Judah and Prophecy by Bert Otten

Ten Prophetic Clues Concerning Judah - Jews (Moderately adapted from the original. First published on this site on 8 April, 2014, 8 Nisan, 5774)

Contents:
1. Foreword by the Editor (YD)
2. Introduction. Biblical Descriptions of Judah.
3. 1st Clue: Judah Gives Praise to God.
4. 2nd Clue: Judah and Money (and Generosity)
5. 3rd Clue: Judah, the Messiah, and Messianism
6. 4th Clue: Judah - writers (scribes)
7, 8. 5th Clue: Judah - the Lawgiver: laws, judges, lawyers: Torah - Tanakh - Talmud
9. 6th Clue: Judah - Hypocrisy (i.e. Dialectic Ability)
10. 7th Clue: Judah and Music
11. 8th Clue: Judah and Government
12. 9th Clue: Judah - a Suffering People
13. 10th Clue: Judah - Warriors
14. Joseph and Judah

15. The Ten Points of Bert Otten Regarding Judah Summarised

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1. Foreword by the Editor (YD)

Beret Otten is a well-known Dutch writer on subjects concerning the Ten Tribes and the Bible in general. In the past we posted out his article identifying the Netherlands with the Tribe of Zebulon. See: Zebulun - Holland by Bert Otten. A STUDY OF TEN PROPHETIC CLUEShttp://www.britam.org/bert.html

In the present Essay. Bert applies Biblical Passages to the subject of Judah. He shows how Biblical passages concerning Judah and/or persons from Judah reflect the National Characteristics of the Jewish People as seen today.
For a related study see:
WHY THE JEWS ARE JUDAH by Steven Collins and Yair Davidiy
http://www.britam.org/judah.html
OR
Why the Jews are Judah! by Yair Davidiy
Bert Otten attributes to Judah (amongst other more positive traits) a love of money and hypocrisy.
Normally we would have found this offensive and refused to handle his writing. In this case however it appears that Bert Otten is not being malicious: He may, to some limited degree, have a point. We all have matters concerning which we could improve ourselves.
It is worth pointing out that the alleged love of money is balanced by the great generosity of individual Jews and sometimes of whole communities.
What Bert calls Hypocrisy is double-thinking. This too, to the extent that it exists, is offset by a willingness to acknowledge the truth. Jews, for instance, excel in research in all fields. Without an ability to face up to the truth, follow it through, and if necessary start again a researcher is not going to get far. The Jews have this quality.

There is also the Dialectic Principle present in Jewish thought. It is an ability to reconcile opposites or, alternately, to live with two parallel contradictions without necessarily reconciling them. Greek and later German philosophers (e.g. Hegel) made some attempt to imitate this quality but appear to have been only partially succesful. At all events this may be considered an aspect of Jewish National Character. It exists. It may have negative or positive expressions, like any other trait. It may be considered an aspect of God Himself as HE reveals Himself to us through History.

Also concerning the apparent subterfuges by which Jews circumvent the stringencies of the Sabbatical Year and the Passover (and which Bert considers a symptom of Hypocrisy) consider what we have written elsewhere on a related subject:

12b. Query and Answer about the Ten Tribes, the Jubille, and Shemittah

At all events this present article by Bert Otten is interesting and of value.
YD.

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2. Introduction. Biblical Descriptions of Judah.

This is an unusual article in this series about the tribes. Up till now I have dealt with three of the Lost Ten Tribes: Zebulun (Holland), Issachar (Frisians) and Asher (Walloons). The tribe of Judah is not a lost tribe. The Jews have a verifiable history. The Jews at the time of THE SECOND TEMPLE were for a great deal descendants of the former inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah (930-586 BC). The inhabitants of the Kingdom of Judah were made up of the whole tribe of Judah and large parts of Benjamin and Levi. Although Jewry (Judaism) has known many proselytes, there has always been a core of the House of Judah in Jewry for the past 2500 years. The core passes on characteristics and genes to the periphery. By looking at the prophetic clues of Judah, and finding these amongst Jews, like I do with the lost tribes, this methodical approach is also justified for finding the lost tribes. In this article I want to show that even if there were no direct historical proof for the link Judah - Jews, there would still be a proof by revelation.

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3. 1st Clue: Judah Gives Praise to God.

And [Leah] conceived again, and bare a son: and she said, Now will I PRAISE [odeh] the LORD: therefore she called his name Judah [Yehudah]; and left bearing (Gen 29:35, KJV, unless mentioned).

A Psalm of DAVID. I will PRAISE thee, O LORD, with my whole heart; I will shew forth all thy marvellous works (Ps 9:1).

A Psalm of SOLOMON, BLESSED be the LORD God, the God of Israel, who only doeth wondrous things; And BLESSED be His glorious name for ever; and let the whole earth be filled with His glory. Amen, and Amen (Ps 72:1a, 18-19, JPS).

This praising of God by the descendants of Judah can be found back in the Bible. King David was of the tribe of Judah and wrote more than half of the 150 psalms. The psalms are probably the greatest ode, honour, glory and praise of God in the Bible. The book of Psalms is one of the most frequent translated parts of the Old Testament, thereby distributing the praises of the Jews to their God all over the world. King Solomon, also of the tribe of Judah, wrote 1005 psalms (1 Ki 4:32). Two of Solomon's psalms are in the Bible (Ps 72, 127).

One of the most popular psalms is Psalm 23 of David. Think of all the variations in music and lyrics that have been made based on this psalm.

Others of the tribe of Judah have written parts of the Bible, thus praising God.

In modern-day Jewry this praising of God is still expressed in countless prayers (praises!) and blessings, which have been written down in books of prayer, which are recited on special and common days. There is not a day or activity, or the Jews have written a prayer for it. Praising God is a daily activity for orthodox Jews. Think of the cantor (chazzan, hazan) in the synagogue, praising God is his job.

The Ten Tribes disappeared from the scene in the Middle East. We owe the Bible to Judah, to the Jews.

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4. 2nd Clue: Judah and Money [and Generosity]

And JUDAH said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, and conceal his blood? Come, and let us SELL him , and let not our hand be upon him; for he is our brother. And his brethren were content (Gen 37:26-27).

When JUDAH saw her [Tamar], he thought her to be an HARLOT [paid sex]; because she had covered her face Â And he said, I will send thee a kid from the flock (Gen 38:15-17).

And Achan [of the tribe of Judah] answered Joshua, and said, Indeed I have sinned against the LORD God of Israel, When I saw among the spoils a goodly garment, and 200 shekels of SILVER, and a wedge of GOLD of 50 shekels weight, then I coveted them, and took them; and, behold, they are hid in the earth in the midst of my tent, and the SILVER under it (Jos 7:20-21).

So was ended all the work that king Solomon made for the house of the LORD. And Solomon brought in the things which David his father had dedicated; even the SILVER, and the GOLD, and the vessels, did he put among the treasures of the house of the LORD (1 Kings 7:51).

Now the weight of GOLD that came to Solomon in one year was 666 talents of gold (1Ki 10:14).

Money. The lust after money, the love for money, financial skills and philanthropy.

Everyone wants to earn money and each people have their rich and their poor, so why focus on money. Because it is a parallel that keeps popping up between Judah and Jews. Whether it is by inner qualities, by fate, or by prohibitions within Christianity, Jews have a certain connection with money. It was Judah's idea to sell Joseph; in the NT Judas (Greek for Judah) sold Jesus; Achan of the tribe of Judah took God's silver and gold at Jericho's fall. The Bible also mentions positive use of gold and silver by children of Judah, by David and Solomon. Solomon of the House of Judah probably was the richest Jew ever.
Under Solomon the nation was prosperous and there was gold in abundance. However, it was not just a happy financial story. Money led to the secession of the Ten Northern Tribes. Solomon's taxes on the ten tribes had been a heavy yoke (Jeroboam) that Rehoboam, Solomon's son, refused to lighten. It cost him 10 of the 12 tribes.
It is well-known that the policies of the medieval Church and of Christian society pushed the Jews into usury and banking. Christians were not allowed to charge interest to fellow Christians and many jobs were closed to Jews because of the guild system. Riches always cause jealousy and that's why often philanthropic activities are overlooked. The Jews and the Synagogue have been ahead of their time in looking after the social needs of their own poor and needy. I remember pictures in Yad VaShem of an orphanage in the Ghetto of Warsaw. Even in the bleakest of situations they tried to run an orphanage.
The Hebrew Yehudah comes from yadah, which means praising God, praising with raised hands (yad = hand). The praising Jew reads from the Torah with a silver pointing stick, in Hebrew a yad meaning a hand. But yads (hands) can also be used for stealing. The American Jew Bernard Madoff was convicted for fraud for 18 billion dollars.

Judah has a way with money.
Even the Jerusalem Post published a list of the 50 wealthiest Jews in 2010 :

1. Larry Ellison
Age: 66. Net worth: $28 billion.
2. Michael Bloomberg
Age: 68. Net worth: $18 billion.
3. Sergey Brin
Age: 37. Net worth: $17.5 billion.
4. Lawrence (Larry) Page
Age: 37. Net worth: $17.5 billion.
5. Steven Ballmer
Age: 54. Net worth: $14.5 billion.
6. George Soros
Age: 80. Net worth: $14 billion.
7. Michael Dell
Age: 45. Net worth: $13.5 billion.
8. Mikhail Fridman
Age: 46. Net worth: $12.7 billion.
9. John Paulson
Age: 54. Net worth: $12 billion.
10. Roman Abramovich
Age: 43. Net worth: $11.2 billion, etc.

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5. 3rd Clue: Judah, the Messiah, and Messianism

The kings of the earth set themselves, and the rulers take counsel together, against the LORD, and against his ANOINTED [messiah] (Ps 2:2)

Great deliverance giveth he to his king; and sheweth mercy to his ANOINTED [messiah], to David, and to his seed for evermore (Ps 18:50).

Now know I that the LORD saveth his ANOINTED [messiah]; he will hear him from his holy heaven with the saving strength of his right hand (Ps 20:6) .

And there shall come forth a rod out of the stem of Jesse [of the tribe of JUDAH], and a Branch shall grow out of his roots (Isaiah 11:1).

Mashiach- Messiah - Anointed

Priests (Ex 30:22-25) and kings were anointed in Judah and Israel. Anointed translates as mashiach in Hebrew (messiah). A teaching developed in Judaism about a coming messiah, a coming liberator.

Messiah - Messianism

Everyone knows the Messiah was/is to be born of the tribe of Judah, of the house of David. However, many do not know that Judah / Judaism has known many (false) messiahs or messiah-like movements.
During the Middle Ages Jewry knew many false or pseudo-messiahs. The best-known is probably Sabbetai Ben-Zwi around 1666. At the end of his calling he converted to Islam. He lived in the Ottoman empire.
Another well-known pseudo-messiah was Simon bar Kokhba, the leader of the failed Jewish Revolt within the Roman Empire (132-135 AD). Rabbi Akiva declared him to be the messiah. It ended in death.

There are also modern Jewish messiahs, like Karl Marx, Leon Trotski, Sigmund Freud en Albert Einstein. arx was out to liberate the oppressed workers and wrote Das Kapital. Trotsky led to Trotskyism, a brand of communism.

Sigmund Freud was a 'messianic figure' in psycho-analysis, who sought to liberate people's minds.

Albert Einstein was just a scientist, but can be seen as a symbol for the mighty cult of science - science that would liberate us of all backwardness.

The Jewish share in the first decennia of Hollywood has been out of proportion (actors, scriptwriters, comedians, producers, directors). This Jewish element led to comic books and films like Superman. The Superman story, a messianic-type message, is of Jewish origin. Similar themes may be foundÂ in countless Hollywood productions.

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6. 4th Clue: Judah - writers (scribes)

... and Shebna the scribe (2 Kings 18:18)

... Shaphan the scribe... (2 Kings 22:8)

... And Shemaiah, the scribe... (1 Chron 24:6)

... Jeiel the scribe.. Â (2 Chron 26:11)

... Shimshai the scribe... (Ezra 4:8)

... Elishama the scribe.. (Jer 36:12)

... Baruch the scribe.. (Jer 36:26)

... Jonathan the scribe... (Jer 37:15).

Bible - Apocrypha - Talmud

The Jews wrote many books of the Bible. Not always do we know the tribe of the Biblical writer, but it is certain that most Bible authors were of the Kingdom of Judah and even of the tribe of Judah.
Of the writing prophets Isaiah, Amos, Habakkuk, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zechariah en Zephaniah were of the tribe of Judah. David and Solomon were of course of the tribe of Judah as well. David wrote half of the Psalms and Solomon wrote Song of Songs, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes and Psalm 72 and 127.

Apart from the books of the Bible, the Jews also wrote Apocryphal books, pseudo-epigraphic writings and the Talmud (2711 pages).

Jewish authors

There have been many Jewish authors in history, of both fiction and non-fiction. On the internet many lists of Jewish authors, novelists, poets, etc. can be found.
See:
Jewish Authors
http://www.jinfo.org/Authors.html
Below is a selection of writers of Jewish or partly Jewish blood. They are to be found writing in numerous languages. Jews appear to be a people of writers, whatever culture or language they are used to.

Shmuel Agnon, 1966 Nobel Prize in Literature
Isaac Asimov, Foundation Trilogy
Saul Bellow, 1976 Nobel Prize in Literature
Henri Bergson, 1927 Nobel Prize in Literature
Biblical Authors, The Bible (Jewish and Christian Scriptures)
Elias Canetti, 1981 Nobel Prize in Literature
Miguel de Cervantes, Don Quixote
Michael Chabon, (2001 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Benjamin Disraeli, Tancred
Anne Frank, The Diary of a Young Girl
Sigmund Freud
Nadine Gordimer, 1991 Nobel Prize in Literature
Joseph Heller, Catch-22, (1985 Prix Medicis etranger)
Paul Heyse, 1910 Nobel Prize in Literature
Elfriede Jelinek, 2004 Nobel Prize in Literature
Franz Kafka, The Trial
MacKinlay Kantor, (1956 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Imre Kertesz, 2002 Nobel Prize in Literature
Gyorgy Konrad, Homecoming
Primo Levi, If This Is a Man
Ira Levin, The Boys from Brazil
Norman Mailer, (1980 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Bernard Malamud, The Fixer (1967 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Klaus Mann, Mephisto
Andre Maurois
Steven Millhauser, (1997 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Amos Oz, My Michael
Boris Pasternak, Doctor Zhivago; 1958 Nobel Prize in Literature
Chaim Potok, The Chosen
Marcel Proust, A la Recherche du Temps Perdu, (1919 Prix Goncourt)
Carl Sagan, 1978 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction)
J. D. Salinger, The Catcher in the Rye
Sholem Aleichem, Tevye the Dairyman
Isaac Bashevis Singer, 1978 Nobel Prize in Literature
Muriel Spark, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Art Spiegelman, (1992 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction)
Alvin Toffler, Future Shock
Barbara Tuchman, (1963 Pulitzer Prize for General Non-Fiction)
Leon Uris, Exodus
Elie Wiesel, 1986 Nobel Peace Prize etc.

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7, 8. 5th Clue: Judah - the Lawgiver: laws, judges, lawyers

The LAW of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the TESTIMONY of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple. The STATUTES of the LORD are right, rejoicing the heart: the commandment of the LORD is pure, enlightening the eyes. The FEAR of the LORD is clean, enduring for ever: the JUDGMENTS of the LORD are true and righteous altogether. More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold: sweeter also than honey and the honeycomb. Moreover by them is thy servant [David, of Judah] warned: and in keeping of them there is great reward (Ps 19:7-11).

And Hilkiah the high priest said unto Shaphan the scribe, I have found the BOOK OF THE LAW in the house of the LORD. And Hilkiah gave the book to Shaphan, and he read it, And it came to pass, when the king [Josiah of Judah] had heard the words of the BOOK OF THE LAW, that he rent his clothes (2 Kings 22:8, 11).

Above are some verses about descendants of the tribe of Judah with regards to God's law. King David was jubilant about God's laws and decrees. His son Solomon concluded at the end of Ecclesiastes, The end of the matter, all having been heard: fear God, and keep His commandments; for this is the whole man (Eccl 12:13).

The descendant of David and Solomon, King Josiah rent his garments when they found a copy of the Torah that had been written by Moses (2-Kings 22:11) and opened up at a prophecy depicting Exile in the Book of Deuteronomy (28:36, cf. Radak).

Torah - Tanakh - Talmud

Religious Jews spend their whole life studying Talmud. The Talmud comprises the Mishna (ca. 200 AD) and the Gemara (ca. 500-1000 AD). A Talmud page consists of the Mishna discussing a part of the Pentateuch of Moses, around that the Gemara discusses the Mishna and around it are the Medieval Commentators like Maimonides and Rashi. Judah, Jews, are fond of the law.

Lawyers

Their love for law and their knowledge of law make that Jews are very suitable for professions like judges, lawyers and barristers.

The patriarch Judah became surety and lawyer for his brother Benjamin. Reuben was unsuccessful in asking Benjamin along, but Judah managed to have Jacob let him go. Judah became guarantor for his youngest brother. When Benjamin was accused of theft, Judah held a moving plea.

Well-known Jewish lawyers in the Netherlands are the Moszkowicz family.
Of the nine judges of the United States Supreme Court three are Jewish, that is 33,3%, although the Jews in the USA are not even 2% of the total population.

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9. 6th Clue: Judah - Hypocrisy [i.e. Dialectic Ability]

And Judah said unto his brethren, What profit is it if we slay our brother, Come, and let us sell him, and let not our hand be upon him; FOR HE IS OUR BROTHER AND OUR FLESH. And his brethren were content (Gen 37:26-27).

And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she is with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and LET HER BE BURNT (Gen 38:24).

And David's anger was greatly kindled against the man; and he said to Nathan, As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing SHALL SURELY DIE (2 Sam 12:5).

Descendants of Judah show a certain hypocrisy from time to time, which can be traced from the patriarch Judah to this day.

The widower Judah visited a Canaanite whore, not knowing she was his daughter-in-law. Tamar became pregnant and his reaction was, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt (Gen 37:24). When he appeared to be the father, burning was no longer an issue.

After having heard the story of the little ewe lamb, told by the prophet Nathan, David condemned the rich man who stole the lamb and slaughtered it: As the LORD liveth, the man that hath done this thing shall surely die (2 Sam 12:5). He was to find out the story was about himself, Bathsheba and Uriah.

The Talmud, written down somewhere between 500-1000 AD, is also full with clever finds, which have their effect until today. A Jew has to deleaven his premises for the Days of Unleavened Bread (Ex 12; Lev 23). This is hard to do for a Jewish baker. Instead of trying to do the best he can, and leave it there, the bakery is sold to a goy for about ten days. Stipulations in the contract will make sure the sale won't materialize. The Jewish baker does not have to deleaven, because during the Days of Unleavened Bread the bakery is not his. The same is done on an even bigger scale in the State of Israel. All leavened products in the land are sold for about ten days to a rich Arab sheik - who will forfeit the payment: In this way bakeries, factories and supermarkets need not be cleaned.
Something like this is done for all of the arable land in Israel for the sabbatical year, the year that the land has to be left fallow. All the land is sold to a Bedouin sheik for a year, who will forfeit, so everyone can continue to work the ground.
I will not go into detail of certain hypocritical policies of the Israeli State. On the one hand the Bible is used to defend certain actions, while on the other hand many Biblical commandments are ignored. Just one example: according to the Bible Israel is to trust in God, and only men are allowed in the army of 20 years old and older. However, the State of Israel trusts in its army, 'boys' serve from 17 to 19 and so do girls. Many male and female soldiers have sex with each other. The result is many pregnancies and many abortions.

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10. 7th Clue: Judah and Music

And it came to pass, when the evil spirit from God was upon Saul, that DAVID took an HARP, and played with his hand: so Saul was refreshed, and was well, and the evil spirit departed from him (1Sam 16:23).

A PSALM of David (Ps 3:1; 4:1; etc. 54 times).

And DAVID and all Israel PLAYED before God with all their might, and with SINGING, and with HARPS, and with PSALTERIES, and with TIMBRELS, and with CYMBALS, and with TRUMPETS (1Chron 13:8).

.. and [SOLOMON'S] songs were a thousand and five (1 Kings 4:32).

Judah's descendants, the Jews, are endowed with musical skills. David brought relief to king Saul with his harp (1 Sam 16:23). King David had the ark brought back to Jerusalem with singing, music and dancing (1 Chron 13:8; 15:16). David invented musical instruments (Amos 6:5). Solomon dedicated the temple with big choirs and with the musical instruments made by David (2 Chron 7:6).

King Jehoshaphat of Judah defeated his enemies with a choir (2 Chron 20) and Nehemiah dedicated the repaired wall of Jerusalem with two choirs (Neh 12:31-43).

Judah's descendants were and still are into music. Things coming to my mind: there is Mendelsohn, Jewish song-writers in Hollywood, musicals like Fiddler on the Roof, Leonard Cohen, Bob Dylan, Peter Green of Fleetwood Mac, the chazzan, klezmer music, etc.

Jewish Pop Musicians: Wikipedia:
Bob Dylan, Lou Reed from Velvet Underground, Leonard Cohen, Neil Diamond, Carole King, Joey Ramone from The Ramones, Randy Newman, George Gershwin, Mark Knopfler and David Knopfler from Dire Straits, Herb Alpert, Lenny Kravitz, Barbara Streisand, Barry Manilow, Bette Midler, Paul Simon, Art Garfunkel, Billy Joel, Olivia Newton-John, Manfred Mann, Marc Bolan from T Rex, etc.

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11. 8th Clue: Judah and Government

... 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 (Gen 49:8-10).

[Jewish Rulers of Judah]: Solomon, Rehoboam, Abia, As, Jehoshaphat, Joram, Ahaziah, Joash, Amaziah, Azariah, Jotham, Ahaz, Hezekiah, Manasseh, Amon, Josiah, Jehoiakim, Zedekiah, Jeconiah, Salathiel Zerubbabel (1 Chron 3:10-19).

Judah was the leader of the eleven brothers, not Reuben. At the selling of Joseph and at both trips to Egypt, Judah was in charge. At the Exodus the tribes were grouped around the tabernacle in such a manner, that Judah always led the way, to be followed by Issachar and Zebulun. There were only two positive spies, Joshua (of Ephraim) and Kaleb (of the tribe of Judah). Kaleb's nephew, Othniel, became Judge in Israel. Jacob's blessing for Judah (Gen 49) includes the promise of the coming Messiah. After God rejected Saul (Benjamite), God gave the kingdom to David (of Judah). David and Solomon ruled the twelve tribes. Their descendants (|Rehoboam - Zedekiah) reigned over the two tribes, the Kingdom of Judah. After the exile Zerubbabel, a descendant of David, was governor in Jerusalem.

Over the past centuries Jews have had important government positions in many countries.

Benjamin Disraeli
Benjamin Disraeli (1804 - 1881) was a British conservative politician, rival of Gladstone. He was Prime Minister twice, in 1868 and from 1874 to 1880.

Josef Nasi
Josef Nasi (Portugal, 1524, Istanbul, 1579) was a Jewish diplomat and banker and an influential person at the Ottoman court of sultan Suleyman I and his son Selim II. He became lord of Tiberias and later was elevated to Duke of Naxos. Nasi waged war on Venice and captured Cyprus for the Ottomans.

American Politicans
Although the Jews are less than 2% of the USA population, about 10% of the Senators and nearly 7% of the House of Representatives are Jewish. Also think of Henry Kissinger, William Cohen, Alan Greenspan, Madeleine Albright, Wolfowitz, Joe Lieberman, Michael Bloomberg, etc.

France - Leon Blum
Leon Blum (1872 - 1950) was a French politician. He started the Partie Front Populaire in '35 as an answer to the rising Nazi threat. Blum was prime minister of France from '36 to '38.

Netherlands - Mayors of Amsterdam
Since WW II Amsterdam has known quite a few well-known Jewish mayors and acting mayors: Wim Polak, Ed van Thijn, Job Cohen and Lodewijk Asscher.

Russian Politicians
Georgy Arbatov, Soviet politician; Lev Kamenev, Bolshevik politician; Leon Trotsky, Bolshevik politician and founder of the Red Army; Genrikh Yagoda, head of the Secret Police at the time of Stalin; Grigory Zinoviev, Soviet politician; Zhirinovsky, Russian politician.

These are just a few, there are many more:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_Jews_in_politics

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12. 9th Clue: Judah - a Suffering People

And Er, Judah's firstborn, was wicked in the sight of the LORD; and the LORD slew him . And the thing which [Onan] did displeased the LORD: wherefore he slew him also, And in process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife died, and [Judah] came in unto her [Tamar], and she conceived by him (Gen 38:7, 10, 12, 18).

A Psalm of David. My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken me? why art thou so far from helping me, O my God, I cry in the daytime, but thou hearest not; and in the night season, and am not silent. But I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, Be not far from me; for trouble is near; for there is none to help. I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint: my heart is like wax; it is melted in the midst of my bowels. My strength is dried up like a potsherd; and my tongue cleaveth to my jaws; and thou hast brought me into the dust of death (Ps 22:1-15).

He is despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief: and we hid as it were our faces from him; he was despised, and we esteemed him not..He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth: he is brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and as a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so he openeth not his mouth, Yet it pleased the LORD to bruise him (Isaiah 53).

Patriarch Judah

Much of the suffering of the patriarch Judah was self-inflicted, but he suffered nonetheless. After Joseph's sale, things went bad for 22 years for Judah; 22 is the number of suffering.
He had sold his brother (must have bothered him); he fooled his father Jacob; his eldest son died; his second son died; his wife died. As a widower he visited a prostitute, which turned into an incest case between Tamar and himself. In Egypt they were falsely charged of espionage. Simeon was kept behind, another brother gone; the drought continued; he finally had Benjamin come along, who later seemed to have stolen the viceroy's cup. And all of this in 22 years.

David (of Judah)

David suffered a lot too, which was also for a great deal self-inflicted. We easily apply Psalm 22 as a prophecy for our Lord Jesus, but David initially wrote the psalm for himself! He felt totally abandoned by God from time to time. Saul persecuted him, his son Absalom chased him out of Jerusalem; Joab killed Absalom and David's children were fighting amongst themselves all the time.

Suffering of the Jewish people

Isaiah 53 is of course considered by Christians to be about a suffering messiah (a descendant of Judah). Rashi (11th century) decided that Isaiah 53 was about the Jewish people. And the Jews have followed Rashi ever since in this.
Despite Christian belief, Rashi has a point. The Jewish people surely are a suffering people, often led as a lamb to the slaughter. For Judah as a fighting people (lion!) see prophetic clue 10.

From Haman to Hitler

Much has been written about the suffering of the Jewish people. At the time of the Persians (5th c. BC) Haman tried to wipe out the Jewish people (Purim - Esther). The Seleucid King of the North made a vicious attack on the religion of the Jews (2nd c. BC) (Hanukkah-Maccabees). The Jewish revolts (self-inflicted) against the Roman Empire of 66-73 AD, 115-117 AD and 132-135 AD led to much suffering. During the Middle Ages the Jews suffered badly in Christian Europe and the Jews under Islam did not fare much better over the past millennium. In eastern Europe pogroms were occurring in modern times and the suffering of the Jews culminated in Hitler's Holocaust with about 6 million dead.

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13. 10th Clue: Judah - Warriors

Judah, thy hand shall be in the neck of thine enemies, Judah is a LION's whelp: from the prey, my son, thou art gone up: he stooped down, he couched as a LION (Gen 49:8-9).

And Caleb [spy of Judah] drove thence the three sons of Anak, Sheshai, and Ahiman, and Talmai, the children of Anak (Josh 15:14).

Then answered one of the servants, and said, Behold, I have seen a son [DAVID] of Jesse the Bethlehemite, a MIGHTY VALIANT MAN, and a MAN OF WAR (1Sam 16:18).

And David said, Whosoever smiteth the Jebusites first shall be CHIEF and CAPTAIN. So Joab [David's kin] the son of Zeruiah went first up, and was CHIEF (1 Chron 11:6).

And [king] Asa had an army of men that bare TARGETS and SPEARS, out of Judah 300,000 (2 Chron 14:8).

In history Judah appears alternatively as a lion or as a lamb. The tribe possesses both characteristics. On the one hand they are able to fight hard and on the other hand they are able to take a lot of suffering and persist in a seemingly lamb-like role for a long time.

David slew a lion and a bear. He also defeated Goliath.
The Judaean kings of the Davidic line (Rehoboam - Zedekiah) fought many wars. They were able to remain independent for 3 centuries (930 - 586 BC).

Haman tried to annihilate the Jews in the Persian Empire. The Jews were allowed to fight back, thanks to a counter-law: Thus the Jews smote all their enemies with the stroke of the sword, and slaughter, and destruction, and did what they would unto those that hated them (Esther 9:5).

The Hellenistic Seleucid Kingdom attacked the Jews in the 2nd century BC. The Maccabees fought back and gained independence (164 - 163 BC).

Judah and the Roman Empire

The Hasmonean (Maccabean) independence lasted for a hundred years. From 63 BC till 66 AD the Romans were in charge. It was a troublesome corner of the Roman Empire. Three times there were bloody Jewish revolts against the Romans (66-73 AD, 115-117 AD and 132-135 AD).
The Jews thought they would be able to resist the Romans, like Hezekiah did against the Assyrians, like Mordecai versus the Persians, like the Maccabees with the Greek Seleucids, but they failed. Rome took a great death-toll and many legions were called upon, but in the end Rome prevailed and the Jews were evicted from the Land, which was renamed Palestine.

From the 2nd till the 18th century most Jews were to have lived like 'lambs' in the Diaspora.

Zionism

Zionism has turned the Jews from lambs into lions again. In the Palestine Mandate the Jews started to arm and defend themselves. During WW II the Jews fought the German SS bravely for a month in the Warsaw ghetto. The Jewish State of Israel has fought many wars and won. The change from lamb to lion casts prophetic light on the coming Messiah, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah.

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14. Joseph and Judah

Most Jews are antagonistic about the Israelite identity of the peoples of north-western Europe. Many believers of this Israelite identity are quite antagonistic towards the Jews. This enmity, this jealousy, between Ephraim and Judah has been predicted. It will be ended by the Messiah:

The envy also of Ephraim shall depart, and the adversaries of Judah shall be cut off: Ephraim shall not envy Judah, and Judah shall not vex Ephraim (Isaiah 11:13).

Bert Otten

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15. The Ten Points of Bert Otten Regarding Judah Summarized

1. Judah Gives Praise to God. Jews pray much and glorify the Creator.
2. Judah and Money [and Generosity]. Jews are often involved with Finance.
3. Judah, the Messiah, and Messianism. The Messiah will come from Judah and Jews have Messianiac type tendencies.
4. Judah - writers (scribes). Jews have exceptional literary inclinations.
5. Judah - the Lawgiver: laws, judges, lawyers. Jews will be involved with Torah Law, with Legal Matters in general.
6. Judah - Hypocrisy [i.e. Dialectic Ability]. Jews have the ability to accept parallel contradictions. Otten terms this Hypocrisy which may (or may not) be the case if this characteristics is applied negatively. It does however also have a positive side as seen in the Jewish ability to conduct scientific research and their general intellectual interests.
7. Judah and Music. Jews have musical ability.
8. Judah and Government. Jews are often leaders and sometimes governors.
9. Judah - a Suffering People. Jews have suffered for being who they are throughout history.
10. Judah - Warriors. Jews have martial abilities as seen today in the State of Israel.