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Migrations of the Lost Tribes of Israelby F.M. Nithsdale
One of the difficulties in introducing British Israel teaching to newcomers is to answer the question, "How did the Israelites
get from Palestine to Britain?" - followed by, "What historical proof is there?" We are usually told, that if our contention
is correct then, surely professional archaeologists and historians would have discovered and published these things.
We must admit that there are an increasing number of books on archaeology and ancient history available these days. Few
if any, make a connection between peoples living in Palestine in Biblical times and peoples living in the British Isles, either
before or after the days of Jesus.
Two very important points must be made before we can start our investigation. Firstly, we must bear in mind that it is
the will of Almighty God that the ten-tribed House of Israel should be "lost", and should lose their identity until such times
as He would reveal their whereabouts. Secondly, we can say that many learned scholars over the last 150 years HAVE researched
these things and published many books giving their findings and conclusions - that the "Ten Lost Tribes" now dwell in North
West Europe, especially the British Isles. It is to be regretted that some early writers on the "Identity" did rather let
their imaginations run away with them - allowing sceptical scholars and critics to dismiss the subject on the grounds that
it has no firm foundation in historical fact. Nevertheless, there is a great deal of collated evidence on this subject in
British Israel literature such as "The Bible Research Handbook".
However, archaeology and history are on-going disciplines and new insights are being discovered, as witness the increasing
number of new books on these subjects. Not that any of these books support our teaching, they do not, except unwittingly!
It is left to Identity believers themselves to read the new material and search out any new evidence there may be.
This article is an attempt to present the most up to date evidence on the question posed above - "How did the Israelites
get from Palestine to Britain?"
We start, of course, with the Bible, and the most important historical fact is that in 880 BC the Kingdom of David and
Solomon was divided into two separate kingdoms (Fig. 1). This fact must be borne in mind because the histories of these two
kingdoms are quite separate, both in the Bible and subsequent history. Any attempt to make sense of the Bible or secular historical
records without this prime fact will be doomed to failure.
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| Figure 1 Israel, Division of the Kingdom |
The two kingdoms existed side by side for c200 years. The descendants of David continued to reign over the Southern
two-tribed Kingdom of Judah with its capital at Jerusalem, while the Northern ten-tribed Kingdom of Israel with a capital
at Samaria, had various ruling dynasties.
During this 200-year period, the history of these two kingdoms was recorded in the Bible. Neither kingdom remained faithful
to the Lord their God, and in spite of repeated warnings from the prophets, the people, and many of their rulers, became increasingly
pagan. The inevitable happened and the preordained sentence of punishment (Lev.26, v18) fell on the Northern Kingdom. This
"seven times" punishment took the form of banishment from the Promised Land and the instrument God used was the mighty
empire of Assyria (Fig. 2). Three Assyrian kings were involved in the subjugation and deportation of Israel, Tiglath-Pilesar,
Shalmaneser and Sargon II. Not only are these deportations detailed in the Bible but the Assyrian records confirm the Biblical
account.
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| Figure 2 Israel Carried Away |
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| Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser |
For example, there is the Black obelisk of Shalmaneser in the British Museum which reports the "Tribute of Iaua of Bit
Humri", that is the "Tribute of Jehu of the House of Omri". Omri was one of the kings of Northern Israel and he is shown on
this Assyrian monument kneeling in submission before the Assyrian king. It is by studying monuments like these and the many
thousands of Assyrian letters and documents in the British Museum that British Israel scholars have solved the mystery of
exactly what happened to deported Israel.
As we have seen from Shalmaneser's Obelisk, the Assyrians called the Israelites "Humri" or "Khumri" - their way of saying
"Omri". However this name soon disappears from the Assyrian records. Within 15 years of the deportations in precisely the
identical area into which Israel had been placed, we have the first appearance of a people called "Gimira" in the Assyrian
records. This name "Gamira" or "Gamir" is evidently a corruption of the Assyrian "Khumri", formed by reversing some of the
letters, in this case IR for RI. Such inversions were common in the writings of the time.
Omri in Hebrew characters would start with the letter AYIN which in old Hebrew was pronounced GHAYIN with a soft sound
as in the Scottish "loch". So "Omri" would have been pronounced GHOMRI by the Israelites themselves and written by the Assyrians
KHUMRI and then later inverted to KHUMIR or GAMIR.
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| Figure 3 Israel & Asia Minor |
In the year 707 BC an Assyrian frontier port reported that armed forces of Uratu were invading the area into which Israel
had been placed 15 years earlier. The attack was halted by the eastern group of GIMIRA who put up a strong resistance. So
here we have Israel - in Media - very much alive and well. The report states, "When the king of Uratu came into the
land of Gamir (or Gamira) his army was routed."
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| Figure 4 Jerusalem Attacked 700 BC |
Back in Palestine, Israel's sorry tale of mass deportations was not yet at an end. In 700 BC the Assyrian king Sennacherib
struck northward towards Jerusalem on his way back from an invasion of Egypt (Fig. 4). In 2 Kings 14 v13 we read, "Now in
the 14th year of Hezikiah did Sennacherib, king of Assyria come up against the fenced cities of Judah and took them." This
event is recorded also by the Assyrian king on wall plaques in his palace and on a Prism which is now in the British Museum
(Fig. 5). Note that the Prism details the number of captives on this occasion - 200,150 men women and children - deported
to join the Israelites already in Media.
Still remaining in Palestine were the rest of the tribe of Judah, the tribe of Benjamin and most of the tribe of Levi.
They had Jerusalem for their capital and a descendant of David as their king. However, neither the sorry tale of their deported
brethren, nor the warnings of the prophets availed to turn them from their wickedness. In fact, we are told that their idolatrous
behaviour became worse than that of the Northern Israelites.
About 130 years after the fall of Samaria, punishment fell upon the Kingdom of Judah when Nebuchadnezzar, King of Babylon
attacked Jerusalem. Finally, Jerusalem was destroyed and most of the people of Judah were taken captive to Babylon. The Babylonians
destroyed Solomon's Temple and carried all the treasure and artefacts away to their own land. This "Captivity" lasted for
70 years as prophesied by Jeremiah (2 Chron. 36). Many of these Judahites settled happily in Babylon and had no desire to
return to a ruined Jerusalem. Others - patriots - longed for their own land. Then Cyrus, the Persian King who had conquered
Babylon, gave permission for those who wished to return, to do so.
48,000 Judahites, Benjaminites and Levites returned under Ezra and Nehemiah whose nominal lists of workers includes none
from Northern Israel. These, who returned from Babylon, became the ancestors of the Jews of the times of Jesus. We must note
that during the 450 years between the return from Babylon and the times of Jesus, many non-Israelites especially Edomites,
had become Jews by religion (for example, Herod was an Edomite, called an "Idumean" in the New Testament).
So the situation is now this, the ten-tribed House of Israel plus 200,000 from the two-tribed House of Judah were deported
to Assyria and seemingly "lost". Part of the House of Judah returned from their captivity and their descendants, the Jews,
continued to live in Judea until New Testament Times.
One clue to the whereabouts of the "lost" Israelites (from a secular source) is given by the Jewish general and author
Josephus, who, in his book "Antiquities" (AD.70), said: "There are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans,
while the Ten Tribes are beyond Euphates and are an immense multitude, not to be estimated by numbers".
We must imagine these multitudes of Israelite people, displaced refugees, uprooted from their own land, herded away hundreds
of miles into alien territory. Their surroundings change, they hear different language, they appear to lose the art of writing,
their very way of life changes and they are called by different names by their captors. Seemingly the Lord's great plan for
His chosen servant Nation has dissolved into thin air - but let us see what actually did happen.
In the reign of Sargon II, an Assyrian intelligence report told the King that there were people called GIMIRA (we recognise
them as deported Israelites) located just west of the upper Euphrates, north of the Taurus mountains. Others were further
east in Media (Fig. 6).
In the Apoccrypha (2 Esdras 13) we are told how some of the Ten Tribes escaped from Assyrian control via the upper Euphrates
valleys. Later they became notorious in Asia Minor when they overthrew King Midas of Phrygia (Fig. 7). These were the western
group of GIMERA or CIMMERIANS, called KIMMEROI by the Greeks - another version of the Assyrian KHUMRI.
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| Figure 7 Israel Forced West |
In the second year of Esar Haddon of Assyria (679 BC) another group of GIMERA were defeated by his forces and were pursued
westward into Asia Minor (Fig. 8).
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| Figure 8 Gimera Pursued Westward |
Some of them settled in the Sinope area on the Black Sea, some migrated across the Sea to settle in the Crimea and in
Arsereth (see 2 Esdras 13). On one of their forays they captured the city of Sardis (Fig. 9). Finally about 600 BC, King Alyattes
of Lydia drove them out of Asia Minor altogether. Their movements were westward - ever westward.
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| Figure 9 Israel Driven Out of Asia Minor |
Most of the western CIMMERIAN group migrated up the Danube valley and settled as CELTS in central Europe between 500
BC and 100 BC (Fig. 10).
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| Figure 10 Cimmerians Settled as Celts |
Others moved north and west into sparcely inhabited regions of the Baltic, where they were given yet another name by
the Romans - CIMBRI, a name probably derived from CIMMERIANS. These people were the ancestors of the Picts and Jutes (Fig.
11).
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| Figure 11 Ancestors of Picts and Jutes |
Small numbers of Israelites followed Phoenician trade routes from the port of Miletus or the South West coast of Asia
Minor (Fig. 12). Some settled for a time in Spain then moved on to Ireland.
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| Figure 12 Some Israelites Followed Phoenician Trade Routes |
Now we have seen that most of the Western group of the "lost" Israelites were forced right through Asia Minor into Central
Europe and finally to the shores of the North Sea; but the Eastern group were still dominated by Assyrian powers and their
successors, being threatened by Babylonians and Medes from the south (Fig. 13).
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| Figure 13 Israelites, Eastern group |
This eastern part of Israel although known as GIMIRA was also known to the Assyrians as ISKUZA, a name derived from the
name ISAAC - one of the names ancient Israel used to describe themselves, "sons of ISSAC".
In 573 BC, ISKUZA are mentioned for the first time in any historical document, locating them in Media in the very place
where some of Israel had been put in captivity. Since the GIMIRA and the ISKUZA appear in the same place at the same time,
it is reasonable to infer that they were one are the same people. And of course the Greeks had a word for these ISKUZA
- they called them SCUTHAE or SCYTHIAN. The Persian name for the ISKUZA was SAKKA also based on ISAAC wit the emphasis on
the last syllable "ISS-SAAK".
The inscriptions on the great rock carving at Behistan in northern Iran are repeated in three languages, Old Persian, Susian
and Babylonian. The people who are called "SAKKA" in Persian are called "GIMIRA" in Babylonian, thus proving the to be one
and the same people.
Root SK derivatives
ISAAC
SAKKA
ISKUZA
SKUTHAE
SCYTHIANS
The Israelites did call themselves the House of Issac or ISAAKA. The basic root of ISAAK, SAKKA, SKUTHAE, ISKUSA
and SCYTHIAN is SK in each case.
After the fall of the Assyrian capital Nineveh in 612 BC, the main body of Scythian Israelites came under such pressure
from the Medes that they were forced northwards through the Dariel Pass in the Caucasus mountains and into the steppe region
of southern Russia (Fig. 14).
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| Figure 14 Cimmerian Israel |
As wave after wave of these people were forced through the Caucasus, the leaders in the west crossed the rivers Don and
Dniper and came into contact with CIMMERIAN Israel groups who had earlier moved across the Black Sea, thus pushing them westward
along the valley of the Danube into Central Europe (Fig. 15).
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| Figure 15 Israelites, Eastern group el |
Although the Scythians established themselves in the area of southern Russia from the 6th to the 3rd centuries BC, they
found themselves squeezed between a people advancing from the east - the Sarmatians - and the CELTS, already occupying Central
Europe to the west. Consequently, they were forced northward towards the North Sea and the Baltic (Fig. 16). This group formed
the last of the migrating Israelites to arrive in these Islands. The Anglo-Saxon group from the area now called Germany arriving
between 400 and 600 AD.
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| Figure 16 Scythian Israelites Forced Northward |
Others moving northwards through Jutland became known as Danes and Vikings. Others settled for a time in northern France
and were known as Northmen or Normans. These Normans arrived in the 11th century, the last large group, finally completing
the regathering of what Sir Arthur Keith, world-famous ethnologist, described as one family - NOT a racially mixed group.
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| Figure 17 Anglo-Saxons, Danes, Normans & Vikings |
In exile, the Nation of Israel became divided into two main groups, one in the upper Euphrates area and the other in
Media. These two groups migrated by different routes and at different times. Thus, they arrived here in comparatively small
groups over a long period of time - finally fusing in to one Nation, which we now call the United Kingdom of Great Britain
and Northern Ireland.
The ancient Celts, the bulk of whom, history says, inhabited the central and
western parts of Europe, were in fact, Israelites whose origins are traced from that region in Europe through which
flows the River Danube, and from the Near East.
The Anglicized "Celt,"
or "Kelt," is nothing more than the generic name of the ancient people who inhabited Northern and Western Europe. They were
regarded, by ancient writers, as "all the fair-haired peoples dwelling north of the Alps," and the name "Celt" comes from
the Greek language, for the Greeks termed them all "Keltoi." The Kelts were classified as falling into two loosely
divided groups, which shaded off into each other. The first was distinguished by "a long head, a long face, a narrow aquiline
nose, blue eyes, very light hair and great stature," and these lighter-complexioned "Kelts" were usually termed "teutonic"
by early writers.
The other group was marked by "a round head, a broad face,
a nose often rather broad and heavy, hazel-gray eyes, light chestnut hair, and were said to be thick-set and medium height."
It is fascinating that the ancient "Teutons," whose name is generic for "Germans," appear in history along with the Cimbri,
universally held to be Celts, but coming from the same region as the Guttones (Goths, which was a Roman
name for these peoples) by the shores of the Baltic and North Sea.
The Belgic
tribes in northern France were the Cimbri, and had, according to history, migrated into the region from east of the
Rhine.
The dominance of the Celts in northwestern Europe and the British
Isles is well known.
Ancient writers spoke of the Gauls, who gave their
name to modern-day France, as the "Cimbri," and identified them with the Cimmerians of an earlier date, who are mentioned
by Homer.
They are identified as migrating through the mouth of the
Danube, and early Celts are said to have been "continually moving westward." The "Belgae" were also Cimbri in origin.
They spread across the Rhine and gave their name "to all northern France and Belgium" (Encyclopaedia Britanica, 11th
edition, Vol. 5, page 612).
Even in language the ancient Celts were identified
as having come from the Near East.
In 1831, James Pritchard was one of the first
to demonstrate the true relationship of the Celts in his publication Eastern Origin of the Celtic Nations. A famous
Bavarian historian, J.C. Zeuss (l806-I856), demonstrated conclusively the Indo-European origin of the Celtic dialects. Rediscovering
old Irish manuscripts, he published a striking study in Celtic philology, called Grammatica Celtic, publishing the
work in 1853.
But who were these "Cimbri," or "Khummee," who were
migrating along the river valleys of the Caucasus and the Carpathians?
Omri
began to reign in 929 B.C., having been placed on the throne by the army, during the siege of Gibbethon, a Levitical city
in Dan.
The death of Elah and the usurpation of Zimri led to the declaration
by the army that their general, Omri, was now king of Israel. His "...chief [achievement] was the foundation of Samaria, which
thenceforth became the capital city of the Kingdom of Israel" (Encyclopedia of Biblical Literature, John Kitto, Vol.
3, page 365).
Omri, while appearing from biblical records to be one of the lesser
kings of Israel, nevertheless became one of the most important to the Assyrians, the Moabites, and other
kingdoms to the north and east of Palestine.
In Hasting's Bible
dictionary under the article "Omri," the Assyrian spelling is given as "Humri or Humria" with the comment that the equivalent
of the Hebrew-Canaanite y with the Assyrian h is illustrated by Schrader; Cot 2 i p.179.
Several other examples are given, including the identification of "Ammi-rabi" (Amraphel) with Hammurabi, demonstrating how
some languages pronounce the h like a k while others leave it silent.
An extensive inscription from the Moabite stone published in Hasting's Bible dictionary (Vol. 3, page 621) reads "Omri was
King of Israel and oppressed Moab a long time (lit. many days), for Chemosh was wroth with his land. And his son succeeded
him (i.e. Omri), and he too said 'I will oppress Moab' in my time (i.e. of Mesha) he said thus. But I saw (my desire) on him
and his house, and Israel perish with an everlasting destruction." (This merely implies that Ahab, who was a son of Omri,
was finally compelled to relinquish his hold on Moab and is an exaggeration.)
"So Omri obtained possesion of the land of Mehedeba, and dwelt therein during his days and half the days of his son, forty
years..."
Hasting's says, "These dates (following information on difficulties
in the chronology of Omri's reign) harmonize better with the results of Assyriology, with the deep impression which Omri had
produced in western Asia by his military prowess." This impression was no fleeting one, but extended over a very long period.
We have clear indication of this in the fact that Palestine was called Bit Humri or 'land of the house of Omri,'
from the time of Shalmaneser II (860) to that of Sargon (722-705). 'The usurper Jehu is called on Shalmaneser's
black obelisk "Ja'ua agal Humari," "Jehu, son of Omri." And no less deep was the impression produced in Israel and Judah.
'The reference to the "statutes of Omri" in Micah 6:16 is an indication of this, his name being coupled with that of his son
Ahab.'"
"Bit Humri" is the equivalent of "Beth Omri" in the Hebrew,
or the "House of Omri," which was the name applied to all Israel by the ASSYRIANS!
Thus, when Shalmaneser's army brought hundreds of thousands of captured Israelites as slaves into the land of Assyria,
the Assyrian army and local populace only knew them as "Bit Humri." And never referred to them as Hebrews, Israelites,
or by any other Israelitish or Jewish term!
In any number of languages,
the h is silent. However, in other languages the h has a hard sound, pronounced by forcing the
sharp sound against the hard palate, as in the English word "how." In some languages, such as German, the h can
be pronounced quite similarly to the English k.
Thus "Bit Humri" was
pronounced by some "Kumri" and by the Greeks "Kimri," "Cimri" or "Gymri."
These
peoples are also found in history as the "Cimmerians."
The "Bit Humri," or the
"Kumri," who were known by the Greeks as the "Kimbri," are said to be the progenitors of the Celts!
The Encyclopaedia Britannica, 11th edition, Vol. 20, page 105, says: "The inscription of Mesha throws welcome light
upon his conquest of Moab; the position of Israel during the reign of Omri's son Ahab bears testimony to the success of the
father; and the fact that the land continued to be known to the Assyrians down to the time of Sargon (after
Shalmaneser, who carried away the hulk of the northern ten tribes into captivity) as 'the house of Omri' indicates the reputation
which this little-known king enjoyed."
The Cimbri are identified as a "teutonic
tribe" who first make their appearance in Roman history in about 113 B.C., and who had been "wandering along the Danube
for some years warring..."
The Encyclopaedia Britannica says, "The
original home of the Cimbri has been much disputed. It is recorded in the Monumentum Ancyranum that a Roman fleet sailing
eastward from the mouth of the Rhine (about 5 A.D) ...at the farthest point reached the [region] of a people called Cimbri,
who sent an embassy to Augustus."
Several early writers agree in saying that
the Cimbri occupied a peninsula, and in the map of Ptolemy JUTLAND appears as the Cimbric "Chersonese." Under
the article "Cimmerii," the Britannica 11th edition says they were "an ancient people of the far north or west of Europe
first spoken of by Homer."
Herodotus, the famous historian (Herodotus
iv. 11-13) regards them as the "early inhabitants of south Russia, driven by the Scyths along by the Caucasus into
Asia Minor, where they maintained themselves for a century. This authority also reveals that "later writers identified them
with the Cimbri of Jutland, who were probably Teutonized Celts..."
The Encyclopedia Biblica says of Assyrian reference to Omri: "On inscriptions from the time of Shalmaneser II (854)
down to Sargon (720) we find the northern kingdom designated as Mat Bit-Humri, 'the land of the house of Omri'; or simply
Mat Humri, 'Land Omri,' Jehu even is called 'son of Omri' (Schrader Kat 190 ff.). The use of this phrase shows great was the
reputation which Omri enjoyed abroad."
The Encyclopedia Biblica also
lends support to the very great possibility that the captured Israelites, who had already become corrupt while
they were yet in the land, carried the names of Baal with them in their migrations, explaining the many names
of Baal persisting in Ireland until modern times!
It says, "The dynasty
which the [Omri] founded lasted for half a century, and was only overturned by the hatred of the prophets to the worship of
Baal" (Encyclopedia Biblica, 3500).
Courtesy: Kuhns' Lagoon
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