British Israelism

British Israelism (sometimes called Anglo-Israelism) is a complex set of theories that are not identical nor are they necessarily compatible with each other. These theories all share one common theme which is that the British are the direct lineal descendants of the lost tribes of Israel, large numbers of whom were deported by Sargon king of Assyria on the fall of Samaria in 721 BC.

This is a fringe theory among Christians who are usually Protestants. There are various sub-theories within the general theory of British Israelism, can only be interpreted by the position taken by the specific group advocating its own unique version of the theory. However, there are certain points that these theories have in common, and many can be traced back to a common historical starting point.

Contents

1 Origins of the theory

2 General overview

3 Theology involves claim of racial lineage

4 See also

Origins of the theory

References in various ancient manuscripts have provided clues to the origins of British Israelism. One of the first known books detailing this theory was written by Richard Brothers' and called a A Revealed Knowledge of the Prophecies and Times. It was published in the 1790s. Also cited as an original work is Rev. John Wilson's Our Israelitish Origins which was originally published during the 1840s.

General overview

The teaching of British Israelism took off in the mid-1800s after the ancient rock inscription at Behistun in Persia was deciphered. On the rock, one of the kings of the nations that Darius the Great had subdued was the king of the 'Saka', or the Scythians. The Behistun rock was a type of Rosetta stone written in three languages. In the Babylonian, the Saka were called the Gimirri; in the Assyrian language they were referred to as the Khumri or Bit-Khumri, or Cimmerians by the Greeks and Romans.

In other Babylonian and Assyrian monuments and tablets the conquests of the Khumri and their eventual captivity were chronicled. The Khumri were also called the Bit-omri or the House of Omri, one of the kings of the northern tribes of the kingdom of Israel.

Some researchers have argued that both Celts and the Germans came from an area south-east of the Black Sea, and migrated westward to the coast of Europe. The names Iberia for Spain, and Hibernia for Ireland are sometimes interpreted as evidence that the Habiru (Hebrews) traveled to and settled those areas.

According to the hypothesis, the Saka-Scythians migrated west starting with the reign of the Persian King Cyrus the Great, when they declined to help him in his conquest of the Babylonian empire. Herodotus says they were called "Germanii" at that point in time. The Greeks called the Scythians Sakae and Scyths. When the Saxons invaded England in 400 AD, their chroniclers said they "sent back to Scythia for reinforcements." The implication is that the Saxons considered themselves to be Scythians, the name having travelled with them even though they were far away from the region the Greeks had labelled "Scythia". The English are known to be descended from the Anglo-Saxons. Hence the connection with the tribes of Israel.

The burial customs of the Scythians and Vikings also show similarities, for which some have argued a common origin in support of British Israelism.

Joseph of Arimathea is believed to have travelled to Cornwall sometime after Christ's crucifixion and to have established an early Christian community.

Legends of the coming of Brutus (Britis) to England after the burning of Troy is another essential element in most variants of the British Israel theory.

Theology involves claim of racial lineage

As with Judaism and Islam, British Israelism asserts theologically-related claims of a bloodline that traces back to God's chosen people, 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. However, in the United States, one branch of British Israelism turned into the Christian Identity religion, with many practitioners openly embracing white supremacy and antisemitism. This is not true of all British Israelites however, who typically tend to embrace the Judaic aspects of the Bible and are typically pro-Israel.

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).

British Israelism

Origins of the theory

General overview

Theology involves claim of racial lineage

See also

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