A decade ago, I first came across an author who lumped Twelve Tribes into one and called them all Jewish.
1 Periodically, I have observed the same conflation, but in the past few weeks, I have been reading another author
2 who incredibly, persistently conflates twelve into one, which motivated this post. However, if we know our history (and it hasn’t been corrupted too much), we know, in summary, that
▪ Moses led Twelve Tribes of Israel (aka Jacob) out of bondage in Egypt (being descendants of Jacob’s 12 sons in order of birth: Reuben(L), Simeon(L), Levi(L), Judah(L), Dan(B), Naphtali(B), Gad(Z), Asher(Z), Issachar(L), Zebulun(L), Joseph(R) [Manasseh, Ephraim], and Benjamin(R)3;
▪ after 40 years of wandering in the wilderness with the fickle faithful,4 Moses died (as well as all the old fearful), then Joshua led the young posterity of the twelve sons of Israel across the Jordan River into their Promised Land flowing with milk and honey5;
▪ the land west of the Jordan was divided amongst 9½ Tribes with Reuben’s, Gad’s, and half of Manasseh’s posterity assigned lands east of the Jordan; see map here6;
▪ after years of wars with their pagan neighbors and a few conflicts amongst themselves, their judges-system was abandoned in favor of a royal-system, much to the dismay of Samuel the prophet7;
▪ after a disappointing king Saul, a war-plagued king David, and a wise-then-foolish king
Solomon, the “united” kingdom split in two: Solomon’s foolish son Rehoboam hanging onto the South (with Tribe Judah and Tribe Benjamin8), while Ahijah-anointed Jeroboam took the North Ten Tribes in an idolatrous direction in order to preserve his power9;
▪ the kings of the divided North and South sometimes helped, sometimes hindered each other until the South-Judah king Ahaz invited Assyria to settle a conflict with his pesky, perfidious Northern brethren10
▪ circa 722 BC, rapacious Assyria consented and, as was Assyria's tyrannical custom, exported the North conquered peoples to some distant land (Lost Ten Tribes?) while importing other conquered peoples to take the lands of the displaced11;
▪ that temporarily solved the North-South “brotherly” divide but then Babylon took the reigns of power from Assyria and soon (circa 587 BC) displaced much of Tribe Judah+ (including Daniel, et al.) to Babylon12;
▪ 70 years later some of Tribe Judah returned to Jerusalem to rebuild where they encountered Samaritans whose traditions claimed Hebrew ancestry; thus, the divide resurfaced and endured for hundreds of years as we read in the Gospel accounts13;
▪ Note: Not all of the Ten (722 BC) or all of Tribes Judah / Benjamin (587 BC) were displaced. Some of the poor remained and undoubtedly mixed and intermarried with other tribe members or with other imported locals. For example, the family of Book of Mormon Lehi were of Tribe Manasseh living in the environs of Jerusalem in 600 BC.14
So how do we sort this all out? Who is a Jew? Who is a different Semite15? Who is a Gentile?
Well, as DNA testing has shown, all of us are a mixed medley of genetics. Assyria and Babylon helped orchestrate that mix-up early on by exporting and importing numerous tribal populations, including the Twelve of Israel, not to mention the natural catastrophes, famines, and other wars in history that set other populations on the move. By now, the majority of the world must have, at least, a trace of Abraham in their genetics, considering that he had at least 8 biological sons,
16 (and perhaps a number of daughters). Granted, the “seed” chosen to be a blessing and light to the world (according to the Bible) was through Abraham's son Isaac and his grandson Jacob/Israel, but the whole batch of Twelve Tribes of Israel consistently failed their promise and potential (
like most of us, Gentiles included). As
Abraham Heschel wrote:
Here is man whom God had made and to whom He had given dominion over sea and land. Here is a people whom God had chosen and redeemed from agony and slavery, a people to whom He gave His Torah, a land, prosperity, and prophets. And this people whose destiny was to be a witness to the living God and a light to the nations, betrayed His teachings, turned to idols, and abandoned Him. The Judge of the world cried His protest again and again. But the people remained deaf to the prophets.17
Throughout history, only a remnant seems to have grasp the Plan, with the majority recycling perpetually through the laments of Moses and God:
27 For I [Moses] know thy rebellion, and thy stiff neck: behold, while I am yet alive with you this day, ye have been rebellious against the LORD; and how much more after my death? ...
29 For I know that after my death ye will utterly corrupt yourselves, and turn aside from the way which I have commanded you; and evil will befall you in the latter days; because ye will do evil in the sight of the LORD, to provoke him to anger through the work of your hands (Old Testament | Deuteronomy 31:27, 29; for God’s lament see footnote 4 below).
So who are the descendants of Tribe Judah? What does the DNA reveal? In recent months, a new vlog
18 has come forth (March15, 2023) with fascinating data worth studying (along with its pro and con comments):
THE MYSTERY OF ANCIENT ISRAELITE DNA
(Unraveling the Scriptures | Apr 26. 2024 |Time 10:20 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_1xF12jM4rc
THE ORIGIN OF THE MIZRAHI JEWS: ARE THEY REAL JEWS?
(Unraveling the Scriptures | May 6, 2024 | Time 11:03 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNCXx5Yrgu8&t=2s
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PNCXx5Yrgu8
In addition, this observation:
The Difference Between Judaism and Israel Explained
Andrew Bustamante | May 5, 2024 | Time 2:16 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6hBzeWTOsMw
NOTE: Bustamante's praise of the CIA in other interviews is not in accord with history, human nature, or R.I.C.E (https://dejavu-times.blogspot.com/2024/04/the-price-of-rice.html).
It appears that cultural and religious affiliations are a large part of what makes a Jew, but
another conflation error, with tragic historical and current day consequences, is to lump all Jews (genetic, religious, cultural) into one unity, discounting the diversity in thought, opinion, character, feeling, etc., inherent in every group. Every group, Jew, Arab, Gentile, Black, White, Chinese, Japanese, et al. al. al. has their share of authoritarian scoundrels who pursue and claim entitlement to dominate and to reconfigure the world. History is rife with scoundrels, but they do not and should not define an entire group. To label any person, Jew or Gentile, as antisemitic or racist or ...phobic if they criticize or oppose some favored agenda or narrative distorts truth. Some rabbis have even labelled other Jews as antisemitic for differing from the scripted view. Jews are as diverse in their opinions, perspectives, hopes, and dreams as any other group.
19 And this current rise of persecution of any identifiable Jew is
conflation at its tragic worst. It is the very spirit of Nazism writ-large, whatever the alleged justification. Yes, there are plenty of scoundrels in the history (and current events) of Tribe Judah, just as there are plenty in the history of Tribe Ephraim, not to mention “Tribes” Germany, Russia, China, Japan, USA, and on and on. Conflation leads to confusion, chaos, and criminality, as we presently witness on our college campuses, and elsewhere.
If we knew our history, we would know that many elites-of-domination (within every nation, kindred, tongue, and people) seek and eventually attain power in nigh every GO and NGO worldwide. That is the nature of the power-beast. Orchestrating conflation is one of their primary tools for managing peoples and power. In today's global, technified, power-mad world, we can be pretty sure that whatever we perceive as truth is probably more than half programming, propaganda, and perfidy. And if we ask any difficult questions of the
powers or their servitors, we risk some blanket label designed to shut down thought and discourse. But thought and discourse are crucial to unravelling regional and global conflicts. Are we to ignore conflations that distort because we are afraid of labels and ideological dogmatists who claim teflon-immunity to criticism or questions?
As I conclude this post on
Confused About the Jews? Part I: Conflation, can I even ask:
Have we also conflated the land?
 |
| Map source - footnote 20 |
And if we have conflated the land, what does that say about the “Gathering” (which I intend to ponder in Part II)?
-------------------------------------/
1. Wilder, Lynn K..
Unveiling Grace. Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
‘Mike’s blessing said, “The blood of Ephraim flows in your veins.”
Wow, he had a Jewish heritage? Later I searched his genealogy, since we were encouraged to find the names of dead ancestors to take with us to the temple for their saving ordinances,
but I didn’t find any Jewish ancestry’ (p. 46, bold emphasis added).
In another story, she tells of a Palestinian who asked her, “I lived in Arizona and met some Mormons. They told me they are Jews, something about adoption. Can you explain?” In her reply, she explains about the various Tribes, but again seems to leave the impression that if one is of a Tribe, one is a Jew (p. 303).
2. Connelly, Douglas.
The Book of Revelation Made Clear: A User-Friendly Look at the Bible’s Most Complicated Book. Zondervan. Kindle Edition.
Despite the clarity of New Testament | Revelation 7:4-8:
4 And I heard the number of them which were sealed: and there were sealed an hundred and forty and four thousand
of all the tribes of the children of Israel.
5 Of the tribe of
Juda were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Reuben were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Gad were sealed twelve thousand.
6 Of the tribe of
Aser were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Nepthalim were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Manasses were sealed twelve thousand.
7 Of the tribe of
Simeon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Levi were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Issachar were sealed twelve thousand.
8 Of the tribe of
Zabulon were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Joseph were sealed twelve thousand. Of the tribe of
Benjamin were sealed twelve thousand .
The author writes;
“
144,000 Jewish believers receive God’s seal on their foreheads” (p. 104).
“They hear about Jesus and come to believe (we assume) through the testimony of the
144,000 Jewish believers who are sealed by God’s angel” (p. 110).
“Not only will the
144,000 Jewish believers stand through the Tribulation because of God’s protection; a huge throng of people will also turn to Christ in faith and will stand in God’s presence in heaven” (p. 113; also pp. 118, 196, 231, 330, 332).
3. Bracket letter stands for the mother of the son: Leah, Bilhah, Zilpah, Rachel. Joseph obtains a double portion of inheritance through his sons Manasseh and Ephraim. Levi, the priestly order obtains no land inheritance, but cities in each of his brothers lands.
4. which seems to be the repeating human condition (Hebrew, Israelite, or Gentile) forever cycling between loyalty and disloyalty.
Old Testament | Deuteronomy 31:16 16 ¶ And the LORD said unto Moses, Behold, thou shalt sleep with thy fathers; and this people will rise up, and go a whoring after the gods of the strangers of the land, whither they go to be among them, and will forsake me, and break my covenant which I have made with them.
5.
Old Testament | Exodus 3:7-8 7 ¶ And the LORD said, I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt, and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I know their sorrows;
8 And I am come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and honey; unto the place of the Canaanites, and the Hittites, and the Amorites, and the Perizzites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites.
6.
Old Testament | Joshua 13:Heading
I
nheritance of Reuben, Gad, and one half of Manasseh confirmed.
MAP of land division:
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:12_Tribes_of_Israel_Map.svg“English: Map of the territories allotted to the "twelve tribes of Israel" according to the Book of Joshua, chapters 13–19, before the move of Dan to the North. Note that these territories were only allegedly allotted to said tribes, and the texts themselves indicate that the tribes had troubles conquering all these areas and cities from the native peoples. The Biblical account may also be far from historically accurate, and has been disputed by scholars.”
7.
https://voices-from-the-dust.blogspot.com/2024/01/446-warning-manner-of-kings-then-now.html
8.
Old Testament | 1 Kings 12:21 21 ¶ And when Rehoboam was come to Jerusalem, he assembled all the house of Judah, with the tribe of Benjamin, an hundred and fourscore thousand chosen men, which were warriors, to fight against the house of Israel, to bring the kingdom again to Rehoboam the son of Solomon.
9.
Old Testament | 1 Kings 12:Heading
Rehoboam seeks to impose greater burdens upon the people—The ten tribes revolt and turn to Jeroboam—Jeroboam turns to idolatry and worships false gods.
10.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 16:7 7 So [king] Ahaz [of Judah] sent messengers to Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, saying, I am thy servant and thy son: come up, and save me out of the hand of the king of Syria, and out of the hand of the king of Israel, which rise up against me.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ahaz
11.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 15:Heading
Divers kings reign in Israel and in Judah—Their wickedness, wars, conspiracies, and evils set forth—Much of Israel is carried captive to Assyria by Tiglath-pileser.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 15:29 29 In the days of Pekah king of Israel came Tiglath-pileser king of Assyria, and took Ijon, and Abel-beth-maachah, and Janoah, and Kedesh, and Hazor, and Gilead, and Galilee, all the land of Naphtali, and carried them captive to Assyria.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 17:Heading
Hoshea reigns in Israel and is subject to the Assyrians—Israel forsakes the Lord, worships idols, serves Baal, and rejects all that the Lord gave them—The ten tribes are carried away captive by kings of Assyria—Land of Israel (Samaria) repopulated by other people—Many forms of false worship found among the Samaritans.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 17:1, 3-6 1 IN the twelfth year of Ahaz king of Judah began Hoshea the son of Elah to reign in Samaria over Israel nine years. ...
3 ¶ Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria; and Hoshea became his servant, and gave him presents.
4 And the king of Assyria found conspiracy in Hoshea: for he had sent messengers to So king of Egypt, and brought no present to the king of Assyria, as he had done year by year: therefore the king of Assyria shut him up, and bound him in prison.
5 ¶ Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria, and besieged it three years.
6 ¶ In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
12.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 24:Heading
Jerusalem besieged and taken by Nebuchadnezzar—Many of Judah carried captive into Babylon—Zedekiah becomes king in Jerusalem—He rebels against Babylon.
Old Testament | 2 Kings 25:Heading
Nebuchadnezzar again besieges Jerusalem—Zedekiah is captured, Jerusalem and the temple destroyed, and most of Judah carried into Babylon—Gedaliah, left to govern the remnant, is slain—The remnant flee to Egypt—Jehoiachin is shown favor in Babylon.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 5:Heading
J
udgments shall be poured out upon the Jews because of their sins—Their iniquities cause blessings to be withheld from them.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 39:Heading
Jerusalem is taken and the people captivated—Jeremiah and Ebed-melech, the Ethiopian, are preserved.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 40:Heading
The king of Babylon makes Gedaliah governor over the remnant of Jews left in Judah—Jeremiah is freed and dwells among them.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 42:Heading
Jeremiah promises Johanan and the remnant of Judah peace and safety if they remain in Judah, but a sword and famine and pestilence if they go to Egypt.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 43:Heading
Johanan carries Jeremiah and the remnant of Judah into Egypt—Jeremiah prophesies that Babylon shall conquer Egypt.
Old Testament | Jeremiah 44:Heading
Jeremiah prophesies that the Jews in Egypt, save a small remnant, shall be destroyed because they worship false gods.
Old Testament | Ezra 9:Heading
Many Jews intermarry with, and follow the abominations of, the Canaanites and others—Ezra prays, and confesses the sins of all the people.
Old Testament | Daniel 1:Heading
Daniel and certain Hebrews are trained in the court of Nebuchadnezzar—They eat plain food and drink no wine—God gives them knowledge and wisdom beyond all others. 1 IN the third year of the reign of Jehoiakim king of Judah came Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon unto Jerusalem, and besieged it.
2 And the Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, with part of the vessels of the house of God: which he carried into the land of Shinar to the house of his god; and he brought the vessels into the treasure house of his god.
13.
New Testament | John 4:9 9 Then saith the woman of Samaria unto him, How is it that thou, being a Jew, askest drink of me, which am a woman of Samaria? for the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Samaritans
14.
Book of Mormon | Alma 10:3 3 And Aminadi was a descendant of Nephi, who was the son of Lehi, who came out of the land of Jerusalem, who was a
descendant of Manasseh, who was the son of Joseph who was sold into Egypt by the hands of his brethren.
Note: The Book of Mormon also documents that a Tribe of Judah group migrated to the ancient Americas also before the destruction of Jerusalem in 587 BC.:
Book of Mormon | Mosiah 25:2-3
2 Now there were not so many of the children of Nephi, or so many of those who were descendants of Nephi, as there were of the people of Zarahemla, who was a descendant of Mulek, and those who came with him into the wilderness.
3 And there were not so many of the people of Nephi and of the people of Zarahemla as there were of the Lamanites; yea, they were not half so numerous.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 6:10
10 Now the land south was called Lehi and the land north was called Mulek, which was after the son of Zedekiah; for the Lord did bring Mulek into the land north, and Lehi into the land south.
Book of Mormon | Helaman 8:21
21 And now will you dispute that Jerusalem was destroyed? Will ye say that the sons of Zedekiah were not slain, all except it were Mulek? Yea, and do ye not behold that the seed of Zedekiah are with us, and they were driven out of the land of Jerusalem?
15.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Semitic_people
16. Ishmael (Hagar); Isaac (Sarah); and by Keturah:
Old Testament | Genesis 25:1-2
2 And she [Keturah] bare him Zimran, and Jokshan, and Medan, and Midian, and Ishbak, and Shuah.
17. Heschel, Abraham Joshua.
The Prophets (p. 369). HarperCollins. Kindle Edition.
18.
https://www.youtube.com/@UnravelingtheScriptures/videos.
Other relevant vlogs:
THE HIDDEN TRUTH LAND OF ISRAEL: WHO DOES IT BELONG TO?
(Unraveling the Scriptures | Oct 26, 2023 | Time 10:35 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SIDBinN2LtQ
A HIDDEN CHAPTER OF HISTORY THE ORIGINS OF THE PALESTINIANS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE
(Unraveling the Scriptures | Oct 17, 2023 | Time 13:44 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3pC8MnlEIg
THE MYSTERIOUS HIDDEN DNA OF THE ARABS
(Unraveling the Scriptures | May 2, 2024 | Time 10:45 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4v0ujc9s85k
THE ORIGIN OF THE IRANIANS ACCORDING TO THE BIBLE (Unraveling the Scriptures | Apr 18, 2024 | Time 10:24 min.) at
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pjYze7W4uVE
19.
Just read: Menuhin, Moshe.
"Not by Might, Nor by Power": The Zionist Betrayal of Judaism (Forbidden Bookshelf) . Open Road Media. Kindle Edition.
20. MAP sources:
https://www.conformingtojesus.com/charts-maps/en/12_tribes_of_israel_map.htm
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:12_Tribes_of_Israel_Map.svg
