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Hummm, basic assumptions. Would you like a list of the basic assumptions that have turned out to be flat wrong in history? You reckon he took into consideration the Assyrian texts? You think he considered the 139 readily identified Hebrew words in English and 44 in Welsh? You think he was aware that you can take any sentence in Hebrew and change it, word for word, phrase for phrase, with out altering a single word or phrase into Gaelic and have the correct Gaelic idiom every time?

You think he was aware of any of these facts? Of course not. He has a theory based on the information he's aware of, like us all. It's a problem with interpreting the scattered shards of ancient history when so may things rot and breakdown over the years, much less the centuries.

It appears you cast around in desperation. Why you would be "desperate" is a mystery. Why not the European type populations being the descendents of the LT? What's so bad about it that gets you folks (and there are many like you) in such a foaming lather?

We have the Bible on our side, which presents certain prophesies that make certain conditions manditory and certain conclusions inevitable. And, if you don't believe the Bible, why even worry about the lost tribes at all? They are only important in a context of theology.

I find history quite interesting and the LTs are an historical fact; so are the Celts. They just have nothing to do with each other (aside from a friend of mine who is half Jewish and half Irish). Celtic is an Indo-Euro language and not semitic; you can twist anything else you want to get at this tortured conclusion (which is obviously agenda-driven), but i will continue to rely on the best facts that I can muster.

I would have no problem AT ALL with Celts or Hottentots actually being the LTs if it were true.

Ironically enough, there is reasonably good evidence that the Pashtan of Afghanistan are (at least some) the LTs.

From this web site: http://www.sinaifreesynagogue.org/messeng.html

After 9/11, pictures of the Afghani people were shown regularly on television. When looking into these faces I noticed something strangely familiar -- and knew I had to do some research.

Could these people be the descendants of the lost tribes of Israel? Strange but quite possibly true. The physical resemblance between the Pathan tribes of Afghanistan and the Jewish people is remarkable. In fact the British who ruled Afghanistan for many years called the Pathans Jews. Pathans grow beards and sidelocks which make them indistinguishable from Jews. They are fairer in color than other Muslims, and some even have blue eyes and blond hair.

In 586 BCE the majority of the people in the northern kingdom of Israel were forced into exile by the Assyrians. Here is where the journey begins, most likely starting in Iran then migrating through the whole Pakistan Afghanistan area. Jews have lived in Afghanistan since biblical times. As years went on they were forced to convert to Islam.

But Judaic customs die hard. Though the history of these people may have died, the customs still stay strong. One just has to watch television to see the similarities. A Pashtan child at birth is circumcised on the 7th day of life; other Muslims are circumcised at 12 years of age. The Pashtan wear a small tallit-type garment that has four corners to which they tie strings (very similar to tzitzit). They also wear a larger tallit-type garment to cover their heads and shoulders. Some Pashtans wear a small box similar to that of tefillin. They follow customs very similar to Shabbat: a candle is lit to usher in the Shabbat which is considered a day of rest. They do not work, cook, or bake. The candle is lit by the oldest woman of the family.

Some kosher laws prevail. They do not eat horses or camel. There is even a tradition regarding pure and impure birds, similar to that in the Torah. The Pashtan people still carry family names of the lost tribes of Israel such as Asher, Gad, and Reuben. Also found are first names such as Israel and Samuel, which are never found among other Muslims. The legal system of the Pashtans is very similar to that of the Torah. The tribal laws are very different from other Moslem groups.

There are many other similarities between Pashtan and Jewish life. In a Pashtan wedding, the ceremony includes a marriage canopy. The women keep laws similar to the orthodox which forbids contact with husbands during menstruation and immersion in water (mikvah). The Pashtan have customs very similar to that of Yom Kippur. They still keep the custom of scapegoat which was followed in ancient Israel, putting sins on a goat and sending it away. During time of plague the Pashtan still slaughter a goat and put its blood on their doorposts. And even though they are devout Muslims, some even pray facing Jerusalem, or pray at old Jewish temple grounds touching the gates and walls during prayer.

With this information, the next time you watch a TV report what will you see? Will you see people who are waiting to find their true heritage again? Are they doing what they do in anger to fill the emptiness in their lives, the need to find their true identity? Are they our brethren begging us to help them find their way home to God? Is it not our responsibility to help them in this endeavor? Sh'ma Israel.

Roslyn Porcelli