Lost Tribes of Israel

It seems that lately I have had an increased number of people who are referring to this old myth, asking me for information about the history of the ancient Israelite migration to the British Isles, be it Ireland, Scotland, or wherever. It seems that misinformation about Scottish history is not limited to Highland Dress!

To get straight to the point, there is absolutely no historical evidence that would support the theory that the "lost tribes" of Israel ever made it to the British Isles. All history can suggest to us is that when the northern kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians, the people settled in other parts of the Assyrian territory, near Ninevah, Haran, and present day Iraq and Iran. The notion that they somehow made it to the British Isles was first introduced (in America, anyway) by a man named Herbert Armstrong.

Was he an historian? No, Herbert Armstrong was the founder of his own religious sect, the Worldwide Church of God, in 1933. Among other things, he taught that Christians are to worship on Saturday, not Sunday, and observe all the Jewish feasts, he rejected the doctrine of the Trinity, he claimed that human begins could become gods, and he taught that the British people (and the Americans who descend from them) are the true Israelites, and the heirs of ancient Biblical Israeli prophecies.

When he died, the Worldwide Church of God changed their teachings and rejected much of the above (including the British Israelism), and became pretty much a mainstream Protestant-Evangelical church. But his notion of the Israelites coming to Great Britain was picked up by some other eccentric groups and is still being repeated today, especially in the Scottish-American community, where myths run rampant at the Highland Games and other festivals.

To help set the record straight, I am adding this link to an excellent little article detailing the rise and fall of Herbert Armstrong and his British Israelism, that will hopefully provide enough information to allow you to correct others when you hear this myth being spread.

http://www.catholic.com/library/Lost_Tribes_of_Israel.asp

Last updated 4/2/10

email eogan@albanach.org

Certain art used on this site from Ars Priscus

This is the private web site of Matthew Newsome and does not represent the opinions or positions of any other group or individual in any way, shape or form.