[Wallace T.]

There was contact between the British Isles and the Middle East in Old Testament times. Tin and other metals, including gold, were mined in Wales, Cornwall, and other parts of the British Isles and shipped to the trading cities of the Mediterranean. Phoenician writings refer to Britain and Ireland as the Tin Isles. It is also possible some Middle Easterners populated the area. DNA testing indicates some genes that apparently originated in the Middle East among the British. Perhaps this would explain the "Black Irish," the "Ould Black Breed" of Scotland, and the rather swarthy complexions of many Welsh. Look at Rowan Atkinson (English), Colin Farrell (Irish), Sean Connery (Scottish), and Catherine Zeta-Jones (Welsh), and note their generally Mediterranean appearance.

However, a Middle Eastern or Meditteranean racial element in the British Isles and extensive pre-Roman conntact between the two regions do not prove that the "Stone of Destiny" had anything to do with King David. Nor does it prove that the Celtic and Germanic peoples that have inhabited the British Isles for 1,500 to 2,500 years have substantial genetic or other ties to Israel or other parts of the Middle East. Most DNA measurements of the English people indicate that they are very genetically similar to the current inhabitants of northwest Germany, the Netherlands, and Denmark, the areas from which the Angles, Saxons, and Jutes migrated from in the 5th and 6th Centuries AD. There are also considerable genetic similarities between the English and the three Celtic nations that occupy the remainder of the British Isles. There are also similarities to the Norwegians, the Belgians, and the northern French. On the other hand, there are far greater genetic differences between the English and either the Jews (whether Ashkenazic or Sephardic) or other Middle Eastern peoples. There are, OTOH, strong genetic similarities between the Jews and the Palestinians, Syrians, and the northern Iraqis, notably Kurds and Assyrians, as strong as those among the northwest Europeans. In other words, DNA measurement comport with mainstream history and not Anglo-Israelite theories. The linguistic patterns also support the mainstream histoic theory of strong ties among most European nations and considerable differences between them and the inhabitants of the Middle East, ancient or modern.

Anglo-Israelism, that is, the theory that the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel somehow became the Germanic and Celtic peoples of northwest Europe, is of relatively recent origin, no older than the 18th Century. There is no Biblical support for this theory. Rather, mainstream Christian theology holds that the European peoples are decended from Japheth, while the Semitic peoples are descended from Shem. Indeed, even the "Ten Lost Tribes" theory is really but a figment. The Babylonian captivity broke up the tribal governments of the Israel of the judges and kings. However, there is evidence in the Epistles of Paul that people who were members of the ten tribes still identified with those tribes in the 1st Century AD. Although medieval kings and nobility attempted to embellish their heritage by claiming ties to King David (an ancestor of Jesus Christ), there is no more evidence for this than for the assertions of the Roman or Aztec emperors or Greek kings that they were descended from gods.

The weight of the evidence is on the side of the mainstream historians and theologians in this matter.

[blam]

"Anglo-Israelism, that is, the theory that the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel somehow became the Germanic and Celtic peoples of northwest Europe, is of relatively recent origin, no older than the 18th Century. There is no Biblical support for this theory. "

We used to have a FReeper named "LostTribe" (he was banned)who thought that the Northern Tribes that were hauled off by the Assyrians later appeared in Europe as the Celts and/or the Tribe Of Dan. ...And, there are some ancient folks in Ireland named the Tuatha De Danann and they were told to put their name 'DN' on everything. Danmark, Danube, Scandanavia, and many, many other names in Europe. Thoughts?

[blam]

Ancestry Of Europeans Traced To Middle East

[Just mythoughts]

There is one big problem with what you claim.

It is written that the TWO HOUSES were not taken captive at the same time nor by the same people.

The Ten Tribes the Northern Kingdom were taken captive by the "ASSYRIAN" King and taken North. The House of Judah and Benjamin were taken to Babylon.

Paul was from the tribe of Benjamin.

Now each of these tribes were given distinct blessings clear back in the book of Genesis. If one reads what is given and promised to these twelve and the promise given to Abraham, then the "MODERN" historians and "Theory-ogians" have no credibility.

But hey each one to his own our Heavenly Father did not loose his "SHEEP", as it is written the "SHEEP" don't know who they are, as was prophesied over and over and over again.

Also as it is written it will be Christ himself that will rejoin the two houses at His return.

[Willowtree]

Hi Wallace:

Your post specifically dismisses Israelitish origins of the peoples of Great Britain based upon DNA evidence.

Your DNA evidence ASSUMES the British would have DNA matches/links with Jewish/Middle East DNA.

The Bible does not claim that all Israelites are Jews.

All Jews are Hebrews/Israelites but not all Hebrews/Israelites are Jews.

In lieu of this fact your DNA contentions that the British must possess Jewish/Middle East DNA in order to establish descendancy is erroneous.

I can heap a ton of Bible to support this claim but as it sits now I think it best to wait and review your clarification that should be forthcoming.

Best regards:

Willowtree