Nordic Israelism
Encyclopedia
Nordic Israelism or Norse Israelism is the belief that Scandinavian
peoples, or the Nordic countries
(Denmark
, Faroe Islands
, Finland
, Iceland
, Norway
, Sweden
) descend from the Ten Lost Tribes
of Israel. Although there is evidence of such a belief from literature during the Early Modern Period
, Nordic Israelism as a movement and ideology only emerged in the latter half of the 19th century among several early proponents of British Israelism
.
's Accessiones historicae (1698), states the Danes
were of the Tribe of Dan
, while the Jutes
the Jews. Later the antiquarian Henry Spelman
in 1620 had further claimed that the Danes were the Israelite Tribe of Dan, based on the apparent similarity in name. In the 18th century the Swedish historian Olof von Dalin
believed that the ancient Finns (alongside Lapps and Estonians
) who sprung from the Neuri
descended ultimately from the lost tribes of Israel:
John Eurenius (1688-1751), a Swedish pastor in Torsåker, Angermanland
, Sweden, also connected the Israelites to the Nordic countries, in his Atlantica Orientalis (1751) he theorised that the Gods of Norse mythology were deified descendants from the middle-east, who he connected to Israel. Olof Rudbeck the Younger
in the 18th century also attempted to prove that the Nordic languages sprung from Hebrew.
in the 1850s. Key British Israelite authors such as John Cox Gawler
and J. H. Allen
first identified the Tribe of Dan with Denmark and others with different Scandinavian countries (e.g. Naphtali
with Norway
), while the remaining tribes they equated with Britain
. Other British Israelites such as Edward Hine
however took a more particularist view, deciding that only the British nation fulfilled the prophecy for Israel and that all the Israelites should be identified with Britain, not Scandinavia. Nonetheless Hine still believed that the Tribe of Dan
had at one stage been in Denmark, from which he believed the name of the country derived but that Dan's final destined resting place (as well as the other tribes of Israel) was Britain. Other British Israelites took this view, maintaining that the Israelites migrated across Europe, having entered from Asia, leaving their name across various locations, but ultimately their final resting place was Britain. British Israelites however who did not subscribe to this more particularist view initially attacked Hine's identifications in the The Standard of Israel magazine quarterly of the "Anglo-Israel Association". Later however, most British Israelites fused their views with the Nordic-Israelism offshoot, as identity groups were set up across Scandinavia promoting the identification of certain Israelite tribes with the Nordic countries
and they remained closely linked to British-Israel organisations such as the British-Israel-World Federation
.
and the "Apostolic Church" in Denmark are considered to have been early pioneers in the Nordic-Israelism movement. They published from the 1920's a quarterly magazine entitled Evangeliebladet which covered identifications of the Ten Lost Tribes
of Israel with Denmark, other Scandinavian countries and published some British Israelism literature. They also published regular articles from other proponents of the Nordic Israel identity, including those of Ole Jørgen Johnsen, a Norwegian preacher from Hasla who authored Israel i de siste dage ("Israel in the Last Days") in 1924.
The renowned engineer Albert Hiorth
was a prominent Nordic Israelism proponent and author of the early 20th century.
.
, however there are notable differences in the identifications of the Ten lost tribes
.
's identification of the Tribe of Dan
with Denmark. However Gawler also placed Dan in Scotland
and Ireland
, an identification British Israelites follow, but proponents of Nordic Israelism stress more on the identification with Denmark
.
by Nordic Israelites. Proponents point out that in Finnish the word for Father is Isa, connecting the word to Issachar
and its Hebrew etymology:
Adam Rutherford in 1937 published Iceland’s Great Inheritance (1937) in which he connected the Tribe of Benjamin
to Iceland. Modern proponents of Nordic Israelism follow this identification and articles have been published further on the identification.
's Jakten på Odin
is often cited by modern Nordic Israelites to support their theories.
Scandinavians
Scandinavians are a group of Germanic peoples, inhabiting Scandinavia and to a lesser extent countries associated with Scandinavia, and speaking Scandinavian languages. The group includes Danes, Norwegians and Swedes, and additionally the descendants of Scandinavian settlers such as the Icelandic...
peoples, or the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
(Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
, Faroe Islands
Faroe Islands
The Faroe Islands are an island group situated between the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean, approximately halfway between Scotland and Iceland. The Faroe Islands are a self-governing territory within the Kingdom of Denmark, along with Denmark proper and Greenland...
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
, Iceland
Iceland
Iceland , described as the Republic of Iceland, is a Nordic and European island country in the North Atlantic Ocean, on the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Iceland also refers to the main island of the country, which contains almost all the population and almost all the land area. The country has a population...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
) descend from the Ten Lost Tribes
Ten Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
of Israel. Although there is evidence of such a belief from literature during the Early Modern Period
Early modern period
In history, the early modern period of modern history follows the late Middle Ages. Although the chronological limits of the period are open to debate, the timeframe spans the period after the late portion of the Middle Ages through the beginning of the Age of Revolutions...
, Nordic Israelism as a movement and ideology only emerged in the latter half of the 19th century among several early proponents of British Israelism
British Israelism
British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...
.
Early Predecessors
A 15th century Latin chronicle, "Chronicon Holsatiae vetus", found in Gottfried LeibnizGottfried Leibniz
Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz was a German philosopher and mathematician. He wrote in different languages, primarily in Latin , French and German ....
's Accessiones historicae (1698), states the Danes
Danes
Danish people or Danes are the nation and ethnic group that is native to Denmark, and who speak Danish.The first mention of Danes within the Danish territory is on the Jelling Rune Stone which mentions how Harald Bluetooth converted the Danes to Christianity in the 10th century...
were of the Tribe of Dan
Tribe of Dan
The Tribe of Dan, also sometimes spelled as "Dann", was one of the Tribes of Israel. Though known mostly from biblical sources, they were possibly descendants of the Denyen Sea Peoples who joined with Hebrews...
, while the Jutes
Jutes
The Jutes, Iuti, or Iutæ were a Germanic people who, according to Bede, were one of the three most powerful Germanic peoples of their time, the other two being the Saxons and the Angles...
the Jews. Later the antiquarian Henry Spelman
Henry Spelman
Sir Henry Spelman was an English antiquary, noted for his detailed collections of medieval records, in particular of church councils.-Life:...
in 1620 had further claimed that the Danes were the Israelite Tribe of Dan, based on the apparent similarity in name. In the 18th century the Swedish historian Olof von Dalin
Olof von Dalin
Olof von Dalin was a Swedish nobleman, poet, historian and courtier. He was an influential literary figure of the Swedish Enlightenment.-Background:...
believed that the ancient Finns (alongside Lapps and Estonians
Estonians
Estonians are a Finnic people closely related to the Finns and inhabiting, primarily, the country of Estonia. They speak a Finnic language known as Estonian...
) who sprung from the Neuri
Neuri
According to Herodotus the Neuri were a tribe living beyond the Scythian cultivators, one of the nations along the course of the river Ὕπανις Hypanis , West of the Βορυσθένης Borysthenes , roughly the area of modern Belarus and Eastern Poland.-Herodotus's Account:In Herodotus's account, he states...
descended ultimately from the lost tribes of Israel:
John Eurenius (1688-1751), a Swedish pastor in Torsåker, Angermanland
Ångermanland
' is a historical province or landskap in the north of Sweden. It borders to Medelpad, Jämtland, Lapland, Västerbotten and the Gulf of Bothnia. The name "Ångermanland" comes from the Old Norse "anger", which means "deep fjord" and refers to the deep mouth of the river Ångermanälven...
, Sweden, also connected the Israelites to the Nordic countries, in his Atlantica Orientalis (1751) he theorised that the Gods of Norse mythology were deified descendants from the middle-east, who he connected to Israel. Olof Rudbeck the Younger
Olof Rudbeck the Younger
Olaus Rudbeckius, junior or Olof Rudbeck , Swedish explorer and scientist, son of Olaus Rudbeck Sr, Rudbeck Jr. succeeded his father as professor of medicine at Uppsala University. Young Rudbeck was an able botanist and ornithologist who took his doctor's degree in Utrecht in 1690...
in the 18th century also attempted to prove that the Nordic languages sprung from Hebrew.
Birth of movement, 1850s
Nordic Israelism as an established movement emerged as an offshoot of British IsraelismBritish Israelism
British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...
in the 1850s. Key British Israelite authors such as John Cox Gawler
John Cox Gawler
Col. John Cox Gawler was a Keeper of the Crown Jewels and British Israelite author.-Life:John Cox Gawler was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler. Like his father he served in the military, he first joined the 73rd Regiment and fought in the 8th Xhosa War, 1850 to 1853, later being promoted...
and J. H. Allen
J. H. Allen
John Harden Allen was an American minister. He was associated with the Church of God , and is also heavily associated with British Israelism. He came from Illinois, later moving to Missouri in 1879. Originally a pastor in the Methodist Episcopal Church, he later became a pastor in the Wesleyan...
first identified the Tribe of Dan with Denmark and others with different Scandinavian countries (e.g. Naphtali
Naphtali
According to the Book of Genesis, Naphtali was the second son of Jacob with Bilhah. He was the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Naphtali. However, some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the...
with Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
), while the remaining tribes they equated with Britain
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern IrelandIn the United Kingdom and Dependencies, other languages have been officially recognised as legitimate autochthonous languages under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages...
. Other British Israelites such as Edward Hine
Edward Hine
Edward Hine was an influential proponent of British Israelism in the 1870s and 1880s, drawing on the earlier work of Richard Brothers and John Wilson . Hine went as far as to conclude that "It is an utter impossibility for England ever to be defeated...
however took a more particularist view, deciding that only the British nation fulfilled the prophecy for Israel and that all the Israelites should be identified with Britain, not Scandinavia. Nonetheless Hine still believed that the Tribe of Dan
Tribe of Dan
The Tribe of Dan, also sometimes spelled as "Dann", was one of the Tribes of Israel. Though known mostly from biblical sources, they were possibly descendants of the Denyen Sea Peoples who joined with Hebrews...
had at one stage been in Denmark, from which he believed the name of the country derived but that Dan's final destined resting place (as well as the other tribes of Israel) was Britain. Other British Israelites took this view, maintaining that the Israelites migrated across Europe, having entered from Asia, leaving their name across various locations, but ultimately their final resting place was Britain. British Israelites however who did not subscribe to this more particularist view initially attacked Hine's identifications in the The Standard of Israel magazine quarterly of the "Anglo-Israel Association". Later however, most British Israelites fused their views with the Nordic-Israelism offshoot, as identity groups were set up across Scandinavia promoting the identification of certain Israelite tribes with the Nordic countries
Nordic countries
The Nordic countries make up a region in Northern Europe and the North Atlantic which consists of Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Norway and Sweden and their associated territories, the Faroe Islands, Greenland and Åland...
and they remained closely linked to British-Israel organisations such as the British-Israel-World Federation
British-Israel-World Federation
The British-Israel-World Federation is an organization that was founded in London July 3 1919, although its roots can be traced back to the 19th century. At one time this organization enjoyed the patronage of members of the British Establishment including HRH Princess Alice of Athlone, the Duke of...
.
Anna, Sigurd Bjørner and Albert Hiorth
Anna Larssen Bjørner (1875-1955) and Sigurd Bjørner (1875-1953), the founders of Danish PentecostalismPentecostalism
Pentecostalism is a diverse and complex movement within Christianity that places special emphasis on a direct personal experience of God through the baptism in the Holy Spirit, has an eschatological focus, and is an experiential religion. The term Pentecostal is derived from Pentecost, the Greek...
and the "Apostolic Church" in Denmark are considered to have been early pioneers in the Nordic-Israelism movement. They published from the 1920's a quarterly magazine entitled Evangeliebladet which covered identifications of the Ten Lost Tribes
Ten Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
of Israel with Denmark, other Scandinavian countries and published some British Israelism literature. They also published regular articles from other proponents of the Nordic Israel identity, including those of Ole Jørgen Johnsen, a Norwegian preacher from Hasla who authored Israel i de siste dage ("Israel in the Last Days") in 1924.
The renowned engineer Albert Hiorth
Albert Hiorth
Albert Karl Fredrik Hiorth was a Norwegian engineer.He was born in Kristiania as a son of engineer Fredrik Hiorth. He took his education at Kristiania Technical School and the University of Geneva. He was a member of the Faraday Society...
was a prominent Nordic Israelism proponent and author of the early 20th century.
Contemporary movement
Nordisk Israel is a Scandinavian organisation which still runs promoting the Nordic variant of British IsraelismBritish Israelism
British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...
.
Tenets
Many of the tenets or beliefs core to Nordic Israelism cross over with British IsraelismBritish Israelism
British Israelism is the belief that people of Western European descent, particularly those in Great Britain, are the direct lineal descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. The concept often includes the belief that the British Royal Family is directly descended from the line of King David...
, however there are notable differences in the identifications of the Ten lost tribes
Ten Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
.
Denmark
Proponents of Nordic Israelism follow John Cox GawlerJohn Cox Gawler
Col. John Cox Gawler was a Keeper of the Crown Jewels and British Israelite author.-Life:John Cox Gawler was the son of Lieutenant-Colonel George Gawler. Like his father he served in the military, he first joined the 73rd Regiment and fought in the 8th Xhosa War, 1850 to 1853, later being promoted...
's identification of the Tribe of Dan
Tribe of Dan
The Tribe of Dan, also sometimes spelled as "Dann", was one of the Tribes of Israel. Though known mostly from biblical sources, they were possibly descendants of the Denyen Sea Peoples who joined with Hebrews...
with Denmark. However Gawler also placed Dan in Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
and Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
, an identification British Israelites follow, but proponents of Nordic Israelism stress more on the identification with Denmark
Denmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
.
Finland
Finland is identified with the Tribe of IssacharTribe of Issachar
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Issachar was one of the Tribes of Israel.Following the completion of the conquest of Canaan by the Israelite tribes after about 1200 BCE, Joshua allocated the land among the twelve tribes...
by Nordic Israelites. Proponents point out that in Finnish the word for Father is Isa, connecting the word to Issachar
Issachar
Issachar/Yissachar was, according to the Book of Genesis, a son of Jacob and Leah , and the founder of the Israelite Tribe of Issachar; however some Biblical scholars view this as postdiction, an eponymous metaphor providing an aetiology of the connectedness of the tribe to others in the Israelite...
and its Hebrew etymology:
Iceland
The pyramidologistPyramidology
Pyramidology is a term used, sometimes disparagingly, to refer to various pseudoscientific speculations regarding pyramids, most often the Giza Necropolis and the Great Pyramid of Giza in Egypt...
Adam Rutherford in 1937 published Iceland’s Great Inheritance (1937) in which he connected the Tribe of Benjamin
Tribe of Benjamin
According to the Hebrew Bible, the Tribe of Benjamin בִּנְיָמִין was one of the Tribes of Israel.From after the conquest of the land by Joshua until the formation of the first Kingdom of Israel in c. 1050 BCE, the Tribe of Benjamin was a part of a loose confederation of Israelite tribes...
to Iceland. Modern proponents of Nordic Israelism follow this identification and articles have been published further on the identification.
Thor Heyerdahl's Jakten på Odin
Thor HeyerdahlThor Heyerdahl
Thor Heyerdahl was a Norwegian ethnographer and adventurer with a background in zoology and geography. He became notable for his Kon-Tiki expedition, in which he sailed by raft from South America to the Tuamotu Islands...
's Jakten på Odin
Jakten på Odin
The Search for Odin is the project title of Thor Heyerdahl's last series of archaeological excavations, which took place in Azov in Russia.- Theoretical background :...
is often cited by modern Nordic Israelites to support their theories.