BRITISH ISRAEL THEORY.

Marlborough Express, Volume LXXV, Issue 254, 28 October 1942, Page 4

BRITISH ISRAEL THEORY.

[To The Editor.] Sir, — Mr Bent in his letter has done nothing to prove the BritishIsrael theory. The texts he mentions do not help his; case. In Genesis xii. 1-3, the promise is to Abraham personally and canno't be applied to any other person or nation. In Genesis xxxv. 11 the referenee again is to Abraham as the founder of the Jewish tribes, or nations, as they would rank in those days. It is wishful thinking to apply the words to the British nations. In Genesis xlviii. 19 the descendants of Ephraim are to become a company of nations. Again it is purely imaginative to apply the words to the British nations.

Mr Bent should know as well as I do that there is no REAL historical proof of the migration of the tribes to the British Isles. Here is all the "proof" which one British -Israel writer has for the statement which I challenged, and which Mr Bent did not take up, i.e., that the Normans are believed to be part of the tribe of Benjamin : "The Northmen are believed to be part of the tribe of Benjamin . . . They are believed to be descended from Benjamin because of their character, which was the character of that tribe, and1 also because the Norman standard was ,a wolf, which was also the standard of the tribe of Benjamin." Readers may judge for themselves how little "proof" there is here. The list of scholars who hold the British-Israel theory proves nothing. As I mentioned before, the Encylopedia Britt. tells us that "the theory of Anglo-Israel rests on premises which are deemed by scholars both theological and anthropological to be utterly unsound." This clearly means that the great bulk of scholars do not believe this theory. The theory that the United States is Manasseh is , manifestly absurd. In America there are millions of Germans, Italians, Jcws, Japanese, etc. These people, if living in Europe or Asia, would not be allowed to rank as Manas&ehites. Does the crossing of the Atlantic bring them into the favoured order? The Pilgrim Fathers when they left England were Ephraimites, according to the theory, but on landing in America they become Mannassehites ! Mr Bent is quite right when he says he did not give the date or the duration of another war. But he gave people unnecessary worry and horror by saying : "If this war were the last, it would probably end next March (3i years). But that did not appear to be likely, according to the Bible and the Great Pyramid." I maintain that there is nothing in the passages he mentions (Luke xxi. 20-28 and Matt. xxiv. 34) to support this, and we need not worry about the Great Pyramid guesses. They are as vague as the other British-Israel "proofs."

We condemn the Germans for their belief in the Aryan super-race. We should equally condemn this imperialistic and snobbish theory of British-Israel. God's blessings in Christ are far all the nations if they will have them. There is no need for the British and American nations to be descended from Ephraim and Manasseh in order to receive the help of God or to be used by Him for the establishment of His Kingdom on earth. If as nations we are worthy He will use and bless us. If not, we will go down as other nations have done and God will find some other people willingto do His Will.

TRUTH. IT