and Scientific Discovery of the Root & Branch Association. Mr.
Hulley, a former Senior Economist at the World Bank in Washington, D.C., is
the author of "COMETS, JEWS & CHRISTIANS: Scientists and Bible-believers
Confront the Greatest Threat to our Survival" (Root & Branch, 1996).
-----------------------------------------------------------
ROOT & BRANCH ISRAEL OFFICE
Aryeh Gallin, President
Root & Branch Association, Ltd.
P.O.B. 8672, German Colony, 91086 Jerusalem
***********************************************************************
From: britam@actcom.co.il
To: heb_roots_chr@geocities.com
Subject: The Lost Tribes of Israel
THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL
It was said expressly that Isaac would be the inheritor of the
promises.
17;21: "But my covenant will I establish with Isaac".
Amos (ch.4) refers to the northern tribes as House of Isaac. After
their exile the Ten Tribes were identified with the Cimmerians,
Scythians and Goths. The Scythians were known as "Isaki-Golu, Ishkuza,
Saca, Zohak, Sexe, and even Saxone". All of these names are
derivations from the Hebrew for Isaac.
A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION
Again in ch.18 God made himself known unto Abraham:
Genesis 18;18-19: "..ABRAHAM SHALL BECOME A GREAT AND MIGHTY NATION,
AND ALL THE NATIONS OF THE EARTH SHALL BE BLESSED IN HIM.
"For I know him, that he will command his children and his household
after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and
judgement: that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he has
spoken of him.
"Justice And Judgement":, Here, looking at this Blessing, the doing of
Justice and Judgement are being spoken of and emphasised. The Chosen
People were destined to do "justice and judgement", that was to be
part of their task in history: They were to do "justice and
judgement", in order that all the nations of the earth be blessed in
them.
The order of the blessing implies that in order to do "justice and
judgement" the people who are blessed must first become "a great and
mighty nation" since first "a great and mighty nation" is mentioned
and then later the goal of doing "justice and judgement" follows
after.
"Akeda" = "The Binding".
In Genesis 22 is described an incident which we do not properly
understand. It is known in Hebrew as "The Akeda" = "The Binding".
Abraham was told to take his son,, his "only son" (according to the
words of the Bible), and go with him to the Mount of Moriah and there
offer him up as a human-sacrifice. Abraham did as he was told and he
went with Isaac to the place, laid wood upon an altar, then bound
Isaac to the altar and raised a sacrificial knife to kill Isaac. At
the last minute Isaac was stopped by an angel who told him that the
whole thing was only a test of faith to see if Abraham would obey the
command of God in this matter or not. A ram was substituted for Isaac
and sacrificed in his stead.
The purpose of the test was to enable the international aspects of the
Promises to be fulfilled UNCONDITIONALLY.
After the Akeda (After the Binding) i.e. after Abraham had passed the
test, God Blessed Abraham,
"And said, By myself have I sworn, says the LORD, for because you have
done this thing , and have not withheld your son, your only son, That
in blessing I will bless you, and in multplying I will multiply your
seed as the stars of the heaven, and as the sand which is upon the
seashore; and your seed shall possess the gate of his enemies.; "And
in your seed shall all the families of the earth be blessed; because
you have obeyed my voice.
Note the expression in the first part of this blessing,
"By myself have I sworn, says the LORD because you have done this
thing , and have Not withheld Your son , your only son from me".
"By myself have I sworn, says the LORD" in other words unconditionally
"by MYSELF" i.e. by HIMSELF", by the very essence of God Almighty and
therefore NOT SUBJECT TO CHANGE!!!!.
This is a new development: Some of the previous blessings are now
repeated and involve being multiplied as the stars of the heavens
and of the seashores; there is also a promise to inherit the gate of
your enemies i.e. strategic points, and the Promise is now
unconditional: In this verse nothing is said about the LAND because
the LAND is not unconditionial but is contingent upon keeping the
commandments and Monotheistic belief.
THOUSANDS OF MILLIONS
Thousands Of Millions = "Alfei Revavah" ??: Eventually Abraham became
old and thought he was going to die so he sent his servant Elazar to
the House of his father to bring back a wife. Elazar went and brought
back Rivka (Rebecca) with him. Before she went the family of Rebecca
blessed her. They said unto her (Genesis 24;60), "You are our sister,
be you the mother of thousands of millions and may your seed possess
the gate of those that hate them".
"be thou the mother of thousands of milions" -it says in the KJ though
the Hebrew translated here as thousands of milions" is "alfei revavah"
which actually would be translated today as saying "thousands of ten
thousands" i.e. Tens of Millions though it could be understood (as in
the KJ) to mean more. However it is understood: -Whether as saying
"tens of millions" or "thousands of millions" , it is definitely
talking about a great many people. Rebecca was also blessed, "-and may
your seed possess the gate of those that hate them", i.e. may the seed
of Rebecca and Isaac possess the strategic passes promised in the
Blessings.
GATE OF YOUR ENEMIES:
Isaac had been promised that his seed would possess "the gate of his
enemies" and Rebecca likewise was promised that her seed would
"possess the gate of those that hate them". The promise to possess the
gate of enemies refers to the possession of strategic points that
allow access to or control over thoroughfares of supply or the
interior of a country or something similar. This is how Rabbinical
Commentators understood it. It was said , for instance that the
blessing was partially fulfilled in the time of Solomon by Solomon
building the city of Tadmor that enabled him to control the passage of
caravans bearing merchandise and travelling along caravan-routes
through the desert
In the past Britain and the USA controlled every important
international strait and thoroughfare: Examples are Hong Kong,
Singapore, Gibraltar, Falklands, Panama, Phillipines, The Suez Canal,
Malta, Heligoland, -Everywhere where there was a strategic point of
international importance it was usually under British or American
control..
Even now many of these places are still controlled by the USA or
Britan. The USA has bases all over the world. The USA does not always
publicise the existence of these bases but they are known about.
The host countries to whom these bases technically belong have only
limited control over them. They cannot just tell the USA to leave. In
some cases the host countries are open enemies of the USA and in
others they are potential enemies. Even so, they have no real say on a
day-to-day basis concerning what the USA does or does not do with
these bases, and on them.
The USA has the Wheeler Air Base in Libya, it has a base in Cuba, it
has bases in Japan, bases in islands off Japan, in the Pacific Ocean,
in the Indian Ocean, in every Sea and in every Ocean, in Greenland, in
Saudia Arabia, in the Persian Gulf, in northern Iraq (i.e.
Kurdistan); It has all kinds of facitilities of strategic importance
all over the world, not all of which are publicised. The USA has
hundreds of thousands of troops stationed in Europe.
The host nations (including those of Europe) in which these bases are
located are often America's enemies in actual fact or in potential.
The said nations still can do little concerning what America does.
They cannot get America out though these bases potentially allow
America access to their vital points. In other words they allow
America access in time of emergency to vital geographic control
points. They allow America, if necessary, to come inside, into the
vital areas. They are "gates". They are "the gate of your enemies."
that were promised to the Chosen People and these promises have been
fulfilled through Britain and America.
America and Britain are the only countries who have rights of this
type on such an international scale and they are the only nations
where these arrangements have become a natural integrated part of
foreign and military policy.
In the past Britain "ruled the waves" and all the major Sea-lanes and
Sea passes were under Britain's control. Nowadays sea-movement is less
important than it used to be though it is still significant. Britain
and the USA between them still possess potential control over most
major sea-lanes. In addition, in our era Space is important. The USA
has control of Space. The USA has Satellites and Missiles and a
Space-orientated -infrastructure that allows it access by satellite to
most places of the world -for the purposes of attack or at least of
surveillance. Through its satellites the USA (if it so wishes) can
take very-close-up photographs of a lot of areas. In some cases, not
only can they see soldiers marching below but they can even discern
what signs-of-rank the soldiers filmed bear on their shoulders.
In other words the USA has means of access to all of its actual and
potential enemies. It has "gates" meaning avenues of entry. The
possession of these gates (of option of entry into these areas) does
not guarantee victory in War but it is an advantage. Other countries
have got space-programs of their own but none of them so far have
acheived anything like the USA. -Not that they are less gifted. It
just was not there. They lacked the resources and inclination at the
right time. The Blessing to "possess the gates of your enemies" was
not pertinent to other nations.
Yair Davidy
Brit-Am Israel
POB 595
Jerusalem 91004
Israel
We publish a journal "Tribesman".
We have also published three books only one of which is still
in print and that is, "Lost Israelite Identity. The Hebraic Origin of
Celtic Races," by Yair Davidy.
Our efforts may be assisted by contributions, or by ordering one of
our publications. The most important thing is to take our message to
heart. We also work in conjunction with the Maccabee Institute for
Emergency Rescue, Family and Social Aid.
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