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British Israelism (sometimes called Anglo-Israelism) is a Christian theology (though largely rejected by mainstream Christianity), based on the premise that many early British people, Europeans and/or their royal families were direct lineal descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel and in some cases of the Tribe of Judah. Most of the adherents base these ideas largely on their interpretation of Biblical passages relating to the historical Houses of Israel and Judah, and the Hebrew diaspora. The theory was greatly expanded and promoted to justify the break of the Church of England from the authority of the Vatican and the Roman Catholic Church under King Henry VIII, by claiming that the English were among the Lost Tribes of Israel.

Due to the Restorationist tendencies of the adherents, there has rarely been a central head, recognized leadership, or organizational structure to the movement. This has led to a diverse set of professions and beliefs ancillary to the genealogical claims. The ancillary doctrines held by some can often be contradictory to those held by others. In a similar fashion to Judaism and to a lesser degree Islam the central theme revolves around the genetic connection of the believers with Biblical characters such as Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.

Most strands of British Israelism agree that large numbers of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel were deported by Sargon II, king of Assyria, on the fall of Samaria in 721 BC,^[1] eventually migrating to Northern Europe, the British Isles, and with European colonization eventually North and South America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa and elsewhere around the globe.

Contents 1 Legend and folklore 2 The Saka 3 General overview 4 Theology involves claim of racial lineage 5 Growth and spread of belief 6 Modern adherents 7 Critics of this theory 8 Genetic Testing and DNA Evidence 9 Critics of The British Israel Theory 10 Key writings and people 11 References 12 See also 12.1 Compare with 13 External links

Many early legends abound in ancient British folklore suggesting a link to the Holy Land. These include but are not limited to:

1. The story that Joseph of Arimathea (Jesus' alleged uncle) traveled to Cornwall sometime after Christ's crucifixion and established an early Christian community,^[2]
2. Suggestions that the Stone of Scone might be Jacob's Pillar or Jacob's Pillow Stone,
3. Legends that the Israelite prophet Jeremiah may have been the "Olam Fadlah" of Celtic lore,
4. The legend that Tamar Tea Tephi the ancient matriarch of the Royal House may have been the daughter of Zedekiah king of Judah and that her sister Scota may have been the matriarch of the "Scots",^[3]
5. The legends of the Historia Regum Britanniae connecting Britain to the Mediterranian and Middle East and detailing early English genealogies.
6. The coming of Brutus of Troy (Britis) to Great Britain after the burning of Troy and his genealogy leading to the Israelite tribe of Benjamin,
7. The Matter of Britain detailing the Arthurian Legend.
8. The claims by Henry VIII to be descended from King Arthur,^[4] who legend has it was the eighth generation from Joseph of Aramathea.^[5]
9. The claim that Saint Paul visited Britain.

Each of these legends have been incorporated into the British Israel belief. Regardless of the accuracy of the details of these legends, each of them are evidence of a belief by British people and those descended from them for hundreds and even thousands of years in a tangible genetic connection between the people of Britain and the people of the Holy land.

The key component of British Israelism is their representation of the migrations of the Lost Tribes of Israel. They often suggest that the Behistun Inscription has provided an invaluable missing link. George Rawlinson, Sir Henry Rawlinson's younger brother, connected the Saka/Gimiri of the Behistun Inscription with deported Israelites:

“

We have reasonable grounds for regarding the Gimirri, or Cimmerians, who first appeared on the confines of Assyria and Media in the seventh century B.C., and the Sacae of the Behistun Rock, nearly two centuries later, as identical with the Beth-Khumree of Samaria, or the Ten Tribes of the House of Israel.[6]

”

The inscription connects the people known in Old Persian and Elamite as Saka, Sacae or Scythian with the people known in Babylonian as Gimirri or Cimmerian. This is important because the Assyrians referred to the Northern Kingdom of Israel in their records as the "House of Khumri", named after Israel's King Omri of the 8th century BCE. Phonetically "Khumri", "Omri", and "Gimiri" are similar.^[7]

“

It should be made clear from the start that the terms 'Cimmerian' and 'Scythian' were interchangeable: in Akkadian the name Iskuzai (Asguzai) occurs only exceptionally. Gimirrai (Gamir) was the normal designation for 'Cimmerians' as well as 'Scythians' in Akkadian.[8]

”

The archeologist E. Raymond Capt asserted that there were similarities between King Jehu's pointed Saka style headdress and that of the captive Saka king seen to the far right on the Behistun Inscription as shown in the photo of the Black Obelisk to the right.^[9] King Jehu of Israel was a successor to King Omri of the Northern Kingdom of Israel.

Adherents of British Israelism assert that the Saka-Scythians migrated north and west after the Persian King Cyrus the Great conquered the city of Babylon. History suggests that these Scythians were forced further north and west by migrating / invading Sarmatians. The Sarmatians were also called “Scythians” by the Greeks. To differentiate between the two, Herodotus suggests that the former “Scythians” were called "Germain Scythians" (meaning "True Scythian"), while the Sarmatians were still merely called “Scythians”. This theory suggests the term "Germain Scythian" is synonymous with "Germanii". or in modern times "Germanic" or "German".

The ancient scholars Bede and Tacitus both agree^[10] that before the time of Christ German and Teutonic tribes began to migrate to the British Isles forcing the early Britons to the western portion of Britain. The earliest of these Germanic settlers were the Angles and Jutes beginning before the time of Christ, followed by the "Great Saxon Invasion" (between 450 and 600 AD), and culminating with the "Danish Conquest" (787-1070 AD). This Germanic element came to Britain from the same region in which the Scythians had settled in Northern Europe, and brought with them laws, and customs remarkably similar to the ancient Israelites.^[11] Some of these customs, laws and traditions were codified by Alfred the Great in his famous "Dooms" (see Doom Book ), which were a nearly direct quote from Exodus chapters 20 through 23. According to William Blackstone in his famous "Commentaries on the Laws of England", the Dooms and these ancient customs became the cornerstone of British Common Law.^[12]

Late nineteenth-century Celtic language scholar John Rhys suggested

“

...the (Celtic) Kymry were for some time indifferently called Cambria or Cumbria, the Welsh word on which they are based being, as now written, Cymru ... and is there pronounced nearly as an Englishman would treat it if spelled Kumry or KUMRI.'].[13]

”

Rhys argued that both Celts and the Scythians came from an area south-east of the Black Sea, and migrated westward to the coast of Europe, comparing the name of the Welsh for themselves, Cymry, with the name of the Cimmerians "Kumri". He suggested the names Iberia for Spain, and Hibernia for Ireland were connected to a variation of "Hebrew" and that this was evidenced in philology. ^[14]

Some researchers^{[attribution needed]} suggest that the burial customs of the Scythians and Vikings also show similarities to ancient Israelites, for which many have argued a common origin in support of British Israelism.^[15]

As with Judaism, British Israelism asserts theologically-related claims of a genetic link to the early Israelites. As such, it is based on a genealogical construct. This belief is typically confined to the geo-political status or the prophetical identity of the nation, not to the individual's superiority or salvation status with God.

Due to the disorganized structure of the movement, other elements of belief and key doctrines may be embraced by individual adherents. These elements occasionally take on extreme forms, as exemplified by the Christian Identity Movement with some of its historic roots in British-Israelism, but the core belief of British Israelism is that the Anglo-Saxon peoples of Britain and Northern Europe have a direct genetic connection to the Ancient Israelites mentioned in the Bible.

The British Israel belief is a true theology or religious belief, in some quarters having well-developed religious concepts. British Israel, like the Christian Identity movement, denies the role of Jesus Christ in providing forgiveness of sins through his substitutionary atonement through his death on the cross, and asserts instead an elaborate set of beliefs based purely on racial identity alone. In this theology, those who are the Lost Tribe(s) of Israel enjoy God's favor simply on account of their race -- usually equated with being of the White race -- and will go to heaven because of their racial identity alone. In their view, other races and people groups do not and can never obtain God's favor because they are not Israelites, and are doomed to hell on account of their racial identity.

Although British-Israelists will cite various ancient manuscripts to show an ancient origin for British Israelism, the belief appears to have gained momentum since the English Revolution and especially during the "Restorationist" movement (late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries). John Sadler published The Rights of the Kingdom in 1649. However it was in the late 1700s during a religious climate of Millenarianism that it became a distinct ideology thanks to the preaching and writings of two men, Richard Brothers and John Wilson. Other books from this period detailing this theory were Ezra Stiles' The United States elevated to Glory and Honor, published in 1783 and Richard Brothers' A Revealed Knowledge of the Prophecies and Times, published in 1794. Also cited as an original work is Rev. John Wilson's Our Israelitish Origins which was originally published during the 1840s. Brothers was certainly the first of the two to begin to expound his version of British-Israelism, but many have suggested he lacked credibility due to his alleged mental illness and extreme tendencies. Wilson, on the other hand, developed the idea using Scripture and history combined with logic and reason.

Wilson’s ideas were to be refined and new ideas developed, well into the second half of the nineteenth century. Wilson had already begun to spread his message by public lecture, but no formal organizations or movement was formed under his leadership. British Israelism was seen as amusing to some, fascinating to others, but it did not seem to develop any sort of organizational structure until the late half of the nineteenth century at the hands of, Edward Hine and Edward Wheeler Bird.

In 1919 the British-Israel-World Federation was founded in London near Buckingham Palace. During this time many prominent British citizens patronized this organization. Perhaps one of the most notable of these members being the Prime Minister of New Zealand at the time William Massey. This organization continues to this day with its main headquarters located in Bishop Auckland in Co. Durham. It continues to maintain local chapters throughout the British Isles and throughout the world.

The late Professor Roger Rusk (1906 - 1994), brother of former U.S. Secretary of State Dean Rusk, was a prominent teacher of British Israelism. He spent 13 years as a public school teacher, and 28 years as a professor at the University of Tennessee, where he held the position as Emeritus Professor of Physics. He was also a member of American Physical Society and the Tennessee Academy of Science.

Pastor Arnold Murray, of the Shepherd’s Chapel, a registered non-profit organization in the State of Arkansas, also embraces the British Israel belief. His teaching is broadcast regularly via satellite.

Some groups that follow the original teaching of Herbert W. Armstrong adhere to this doctrine. Armstrong was the founder and Pastor-General of the Radio Church of God from its foundation around 1934, through its re-naming in 1968 as the Worldwide Church of God, until a week before his death in 1986. Armstrong in chapter 5 of his Mystery of Ages (1985), "The Assyrians settled in central Europe, and the Germans, undoubtedly, are, in part, the descendents of the ancient Assyrians." (p. 183). In this, Armstrong draws upon the opinions of Herman L. Hoeh, published in his 1963 Compendium of World History.^[16] On the fourth page of his book, The United States and Britain in Prophecy (1980), Armstrong maintained that this theory is a master key to understanding Biblical end-time prophecy. The current Worldwide Church of God has abandoned this doctrine and offers a detailed explanation of the doctrine's origin and abandonment at their official website. ^[17]

In Britain, the theology of British Israelism has been taught by a few small Pentecostal churches including the (now-defunct) Bible-Pattern Church Fellowship, an early offshoot of the Elim Pentecostal Church (which, however, does not hold to the British Israel doctrine). In London the Orange Street Congregational Church^[18] also teaches a form of British Israelism. In Australia, the Christian Revival Crusade, founded by Leo Harris once but no longer teaches this theology. However, its prominent offshoot the Revival Centres International and its own various offshoots continue to teach the doctrine.

Some have suggested that the references made in the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath to the ancient nation of Israel infers that the authors of the Declaration believed in a racial connection between the Scots and the ancient Israelites.

Due to the expansive nature of the British Empire, believers in British Israelism spread worldwide but is most prevalent in the Commonwealth nations including Canada, New Zealand, Australia, and Belize. Nations with large populations of British and Northern European descendants such as the United States, South Africa, Ireland, and Argentina also contain groups of believers in British Israelism. Although no comprehensive database exists, it is now possible that there are more who embrace this belief outside of Britain, than within it.

Critics of this theory state that the Assyrian chronicles of the time claim that only a small number of Israelites were deported.^{[citation needed]}

Many critics question the authenticity of the ancient sources cited by those espousing British Israelism.^{[citation needed]} These critics suggest that British Israelism should be classified as a new religious movement.

Critics suggest any similarities between British and European Culture and that of the Israelites are only coincidence.^{[citation needed]}

Some critics have questioned the alleged references to ancient Israel in the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath. They suggest the Declaration does not explicitly claim descent from the "people of Israel". Critics insist the reference is likely making a comparison between, on the one hand, the Scots making an exodus across a sea from the barbarism of Spain, and entering their own "promised land" of Scotland; and on the other hand, the Biblical exodus of the Israelites from Egypt across a sea into the promised land of Israel. These critics assert such a comparison could be based equally well on the Scots' seeing themselves as a Christian nation and therefore chosen of God, as on the supposition that Scots actually believed they were literally descended from the Israelites.

Some have suggested that British Israelism belongs in the category of Pseudohistory.^{[citation needed]} These same critics have suggested the justification for these claims rests in contrary DNA evidence.^{[citation needed]}

The British Israel theology depends upon a direct genetic link of Britons with ancient Israel in the Middle East. However, modern DNA studies on the Y-Chromosome of Jews worldwide such as the Human Genome Project have determined that modern Jews share common semitic (Middle Eastern) origins dating back to a common genetic source 3000 years ago in the Middle East, presumably Israel, but that Europeans and particularly Britons share no such genetic connection to ancient Israel. While Jews are genetically tied to the region of Israel, they are sharply divergent genetically from Britons and other Europeans. Thus, on a genetic level from DNA analyses of the populations there appears to be no link between Britons and the Middle East or ancient Israel.

A study published by the National Academy of Sciences found that "The results support the hypothesis that the paternal gene pools of Jewish communities from Europe, North Africa, and the Middle East descended from a common Middle Eastern ancestral population, and suggest that most Jewish communities have remained relatively isolated from neighboring non-Jewish communities during and after the Diaspora." [3]

Modern Jews of the priesthood tribe -- or "Cohanim" -- share a common ancestor in Israel dating back approximately 3000 years, 1700 years older than the Khazar conversion to Judaism. This result is consistent for all Jewish populations no matter where they are found around the world. ^[19] [4]

"The results accord with Jewish history and tradition and refute theories like those holding that Jewish communities consist mostly of converts from other faiths, or that they are descended from the Khazars, a medieval Turkish tribe that adopted Judaism." [5] ^[20]

Moreover, "The analysis provides genetic witness that these communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries." Id. And "Another finding, paradoxical but unsurprising, is that by the yardstick of the Y chromosome, the world's Jewish communities closely resemble not only each other but also Palestinians, Syrians and Lebanese, suggesting that all are descended from a common ancestral population that inhabited the Middle East some four thousand years ago. Id. (Emphasis added.)

Critics of this theory state that the Assyrian chronicles of the time claim that only a small number of Israelites were deported from Israel.^{[citation needed]}. Furthermore, it is asserted that British Israel's use of the word "deported" is deceptive, in that according to the Bible the Israelites were taken captive by the Assyrians and held as slaves. The British Israel theory suggests that the Israelites were driven out of Israel, but were free to wander, whereas the Biblical account emphasizes the captivity of Israel unable to leave or move about at will.

Other critics point to the geographical challenges of the theory, in that the Bible places the Israelites' last known position approximately in modern day Iraq or Iran, deep within a hostile empire unwilling to allow the Israelite slaves to escape. Travel of escaping Israelites through the entire length of the Assyrian Empire to the West would seem highly improbable as opposed to escape -- if any such escape occurred -- to the North into what is today Southern Russia or to the East toward China.

Furthermore, the theory depends upon a mass migration of large numbers of escaped Assyrian slaves. Rather than asserting that a handful of escaping Israelites found their way to Britain to live among the British population, the theory asserts that the entire British people, or most of the population at least, consists of Israelites who migrated en masse across all of Europe and across the English Channel. Although the technology unquestionably existed to transport a shipload of people from the European continent to the British Isles, no capability existed at the time to transport a mass migration of escaped Israelite slaves from Assyria across the English Channel.

Many critics question the authenticity of the ancient sources cited by those espousing British Israelism.^{[citation needed]} These critics suggest that British Israelism should be classified as a new religious movement.

Critics suggest any similarities between British and European Culture and that of the Israelites are only coincidence.^{[citation needed]}

Furthermore, the religion of the British Isles prior to the arrival of Christianity -- by a known pathway that did not involve Israelites -- consisted of polytheism mainly under the Druids, while the core belief of Israelites is monotheism in the worship of one God. The culture and religion of the British Isles is sharply in conflict with the core beliefs of the Israelites in worshipping a single God. Had the Israelites resettled in the British Isles, they would have had to completely abandon their entire belief system, and maintain no trace of the Israelite religion.

Some critics have questioned the alleged references to ancient Israel in the Scottish Declaration of Arbroath. They suggest the Declaration does not explicitly claim descent from the "people of Israel." Critics insist the reference is likely making a comparison between, on the one hand, the Scots making an exodus across a sea from the barbarism of Spain, and entering their own "promised land" of Scotland; and on the other hand, the Biblical exodus of the Israelites from Egypt across a sea into the promised land of Israel. These critics assert such a comparison could be based equally well on the Scots' seeing themselves as a Christian nation and therefore chosen of God, as on the supposition that Scots actually believed they were literally descended from the Israelites.

Some have suggested that British Israelism belongs in the category of Pseudohistory.^{[citation needed]} These same critics have suggested the justification for these claims rests in contrary DNA evidence.^{[citation needed]}

Critics of the British-Israel rejectionism, are quick to point out contrary evidence, and the idea that city names in England such as "Yarmouth" arose without any real historical connection to Ancient Israel should be dismissed as lacking basis. For example, the article from the Scotsman entitled "One in five Scots has blood tie to ancient Iraq" should cast serious doubt to accepting spurious DNA patterns as justification for utterly dismissing other more obvious geographic and cultural evidence.[6]

Biblical reference to Judah being of darker skin, and the story of the patriarch Judah himself having a child by a Canaanite woman may also explain genetic differences between modern Jews and the British people while also explaining similarity to modern day Arab people. Moreover, the idea of ancient British people as having a religious system entirely unknown to ancient biblical writers should be dismissed considering that the river "Aven" shares the same name as a principal region of idolatrous practices mentioned in various bible prophecies. Some descendants of the inhabitants of the same region even have family traditions which say that the real name for the same river is actually not even "Aven" at all, but in fact "Beith Muin Ailm," dismissing connection with some of the more widespread ancient customs which are looked down on as unfavorable for the aforementioned reason.

Early books connecting British Israelism to North America include:

• J. H. Allen, Judah’s Sceptre and Joseph’s Birthright, fifteenth edition (Haverhill, Mass.: Destiny Publishers, [1902] 1917)
• W. G. Mackendrick (The Roadbuilder), The Destiny of Britain and America, new edition, revised (Toronto: McClelland & Stewart, 1922).

Other books connecting British Israelism to North America include:

• H. W. Armstrong, The United States and Britain in Prophecy, 1954, 1967. 2005 edition (Edmund, OK: Philadelphia Church of God, 2005)

• Steven M Collins,The Origins and Empire of Ancient Israel, 2002; Israel's Lost Empires, 2002; Parthia: The Forgotten Superpower and its Role in Biblical History, 2003; and Israel's Tribes Today, 2005

Key people include:

• Richard Brothers (1757–1824) was well known as both an early believer and teacher of this theory concerning the Lost Ten Tribes.

• Charles Piazzi Smyth, the Pyramidologist and Astronomer Royal for Scotland.

• William H. Poole was a minister known for his 1889 book titled Anglo-Israel or the Saxon Race?: Proved to be the Lost Tribes of Israel.

• J. H. Allen authored Judah's Sceptre and Joseph's Birthright which many have claimed formed the basis of a later foundation for the teachings of Herbert W. Armstrong on this same subject.

• C. A. L. Totten Professor of Military Tactics at Yale, wrote countless articles and books advocating British Israelism, including a 26 volume series entitled "Our Race".

• William Massey, the Prime Minister of New Zealand from 1912 to 1925.

Early books refuting the historical and theological basis of Anglo-Israelism include:

• Baron, David. The History of the Ten "Lost" Tribes: Anglo-Israelism Examined. 1915.

• British-Israel-World Federation
• Ten Lost Tribes
• Assyria-Germany connection
• Two House Theology
• Christian Identity
• Christianity and Judaism
• Supersessionism
• Christian Zionism
• Judeo-Christian
• Christianity and Biblical prophecy
• Christianity and anti-Semitism
• Jewish Christians
• Messianic Judaism
• Unification Church and anti-Semitism
• Roger Rusk
• Arnold Murray (pastor)
• "And did those feet in ancient time"
• Declaration of Arbroath
• Descent from antiquity
• Stone of Scone
• John Rhys

• Black Hebrew Israelites
• Rastafari movement
• Mormon view of the House of Joseph

• Anglo-Israelism and British Israelism by B.A. Robinson, at Religious Tolerance.org
• British-Israelism/Anglo-Israelism by Brian T. Ullman, at Religious Movements
• British Israel - Fact or Fiction? by Alan Campbell, B.A.
• Imperial British-Israelism: Justification for an Empire. (1987) by Gregory S. Neal
• British Israelism by Gary A. Hand
• Elizabeth II on the Throne of David and Solomon
• Brit Am by Yair Davidiy
• The Ten Lost Tribes (Chart)
• The Coronation Chair By the British Government
• The origin of British Israelism
• Jewish Encyclopedia entry on Anglo-Israelism
• "The Spirit and the Bride", articles emphasising scriptural sources
• The "Lost Tribes" of Israel - They Are NOT British