Ten Tribes Studies (12 May 2016, 4 Iyar, 5776)
Contents:
1. Douglas Augustine : The Crimes of Islam
2. Steve Phillips:Â Correspondence Concerning Ammon and Moab and the Muslims
3. Changes to BABS Program
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1. Douglas Augustine : The Crimes of Islam
Comment on Video Clip.
Islam in Prophecy
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TzAbq8FV6xk
Douglas Augustine
Far and away with barely anything in second place, islam is the worst thing to ever curse the planet earth (I refuse to use a capital "I" for "islam" or a capital "M" for "muslim(s)). It is responsible for more genocide than any other competing force in history in numbers that dwarf anything Hitler, Stalin, Mao and Pol Pot caused combined. Some estimates for the death caused in India over time approach 600 million souls! That might be overstated, but if even one-quarter of that number, it is still staggering to attempt to comprehend the amount of suffering islam has caused. Add to that upward of one million white slaves taken from Eastern Europe over the centuries consisting of young boys for conversion and women for sex slaves (males with pubic hair were simply slaughtered). Next, look at Africa where the black man was subjected to a form of slavery that made North America's look benign by contrast. Over a thousand years, it is estimated that 100 million souls were taken into slavery by Arab slave traders in conditions that can only be characterized as approaching hell on earth. Only 10% even survived the trip. Those that did were castrated if males and worked to death in the fields over the course of a five-year period. Females that survived were, in typical muslim fashion, made into sex slaves with any resulting progeny simply killed off. This explains the lack of negro genes in much of the Middle East despite the vast numbers of black slaves. Islam is satan's greatest masterpiece which seems aimed specifically at breaking each and every one of the 10 Commandments.
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2. Steve Phillips:Â Correspondence Concerning Ammon and Moab and the Muslims
(1) Steve Phillips wrote:
Re: Brit-Am: Islam in Prophecy
Shalom Yair
Ammon and Moab were two brothers, but each became separate tribes. Chemosh was the god of the MOABITES whilst the god of the Ammonites was Molech/Milcom. (See for example 1 Kings 11:7 where Molech is used, but Molech is called Milcom in 1 Kings 11:33 and 2 Kings 23:13.) You seem to have got them somewhat mixed up. Also, the Moabites (NOT Ammonites) left Spain in 1492 when the country was handed back to the Spanish people at the signing of the Treaty of Granada.
The city of Carchemish in Syria was a Moabite city. The name Carchemish means literally City of [the Moabite god] Chemosh. The prophet Yeremiyahu is referring to this city when he writes:
"For because thou hast trusted in thy works and in thy treasures, thou [Moab] shalt also be taken: and [Car]Chemish shall go forth into captivity with his priests and HIS PRINCES together." Jer. 48:7 (emphasis mine)
This passage can only be properly understood if we accept that Yeremiyahu is referring to a city rather than a god. This is emphasised by the use of the word sarav (princes). Whilst one can expect a god to have priests, you would not expect a god to have 'princes'.
Carchemish was apparently also known as Kir of Moab. Notice that when Tiglathpileser III took Damascus and killed Retsin king of Syria, he carried the people of Damascus to Kir and planted them in that city. The name Kir in the Assyrian king's monuments has been translated as Til-Kamri in one place and Til-Karmi in another. This city was either an alternative name for Humut (Hamath - the Assyrian text appears to be corrupted at this point) or was located somewhere to the north of Hunut/Hamath, in which case, it can only be identified as Carchemish. (NB: The suggestion that the Assyrian king transported the people of Damascus SOUTHWARDS away from his homeland into some yet unconquered region, to some unidentifiable place in the far south, where most people would place this Moabite city, is simply absurd.) Note that many of the Ummayad Caliphs ruled from Damascus. The Ummayads were Moabites.
I hope that this information assists.
Regards,
Steve
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(2) Brit-Am Reply:
Thank you for your message. It was interesting.
Chemosh was also the national god of Ammon, see below:
Chemosh
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chemosh
Chemosh was the national deity of the Moabites whose name most likely meant "destroyer," "subduer," or "fish god." While he is most readily associated with the Moabites, according to Judges 11:24 he seems to have been the national deity of the Ammonites as well.
Judges 11:
12 Now Jephthah sent messengers to the king of the sons of Ammon, saying, 'What is between you and me, that you have come to me to fight against my land?'Â .....
24 Do you not possess what Chemosh your god gives you to possess?Â
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(3) Further Comment by Steven Philips
Shalom Yair
(1)Â First Reaction
Very interesting. I have to admit, however, that I am confused. The land they are talking about in Judges 11:13 was the region historically known as land of Moab. The river Yabbok (also known as the river Gad) was historically the border between Israel on the west and Ammon on the east (Num. 21:24 & Deut. 3:16). The land of Ammon never did not extend to include the region to the west of the Yabbok. The Ammonites therefore seem here to be claiming land which was never theirs, but actually belonged to Moab.
Having said that, Ammon and Moab often worked hand in hand, so many Ammonites may have actually 'converted' to the ways of Moab. Both tribes, for example, were a thorn in the side to the Jews when they were trying to rebuild the temple in Jerusalem. Tobiah the Ammonite was governor in Samaria during the time of Nehemiah. In Neh 2:10 he is described as a 'servant'. He was in fact a Persian satrap.
"But now when the AMMONITES, and MOABITES, and Samaritans, and all that inhabited Coele-Syria, heard that the building went on apace, they took it heinously, and proceeded to lay snares for them, and to hinder their intentions. They also slew many of the Jews, and sought how they might destroy Nehemiah himself, by hiring some of the foreigners to kill him." (Josephus, Antiquities 11.5.8.)
In Neh. 4:1-2 (4:7-8 in the AV), these Moabites are called Arabians. Both Ammon and Moab were by that time dwelling in the land of Israel. The two tribes were therefore closely associated. Chemosh, however, is more specifically stated as being the god of the Moabites.
(2) Second Reaction
Having had time to reflect on this matter, I can now propose a very simple solution.
The ASSUMPTION that Chemosh was also adopted as the god of the Ammonites rests on the ASSUMPTION that the KING of the Ammonites was an Ammonite. We know from experience that the ruling families do not have to be of the same race/family. Areus king of the Lacedaemonians is recorded both by Josephus and the second book of the Maccabees (2.12.19 onwards) as having sent a letter to Onias the High Priest saying that they (the rulers of the Lacedaemonians) were brothers to the Jews. Areus was actually a descendant of Machir son of Menashe. (NB: The Greek word Acrisius is a corruption of the Hebrew Machir.) Josephus adds that the letter in question was sealed with an eagle with a dragon in its claws. The eagle represents the tribe of Menashe, whilst the dragon represents the Spartans, who were an offshoot of the Kuretes of Crete (Herodotus called them Carians). Strabo informs us that these Kuretes (who he referred to by the Latin name of Corybantes) came (according to his sources) either from Colchis or Bactria. In fact, both of his sources were correct as these Kuretes were the Hurrians who dwelt between these two regions. The Latini who settled in Rome were also Horites. They were descended from Hori son of Lotan son of Seir. (Type 'Lotan' in a Google search and you will find that Lotan was the seven-headed dragon of the Ugaritic texts.) Despite the fact that Areus is called both king of the Spartans and king of the Lacedaemonians, he belonged to neither of these tribes. (You might also be interested to know that the region of Messenia in Greece was named after the tribe of Menashe. Note the metathesis.)
As already stated, the Ammonites had no claim to the land which they were insisting to Yiphtach (Jephthah) was theirs. This passage can only be understood correctly when we accept that their KING was Moabite, in which case the reference to Chemosh relates to the god of the KING of the Ammonites rather than the Ammonites themselves. This then will have been a personal vendetta being conducted by a Moabite who was at that time ruling over the Ammonites.
Regards,
Steve Phillips
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(4) Brit-Am Reply:
We disagree with you on these matters.
The Spartans were descended from Edom as shown in our work "Esau."'
Nevertheless, it is always good to hear from you and to benefit from your opinion.
God be with you
Yair
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(5) Rejoinder by Steven Philips
Shalom Yair
I do not disagree with you. The Spartans were definitely of the tribe of Edom/Esau. They were, however, ruled over by a number of different kings. Areus was specifically of the tribe of Menashe. As I said below, Areus was NOT a Spartan!
This is where the confusion often lies. When, for example, we look at the Assyrians, they were at times ruled over by Edomites. These Edomite kings were actually considered Assyrian kings! Josephus informs us that the kings of Syria, who ruled over the Aramim, were Edomites - descendants of Hadad the Edomite. When the Moors invaded Spain, they did so under the direction of the Arab Ummayads. Whilst the Ummayads who ruled Spain were Moabites, the Moors were Canaanite Berbers, but they were all classed under the generic name of Moors. The Spanish over whom they ruled were yet another people. We should not forget either that there were at that time Jews living in Spain. To the classical writers, these Jews were considered to be Spaniards. (If the Jews arrived in Spain during the time of Nebuchadnezzar, can you find any mention of them in the writings of the classical writers?)
You can disagree with me if you like as that is your prerogative. I was merely pointing out an alternative explanation of the passage in Judges 11 which suggests that the king of the Ammonites was at that time a Moabite. The rest will become clearer when I finish the preparations for my own work... .
B'vracha
Steve
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3. Changes to BABS Program
 Brit-Am Biblical Studies
Our program to go through the Bible in a year is based on that proposed by the Hebrew-language web-site "tanachyomi" i.e. Tanach Yomi:
http://www.tanachyomi.co.il/
We got through the Book of Hosea quite well but have decided that the pace was too intense for the time being.
We are therefore changing the format a little.
We will be running two parallel programs.
1. Bible Readthrough, based on "tanachyomi," we shall list the sections to be read day by day in order to have gone through all the Biblical Prophets and Biblical Writings within a year.
This will probably be no more listing with little or no commentary. Eveon so the program is not that difficult and anyone who follows it will have gained much.
2. Bible in Depth.
We shall continue to go through the Bible more or less book by book. This will be accompanied by commentary and articles and whatever else comes up.
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 Bible Readthrough
Program for next week beginning,  15 May 2016, 7 Iyar, 5776:
Day 1: The whole Book of Joel.
Day 2: Amos 1:1 - 5:13
Day 3: Amos 5:14-7:14
Day 4: Amos 7:15- to end of book.
Day 5: whole Book of Obadiah.
Day 6: Micah 1:1-4:4
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Bible in Depth
Program for next week beginning,  15 May 2016, 7 Iyar, 5776:
We shall endeavor to study the Book of Joel.