By Steven M. Collins
INTRODUCTION:
Because this report will be read by individuals with different viewpoints,
some introductory comments are needed. After writing a book entitled
The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, this author has received
many letters, tracts, pamphlets, etc. presenting so many different theories
about the identity of the Jews that they are too numerous to mention.
These divergent views on Jewish origins/identity have made it apparent to
this author that a report on this subject is needed (in fact, some who have
discussed this subject with me have urged the printing of a research report
on Jewish origins and their modern identity). This report is being presented
not as an exhaustive treatise on the subject, but rather as an effort to
introduce essential information into this discussion.
Some
readers will look at the title of this report and say: "Why write this
material, everyone knows the Jews are Judah." It is equally true that others
will have the following reaction: "No, the Jews are not Judah, they are
actually Khazar-Edomites." The author is under no illusion that the
information in this article will satisfy everyone, and the right of all
readers to form their own respective opinions on this subject is fully
recognized. However, this article is written from the viewpoint that God's
Word, the Bible, is the arbiter of truth on all matters, and human opinions
and theories must yield to the ultimate truth of the Word of God.
The
title of this article indicates that the author believes that modern Jews
are the biblical, prophetic "House of Judah." The pages that follow will
present: (A) an examination of secular evidence about the Jews, and (B) a
faithful presentation of the Bible's information and prophecies on this
subject. Presented below are four reasons why I believe that modern Jews
are, indeed, the biblical and prophetic "House of Judah."
REASON 1: FULFILLMENT OF ZEPHANIAH'S PROPHECY
Zephaniah chapter two begins with statements clearly indicating it is a
"latter day" prophecy. Verse two sets the time-frame of this chapter as
being just "before the day of the Lord's anger," and verse three reiterates
that this prophecy applies to the time just prior to "the Day of the Lord."
Verses 4 - 5 pronounce "woe" upon the cities and inhabitants "of the
seacoast," and it clear that the "seacoast" of Palestine is being discussed
due to the mention of the cities of Gaza, Ashdod, and Ekron. Verse seven
describes the "woe" that will befall these people (also called "Cherethites"
and "Philistines" in verse 5) in the following prophecy of God: "the coast
shall be for the remnant of Judah; they shall feed thereupon; in the
houses of Ashkelon shall they lie down in the evening; for the Lord their
God shall visit them, and turn away their captivity." (Emphasis
added.)
This prophecy clearly states that God will give the historic land of the
Philistines (Palestine) to "Judah" just
prior to the "Day of the Lord." It furthermore indicates that God was not
going to "turn away [Judah's] captivity"
until just prior to the Day of the Lord. The phrase "turn away their
captivity" is a bit clumsy; it simply means "end their captivity." In 1948,
the Jewish nation called Israel was born in
the "seacoast" region of old Palestine, fulfilling this prophecy. Indeed,
the 1988 Edition of the Encyclopedia
Americana notes this about Israel's population: ["About 70% of it is
concentrated in the Mediterranean coastal
strip..."]. This is exactly what Zephaniah 2 prophesied would occur to Judah in the latter days.
Because the
Jews had been a stateless people scattered among the nations for centuries
(even millennia), the prophecy's language that their captivity would be
"turned away" (i.e. "ended") is very descriptive of the fate of the Jews, a
people who had not had their own nation for a very long time.
Furthermore,
we must accept the fact that God, in his perfect knowledge, has always known
where "the house of Judah" was! The historic fact is that God chose to
use modern Jews to fulfill this prophecy about "the house of Judah."
This is powerful evidence that modern Jews are the modern house of Judah.
Zephaniah 2:6 also prophesies that agricultural pursuits were to prosper
when the "house of Judah" reestablished a nation in Palestine, and much has
been written documenting that the Israelis have "made the desert bloom" with
their innovative, high-tech agricultural efforts.
A prophecy in
Zechariah 14 supports the above analysis of Zephaniah 2. Zechariah 14:1
begins with "Behold the Day of the Lord cometh..." This is the same time
frame as Zephaniah 2 (just prior to the Day of the Lord). Zechariah 14:2-3
prophesies that "all nations" will be gathered to battle in the region of
Jerusalem, and that the Lord will come to fight against the nations
attacking Jerusalem when "his feet shall stand on the Mount of Olives."
Christians understand this to be a prophecy of the second coming of Jesus
Christ, and verse five adds that the Lord will bring "all the saints" with
him (an obvious reference to the resurrection of the dead). The rest of the
chapter gives more information about this climactic battle and the
establishment of the Lord's rule on earth. Verse 14 states: "Judah also
shall fight at Jerusalem." None of the other tribes of Israel is
specifically mentioned in this prophecy, but "Judah" is there in
sufficiently large numbers to warrant God's mentioning them by name. This is
consistent with Zephaniah's prophecy that Judah will build a nation in
Palestine in the latter days. Zechariah's prophecy indicates that Judah will
be fighting to defend Jerusalem in a great war which climaxes with the
return of the Conquering Messiah! What people now live in and have
sovereignty over the city of Jerusalem? The Jews! Again, Bible prophecies
for the latter days indicate that modern Jews are the house (or tribe) of
Judah.
To conclude
this point, it is acknowledged that placing the name "Israel" on the modern
Jewish nation is a misnomer which causes much confusion to many students of
the Bible. The Jewish state was named after the historical land of
Israel, even though the people establishing the nation were from the house
of Judah, not the house of Israel (the descendants of the ten tribes of
Israel). A prophecy in Ezekiel 37:15-28 confirms that "Judah" and "Israel"
will remain separate entities on the earth until they are reunited under a
resurrected King David after the return of Christ.
REASON 2: THE JEWS ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN PEOPLE
Some material
sent to me argues that "the Jews can't be an Israelite tribe because they
did not become Christians like the rest of the tribes." In fact, there is a
biblical prophecy which foretells that "Judah" will not "become Christian"
until Jesus Christ returns as the "Conquering Messiah" (this terminology
reflects the Christian viewpoint of Messianic prophecies).
Zechariah 12
is a prophecy devoted to the reaction of the house of Judah (and Levi, a
large percentage of whom remained with Judah) when the Messiah returns and
saves them from imminent destruction. Many times the phrase "in that day" is
repeated in this chapter, a phrase indicating the general time of the latter
days and/or the Day of the Lord. Verse two prophesies that God "will make
Jerusalem a cup of trembling to all the people round about, when they
shall be in the siege against Judah and Jerusalem." This parallels
Zechariah 14 which speaks of a time when "all nations are gathered against
Jerusalem." Notice that many nations are besieging "Judah and Jerusalem."
The Bible presents "Judah and Jerusalem" as so closely linked with each
other in the latter days that they are mentioned together. This has happened
as the Israelis have made Jerusalem the capital of the Jewish state, and
Jerusalem has become a "cup of trembling" (a major flashpoint) in world
politics. Verse six prophesies that God will make: "...the governors of
Judah like a hearth of fire among the wood...and they shall devour
all the people round about, on the right hand and on the left: and
Jerusalem shall be inhabited again in her own place, even in Jerusalem."
God
prophesies that "Judah" would be a militarily victorious nation in the
Middle East (the geographic setting of this entire chapter is the region
around Jerusalem) during the latter days. This prophecy also indicates that
Judah will "devour" the people who border them ("devour" indicates not just
conquering people but an absorbing of their territory as well). This has
been dramatically fulfilled by the Israelis in the Arab-Israeli wars of
1948, 1956, 1967 and 1973; the Israelis conquered ("devoured") territory all
around them, taking control of the Egyptian Sinai, Syria's Golan Heights,
the Gaza Strip and Jordan's West Bank. Some of this territory has been
bartered away as part of the "Mideast Peace Process," but the prophecy was
fulfilled nonetheless.
This prophecy
also indicates a time will come when God will intervene personally to "save
Judah" and "defend Jerusalem" (verses seven and eight). Zechariah 14
prophesies that Judah and Jerusalem will be invaded just prior to the Lord's
return, and the phrase "Mount of Olives" in Zechariah 14:4 confirm the
setting is the geographical city of Jerusalem in the modern Jewish nation.
This chapter parallels Acts 1:9-12 which states Jesus Christ ascended to
heaven from the "mount called 0livet" (the Mount of Olives), and as He
ascended to heaven an angel announced that He would return "in like manner."
Revelation 16:12-16 shows an invading army headed by "the kings of the east"
will march westward toward Jerusalem across the Euphrates River toward the
valley of Megiddo (i.e. "Armageddon") in the Israeli nation. [1]
Zechariah
12:9 prophesies the Messiah will "destroy" the nations that come against
Jerusalem, and verses 10-14 reveal some surprising information. Judah, the
house of David, "the inhabitants of Jerusalem," and the Levites (all these
groups are part of the house of Judah) are astounded and dismayed at the
identity of their Messiah!
The God of
the Bible who inspired this prophecy declares that "Judah" (the Jews) will
"look upon me whom they have pierced," and will "mourn" for him as
for an "only son" as God gives them "the spirit of grace and supplication."
This prophecy indicates that "Judah" and "Levi" will not accept or recognize
Jesus Christ as the Messiah until he rescues them from an invading
army at the culmination of this age. Judah never accepted Jesus Christ when
he came as the "suffering Messiah," but they will accept him when he returns
as the "conquering Messiah."
This prophecy
further answers the question of who is modern Judah. Did the Jewish
leadership of Judea (the Sanhedrin) cause Jesus Christ (Yeshua the "Anointed
One") to be "pierced" by the Romans when He was crucified? Yes. His hands
and his side were "pierced" in the crucifixion process (John 19:34, 20:25).
Do modern Jews now live in the area of Jerusalem, and are they
non-Christian? Yes. Does Zechariah 12's prophecy support the view that
modern, non-Christian Jews living in the Jerusalem region are the
descendants of "Judah" and "Levi?" Yes. Therefore, does God's Word indicate
that today's Jews are the modern "house of Judah?" Yes!
REASON 3: FULFILLMENT OF THE GENESIS 49 PROPHECY
Genesis 49
contains prophecies about the identities and roles of each of the tribes of
Israel in the latter days. The prophecies about the tribes of the house of
Israel (the northern ten tribes) are extensively discussed in chapter 11 of
my book, The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!, but little
was said about Judah as "Judah" was not the subject of that book. If this
was an oversight, it will now be remedied. Genesis 49:8-12 states (emphasis
added throughout):
“Judah,
thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise: thy hand shall be in the
neck of thine enemies; thy father's children shall bow down before thee.
Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he
stooped down, he couched as a lion; and as an old lion; who shall
rouse him up? The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver
from between his feet, until Shiloh come; and unto him shall the gathering
of the people be. Binding his foal unto the vine, and his
ass's colt unto the choice vine; he washed his garments in
wine, and his clothes in the blood of grapes: his eyes shall be
red with wine and his teeth white with milk."
This prophecy
reveals much information about modern Judah. To begin with, there is a
seeming paradox in this prophecy: Judah is referred to as both a "lion's
whelp" and "as an old lion." However, this actually fits the modern
Jews/Israelis very well. The term "lion's whelp" (a young cub) predicts
Judah will be a young (or recently-born) nation in the latter days: a
fitting description of the young Israeli nation which was founded in 1948.
This prophecy is very consistent with Zephaniah 2, which prophesied Judah
would found a nation in Palestine just prior to "the Day of the Lord." Yet,
the Jews are also a people with a continuous history traceable for over
three millennia, and they also had a nation in Palestine in ancient times
(i.e. "as an old lion"). The Jews/Israelis fulfill this prophecy as they are
a very young nation which was founded by a people with an ancient tradition
and heritage.
Genesis
49:8-9 states Judah's "hand shall be in the neck of thy enemies," and refers
to Judah "as a lion going up from the prey." This prophecy foretells that
Judah will be an aggressive nation and victorious in warfare during the
latter days, conquering its enemies like a lion brings down its prey. This
has been amply fulfilled by Israeli victories in its wars, and this prophecy
meshes perfectly with Zechariah 12:6's prophecy which states Judah would
"devour" her enemies in the latter days. Not only have the Israelis been
successful in warfare, they have leaped out at their enemies even as a lion
leaps and stretches out toward its intended prey. The Israelis do not "run
and hide" like a prey animal; they attack like a predator. They leaped out
to attack their enemies in the 1976 raid on Entebbe, Uganda, and in their
destruction of an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 via a bold air strike.
Surprisingly, after
predicting military prowess for Judah, Genesis 49 next prophesies
agricultural success for latter-day Judah. Notice the agricultural words
printed in bold type in the above prophecy. Verses 11-12 predict Judah's
agricultural success in the latter days, and the Israelis have truly "made
the desert bloom" by applying advanced Western technology in an inherently
dry climate. Confirming this fact, the Encyclopaedia Americana
notes that "of the goods exported [by Israel] in the mid-1980's about
one-third were agricultural..."[2] Genesis 49:11-12 parallels Zephaniah
2:6's prophecy, further illustrating the consistency of the Bible's
prophecies about Judah in the latter days.
Genesis 49:1
also prophesies: "Judah, thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise." This
has been fulfilled in the fact that modern Christendom widely regards the
Jews as "the chosen people." Ironically, many of the Christians who regard
the Jews as "the chosen people" are themselves Israelites (members of the
ten tribes of Israel). Indeed, Christians have labeled the Jews as "the
chosen people" even though the Jews have clearly inherited none of the
birthright blessings promised to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob! It is the
descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh (the British and Americans) who
inherited the birthright promises of population growth, national wealth,
empires, and control of strategic geographical "gates." These facts are
documented in my book: The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!
Why have the other tribes acknowledged Judah's Israelite heritage even
though they have lost sight of their own? Because the Jews have preserved
identifiably biblical customs such as the Sabbath, the holydays of Leviticus
23, and a diet avoiding "unclean" meats such as pork and shellfish. If the
descendants of the ten tribes had also retained these biblical customs
throughout history, their Israelite heritage would never have become
obscured.
It is further
prophesied in Genesis 49:8 that: "thy father's children [the other tribes of
Israel] shall bow down to thee." This is explained in verse 10, which
states: "the scepter [a symbol of kings] shall not depart from Judah, nor a
lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come: and unto him shall the
gathering [hope, expectation] of the people be."
Beginning
with the dynasty founded by Kings David and Solomon, there have always
been Israelites of the various tribes ruled by monarchs descended from
David and Solomon. This is examined more in the next section (and at length
in my book), but the fact that the hereditary ruling houses of Europe can be
traced to Davidic kings who once ruled over Scythian kingdoms and the
widespread Parthian Empire of the ten tribes [in Asia] fulfills the prophecy
of Genesis 49:3 and 10. The ancestry of the kings of England can be
continuously traced to the ancient kings of Judah via the royal houses of
Ireland and Scotland[3], and the seed of David was spread throughout the
royal houses of Europe by frequent intermarriages among Europe's royalty.
Genesis 49:10
also prophesies that Judah will have kings ruling over the other tribes of
Israel "until Shiloh come." This is a Messianic prophecy which predicts that
David's bloodline will be present in the royal houses of the Israelite
nations until the coming of the Messiah (Yeshua the Anointed One or Jesus
Christ). Even though Europe's remaining royalty now have largely ceremonial
roles, the prophecy has still been fulfilled. And, finally, it is the coming
of the Messiah toward which the "hope" or "expectation" of both Christians
and Jews is directed.
We see that the
modern Jews and Israelis have fulfilled Genesis 49's prophecy about Judah in
the latter days (in fact, no other people on earth do so). All prophecies
about Judah in the latter days point to and are fulfilled by modern
Jews/Israelis. Secular evidence supporting this identification follows in
the next section.
REASON 4: THE "ASHKEN-AZI" AND "ASHKAN-IAN" JEW LINKAGE
The linchpin
of arguments opposing a Judaic identity for modern Jews is the contention
that modern Ashkenazi Jews are "religious" but not "racial" Jews. This
argument asserts that the Ashkenazi Jews (i.e. central and eastern European
Jews) descended from Khazar-Edomite (non-Israelite) bloodlines, and
therefore cannot truly constitute "Judah" in the modern world. This author
is aware that some who espouse the "Khazar-Edomite origin of the Jews"
theory do acknowledge that some Sephardic Jews (i.e. Spanish/Mediterranean
Jews) are members of the house of Judah.
This section will
document the following points: (A) While some base their judgment on the
identity of the house of Judah by differentiating between the terms
"religious Jews" and "racial Jews," two biblical passages indicate that God
regards these terms as a "distinction without a difference," and (B) There
is a major misunderstanding about the origin of the term "Ashkenazi" Jew,
and that secular evidence indicates they are, in fact, the Israelite house
of Judah.
Those who say
that modern Jews include Edomite and Khazar bloodlines are correct. Now,
let's examine the historical extent of these facts and determine from the
Bible if this really matters in the eyes of God.
To assert
that any of the tribes of Israel was ever a pristinely, non-Gentile entity
is a myth. The Israelites have always included gentile bloodlines in their
midst, and God's Word allowed them to do so. In the time of the Exodus, God
allowed the Israelites to be accompanied by a "mixed multitude" of people
who had been slaves in Egypt. Numbers 12 records that God swiftly punished
Miriam (Moses’ sister), because she dared to criticize Moses for having a
Gentile (Cushite) wife. In the days of Kings David and Solomon, the
Israelites virtually merged with the Gentile residents of the city-states of
Tyre and Sidon (I Chronicles 14:1, II Chronicles 2, 8:18). II Chronicles
2:17 records 153,600 "strangers" (Gentiles) lived in Israel during Solomon's
rule. King David had a Gentile leader in his army called "Uriah the Hittite"
(II Samuel 11), and David's royal bodyguard was composed of "Cherethites and
Pelethites" (II Samuel 8:18), who were likely Philistines and Cretans.[4]
Ruth, a Moabitess, was an ancestor of both King David and Jesus Christ (Ruth
1:4).
God knew that
many Gentiles would intermarry with the Israelites, and gave directions on
how "strangers" (or "sojourners") could be lawfully blended into the
Israelite tribes. In Leviticus 19:33 - 34, God commanded:
"...if a stranger sojourn with you in your land, you shall not vex him. But
the stranger that dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among
you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you were strangers in the
land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
About 800
years later, God again cited this command in Ezekiel 47:21-23:
"So you shall divide this land unto you according to the tribes of
Israel...you shall divide it by lot for an inheritance unto you, and to
the strangers that sojourn among you, which shall beget children among
you: and they shall be unto you as born in the country among the children
of Israel; they shall have an inheritance with you among the tribes of
Israel...In what tribe the stranger sojourns, there shall you give him
his inheritance, saith the Lord."
Interesting!
God commanded the Israelites to give equal inheritances to Gentile
"sojourners" who intermarried with the Israelites, and THEY ARE TO BE
REGARDED AS FULL MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE in which they "sojourned." Indeed,
despite the various wars between the Israelites and the Edomites, God also
commanded the Israelites in Deuteronomy 23:7-8:
"You shall not abhor an Edomite; for he is your brother
...the children that are begotten of them shall enter into the congregation
of the Lord in their third generation."
Strangely, some who deny the "Jewishness" of the Jews use the term "Edomite"
as a pejorative epithet. In the above scripture, God ordered Israelites not
to despise Edomites! It is easy to see why God regarded the Edomites as
"brothers" to the Israelites.
Edomites
descend from Esau (Genesis 36:43), and Esau was Jacob's twin brother
(Genesis 25:19-26). Jacob was renamed Israel (Genesis 32:28), and Judah was
one of his twelve sons. This means Esau (Edom) was an uncle to Judah, the
first Jew. Edomites are descended from Abraham and Isaac, so they are also
descended from Eber (from whom we derive the term "Hebrew").[5] Since
Edomites are both Semite and Hebrew, Edomites are as closely-related to the
Israelites as any Gentile can be!
God decreed
that when strangers (Gentiles) "sojourned" among the Israelites, they could
intermarry with Israelites and be regarded as Israelites as surely as if
they were "born in the land." The term "sojourn" encompasses more than just
"dwell" in the land, however. A Gentile had to adopt the religion and
culture of the Israelites to be considered an Israelite. Now we will apply
this biblical principle to the history of the Jewish people.
History of the Asian Jews
After the
fall of Judah and Jerusalem, the house of Judah was removed into an Asian
captivity. In the 6th century B.C., Cyrus, the Persian Emperor, allowed a
small contingent of Jews to return to Judea. Ezra 1:5 and Nehemiah 11:3-4
confirm that remnants of only three tribes (Judah, Levi and Benjamin)
returned to Judea at that time, and Nehemiah 7:66 records there were only
42,360 returnees to Judea. Josephus records that the Persian Jews held a
great festival to celebrate this event. He writes that four million people
attended this Jewish celebration, and that when it was over, a "certain
part" of this multitude emigrated to Jerusalem, but "the rest of the
multitude returned every one to their own countries [i.e. the nations
within Persia's Empire]."[5] (NOTE: Your volume of Josephus may have a
footnote discrediting Josephus' four million figure because the writer of
the footnote didn't carefully read the text. Josephus did not claim four
million emigrated to Jerusalem; he simply recorded the number of people who
attended the festival in Persia celebrating the return of a small contingent
of Jews to Jerusalem. Josephus tells us the vast majority of Jewish captives
chose to remain in Persia's Asian provinces rather than join the pioneers
who returned to rebuild Judea.) What is critically important to realize is
that the vast majority of the tribe of Judah stayed in Asia even when
a few went from their midst to rebuild a portion of Jerusalem.
The small
contingent under Ezra and Nehemiah formed the population base of the Jews
who later inhabited Judea at the time of Christ. However, during the time of
the Maccabees, John Hyrcanus (circa 135 - 105 B.C.) and the Jews conquered a
body of Edomites who adopted the Jews' religion and customs and merged with
the Jews.[7] Josephus gives this account of the Jewish-Edomite merger:
"Hyrcanus...subdued all the Idumeans [Edomites]; and permitted them to stay
in that country, if they would circumcise their genitals, and make use of
the laws of the Jews; and they were so desirous of living in the country of
their forefathers, that they submitted to the use of circumcision, and
the rest of the Jewish ways of living...that they were hereafter no other
than Jews."[8] (Emphasis added.)
Josephus was
on solid biblical ground in his judgment of the merged Edomites as "no other
than Jews." Based on God's laws governing the admittance of Gentiles into
the tribes of Israel (Leviticus 19:33-34, Ezekiel 47:22-23), the Edomites
"became Jews" because they embraced circumcision (the key sign of the Old
Covenant with God) and "the rest of the Jewish way of living." God's
assimilation laws considered them as much a part of the tribe of Judah as
those "born in the land." Even allowing for the added restriction of
Deuteronomy 23:7-8 (that children of Edomite-Israelite unions will be fully
"Israelite" in the third generation), the progeny of the Edomite-Israelite
union around 110 B.C. would have been past the "third generation" by the
time of Christ's ministry (circa 30 A.D.). By the time the first century
A.D. ended, God's law recognized the Edomite-Jewish merger as complete and
all progeny of this merger would have been regarded as fully Jewish (members
of the house of Judah). Many Sephardic Jews have descended from the Judean
Jews who were scattered throughout the Roman and Mediterranean region after
the Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and also in 135 A.D. when Jews were
expelled from Jerusalem after the Bar Kochba revolt.[9] In this account,
there is no reason for doubting the "Jewishness" of Sephardic Jews. The
Edomites (and any other Gentiles) who adopted circumcision and Jewish
customs over the centuries had become full members of the tribe of Judah
under God's laws governing such mergers by the time they scattered to Spain
and other Mediterranean regions.
Next we will
consider the Ashkenazi Jews, who settled in central and eastern Europe. To
understand their history, we must examine the history of the great empire of
Parthia (which is almost entirely ignored in history books). The Parthian
Empire replaced the Persian and Seleucid Greek Empires, and it flourished
from approximately 250 B.C. - 226 A.D. At its greatest extent, it dominated
the region from the Caucasus Mountains and Russian steppes in the north to
the Persian Gulf and Indian Ocean in the south, and from the Euphrates River
in the west to the Indus River in the east. Rome tried many times to conquer
Parthia, but was never able to do so. The great 19th century English
historian, George Rawlinson, decried the fact that Rome was being presented
as "a Universal Monarchy, a power unchecked" when the Greco-Roman historians
themselves recorded that Parthia was "a rival state dividing with Rome the
attention of mankind and the sovereignty of the known earth."[10]
The Parthian
empire was formed by a group of related tribes who were called "exiles" in
their Asian lands.[11] Classical writers record that the Parthians were
under the domination of the Assyrians and Medes prior to their becoming
independent.[12] Their tribal names reflected the names of the clans of the
ten tribes of Israel, and their cities bore Semitic names and their Semitic
kings often bore the name of the root-word "Phares," which identified the
royal line of King David, who descended from Phares (I Chronicles 2:3-15).
The Parthians were the descendants of the ten tribes of Israel, and their
kings were David's descendants, fulfilling God's promise that David's
progeny would rule over the ten tribes of Israel (Jeremiah 33:17). Many are
familiar with the account of the Magi worshipping the baby Jesus soon after
his birth, but few are aware that the Magi were a delegation of Parthian
nobles and the hereditary priests of Parthia. The Parthians wrested control
of Palestine from the Romans a few decades prior to Jesus Christ's birth,
and ruled it for several years.
The entire
fascinating story of the ten tribes' relocation into Asia and their eventual
restoration to independence and power in the Parthian Empire are thoroughly
documented in this author's book, The "Lost" Ten Tribes of
Israel...Found! Whereas the Roman Empire oppressed the Jews, the
Parthian Empire granted them great freedoms, allowing Jews to have their own
self-governing cities![13] George Rawlinson noted that the Jews (descendants
of the "multitude" mentioned by Josephus in the Persian Empire) were very
numerous throughout Parthia's provinces. In fact, Parthian Jews were so
numerous and rich that they sent their Holy Day offerings to the Jerusalem
Temple with armed escorts of "many ten thousands of men."[14]
The Bible
itself records that only a small delegation of Jewish captives returned to
Judea under Nehemiah and Ezra while the majority of the tribe of Judah
stayed in Asia and Mesopotamia. Even prior to the Parthian empire, the Bible
confirms that the Jews had large numbers and influence in Persia's empire.
Esther became Queen of Persia (Esther 2:16-22), and Mordechai was the King's
"Prime Minister" (Esther 8). Esther 3:12 records that the evil Haman tried
to instigate a "holocaust" against the Jews, and tricked the king into
issuing a decree of destruction against the Jews which was sent to the
rulers of all the Persian provinces. When God arranged for Mordechai to
replace Haman, the Jews were rescued by a decree of deliverance which was
sent to all 127 provinces stretching "from India unto Ethiopia" (Esther
8:9).
What is
noteworthy about Esther's account is that it confirms that the Jews were so
numerous and dispersed throughout Asia and Mesopotamia that any decree
concerning them had to be sent to all 127 Persian provinces! If the Jews had
only a scant number of local populations, a few local decrees would have
sufficed. Esther 8:17 records that for a time in Persia's empire, it became
quite popular to be Jewish, and that "many of the people of the land
became Jews." When discussing the Judean Jews, it was noted that many
Edomites merged with them to become fully-accepted members of the tribe of
Judah, according to God's assimilation decrees in Leviticus 19:33-34 and
Ezekiel 47:22-23. The book of Esther records that the Asian Jews also had
"many" non-Jews merging with them! God's assimilation decrees would have
applied to this merger as well. While the Judean Jews merged with a very
closely-related group (the Semitic/Hebrew Edomites), many of the Gentiles
who merged with the Asian Jews would have been much less closely related
racially. However, since "the people of the land" under Persian rule
included many people who were relocated members of the ten tribes of Israel,
some of those who "became Jews" may have been Israelites of other tribes who
readopted religious practices which were practiced by or known to their
forefathers in the old kingdom of Israel. Such actions would have merged
various Israelite tribal bloodlines with those of the Jews.
In the above
accounts, we see that the racial make-up of the Judean Jews began to differ
over time with that of the Asian Jews, but it is critical to realize that
under God's assimilation laws, both groups of Jews were regarded as true
members of the tribe of Judah! Esther 8:17 doesn't say that the people who
merged with the Jews "became impostor Jews;" it declares that they "became
Jews" (i.e. members of the tribe of Judah). In this passage, the
Bible itself recognizes that the merger of non-Jewish Asians into the tribe
of Judah was regarded as completely valid in God's eyes. This precedent
will be important when we discuss the Khazars' adoption of Jewish customs.
The numerous
Asian Jews prospered for centuries under Parthian rule. When the Parthian
Empire was overthrown by the Sassanian Persians in 227 A.D., there was a
dramatic change of events which affected the Asian Jews. At this point a
digression about Parthian history is essential.
The Semitic Parthian Empire:
The Parthian
Empire had, for a considerable period of time prior to its fall, become
openly Semitic in nature. Judaism was already well-established in Parthia,
and Christianity became widespread in the Apostolic times. There are records
that many of the apostles (Thomas, Andrew, Bartholomew, Philip, and Matthew)
evangelized in the various provinces of Parthia.[15] Even the Bible records
that the Apostle Peter wrote one of his epistles from Babylon (I Peter
5:13), which was then a major city in Parthia's empire.
Consider
again the visit of the Magi (or "Wise Men") to the young Jesus Christ. Few
are aware that the Magi were Parthian nobles and priests who elected
Parthian emperors, and that "Wise Men" was their formal title as Parthian
"Senators."[16] The Bible does not say only three Magi visited Jesus, and
this author believes they numbered at least twelve (one for each of the
tribes of Israel who then lived in the Parthian Empire). Matthew 2:3 records
that King Herod and "all Jerusalem" were "troubled" (The Phillips New
Testament renders it "deeply perturbed") when the Magi's caravan
arrived at the city. Three weary riders on dusty camels would not have
alarmed an entire city or caused an urgent warning about their arrival to
come to King Herod. However, twelve Parthian priests and nobles from
Parthia's king-making Senate would have been urgent news, indeed!
Accompanying the Parthian nobility would have been a huge number of armed
escorts, bakers, attendants, servants and camp-followers.
Parthia and
Rome had fought over Palestine a few decades previous to this time (Parthia
had evicted the Romans from Palestine for a several years!), and the arrival
of a large body of Parthian soldiers in Jerusalem was technically a
violation of the Roman-Parthian treaty that neither side would send an army
across the Euphrates River (the border between the empires). The full story
of this visit is detailed in chapter 9 of my book, The "Lost" Ten
Tribes of Israel...Found!
Moving
forward to Apostolic times, there is a record that, during his stay in
Parthia, the Apostle Thomas met and baptized some of the Wise Men in
Parthia's ruling nobility.[17] Perhaps some of the very Wise Men who visited
Jesus Christ were among those baptized later by Thomas. Since Jesus was
actually worshipped by a number of Parthian rulers, Parthia offered the
Apostles a very friendly environment in which to evangelize. During the time
of the early Christian Church, Parthian kings placed Semitic slogans on
Parthian coinage, and some Parthian vassal kings openly adopted Christianity
for themselves and their subjects.[18] The portraits of the Parthian kings
on their coinage have long confirmed the Semitic nature of Parthian rulers.
However, this proliferation of Semitic culture and religion deeply alienated
one of the Parthians' subject nations.
The Medes and
Persians had ruled the same region under the Achaemenid kings (Cyrus,
Darius, etc.) prior to the Parthian empire. The culture and religion of the
Persians was based on Zoroastrianism, and the Persians resented the
dominance of Semitic culture and religion under the later Parthian kings.
Around 217 - 218 A.D., the Parthian empire defeated the Roman Empire in one
of the greatest battles in the long history of the Parthian-Roman rivalry.
The battle of Nisibis, provoked by Roman treachery, lasted three days and
caused so many casualties that the Greco-Roman historians record that the
piles of bodies hindered the movement of the armies.[19] Even though the
Parthians had defeated the Roman armies in a climactic war and exacted a
huge payment of tribute money from Rome, Parthia had won a "Pyrrhic
victory." The war so weakened Parthia that within a decade the Persians
successfully revolted and expelled the Semitic people out of the region.
While it is beyond
the scope of this report to examine these events in detail, the Parthians,
Jews, mingled Semites, and the Parthian royalty fled in great numbers toward
Europe and the Black Sea region through the Caucasus Mountains of
Armenia.[20] These masses of refugees became known as "Caucasians," and
later became the Anglo-Saxons, Goths, Germans, etc. who poured into Europe
from the east and destroyed the Roman empire. It is worth noting, however,
that while Greco-Roman historians recognized the battle of Nisibis as one of
the major engagements in the history of the Roman Empire, modern historical
accounts ignore this pivotal event. History texts are full of information
about Gentile empires, but omit or downplay the history of the Israelite
empires (Phoenicia, Carthage, Parthia, and Scythia), even though the
Israelite empires frequently defeated the Gentile empires of Assyria,
Persia, Greece, and Rome in wars.
Impact of Parthia's Fall on Parthian Jews:
When Parthia
fell and its Semitic people fled toward Eastern Europe, many Jews would have
migrated with them. Remember that the population of Asian Jews was very
large, and far greater than the population of Judean Jews (who had descended
from the contingent of Asian Jews who had returned to Jerusalem under Ezra
and Nehemiah). While the Jews of Judea were oppressed under Rome, the
Parthian Jews enjoyed great freedom and autonomy.[21] When the Sassanian
Persians overthrew the Parthians and began a "jihad" against all things
Semitic, the Jews would had every motivation to flee along with the Parthian
(i.e. Israelite) tribes who had been their protectors. Where did these
numerous Asian Jews go? Those who maintain that modern Jews are not the
Tribe of Judah ignore the fact that there was a major Jewish population
present with the Parthian-Israelite tribes who migrated toward Eastern
Europe via the area of the Black Sea. The Asian (i.e. "Parthian) Jews did
not migrate to the moon, nor did they disappear into a black hole. Since
these Parthian Jews were members of the tribe of Judah, we should expect
them to reappear in considerable numbers in Eastern Europe and the Black Sea
region along with the rest of the migrating Semites. That is exactly what
happened.
The
Encyclopaedia Britannica records that in Persian tradition the
Arsacids (Parthia's rulers) were called the Ashkanians.[22] The
Britannica further notes that this name was based on the term
"Ashak."[23] The word "Ashak" is based on the Hebrew name "Isaac" as was
a city in the Parthian homeland named "Asaak."[24] Genesis 21:12
prophesied that the Israelites would be known by the name of Isaac, and this
came true as the Parthians and Scythians were identified by such names as
Sacae, Asaak, Ashak, and Sacan (or Saxon). When the Israelites and Jews were
expelled from Parthia by the Sassanian Persians, it is noteworthy that the
Persian name for the Parthians remained on the Parthian Jews who migrated
toward Europe. The Parthian name "Ashkan-ian" is easily seen in the
term Ashken-azi Jew! The very term "Ashkenazi" proclaims a Parthian
(or Israelite) origin, and the term "Ashkenazi Jew" could just as easily be
rendered as "Parthian Jew."
A Brief History of the Khazars:
Some who deny
that Ashkenazi Jews are descended from the tribe of Judah assert that the
term "Ashkenazi Jew" is based on a branch of the Japhethic race mentioned in
Genesis 10:3. However, some who make that connection also assert the
Ashkenazi Jews are "Edomite/Khazars." You can't have it both ways! We have
already seen that the Edomites have no racial connection to Japheth; they
are Semites and fellow-Hebrews with the Israelites. Therefore, the only
historical origin for the term "Ashkenazi" that makes any sense is that it
indicates a "Parthian" origin for the Ashkenazi Jews.
Let's briefly
examine the Khazar Empire to learn more about its connection to the
Ashkenazi Jews. The Khazars are first recognizable as a distinct people
entering the area of Armenia at the end of the second century A.D. and the
beginning of the third century A.D.[25] This is the precise time in history
when the Parthian Empire weakened and fell, and the Parthians fled toward
Armenia and the Caucuses mountains. The fact that the Khazars entered
Armenia in the same historical period as the Parthian refugees argues that
they had a Parthian connection themselves.
During the
7th and 8th centuries A.D., the Khazars held back the Moslems who were
attempting to advance into Europe through the Caucasus region. The
Encyclopaedia Britannica states: "the Khazars had protected the
plains of Europe from the Mohammedans..."[26] In the 9th century A.D., the
attacks of the Pechenegs (a Turkic people) so disrupted the trade routes
that the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus dispatched a huge work party to build
an impregnable stone city for the Khazars so they could hold off the
Pechenegs. This fortified stone city became known as "Sarkel," or "the White
Abode."[27] The Parthians had a well-known tradition of racial and religious
tolerance,[28] and so did the Khazars. The Encyclopaedia Britannica
notes that:
"Merchants from every nation found protection and good faith in the Khazar
cities. The Jews, expelled from Constantinople, sought a home amongst
them, developed the Khazar trade, and contended with Mohammedans and
Christians for the theological allegiance of the pagan people. The
dynasty [of the Khazars] accepted Judaism (circa 740 A.D.) but there was
equal tolerance for all."[29]
Notice that
before the Khazar dynasty accepted Judaism as the dominant religion of
Khazaria, there were already substantial numbers of racial Jews living
there!
Many of these Jews would have been descended from displaced Parthian Jews
(members of the tribe of Judah) who had migrated there when Parthia fell.
The above quote also reveals that a second wave of racial Jews arrived in
Khazaria after they were expelled from the Byzantine capital of
Constantinople.
Furthermore,
the fact that the Khazar rulers chose Judaism for their kingdom confirms
that the Jews already constituted a large and influential portion of their
subjects! When Khazarian kings adopted Judaism, a "Jewish kingdom" was
established along a major trade route where Jewish practices were welcomed
and approved! When this news spread to other scattered Jews from the tribe
of Judah, there was, no doubt, a substantial third migration of Jews from
the tribe of Judah from other nations to the friendly territory of Khazaria!
How could it be otherwise? Jews were often purged, persecuted, or expelled
from various nations, so a kingdom favoring Judaism would have been a magnet
drawing Jews from many nations! The influx of Jews into Khazaria would have
given it the largest concentration of Jews anywhere on earth. Even those
Khazars who had not been Jews by birth would have become genuine members of
the tribe of Judah in God's eyes from then on if they fulfilled the
conditions of God's assimilation laws of Leviticus 23 and Ezekiel 47 (and it
seems apparent that they did so).
Did all the
Khazars adopt Judaism? No. The Encyclopaedia Britannica noted
that there was "equal tolerance for all," so there was no official pressure
on anyone to become Jewish. It is highly likely that Christians and
Mohammedans continued to practice their religion as before while Judaism was
practiced by the Jews and the Khazar royalty. Judaism was not a universal
religion in Khazaria.
Some might
object to the assertion in the above paragraph that scattered Jews would
flock to Khazaria when it became known that Khazaria offered a refuge to the
Jews. However, all people want a homeland where they can practice their
culture, religion, and way of life openly. The Jews are no different. Just
as dispossessed Jews flocked to a Jewish enclave under the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 40:11), they would have flocked to a "Jewish state" in Khazaria
from nations wherein they were persecuted or barely tolerated.
As further
evidence that many non-Jewish Khazars did not convert to Judaism, a major
Khazar city, Itil, featured 30 mosques in the early 900's A.D.[30] When
Khazaria fell around 1000 A.D., much of its population was non-Jewish. Where
did the Jews of Khazaria go? History makes that answer an obvious one. They
migrated to the north and west and their descendants eventually numbered in
the millions as they lived in eastern and central Europe, the Ukraine, etc.
In other words, their descendants became the Ashkenazi Jews, still bearing
the root word "Ashkan-ian" which bore record to their Parthian (i.e.
Semitic) origin.
In
conclusion, we can see that there is abundant evidence to indicate that both
the Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews can lay claim to being the true modern
descendants of the tribe of Judah. In both of their histories,
non-Israelites who merged with the Jews and adopted Jewish customs and
religion became members of the tribe of Judah under God's assimilation laws
in Leviticus 19 and Ezekiel 47. The fact that God himself used both
Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews to fulfill prophecies about latter-day "Judah"
in Zephaniah 2 and Genesis 49 gives powerful support to this conclusion.
In spite of
the above, this author is sure that some will still doubt the "Jewishness"
of modern Jews. For this reason, several additional proofs will be offered,
based on evidence that modern and historic Jews manifest the personality
traits of their namesake ancestor, Judah, the son of Jacob. These remarkable
similarities will offer further evidence of a genetic (i.e. bloodline) bond
between ancient Judah and modern Jews.
Note:
While this
research paper is protected by the usual copyright statements to insure the
integrity of its content, the author gives permission to readers to freely
forward, print, download, and distribute this research report, unchanged and
in its entirety, to anyone in the public domain.
Steven M. Collins
P.O. Box 88735
Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1005
END NOTES:
Encyclopedia Americana,
1988 Ed., Vol. 15, p. 524
Jacob's Pillar,
E. Raymond Capt, pages 91 - 94