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May 6th, 2002
Received by H.
Cuenca, Ecuador.
My dear H___:
As I have promised, I am conveying a final message, at this stage,
on “the Samaritans”, or rather, on those tribes of Israel
who would integrate in later times with the Samaritans.
One day, when you were in the company of a music professor, who
was an expert on the Bible and who knew the Scriptures perfectly
well, you discussed the Bible.
Suddenly, the professor, a sensible, responsible and intelligent
man, told you that the 10 lost tribes of Israel lived in Europe
and North America. You gasped in amazement, asking how he had come
to such a conclusion.
He explained to you that after having been exiled by the Assyrians,
the 10 tribes lived in the region south of the Caspian Sea, in the
northern part of what nowadays is the country of Iran. Finally,
when the Assyrian empire succumbed to the pressures of other more
vigorous peoples, the Israelites recovered their independence and
escaped from the land of their captivity, heading north and crossing
the Caucasus Mountains. When they had arrived at the immense steppes
of Eastern Europe, they changed direction toward the northwest,
until they finally came to the Atlantic Ocean, which blocked their
further advance. There they settled and continued living until now.
A part of the tribes crossed the English Channel, making their way
to the British Isles.
Simeon inhabited Spain. The members of Reuben’s tribe headed
for the region made up of the countries of the Netherlands and Belgium.
Issachar settled in Finland, Zebulon in France. Dan went to Denmark.
Ephraim and Manasseh were those who crossed the Channel, and made
themselves comfortable in the British Isles. And I could continue
with the list, assigning the diverse tribes to the regions of Europe.
Then he explained to you that in the course of America’s colonization,
the Israelites also made their way to the New World. The white Americans,
of Anglo-Saxon origin, pertain, therefore, especially to the tribe
of Manasseh, while the Britons are in their majority members of
the tribe of Ephraim.
With incredulous eyes and openmouthed, you listened to the professor’s
sermon, and then you asked him where he had found that “wisdom.”
Dan in Denmark? Wouldn’t it simply be because Dan and Dane
sound very similar? And what about linguistics? How about Finland,
which was populated by nomadic people from Asia in times of late
Antiquity? You asked question after question, but the professor
insisted: All were the descendants of Israel, the famous lost tribes.
He even affirmed that the Germans are the descendants of the Assyrians.
They obviously had accompanied their former slaves in their escape
to the north. So, my dear friend, you are my Assyrian brother [Judas
laughs].
Now, my friend, with no desire to become involved in this nonsense
and with no desire of entering into controversy, I only want you
to remember that there were in fact 13 tribes. According to the
Biblical legend, Jacob, called Israel, had 12 sons, the founders
of single tribes. But Joseph’s tribe does not exist. In this
exceptional case, his two sons, Manasseh and Ephraim, would be the
mythological founders of two separate tribes. Therefore, 13 tribes
existed.
The Bible also indicates the regions that later on were occupied
by those tribes, twelve areas in total, because the tribe of Levi
did not have a territory of their own, but served as priests among
all other tribes.
We need not be interested now in whether this story is correct
or not, because the professor’s conclusions are also based
on the Biblical story, without subjecting it to a critical investigation.
Thanks to the Biblical history we know that in the centuries after
taking possession of Canaan, the big tribes absorbed the smaller
ones, the big fish swallowed the small ones. Simeon disappeared
in Judah, and the same we can say of Benjamin, although even in
the times of the New Testament the separation formally continued.
Paul of Tarsus was from this tribe.
The Levites were expelled from the northern kingdom before its
destruction by the Assyrians. Therefore, the Kingdom of Judah in
the south consisted of the tribes of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin
and Levi. They sum up to four tribes out of thirteen. How many remain?
For heaven’s sake, which ones are the 10 lost tribes?
But that question does not matter. I have already told you what
actually had happened. In addition, supposing that all the tribes
of the north had disappeared, where did the prophetess Anna, daughter
of Phanuel, from the tribe of Asher, suddenly come from, of whom
Luke tells us in his gospel?
I apologize for this message, being convinced that you will find
it ridiculous or at least unnecessary. But you are mistaken. I want
you to draw two valuable lessons from this story.
In the first place, when it is about religion, reason evaporates.
The professor was and is a sensible man, I already said this. How
is it possible, then, that he can disclose such nonsense? Do you
find this unusual? I could offer many more examples, and you know
what I am referring to. Beliefs are so strong that they are able
to distort the normal reasoning of people, producing artifacts such
as the one mentioned above.
But, in the same manner, your claim of being able to communicate
with somebody who died almost 2000 years ago, would be considered
another nonsense by many.
In the second place, deductions like the one above, concerning
the 10 lost tribes of Israel, are supposedly based on the study
of the Bible. However, even less controversial but contradictory
doctrines originate from the study of the same writings by different
people. All writings, the text of the Bible, as well as the messages
received by the diverse mediums, are subject to interpretation.
And the results of those interpretations are as varied as are the
stars in the sky.
Therefore, considering that belief eclipses reason, it is clear
that disputes over religion lead nowhere. The discussion may widen
your own horizon, and you may also contribute data to enlarge the
understanding of other people, but that is the maximum you will
be able to achieve. You will never be able to “to convince.”
It is also obvious that the study of religious texts cannot be
the appropriate way to find Truth, due to the inherent errors in
all texts, and the wide margin for interpretation they grant.
The only way to find Truth is to experience it for yourself and
in yourself. This is the way of the mystics. What you wrote a few
days ago — that you do not accept any writings and any messages
as your gospel, not even those of Padgett, that your only gospel
is what you may experience, and thus verify, in your heart —
is a great truth.
It is easy to summarize Jesus’ gospel in few words: “God
is Love. He offers His Love to all His children, that is to say,
to all humanity. Moreover, He is always a personal God who invites
us to enter into contact with Him, should we wish to do so. He will
listen to us and He will answer.”
God is the Source of Truth. And if you want to discover Truth,
go to the Source, and do not be satisfied with second or third hand
information.
It has been a great pleasure to converse with you once again. With
this message, I declare finished this short sequence on the Samaritans
and similar topics. Of course, we will come back when required to
on this set of topics in the course of our analyses of Jesus’
history.
It is time to say goodbye, with the sincere desire that the Father
may fill you with His abundant blessings.
Your brother in Christ,
Judas
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