as an uncomfortable fact that the history of our world is all too often
defined by conflict over the centuries there have been many examples of
invasions conquest and captivity these perhaps nowhere has been more apparent
than here in northern Israel in the eighth century bc it was the setting for
one of the largest forced deportations ever recorded in human history
yeah
almost 800 years before the birth of Christ Palestine been known as cannon
was invaded by the armies of the Assyrian Empire
this led to the subjugation and deportation of virtually the entire
Israelite population enter Syria
what happened next is the subject of our story
following their deportation this huge number of Israelites taken captive by
the Assyrians in the eighth century pc became known to history as the Lost
Tribes of Israel not just because they lost their homeland but also because
they lost their Israelite identity
the subsequent decline of their certain Empire enabled these laws tribes to
begin their migrations
John news that would take many of them out of assyria westward into asia minor
and Europe
yeah
the story follows these displaced people to end their migrations invaded both the
Caucasus region between the Black and Caspian Seas and Asia Minor over time
they became known by other tribal names such as canarian cynthians or skins
oaths celts anglo-saxons and vikings tribes who would ultimately form the
Christian nations of Europe
the untold story of this large number of people who formed the Lost Tribes of
Israel should not be confused with the story of the Jews who lived in and
around Jerusalem they were only known by that name
some hundred years after the people of the northern tribes were deported into a
Syria
this is Oakland castle and county durham in the northeast of England home to the
Bishop of Durham
it's here that some remarkable images tell us something of the beginnings of
our story
these impressive figures were painted in the 17th century by the spanish morocco
artist Francisco's urban they depict in Spanish style the biblical patriarch
Jacob with his 12 Sons who gave their names to the twelve tribes of Israel but
how did these paintings which represent characters from the Hebrew Old Testament
come to be here in a county durham castle
zurbaran Arthur burn as some people call him
painted the pictures the twelve tribes of Israel and they were on their way to
South America and they were stolen by as we believe it British pilots on the high
seas and they then found their way to port back to Portugal and at that point
a British dealer bought them and the Bishop of Durham at the time Bishop
Richard Trevor had a particular reason to buy them and he wanted a very much
support what was sadly difficulty called the Jew bill that was going through
Parliament and as an act of faith and active witness about this he bought
these urban & paintings depicting the twelve tribes of Israel and he hung them
in this room
the long dining room they tell us that that the the tribes of Israel that the
sons were important
they were part of our whole heritage christian people have a Bible which
includes the Old Testament and the New Testament the New Covenant that Jesus
came to tell us about God's new covenant was from the Old Covenant given to the
people of Israel that chosen people and that they would be in God's favor they
were God's chosen ones to do his will and his work and Jesus we believe came
to tell God's chosen people of cards will and purpose in the New Covenant and
he did that eventually by giving up his life and dying for us
so what does the Bible tell us about Jacob and his 12 Sons
well the Bible tells us that Jacob's name was changed to Israel quite a
grandiose slightly means one rules with God
consequently his twelve sons became the ancestors of the twelve tribes of
israel now they also inherited an unconditional promise from Almighty God
that their descendants would grow into a great nation and company of nations they
would spread abroad to the westerns of the east to the North and the South that
in them all the families of the earth will be blessed and they were also given
possession title deeds if you like of the land of Palestine which at that time
was known as the land of Canaan but the occupation of that land
that's the right to actually occupy it was contingent upon them
implementing in their natural life the laws that were given to them by the
prophet Moses
now each of the tribes inhabiting the land were given a portion of territory
and the charity was split between the tribes each one except the tribe of Levi
the Levites were like the public servants of the time there were teachers
they were scribes they were priests there were lawyers
Joseph territory however was divided between his two sons in from a NASA they
were the birthright tribes they were the ones to whom this great promise have
been a great nation and a company of Nations essentially applied
now in the course of time the nation of Israel was divided into two distinct
separate kingdoms Israel in the north and judah in the south so distinctive
was this separation that they each had separate monarchies and from time to
time there were at war with each other
now the occupation of the land contingent upon them being obedient to
the laws of God has given by Moses
they totally miserably failed to achieve and ultimately they were evicted from
the land they were deported into a Syria largely and therefore they had to grow
into this nation and company of Nations outside of Palestine some of the coastal
tribes particularly Asher and down along with the Phoenicians and the sea people
traded along the ancient sea routes navigating way beyond the Mediterranean
some of the tribe of Dan decided to move north
they only had a small parcel of land on the coast and they were the second
largest tribe
and so they captured a northern Canaanite city and they enlarged it and
name that region began in memory of the forefather again
this is the archeological site of Tel Dan in northern Israel it was once a
major commercial and religious center for the Israelite tribe dad who occupied
this region for hundreds of years
along with the other tribes of Israel they had settled in this promised land
of Canaan the city of dan was one of the places where the people of the Northern
Kingdom of Israel engaged in the idolatrous worship of the old Canaanite
gods
well the people of the southern kingdom of Judah worshipped at Solomon's Temple
in Jerusalem in the eighth century BC the Assyrians attacked the Assyrians
were feared as the most warlike nation of the time with an empire that
stretched from the Iranian Zagros Mountains in the east to the Taurus
Mountains of turkey in the West an empire that challenge even the Egyptians
as the dominant force in the Middle East
yeah
tell dan is a classic example of a destruction site showing the extent of
the harbor caused when the Assyrians invaded
the Northern Kingdom of Israel succumb to the onslaught and following a series
of attacks the people were deported north from their homelands
- the Syrian territory south of the caspian sea this huge number
subsequently became lost to both biblical and secular history they had
lapsed into idolatry from the time of King jr. born
the Bible says and the King made two cards of gold and he said one and Bethel
and other booty and Dan
yeah
following the division of the kingdom of Solomon King Jeroboam established a cult
and Dan as an alternative to the one at the temple in jerusalem he placed a
golden calf in the city and built a high place this high place was originally
built by King Jeroboam of Israel and the tenth century BC but not from the
worship of the god of abraham isaac jacob and Moses
ultimately this place was destroyed by the Assyrians and the people deported
and the Bible to King's 18 it says and the king of Assyria did carry away
Israel and to Assyria and put them in hailer and in here bored by the river of
goes on and in the cities of the needs because they obeyed not the voice of the
lord their god
but transgressed his covenant and all that Moses had commanded and would not
hear them not do them
yeah
mmm
tell dan was only the beginning of the campaign that would leave Palestine
devastated to the south the important commercial center of heiser was also
destroyed by the Assyrians in the eighth century bc tell here's our is located in
the Hula Valley at the fruit of the Galilee mountains
it was destroyed during the Syrian military campaign of 732 bc and its
inhabitants exiled along with those of the entire Galilee region
the site features buildings which include those of the period of the
Israelite occupation the entrance to the city was through an impressive six
chambered gateway typical of the . this reconstructed i'll press is one of the
few examples to be found and tells us something of the day to day life of the
inhabitants of the city
an existence that was violently disrupted by the Syrian vision
another example of this wholesale destruction can be found here in the
ruins of the ones magnificent city of Megiddo lying in the heart of the
jezreel valley during the biblical period video was one of the most
important cities in Israel had controlled the international trade
routes that link the ancient world centers of culture and power
egypt and mesopotamia the Assyrians destroyed the city and deported its
inhabitants Bible prophets had foreseen the Assyrian visions as a divine
judgment on the decadent Israel nation and protected and oil they would be
deported and scattered among the nations of the world they would yet fulfill
their ordained purpose and therefore be preserved
the ancient scriptures predicted that the descendants of Jacob Israel would
emerge as a great nation and company of nations with an established market and
God said unto him I am God Almighty be fruitful and multiply and nation and a
company of nations shall be of the and Kings a short amount of my loins
the Prophet Amos describe the fate of Israel as migrating amongst the nations
of the world but by no means annihilated for law
I will command and I will sift the house of Israel among all nations like a
scorned is sifted in a sieve yet shall not the least grain fall upon the f
the Prophet Jeremiah stated that Israel would continue as a nation as long as
the Sun Moon and stars remained in the sky
thus saith the lord which gives the Sun for a light by day and the ordinances of
the moon and the stars for a light by night which divided the sea when the
waves thereof roar
the Lord of Hosts is his name if those ordinances depart from before me safe
the Lord then the seed of Israel also shall cease from being a nation before
me forever
the British Museum in London holds many of the world's great archaeological
treasures including some which illustrate our story
the 19th century was a particularly fruitful time for the museum as
explorers and adventurers traveled the ancient world in search of the treasures
that would help tell the story of human development
one of the sites of particular interest was the Assyrian capital never the
british museum holds one of the world's greatest collections of the Syrian art
providing a unique insight into the way they lived and died
this is the black obelisk of the Assyrian King shall manessa found in
1850 to buy austen henry layard and the moment at number of an ancient Assyria
each of its four sides is divided into five sculptures representing the
tributes brought my vassal princes including ju king of northern Israel
seen here prostrate before shell manessa a sociologist succeeded in reading the
name of GA hue which referred to him not as an Israelite but as the son of hungry
a name derived from memory and a dr king of northern Israel
it says the tribute of jay hugh son of whom were received from him silver gold
and many treasures fit for a king
the British Museum press booklet the Bible and the British Museum tells us on
we had been such a prominent ruler in his day that the Assyrians referred to
Israel as bit hooray
or the house of on ray
the name Israel is not found anywhere on this obelisk which indicates that the
people of the Northern Kingdom and not only lost their homeland but also that
identity as Israelites they were now
The Lost Tribes of Israel
these images help tell the story of how and the course of time
successive waves of a setting invaders systematically deported the people of
the Northern Kingdom of Israel northeast across the Euphrates into a Syria
to make matters worse not only did the Assyrians deport the people of the
Northern Kingdom of Israel but a later king sennacherib decided to invade the
southern kingdom of Judah
we're in a better and cruelly fought campaign he captured many towns cities
yeah
these images record the siege and destruction of the city of lucky one of
the bloodiest and best documented examples of a Syrian siege warfare the
captivity of Judah by Sennacherib is recorded on this clay prison and
cuneiform script
it says I came up against him and by force of arms and by the might of my / I
took 46 of his strong fenced cities and of the smaller tyrants which were
scattered about
I took an plundered a countless number and from these places i captured and
carried offers spoil 200,000 150 people
the site of ancient lavish is identified today as tell her i see 16 miles east of
Gaza and southern Israel here we can see what remains of this once great city
what happened here was typical of sin acronyms campaign the place reduced to
rubble and the people rounded up and deported lash was considered to be of
great importance by some accurate as a strategic location vital to his plans
and conquering Judah this importance is highlighted by these carved reliefs made
to sure the siege and battle that followed and given pride of place in the
central room of his new palace at never be sure the siege in great detail and
how well developed the Syrian war machine wars
here we see the ramp that was built to gain entry to the city and the ranks of
soldiers as the approach and ordered rose
the students layers and archers protected by infantry
well Sennacherib watched from this hilltop opposite
after the walls were breached there was a pitched battle which ended in the city
being set on fire
the governor was then made to kneel and surrendered before Sennacherib these
acts of destruction and terror concluded the forced deportation of almost the
entire population of the Northern Kingdom of Israel and much if not most
of the southern kingdom of Judah this huge number of captives never returned
to their homeland
the only Israelites who remained in Palestine other than the elderly or
infirm where the inhabitants of Jerusalem they would be taken to
Babylonia more than a hundred years later where they spent 70 years in exile
before some return to Jerusalem and became known as the Jews for the Jews of
that time with Israelites most of the Israelites were not Jews just as all
Scots are British
but all British are not Scott's
centuries later the Jewish historian Flavius Josephus in his book the
antiquities of the Jews tells us something of the fate of the Lost Tribes
saying that they were beyond the Euphrates and where an immense multitude
not to be estimated by numbers
the Apocrypha as a collection of biblical writings which bridges the
historical gap between the old and new testament scriptures and was included in
early versions of the bible in the Apocrypha the second book of Ezra
chapter 13 tells us that the Lost Tribes left to Syria and entered into the
narrow passages of the river Euphrates which rises in the highlands of armenia
just south of Georgia near the Black Sea
this is to bc capital of Georgia on the banks of the river current the so broad
ran through here giving the city great importance as a trading center
it's also a vital strategic importance situated so far the Caucasus Mountains
guarding the past which is the main route to the north
yeah
NBC is an ancient city which has seen many invaders common goal for the people
hear the story of the migrating tribes of Israel is one with which they have
long been familiar
it's a common knowledge for people of Georgia to understand that Israeli
tribes came some twenty six centuries ago and some of them went away and some
of them stayed here
well this is a truly wonderful view and an important one for her story for us
here that the migrating tribes who traveled up the river cuda stop at the
village of mr. later for some of the state and set of home
well
others continued their migration north through the past
this hazardous route through the Caucasus Mountains is thought to be the
one taken by the descendants of the lost tribes and their journey around the
black sea before the First World War original Pierce with confidential
secretary to the north caucasian oil company in Grozny he became a fluent
writer and speaker and Russian when the war began he volunteered for service in
the British Army
but was instead sent back to Russia he was attached to the Don Cossacks on
military intelligence duties rising to the rank of colonel has experience in
working with the Russians and the caucuses give him unique access and
insight into the strategically important part of the world in 1837
he wrote an article which appeared in the National message magazine and what
she said
it has been my good fortune upon several occasions to travel through the Caucasus
Mountains taking the root of the Georgian road
this is one of the two highways through the mountains from south to north and is
known in native legendary and soul as the past of Israel
well after a quite dramatic ascent
here we are at the top of the mountain this is as high as it gets
then there is the daddy of Gorch
Colonel piece went on to observe that having passed successfully or less the
real ridge of the past
Israel were faced with the descent into Europe all the way down
they would leave behind them the mountain names I on the mountain which
has always been known as search and which has given its name to a village
now situated in the past
well here i am in the deal gorge and in the village of Zion but I'm perched
precariously on the cliffs above the river
it was on this exact spot that the figure that can be seen in the
photograph taken by cuddle Pierce all those years ago can be seen showing
mount zion in the background in another article written for the National message
magazine in 1946 brigadier General's Standish Crawford when a journey through
the past observed that the Russian car driver is a fatalist and ends at his
days it was not an uncommon sight on looking over a band on the cliff to see
the wreckage of one or more cars and their best below until the winter floods
washed them away
it is this abrupt dissent by the Agora river which is known locally as the gate
of Israel
the second book of Esther is also describes how the migration of the lost
tribes continued for a further year and a half before settling on the fact I'll
lands around the black sea region which acquired the name that became synonymous
with wandering tribes skinnier
although numerous Skippy Imperials have been found in southern Russia the
analyst were found at killarney's in the caucuses and sakis and what is no
Northwester on this corresponds with evidence found in contemporary Syrian
texts and it's the same region to which the Lost Tribes of Israel were deported
the jewish encyclopedia outlines several theories as to the fate of the Lost
Tribes in particular that the identification of the skin thien's with
the Lost Tribes is because they appear in history at the same time and very
nearly in the same place as the Israelites removed by shall manessa and
other people related to the skin thien's where the comedians who have also been
identified as descendants of Israel these lost tribes the fifth century BC
Greek historian Herodotus because how the canarian people on occupied our
region north of the Caucasus and what is now Ukraine and southern Russia
however since archaeologists discovered the Royal archives of Assyria and all
the cuneiform inscriptions
we now know that the Khmer Ian's originated
south of the caucuses and the vin a very . and the very region where the Northern
Kingdom of Israel were deported and lost from history
dr. Dunn Kristensen is a well-respected danish linguistic expert and her in her
book
who were the Khmer ians
where did they come from published in nineteen eighty eight
she states the obvious conclusion there is scarcely reason any longer to Delta
exciting and very astonishing assertion propounded by the students of the ten
tribes that the Israelites deported from both hungry of the house of memory that
is the Israelites are identical with a giver of the Khmer Ian's of the Assyrian
sources
everything indicates that the Israelite deportees did not vanish from the
picture but then abroad and under new conditions they continued to leave their
mark on history
the Encyclopedia Britannica tells us that the comedian's invaded what is no
western Turkey
so while some of the tribes migrated through the Caucasus and across southern
Russia into Europe others traveled west through opens then Asia Minor to cross
here at Constantinople modern-day Istanbul
this is where east meets west this inch city occupies a unique location
straddling the Bosphorus the narrow strip of water that separates Asia from
Europe this strategically important location commanded the vital trade and
military routes that bridged the continents
many armies have passed through here including those of the Persian King
Darius in the sixth century BC according to the Greek historian Herodotus made a
failed attempt to conquer the skins
he built the bridge of boats across the Bosphorus before leading his army north
to the Daniel and the resulting battle the skin cavalry and archers for studies
to withdraw back to the boss knows where he retreated into Asia never again to
attempt an invasion of Europe this event underlying just how important was place
wards and crossing from one continent to another the comedians and continuing
their westward track which ultimately become known as goals and counts the
19th century scholar and an antiquary the Reverend Samuels license and has
1865 book our British ancestors who and what we're Lee states that the
comedian's seeming to be goals that counts under a different name
it is observable that the Welsh a Celtic people still call themselves country
not only did Old Testament prophets affirmed that the Lost Tribes of Israel
would be preserved and their migrations the New Testament writers also recognize
their continued existence and development
the Apostle James addresses his entire epistle to all twelve tribes scattered
abroad
yeah
James a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ to the twelve tribes which
are scattered abroad meeting the Apostle Peter continues to recognize them as a
chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation and remains them of the
words of the prophet Isaiah that for a while and there are silly in captivity
they ceased to be a people but are no once again the people of God but ye are
a chosen generation a royal priesthood an holy nation a peculiar people that
you should sure forth the praises of him who has called you out of darkness into
his marvelous light which in time past were not a people but are now the people
of God which had not obtained messy but now have obtained missing
nowhere in its long journey to the Black Sea
does the river danube look more impressive than here at budapest the
capital city of hungry
the Danube is the second longest river in Europe stretching from its esther in
the Black Sea to its source and germany's black forest widely regarded
as one of the most beautiful cities in Europe
budapest can trace its roots back to prehistoric times
it's an intriguing thought as some scholars have suggested that the
Israelite travel down and corporated their name into some of the geographical
features they encountered on their travels
starting with taliban in Israel and in the course of their migrations the Great
Rivers the Geneva the donor or even the Danube running through the heart of the
continent the Danube has provided a readily available route for armies and
all manner of travelers over many centuries including the Lost Tribes as
they moved westward across the continent here is square bears testimony to
hungary's target
past with the seven mounted horsemen representing the chieftains of the
Marquis our tribes who founded the Hungarian people in the ninth century
if it is the case that the lost tribes of our story are represented by the
skins their presence in the region of the daniel has recorded by an impressive
collection of artifacts held here in the hungarian national museum
the skins built enormous burial mounds above their princess graves and buried
their dead with exquisite golden objects their precious metal work was the zenith
of nomadic art this exhibition displays some of the most significant relics of
skin art and culture and tells us something of the daily life of these
people
the skins were renowned not only for that military prowess but for their
advanced culture and craftsmanship skills they also developed organized
communities and a sophisticated network of trading relationships particularly
with the aspiring Greek city-states the Danube was to provide the artery that
would take the skiff Ian tribes into the heart of Europe
yeah
by the sixth century BC successive waves of skin attacks over too much of
pre-roman I image poland and germany and the years since the end of the Cold War
what was East Berlin has undergone an extensive restoration program the
Brandenburg Gate is the architectural icon
not just for the city itself but for the German people
the city centre has been returned to its former grandeur
nowhere is this reconstruction more apartment then on this small island in
the river spree and which stand the country's great comedians they hold many
priceless archaeological artifacts including those which tell us something
of the skin presence in europe while the skinny and invasions were accompanied by
much violence
there was another more sophisticated site to their culture
in eighteen eighty to a horde of skillion treasure was found at the Iron
Age archeological site of veterans felt on the German Polish border some of the
wonderful gold objects found there and on display here at the shelter's museum
taking pride of place in the collection is this golden fish and sword found at
vista school
the exquisite craftsmanship of these items bear testimony to the advanced
metalworking skills employed at that time
yeah
historians claim that the skins were the ancestors of the anglo-saxons who
invaded Britain after the room and withdrawal
the historian chardon turner and his history of the anglo-saxons says the
anglo-saxons lowland Scots Norman's Danes Norwegians sweets Germans Dutch
Belgians long birds and Frank's have all sprung from that great fountain of the
human race which we have distinguished by the town's skillion German or Gothic
the Roman historian Tacitus and the geographer Tommy name the river Elbe in
the lower half of the Jutland Peninsula as the place is inhabited by the Angles
and Saxons before they came to Britain
it's also interesting to note that the British historian Nennius and his
account of the arrival of hanga stand horse in England states that messengers
were sent to skip here for reinforcements it is therefore possible
to trace out anglo-saxon ancestors back not only to Northern Europe but to south
russia and finally to media where the Israelites were placed in captivity an
ad for ten the Roman Emperor on Orias withdrew from britain with his legions
leaving the country at the mercy of invaders from Western Europe
with the departure of the Romans from written in the 5th century AD the door
was left open for the coming of the anglo-saxons one of the first places
they landed was here on the east coast of England and what is no the county of
Suffolk just a short distance from here is the archaeological site at Sutton Hoo
significant as one of the most important historical finds ever made in Britain
it marks the point at which the descendants of the Lost Tribes arrived
on their Shores after a journey that had taken them hundreds of years and
thousands of miles
the site at Sutton who was first excavated in 1938 when the owner of the
land
mrs. Edith may pretty determined to find a court of anything
lay beneath the ancient burial moans just a short distance from her home she
employed battle brown
a Suffolk archaeologists to undertake a dig on her land in 1939
he opened fee of the ancient man's and in the largest discovered the remains of
a 90 feet long
Anglo Saxon burial ship the use of large iron bolts suggest an earlier British
origin whereas the Angles and Saxons tend to use wooden dowels and their
ships
whichever the case battleground realized that this was no ordinary bail but that
of a rich and powerful nobleman or king
while much of the rest of the site had been plundered by grave robbers the
greatest prize had eluded them
anglo-saxon gold weapons and ornaments is antané silver and other objects that
suggested links with France and Scandinavia the treasures found at
Sutton who had to be seen on display at the British Museum of this impressive
helmet takes pride of place
other items of significance in the collection include the Kings shield and
sword
these magnificent silver Bulls clearly sure the Star of David which suggests a
Middle Eastern connection
Eskom church and county government northeast of England is one of the
oldest most complete Saxon churches in Britain
it's still used as a place of worship and is thought to have replaced an even
deadlier Celtic Church
it was built from students taken from the nearby room and 4tube in chester and
bears witness to the very rapid conversion of the anglo-saxons to the
Christian fief all your the sacks and churches have been utilized as Barnes or
houses
this one has remained practically the same apart from having a few extra wind
is put in in the 19th century and it was very important because was built on a
pagan site churchyard is round
we've got a sundial on the outside wall which is to pagan gods
the god of the world and the god of the sea that will worship kia before
Christianity spread the native British came to be made up not only of the
comedian counts and skip the anglo-saxons but also vikings and
Norman's anthropologists such as be a freeman of Trinity College oxygen in his
origin of the English nation describes the native Britain's as a union of
various tribes of the same stock which passed over from the old Teutonic
mainland to grow up as a new people in this film we presented the case for the
identity of the Lost Tribes of Israel and the migrations across asia minor and
Europe from the captivity in Assyria as predicted by biblical prophets
this brought them to the new promised lands in Europe
the promises made to their patriarch Jacob are also fulfilled with father
migrations west into America East and australasia north into Canada and South
Africa these countries with their common law based upon the biblical Commandments
have inherited in there Harold gray symbols which were once the property of
ancient Israel
in the history and development of their culture
the anglo-saxon Viking and Celtic peoples along with other Christian
nations have provided missionary workers who have taken the gospel to every part
of the globe their efforts in providing health care education and spiritual
guidance of improved the lives of millions over two centuries the work of
the missionaries
however imperfect remains a powerful witness for the Christian faith
throughout the world
yeah