Dear Mr. Collins:
I ve been interested in the study of the lost tribes of Israel for over 20 years and I m amazed just how clear the scripture and secular history is on the location and identity of Yahweh s people. I have read all five of your books and you are the only one to come along in years with tons of new information regarding the identity of our Hebrew ancestors, and I commend you, Sir…
Something has always puzzled me concerning the slightly different customs between the Celts and their Scythian/Parthian brothers. In that I mean: way is it that the Celts adopted the plaid breeches and cloaks where as Scythia and Parthia adopted the more solid colors with elaborate needle work along the side of their trousers and tunics? (However, Celtic and Scythian art and other mannerisms are so much alike it doesn t take too much brain power to figure out that these people are related) There s no doubt that the Celts are indeed part of the house of Israel, I just thought you would have a little insight on this.
One other thing: why didn t the Israelite-Celts continue to use the Phrygian cap that was so common among ancient Israel? I m sure you re familiar with the famous Black Obelisk of Shalmanezer III that depicts King Jehu, king if Israel sporting a Phrygian cap just like the Scythians! But I have yet to find one image of a Celt depicted with such a cap. I hope you don t think that I m nit-picking; it s just that I m constantly thinking of such little details regarding the Celts and Scythians. This may not be important to some people, but for me it has always been some what of a puzzle.
I hope I didn t bore you with all this, but I would highly regard your opinion and comments and forgive my poor grammar.
In Messiah, Yahshua s name
Danny Walden
MyReply:
Dear Danny Walden,
Thank you very much for your kind comments on the clarity of the new information about the Israelite tribes presented in my books.
I do regard both the Celts and the Scythian-originated tribes as generally being Israelite in origin. I think one explanation for the differing customs of the two groups is the length of time that they were separated from each other, both geographically and culturally. As my books point out, the “Phoenician” alliance between the United Kingdom of Israel under Kings David and Solomon with the city-states of Tyre, Sidon, etc. had a global reach and impact. Israelite/Phoenician colonies were founded in Spain (Iberia), throughout the Mediterranean region, the British Isles and mainland Europe. These colonies were reinforced by settlers from the Israelite tribes for centuries before the kingdoms of Israel and Judah fell and their peoples either migrated elsewhere or were taken into captivity. The European colonists of this Israelite/Phoenician empire were “on their own” after the kingdom of Israel fell, and the civilizations of these colonists were later called “Celts.” The descendants of the much larger group of Israelites who either migrated (or were taken captive) into Asia became known as Scythians and Parthians.
The kingdom of Israel fell in the 8th century BC and the Scythian/Parthian peoples did not migrate in large numbers into Europe until after the fall of Parthia in the 3rd century AD. This means that these groups were separated for over a millennium, and this would account for many cultural differences between them.
You correctly note that a distinctive kind of pointed cap was associated with the Israelites when they were still in the Promised Land. At least some of the Israelites transplanted into Asia retained this headgear as a Scythian “Sacae” figure is depicted with a pointed cap on the Behistun rock carving commissioned by King Darius of the Persian Empire. This headgear is shown on pages 203-204 of my book, Israel’s Lost Empires, and it is discussed on pages 210-211 of the same book. The Behistun carving dates to the 6th century BC, so it was an example of this Israelite headgear being retained not long after they were exiled from the Promised Land.
Steve Collins
