Because this report will be read by
individuals with different viewpoints, some
introductory comments are needed. After
writing a book entitled The "Lost" Ten
Tribes of Israel...Found!, this
author has received many letters, tracts,
pamphlets, etc. presenting so many different
theories about the identity of the Jews that
they are too numerous to mention.
These divergent views on Jewish
origins/identity have made it apparent to
this author that a report on this subject is
needed (in fact, some who have discussed
this subject with me have urged the printing
of a research report on Jewish origins and
their modern identity). This report is being
presented not as an exhaustive treatise on
the subject, but rather as an effort to
introduce essential information into this
discussion.
Some readers will look at the title of this
report and say: "Why write this material,
everyone knows the Jews are Judah." It is
equally true that others will have the
following reaction: "No, the Jews are not
Judah, they are actually Khazar-Edomites."
The author is under no illusion that the
information in this article will satisfy
everyone, and the right of all readers to
form their own respective opinions on this
subject is fully recognized. However, this
article is written from the viewpoint that
God's Word, the Bible, is the arbiter of
truth on all matters, and human opinions and
theories must yield to the ultimate truth of
the Word of God.
The title of this article indicates that the
author believes that modern Jews are the
biblical, prophetic "House of Judah." The
pages that follow will present: (A) an
examination of secular evidence about the
Jews, and (B) a faithful presentation of the
Bible's information and prophecies on this
subject. Presented below are four reasons
why I believe that modern Jews are, indeed,
the biblical and prophetic "house of Judah."
REASON 1: FULFILLMENT OF ZEPHANIAH'S
PROPHECY
Zephaniah chapter two begins with statements
clearly indicating it is a "latter day"
prophecy. Verse two sets the time-frame of
this chapter as being just "before the day
of the Lord's anger," and verse three
reiterates that this prophecy applies to the
time just prior to "the day of the Lord."
Verses 4 - 5 pronounce "woe" upon the cities
and inhabitants "of the seacoast," and it
clear that the "seacoast" of Palestine is
being discussed due to the mention of the
cities of Gaza, Ashdod, and Ekron. Verse
seven describes the "woe" that will befall
these people (also called "Cherethites" and
"Philistines" in verse 5) in the following
prophecy of God:
"the coast shall be for the remnant of
Judah; they shall
feed thereupon; in the houses of Ashkelon
shall they lie down in the evening; for the
Lord their God shall visit them, and turn
away their captivity." (Emphasis
added.)
This prophecy clearly states that God will
give the historic land of the Philistines
(Palestine) to "Judah" just prior to the
"day of the Lord." It furthermore indicates
that God was not going to "turn away
[Judah's] captivity" until just prior to the
day of the Lord. The phrase "turn away their
captivity" is a bit clumsy; it simply means
"end their captivity." In 1948, the Jewish
nation called Israel was born in the
"seacoast" region of old Palestine,
fulfilling this prophecy. Indeed, the 1988
Edition of the Encyclopedia Americana
notes this about Israel's population: "About
70% of it is concentrated in the
Mediterranean coastal strip..."] This is
exactly what Zephaniah 2 prophesied would
occur to Judah in the latter days.
Because the Jews had been a stateless people
scattered among the nations for centuries
(even millennia), the prophecy's language
that their captivity would be "turned away"
(i.e. "ended") is very descriptive of the
fate of the Jews, a people who had not had
their own nation for a very long time.
Furthermore, we must accept the fact that
God, in his perfect knowledge, has always
known where "the house of Judah" was!
The historic fact is that God chose to use
modern Jews to fulfill this prophecy about
"the house of Judah."
This is powerful evidence that modern Jews
are the modern house of Judah. Zephaniah 2:6
also prophesies that agricultural pursuits
were to prosper when the "house of Judah"
reestablished a nation in Palestine, and
much has been written documenting that the
Israelis have "made the desert bloom" with
their innovative, high-tech agricultural
efforts.
A prophecy in Zechariah 14 supports the
above analysis of Zephaniah 2. Zechariah
14:1 begins with "Behold the day of the Lord
cometh..." This is the same time frame as
Zephaniah 2 (just prior to the day of the
Lord). Zechariah 14:2-3 prophesies that "all
nations" will be gathered to battle in the
region of Jerusalem, and that the Lord will
come to fight against the nations attacking
Jerusalem when "his feet shall stand on the
mount of olives." Christians understand this
to be a prophesy of the second coming of
Jesus Christ, and verse five adds that the
Lord will bring "all the saints" with him
(an obvious reference to the resurrection of
the dead). The rest of the chapter gives
more information about this climactic battle
and the establishment of the Lord's rule on
earth. Verse 14 states: "Judah
also shall fight at Jerusalem."
None of the other tribes of Israel is
specifically mentioned in this prophecy, but
"Judah" is there in sufficiently large
numbers to warrant God's mentioning them by
name. This is consistent with Zephaniah's
prophecy that Judah will build a nation in
Palestine in the latter days. Zechariah's
prophecy indicates that Judah will be
fighting to defend Jerusalem in a great war
which climaxes with the return of the
Conquering Messiah! What people now live in
and have sovereignty over the city of
Jerusalem? The Jews! Again, Bible prophecies
for the latter days indicate that modern
Jews are the house (or tribe) of Judah.
To conclude this point, it is acknowledged
that placing the name "Israel" on the modern
Jewish nation is a misnomer which causes
much confusion to many students of the
Bible. The Jewish state was named after the
historic land
of Israel, even though the people
establishing the nation were from the house
of Judah, not the house of Israel (the
descendants of the ten tribes of Israel). A
prophecy in Ezekiel 37:15-28 confirms that
"Judah" and "Israel" will remain separate
entities on the earth until they are
reunited under a resurrected King David
after the return of Christ.
REASON 2: THE JEWS ARE NOT A CHRISTIAN
PEOPLE
Some material sent to me argues that "the
Jews can't be an Israelite tribe because
they did not become Christians like the rest
of the tribes." In fact, there is a biblical
prophecy which foretells that "Judah" will
not "become Christian" until Jesus Christ
returns as the "Conquering Messiah" (this
terminology reflects the Christian viewpoint
of Messianic prophecies).
Zechariah 12 is a prophecy devoted to the
reaction of the house of Judah (and Levi, a
large percentage of whom remained with
Judah) when the Messiah returns and saves
them from imminent destruction. Many times
the phrase "in that day" is repeated in this
chapter, a phrase indicating the general
time of the latter days and/or the day of
the Lord. Verse two prophesies that God
"will make Jerusalem a cup of trembling to
all the people round about, when they
shall be in the siege against Judah and
Jerusalem." This
parallels Zechariah 14 which speaks of a
time when "all nations are gathered against
Jerusalem." Notice that many nations are
besieging "Judah and Jerusalem." The Bible
presents "Judah and Jerusalem" as so closely
linked with each other in the latter days
that they are mentioned together. This has
happened as the Israelis have made Jerusalem
the capital of the Jewish state, and
Jerusalem has become a "cup of trembling" (a
major flashpoint) in world politics. Verse
six prophesies that God will make: "...the
governors of Judah like a hearth of fire
among the wood...and they shall devour
all the people round about, on the right
hand and on the left: and Jerusalem
shall be inhabited again in her own place,
even in Jerusalem."
God prophesies that "Judah" would be a
militarily victorious nation in the
Mideast (the
geographic setting of this entire chapter is
the region around Jerusalem) during the
latter days. This prophecy also indicates
that Judah will "devour" the people who
border them ("devour" indicates not just
conquering people but an absorbing of their
territory as well). This has been
dramatically fulfilled by the Israelis in
the Arab-Israeli wars of 1948, 1956, 1967
and 1973; the Israelis conquered
("devoured") territory all around them,
taking control of the Egyptian Sinai,
Syria's Golan Heights, the Gaza Strip and
Jordan's West Bank. Some of this territory
has been bartered away as part of the
"Mideast Peace Process," but the prophecy
was fulfilled nonetheless.
This prophecy also indicates a time will
come when God will intervene personally to
"save Judah" and "defend Jerusalem" (verses
seven and eight). Zechariah 14 prophesies
that Judah and Jerusalem will be invaded
just prior to the Lord's return, and the
phrase "mount of olives" in Zechariah 14:4
confirms the setting is the geographical
city of Jerusalem in the modern Jewish
nation. This chapter parallels Acts 1:9-12
which states Jesus Christ ascended to heaven
from the "mount called 0livet" (the mount of
olives), and as He ascended to heaven an
angel announced that He would return "in
like manner." Revelation 16:12-16 shows an
invading army headed by "the kings of the
east" will march westward toward Jerusalem
across the Euphrates River toward the valley
of Meggido (i.e. "Armageddon") in the
Israeli nation.[1]
Zechariah 12:9 prophesies the Messiah will
"destroy" the nations that come against
Jerusalem, and verses 10-14 reveal some
surprising information. Judah, the house of
David, "the inhabitants of Jerusalem," and
the Levites (all these groups are part of
the house of Judah) are astounded and
dismayed at the identity of their Messiah!
The God of the Bible who inspired this
prophecy declares that "Judah" (the Jews)
will "look upon me whom they have
pierced," and will "mourn" for him as
for an "only son" as God gives them "the
spirit of grace and supplication." This
prophecy indicates that "Judah" and "Levi"
will not accept or recognize Jesus Christ as
the Messiah
until he rescues them from an invading
army at the culmination of this age. Judah
never accepted Jesus Christ when he came as
the "suffering Messiah," but they will
accept him when he returns as the
"conquering Messiah."
This prophecy further answers the question
of who is modern Judah. Did the Jewish
leadership of Judea (the Sanhedrin) cause
Jesus Christ (Yeshua the "Anointed One") to
be "pierced" by the Romans when He was
crucified? Yes. His hands and his side were
"pierced" in the crucifixion process (John
19:34, 20:25). Do modern Jews now live in
the area of Jerusalem, and are they
non-Christian? Yes. Does Zechariah 12's
prophecy support the view that modern,
non-Christian Jews living in the Jerusalem
region are the descendants of "Judah" and
"Levi?" Yes. Therefore, does God's Word
indicate that today's Jews are the modern
"house of Judah?" Yes!
REASON 3: FULFILLMENT OF GENESIS 49'S
PROPHECY
Genesis 49 contains prophecies about the
identities and roles of each of the tribes
of Israel in the latter days. The prophecies
about the tribes of the house of Israel (the
northern ten tribes) are extensively
discussed in chapter 11 of my book (
The "Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!
), but little was said about Judah as
"Judah" was not the subject of that book. If
this was an oversight, it will now be
remedied. Genesis 49:8-12 states (emphasis
added throughout): "Judah,
thou art he whom thy brethren shall praise:
thy hand shall be in the neck of thine
enemies; thy father's children shall bow
down before thee.
Judah is a lion's whelp: from the prey, my
son, thou art gone up:
he stooped down, he couched as a lion;
and as an old lion; who shall rouse him
up?
The scepter shall not depart from Judah,
nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until
Shiloh come; and unto him shall the
gathering of the people be.
Binding his foal unto the vine,
and his ass's colt unto the
choice vine; he washed his garments in
wine, and his clothes in the blood of
grapes: his eyes shall be red with
wine and his teeth white with milk."
This prophecy reveals much information about
modern Judah. To begin with, there is a
seeming paradox in this prophecy: Judah is
referred to as both a "lion's whelp" and "as
an old lion." However, this actually fits
the modern Jews/Israelis very well. The term
"lion's whelp" (a young cub) predicts Judah
will be a young (or recently-born) nation in
the latter days: a fitting description of
the young Israeli nation which was founded
in 1948. This prophecy is very consistent
with Zephaniah 2, which prophesied Judah
would found a nation in Palestine just prior
to "the day of the Lord." Yet, the Jews are
also a people with a continuous history
traceable for over three millennia, and they
also had a nation in Palestine in ancient
times (i.e. "as an old lion"). The
Jews/Israelis fulfill this prophecy as they
are a very young nation which was founded by
a people with an ancient tradition and
heritage.
Genesis 49:8-9 states Judah's "hand shall be
in the neck of thy enemies," and refers to
Judah "as a lion going up from the prey."
This prophecy foretells that Judah will be
an aggressive nation and victorious in
warfare during the latter days, conquering
its enemies like a lion brings down its
prey. This has been amply fulfilled by
Israeli victories in its wars, and this
prophecy meshes perfectly with Zechariah
12:6's prophecy which states Judah would
"devour" her enemies in the latter days. Not
only have the Israelis been successful in
warfare, they have leaped out at their
enemies even as a lion leaps and stretches
out toward its intended prey. The Israelis
do not "run and hide" like a prey animal;
they attack like a predator. They leaped out
to attack their enemies in the 1976 raid on
Entebbe, Uganda, and in their destruction of
an Iraqi nuclear reactor in 1981 via a bold
air strike.
Surprisingly, after predicting military
prowess for Judah, Genesis 49 next
prophesies agricultural success for
latter-day Judah. Notice the agricultural
words printed in bold type in the above
prophecy. Verses 11-12 predict Judah's
agricultural success in the latter days, and
the Israelis have truly "made the desert
bloom" by applying advanced Western
technology in an inherently dry climate.
Confirming this fact, the Encyclopedia
Americana notes that "of the goods
exported [by Israel] in the mid-1980's about
one-third were agricultural..."[2] Genesis
49:11-12 parallels Zephaniah 2:6's prophecy,
further illustrating the consistency of the
Bible's prophecies about Judah in the latter
days.
Genesis 49:1 also prophesies: "Judah, thou
art he whom thy brethren shall praise." This
has been fulfilled in the fact that modern
Christendom widely regards the Jews as "the
chosen people." Ironically, many of the
Christians who regard the Jews as "the
chosen people" are themselves Israelites
(members of the ten tribes of Israel).
Indeed, Christians have labeled the Jews as
"the chosen people" even though the Jews
have clearly inherited none of the
birthright blessings promised to Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob! It is the descendants of
Ephraim and Manasseh (the British and
Americans) who inherited the birthright
promises of population growth, national
wealth, empires, and control of strategic
geographical "gates." These facts are
documented in my book: The "Lost" Ten
Tribes of Israel...Found!, and need
not be repeated here. Why have the other
tribes acknowledged Judah's Israelite
heritage even though they have lost sight of
their own? Because the Jews have preserved
identifiably biblical customs such as the
Sabbath, the holydays of Leviticus 23, and a
diet avoiding "unclean" meats such as pork
and shellfish. If the descendants of the ten
tribes had also retained these biblical
customs throughout history, their Israelite
heritage would never have become obscured.
It is further prophesied in Genesis 49:8
that: "thy father's children [the other
tribes of Israel] shall bow down to thee."
This is explained in verse 10, which states:
"the scepter [a symbol of kings] shall not
depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from
between his feet, until Shiloh come: and
unto him shall the gathering [hope,
expectation] of the people be."
Beginning with the dynasty founded by Kings
David and Solomon, there have always
been Israelites of the various tribes ruled
by monarchs descended from David and
Solomon. This is examined more in the next
section (and at length in my book), but the
fact that the hereditary ruling houses of
Europe can be traced to Davidic kings who
once ruled over Scythian kingdoms and the
widespread Parthian Empire of the ten tribes
[in Asia] fulfills the prophecy of Genesis
49:3 and 10. The ancestry of the kings of
England can be continuously traced to the
ancient kings of Judah via the royal houses
of Ireland and Scotland[3], and the seed of
David was spread throughout the royal houses
of Europe by frequent intermarriages among
Europe's royalty.
Genesis 49:10 also prophesies that Judah
will have kings ruling over the other tribes
of Israel "until Shiloh come." This is a
Messianic prophecy which predicts that
David's bloodline will be present in the
royal houses of the Israelite nations until
the coming of the Messiah (Yeshua the
Anointed One or Jesus Christ). Even though
Europe's remaining royalty now have largely
ceremonial roles, the prophecy has still
been fulfilled. And, finally, it is the
coming of the Messiah toward which the
"hope" or "expectation" of both Christians
and Jews is directed.
We see that the modern Jews and Israelis
have fulfilled Genesis 49's prophecy about
Judah in the latter days (in fact, no other
people on earth do so). All prophecies about
Judah in the latter days point to and are
fulfilled by modern Jews/Israelis. Secular
evidence supporting this identification
follows in the next section.
REASON 4: THE "ASHKEN-AZI" AND "ASHKAN-IAN"
JEW LINKAGE
The linchpin of arguments opposing a Judaic
identity for modern Jews is the contention
that modern Ashkenazi Jews are "religious"
but not "racial" Jews. This argument asserts
that the Ashkenazi Jews (i.e. central and
eastern European Jews) descended from
Khazar-Edomite (non-Israelite) bloodlines,
and therefore cannot truly constitute
"Judah" in the modern world. This author is
aware that some who espouse the
"Khazar-Edomite origin of the Jews" theory
do acknowledge that some Sephardic Jews
(i.e. Spanish/Mediterranean Jews) are
members of the house of Judah.
This section will document the following
points: (A) While some base their judgment
on the identity of the house of Judah by
differentiating between the terms "religious
Jews" and "racial Jews," two biblical
passages indicate that God regards these
terms as a "distinction without a
difference," and (B) There is a major
misunderstanding about the origin of the
term "Ashkenazi" Jew, and that secular
evidence indicates they are, in fact, the
Israelite house of Judah.
Those who say that modern Jews include
Edomite and Khazar bloodlines are correct.
Now, let's examine the historical extent of
these facts and determine from the Bible if
this really matters in the eyes of God.
To assert that any of the tribes of Israel
was ever a pristinely, non-Gentile entity is
a myth. The Israelites have always included
gentile bloodlines in their midst, and God's
word allowed them to do so. In the time of
the Exodus, God allowed the Israelites to be
accompanied by a "mixed multitude" of people
who had been slaves in Egypt. Numbers 12
records that God swiftly punished Miriam
(Moses' sister), because she dared to
criticize Moses for having a Gentile
(Cushite) wife. In the days of Kings David
and Solomon, the Israelites virtually merged
with the Gentile residents of the
city-states of Tyre and Sidon (I Chronicles
14:1, II Chronicles 2, 8:18). II Chronicles
2:17 records 153,600 "strangers" (Gentiles)
lived in Israel during Solomon's rule. King
David had a Gentile leader in his army
called "Uriah the Hittite" (II Samuel 11),
and David's royal bodyguard was composed of
"Cherethites and Pelethites" (II Samuel
8:18), who were likely Philistines and
Cretans.[4] Ruth, a Moabitess, was an
ancestor of both King David and Jesus Christ
(Ruth 1:4).
God knew that many Gentiles would intermarry
with the Israelites, and gave directions on
how "strangers" (or "sojourners") could be
lawfully blended into the Israelite tribes.
In Leviticus 19:33 - 34, God commanded:
"...if a
stranger sojourn with you in your land, you
shall not vex him. But the stranger that
dwells with you shall be unto you as one
born among you, and you shall love him as
yourself; for you were strangers in the
land of Egypt: I am the Lord your God."
About 800 years later, God again cited this
command in Ezekiel 47:21-23: "So you
shall divide this land unto you according to
the tribes of Israel...you shall divide it
by lot for an inheritance unto you, and
to the strangers that sojourn among you,
which shall beget children among you: and
they shall be unto you as born in the
country among the children of Israel;
they shall have an inheritance with you
among the tribes of Israel...In what
tribe the stranger sojourns, there shall you
give him his inheritance, saith the Lord."
Interesting! God commanded the Israelites to
give equal inheritances to Gentile
"sojourners" who intermarried with the
Israelites, and THEY ARE TO BE REGARDED AS
FULL MEMBERS OF THE TRIBE in which they
"sojourned. " Indeed, despite the various
wars between the Israelites and the
Edomites, God also commanded the Israelites
in Deuteronomy 23:7-8:
"You shall not abhor an Edomite; for he is
your brother
...the children that are begotten of them
shall enter into the congregation of the
Lord in their third generation."
Strangely, some who deny the "Jewishness" of
the Jews use the term "Edomite" as a
pejorative epithet. In the above scripture,
God ordered Israelites not to despise
Edomites! It is easy to see why God regarded
the Edomites as "brothers" to the
Israelites.
Edomites descend from Esau (Genesis 36:43),
and Esau was Jacob's twin brother (Genesis
25:19-26). Jacob was renamed Israel (Genesis
32:28), and Judah was one of his twelve
sons. This means Esau (Edom) was an uncle to
Judah, the first Jew. Edomites are descended
from Abraham and Isaac, so they are also
descended from Eber (from whom we derive the
term "Hebrew").[5] Since Edomites are both
Semite and Hebrew, Edomites are as
closely-related to the Israelites as any
Gentile can be!
God decreed that when strangers (Gentiles)
"sojourned" among the Israelites, they could
intermarry with Israelites and be regarded
as Israelites as surely as if they were
"born in the land." The term "sojourn"
encompasses more than just "dwell" in the
land, however. A Gentile had to adopt the
religion and culture of the Israelites to be
considered an Israelite. Now we will apply
this biblical principle to the history of
the Jewish people.
History of the Asian Jews
After the fall of Judah and Jerusalem, the
house of Judah was removed into an Asian
captivity. In the 6th century B.C., Cyrus,
the Persian Emperor, allowed a small
contingent of Jews to return to Judea. Ezra
1:5 and Nehemiah 11:3-4 confirm that
remnants of only three tribes (Judah, Levi
and Benjamin) returned to Judea at that
time, and Nehemiah 7:66 records there were
only 42,360 returnees to Judea. Josephus
records that the Persian Jews held a great
festival to celebrate this event. He writes
that four million people attended this
Jewish celebration, and that when it was
over, a "certain part" of this multitude
emigrated to Jerusalem, but "the rest of the
multitude returned every one to their
own countries [i.e. the nations within
Persia's Empire]."[5] (NOTE: Your volume of
Josephus may have a footnote discrediting
Josephus' four million figure because the
writer of the footnote didn't carefully read
the text. Josephus did not claim four
million emigrated to Jerusalem; he simply
recorded the number of people who attended
the festival in Persia celebrating the
return of a small contingent of Jews to
Jerusalem. Josephus tells us the vast
majority of Jewish captives chose to remain
in Persia's Asian provinces rather than join
the pioneers who returned to rebuild Judea.)
What is critically important to realize is
that the vast majority of the tribe of Judah
stayed in Asia even when a few went from
their midst to rebuild a portion of
Jerusalem.
The small contingent under Ezra and Nehemiah
formed the population base of the Jews who
later inhabited Judea at the time of Christ.
However, during the time of the Maccabees,
John Hyrcanus (circa 135 - 105 B.C.) and the
Jews conquered a body of Edomites who
adopted the Jews' religion and customs and
merged with the Jews.[7] Josephus gives this
account of the Jewish-Edomite merger:
"Hyrcanus...subdued all the Idumeans
[Edomites]; and permitted them to stay in
that country, if they would circumcise their
genitals, and make use of the laws of the
Jews; and they were so desirous of living in
the country of their forefathers, that
they submitted to the use of circumcision,
and the rest of the Jewish ways of
living...that they were hereafter no other
than Jews."[8] (Emphasis added.)
Josephus was on solid biblical ground in his
judgment of the merged Edomites as "no other
than Jews." Based on God's laws governing
the admittance of Gentiles into the tribes
of Israel (Leviticus 19:33-34, Ezekiel
47:22-23), the Edomites "became Jews"
because they embraced circumcision (the key
sign of the Old Covenant with God) and "the
rest of the Jewish way of living." God's
assimilation laws considered them as much a
part of the tribe of Judah as those "born in
the land." Even allowing for the added
restriction of Deuteronomy 23:7-8 (that
children of Edomite-Israelite unions will be
fully "Israelite" in the third generation),
the progeny of the Edomite-Israelite union
around 110 B.C. would have been past the
"third generation" by the time of Christ's
ministry (circa 30 A.D.). By the time the
first century A.D. ended, God's law
recognized the Edomite-Jewish merger as
complete and all progeny of this merger
would have been regarded as fully Jewish
(members of the house of Judah). Many
Sephardic Jews have descended from the
Judean Jews who were scattered throughout
the Roman and Mediterranean region after the
Temple was destroyed in 70 A.D. and also in
135 A.D. when Jews were expelled from
Jerusalem after the Bar Kochba revolt.[9] In
this account, there is no reason for
doubting the "Jewishness" of Sephardic Jews.
The Edomites (and any other Gentiles) who
adopted circumcision and Jewish customs over
the centuries had become full members of the
tribe of Judah under God's laws governing
such mergers by the time they scattered to
Spain and other Mediterranean regions.
Next we will consider the Ashkenazi Jews,
who settled in central and eastern Europe.
To understand their history, we must examine
the history of the great empire of Parthia
(which is almost entirely ignored in history
books). The Parthian Empire replaced the
Persian and Seleucid Greek Empires, and it
flourished from approximately 250 B.C. - 226
A.D. At its greatest extent, it dominated
the region from the Caucasus Mountains and
Russian steppes in the north to the Persian
Gulf and Indian Ocean in the south, and from
the Euphrates River in the west to the Indus
River in the east. Rome tried many times to
conquer Parthia, but was never able to do
so. The great 19th century English
historian, George Rawlinson, decried the
fact that Rome was being presented as "a
Universal Monarchy, a power unchecked" when
the Greco-Roman historians themselves
recorded that Parthia was "a rival state
dividing with Rome the attention of mankind
and the sovereignty of the known earth."[10]
The Parthian empire was formed by a group of
related tribes who were called "exiles" in
their Asian lands.[11] Classical writers
record that the Parthians were under the
domination of the Assyrians and Medes prior
to their becoming independent.[12] Their
tribal names reflected the names of the
clans of the ten tribes of Israel, and their
cities bore Semitic names and their Semitic
kings often bore the name of the root-word
"Phares," which identified the royal line of
King David, who descended from Phares (I
Chronicles 2:3-15). The Parthians were the
descendants of the ten tribes of Israel, and
their kings were David's descendants,
fulfilling God's promise that David's
progeny would rule over the ten tribes of
Israel (Jeremiah 33:17). Many are familiar
with the account of the Magi worshipping the
baby Jesus soon after his birth, but few are
aware that the Magi were a delegation of
Parthian nobles and the hereditary priests
of Parthia. The Parthians wrested control of
Palestine from the Romans a few decades
prior to Jesus Christ's birth, and ruled it
for several years.
The entire fascinating story of the ten
tribes' relocation into Asia and their
eventual restoration to independence and
power in the Parthian Empire are thoroughly
documented in this author's book, The
"Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!
(see the details at the end of this article
on how to acquire this book). Whereas the
Roman Empire oppressed the Jews, the
Parthian Empire granted them great freedoms,
allowing Jews to have their own
self-governing cities![13] George Rawlinson
noted that the Jews (descendants of the
"multitude" mentioned by Josephus in the
Persian Empire) were very numerous
throughout Parthia's provinces. In fact,
Parthian Jews were so numerous and rich that
they sent their Holy Day offerings to the
Jerusalem Temple with armed escorts of "many
ten thousands of men."[14]
The Bible itself records that only a small
delegation of Jewish captives returned to
Judea under Nehemiah and Ezra while the
majority of the tribe of Judah stayed in
Asia and Mesopotamia. Even prior to the
Parthian empire, the Bible confirms that the
Jews had large numbers and influence in
Persia's empire. Esther became Queen of
Persia (Esther 2:16-22), and Mordechai was
the King's "Prime Minister" (Esther 8).
Esther 3:12 records that the evil Haman
tried to instigate a "holocaust" against the
Jews, and tricked the king into issuing a
decree of destruction against the Jews which
was sent to the rulers of all the Persian
provinces. When God arranged for Mordechai
to replace Haman, the Jews were rescued by a
decree of deliverance which was sent to all
127 provinces stretching "from India unto
Ethiopia" (Esther 8:9).
What is noteworthy about Esther's account is
that it confirms that the Jews were so
numerous and dispersed throughout Asia and
Mesopotamia that any decree concerning them
had to be sent to all 127 Persian provinces!
If the Jews had only a scant number of local
populations, a few local decrees would have
sufficed. Esther 8:17 records that for a
time in Persia's empire, it became quite
popular to be Jewish, and that "many of
the people of the land became Jews."
When discussing the Judean Jews, it was
noted that many Edomites merged with them to
become fully-accepted members of the tribe
of Judah, according to God's assimilation
decrees in Leviticus 19:33-34 and Ezekiel
47:22-23. The book of Esther records that
the Asian Jews also had "many" non-Jews
merging with them! God's assimilation
decrees would have applied to this merger as
well. While the Judean Jews merged with a
very closely-related group (the
Semitic/Hebrew Edomites), many of the
Gentiles who merged with the Asian Jews
would have been much less closely related
racially. However, since "the people of the
land" under Persian rule included many
people who were relocated members of the ten
tribes of Israel, some of those who "became
Jews" may have been Israelites of other
tribes who readopted religious practices
which were practiced by or known to their
forefathers in the old kingdom of Israel.
Such actions would have merged various
Israelite tribal bloodlines with those of
the Jews.
In the above accounts, we see that the
racial make-up of the Judean Jews began to
differ over time with that of the Asian
Jews, but it is critical to realize that
under God's assimilation laws, both groups
of Jews were regarded as true members of the
tribe of Judah! Esther 8:17 doesn't say that
the people who merged with the Jews "became
impostor Jews;" it declares that they "
became Jews" (i.e. members of the
tribe of Judah). In this passage, the Bible
itself recognizes that the merger of
non-Jewish Asians into the tribe of Judah
was regarded as completely valid in God's
eyes. This precedent will be important
when we discuss the Khazars' adoption of
Jewish customs.
The numerous Asian Jews prospered for
centuries under Parthian rule. When the
Parthian Empire was overthrown by the
Sassanian Persians in 227 A.D., there was a
dramatic change of events which affected the
Asian Jews. At this point a digressionabout
Parthian history is essential.
The Semitic Parthian Empire:
The Parthian Empire had, for a considerable
period of time prior to its fall, become
openly Semitic in nature. Judaism was
already well-established in Parthia, and
Christianity became widespread in the
Apostolic times. There are records that many
of the apostles (Thomas, Andrew,
Bartholomew, Philip, and Matthew)
evangelized in the various provinces of
Parthia.[15] Even the Bible records that the
Apostle Peter wrote one of his epistles from
Babylon (I Peter 5:13), which was then a
major City in Parthia's empire.
Consider again the visit of the Magi (or
"Wise Men") to the young Jesus Christ. Few
are aware that the Magi were Parthian nobles
and priests who elected Parthian emperors,
and that "Wise Men" was their formal title
as Parthian "Senators."[16] The Bible does
not say only three Magi visited Jesus, and
this author believes they numbered at least
twelve (one for each of the tribes of Israel
who then lived in the Parthian Empire).
Matthew 2:3 records that King Herod and "all
Jerusalem" were "troubled" (The
Phillips New Testament renders it
"deeply perturbed") when the Magi's caravan
arrived at the city. Three weary riders on
dusty camels would not have alarmed an
entire city or caused an urgent warning
about their arrival to come to King Herod.
However, twelve Parthian priests and nobles
from Parthia's king-making Senate would have
been urgent news, indeed! Accompanying the
Parthian nobility would have been a huge
number of armed escorts, bakers, attendants,
servants and camp-followers.
Parthia and Rome had fought over Palestine a
few decades previous to this time (Parthia
had evicted the Romans from Palestine for a
several years!), and the arrival of a large
body of Parthian soldiers in Jerusalem was
technically a violation of the
Roman-Parthian treaty that neither side
would send an army across the Euphrates
River (the border between the empires). The
full story of this visit is detailed in
chapter 9 of my book The "Lost" Ten
Tribes of Israel...Found!).
Moving forward to Apostolic times, there is
a record that, during his stay in Parthia,
the Apostle Thomas met and baptized some of
the Wise Men in Parthia's ruling
nobility.[17] Perhaps some of the very Wise
Men who visited Jesus Christ were among
those baptized later by Thomas. Since Jesus
was actually worshipped by a number of
Parthian rulers, Parthia offered the
Apostles a very friendly environment in
which to evangelize. During the time of the
early Christian Church, Parthian kings
placed Semitic slogans on Parthian coinage,
and some Parthian vassal kings openly
adopted Christianity for themselves and
their subjects.[18] The portraits of the
Parthian kings on their coinage have long
confirmed the Semitic nature of Parthian
rulers. However, this proliferation of
Semitic culture and religion deeply
alienated one of the Parthians' subject
nations.
The Medes and Persians had ruled the same
region under the Achaemenid kings (Cyrus,
Darius, etc.) prior to the Parthian empire.
The culture and religion of the Persians was
based on Zoroastrianism, and the Persians
resented the dominance of Semitic culture
and religion under the later Parthian kings.
Around 217 - 218 A.D., the Parthian empire
defeated the Roman empire in one of the
greatest battles in the long history of the
Parthian-Roman rivalry. The battle of
Nisibis, provoked by Roman treachery, lasted
three days and caused so many casualties
that the Greco-Roman historians record that
the piles of bodies hindered the movement of
the armies.[19] Even though the Parthians
had defeated the Roman armies in a climactic
war and exacted a huge payment of tribute
money from Rome, Parthia had won a "Pyrrhic
victory." The war so weakened Parthia that
within a decade the Persians successfully
revolted and expelled the Semitic people out
of the region.
While it is beyond the scope of this report
to examine these events in detail, the
Parthians, Jews, mingled Semites, and the
Parthian royalty fled in great numbers
toward Europe and the Black Sea region
through the Caucasus Mountains of
Armenia.[20] These masses of refugees became
known as "Caucasians," and later became the
Anglo-Saxons, Goths, Germans, etc. who
poured into Europe from the east and
destroyed the Roman empire. It is worth
noting, however, that while Greco-Roman
historians recognized the battle of Nisibis
as one of the major engagements in the
history of the Roman empire, modern
historical accounts ignore this pivotal
event. History texts are full of information
about Gentile empires, but omit or downplay
the history of the Israelite empires
(Phoenicia, Carthage, Parthia, and Scythia)
even though the Israelite empires frequently
defeated the Gentile empires of Assyria,
Persia, Greece, and Rome in wars.
Impact of Parthia's Fall on Parthian Jews:
When Parthia fell and its Semitic people
fled toward eastern Europe, many Jews would
have migrated with them. Remember that the
population of Asian Jews was very large, and
far greater than the population of Judean
Jews (who had descended from the contingent
of Asian Jews who had returned to Jerusalem
under Ezra and Nehemiah). While the Jews of
Judea were oppressed under Rome, the
Parthian Jews enjoyed great freedom and
autonomy.[21] When the Sassanian Persians
overthrew the Parthians and began a "jihad"
against all things Semitic, the Jews would
had every motivation to flee along with the
Parthian (i.e. Israelite) tribes who had
been their protectors. Where did these
numerous Asian Jews go? Those who maintain
that modern Jews are not the tribe of Judah
ignore the fact that there was a major
Jewish population present with the
Parthian-Israelite tribes who migrated
toward eastern Europe via the area of the
Black Sea. The Asian (i.e. "Parthian) Jews
did not migrate to the moon, nor did they
disappear into a black hole. Since these
Parthian Jews were members of the tribe of
Judah, we should expect them to reappear in
considerable numbers in eastern Europe and
the Black Sea region along with the rest of
the migrating Semites. That is exactly
what happened.
The
Encyclopaedia Britannica records
that in Persian tradition the Arsacids
(Parthia's rulers) were called the
Ashkanians.[22] The Britannica
further notes that this name was based on
the term "Ashak."[23] The word
"Ashak" is based on the Hebrew name "Isaac"
as was a city in the Parthian homeland named
"Asaak."[24] Genesis 21:12 prophesied
that the Israelites would be known by the
name of Isaac, and this came true as the
Parthians and Scythians were identified by
such names as Sacae, Asaak, Ashak, and Sacan
(or Saxon). When the Israelites and Jews
were expelled from Parthia by the Sassanian
Persians, it is noteworthy that the Persian
name for the Parthians remained on the
Parthian Jews who migrated toward Europe.
The Parthian name "Ashkan-ian" is
easily seen in the term Ashken-azi
Jew! The very term "Ashkenazi" proclaims a
Parthian (or Israelite) origin, and the term
"Ashkenazi Jew" could just as easily be
rendered as "Parthian Jew."
A Brief History of the Khazars:
Some who deny that Ashkenazi Jews are
descended from the tribe of Judah assert
that the term "Ashkenazi Jew" is based on a
branch of the Japhethic race mentioned in
Genesis 10:3. However, some who make that
connection also assert the Ashkenazi Jews
are "Edomite/Khazars." You can't have it
both ways! We have already seen that the
Edomites have no racial connection to
Japheth; they are Semites and fellow-Hebrews
with the Israelites. Therefore, the only
historical origin for the term "Ashkenazi"
that makes any sense is that it indicates a
"Parthian" origin for the Ashkenazi Jews.
Let's briefly examine the Khazar Empire to
learn more about its connection to the
Ashkenazi Jews. The Khazars are first
recognizable as a distinct people entering
the area of Armenia at the end of the second
century A.D. and the beginning of the third
century A.D.[25] This is the precise time in
history when the Parthian Empire weakened
and fell, and the Parthians fled toward
Armenia and the Caucuses mountains. The fact
that the Khazars entered Armenia in the same
historical period as the Parthian refugees
argues that they had a Parthian connection
themselves.
During the 7th and 8th centuries A.D., the
Khazars held back the Moslems who were
attempting to advance into Europe through
the Caucasus region. The Encyclopaedia
Britannica
states: "the Khazars had protected the
plains of Europe from the
Mohammedans..."[26] In the 9th century A.D.,
the attacks of the Pechenegs (a Turkic
people) so disrupted the trade routes that
the Byzantine Emperor Theophilus dispatched
a huge work party to build an impregnable
stone city for the Khazars so they could
hold off the Pechenegs. This fortified stone
city became known as "Sarkel," or "the White
Abode."[27] The Parthians had a well-known
tradition of racial and religious
tolerance,[28] and so did the Khazars. The
Encyclopaedia Britannica
notes that:
"Merchants from every nation found
protection and good faith in the Khazar
cities. The Jews, expelled from
Constantinople, sought a home amongst them,
developed the Khazar trade, and
contended with Mohammedans and Christians
for the theological allegiance of the pagan
people. The dynasty [of the Khazars]
accepted Judaism (circa 740 A.D.) but there
was equal tolerance for all."[29]
Notice that before the Khazar dynasty
accepted Judaism as the dominant religion of
Khazaria, there were already substantial
numbers of racial Jews living there!
Many of these Jews would have been descended
from displaced Parthian Jews (members of the
tribe of Judah) who had migrated there when
Parthia fell. The above quote also reveals
that a second wave of racial Jews arrived in
Khazaria after they were expelled from the
Byzantine capital of Constantinople.
Furthermore, the fact that the Khazar rulers
chose Judaism for their kingdom confirms
that the Jews already constituted a large
and influential portion of their subjects!
When Khazarian kings adopted Judaism, a
"Jewish kingdom" was established along a
major trade route where Jewish practices
were welcomed and approved! When this news
spread to other scattered Jews from the
tribe of Judah, there was, no doubt, a
substantial third migration of Jews from the
tribe of Judah from other nations to the
friendly territory of Khazaria! How could it
be otherwise? Jews were often purged,
persecuted, or expelled from various
nations, so a kingdom favoring Judaism would
have been a magnet drawing Jews from many
nations! The influx of Jews into Khazaria
would have given it the largest
concentration of Jews anywhere on earth.
Even those Khazars who had not been Jews by
birth would have become genuine members of
the tribe of Judah in God's eyes from then
on if they fulfilled the conditions of God's
assimilation laws of Leviticus 23 and
Ezekiel 47 (and it seems apparent that they
did so).
Did all the Khazars adopt Judaism? No. The
Encyclopaedia Britannica noted that
there was "equal tolerance for all," so
there was no official pressure on anyone to
become Jewish. It is highly likely that
Christians and Mohammedans continued to
practice their religion as before while
Judaism was practiced by the Jews and the
Khazar royalty. Judaism was not a universal
religion in Khazaria.
Some might object to the assertion in the
above paragraph that scattered Jews would
flock to Khazaria when it became known that
Khazaria offered a refuge to the Jews.
However, all people want a homeland where
they can practice their culture, religion,
and way of life openly. The Jews are no
different. Just as dispossessed Jews flocked
to a Jewish enclave under the Babylonians
(Jeremiah 40:11), they would have flocked to
a "Jewish state" in Khazaria from nations
wherein they were persecuted or barely
tolerated.
As further evidence that many non-Jewish
Khazars did not convert to Judaism, a major
Khazar city, Itil, featured 30 mosques in
the early 900's A.D.[30] When Khazaria fell
around 1000 A.D., much of its population was
non-Jewish. Where did the Jews of Khazaria
go? History makes that answer an obvious
one. They migrated to the north and west and
their descendants eventually numbered in the
millions as they lived in eastern and
central Europe, the Ukraine, etc. In other
words, their descendants became the
Ashkenazi Jews, still bearing the root word
"Ashkan-ian" which bore record to their
Parthian (i.e. Semitic) origin.
In conclusion, we can see that there is
abundant evidence to indicate that both the
Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews can lay claim
to being the true modern descendants of the
tribe of Judah. In both of their histories,
non-Israelites who merged with the Jews and
adopted Jewish customs and religion became
members of the tribe of Judah under God's
assimilation laws in Leviticus 19 and
Ezekiel 47. The fact that God himself
used both Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews to
fulfill prophecies about latter-day "Judah"
in Zephaniah 2 and Genesis 49 gives powerful
support to this conclusion.
In spite of the above, this author is sure
that some will still doubt the "Jewishness"
of modern Jews. For this reason, several
additional proofs will be offered, based on
evidence that modern and historic Jews
manifest the personality traits of their
namesake ancestor, Judah, the son of Jacob.
These remarkable similarities will offer
further evidence of a genetic (i.e.
bloodline) bond between ancient Judah and
modern Jews.
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Those desiring to order
copies of the author's book, The
"Lost" Ten Tribes of Israel...Found!
, which offers extensive details about the
entire history of the ten tribes from
ancient through modern times, may order
single copies from the author by sending $25
($20 + $5 shipping fees) to:
Steven M. Collins
P.O. Box 88735
Sioux Falls, SD 57109-1005
USA
END NOTES:
Encyclopedia Americana,
1988 Ed., Vol. 15, p. 524 Ibid, p. 532
Jacob's Pillar,
E. Raymond Capt, pages 91 - 94
Harper's Bible Dictionary,
1985 Ed., see "Cherethites" and
"Pelethites," pages 161, 768 Ibid, see
"Eber," pages 233 - 234
Josephus, Antiquities of the Jews,
XI, III, 10
Encyclopaedia Britannica,
1943 Ed., p. 53 Vol. 13, see subhead: "John
Hyrcanus," p. 53 Josephus, op cit., XIII,
IX, 16
Encyclopaedia Britannica,
1943 Ed., Vol. 13, see "Jews," p. 55
Rawlinson, The Sixth Oriental Monarchy,
see "Preface" (dated 1872), p. v Ibid, p. 19
Ibid p. 26 Ibid, p. 240 Josephus, op cit.,
XVIII, IX, 1
McBirnie, The Search for the Twelve
apostles, pp. 43, 130, 152 - 153,
175 - 177
Rawlinson, op cit., p. 85
McBirnie, op cit., p. 169
Rawlinson, op cit., p. 401 Ibid, pp. 358 -
360 Ibid, p. 367 Ibid, pp. 240, 400 - 401
Encyclopaedia Britannica,
1943 Ed., Vol. 17, see "Parthia," p.345
Ibid, p. 345
Frye, The Heritage of Persia,
p.211
Encyclopaedia Britannica,
1943 Ed, Vol. 13, see "Khazars," p. 362
Ibid, p.362 Ibid, p. 362 28
Rawlinson, op cit., pp. 362 - 363, 400 - 401
Encyclopaedia Britannica,
1943 Ed, Vol. 13, see "Khazars," p. 363
Ibid, p. 363
