Jewish, Roman, and Arabic Testimony.
Contents:
1. Foreword:
2. The Lost Ten Tribes and Saturn.
3. Islam and Al-Abbas Uncle of Mohamed.
4. The Sons of Moses.
5, Aad and Hud, Israel and Judah.
6. Aed, Britain and Ireland.
7. The Lost Ten Tribes in "Tserefat" meaning France and Britain. Australia and New Zealand, Brit-Am.
8. Jethro (Kenites) - Rechabites - Josephus
9. Kenites (Descendants of Jethro) in Ireland.
10. Some Sources:
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1. Foreword:
The Lost Ten Tribes were one of the major sections of the original 12 Tribes of Israel. They were 10 (out of 12) of the Tribes and comprised the major section of the population.
They migrated by different pathways and eventually converged in area of Western Europe. Britain and Ireland were especially important.
This is proven by Scripture, Rabbinical Commentary, History, Archaeology, Linguistics, Mythology, Contemporary Events, and other sources.
In the article below we show how mixed Jewish and Arab sources from before the time of Mohammed traced the Lost Ten Tribes to Britain, Ireland, and France.
This is confirmed from other sources such as those of the Ancient Romans, Welsh Mythology, the Jewish Historian Josephus, Rabbinical Midrashim, and Biblical Commentary.
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2. The Lost Ten Tribes and Saturn.
Already in Roman times, in some sources the Jews had been associated (in Roman eyes) with the pagan god Saturn. They said that Saturn originally have been in the area of Israel but was deposed and was since to be found on one of the Islands of Britain.
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3. Islam and Al-Abbas Uncle of Mohamed.
Muhammad, the founder of Islam lived in the Arabian Peninsula from ca. 570 to 632 CE. His religion Islam changed the world.
Mohamed himself did not know much. He knew something about Jewish and Christian traditions but he confused them. but he confused them.
He stated for instance that Miriam, the sister of Moses, and Miraim (i.e. Mary the mother of the Christian Messiah) were one and the same person!
Al-Abbas (c. 566-653 CE) was an uncle and companion of Mohamed. His descendants founded the Abbasid Dynasty in 750. In one form or other it lasted until 1570.
The Abbasids ruled from Bagdad in Iraq and had quite a large empire.
They also patronized scholarship. Al-Abbas himself conversed with Jewish Rabbis.
At all events various Jewish-Arab traditions were written down in his name.
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4. The Sons of Moses.
One of the sources from this period concerns the Sons, or Children, of Moses. These are also mentioned in Rabbinical Literature.
The Children of Moses were a sub-section of the Tribe of Levi. They were associated both with the Jews in Exile in Babylon and also with the Lost Ten Tribes.
The Tribe of Levi was one of the 12 Tribes.
The 12 tribes were:
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), and Benjamin.
Joseph became 2 tribes, Ephraim and Manasseh. This actually makes for 13 Tribes but only 12 are mentioned at any one time.
The Hebrews had been enslaved in Egypt but Moses from the Tribe of Levi at the commanded of God delivered them and led them though the Wilderness to the Promised Land of Canaan.
Under Moses the Israelites conquered the eastern section of the Promised Land. Moses passed away and was followed by Joshua from the Tribe of Ephraim. They conquered the rest of the Land and divided it among the different Tribes.
Levi was a tribe of Priests. The Levites had not received an area of their own in the one place but rather scattered cities throughout the whole of Israel (Joshua 13).
Jeroboam son of Nebat from the Tribe of Ephraim with 10 of the Tribes broke away from Judah He changed the religion and instituted the worship of golden calves, one in Dan and the other in Beth-el of Ephraim.
He also appointed religious officiates who were not from Levi. Consequently most of the Levites went and migrated to Judah.
2-Chronicles (TCT) 11:
14 FOR THE LEVITES HAD ABANDONED THEIR OPEN LAND AND THEIR HERITAGE, AND THEY WENT TO JUDAH AND TO JERUSALEM, BECAUSE JEROBOAM AND HIS SONS HAD COERCED THEM TO ABANDON THEIR POSITION OF MINISTERING TO THE LORD.
Nevertheless, we find references in Jewish Midrashim and legends referring to the Children of Moses as being very numerous and located close to the Lost Ten Tribes.
If we can locate one we will assumedly find the other.
The Prophet Moses was from the Tribe of Levi and the Sons of Moses were his descendants. Moses is understood to have been promised an enormous number of descendants (Numbers 14:12 I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION GREATER AND MIGHTIER THAN THEY)..
Most of Levi was destined to stay with Judah and are now to be found among the Jews. The Children of Moses however were somewhat separate from Levi as a whole. They appear to have been divided. Part of them remained with Judah. Another section were separated and exiled with the Ten Tribes or later attached themselves to them.
These are referred to as the "Children Moses" or "Sons of Moses." They were eventually to be linked with the "Children of Aad."
cf. Wikipedia:
Children of Moses
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Children_of_Moses
Children of Moses were legendary descendants of Moses who lived beyond the mythical River Sambation. Most of information about them come from Arabic sources (where they are called Banu Musa), of whom Eldad ha-Dani is believed to be the main source.
Traditions associated with Al-Abbas (also known as "Abba Abas") said that the "Sons of Moses" were in the Far East in Gabrassa (Turkestan?) and in the far west in Gabalk. These terms are considered to be Jewish in origin. Gabrassa relates apparently to Turkestan in east Scythia where the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons had sojourned for some time prior to continuing westward in the era 200-400 CE with further migrations into Scandinavia coming later. The Khazars were later also in that area. "GABALK" was a term for Western Europe especially the Frankish realm of France. He therefore placed the Sons of Moses in areas of the West.
Other sources of apparent JEWISH ORIGIN derived through Arab intermediaries relate a similar tale. These other versions state that the CHILDREN OF MOSES were in the far west in "Djabarka" (i.e. "The Golden Castle"), in the "Islands of the Happy", dwelling in a town wherein the remnants of AAD were also to be found (A. J. Wensinck, 1918, pp.31-31).
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5. Aad and Hud, Israel and Judah.
Additional accounts linked with Al-Abbas refer to HUD (meaning Yehudah - the Jews) - and Descendants of Aad i.e. the Separate Kingdom of Israel who became the Lost Ten Tribes.
The name Jew is derived from the Hebrew "Yehudi". In Arab lore there is a protagonist named Hud.
Hud is sometimes assimilated with "Abar" meaning Hebrew. Hud or Abar (Heber) was identified as ancestor of the Jews says the Encyclopedia of Islam. Hud according to the Koran was sent to the people of his brother, Aad, to call on them to repent. The People of Aad refused to receive Hud and therefore they were swept away to the west by a violent storm .
The remnant of Aad say other versions were now together with the Sons of Moses in the far west in "Djabarka" (i.e. "The Golden Castle"), in the "Islands of the Happy". These are also referred to as the "Happy Isles of the Blessed" meaning Ireland or both Britain and Ireland.
The Arab sources also say that the sons of Moses (who were associated with the Ten Tribes) were in the Happy Isles of the Blessed (Ireland and Britain) and in Gaul i.e. present-day France Belgium and Holland.
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6. Aed, Britain and Ireland.
Aad has a name similar to the Celtic "Aed." "Aad" in Arabic is said to connote "Man" whereas "Aed" in Celtic means "Fire" similar to the Hebrew "Ood," implying fiery coal. Nevertheless the interpretations of names can change and the two connotations are not dissimilar.
Welsh Tradition (Triads) says that Britain was named after Prydain son of Aed the Great.
The Celtic god, Aedui, once gave his name to the whole British Isles. It says that Britain in honor of Aed was called "Aeddon", or "Eiddyn". Aed is still honoured in the name "Edinburgh," i.e. "Caer Eiddyn" in Welsh; "Caer" meaning "walled city" based on the Hebrew "KIR" (wall); a "KIRIAH" in Biblical Hebrew meant a walled city. "CAER" and "KIRIAH" use the same Hebrew word root, "KIR". The name AED that was given once to Britain and from which "Edin-burgh" is derived is cognate with AED, which was synonymous in Arabian literature with Aad, i.e. the Northern Exiles of Israel.
We therefore find the Sons of Moses associated with the Lost Ten Tribes and with Britain, Ireland, and France.
This fits the Lost Ten Tribes.
The Israelites had divided into two sections:
(1) Judah from whom emerged the Jewish People.
It comprised the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, most of Levi, and minority representatives of al the other Tribes;
and
(2) Tribes from the Kingdom of Israel who became the Lost Ten tribes.
It encompassed the Tribes of:Reuben, Simeon, Levi,Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh), and minority segments of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi.
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7. The Lost Ten Tribes: In Hebrew "Tserefat" means France and Britain. Australia and New Zealand, Brit-Am.
Biblical and Rabbinical Sources also associated the Lost Ten Tribes with Britain and France under the name "Tserafat" in Commentaries to the Biblical Book of Obadiah.
The Jewish Biblical commentator RASHI, 1040-1105, (on The Book of Obadiah) said that the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel migrated into Zarephath. Rashi identified Zarephath with the Land of France while Don Isaac Abarbanel (1437 - 1508) equated "Zarephath" with both France and England together. Nachmanides, 1194-1270, (in "The Book of Redemption") considered the term "Zarephath" to encompass all of the Northwest European region.
(See Commentary of Chayoth on Nachmanides).
Midrash Bamidbar Rabah 16:25: "BUT THE SONS OF REHABIAH WERE VERY MANY" (1-Chronicles 23:17). The Hebrew expression ["rabu le-malah"] translated as "VERY MANY" may be understood it say, "MULTIPLIED IN EXCESS" i.e. more than the original number of Israelites as suggested to Moses, "I WILL MAKE YOU INTO A NATION GREATER AND MIGHTIER THAN THEY" (Numbers 14:12)]. In the future the Almighty will bring them back, as it says, #
Isaiah 49:
12 BEHOLD, THESE WILL COME FROM AFAR;
AND LO, THESE WILL COME FROM THE NORTH AND FROM THE WEST,
AND THESE FROM THE LAND OF SINIM. #
["LAND OF SINIM" in Latin is rendered as Australia and in Biblical Codes is associated with New Zealand. See:
Many Australians are of Irish descent possibly more than in Ireland itself.]
The Midrash Bamidbar Rabah 16:25 continues:
# THE EXILES WILL ALSO RETURN WITH THEM AS WELL AS THE TRIBES THAT ARE TO BE FOUND BY THE SAMBATION, AND BEYOND THE MOUNTAINS OF DARKNESS. THEY WILL GATHER TOGETHER AND RETURN AND COME UP TO JERUSALEM.
This is what Isaiah intended,
cf.
Isaiah 49:
8 THUS SAYS THE LORD,
IN A FAVORABLE TIME I HAVE ANSWERED YOU,
AND IN A DAY OF SALVATION I HAVE HELPED YOU;
AND I WILL KEEP YOU AND GIVE YOU FOR A COVENANT OF THE PEOPLE [in Hebrew a Brit-Am"]
TO RESTORE THE LAND, TO MAKE THEM INHERIT THE DESOLATE HERITAGES.
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8. Jethro (Kenites) - Rechabites - Josephus.
In addition to the Children of Moses another group recalled as having been exiled and associated with the Ten Tribes were the Rechabites. The Rechabites were also known as Kenites. They were descendants of Jethro the Midianite father-in-law of Moses who converted and attached himself and his clan to the Children of Israel. Rashi interprets a verse in the prophecy of Balaam to say that the Kenites (Rechabites) would be exiled along with the Ten Tribes and return alongside them (Numbers 24:22 see Rashi).
Josephus also understood the Prophecy of Balaam to say that:
"The multitude of your posterity also shall live as well in the islands as on the continent, and that more in number than are the stars of heaven." Flavius Josephus: Antiquities of the Jews c. 37 - c. 100 CE) - Book IV. ch.4 s.6 CONCERNING BALAAM THE PROPHET AND WHAT KIND OF MAN HE WAS.
http://www.britam.org/numbers/7balak2.html
Hud according to the Koran was sent to the people of his brother, Aad. The Children of Aad refused to receive Hud and therefore the People of Aad were swept away by a violent storm. According to these sources, Aad (brother of Hud) was therefore an Israelite people who originally had lived in Iram [i.e. Aram, i.e. Syria] of the Pillars but because of their sins and refusing to listen to Hud (Judah) had been blown away to the west.
Avienus (300s CE) applies the term "Islands of the Happy" to Ireland. Other Classical sources refer to Ireland, and sometimes to Ireland and Britain together, as the Isles (or Isle) of the Happy or Isles of the Blessed, thus conforming to the Arab transmitted description. The Celtic Welsh called Britain, "The Honey Isle of Beli" . Beli was a Middle Eastern variation of Baal. The Lost Ten Tribes had been exiled for worshipping Baal and other gods (2-Kings17:16).
The Celtic god, Aedui, once gave his name to the whole British Isles. In "The Welsh Triads" (a collection of traditions) it says that Britain in honor of Aed was called "Aeddon", or "Eiddyn". Aed is still honoured in the name Edinburgh, or "Caer Eiddyn" in Welsh; "Caer" meaning "walled city" based on the Hebrew "KIR" (wall); a "KIRIAH" in Biblical Hebrew meant a walled city. "CAER" and "KIRIAH" use the same Hebrew word root, "KIR". The name AED that was given once to Britain and from which "Edin-burgh" is derived is cognate with AED, The similarly named "Aad" was synonymous in Jewish-Arabian literature with the Northern Exiles of Israel.
The Rechabites descended from the Kenites from the clan of Jethro father-in-law of Moses.
They attached themselves to the Children of Israel when they came out of Egypt and helped the Israelites.
God promised that the Kenites (of whom the Rechabites were part) would be rewarded for their faithfulness.
They would go into Exile with the Ten Tribes of Israel and return with them. God HIMSELF speaks well of them.
Numbers 24:22 NEVERTHELESS THE KENITE SHALL BE WASTED, UNTIL ASSHUR SHALL CARRY THEE AWAY CAPTIVE.
This verse is interpreted differently by Rashi as saying:
Rashi (1040 - 1105):
# EVEN IF YOU SHALL BE WIPED AWAY KEIN FOR A PERIOD WHEN ASHUR [ASSYRIA] TAKES YOU CAPTIVE YOU SHALL RETURN WITH THE TEN TRIBES .#
The Kenites here are those who were to convert together with Jethro and attach themselves to the Children of Israel. They always remained as a somewhat separate group. They were exiled by the Assyrians with the Ten Tribes. They are destined to return with them (Rashi).
When the Children of Israel came out of Egypt and wandered in the Wilderness they were joined by Jethro the father-in-law of Moses. He did not come alone. Jethro was a Midianite. Even though the Midianites as a whole were destined to become the enemies of Israel (Numbers 3:12, Judges 6:3, etc) the clan of Jethro, known as the Kenites, took a different path. They joined themselves unto the Hebrews and identified with their cause.
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9. Kenites (Descendants of Jethro) in Ireland.
"TubalCain" quotes from:
"Phoenicians in Ireland," 1833, by Joaquin Lorenzo Villanueva who was a Royal Bishop in Spain in the reign of Carol (Charles)-3 (r. 1759-1788). The work was translated and illustrated with Notes by Henry O'Brien, London 1833. [It is available for online viewing via Google Books].
Villaneuva based on place and ethnic names found Kenites in Northern Ireland, in Tyrone Armagh, Donegal, and part of Derry. The Irish sources refer to them as "Kini."
VILLANEUVA (1700s CE) referred to the Dana of Ireland as 'Danaani.' They settled in Northwest Ireland. VILLANEUVA quotes from different Irish accounts. These place the Dana, before coming to Ireland, at first either in Northern Germany, or in North Britain. Before that they were traceable to,
'inhabitants of the city of Dan, at the foot of Mount Libanus, the boundary towards the north of the ten Israelite tribes.'
In early Jewish sources a tradition existed that the Children of Moses (from the Tribe of Levi) and the Rechabites were together with the Lost Ten Tribes (Midrash Yalkut Shimeoni, Song of Solomon, 905). They were believed to dwell in the Blessed Isles, i.e. in the "Islands of the Blessed Ones" which were in "the Ocean, the Great Sea", meaning the Atlantic Ocean. The Blessed Isles in Classical Terminology were identified with the British Isles especially Ireland. An early Aramaic document from the Christian Era even bears the title, "The History of the Sons of Jonadab, the Son of Rechab, who are in the Midst of the Ocean, the Great Sea... " Syriac MS B3. By 'the Ocean, the Great Sea,' the Atlantic Ocean was intended as explained in Rabbinical Commentaries (e.g. Aruch HaShalem). This corresponds with Classical Roman Literature. It is consistent with the Ten Tribes being assumed to be somewhere in the British Isles. Roman tradition also identified the Ten Tribes with the followers of Saturn who it was said had taken refuge on one of the Isles of Britain.
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10. Some Sources:
Bibliography:
LAZAR, SHIMEON MENACHEM. (Hebrew) "Eseret HaShevetim VePitronan", Drohobycz, 1908.
LICHTENSHTEIN, =pseudonym of I.Z. HERSENZOHEN. "Sheva Chochmoth" (Hebrew) or "Geography of the Talmud", London, 1912.
RECHABITES, Vol. I: The Greek Recension, Scholars Press, 1982.
WENSINCK, A.J. "The Ideas of the Western Semites Concerning 'The Navel of the Earth'", Amsterdam, Holland, 1916.
WENSINCK, A.J. "The Ocean in the Literature of the Western Semites", Amsterdam, Holland, 1918.
ZEITSCHRIFT, "Zeitscrift Fur Assyriologie", Berlin And Leipzig 1929, Strasbourg 1909.
Related Articles.
Children of Moses
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https://hebrewnations.com/articles/myth/moseschildren.html
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http://hebrewnations.com/articles/myth/testimony.html
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https://hebrewnations.com/articles/myth/moseschildren.html
Aed and the Lost Tribes in Britain. The Lost Ten Tribes in Celtic and Arabic Lore
https://britam.org/aed.html
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https://hebrewnations.com/articles/myth/josephus.html
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Syriac MS B "The History of the Sons of Jonadab, the Son of Rechab, who are in the Midst of the Ocean, the Great Sea, When God Showed Them to Zosimus, the Virtuous Hermit"
https://britam.org/now2/1411Now.html#Rechabites
The Lost Ten Tribes, and 1882 by Joseph Wild. An early source of interest.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/wild.html
Aed and the Lost Tribes in Britain. The Lost Ten Tribes in Celtic and Arabic Lore
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Jethro (Kenites) in Ireland?
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