More Notes concerning Wales and the Tribe of Asher (25 April, 2022)
Contents:
1. Wales and Britain
2. The Israelite Tribe of Asher, Sources.
3. Asher, Wales, and Heber - Grandson of Asher
4. Ancient Israelites in Wales.
5. The Welsh Language is Partly Hebrew!
6. Biblical Descriptions of Asher.
7. Wales and Biblical Characteristics of Asher.
8. Points of Interest.
9. Welsh National Character and Idiosyncrasies.
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1. Wales and Britain
Wales together with England, Scotland, and Northern Ireland is part of the United Kingdom.
The population of Wales is about 3 million, that of England 56 million, and the UK altogether 67 million.
Most Welsh have some English ancestry and a majority of the English have some family relationship to the Welsh.
In Wales, 1.8 million people identify as Welsh only (i.e.58% of the population) and 218,000 identify their national identity as Welsh and British (7% of the population).The Welsh feel an attachment to Britain, as a whole, as well as to Wales: "In 1979, the Welsh people were invited, in a referendum, to express their views on the establishment of a Welsh assembly, they voted four to one against the proposal (though 40 percent did not vote at all). "
Ethnic studies usually distinguish between the Welsh from Northern Wales and those from the south.
We find among the Welsh Population groups derived from the Israelite Tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Dan, and Levi. In addition elements from Judah and other tribes were also present.
The association with the Tribes of Manasseh, Asher, Dan, comes through the Ten Tribes whereas that with Levi derives from the Children of Moses.
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2. The Israelite Tribe of Asher, Sources.
Previous articles concerning the Tribe of Asher include the following:
The Tribe of Asher
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/asher1.html
Asher Was There!
Biblical Asher
Asher as Appeaser
Asher and the Sword
Asher as Norway
ASHER and EIRE
Asher in Wales
Asher and the Rabbis
KJETIL TANGEN, Tribes of Norway
Characteristics of the Tribe of Asher
http://www.britam.org/mael/Mael5Asher.html
Asher in Wales
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/tribes/asher1/asherwales.html
From the above one may see that we have also elements from the Tribe of Asher in Scandinavia, among the Vikings, in Scotland, and in Ireland.
Even the Khazars included a contingent from Asher!
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3. Asher, Wales, and Heber - Grandson of Asher
In our work "The Tribes" we said:
The Tribe of Asher,
"And the sons of Asher; Jimnah, and Ishuah, and Isui, and Beriah, and Serah their sister, and the sons of Beriah; Heber, and Malchiel." Genesis 46:17.
The name Heber is also pronounceable as "Cheber" and means friend or companion. ... "HEBER" in Hebrew has the same meaning of "union" and "joining." Heber (of Asher) may also be recalled in the people named after "Caber". [The name "Heber" in Hebrew bregins with the letter "chet" and may be pronounced as "cheber" which in Hebrew dialects could easily have become "Caber"]. The appellation "CABER" occurs in an account of early British history [quoted by JEAN FRANCOISELE PETIT, "Le Grande Chronicle. Ancienne et Moderne de Holland, Zeelande, Utrecht, Frise, Oversyseel, et de Groenungham", Dordrecht, 1601], which states that Britain was first populated by the sons of Bruttus who, from Troy in Anatolia, reached Britain via Italy. Bruttus had three sons, Albion who received Scotland, Locris who took what later became known as England, and CABER who was given Wales.
Stephen Phillips of the UK points out that the name "Caber" may etymologically be related to "Cymry" which is what the Welsh call themselves. The Welsh regard the name Cymry as meaning "fellow country-men." This is similar to the name "Heber" (Chever") in Hebrew which connotes "union", "partner," and "friend."
Stephen Phillips notes that,
# The use of the word Cymry as a self-designation derives from the post-Roman Era relationship of the Welsh with the Brythonic-speaking peoples of northern England and southern Scotland... It emphasised a perception that the Welsh and the "Men of the North" were one people, exclusive of other peoples. #
In "The Tribes" we also noted,
#... we do find a link between the Veneti and the Picts of Scotland. Edward DAWSON has described how, after the Veneti [in western France -Gaul] were defeated by the Romans under Julius Caesar, they moved to Britain. They at first were located in Scotland north of the Hadrian Wall and became known as the Venicones. This was the southern area of the Picts. The Picts were known for their navy which they used for raids on Roman Britain. It has been suggested that the Venicones deserve part of the credit for the Pictish maritime endeavors. Eventually the Romans defeated the Venicones. Some were re-settled in Northwest Wales... Henceforth this area was known as Gwynedd. It grew to encompass all of North Wales under the name of Venedotia. The term Venedotia is believed to be cognate with the Irish Fenni [meaning 'band or union.']. Another group, the Votadini had neighbored the Venicones in Scotland. They too were resettled in Gwynedd in North Wales. They are referred to as Gododdin and in one version as Golodin....
# A portion of the Veneti either went directly from Gaul to Donegal in Northwest Ireland or as Veneti-Venicones from Wales had moved there. [The Venelli who were part of them may even have given rise to the Clan of Neil.]
This indicates elements from Hebrew of the Israelite Tribe of Asher in both Ireland and Wales.
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4. Ancient Israelites in Wales. Druidism.
We noted the possibility that Israelite children had been brought to Northern Wales to work the Great Orme Mine which in Ancient times supplied. This was indicated by the Prophecy of Amos 4.
See:
Welsh Hebrews. Israelite Children from the TTs Separated and Exiled to Wales???
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/bible/childrenwales.html
The Great Orme Mine in ancient times was probably the greatest single source of copper then available. This was vital, together with tin, for the production of bronze. The Great Orme by the sea is across a bay from Castell Caer Seion (Conwy). A few hundred meters separate the two.
Castell Caer Seion in Welsh tradition had been a settlement of Jews which could also mean "Hebrews" in general.
Origin of the Name "Wales". A New Appreciation
http://www.britam.org/WalesName.html
Elements fromt he Tribe of Dan were also present in Wales, see:
Don and Bile. The Welsh Version of their Origins
http://britam.org/traditions4.html
Prior to the Anglo-Saxon Invasions the inhabitants of Britain had a Celtic type culture. They worshipped "bel" which was another name for "baal" the old Canaanite idol whose religion had been conflated with that of the Hebrew Ten Tribes before their Exile (2-Kings ch. 17).
This was assocaited with a priestly group known as the Druids. Britain according to Julius Caesar was the center of Druidism. The Romans persecuted the Druids many of whom fled to Wales. The Anglo-Saxon invasions would have led to still more of them moving westward.
Druidism was a mixture of Canaanite Pagan practices together with Hebrew ones. Indirectly Druidism is also an indication of Hebrew origins. See:
Druids and Israel. A Comparison of the Sages of Judah with those of the West.
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/secular/druids.html
Dreaded Druids. Celtic Religion
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/secular/dreaded.html
Jeroboamites. Blue Bloods and White Trash. Who Were the New Age Priests?
https://hebrewnations.com/articles/16/priests.html
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5. The Welsh Language is Partly Hebrew!
Concerning the Hebrew origins of the Welsh peoples see also:
Hebrew Linguistic Traits in Welsh
http://britam.org/language.html
This is probably one of the strongest proofs we have and has been confirmed to us several times by native speakers of Welsh.
Whole sentences and even several in a row of Biblical verses translated into Welsh mean and sound almost exactly the same in both Hebrew and Welsh!
To fully appreciate this however some knowledge of both the Welsh and Hebrew Languages would be necessary.
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Source of Map: Wikipedia.
6. Biblical Descriptions of Asher.
Genesis (NKJV) 30:13
Then Leah said, 'I am happy ["ba-ashri]-, for the daughters will call me blessed [aishruni].' So she called his name Asher.
["asher" in Hebrew also connotes "re-assure, strenthen," and is cognate with the English word "assure."]
Genesis (NKJV) 49:20
Bread from Asher shall be rich, And he shall yield royal dainties.
Deuteronomy (NKJV) 33:
24 And of Asher he said: Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your sandals shall be iron and bronze;
As your days, so shall your strength be.
26 'There is no one like the God of Jeshurun,
Who rides the heavens to help you,
And in His excellency on the clouds.
27 The eternal God is your refuge,
And underneath are the everlasting arms;
He will thrust out the enemy from before you,
And will say, 'Destroy!'
28 Then Israel shall dwell in safety,
The fountain of Jacob alone,
In a land of grain and new wine;
His heavens shall also drop dew.
29 Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,
The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies shall submit to you,
And you shall tread down their high places.
Judges 5:17
Gilead stayed beyond the Jordan, And why did Dan remain on ships? Asher continued at the seashore, And stayed by his inlets.
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7. Wales and Biblical Characteristics of Asher.
(a) Song and Poetry.
The term "Asher" connotes happiness, the Irish are known as having an innate happiness but the Welsh are not. On the contrary. They are sometimes described as somewhat "gloomy."
On the other hand the name "Asher" encompasses the Hebrew word root "SHR" which gives us the word "Shir." This gives us the Hebrew word "Shir" meaning both song and poem. The Welsh National Anthem describes Wales as a Land of warriors and poets.
The Welsh are renowned for their ability for choir music and singing in unison as seen with Welsh Audiences at National Soccer games.
This ability has also been linked (by others) to the presence of Levites among the Welsh People. In Jewish tradition the Children of Moses were a very numerous group descended from Moses who was descended from Levi. They would have been considered as part of the Tribe of Levi. Some of these remained attached to Judah whereas others became associated with the Ten Tribes. They were usually described as dwelling alongside the Ten Tribes and said to be in the West and in the Isle of the Blessed meaning Ireland or Britain or both.
(b) Psychic Spiritual Powers.
Asher was associated with olive oil (Deuteronomy 33:24) which Rabbinical commentators link to sacred anointment, holiness, and wisdom. The Welsh are known for having mystical spiritual tendencies and often being "psychic," i.e. having a sixth sense.
(c) Copper and Iron
Deuteronomy (NKJV) 33:
24 And of Asher he said: Asher is most blessed of sons; Let him be favored by his brothers, And let him dip his foot in oil.
25 Your sandals shall be iron and bronze....
In Hebrew the word ("naaleca") translated as "your sandals" may also be rendered "your bolts" or "your locks." The root "naal" connotes close. It gives rise to the words "naal" i.e. shoe which closes off the feet, and "naal" meaning lock.
In the Hebrew of 2nd Temple Times "naal" also could connote "have the last word," "be the decision maker." This could also be its meaning here. The word translated as "bronze" in Hebrew is "necoshet" meaning "copper." Copper comprises 90% of bronze which is an alloy of copper and 10% of some other mineral usually tin.
The possession of copper and iron resources is therefore a characteristic of Asher. Wales possessed both minerals and they wre historically important to Wales, to Britain, and to the world in general.
Commentary on Deuteronomy 33:25:
Iben Ezra (1089-1164): "For in his domain will be mountains of iron and copper."
In the late 1750s Welsh copper manufacturers held a virtual monopoly over the production of copper. This was the time of the Industrial Revolution when copper was needed. central and Northern Wales were important in copper production from the earliest times. The Great Orme Mine has already been mentioned: This existed from Assyrian Times and was worked by Israelite Hebrews. Israelite captives, especially children were among those who worked it under overseers of Myceanan and Minoan Culture and of Phoenicians, Philistine, and Edomite origin all of whom were under the direction of Assyria.
In the Industriasl Revolution and the time leading up to it, the available natural resources of Wales included coal used in furnaces with waterfalls in the valleys providing additional power. After ca. 1750 additional sources of copper were developed in southern Wales. By 1851 thanks to its mineral resources Wales, despite its small size, had become the world's leading industrial nation! Copper from other countries such as Chile, Cuba and South Australia, was also brought to Wales to be processed.
Iron was also important in Welsh History.
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# Iron and coal were the main industries in Wales between 1760 and 1914.Iron was one of the first industries to affect society and the landscape of Wales, but by1850 there was a worldwide demand for Welsh coal, and this was having a huge effect on Wales. South Wales became one of the most important industrial areas in the world during this period. # By 1847 south Wales produced 35% of all British iron.
Mineral Resources are also Symptomatic of the Lost Ten Tribes in general.
Jacob was blessed:
Genesis 49:
25 "EVEN BY THE GOD OF THY FATHER, WHO SHALL HELP THEE; AND BY THE ALMIGHTY, WHO SHALL BLESS THEE WITH BLESSINGS OF HEAVEN ABOVE, BLESSINGS OF THE DEEP THAT LIETH UNDER, BLESSINGS OF THE BREASTS, AND OF THE WOMB:"
BLESSINGS OF THE DEEP: Water and mineral resources.
Deuteronomy 33:
13 "AND OF JOSEPH HE SAID, BLESSED OF THE LORD BE HIS LAND, FOR THE PRECIOUS THINGS OF HEAVEN, FOR THE DEW, AND FOR THE DEEP THAT COUCHETH BENEATH,"
Deuteronomy 33:15
"AND FOR THE CHIEF THINGS OF THE ANCIENT MOUNTAINS AND FOR THE PRECIOUS THINGS OF THE LASTING HILLS."
This says that Joseph was blessed with agricultural prosperity, healthy lands, and mineral resources in plenty.
Asher in Wales is part of Britain that overall is the domain of Joseph. We see though the example of one tribe (Asher) receiving its blessing it helps fulfill the blessing of another (Joseph).
Following the blessing of Moses to Asher (Deuteronomy 33:24-25) the passage continues with a blessing to all Israel. Nevertheless, it still has a SPECIAL pertinence to Asher (as agreed on by Fishel Mael, "Shiftei Yisroel"):
cf.
Deuteronomy 33:
29 Happy are you, O Israel!
Who is like you, a people saved by the LORD,
The shield of your help
And the sword of your majesty!
Your enemies shall submit to you,
And you shall tread down their high places.
The expression "Happy are you" ("Ashreca") also hints at the name Asher.
The Welsh have more of a warrior past than is realized. The Norman rulers of England conquered Wales but they had to construct more than 600 fortresses to do it making Wales the more fortified place in history.
The Tudor Dynasty was of Welsh origin. Henry-vii, Henry-viii, and Elizabeth-i, all spoke Welsh.
Oliver Cromwell (1599-1658) who led the Puritan side in the English Civil War and created the New Model Army was also of Welsh origin. His great-grandfather came from Wales. The longbow that earned England many of its victories in Medieval Times originated in Wales. Many of the English archers were Welsh. English armies in general often relied heavily on soldiers from the "West Country" meaning Wales and its neighbors.
Here too we see a blessing to Asher helping to fulfil a blessing to Joseph.
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8. Points of Interest
The first complete Welsh translation of the Bible was done by William Morgan in 1588.
(a) Famous Welshman include:
John Dee (1527-1609) - advisor, astrologer, and magician to Elizabeth-i. Dee met the Maharal of Prague, who was the leading Rabbi of his generation. He also first coined the concept of British Empire.
Captain Henry Morgan, (1635-1688) buccaneer and governor of Jamaica.
David Lloyd George (1853-1945) PM of the UK (1916-1922), Zionist sympathizer, led the UK during WW1, one of the initiators of the Balfour Declaration (1917), introduced numerosu social welfare policies.
Bertrand Russell, (1872-1970) philosopher.
(b) Welsh Americans.
(1) The American "Morgan" Banking family was of Welsh origin: Wikipedia tells us: John Pierpont Morgan (April 17, 1837 – March 31, 1913) was an American financier and investment banker who dominated corporate finance on Wall Street throughout the "Gilded Age." As the head of the banking firm that ultimately became known as J.P. Morgan and Co., he was the driving force behind the wave of industrial consolidation in the United States spanning the late 19th and early 20th centuries.
(2) The Welsh in the USA.
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
...an estimated 1.98 million Americans had Welsh ancestry, 0.6% of the total U.S. population. This compares with a population of 3 million in Wales. However, 3.8% of Americans appear to bear a Welsh surname.[2]
There have been several U.S. Presidents with Welsh ancestry, including Thomas Jefferson,[3] John Adams, John Quincy Adams, James A. Garfield,[4] Calvin Coolidge, Richard Nixon[5] and Barack Obama.[6] Jefferson Davis, President of the Confederate States of America; P.G.T. Beauregard, U.S. Vice President Hubert Humphrey, and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton are also of Welsh heritage.[7]
The proportion of the population with a name of Welsh origin ranges from 9.5% in South Carolina to 1.1% in North Dakota. Typically names of Welsh origin are concentrated in the mid-Atlantic states, New England, the Carolinas, Georgia and Alabama and in Appalachia, West Virginia and Tennessee. By contrast, there are relatively fewer Welsh names in the northern Midwest, and the southwest.[2]
A particularly large proportion of the African American population has Welsh surnames. A major factor leading to this is slaves adopting the surnames of their former masters. A large number of Welsh Americans settled in the American South and were predominant in the slave trade.
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9. Welsh National Character and Idiosyncrasies
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Volatile, Squabbling
https://www.nytimes.com/1982/12/05/magazine/the-unconquerable-welsh.html
... They are, by and large, a highly emotional people, volatile, quick to love or hate, cunning - the antithesis, in fact, of the stiff-lipped British ideal - and they still express themselves most eloquently, as they always have, in music and in poetry. There can be few countries in the world where the singer and the poet are held in higher regard, or where a happy turn of phrase can carry one farther.
... tendency to squabble among themselves .
Giraldus Cambrensis, a 12th-century Norman priest and scholar, observed, if there is no better man than a good Welshman, there is no worse man than a bad one.
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Parsimonious but not Aggressive.
https://www.dailypost.co.uk/whats-on/whats-on-news/welsh-branded-stingy-unambitious-stereotype-16652048
According to the results, people from Wales were seen as the second-most 'stingy' and the least 'ambitious', but also the least 'rude', 'arrogant' and second-least 'aggressive'.
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Welsh as Welshers?
https://www.google.com/search?q=to+%27welsh%22+etymology&sxsrf
re
the expression, to 'Welsh" i.e. go back on an agreement or renege on anobligation.
mid 19th century: of uncertain origin; perhaps from Welsh, on account of the formerly alleged dishonesty of Welsh people.
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Avoid Confrontation.
The Welsh are not cowardly but it is alleged that they often prefer to evade the possibility of social or physical confrontation and the psychological strain that goes with it.
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The Welsh are Nick-Named after David!
"Taffy" is a name for a Welshman. "Taffy" is a Welsh nickname for someone from Wales and the name "Taffy" is often applied to Welshmen. It derives from the Welsh name "Dafydd" which means DAVID!
