Ten Tribes Studies (27 December 2015, 12 Tevet, 5776)
Contents:
1. Ancestors
2. Judy Snyder: Need for Mutual Kindness and Unity
3. Weekly Torah Portion. "Shemot, "Exodus 1:1-6:1
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1. Ancestors
From: JIM
Yair, I have been quite surprised yet very interested in your writings. I was adopted and only recently began an ancestral journey. I have traced my birth Father's lineage to Scotland. He was a Graham. My Ydna matches the ancient Graham haplogroup j-m267. This group has Semitic origins with many Jews particularly Cohens carrying it. This confused me greatly. My birth Mothers lineage I have traced to 1654 in Germany. Many of these ancestors carried Ashkenazi surnames. Though my mtdna is J2 which is shared by many Sephardic Jews. I am trying to wrap my head around all of this. I was raised in Traditional Christian Home by parents whom walked closely with God. Yet I have always been drawn to understanding of my Faith thru Symbols and Symbolism. Most of these are Hebrew as I am drawn to seeing scripture through the eyes of those who wrote it. My Father often asked me why I needed to know so much of the history, as I would share everything I discovered about ancient Biblical times. Any way I just wanted to say thanks I fully appreciate all the work you have done.
Jim
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2. Judy Snyder: Need for Mutual Kindness and Unity
Judy Snyder to Yair Davidiy
https://www.facebook.com/yair.davidiy/posts/10207796059558070?notif_t=like
I have studied Mr. Yair Davidiy's research for a long time and he has a gentle but firm personality that is helping the lost tribesmen with their identity and helping the lost tribesmen to see the path back to Israel. I think Rabbi Field is doing a good job at helping the lost tribesmen to find their way out through the Torah. Everyone needs to work together because it is prophesied that ALL of Israel will come back to the land (ancient maps show a large area). If the temple was destroyed because of contention between brothers (a community) then mutual kindness among brothers, Jews and Joes (lost tribesmen) will lead to the rebuilding of the temple and peace for all of Israel.
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3. Weekly Torah Portion. "Shemot, "Exodus 1:1-6:1
Extracts:
[Exodus 1:11]THEREFORE THEY DID SET OVER THEM TASKMASTERS TO AFFLICT THEM WITH THEIR BURDENS. AND THEY BUILT FOR PHARAOH TREASURE CITIES , PITHOM AND RAMSES.
The Bible tells us that Joseph had become the virtual ruler under Pharaoh of Egypt. Joseph induced all the clan of his father to leave the Land of Canaan and join him in Egypt. Pharaoh gave the Israelites the area of Goshen to settle in and appointed them as officers over his flocks. We thus have a picture of an Egyptian ruler encouraging Hebrew settlement in his land, granting them regions to settle in and positions of authority in his Kingdom. Joseph is depicted in both the Bible and traditional sources as heavily involved in the administration of Egypt and its social arrangements. Joseph caused all the land of Egypt to be considered the private property of pharoah and moved all the people of Egypt around from one city to another (Genesis 47:20-21). The Israelites in Egypt became very powerful and wealthy and increased exceedingly (Genesis 47:27) especially in the Land of Goshen to the east of the Nile Delta. A new pharoah arose who was unfamiliar with Joseph (Exodus 1:8). He enslaved the Hebrews, causing them to build cities including Ramses. He also attempted to kill all of the male children. Eventually the Israelites under the leadership of Moses left Egypt and went back to the Land of Canaan .
The Biblical account about the Hebrews parallels what we know from Egyptian sources concerning the Hyksos .
The Passage of the Israelites through the Red Sea and the Exodus from Egypt in general became an important theme in early Anglo-Saxon Literature.Â
"This biblical narrative of a dispossessed people's journey to a new homeland was particularly resonant for the Anglo-Saxons because of their ancestral migration from continent to island".
Nicholas Howe, 'Migration and Mythmaking in Anglo-Saxon England', 1989, p.72
After the American Revolution it was seriously considered using a picture representing the Israelites coming out of Egypt as a national emblem.
"In 1776 Thomas Jefferson proposed that the seal for the newly declared United States of America should represent the children of Israel in the wilderness, led by a cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night; and on the other side, Hengist and Horsa, the Saxon chiefs from whom we claim the honor of being descended, and whose political principles and form of government we have assumed"
Howe p.1, Boyd, Julian P., ed. The Papers of Thomas Jefferson, Volume I: 1760-1776, 1950, p.495
Hengist and Horsa were the Anglo-Saxon leaders who initiated the Anglo-Saxon invasion of England and its conquest from the Celts .
The Israelites continued on their journey and came to the Mountain of Sinai where G-d appeared to all of them and gave them the Ten Commandments [Exodus 20:1-17]. The Ten Commandments are both specific injunctions as well as general categories that encompass all of the Law. Moses went up alone to Mount Sinai [24:15] and communed with G-d for forty days. The people thought Moses had disappeared in the mountain [32:1]. They created a golden bull calf [32:4] whose initial purpose was to replace Moses and serve as an intermediary for communication with the Almighty. In the eyes of G-d this was idolatry and G-d was angry [32:8-10]. Moses returned to the encampment and destroyed the idol. He led the Tribe of Levi in killing the ringleaders of the idolaters [32:28], and ritually purified the people.Â
Midrash Numbers Rabah: BaMidbar 2;7: <<Each Tribe had its own sign and colour on its standard. The color was the same as that of the Tribe's precious stone [on the Ephod on the heart of Aaron]. Reuben had the Odem ('Ruby') stone [in Hebrew 'Odem' means red] and his flag was red. Dudaim ['mandrakes'] were depicted on it.
Shimeon had the pitda stone, his flag was coloured green and depicted the city of Schechem.
Levi had the bareket stone and his flag was one third white, one third black, one third red. The Urim and Tummin were depicted on it.
Judah had the nophech stone, the colour of his flag was like the sky. It showed a lion.
Issachar had the sapir stone, it depicted the sun and moon, as it says 'AND OF THE CHILDREN OF ISSACHAR, WHICH WERE MEN THAT HAD UNDERSTANDING OF THE TIMES' [1-Chronicles 12:32].
Zebulon had the yeholam (diamond) stone. His flag was whitish and a ship was depicted on it as it says, 'ZEBULON SHALL DWELL ON THE SHORES OF THE SEA' (Genesis 49;13).
Dan had the leshem stone, The colour of his flag was like a sapphire and it depicted a snake as it says, 'DAN SHALL BE A SNAKE BY THE WAYSIDE' (Genesis 49;17).
Gad had the shevo stone. The colour of his flag was not white and not black but mixed black and white [i.e. grey]. It depicted an encampment, as it says, 'GAD SHALL BE A TROOP: BUT HE SHALL OVERCOME AT THE LAST' (Genesis 49:19).
Naphtali had the achlama stone. The colour of his flag was like clear wine, reddish but not strongly so. A hind was depicted on it, as it says, 'NAPHTALI IS A HIND LET LOOSE: HE GIVETH GOODLY WORDS' (Genesis 49:21).
Asher had the tarshish stone. The colour of his flag was like that of the precious stone women use to decorate themselves. An olive tree was depicted on it: 'OUT OF ASHER HIS BREAD SHALL BE FAT, AND HE SHALL YIELD ROYAL DAINTIES' (Genesis 49:20).
Joseph had the shoham stone. The color of his flag was the deepest black. On the flag of Joseph for the two princes of Ephraim and Manasseh was depicted a representation of Egypt since their origins were in Egypt.
On the flag of Ephraim was depicted a bull: 'HIS GLORY IS LIKE THE FIRSTLING OF HIS BULLOCK' (Deuteronomy 33:17). This was exemplified by Joshua who was from the Tribe of Ephraim.
On the flag of Manasseh was depicted a Raem [Unicorn] as it says:
AND HIS HORNS ARE LIKE THE HORNS OF UNICORNS (Deuteronomy 33:17). This was exemplified by Gideon who was from Manasseh.
[The complete verse says:
<<HIS GLORY IS LIKE THE FIRSTLING OF HIS BULLOCK, AND HIS HORNS ARE LIKE THE HORNS OF UNICORNS: WITH THEM HE SHALL PUSH THE PEOPLE TOGETHER TO THE ENDS OF THE EARTH: AND THEY ARE THE TEN THOUSANDS OF EPHRAIM, AND THEY ARE THE THOUSANDS OF MANASSEH>> [DEUTERONOMY 33:17].
Benjamin had the Yaspa stone. The colour of his flag was like all the 12 colors. A wolf was depicted on it: 'BENJAMIN SHALL RAVIN AS A WOLF: IN THE MORNING HE SHALL DEVOUR THE PREY, AND AT NIGHT HE SHALL DIVIDE THE SPOIL' (Genesis 49:27).
All of the above symbols are those of peoples and nations whom we have identified as possessing a large proportion of Israelites amongst them.
Remarks:
Reuben had the Odem stone which was red.
Some identify this with the ruby. The Dictionary says that the name 'ruby' is derived from the Old French 'rubi' from the Latin 'rubeus' meaning red. Even so 'Ruby' is a nickname for Reuben.
Nachmanides (Numbers 2:2) quotes other sources:
Nachmanides says:
"The Standard of Reuben depicted the form of a man as well as Dudaim (Mandrakes). {Some say that Dudaim were the root of a plant. The root was in the shape of a man. This would allow for both Dudaim and the form of man to be represented}. Ephraim had a bull. Judah had a lion. Dan had an eagle. These four figures (man, bull, lion, eagle) represented the four angelic forms in the Chariot of Ezekiel" (Ezekiel 1;10).'