| The Cohanim Modal Haplotype |
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(among Iraqi Kurds, Hungarians, and Armenians) [Note to the reader: This page is part of a framed Website with a Left Navigation Bar. If you reached this page from a Search engine: Welcome! You may click here to add the Left Navigation Bar (and to view the full Web site).] The Ten Lost Tribes: Where should they be? The best indication of the identities and present locations of the famous Ten Lost Tribes is found in the works of Josephus Flavius. His work: Antiquities of the Jews [that is: Hebrews] (Book XI, Ch. 5, Section 2) contains the following: "So he [Ezra or Esdras] read the epistle at Babylon to the Jews [that is: Hebrews] that were there; but he kept the epistle itself, and sent a copy of it to all those of his own nation that were in Media; and when these Jews [that is: Hebrews] had understood what piety the king [Xerxes, son of Darius] had toward God, and what kindness he had for Esdras, they were all greatly pleased; nay, many of them took their effects with them and came to Babylon, as very desirous of going down to Jerusalem; but then the entire body of the people of Israel remained in that country; wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans [Judah and Benjamin], while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers." What have we learned thus far? We have learned that the famous Ten Lost Tribes were alive and well at the time that Josephus Flavius was writing about them (about 80 A.C.E.). We have learned that they were an "immense multitude" at that time - and were contentedly located in a country just "beyond Euphrates" (River) called: Media. Quiz question: Were they "lost tribes" then? Now, let us think together about this: We know that about 700 years before this, the cruel Assyrians had been playing "musical chairs" with nation-sized population groups that had rebelled against them - deporting them en mass from their own land and giving them an entirely new land (that was theirs to keep!) that had been similarly cleared by means of deportation en mass. Thus, for example, we know that Samaria (the homeland of the famous Ten Lost Tribes) had been cleared of Hebrews (into their exile) by the Assyrians and had been given to the "Samaritans." It was theirs to keep! Did you know that a remnant of them remain there to this day? Here is an article about them (what they say about themselves). The Bible tells a very different and interesting story about them: the truth! II. Kings 17:23-41 However, as we will see later: If those liars, the Samaritans ("sincere believers in lies"?) have remained in their assigned land to this day; then why shouldn't the Ten Lost Tribes have also remained in their assigned land to this day? There is an additional hidden matter in all of this that is important for us. It can be gleaned from reading books about the historical geography of this area. This important hidden matter is that our Creator and Supreme Ruler showed mercy to these Ten Lost Tribes of His people (after all that they had done against Him)! Though He punished them with exile, He caused the cruel Assyrians to give them a larger land than the one that they were exiled from (and a land that was also fruitful and plentiful)! It was theirs to keep! And 700 years later (at the time of Josephus Flavius), they were still there - showing all signs of prospering and contentedness, and having increased greatly in numbers ("as the sand of the the seashore" - an "immense multitude"). Such, by the way, is the goodness, the loving kindness and the mercy of our Creator and Supreme Ruler toward the offspring of His chosen ones, His people. Furthermore, these same Hebrews have the promise of our Creator and Supreme Ruler that He will bring them back to their own land in a Second Exodus! The question is then (about these Ten Lost Tribes): If their new land was so good that they couldn't leave when offered the chance (at the time of Ezra), and were still there five centuries later (at the time of Josephus Flavius), then why should they not still be there today (yet 20 more centuries in our time)? Can you see any reason why such an immense multitude would simply disappear completely from such a favorable area? Some may have left (such as those who left at the time of Ezra), but isn't it reasonable to expect that they would try to remain there? If you think so too, then we agree. Thus, we must learn more about that special country just "beyond Euphrates" (River) called: Media. About their country called: Media This is a very straightforward matter, as is shown by this entry for "Media" (from the Oxford Paperback Encyclopedia, © Oxford University Press 1998). The key part of this encyclopedia entry for "Media" is: "The region is roughly the same as that inhabited today by the Kurds." Therefore, we have just learned that the country of the famous Ten Lost Tribes (that is: Media) is roughly the same territory that is occupied today by the Kurds (that is: "Kurdistan")! As the following maps and article show, this territory (that used to be called "Media") is not an independent country today. Instead, it is included as parts of the present nations of: Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Syria, Armenia, and others. Here is a map showing this territory: "Kurdish Lands". And here is a nicer map of the same area (showing more clearly the present nations there): "Middle East Reference Map". Here is an article about the Kurdish people: A good short one. This amazing article tells of a people that have had a "heavy hand" of punishment over them (as is prophesied to be the case with the tribes of the Hebrews while in exile)! It is just like the Zionist's story of a long history of persecution and of a struggle for an independent national homeland. If you suspect that these current inhabitants of the territory formerly called: "Media" are the famous Ten Lost Tribes, then we agree. CMH confirmation that these current inhabitants of "Media" really do contain among them, the famous Hebrew Ten Lost Tribes. Recent work using the CMH tool confirms the statements by Josephus Flavius (made by him in about 80 A.C.E.) about the country of exile of the Ten Lost Tribes. The confirmation has come about in an interesting way: as a failed attempt to refute the validity of the Cohanim Modal Haplotype. It is found in the "References" section, where the five original scientific articles are presented. The fifth article (by Avshalom Zoossmann-Diskin) is the one of interest. There is a good report about it at www.ariga.com/genes.shtml (since it is not yet freely online). This article is an "anti-article." This author has tried to find every possible fault in the other four articles listed in the References section. Here is the relevant quote for us (from the ariga.com report): "* The Cohen modal haplotype is the most common haplotype among Southern and Central Italians*1, Hungarians*2, and Iraqi Kurds*3, [emphasis mine] and is also found among many Armenians*4 and South African Lembas*5. This calls into question the notion that the haplotype was a marker for the ancient Hebrew population." He cites legal medicine studies (that use only a part of the CMH). These citations, by the way, are found in the ariga.com report (for those interested). Does this "disprove" the CMH? It may do so (partially) if we cannot account for the evidence that he has uncovered. We, in fact, fully account for his evidence (in Section IV.a. The CMH tool in action: The In-gathering of the Exiles). I say, "Celebrate this man's work!" His industrious attempts to "disprove" the CMH has uncovered evidence that might never otherwise have come out! Thus, there is a place for fault finding (among those who seek the truth - whatever it may be)! It is helpful to hear both sides (trying to destroy each others side), before deciding what the truth is. We will see in Section IV.a. that he has not succeeded in "disproving" the CMH. But we just did see that he has confirmed for us where the famous Hebrew Ten Lost Tribes are now located! I say, "Celebrate this man's work!" One final note about this. Apparently, the Iraqi Kurds are the only ones (among the Kurds) to have been tested for the CMH so far. It is a representative sample that shows that the CMH is the most common genetic haplotype found among them. Thus, the CMH positive males among the Kurds are members of the famous Ten ("Lost") Tribes! Section IV.a. continues this presentation, and demonstrates that the famous Hebrew Ten Lost Tribes are also found among the Hungarians and Armenians. © 2002 by David Clark hrhdavid@yahoo.com |