A BRIEF COMMENT REGARDING BRITISH-ISRAEL TEACHING

By Douglas C. Nesbit, B.A.

"Israelites Escaping Into Scythia"
Painting by D.C.Nesbit © 1997 (19.1K)

The following is a brief explanatory statement concerning the origin of our British-Israel view of Bible exposition for the information of those unfamiliar with the views of our organization.

Before listing our statement of purpose, I think it necessary to explain something of our organization's background.

Throughout the history of Britain and that of related peoples, there has existed a long tradition, re-inforced and evidenced by certain archaeological findings, historic artifacts, periodic literary allusions, letters, heraldry and state documents, to the effect that great numbers of those peoples who moved across Europe in tribal segments from the foot of the Caucasus Mountains and from Asia-Minor to settle in pockets sprinkled across the European Continent and beyond, but particularly focusing upon the north-western parts of Europe, were in fact emerging from the broken grip of the Assyrian Empire of ancient times, (See II Esdras 13:39-45).

Those peoples, in part stimulated by the driving force of this perceived identity, have in later centuries become, in the main, Protestant. The bulk of these peoples were, we believe, the descendants of the captive ancient tribes of the Northern House of Israel, known by the Assyrians as the House of Omri (Bit-Khumri), Gamera, Gimera, Cimmerians, Scythians, etc. The Venerable Bede (673-735), in his "Ecclesiastical History of the English Nation", Book I, Chapter I, says "...the Picts, from Scythia, as is reported, putting to sea..."

The Aberbrothock Declaration, 6th April, 1320, sent to Pope John XXII to justify Scottish claims to national independence, signed and sealed by Robert the Bruce and about twenty Scottish Nobles in Parliament, in its preamble, gives a date reference to the "nation of the Scots... passing from the greater Scythia... coming thence [ MEANING "TO SCOTLAND", WHICH THEY MASSIVELY INVADED IN c.500 A.D. -Ed.] one thousand two hundred years after the outgoing of the people of Israel" [ THE CAPTIVE ISRAELITES ESCAPED FROM THE CRUMBLING ASSYRIAN EMPIRE c.700 B.C. -Ed.] - a very inappropriate reference, were they not convinced of their Israelitish origins. Click here for more on The Arbroath Declaration
Genealogical Chart prepared for Elizabeth I, displayed at Hatfield House, in England. In the days of Elizabeth I , this view was the generally prevailing driving force which propelled the leading Elizabethans to their astonishing pre-eminence.
Drake's Letter to John Foxe (Author, "Foxe's Book of Martyrs") 31.4K [Sir Francis Drake's famous letter, to John Foxe, the martyrologist , using the name "Israel" for Britain, for example, is preserved in the Harleian manuscripts (MS 167f. 104). For a partial text, see O.B.C. Recorder, Vol. 87 No. 2, June, 1981.]

Alexander Cruden, the author of the widely used "Cruden's Concordance", evidently knew of the Israelitish background of the British people. His "Cruden's Concordance" first appeared in October, 1737, and was dedicated to Queen Caroline, who died that November. In the Second Edition, printed June 11, 1761, Cruden dedicated this edition to King George III. In the middle of the small print of the one page dedication, following a paragraph which extols the good King Hezekiah of Judah, appears this sentence: "May the great God be the guide of your life, and direct and prosper you, that it may be said by the present and future ages, that KING GEORGE THE THIRD hath been an HEZEKIAH to our British Israel."

During the reign of Queen Victoria , the view thus outlined garnered increasing popular support and interest among certain of the aristocracy, Senior Military, the Church and the Royal Family. (See Queen Victoria Prayerbook, special prayers for "THE TWENTIETH OF JUNE." The words ending one of the special prayers for Queen Victoria on that day are these: "...And that these blessings may be continued to after-ages, let there never be one wanting in her house to succeed her in the government of this United Kingdom, that our posterity may see her children's children, and peace upon Israel. So we that are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, shall give thee thanks for ever, and will always be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation. Amen..")

In July 1920, there emerged with the holding of its First Congress in Britain , an organizational framework called The British-Israel-World Federation, composed of those independent groups of Bible students who, coming from the various orthodox, evangelical and generally Protestant streams of Christianity, wished to promote and sustain this approach to explain and interpret Biblical themes, because it was supportive of the contention that God has honoured His Word in prophecy, concerning the nations of Israel.

Affiliated organizations were soon formed throughout the British Empire and the United States of America. No other identification of the main body of the tribes of Israel seems possible when all the promises are evaluated against the subsequent historic unfolding of events. Click here for a LIST of Some Prophetic Marks

EXPLANATION OF THE SYMBOLISM IN THE B.I. LOGO

The use of the British-Israel Logo in all its variants is
reserved for identification of Federation affiliated bodies.

As the British-Israel-World Federation emerged from this background, it did not in any way try to change orthodox church doctrines regarding the nature and person of Jesus Christ the Second Person of the Trinity, the Word made Flesh, crucified, risen and ascended, now seated at the right hand of God, the coming King, Lord, Redeemer of Israel and Saviour of all those of mankind who are willing to accept His death as substitutionary for their deserved end, and, for love of Him, have his law written in their hearts and lives. Unlike some modern sects, we in no way diverge from the main-line orthodox position of the Protestant Churches on these matters. Thus, we do not hold our organization to be a "sect" (which means a "section" - with a division of doctrine separating from orthodoxy), or a "cult". We do not seek to "recruit" members at the expense of such churches. Our 'raison d'etre' as a Federation is to sustain the recognition of the identity of modern day Israel as the fulfilment of Biblical prophecies, not to teach a new view of Jesus Christ.

While our teaching is based entirely on the Bible and stands without the need of any other source but God's Word, certain observations are consistent with our contentions, and are frequently adduced as points of confirmation. It appears that even particular distinctions of tribe may be discerned among the Israel peoples mentioned.

1. Those of Bond Netherland Israel would support the contention that Holland's population (and the Afrikaner of South Africa), for example, display characteristics similar to, and could well be mainly of, the Tribe of Zebulun.
2. Some ancient Irish stock, (Tuatha De Danaan), the ancient Greeks (whom Romans called "Danoi"), and the present day Danish people, are often claimed to be of Dan. [The Lacedemonian (Spartan) king claimed their descent from Abraham - see I Maccabees 12 or Josephus Book XII, Chapter IV and Book XIII, chapter V:8.]
3. The Jutes of Kent and North Germany may well be of Judah (those 200,150 taken by Assyria as per Sennacherib Prism in the British Museum).
4. The House of Israel generally, under the Birthright tribe of Ephraim, the tribal emblem of which was the wild ox or bull, as worshippers of the golden calf (Heb. "egel" or "engel") were those, we believe, whose descendants came to Britain as "Angles". Some horned helmeted related tribesmen appear among the British chieftains, the Vikings, etc..
5. "In Isaac shall thy seed be called" (Gen. 21:12) is often considered the basis of the name "Saxon".
6. Some Mennonites, similarly, recognize their descent from Israel.
7. More generally, the Hebrew word for captivity or exile, galah or golah is assumed to be the origin of the names "Gaul" (as in the case of the Celtic North Galatians to whom the Epistle to the Galatians was addressed), and even possibly, "Gael", despite linguistic alternatives.
8. Often disputed, but nevertheless upheld, Brith (Hebrew "Covenant") and ish (Hebrew "man") are seen to find modern expression in "British", descended from the man to whom the covenant was given, Jacob, (Israel) - Genesis 28:11-22. Consistent with this is the fact that the Coronation Stone, until very recently in Westminster Abbey, is stated to be Jacob's Pillow Stone, entrusted to the care of Joseph's descendants (Genesis 49:24).
9. The Tribal descendants of Reuben are sometimes tentatively identified with the French Huguenots and (Breton) French Canadians.
10. Many Swiss, and many scattered pockets found in Poland, Germany, Austria, North Italy (Lombards), Northern Spain and Portugal and most of the Baltic and Scandinavian peoples, among others, are also assumed to be Israelites - not just the British and Americans as is so often mis-represented by opponents.

SOME HIGHLY SPECULATIVE THOUGHTS ON THE "SEARCH FOR THE LOST TRIBES" BY NON-B.I.'S
If one is anxious to do a bit of HIGHLY SPECULATIVE anthropological hypothesizing, the faint possibility should also not be overlooked that certain Asian peoples ARE IN SOME MEASURE of racially related stock. [Do Brahmins, for example, stem from Abraham and Keturah: Genesis 25:1-6? What of the Sikhs, of whom some trace to the "Jat", or "Juta" Tribe. They possibly come in part of Scythian immigrants. (Enc. Brit. 11th Ed.) After all, Keturah's sons WERE sent eastward by Abraham and they must have gone to reside somewhere in Asia! Are some Afghans also able to claim a genealogical trace from the Greek Army of Alexander The Great?]

A letter from the Chief Rabbi's office, London, November 18, 1918 , to Capt. Merton Smith, Canadian Forestry Corps, shows that the Jewish people do not claim to comprise all the tribes of Israel, nor even the total of the descendants of the House of Judah.

Note From Bob Barney: The Plain Truth: Although we do not totally agree with every aspect of what these historians believe, I feel it is important to give our readers the total view of our contention that WE ARE LOST ISRAEL!  This is not my idea, or the Armstrong's; this view is centuries old and has been "hidden" from us! Why? That is what you must ask yourself! The silence of this subject must end, and we must understand who we are in the Bible! FOR MORE ON MY RESEARCH on this subject, CLICK HERE.....