Our purpose in a nutshell? It is to convince you that יהוה is no Liar. You see, there is a reality in the world today which יהוה promised unconditionally in the Hebrew Scriptures more than 3800 years ago. The promise, a promise of multitudes, was first given to Abraham, then to Isaak, then to Israel, then to Joseph, and finally passed on to Ephraim (Verify it here).
Genesis 48:19 promised that Ephraim would become the fullness of the nations (melo ha-goyim). We believe it isn't a question of IF that promise was fulfilled, but rather questions of HOW and WHO.
There are many insightful books on the so-called "Lost Ten Tribes of Israel" which don't hold to a minimalist point of view (we're maximalists-we believe the Elohim of Israel isn't a liar or a partial liar). Yet even the maximalist books published up to this point have been unable to connect the dots where modern genetic research is concerned... and for good reason. The science, namely Population Genetics, is relatively young and the pool of genetic data is just starting to get deep and wide enough to be useful on a global scale, but unfortunately the keepers of the genetic data are largely entangled in various forms of religious Evolutionism (generally cloaked in Atheism), and thus interpret the data from an evolutionary paradigm (filter), using unreliable (if not fraudulent) instruments such as radiometric dating.
Even so, the Y-Chromosome DNA of Abraham, passed only to his direct male descendants, will likely be identified by more researchers soon (See Israelite Haplogroup (DNA) Hypotheses). Many from "the Educational Establishment" already believe they've identified the genetic markers of the priestly (Cohanim) clan of the tribe of Levi (Cohen Modal Haplotype). Geneticists (using haplogroups specifically) already tell us much about how mankind migrated in the last few thousand years. JewsandJoes.com simply wants to help connect some of those migrating peoples with those found in Scripture, particularly the descendants of Jacob (Israel), and more specifically: the tribe of Ephraim.
Figuratively, the exiled Northern Kingdom of Israel (idiomatically “Ephraim” or "Joseph") is the Prodigal Son mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (Chapter 15). He is the younger brother of Jew-dah (the Southern Israelite Kingdom of Judah). Their Y-Chromosome DNA should be nearly identical, but because of 3,800 years of mutations, their modern direct male descendants certainly fall into different genetic haplogroups. The investigations herein will suggest many possibilities and probabilities in light of scientific research and historical texts. But ultimately, we will take the Most High at His Word. We will look to the clues hidden in plain view within the Torah, the Prophets, and the Writings.
The Parable of the Prodigal Son, a story of two brother: Joseph and Judah
There are many mysteries surrounding the patriarch Jacob, his beginning, and his descendants’ promised destiny which would unfold in the Latter Days. Mysteries aside, there are some things we know for sure. After King Solomon’s death, the single Kingdom of Israel split into two Kingdoms or rather, two bickering brothers who largely continued their hostilities toward one another for the remainder of their existence as neighbors (they actually went to war with each other where hundreds of thousands died).
If you’re familiar with the New Testament, it is easy to catch a glimpse of this brotherhood in Yeshua’s story of the Prodigal Son mentioned in the Gospel of Luke (Ch.15:11-32) which paints the jealousy and hostility with no uncertain language (read the passage below). By the time Yeshua told the parable of the prodigal, the ten tribes of the Northern Kingdom had been in exile for more than 700 years, while Jew-dah had remained comparatively faithful and in the Promised Land of Israel, minus the 70 years spent in Babylonian Captivity. We know the Joes (the ten tribes of Israel) never returned from Assyria with any large representation because the historian Josephus indicated they were still east of the Euphrates during his lifetime and prominent Jewish rabbis after Yeshua's lifetime were still debating whether the exiles of Israel would ever return (Mishnah, Sanhedrin 110b). Even so, Yeshua’s parable indicates the prodigal son will eventually "come to himself" (Luke 15:17; Hosea 1:9-10 and 2:23) and begin his journey home (Luke 15:20), home to the Land of Yisrael, and unlike the Palestinian refugee problem today, the Israelite refugees of Joseph will fight with Jewdah, not against him (Isaiah 11:14).
Luke 15:11-32: (KJV) reads [bold and italic mine]:
(11) And he said, A certain man had two sons:
(12) And the younger of them said to his father, Father, give me the portion of goods that falleth to me. And he divided unto them his living.
(13) And not many days after the younger son gathered all together, and took his journey into a far country, and there wasted his substance with riotous living.
(14) And when he had spent all, there arose a mighty famine in that land; and he began to be in want.
(15) And he went and joined himself to a citizen of that country; and he sent him into his fields to feed swine.
(16) And he would fain have filled his belly with the husks that the swine did eat: and no man gave unto him.
(17) And when he came to himself, he said, How many hired servants of my father's have bread enough and to spare, and I perish with hunger!
(18) I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee,
(19) And am no more worthy to be called thy son: make me as one of thy hired servants.
(20) And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.
(21) And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.
(22) But the father said to his servants, Bring forth the best robe [note: Joseph's Coat of Many Colors], and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet:
(23) And bring hither the fatted calf, and kill it; and let us eat, and be merry:
(24) For this my son was dead, and is alive again [note: Ezekiel 37:1-14 the valley of dry bones]; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
(25) Now his elder son was in the field: and as he came and drew nigh to the house, he heard music and dancing.
(26) And he called one of the servants, and asked what these things meant.
(27) And he said unto him, Thy brother is come; and thy father hath killed the fatted calf, because he hath received him safe and sound.
(28) And he was angry, and would not go in: therefore came his father out, and intreated him.
(29) And he answering said to his father, Lo, these many years do I serve thee, neither transgressed I at any time thy commandment: and yet thou never gavest me a kid, that I might make merry with my friends:
(30) But as soon as this thy son was come, which hath devoured thy living with harlots, thou hast killed for him the fatted calf.
(31) And he said unto him, Son, thou art ever with me, and all that I have is thine.
(32) It was meet that we should make merry, and be glad: for this thy brother was dead, and is alive again; and was lost, and is found.
The Prophet Hosea illustrated the time sequence of the Northern Kingdom of Joseph (Israel), first as "a people", then as "not a people", then finally as "a people" again (Hosea 1:9-10 and 2:23). The Prophet Ezekiel portrays this same theme with his vision of the valley of dead and dry bones coming back to life (Ezekiel 37:1-14).
Ultimately, our purpose is to help the Prodigal Son find or "come to himself". We also want to help Jew-dah see that Joe-seph (the prodigal) has largely been dead (figuratively) in far off lands. But now... NOW Joseph is coming back to life. Now he is starting to become "a people" again, a people set-apart unto יהוה, and eventually the House of Judah will accept and rejoice in the restoration of Joseph. Joseph will no longer envy Judah, and Judah will stop troubling his younger brother Joseph (Isaiah 11:13).
Joseph's multitudes of peoples are proof יהוה is no Liar. But they, the Joes, are a people inheriting lies (Jeremiah 16:19) from the father of lies, otherwise known as ha-Satan, the-Adversary. Part of our effort is to help Joseph stop believing the lies and return to the Father of Heaven Who longs for His sons to be united and home in the Land of Israel, living again within His house rules, the Torah.
Shalom Aleichem,
Hanok ben Isaak
DISCLAIMER: Although commentary on this site may point out reasons for "DIVINE" judgment and punishment on various nations for their acts of wickedness (e.g., the murder of the unborn, etc), individuals are not encouraged, supported, or condoned in perpetuating any hostile acts on those nationalities or citizens of those nationalities. This is an educational and prophetic watchman website, not an incitement website. The only call to action issued is the call to repentance and restoration of righteousness to the House of Joseph and the House of Judah. The Creator of the Universe will bring judgment according to His own timing and in ways which need no human intervention.
