"Brit-Am Now"-189
Contents:
1. Video-Tapes available
2. Tim Murray: Encouragement
3. Chaim Sidman: Torah HaGeulah (Doctrine of Redemption)
4. Personal
5. Tarshish
6. Cecil Davis: Support for Bill Rasmussen
7. End of the "Incident"

1. Video-Tapes available
Video-Tapes of Yair Davidiy and Rabbi Avraham Feld speaking at the Brit-Am
Annual Conference in Jerusalem
last Succot are available from CECIL CROW <CECOMONT@WF.NET>

2. Tim Murray: Encouragement
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-187

Dear Yair,
I don't know what you make of that review of "British-Israelism," but I hope it doesn't turn you aside from the truths of Brit-Am.  The writer of that research paper was covering a lot of territory, sometimes with a broad brush.
What I want you to know is that there are legitimate Christian teachers of this truth, who want no part of anti-Semitism in any way, shape, or form.  I have been taught the principles of Brit-Am, and I continue to teach them, with no trace of anti-Semitism.  The presence of distortions and partial truth in this teaching does not negate the presence of balance and truth.
All this is to say that while I recognize the way these things have been twisted into horrible caricatures by the "father of lies," truth is truth, and it will prevail.  Keep on being open and fearless and honest with what you pass on and teach.  If it is of God (which I believe it is), it cannot help prevailing in the end. Sincerely, Tim Murray

3. Chaim Sidman: Torah HaGeulah (Doctrine of Redemption)
From: Chaim Sidman <yogurtwhip@hotmail.com>
Subject: Torah HaGeulah
Maimonides expresses scorn for those individuals who would nullify certain commandments of the Torah and not fulfill them, saying that they will wait for the messiah to arrive first:> "Those people who convince themselves that they will remain [in exile where they cannot perform the commandments] until the king, the messiah arrives, and then they will all go to Jerusalem & they are not only fooling themselves, but they are causing others to sin as well & because there is no fixed set time for the messiah to arrive & but the obligation of our religion and the commandments is not dependant on the arrival of the king, the messiah. Rather, it is our duty to be occupied with the Torah and commandments, doing our best to fulfill them. After we have seen to our obligations, if G-d finds us worthy & to see the messiah, then good. But if not-we have lost nothing, and we have fulfilled our obligation." (Maimonides, Letter on Religious Persecution)

4. Personal
Sorry if the list has not been as active as it was hoped to be recently. A virus of some kind has been going around Jerusalem: light cold, tiredness, need to sleep a lot, lack of appetite, mild sick
feeling (malaise), general weakness. The virus didn't do much but also did not enable those affected to do much
either. Anyway it appears to have passed or be passing.

5. Tarshish
The following is a note I have sent out to a few academic- discussion lists to generate interest in Brit-Am themes.
The note was well received and I was sent private notes from members of the lists concerned thanking me and asking for more of the same. The article is based on a chapter in "Origin" which in turn was a summary of a section in "Lost Israelite Identity".
Many more people than we realize have the potential to be interested in Brit-Am studies. When you think of it: It is interesting. The Bible. History and the Bible. Archaeology. Legends, Ancient Chronicles. Ancient peoples who were involved with our ancestors. Interesting facts that are often found in frequently used reference books but nobody ever notices. Obvious connections that were somehow always overlooked, etc.

Tarshish

The Phoenician Exodus Westward

The Assyrian economy expanded greatly in the late eighth century (i.e. 700s) BCE after defeating Urartu which had controlled the trade routes to the northwest and to Syria. Phoenicia was conquered in the 740s. The Phoenicians were to be at least partly re-settled and forced to use their experience and know-how to supply Assyria with the greater part of its raw materials and finished manufactures.

The Prophet Isaiah had predicted the destruction of Phoenician Tyre and an exodus to Tarshish:
<<THE BURDEN OF TYRE. HOWL YE SHIPS OF TARSHISH; FOR IT IS LAID WASTE (23:1)
<<BE STILL YE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLE; THOU WHOM THE MERCHANTS OF SIDON THAT PASS OVER THE SEA HAVE REPLENISHED (23:2)

<<PASS YE OVER TO TARSHISH; HOWL YE INHABITANTS OF THE ISLE (23:6)
<<PASS THROUGH THY LAND LIKE A RIVER, O DAUGHTER OF TARSHISH (23:10)
<<DAUGHTER OF SIDON; ARISE, PASS OVER TO CHITTIM; THERE ALSO SHALT THOU HAVE NO REST (23:12). >>

The ships of Tyre are ships of Tarshish. Isaiah predicted that Tyre would be destroyed and an attempted re-establishment made in Chittim. This would be unsuccessful and from Chittim a move to Tarshish itself (in Spain) would be made. The mass of new immigrant refugees from Tyre and Sidon entering Tarshish were to be as a river overflowing its banks. Tyre and Sidon were the two major Phoenician cities.     Josephus (Ant.10; 227) quotes Megasthenes (ca.300 BCE) as saying that the Babylonian king, Nebuchadnessar (who inherited much of the former Assyrian Empire), ruled over North Africa and Spain.          Esarhaddon (681-669) boasted of
controlling Yadnana (i.e. Isle of the Dananu, meaning Cyprus), Yaman (Yavan meaning Greece), and Tarsis (meaning Tarsis of the Atlantic) in Spain. Assyrian references mention Tarsis as the westernmost extremity of Phoenician colonization. Avienus and various sources record that the Phoenicians had colonies in Britain.

Spain before ca. 700 BCE had a relatively low population density with small undefended poorly developed scattered villages possessing a low technological capacity. Development came with the Phoenicians. Iron was completely unknown in the Iberian Peninsula until introduced by the Phoenicians in 750-700 BCE. Metal farming implements did not appear until iron became widely available after 600 BCE.

The province of Baetica in southern Spain experienced a large scale settlement of people bearing a Phoenician type culture in the period immediately following upon the Assyrian conquest of Phoenicia and claimed domination of Tarshish in Spain.

Archaeology has confirmed the existence in Spain of a material culture of Syro-Palestinian origin (i.e. from the area of ancient Israel and its neighbors) originating in the decades 750-720 and continuing for two hundred years. In other words the new settlers brought a culture from the former Israelite area developed by them shortly before the exile of the northern Tribes of Israel which culminated around 720 BCE. The area of settlement was along the southern Spanish coast from Abdera (in the southeast) to Gades which faced the Atlantic Ocean on the west.

The new settlements in Spain were based on the exploitation of mineral resources from the nearby Andalusian mountains regarding which Strabo (3;2;7 8) stated:

"Neither gold, nor silver, nor yet copper, nor iron, has been found anywhere in the world, in a natural state, either in such quantity or of such a good quality."

The settlement of Toscanos (on the southeast coast of Spain) was the only really fortified settlement in the area. The construction was built of dressed stone (ashlar) in a particular style whose closest parallels are to be found in the Israelite buildings at Samaria and at Ramat Rachel (near Jerusalem) of Judea. The place was abandoned by about 550 BCE which date was that of Carthaginian and North African incursions.
The Phoenician(or Israelite) settlements in Spain served as transit points to the east for tin arriving from Portugal, Galicia (Galatia in northwest Spain) and Britain.

According to Strabo (1;3;2 & 3;5;5) and Pliny most of Spain had formerly been settled by the Phoenicians. The Assyrians broke the Phoenician monopoly on tin through conquering the Phoenicians and gaining control over their sources. The Assyrian Empire was then flooded with tin at reduced prices. Western Europe especially Britain and Spain possessed minerals (tin, silver, gold) for which there was an inexhaustible demand in the east. In the eastern Mediterranean Greek merchant colonies were established and encouraged to replace the Phoenicians. The Phoenician and Israelite mercantile operations were transferred westward (Moshe Elat).
Most of the Syro-Palestinian finds in Spain belong to types prevailing on the Phoenician coast, in Syria, and the North Israel area. There were also forms of decorated pottery specifically associated with Iron Age northern Syria, ancient Hattina, and Que meaning the once Israelite Northern Syrian areas of Yadi, of the Dananu, and other parts of northern Syria-Israel.

Assyrian inscriptions announced their control of Tarsis (Tarshish) in the far west of their domains. Tarsis was on the southwest coast) of Spain, near Gades (Cadiz) to the northwest of Gibraltar. In Classical (Greek and Roman) records Tarsis (Tarshish) is referred to as Tartessos. Tartessos served as an emporium for goods from Gaul and Britain.
In the Book of Psalms, it says The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents (Psalm 72;10): The Aramaic Targum translates this expression to say, The Kings of Tarsis and of the Isles in the Oceanic Sea shall bring offerings and by Oceanic Sea (i.e. Yam Okyanus) the Atlantic Ocean is intended (Ha-aruch HaShalem, entry: Okyanus).
Prior to the Assyrian exile, the Israelite Hebrews had had seafaring experience, had co-operated with the Phoenicians, and had become familiar with Tarshish. King Solomon had been partner to Hiram king of Phoenician Tyre in an enterprise that circumnavigated Africa and re-entered the Mediterranean after visiting Tarshish somewhere on the European Atlantic shores.  This enterprise took three years (1- Kings 9:26-27).

Herodotus (4.42,43) reported that Pharoah Neco who reigned just after Solomon also sent Phoenician sailors to circumnavigate Africa and return via the Pillars of Hercules i.e. the Straits of Gibraltar. He likewise mentions the fact that this trip took three years to complete since he explains the sailors would make a camp on dry land. They would then sow and wait to reap a harvest before continuing.

The prophet Ezekiel listed Tarshish amongst the numerous places that were wont to trade with Tyre of Phoenicia: <<TARSHISH WAS THY MERCHANT BY REASON OF THE MULTITUDE OF ALL KINDS OF RICHES; WITH SILVER, IRON, TIN, AND LEAD, THEY TRADED IN THY FAIRS>> (Ezekiel 27;12).

At the period mentioned it was the Bronze Age and bronze was the chief metal in use. Even in the Iron Age, that came later, bronze was still the most important metal in most regions. Tin and copper are essential in the production of Bronze and part of the tin used at the time originated in Britain. Pliny said that all of their tin came from Britain. The Egyptian (Coptic) word for tin is pithran said to be derived from a
mispronunciation of Britain.

Tarshish may have originally been a Greek settlement whose facilities Israelites and Phoenicians utilized. Around 700 BCE Tartessos (i.e. Tarshish) was ruled by Phoenicians. Tartessus became identified with Gades which was also a city of Phoenician origin. Gades was aided by Carthage. Tartessos established its suzerainty over Phoenician Tyrian colonies in the south and southeast of Spain. At one stage Tartessos ruled over all of Spain and most of Gaul. Samuel Bochart (1681), affirmed that the province of Dertossa in north-east Spanish was actually named after Tarshish, the name being another form for Tartessa, i.e. (Little-?) Tartessus.

The Israelite Connection with Tarshish

Tartessus was conquered by Assyria. The Assyrians had conquered Tyre and Sidon and the rest of Phoenicia as well as the northern Kingdom of Israel. They exiled many of the Phoenicians and all of the Israelites. The Israelites were deported to several areas mostly in the north. In addition, a portion of the Israelite deportees were transported together with, or alongside of, Phoenicians to southern Spain. [References to an exile by sea in great ships and in fishing boats  are found in the Hebrew Bible, in the Books of Isaiah and Amos]. They were forced to further develop their metallurgical operations and trading connections in the area in order to supply the Assyrians with raw materials, especially metals, from Spain and Britain. Biblical references show that the Phoenicians and Philistines acted on behalf of the Assyrians and were instrumental in transferring Israelite exiles overseas. Initially the Phoenicians were concentrated in the south and south east of Spain. In this area, place names and other factors reveal an initial Israelite presence alongside that of the Phoenicians.

The word Hebrew (originally used almost exclusively for Israelites) comes from the root "Aber" or "Iber". The appellation "IBERI" was at first that of the Israelite settlers. The name was later given to natives of North Africa who entered Spain as a result of Carthaginian policy. The term "Iberi"  was consequently incorrectly applied to the North African newcomers. The Greeks were apparently responsible for applying the term "Iberian" to the wrong people. They transposed an already existing ethnic definition of another people known to them by that name in the Spanish area. The original Iberi (or Hiberi) had from Spain passed into Gaul and the British Isles and the root "Eber" (or "Iber" or "Heber") is frequently found in the Celtic nomenclature of those areas. The overwhelming majority of places bearing the name "Iber" and its cognates are Celtic and everywhere the name is found can be linked to Celtic presence. The inhabitants of Britain and Ireland called themselves "Iberi" meaning Hebrews. Iberi is also rendered as Hiberi, Ibernian, or Hibernian.

Justin (44;3) said that, "The Gallaecians..... took possession  of those parts where New Carthage now stands and passing from thence to Gallaecia.."
New Carthage was on the southeast coast of Spain. -Gallaecia was on the northwest. Justin is recording a tradition of migration from the southeast of Spain to Gallaecia in the northwest. Gallaecia was named after the Galatae who settled in Gaul and the British Isles and according to Irish and Scottish mythology arrived via Spain.

Ammianus Marcellinus (15;19) said that the original inhabitants of Tartessos had been called DORIANS. The Dorians in Classical literature were a branch of the Greeks but in this case the intention is to people coming via the port of Dor on the coast of Israel. Dor was the major port on the coast of Central Israel and in Assyrian times it was the name given to a province comprising the whole coastal area. Bochart using Greek and Latin sources demonstrated that the Dorians who migrated to Gades and Tartessus were descendants of a legendary "Dorus" and "Phoenicius" i.e. of Dorians and Phoenicians. Bochart traced them to Dor in Israel and says that originally they were identified as Galicians, i.e. Galatians. Dor and her towns had been part of the region inherited by the Tribe of Manasseh whose original Canaanite inhabitants at first could not be driven out but were put to tribute (Joshua 17:11-12, Judges 1:27-28). Later the area was considered Israelite. All the region of Dor became one of the 12 administrative districts into which the Land of Israel was divided by King Solomon . When the Assyrians conquered Israel they named the whole coastal region of Manasseh and Ephraim after Dor. Ptolemy records the Menesthei Portus, i.e. the Port of the Tribe of Manasseh, in the region of the Turdulorum just to the east of Gades off the southwest coast of Spain!        Metal produced in Baetica (in southeast Spain) was called Samarian metal (Pliny N.H.) after Samaria in Israel. There was also a port named Samarium in Galatia of northwest Spain. The Samar (Somme) River in north Gaul and neighboring city of Samarobriva (Amiens) and the Sambre River just to their north in Belgium were also named after Samaria in Israel.

6. Cecil Davis: Support for Bill Rasmussen
Subject: Re: "Brit-Am Now"-188

Dear Yair,

I am as concerned (if not more) as Bill Rasmussen about people like me being "lumped" together with the satanic "christian" cults who claim to be Christians.They hate Jews, and teach the so called "Replacement Theology"; lies and hatred go together, but the masses are always wrong, and they flock after anything to "prove" their distorted beliefs. I'm thankful to Bill for his immediate response. I know that you, Yair, know the truth about this issue.

Your friend, Cecil

7. End of the "Incident"

Steven Collins in a private communication also informs me of how he met with a local representative of the ADL and proved to him that most Christians that believe in Identity are not anti-semitic but rather pro-Jewish and the ADL representative accepted these claims.
There seems to have been some confusion about what was originally said or intended to be said on this issue. a. The phenomenon of  "Christian Identity" is that of a lunatic minority who give all believers in Identity a bad name. b. In addition to "Christian Identity" there are a large number of Christians whose Churches ALSO believe (like Brit-Am) in the Israelite Identity of many peoples in the west. These Churches are not anti-semitic; they tend to support the State of Israel  and most of their members are pro-Jewish. Nevertheless, in SOME cases, some of these Churches officially  hold a kind of  mild replacement theology concept. It was this phenomenon that was brought to my attention (in three separate instances) and which I remarked upon.
I probably should not have done so. It was not really any of my business and probably has very little (if any) effect on how the rank and file relate to the Jewish people. It also does not influence subscribers to Brit-Am or their attitudes.
The last thing we need is to engage in a detailed discussion of the abstract theological implications that may or may not be implicit in the finer points of abstract theses produced by scholarly officials of each others religions.
If someone insults you to your face you usually should take note of it. If on the other hand you suspect (but are not sure) that someone is whispering behind your back: They probably are not, and even if they are, it might be wise to ignore it. You do not have to pay attention to everything all the time:

[The Preacher 7:20] FOR THERE IS NOT A JUST MAN UPON EARTH, THAT DOETH GOOD, AND SINNETH NOT.

[The Preacher 7:21] ALSO TAKE NO HEED UNTO ALL WORDS THAT ARE SPOKEN; LEST THOU HEAR THY SERVANT CURSE THEE:

[The Preacher 7:22] FOR OFTENTIMES ALSO THINE OWN HEART KNOWETH THAT THOU THYSELF LIKEWISE HAST CURSED OTHERS.

The whole incident was probably superfluous. It is time to get on with more serious matters like "Brit-Am" researches.

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