"Brit-Am Now"-916
Contents:
1. The Ashleys: Early Israelite Restorationists
2. THE LOST CITY OF TARTESSUS
3. ANSWER TO CLAIMS THAT THE BRIT-AM MESSAGE IS BEING MISAPPROPRIATED FOR
NEFARIOUS PURPOSES!!

1. The Ashleys: Early Israelite Restorationists
From: GAshley923@aol.com
Subject: A country without a nation for a nation without a country

Ancestors of Eugene Ashley

Two early Ashleys were John born 1625 and brother William, born in England. They share a story of love and rejection. They both loved the same woman, Lady Jane Cooper, daughter of Baronet John Cooper and wife Ann, daughter of Sir Anthony Ashley. It was decided between them, whichever she rejected, would migrate to the Colonies. William lost, and came to the Colonies. Scant early records seem to point to William settling in Accomack Co. VA.

About 1650, John and Jane Cooper Ashley also migrated to the Colonies. They had two known sons, Thomas born about 1650, and Isaac born about 1660. Thomas stayed in VA and Isaac moved to Maryland, as those are the states their records are found in. There are many Ashley descendents in the USA that trace their lines back to John Ashley and Lady Jane Cooper and brother William through their children.

Sir Anthony Ashley Cooper, later the first Earl of Shaftsbury, was a highly prominent politician (later he would found the Whig party). In American history he is probably best known as one of the Lords Proprietors of the Carolina colonies. (Some Charlestonians like to say they live where ?the Ashley and the Cooper form the Atlantic Ocean?; Charleston?s two principal rivers are named in his honor.) He was also a friend of the philosopher John Locke.
Anthony Ashley Cooper 1st. Earl of Shaftesebury
was probably responsible for the phrase "A country without a nation for a nation without a country," later to become the Zionist slogan "A land without a people for a people without a land." He asserted, " There is unbroken identity of Jewish race and Jewish mind down to our times; but the great revival can take place only in the Holy Land."
In 1839 the Church of Scotland sent Andrew Bonar Robert Murray M'Cheyne, to report on "the Condition of the Jews in their land." Their report was widely publicized in Great Britain and it was followed by a "Memorandum to Protestant Monarchs of Europe for the restoration of the Jews to Palestine." This memorandum was printed verbatim in the London Times, including an advertisement by Lord Shaftesbury igniting an enthusiastic campaign by the Times for restoration of the Jews.
In August 1840 the Times reported that the British government was considering Jewish restoration. It added that "a nobleman of the Opposition" (apparently Lord Shaftesbury) was making inquiries to determine:
In August 1840 the Times reported that the British government was considering Jewish restoration. It added that "a nobleman of the Opposition" (apparently Lord Shaftesbury) was making inquiries to determine (1. Jewish opinion of the proposed restoration.
(2. Jewish readiness to live in Palestine and invest their capital in agriculture.
(3. How soon they would be ready to go.
(4. Whether they would pay for their own passage, given assurance of safety to life and property.
5. Whether they would be willing to live under the Turkish rule, protected by Britain, France, Russia, Prussia, Austro- Hungary.
Lord Shaftesbury was the most active restoration lobbyist. 'The inherent vitality,' he wrote, 'of the Hebrew race reasserts itself with amazing persistence. Its genius, to tell the truth, adapts itself more or less to all the currents of civilization all over the world, nevertheless always emerging with distinctive features and a gallant recovery of vigor.

2. THE LOST CITY OF TARTESSUS
by Steven A. Arts
http://www.anomalist.com/features/tartessus.html
 Short, interesting article.

3. ANSWER TO CLAIMS THAT THE BRIT-AM MESSAGE IS BEING MISAPPROPRIATED FOR
NEFARIOUS PURPOSES

We received the following message from a good loyal supporter of Brit-Am:

<<We have a problem with calling all Westerners "Ephraimites".  Just because Judah was in Germany does not make all Germans Jews even if they may be Christians, Messianics, Karaites, etc.  If a German has a repentant heart and desires conversion....then one might guess that most likely he could be of Jewish descent.  Why should Ephraim be any different?  You have proven where Ephraim went, but does that make all Christians, Messianics, Karaites, Unitarians, etc. Ephraimites?  Moses said we would be brought back when we return to Torah and he specifies that judgments of the priests and judges of Israel are Torah.  To tell Christians, Messianics, Karaites, etc that they ARE Ephraim or Bnei Yoseph only puffs them up and makes them dangerous for Israel as the Crusaders were.  To tell them the Lost Tribes are in the West is safer and still gets the word out.
At the moment there are those who are trying to organize leaders of Christians, Messianics, Karaites of various sorts and Secular Humanists for Ten Tribes unity, political power, influence, money.  They have invited  [Brit-Am supporters to join them] .... as a gate for them into the land.

Christians and Karaites are not Ephraim...they are enemies of Judaism and desire to take over the land and convert all Israel.  As one Karaite woman threatened me recently....the Lost Tribes outnumber Judah 10 to 1 and the majority are becoming Karaites so I'll have to accept them sooner or later. Messianics believe the same way.
.... It is good to spread the Brit Am word so that true Ephraim hears it.  The same way Judah spreads the word about the Anousim [Marranos].  But Judah should not call all Spanish and Portuguese descendants [of] Jews, even if they are Catholics, Messianics or Karaites.  We also should not call all Westerners "Ephraimites" or "Yosephites" just because they relate to Israel in some way....Christians and Karaites always have related to Israel and the Torah in some way....the world over.  History shows that they desire to either convert Judah or take over the Land.  If Brit Am or [any other group] are used by these people to open the gates for them into the land, then history will just repeat itself.
This is why I ask you to kindly write very frankly to me and tell me whether or not you will ever be associated with those who are unifying groups of Christians, Messianics, Karaite-types, or any other religion as Ephraimites, Lost Tribes, or Bnei Yoseph, etc. who believe they will inherit Eretz Yisrael. Or if you will ever teach Judah that these are Ephraimites or Bnei Yoseph and are inheritors of the Land.
Have you never heard of these projects?...
Understand me, I am all for teaching people truth, and I believe those who are seeking truth will find it eventually, I'm all for raising money and working to make truth available.  But to encourage all Brazilians that they are Israelites just because the Anousim are in Brazil, and help them unify as Israelites politically for influence and money regardless of religion is eventual danger for Judaism and Israel.
I guess I'm having a hard time because I realized recently that this is what at least some of Brit Am's people, and others .... plan to do..... Sometimes I think that [that has been done]  is teach Messianics how to sound more Jewish and be more deceptive, or as one Messianic lady put it, gives her a better name "Repenting Ephraimite" to call herself that is more acceptable to a Jew than calling herself Messianic.  All we've done is given Karaites a place to grab would-be orthodox converts; and given so called "Ephraimites" an opening to a few rabbis ....for their own agendas.
So forgive me if I offend you. Yes, some day true Ephraim will be in the land, and there may be some clean up to do.  BUT I will not help people of these other religions unite for power or for "making aliyah" now or ever...unless Moshiach tells me to...will you?   I just need you to say yeah or ney.  If Moshiach tells you to....will you kindly inform me, so I can ask him too?
With Love of Zion,
R

Reply:

We would like to know more of this.
We do not have frequent "contact" with those others you speak of
We do what we can.
People more or less know what our views are and that we make them public so they who have other views keep away from us.

Also, up until now all such tendencies that you speak of have not been coming out of Brit-Am but out of other movements some members of who may have a mild interest in Brit-Am.
We would appreciate being informed of all such approaches.
We cannot relate to something that is not known to us.

People with  ideas such as those you mention frequently in the past wrote to us and we replied to them time and time again as our archives show.

Brit-Am has the truth.
People help Brit-Am.
This keeps us going.
Nevertheless we just get by and frequently are faced with some financial crisis or other.
This apparently is how Divine Providence wants it.
People who have other expectations do not usually back Brit-Am.

A few years ago a large number of "Ephraimites" came on an organized trip to Jerusalem.
We were booked months in advance to speak to them.
When we came to the speaking engagement we found that our time slot had been reduced to about a half or less  of what we had expected.
"Other" speakers had been arranged for at the last minute.
Nevertheless we spoke well (according to reports) and managed to fit the essentials into what we had to say.
We were paid $200 for speaking and also received about $400 in book sales and offerings from the audience.
For us this was very good.
Such input enables us to keep going and continue putting the message out which is what we do.
Considering that sometimes we are left with almost no money at all such sums help us pay the bills etc.
They are very very welcome. Opportunities to raise money in such a fashion only come, if at all, once sometimes twice a year and sometimes only once every few years though we get the message out in other ways.
The money was very good and very welcome even though as far as advertising in a reasonable way or putting out a publication are concerned it does not in itself enable us to do that much though it can serve as a beginning. At all events we were very grateful and just being able to put our point across was also most welcome to us.
That is not the point.
The point is in what came after we spoke.
After we spoke there were "other" speakers at the same meeting They spoke of Ephraim returning to the Land, and promised to work in that direction.
[This is something we do not do, at least not in the immediate sense.]
They also by implication belittled the efforts of Brit-Am and our emphasis of the need for research and right knowledge.
They appealed for support [Retrospectively we may in a way have been "set up" in so far as our presence could have been construed as lending support to the appeal being made by the organizers.]
These "others" raised from the group on behalf of "the Return of Ephraim" at least $3000 after which one of  them  reportedly absconded with the money!
And that is the way it often goes.
Brit-Am does the work but constantly emphasizes the need for a realistic evaluation of the situation.
People usually like us but consider us not "enthusiastic" enough in the directions they are interested in.
Other people make promises and receive assistance.
Later when disappointments etc occur  it is Brit-Am that must make the explanations.

We do not know anything about "Brazilians" or others who are being encouraged to think that
 

<< they are Israelites just because the Anousim [Marranos, descendants of Jews who were forced to change their relgion] are in Brazil, and help them unify as Israelites politically for influence and money regardless of religion is eventual danger for Judaism and Israel.>>

This, if anything, is a field associated with other Jewish groups (such as Amishav of Rabbi Avichail, now called "Shavei Yisrael"
or semi-Jewish mixed groups such as Kulanu.
These other groups are antagonistic to us or at least not sympathetic.
They are the ones who do most work with "Anusim" etc.

This is not Brit-Am.
Brit-Am is not against this in itself. There are a few descendants of "Anusim" amongst Brit-Am followers.
Nevertheless the Brit-Am message concentrates on the Lost Ten Tribes in Western Nations especially those associated with Joseph.

You said,
<<I guess I'm having a hard time because I realized recently that this is what at least some of Brit Am's people, and others [in the same field] do.....and want ... to open doors to rabbis who see our sincerity and desire to help us....and can see that we are not a risk for evangelizing the Jews.>>

This is not so.
No real Rabbi is about to be mislead by anyone.
Brit-Am is here.
We are amenable.
We are prepared (even eager) to talk with whoever is interested and our credentials can be clarified.
Our basic beliefs are on our web-site for all to see.
We are so open that others advise us to tone it down lest we turn potentially interested but uninformed
inquirers away.
People with other agendas who also speak of the "Lost Tribes" exist regardless of us.
They were around before us and will continue to be around if we (God forbid) "disappear".
We are needed.
Just because others twist the truth is no reason for those who have the truth not to speak.

Brit-Am is not the only "Ephraimite" group in existence, nor the largest, nor the most influential.
We may however be the best and could be much more effective than we are.

You spoke of Karaites and Christians trying to take over the "movement".
Karaites are consciously or unconsciously enemies of the Jewish people and purveyors of a misleading message.
We have written against Karaite beliefs:

Loyalty to David is Required:
Ruth and the Oral Tradition
http://www.britam.org/DavidandOralLaw.html

Little Sister, The Oral Law
by Rabbi A. Feld
http://britam.org/FeldBeginning.html

Queries on Mosaic Law
http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesLaw.html

http://www.britam.org/Questions/QuesJudaism.html
See also our articles on Judah that deal with a related topic,
e.g.
"The Jews are Judah!"
http://britam.org/judah.html

Christians are Ephraimites or rather most Ephraimites are Christians.
They were born that way or rather born in such a situation that becoming Christian is what is open to them.
This is what was prophesied.
It is not our task to change this situation.
Neither does the present reality necessarily warrant it.
We are however against attempts by Christians to missionize Jews:

WHY CHRISTIANS SHOULD NOT MISSIONIZE JEWS
http://britam.org/Missionizing.html

We have never, ever, heard of ANYONE being mislead through misunderstanding the Brit-Am message.
On the other hand, a few so-called "Jews-for-Jesus" etc have complained about us having a contrary message to their own.
Even here however it may be that our influence (for good or bad) in this particular field is illusionary

There are Christian leaders who work with us and feel at ease with us and we with them.

Nevertheless, if anything it is the Christian "Ephraimites" who are UNJUSTIFIABLY AFRAIDof Brit-Am!
That is why they support us much less than they have in the past, no longer invite us to speak to their tourist groups or meetings etc.
Lack of Ephraimite support is pushing Briut-Am into a corner.

Brit-Am will go out of its way not to offend but neither can we compromise or allow ourselves tobe compromised.

Our task is to spread the Brit-Am message.
The Brit-Am message is that of the Bible and belief in the Bible is for the good of everyone.
People who want to know of this message should come to Brit-Am.
People who go elsewhere cannot claim that we gave an impression of being other than what we are.

Brit-Am is the truth.
Brit-Am has the answer.
They who wish to know the truth should come to Brit-Am.
We are somewhat analogous to the "still small voice"
that contains the truth.

[1-Kings 19:12] AND AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE A FIRE; BUT THE LORD WAS NOT IN THE FIRE: AND AFTER THE FIRE A STILL SMALL VOICE.