Hispanics as Israelites? (5 September 2017, 14 Elul, 5777)
Duration 26.44 minutes
Contents:
1. Introduction. Ephraimite Criteria
2. History. Israelites in Spain
3. Applying the Criteria to Spain :
1. Introduction. Ephraimite Criteria
We identify the Lost Ten Tribes by Biblical and Empirical Evidence. This supplies us with Points of Criteria that work.
We find the Lost Ten Tribes as being pre-eminently among the peoples of Finland, Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Netherlands, France, Switzerland, Wales, Ireland, North Ireland, Scotland, and England with their offshoots overseas in Canada, USA, Australia, New Zealand, and South Africa.
We use certain characteristics as Criteria to determine which nations have historically been dominated by Israelites and which have not.
The Criteria are:
1. Blessings: Economic and Physical Blessings as promised to Israel in Scripture.
2. Indications of Scripture.
3. Groundwork: Historical, Archaeological, and Related Proofs showing paths of migration.
4. Judah: Affinity with the Jews.
5. Originality: Innovation and Intellect.
6. Bravery, Military Prowess. [since changed to "A Civilizing Influence"].
7. Empathy: The Doing of Social Justice.
8. Israelite Self-Identification.
9. Family Connection.
10. Tribal Affiliation.
These Criteria are expounded upon at more length in our article,
See:
Ephraimiite Criteria.
Who is Descended from Israelites According to Prophecy
http://hebrewnations.com/articles/biblical-proof/criteria.html
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
2. History. Israelites in Spain
Israelites were associated with Spain from the time of King Solomon. Tarshish (Tartessos) in Spain was located near Gibraltar in the south. When the Assyrians conquered the Ten Tribes they took part of the exiles overland to outermost regions of their Empire. Other exiles were taken in Phoenicean and Philistine ships (Assyrian proxies) overseas to the west. Israelite Exiles in Spain were at first dominated by Phoenician and Philstine overseers. They were established in colonies in the south and southwest. Their employment included mining for minerals and agricultural enterprises. [This is described in detail in our works, Biblical Truth, and Ancestry.] From the south and east the Hebrew Exiles moved to the north and west eventually moving out of Spain into Gaul, and over the sea to Ireland and Britain. This is confirmed by Biblical verses, archaeological findings, Roman writings, and Celtic legends. Spain was eventually conquered by Rome and then by Tribes from the north such the Goths and Vandals. Some of these latter peoples may in part have been of Israelite origin. In addition a very large number of Jews settled in Spain. The Jews were mostly exiled from Spain in 1492 but many accepted Christianity and were allowed to stay. Their descendants are now to be found among the Spanish population. Many families in Spain and in Latin America have vague traditions of Jewish origins.
See:
SPAIN AND THE JEWS
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
3. Applying the Criteria to Spain
Applying the Ephraimite Criteria to the Spanish, we find:
Spain includes many of Jewish and Israelite blood.
So does Portugal.
In the End Times the Israelites and Jews among them shall return.
Spain however is NOT an Israelite nation per se according to our criteria.
Spain is basically a non-Israelite country, a generally GENTILE nation. Nevertheless Spain has many Israelites and Jews alongside numerous descendants of Esau/Edom in its population.
Esau also received a blessing.
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;
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.
Spain is NOT an Israelite country and NOT an Edomite one but the presence of many Israelites and Edomites within it has had its influence.
How do the Ephraimite Criteria check out when compared to the Spanish experience?
(1. Blessings: Economic and Physical Blessings
The Israelites had been promised great economic prosperity including agricultural bounty:
Genesis 27:
28 Therefore may God give you
Of the dew of heaven,
Of the fatness of the earth,
And plenty of grain and wine.
See Also: Genesis 49:25, Deuteronomy 33:13-16, Hoshea 2:8.
They had also been promised vast mineral resources:
Genesis 49:
25 By the God of your father who will help you,
And by the Almighty who will bless you
With blessings of heaven above,
Blessings of the deep that lies beneath,
Blessings of the breasts and of the womb.
Deuteronomy 33:
13 And of Joseph he said:
Blessed of the LORD is his land,
With the precious things of heaven, with the dew,
And the deep lying beneath,
14 With the precious fruits of the sun,
With the precious produce of the months.
15 With the best things of the ancient mountains,
With the precious things of the everlasting hills.
Spain received the potential to enjoy economic and physical blessings. The Land of Spain is not lacking in minerals nor in agricultural potential.
The Israelites were destined to rule over other peoples (Genesis 27:29 48:19 "A MULTITUDE OF NATIONS" Hebrew: "Malo HaGoyim" i.e. Complete the Peoples, Onkelos: = Rule over the nations, Psalms 47:3).
In addition Spain had a vast Empire of its own in Europe and in Latin America, the Phillipines and elsewhere.
Nevertheless the wealth and bounty that should have been the portion of Spain slipped through its fingers. It was enjoyed only by a few at the top and even then not for that long.
(2. Indications of Scripture.
Spain does fit many of the indications of Scripture but not enough of them and not sufficiently to an unqualified extent. Israelites did sojourn in Spain at the beginning of their sojourn in Europe and they were there for quite a while.
Geographically Spain is at the geographical extremity of a Continental Land Mass (ends of the earth, cf. Isaiah 24:16, 26:15, 41:8-9 43:6 49:6); Spain does border the Atlantic Ocean (Isaiah 60:9 re Ships of Tarshish). Spain has made itself present in many oceans (Numbers 24:7). Spain is in the west from the Land of Israel (Isaiah 24:14, Hosea 1:10).
Spain has ruled over other peoples and given them its culture and civilization.
(3. Groundwork.
Here to archaeological and mythological and other evidence does testify to an Israelite Presence in the past.
Israelites were in Spain. From Spain many of the Israelites passed to the north and to the British isles including Ireland.
(4. Judah: Affinity with the Jews.
There may have been a similarity to, and an affinity with, the Jews at some stages. The Spanish however rejected this. They expelled the Jews and treated them very cruelly.
Even today anti-Jewish prejudice and horrible falsehoods about the Jews are still very much present in Spanish culture. On the international scene Spain is generally against Israel though here and there it has helped Jews and Israel in isolated cases.
In the Second World War Spain gave refuge to many Jews. This however was due, to some degree, to pressure and veiled threats from Britain obliging Spain to respect Jewish rights and not turn them over to Germany.
(5. Originality: Innovation and Intellect.
Spain has had its scholars, artists, and scientists. This however is not its strong point. Bull-fighting and all the ceremony around it does not really count.
(6. Bravery, Military Prowess.
The Spanish can be very brave. Spanish soldiers can be quite good. In recent history (e.g. the last two hundred years) the Spanish have fought well when commanded by British officers (against Napoleon) or by German commanders against Russia in World War-2.
Note: This Standard Measure has been replaced in the List of Criteria by a Civilizing Influence. Spain on the whole did on a relative level have a great civilizing influence though aspects of it will always remain controversial. Do the problematic nature of Spanish history in this regard it cannot be considered Israelite on this count.
(7. Empathy: The Doing of Social Justice.
The Spanish do have a feeling for justice. They understand the concept and attempt to apply it. On the whole however they appear to be lacking in this matter at the practical level.
(8. Israelite Self-Identification.
As far as we know the Spanish have never considered themselves Israelites not have they culturally and ideologically identified with Israel of the Bible.
(9. Family Connection.
Peoples who to some degree may well have included Israelite elements among them such as the Celts, Vandals, Goths, etc, all settled in Spain.
Not all of the said peoples however were of Israelite descent. The Goths in Spain may not necessarily have been the original Goths known from northern Europe.
Most of the inhabitants of Spain are not necessarily ethnically affiliated with Israelite Peoples.
(10. Tribal Affiliation.
Since on the whole we find the Spanish to be mainly non-Israelite both concerning ancestry and values then we cannot ascribe them any real Israelite Tribal Affiliation.
It may be that many of those in Spain descended from Judah are part of the Pharez section of Judah as suggested by Mike Greenwood.
See Also: Spain in WW2.