Research Sources from Brit-Am Now nos. 1801-1822 (23 November 2015, 11 Kislev, 5776)
Contents:
1.  Ancient Israelites in the Italian Alps
2. Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pincus: Writings on Joseph
3. Dan Takes in the Weak like the USA Did!
4. Ephraim Comes First! Malbim on Joseph (Genesis chs 48 and 49).
5 (3.) Wayne Stark: More on Helvetia (Switzerland) and the Levites.
6. (1.) Israeli Commemorative Coin Depicts Joseph and His Brothers.
 7. (3) (a) Rabbi Yaacov Emden and Christianity.         Â
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1. Ancient Israelites in the Italian Alps
Brit-Am Now no. 1802
3. Books Received.
"Decorations Found in Traditional Artisan Craftwork in the Alps. Signs and Symbols of Oriental and Jewish Origin"
http://www.britam.org/now2/1802Now.html#3
by Ivan Magistrini, 2011, Switzerland.
This work consists mainly of hundreds of photographs with accompanying text in Italian.
It is quite impressive.
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2. Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pincus: Writings on Joseph
Rabbi Shimshon Dovid Pincus: The Kingdom of Joseph
http://www.britam.org/Pinchas.html
Brit-Am Preliminary Note on the Correspondence between Rabbinical Writings and Brit-Am Findings.
http://www.britam.org/Pinchas.html#B
Part One: The Original Intention of Joseph was to Integrate with Judah!
http://www.britam.org/Pinchas1.html
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3. Dan Takes in the Weak like the USA Did!
http://www.britam.org/now2/1805Now.html#2
An Anonymous Commentary attached to Rashi says that Dan would take in the weak and the failing from the other Tribes.
Ireland at one stage had many from Dan such as the Tribe of Dana (Tuatha de Danaan), the Domnonni (Danani), and Viking Danish settlers.
It could well be that most of the Tribe of Dan who formerly were in Ireland and other parts of Britian are now in the USA?
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4. Ephraim Comes First!
http://www.britam.org/now2/1807Now.html
Malbim on Joseph (Genesis chs 48 and 49).
http://www.britam.org/MalbimJoseph.html
Extracts:
The Malbim affirms that the Ten Tribes are still in Exile, that they to be found as cohesive units and that in End Times they will return being lead by the Messiah son of Joseph.
In the extract and words of explanation below we see how the Malbim interprets the blessing of Jacob to Ephraim and Manasseh as saying that Ephraim would become great before Manasseh.
Ephraim would be great through his own merits and self-assertion almost from the beginning. Manasseh would wait until the vast numbers of his population and the weight of his blessing would of itself result in greatness.
We identify Ephraim with Britain and Canada, Australia, New Zealand, the whites in South Africa. The USA is Manasseh. The interpretation of the Malbim concerning Ephraim and Manasseh fits historical reality. The USA grew out of Britain. Even though the USA achieved independence by rebelling from Britain it grew and developed under the British shadow and with the help of British protection and investment. The population of the USA increased immensely along with its wealth and economic potential. Finally due to the sheer weight of what it had become it seamlessly replaced Britain as Policeman of the Globe and paramount world power.
That according to the Malbim is precisely what Manasseh was supposed to do!
England on the other hand whom we identify as the main force of Ephraim placed itself on the world scene from the very beginning.
As soon as the English nation came into existence it conquered Wales and periodically attempted to do the same in Ireland, Scotland, and France.
Under the Tudors England defied the Pope and the Holy Roman Empire as well as defeating and humiliating Spain which at the time was the major world power.
At first the population of England was less than a fifth that of the French. Later it benefited from a population explosion due to the Agricultural and Industrial Revolutions and overseas colonization.
[Sometimes the family grows according to the space available.]
This fits how the Malbim understands the blessing to Ephraim.
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Jacob stretched out his right hand placing it on the head of Ephraim. After that he placed his left hand on the head of Manasseh [crossing his arms].
The left arm was above the right one.
"guiding his hands knowingly, for Manasseh was the firstborn", ...he placed his left arm on top showing that he knew Manasseh was the first-born...
Manasseh does not receive the plenitude of his blessing through Ephraim but rather via a conduit of his own. This is why the left arm was placed over the right one.
The greatness of Ephraim will be through quality.
Manasseh will become great through quantity.
Concerning quality it sometimes happens that one man is worth an entire nation. This is a characteristic of Ephraim.
The blessing of Ephraim was to come into effect immediately.
On the other hand the blessing of Manasseh would have to wait until his population grew to a multitudinous number, until he should increase and multiply and grow into a great nation.
The Malbim says:
#I explained in my commentary on the above verse (Isaiah 11:12) that the Ten Tribes are not scattered only outcast [Hebrew: "nidach" meaning outcast or driven out] to where we know not and only need to be gathered in.
The Tribes of Judah and Benjamin [i.e. the present-day Jews] are scattered to the four corners of the earth. They are not outcast since their location is known.
They need to be united...
# It has become quite clear to me that everywhere in Scripture where the Ten Tribes are spoken of as contraposed to Judah that Judah is referred to as Israel as opposed to the Ten Tribes who are called Jacob #.
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5 (3.) Wayne Stark: More on Helvetia (Switzerland) and the Levites.
http://www.britam.org/now2/1810Now.html
Mr. Davidiy [sir] I must express my deep (kavanah) appreciation for your work and your immediate reply to my thoughts on Switzerland [He'LVeTi; the Levites.
You wrote to me: You therefore suggest that the Helveti are really "Ha-Levi[ti]"?
This is the kind of suggestion that is worth keeping in mind in case other supportive evidence turns up.
Jstark: May I offer a couple of additional and what I think consideration as to theLevite
confederacy being Helvetii Confederacy.
(1. The Levites were keepers of the Temple, Synagog, the Ark... Perhaps a coincident but it is
Swiss guards who are keepers of the Pope's acreage dwellings.
(2. Perhaps another coincident but it is the Swiss who keep the "treasures of the world just as the Levites kept the treasures of Israel and to whom a tithe was given by law.
(3. It may be another coincident but did not the Levites, by command of G-d have safe haven cities within the Nation of Israel? For several wars [global and some limited global] Switzerland has been the safehaven of many criminals or peoples fleeing the war (soldiers included).
(4. Under the judges [almost 400 years?] and many prophets Israel was NOT a nation but a confederacy of tribes. The Helveti Confederacy would be more than symbolic of what the Levites understood to be a national organization but the way it was when Israel was under judges and still a theocracy.
(5. Since the Levites were not given land by Joshua this made them a neutral people amongst their own. Is not Switzerland a land of neutral people amongst its much larger neighbors; a people landlocked within the European nations just as the Levites were "within" the assigned territories of the original Nation of Israel?
(6. Every time the Kingdom of Israel was defeated in battle, the Bible tells us that the invading and victorious enemy "raided the Temple". Is not Switzerland where the "wealth of the world" is kept and a prize to be had if invaded? In 2010, Switzerland had the highest wealth per adult of any country in the world (with $372,692 for each person).
(7. Levi and Simeon are brothers, both with a warlike attitude, vicious and merciless when up against a common foe. I recall my father once alluding to a time of Swiss invinsibility; fierce, strong, quick victories then retreat to their safe havens in the mountains. Is this too another coincident?
SIr, I am sorry for the length of this email and I do wish to respect your research, knowledge and time. This study of Israel past, present, and future for some reason has become a passion. Your knowledge to me is like being locked in a library of books. I wish I fully understood why I simply can't get enough time on this subject; Israel and which way did they go. I wish I could instead write a book titled "They Went thata' Way."
Jstark
Brit-Am Reply:
Shalom,
We identified Switzerland with Issachar. Another possibility was Asher. The Burgundians derive from Beria(g)h son of Asher.
The arguments identifying Switzerland with Issachar and as a secondary choice perhaps with the Tribe of Asher are to our mind much stronger.
Most of Levi was in Judah with small pockets amongst the Ten Tribes.
If you feel really convinced of your case however keep going.
Even if in the end you decide you were mistaken you may well learn a great deal on the way.
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6. (1.) Israeli Commemorative Coin Depicts Joseph and His Brothers.
http://www.britam.org/now2/1811Now.html
Sixth Coin in the "Biblical Art" Series
http://www.commem.com/prod06f.htm
Issued by the Bank of Israel
"Joseph & His Brothers"
Israel's "Biblical Art" Coin Series
Year 2000/5760
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7. (3) (a) Rabbi Yaacov Emden and Christianity.
http://www.britam.org/now2/1822Now.html#3
The relatively favorable attitude of Rabbi Yaacov Emden (1697-1776) towards Christianity might be of interest to some.
http://www.auburn.edu/~allenkc/falk1a.html
 Rabbi Yaacov Emden was considered somewhat of an authority in his own time and he still is despite his somewhat controversial opinions on several issues. Â
Quote:
"If certain Christians who consider themselves scholars would understand this secret, who believe that they are commanded to abolish the Torah of Moses from the seed of Israel, they would not engage in such foolishness. The people listen to their self-conceived words, something which was never intended by the writers of the Gospels. Quite the opposite, they have written clearly that they intended the contrary.
"Because of these errant scholars, hatred has increased toward the Jews who are blameless of any guilt and proceed innocently to observe their Torah with all their heart, imbued with the fear of God. They should instead bring their people to love the ancient Children of Israel who remain loyal to their God, as indeed commanded to Christians by their original teachers.
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