Israel

1
Israel

• A Colonial Nation
• Part I

2
(No Transcript)
3
Fall of Samaria

• The fall of the Northern Kingdom was the most
  devastating event in the history of the Hebrew
  people. Some may find that statement odd when
  you read the Books of Jeremiah and Lamentations
  or read the great historian Josephus on the fall
  of Jerusalem in 70 AD. Both of these authors
  wrote about the impact of Judea and the house of
  David, but very little is written in both the
  scriptures and secular sources on how devastating
  the fall of Samaria was.
• The fall of the Jewish kingdom in the minds of
  the Jews and the loss of their temple continues
  to ring in their hearts because they never forgot
  their heritage. However, the loss of life and
  culture still pale into comparison to the fall of
  Samaria. The Israelites of the northern kingdom
  in a very short period after Samaria was
  destroyed would lose much of their identity, and
  any attachment to their land.
•  However unknown to many, they would attempt to
  regain control of their former territory only
  under a different name many times throughout
  history.

4
Fall of Samaria

• From a spiritual aspect the complete divorce of
  the 10 tribes from the land (Hosea 1 2-10 and 2
  Kings 173-6,18) would have the most impact on
  our world today.
• It was never Gods intention to remove his people
  from the land, but was prophesied even before
  they were to conquer the land of Canaan.
  (Deuteronomy 28 49 66) God foretold the
  eventual scattering of the 12 tribes.
• The Purpose of this presentation is to show how
  the 10 tribes of the Northern Kingdom were
  colonial in nature dating back to their time in
  Egypt. Once they were exiled they continued to
  act in the same way as they had for centuries
  conquering and exploring to the corners of the
  earth.

5
Samaria
6
Josephs Birthright
7
The Birthright of Joseph

• Many readers of the scriptures have skipped over
  or explained away Genesis 4819-20 where Manasseh
  and Ephraim, the sons of Joseph were promised
  they would form nations. These would be nations
  far from the promise land. In the prophetic
  words of Moses in Deuteronomy 3317, the tribes
  of Joseph were promised they would push other
  people to the corners of the earth, and would
  control thousands perhaps millions of people
  through their leadership. In Genesis 2729 and
  Psalms 473, Israel was to rule over other
  nations. Some of this rule would take place
  while they were in the land, but as Deuteronomy
  3317 states, along their migratory path to the
  corners of the earth, they would rule over other
  peoples.
• Perhaps the most significant verses in scripture
  come from Isaiah. In Isaiah 426 and 498,
  Israel, primarily the tribes of Joseph would go
  into covenant with the coming Messiah, and be a
  light to the Gentiles as his servants. The fall
  of the northern kingdom, their exile and eventual
  forming of nations at the corners of the planet
  were all part of Gods design to spread his word
  to the lost gentile nations.

8
The Birthright of Joseph

• The Birthright of Joseph involved two aspects a
  spiritual and a physical one.
• The Spiritual portion of the birthright was 1.
  possession of the Tabernacle and the Ark of the
  Covenant. 2. A double portion of the promised
  land. 3. The leadership over all 12 tribes. 4.
  An eternal relationship with Yashua
• The physical portion of the birthright involved
  1. Wealth and prestige 2. Military prowess-
  which included many military disciplines and
  discoveries 2. Rights to all overseas colonies
  3. The ability to make treaties and expand the
  physical boundaries of the promised land. 4.
  Inventions and discoveries 5. Impact in music
  and other cultural settings such as art and
  architecture. 6. Great wealth from natural
  resources 7. Control of the seas and sea lanes.
  8. The physical inheritance of Abraham, Isaac,
  and Jacob 9. An extremely large population.

9
The Birthright of Joseph

• The two tribes of Joseph would lose their
  spiritual birthright in two phases
• The rights of the firstborn belonged to Joseph (1
  Chronicles 52).
• Little by little the spiritual rights would be
  taken from them
• Around 980 BC the Philistine city states attacked
  the Armies of Saul and took the Ark of the
  Covenant from Shiloh. Once the Ark was
  recovered, it never returned to Ephraimite
  country. From then on Judah became the custodian
  of the Ark.
• In Psalms 78 9- 70 David tells us that Joseph
  rejected the Mosaic covenant and as a result they
  lost the most important portion of their
  birthright The presence of God Tabernacled with
  them.
• The final spiritual portion of their birthright
  was tied to the Mosaic covenant and a future
  exile from the land. (Deuteronomy 28 25, 41, 52,
  and 64). This came at the hands of Assyria.
  Their deportation lasted between 740 BC and 720
  BC when finally their capital of Samaria was
  stormed and destroyed.

10
The Birthright of Joseph

• Around 1625 BC in a house built by Joseph for his
  father Jacob. Jacob blessed the sons of Joseph
  and passed on the Abrahamic covenant that he
  inherited from his father and his grandfather.
• Josephs son, Manasseh and Ephraim became tribes
  of Israel as Reuben and Simeon and received the
  birthright of Israel.
• The land of Goshen was divided up in 12 regions
  with Ephraim getting the region of Zoan and the
  capital of Avaris. Josephs palace and the
  second capital of Egypt was located at Avaris.
• All the feudal lords of Egypt and the city-state
  kingdoms of Canaan lost much of their sovereignty
  during the great famine and would continue paying
  tribute to the Egyptian central Government.
  Around 1600 BC one of the Canaanite city-states
  of Gath rebelled and refused to pay their tribute.

11
Palace of Josephat Avaris
12
Palace of Josephat Avaris
13
Birthright of Joseph

• 1 Chronicles 721 Two sons of Ephraim, Ezer and
  Elead led the Egyptian army into Canaan to regain
  tribute from the city-state of Gath and were
  killed. This example shows from the very early
  days, Ephraim was leading the Army and in control
  of the nation of Egypt and Canaan.
• The story doesnt end there. Ephraim has another
  child Beriah. Beriahs daughter Sherah,
  Ephraims granddaughter takes her family with the
  help of her tribe and establishes 3 cities for
  Ephraim and Israel (Beth Horon, Upper-Sherah, and
  Uzzen-Sherah) in the land of Canaan. This action
  while Egypt was in control of Canaan, gave Israel
  the legal right to claim the entire land of
  Canaan 200 years later.
• When it came to the physical birthright, Ephraim
  took this very serious. They would continue
  claiming territory and colonizing for the next
  3500 years.

14
House of Israel

• Before we begin to talk, about the Exile of the
  10 northern tribes, a brief summary of their
  geopolitical situation needs to be discussed.
• Around 931 BC the 10 northern tribes centered on
  the leadership of the tribe of Ephraim and
  Jeroboam I, led a tax revolt that separated the
  tribes of Manasseh, Ephraim, Dan, Naphtali, Gad,
  Asher, Reuben, Isaachar, Simeon, Zebulon and
  elements of Benjamin from the tribe Judah.
  Judah, which would include much of Levi and
  Benjamin, would form the Southern Jewish kingdom.
  Jeroboam who had fled from Jerusalem for fear of
  King Solomon, settled in Egypt until the death of
  the King. God stirred his heart and led him back
  to Israel to take charge of the eventual Northern
  Kingdom. Jeroboam, was heavily influenced by the
  politics and the religion of Egypt. He brought
  with him a counterfeit religion centered around
  Bull worship. Jeroboams desire was for the
  tribes under his leadership to make a clean break
  from Judah, and that included religion as well as
  political alliances. He no longer wanted
  Jerusalem to be a place of pilgrimage. He feared
  a loss of political power if his people
  recognized their spiritual roots and continued to
  make their yearly pilgrimages for the feasts.
  Jeroboam set up two centers of worship one in
  Bethel in the heart of Ephraim and the other on
  the northern end in the city of Dan.

15
House of Israel

• The Northern Kingdom quickly rose in power and
  prestige with their new-formed alliance with
  Egypt and the Phoenician city-states of Tyre and
  Sidon. This alliance was one of the most
  significant economic alliances of the ancient
  world. These three nations would build a
  maritime navy that would stretch commerce from
  the Near East to points of call as far away as
  the Americas, up and down the African coast and
  as far away as Australia (Land of Sinim).
• From the inception of the conquest of Canaan, the
  tribes of Dan, Manasseh, Asher, and Zebulon who
  were allotted land along the coast of the Levant,
  would build ships of commerce to navigate the
  Mediterranean. There is both biblical evidence
  as well as secular evidence that the ancient Sea
  People were none other than Philistine, and
  Israelites who were attempting to establish
  colonies to bring trade and natural resources
  from areas as far away as Tarshish (modern day
  Spain) and the northern coast of Africa.
•  

16
House of Israel

• In the east, the half tribe of Manasseh known as
  Gilead, Gad and Reuben had settled and controlled
  the spice trade routes. During the time of King
  Solomon these tribes began pushing northeast and
  would eventually control the crossing points of
  the Euphrates River. Hamath on the Orontes River
  would become a northern boundary used in the
  horse trade with Hittites (1 Kings 865), and
  ancient Damascus (known as Meskene), which at one
  time was located on the Euphrates River (2 Kings
  1428), was used in commerce with Assyrians,
  Aramaens and Chaldeans. The clans of Machir and
  Yair of Manasseh had established two major
  trading outposts on the Euphrates River, one
  called Makrisu and the other Yaru (2 Kings
  1428).

17
House of Israel

• In the years just before the fall of Samaria, the
  tribe of Simeon and elements of the clan of Bela
  from Benjamin, attempted to occupy areas east of
  the Jordan (1 Chronicles 4 42 and 43, and drove
  the remaining Amalekites completely out of the
  eastern Jordan. Maps by Ptolemy show these clans
  extending to the Babylonian border along the
  Euphrates.
• To get an idea in modern day terms the extent of
  the Israelite empire. Under Jeroboam the II (786
  746 BC), they controlled most of the area of
  modern day Israel, Jordan, most of Lebanon, and
  half of Syria. They had colonies along the coast
  in Spain, northern Africa in Carthage, colonies
  in Greece such as Argos, and Corinth, operational
  control over most of Cilicia in modern day Turkey
  and other minor colonies worldwide. Most secular
  historians dont associate Israel with these
  areas because they never understood how the
  various tribes would break down into clan names
  when they were colonizing. It is through these
  clans mentioned in the book of Chronicles that we
  are able to recognize the migrating Israelites to
  their modern day nations.

18
Tribe of Dan

• Before we get to the reasons behind the fall of
  the northern kingdom, a brief summary of the
  tribe of Dan must be mentioned. During the
  conquest of Canaan, the tribe of Dan was one of
  the most numerous according to Moses final
  census. (Numbers 2642). Jacob and Moses
  prophecy two very interesting prophecies about
  the future of the tribe of Dan. (Genesis 4916,17
  and Deuteronomy 3322.) Both Prophecies must be
  taken as one because it foreshadows the migration
  of the 10 tribes. Jacob tells Dan that the seed
  of Dan would judge Israel. Like all scripture
  there is sometimes multiple meanings to each
  verse. The very obvious meaning is that at some
  point in the future Dan would be involved in
  bringing judgment on the other tribes. The other
  possible significance of this scripture is that
  the future identity of Israel would be unveiled
  through the migration and markings left behind by
  this tribe. Jacob continues to tell his son Dan,
  he would be like a serpent marking his way along
  his path of migration.

19
Tribe of Dan

• Dan militarily could inflict great harm to any
  army or people that attempted to stop their
  migratory progress. Which brings us to the words
  of Moses, that Dan would spring forth out of
  Bashan. Now Bashan is considered the area of the
  Golan, a portion of Gilead. (Area around Mt
  Hermon). Dans tribal allotment was not in the
  Northeast of Israel but in the central coastlands
  near modern day Ashkelon and Tel Aviv. They were
  initially able to take control of the coastland
  with the help of Judah. During the time of
  Deborah the Judge, she relates in her song that
  Dan refused to fight against the Canaanites in
  the north choosing to continue in their commerce
  of the sea. Dan was a tribe of sea merchants and
  metallurgist. (Exodus 316, 2 Chronicles 214,
  Ezra 37 and Judges 517)

20
Tribe of Dan

• During the period around 1200 BC, the Danites
  were involved in exploring and colonizing the
  Mediterranean, specifically the Greek Islands.
  The prophet Ezekiel links Dan with Greece (Javan)
  in Ezekiel 2719, as going to and fro, or simply
  trading in goods via ships throughout the Greek
  Islands.
• Greek tradition relates that a Danaus, the
  father of fifty daughters on coming to Argos took
  up his abode in the city of Inarchos and
  throughout Hellas (i.e. Greece) he laid down the
  law that all people hitherto names Pelasgians
  were to be named Danaans (Strabo 5.2.40 quoting
  Euripides).
•  According to Diodorus Siculus They say that
  those who set forth with Danaus, likewise from
  Egypt, settled what is practically the oldest
  city of Greece, Argos, and that the nations of
  the Colchi in Pontus and that of the Jews, which
  lies between Arabia and Syria, were founded as
  colonies by certain emigrants from their
  country. (Diodorus Siculus I28 1 5) Both of
  these accounts collaborate with the scriptures
  that Dan was integral in establishing the first
  colonies in Greece. Later they would be involved
  in transporting much needed natural resources
  back to the land of Israel as the population grew
  and became stronger.

21
Tribe of Dan

• The Philistines also known to be Sea Peoples
  began settling along the Philistine coast in the
  1100s. The island of Cyprus and Crete suffered
  sever destruction as a result of the Eruption of
  Mt. Thera. Many Philistines and Cretans were
  forced to flee their homes. This brought a huge
  influx of people to the area of Ashdod, Ashkelon
  and Gaza. This large influx of people to the
  coast of Israel severely hampered the Danites
  ability to settle and live in their land. God
  raised a Judge from the tribe of Dan to rule over
  Israel. His name was Sampson. As long as Samson
  was alive, the Danites lived in relative peace
  and were able to continue their commercial
  interest. Once he was killed the lives of the
  Danites became precarious and they chose to
  migrate north. The scriptures does not mention
  anything about Danites migrating to Greece, but
  one can only speculate that the portion of tribe
  that was involved in maritime commerce migrated
  away into Greece and other areas, while the rest
  resettled in the north at Laish. The tribe of
  Dan flourished in this area, and built a very
  close relationship with the rising Phoenician
  city-states. The Danites populated the area, and
  would stretch from the Galilee all the way north
  to the Orontes River near Hamath. The character
  and nature of this tribe would continue to thrive
  in the use of metallurgy and sea commerce, and
  would eventually assist the nation in the future
  building of the temple. (2 Chronicles 213).

22
Tribe of Dan

• During the time of the divided kingdom, the tribe
  of Dan would establish two major colonies outside
  of Israel. The first Danite center was located
  on the island of Cyprus known as the Yadnana
  (Isle of the Dana). This was a Phoenician
  island, but you can see an overlap between them
  and the Phoenicians. The other region that was
  ruled by both the tribe of Dan and Judah was the
  area of Cilicia in Anatolia. There are both
  Egyptian and Greek accounts linking the Dananu of
  Cilicia with the Dan of Israel. According to
  Strabo 14 4 3, a tribe of Mopsus (form of
  Moses) invaded eastern Mediterranean area on the
  coast of Cilicia and established the city of
  Adana. According to Strabo, this band of warriors
  was famous for riddles and according to Xanthus
  died in Ashkelon of snakebite. Samson was also
  famous for his riddles (Judges 1512) and gave up
  his life in Gaza. In Genesis 4917, Dan shall
  be a serpent by the way, an adder in the path
  that bites the horses heels, so that his rider
  shall fall backward.

23
Tribe of Dan

• Until the rise of the Assyrian empire, the tribe
  of Dan had built an extensive network of colonies
  all through the Mediterranean. They would lay a
  path where their brother tribes would eventually
  follow.
• They began to abandon many of their colonies
  around the Mediterranean. By 720 BC they had
  left much of their former colonies to other
  Hebrew tribes such as Judah or to the Phoenicians
  who continued their use until the time of
  Alexander the Great.
• The scriptures never mention the exile of any
  portion of the tribe of Dan. Just like the
  prophecy of Moses, Dan would leave the Bashan
  area and migrate completely out of Israel to
  Cilicia and eventually to northern Anatolia and
  establish their last colony in Asia, a city
  called Sampson.
• By the time of Alexander the Great, the Danites
  lived north of the Black Sea. The Greek army
  enlisted many Danites as mounted archers to fight
  the Mallians in 326 BC. (Peter Tsouras
  Alexanders Most Heroic Moment)

24
Tribe of Dan

• Very little detail about Danites in Greece is
  found after 700 BC. According to legend, as the
  Assyrians began to conquer Israelite colonies
  with the aid of the Philistines and Phoenicians,
  the Danites abandoned Argos, Greece and sailed to
  Ireland, the Island once known as the Isle of
  Hibernia. According to the author, ("On the
  Ancient Races of Ireland" by Sir William Wilde)
  Irish legends spoke of the tribe of Dana (Tuatha
  de Danaan) who were renowned metallurgists, and
  scientifically adept Man of Metal. According
  to the author they arrived from northern Isles
  (Scandinavia) after some disaster. The author
  described them as such Danann certainly sounds
  very Grecian and if we consider their remains,
  we find the long, bronze, leaf-shaped sword, so
  abundant in Ireland, identical with weapons of
  the same class found in Attica and other parts of
  Greece.
• Other Irish sources said they originally came
  from the region of Mt. Lebanon, sojourned in
  Greece, and after a great battle with the
  Philistines fled north and came to Ireland. All
  the colonies that had been formerly controlled by
  Dan had to be abandoned for fear of the Assyrian
  Army and the Philistine naval ally who was
  attempting to enslave them.

25
Tribe of Dan

• The Danites who served in the Armies of Alexander
  and lived on the plains of Scythia along the
  Black Sea, eventually were forced to migrate
  northwest to the Jutland Peninsula. The
  descendants who destroyed Laish and built Tel-Dan
  came to their final resting place, the land of
  Denmark.
• Before they migrated this tribe left their mark
  all over Europe The Don, Dnieper, Dniester and
  Danube are rivers that all flow into the Black
  Sea. The territory they once inhabited. As they
  migrated north several cities are named after
  their tribal patriarch, such as Danzig, Dunnkirk
  and others
• From all evidence only a few Danites in the
  Galilee were ever taken into exile. There was a
  group in Iran known as Dangalai (Dan of the
  Galilee) However, the vast majority of them
  learned from the early days as a nation, their
  biggest ally would always be their ships.
• Today much of the tribe of Dan can be found in
  Denmark, Ireland, Wales and in the United States.
  The path they left along their migration, was
  marked by the name of their patriarch Dan. In
  locating the tribe of Dan you will be able to
  Judge by which path the other 9 tribes took.

26
(No Transcript)
27
Sea Peoples

• As you have seen the tribe of Dan set a precedent
  of maritime travel and colonialism. To this very
  day, Israelites are still being accused of
  Imperialism and Colonialism. Ideas like the sun
  never sets on the British Empire and Americas
  Manifest Destiny, are all part in a long
  historical pattern of exploration and an inherent
  desire to extend their rule far beyond their
  boundaries. As Joseph rose to power in Egypt, he
  showed a God given ability to organize and lead a
  nation in both good and bad times. He was able
  to break down the feudal system in place in Egypt
  and Canaan and establish a strong central
  government by simply controlling the resources of
  the land. This trait was passed on to
  generations of Hebrew leaders who realized that
  if you were going to build an empire, you must
  have a labor force willing to do the job, and
  natural resources even if your own land would not
  provide what was necessary. The need for natural
  resources and their ongoing struggle with the
  Canaanite people laid the groundwork for their
  westerly expansion.

28
Sea Peoples
29
Sea Peoples

• Historically, almost all rulers or forms of
  government of Israel came from the leadership of
  Ephraim, Manasseh or Judah. (Psalms 607 and
  1098)
• Ephraim and Judahs tribal allotments were
  primarily in areas that were mountainous and were
  less inclined toward maritime activity. It was
  from these mountains, they ruled over the entire
  land. Since the various capitals of Hebron,
  Bethel, Shechem and later Samaria were in the
  mountains the perception was that Israel was
  mainly a land based people.
• The tribes of Asher, Zebulon, Manasseh, Dan and
  to a lesser degree Simeon and Isaachar were
  situated at the gateway to the Great Sea, they
  were much more inclined toward sea exploration.
• There is evidence that many Hebrews would escape
  Assyrian exile by using the fleet of ships
  available before the Assyrians conquered the
  Northern Kingdom.

30
Sea Peoples

• So Where does the belief that Israel wasnt a sea
  power come from?
• Over the years many historians and archaeologist
  have either ignored or glossed over the evidence
  that the Hebrews truly were a sea power.
• As you can see in the following quote, when
  evidence is found that Hebrews did have a great
  navy, they try to tell us they werent really
  Israelites.
• According to Yigael Yadin in Biblical Archaeology
  Review stated The Danites were originally not
  members of the Israelite confederation They
  seem, rather, to have been connected with a group
  of the Sea Peoples called Danuna or Denyen in
  Egyptian sources, and known to the Greeks as the
  Danaoi.
• He found clear evidence that the tribe of Dan was
  seafaring but yet couldnt connect the dots with
  the other tribes.
• Mr. Yadin does allow us to see that the Danites
  showed a streak of independence, but so did many
  of the other tribes The desire to discover is
  an inherent God-given Hebrew trait. Whether its
  in a laboratory or at sea, this characteristic
  prevails to this very day.

31
Sea Peoples

• The Egyptians around 1200 BC, state peoples known
  as People of the Sea or simply Sea Peoples
  attacked them from the Libyan coast. The
  Egyptians mentioned among the Sea Peoples, groups
  of people known as the Peleset (Philistines),
  Sardana (Sered of Zebulon), Sakaresh (leaders of
  Isaac), the Deny or (Dananu), Ekwesh, Teresh or
  Tulisha (Tola of Isaachar), Zakkar (Isaachar),
  Menesen (Manasseh), and others. According to
  evidence found during the rule of Ramses III, the
  Sea Peoples used Libya as a base of attack on
  Egypt. Records stated that non-Libyan people who
  attacked them were circumcised, and their local
  Libyan allies were not. The Sakara, Tulisha,
  Ekwesh and Sardana were said to be all
  circumcised. The Egyptians tell us that the Sea
  Peoples settled in the Lands of Israel after
  their attack on Egypt fails and Ramses III drives
  them out. The Egyptians did not use the word
  Israel instead they tell us they were driven
  back to thier homes in the land of Peleset. This
  region could easily encompass land from Gaza all
  the way up to Mt. Carmel.
• What is interesting the Zakkar (Isaachar) were
  said to at one stage to have completely conquered
  the Phoenician city of Sidon. Is it possible,
  that Israelites of the Northern Kingdom who were
  said to intermarry with Sidonians, had simply
  married Israelites of Isaachar who had been
  absorbed into the Phoenician culture centuries
  prior?

32
Sea Peoples

• Egyptians at various times write about their
  battles waged against Philistines, Canaanites and
  Hebrews, but the scriptures seem to rarely
  mention Israels battles against Egypt in their
  land. However, in Judges 69, states I
  delivered you out of the hand of the Egyptians
  and out of the hands of all that oppressed you
  and drove them out before you, and gave you their
  land. It is possible the author of Judges is
  referring entirely to local events that were
  happening during a specific period of conflict
  with Egypt. This verse could be an account of
  the raids the Sea Peoples were conducting
  against Egypt, and God delivered the Israelites
  out of Ramses III hands. Whats fascinating
  about the historical account written by the
  Egyptians, a group of people with names very
  similar to clans and tribes of Israel, were known
  to be circumcised, came from bases in Libya, and
  returned to Philistine coast could be none
  other that Israelites colonizing well beyond
  their own boundaries.
• The implication is very profound because it shows
  at a very early stage in their development as a
  nation they used their favorable location on the
  Mediterranean to look for resources and land, and
  were not constrained to their physical boundaries
  within their tribal allotment. The other obvious
  synopsis, is Israels rise to a monarchy and
  eventual empire status was built on the backs of
  these early Hebrews who laid the groundwork for
  both a land conquest of Canaan and a control of
  the Mediterranean, in their pursuit of resources.
  

33
Israels Colonial Navy

• Before we go into the maritime navy of King
  Solomon and the future kings of Israel, we need
  to highlight a promise made to Abraham about his
  descendants. In Genesis 2217 it states that the
  descendents of Abraham, the Hebrews would control
  the gates of their enemies. A promise passed on
  to future Hebrews generations. They would have
  the ability to control key choke points or
  strategic locations that kept their enemies at
  bay. Examples of key choke points would be
  places like Panama and Suez canal, the Straits of
  Gibraltar, Guatanamo Bay Cuba, in ancient times
  the Daryiel Pass in the Caucus Mtns., Islands in
  the Sea, such as Cyprus, or Hawaii, or Diego
  Garcia. As mentioned earlier, fording sites on
  the Euphrates River, and key areas along the
  caravan routes, dominating the Persian Gulf and
  many others. These are all examples of locations
  where Abrahams descendents would physically
  place their army or navy in a certain location or
  colonize an area to keep their enemy from
  expanding and becoming a threat to their nation
  either militarily or economically.

34
Israels Colonial Navy

• As the Israelites migrated or traveled to foreign
  nations when speaking to foreigners they
  referred to themselves as Hebrews. (Exodus 53,
  Jonah 19)
• Colonies of Israel such as Tarshish (Spain) was
  referred to as Iberia, Ireland as Hibernia and
  after Israels exile the Caucus Mountains as
  Iberia. Other nations recognized these areas as
  major Israelite concentrations. So when you look
  at Ptolemy maps, or maps of the Roman Empire you
  will see the above listed names.
• When an individual clan or tribe would colonize
  or form a nation they would refer to themselves
  by their tribal or clan name. Examples of this
  were the Sicambri (Shechem of Manasseh) or
  Yasubgalli (Exiles of Joseph) and the Barbarian
  tribe Usipetes (Josephites) and Moesia
  (descendents of Moses).
• The name of Israel was rarely used outside of the
  boundaries of the promise land. However the name
  of Isaac would become more common. In Part 3,
  after exile we will show how the name of Isaac
  became the predominant name used by Israelites,
  and the use of Israel or Hebrew was for all
  intensive purpose abandoned.

35
Israels Colonial Navy

• The Legacy of Solomon Empire on Judea
• King Jehoshaphat of Judah attempted to
  reestablish the Judean kingdoms maritime fleet
  but it was destroyed by a great storm. 1 Kings
  2248 stated that Jehoshaphat attempted to send a
  fleet of ships out to bring gold from Ophir. His
  reign was estimated to be from 873 849 BC. Now
  what is interesting about this was King
  Jehoshaphat pursued an alliance with the Northern
  Kingdom to pull gold out of mines in a land of
  Ophir.
• The Northern Kingdom had continued to use these
  mines well after the time of Solomon. There has
  been much speculation as to where Ophir was
  located. Some have said Mozambique, Africa and
  even some maps have it located in India. Both
  are plausible choices, which at one stage or
  another were major gold mining operations. Both
  locations show that a maritime fleet was needed
  that could travel long distances 3000 years ago.

36
Israels Colonial Navy

• Another plausible argument for Ophir is the Peru
  Brazil region. According to Craig White (Origin
  of Nations), the name of Peru, originates from
  the Inca Dynasty name Pirua or Ophirua. Was this
  the location of Ophir, is this where the sons of
  Joktan finally settled? They may for a time been
  located in Mozambique, Africa and then moved on
  to the Americas? Even if the location where they
  searched for gold was Africa or India, the
  Israelites with their Phoenician partners
  demonstrated their ability to use large ocean
  going ships that could transport substantial
  amounts of natural resources.
• There wasnt a port of call or place throughout
  the world that the Israelite/Phoenician navy
  wouldnt visit. 425 years later Daniel tells us
  that the Chaldean Empire reached to the ends of
  the Earth. (Daniel 422) Most minimalist tend to
  dismiss and think the end of the world was
  possibly the fertile crescent, Persian Gulf and
  the Mediterranean. In my opinion, during the
  time of Solomon and later, the nations were
  building ships that could cross any ocean and
  bring whatever resource that was required.

37
Israels Colonial Navy

• Under the reign of King David and Solomon, Israel
  was able to extend their empire and usher in what
  is known as the golden age of Israel. According
  to historians the rise of the Phoenician empire
  rose during the same period of 1000 BC to 700 BC.
  Ironically, their rise also coincides with the
  rise of the Israelite empire. This empire was a
  land empire as well as a sea empire. 1 Kings 9
  26-27 states King Solomon built a fleet of
  ships in Ezion-Geber, which is beside Eloth on
  the shore of the Red Sea, in the land of Edom.
  And Hiram sent with the fleet his servants,
  seamen who were familiar with the sea, together
  with the servants of Solomon. Solomon
  established a major Port on the Red Sea at Ezion
  Geber. This port after the death of Solomon
  would fall into the hands of Edom, however most
  of the time is was controlled by the Northern
  Kingdom as a southern port to Africa and to
  India.
• Corroborating evidence indicates King Solomon
  built one of the most advanced smelting
  facilities in ancient times. According Daniken
  in Chariots of the Gods states the biggest
  smelting installations in the ancient
  Eastconsisting of a regular ultramodern furnace
  with a system of air channels, chimney flues, and
  openings for specific purposes.

38
Israels Colonial Navy

• Werner Keller in his book, The Bible as History,
  states the following ..remains of an extensive
  settlement were excavated. The most interesting
  things were casting-moulds and a vast quantity of
  copper slag In the middle of a square walled
  enclosure an extensive building came into view.
  The green discoloration on the walls left no
  doubt as to the purpose of the building it was
  a blast furnace. The mud-brick walls had two
  rows of openings. They were flues a skillful
  system of air passages was included in the
  construction. The whole thing was a proper
  up-to-date blast furnace, built in accordance
  with a principle that celebrated its resurrection
  in modern industry a century ago as the Bessemer
  system. Flues and chimneys both lay along a
  north to south axis. For the incessant winds and
  storms from the Wadi el-Araabah had to take over
  the role of bellows. Keller continues, Nowhere
  else in the Fertile Crescent, neither in
  Babylonia or Egypt, was such a great furnace to
  be foundEzion-Geber was the Pittsburg of old
  Palestine.

39
Israels Colonial Navy

• Keller dates the blast furnace to around 1000 BC.
  Only David or Solomon could have ruled this area
  during this time. As you can see, these deep
  ocean going ships built by Solomon navigated out
  into the Red Sea, whether they traveled to India
  or Africa, or chose to circumnavigate the African
  continent, there main purpose was to bring back
  gold, silver, iron ores, copper and tin to build
  the incredible projects Solomon would need.
  After the death of Solomon, the southern kingdom
  remained relatively land locked and the Northern
  Kingdom under Jeroboam I, would continue in
  search of resources from this port.

40
Israels Colonial Navy

• Three verses that stand out in scripture further
  demonstrating the knowledge Israel had of the
  oceans the first one is in Psalms 10723-30
   23 Others (Hebrews) went out on the sea in
  ships they were merchants on the mighty waters
  (Oceans).  24 They saw the works of the LORD, his
  wonderful deeds in the deep. 25 For he spoke and
  stirred up a tempest that lifted high the waves.
   26 They mounted up to the heavens and went down
  to the depths in their peril their courage
  melted away. 27 They reeled and staggered like
  drunken men they were at their wits' end.  28
  Then they cried out to the LORD in their trouble,
  and he brought them out of their distress. 29 He
  stilled the storm to a whisper the waves of the
  sea were hushed.  30 They were glad when it grew
  calm, and he guided them to their desired haven.

41
Israels Colonial Navy

• David is talking about his own people, because
  only they would cry out to the God Yahweh. Where
  did Davids knowledge of the sea come from, some
  was from his own people, the rest came from a
  group of Sea Peoples. Cretans, and Philistines
  had come from Cyprus and Crete and settled along
  the southwest coast of Israel. 2 Samuel 1518
  Davids mercenary force came from the Philistine
  city of Gath who was made up of Pelethites and
  Kerethites, immigrants who were known to have
  great knowledge of the sea. The knowledge of the
  Seas was common and wide spread during King
  Davids time and before.
• In the next verse the author refers to the
  Phoenician city of Tyre. 1 Kings 1011(Hiram's
  ships brought gold from Ophir (Peru?) and from
  there they brought great cargoes of almugwood,
  and precious stones.

42
Israels Colonial Navy

• 1 Kings 928 They (Phoenician and Israelites)
  sailed to Ophir (Peru?) and brought back 420
  talents of gold, which they delivered to King
  Solomon.
• 1 Kings 927 And Hiram sent his mensailors who
  knew the seato serve in the fleet with Solomon's
  men.
• As you can see, Tyre and Sidon (Phoenicians)
  served in a joint fleet captained by both Israel
  and Phoenicia. The root of this alliance dates
  back to the period of Judges when Isaachar
  established a colony in Sidon. David formalized
  this alliance after defeating Assyria, Edom, the
  sons of Lot (Moab and Ammon) and the Ishmaelites.
  In Psalms 83, David speaks of a major Middle
  East conflict with these nations, which included
  some Philistines, and Phoenicians from Tyre and
  Gebal.

43
Israels Colonial Navy

• Once this relationship was formalized with Tyre
  and Sidon, it would continue until the fall of
  Samaria. The last scripture, which shows you,
  the extent of the Phoenicians and Israelites
  maritime activity is found in Chapter 27 of
  Ezekiel. Tyre had a global trading operation,
  which made them very wealthy. The Northern
  Kingdom was allied to them through both marriage
  and trade. Ezekiel 27 25 " The ships of
  Tarshish serve as carriers for your wares. You
  are filled with heavy cargo in the heart of the
  sea.  26 Your oarsmen take you out to the high
  seas. But the east wind will break you to pieces
  in the heart of the sea.  27 Your wealth,
  merchandise and wares, your mariners, seamen and
  shipwrights, your merchants and all your
  soldiers, and everyone else on board will sink
  into the heart of the sea on the day of your
  shipwreck.
• Ezekiel predicts a coming destruction of this
  massive maritime fleet. Keep in mind the fate of
  Tyre was intricately tied to that of Samaria.
  Once the Northern Kingdom fell, the army that
  protected these coastal cities, it would not be
  long before they fell as well. Israel could no
  longer come to the aid of Tyre, 400 years later,
  their final destruction would come at the hands
  of Alexander the Great.

44
(No Transcript)
45
Ships of Tarshish

• Finally, I would like to end with the Ships of
  Tarshish. A people by the name of Tarshish,
  sons of Javan, had established themselves on the
  southern coast of Anatolia in the area known as
  Cilicia. There was a city by the name of Tarsus
  well into the Roman period. These sons of
  Japheth (Genesis 104) migrated to what we know
  today as Spain and Portugal. At one stage Javan
  (Ionians) and Tarshish maintained a trading
  network between Anatolia and the coasts of modern
  day Spain. The population of these people was
  not very significant, and very little
  archaeological evidence of them has been found.
  However, once the Hebrews and Sidonians realized
  the vast natural resources that this peninsula
  had, it became a major colonial base for both the
  Phoenicians and the Israelites. Eventually they
  would establish several ports along the coast,
  some run by Israelites others run by Phoenicians.

46
Ships of Tarshish

• The peninsula or land of Tarshish or Tartessus
  became a jumping off point for ships sailing into
  the Atlantic. These ships of Tarshish were both
  an Ocean going type of vessel, as well as ships
  referring to a destination. 1 Kings 1022
  states once in three years came the navy of
  Tharshish, bringing gold, and silver, ivory, and
  apes and peacocks. The important point to
  mention here is it does not take three years for
  ships to travel from the port cities of Israel to
  Tarshish (Spain) and back. These ships would use
  ports in Ezion-Geber on the Red Sea, Joppa, Dor,
  and Tyre to begin their voyages. The ships that
  left the ports on the Mediterranean may have
  stopped for cargo in Tarshish (Spain), but it was
  only in-route to locations throughout the world.

47
Ships of Tarshish

• A verse that always caught my attention was 2
  Chronicles 9 22-24  22 King Solomon was greater
  in riches and wisdom than all the other kings of
  the earth. 23 All the kings of the earth sought
  audience with Solomon to hear the wisdom God had
  put in his heart. 24 Year after year, everyone
  who came brought a giftarticles of silver and
  gold, and robes, weapons and spices, and horses
  and mules
• This period of history, every nation had the
  ability to travel by sea, and traveling across
  great oceans was as common then as it is today.
• It is true that Jonah when attempting to run from
  God did leave out of Joppa and head to Tarshish
  (Spain), but it is also possible he may have been
  searching for a land further west than this.

48
Conclusion

• From the early days in Egypt the tribes developed
  their merchant skills. In David Rohls book A
  Test of Time, he shows how pottery from Crete was
  found in Hebrew burial sites at Goshen and in the
  capital, Avaris. The famous Minoan Frescoes
  common only to Crete, were also found inside
  their burial tombs and throughout Avaris. The
  Hebrews in Goshen had developed trading partners
  with the Mediterranean states such as Crete.
• The tribe of Ephraim demonstrated that not even
  one generation removed from the death of Joseph,
  they were leading an Egyptian Army into Canaan,
  and establishing 3 cities in the heart of that
  land.
• Once they took the land of Canaan, they would
  colonize the world until they were exiled.
• The Israelites were Colonist - either by land or
  sea, from early times down to the present day.
  Today their legacy can be found in space or in
  the depths of the sea. They were given a
  God-given gift of Discovery This is the legacy
  of Israel!