[PaulKersey]

>The fact that the Hebrew text has been translated into other languages does not magically make it any more precise.

I'm glad we found something to agree about.

Of course that is not to say the Hebrew language is Jewish, for it is not. It's roots are Israelite. Jews were merely the custodians of the Hebrew language after the Israelites from the north began their long journey.

[Inyokern]

Of course that is not to say the Hebrew language is Jewish, for it is not. It's roots are Israelite. Jews were merely the custodians of the Hebrew language after the Israelites from the north began their long journey.

Now you are confusing the word "Israelite" with the post-Solomonic northern kingdom of Israel. The word Israelite applies to Jews as well as to the northern kingdom. The Jews are the only Israelites still known to exist.

To say that the Jews are merely the "custodians" of the Hebrew language is incorrect. Virtually the entire Old Testament after the 5 books of Moses was written by Jews, including all of the books of the prophets. All of the later prophets: Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, etc. were Jews.

[Cronos]

Jews were merely the custodians of the Hebrew language after the Israelites from the north began their long journey.

The Israelites were moved out of their lands by the Assyrians. it was Assyrian policy to disperse troublesome nations from one end of their empire to the other end. The Asyrian Empire at that time stretched from Canaan to the borders othe Mede Kingdom in Iran. Most likely the "lost tribes" of Israelis were settled in what is now Iraq. As the northern tribes were already amenable to worshipping other Gods, it's more than likely that they got asimilated in the existing communities in Iraq, in Babylonia, etc. The few who did remain faithful would have returned with the southern israelis when the Persians allowed them to rebuild the temple. So,the lost tribes would be ancestors of present day Iraqis -- quite a twist for SAddy, eh?