The Parthian Empire, hidden from our eyes?
Posted on March 22, 2008
Filed Under Ancient History, Ephraim (Multitude of Nations), Flavius Josephus, House of Joseph (Joes)
Watch the video below and then notice how it jumps from the Roman Empire, to the Byzantine Empire, and then to the Sassanid (Second Persian) Empire. Hmmm… what happened to the Parthian Empire? Not mentioning Parthia at the same time as the rise and fall of the Roman Empire is like discussing the history of the Soviet Union without mentioning the United States of America. It is a deceptively unbalanced portrayal of ancient history.
My question is why? Why do historians so frequently brush over Parthia like it was a little blimp on the radar just before the Persians regained control over the region. PEOPLE, the Parthian Empire existed for almost 500 years!!!! And the Romans and Parthians kicked the tar out of each other on numerous occasions. Neither were ever able to cross the Euphrates River and hold the other’s territory for any enduring period. Why the censorship of Parthia?
Flavius Josephus is the key!
According to Flavius Josephus: “…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, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now [Parthia], and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.” -Flavius Josephus: “…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, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now [Parthia], and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.” -Antiquities of the Jews (Book X Ch.9)
Parthia is dismissed and/or diminished in history not only because we live in a Roman-centric dominated world, but also because the Parthian Empire was made up of Israelite populations from those taken captive to the same region by the Assyrians several hundred years prior.
Steven Collin’s book Parthia: The Forgotten Ancient Superpower is well worth the read.
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