This Biblically-rooted, soundly scientific and historical narrative might just change the Middle East.
We all love stories, in every culture and and land, nation and ethnicity, the narrative is so important to how societies function. There is hardly a land right now that so desperately needs a new narrative more than the Levant - the area encompassing the Eastern Mediterranean with the countries of Israel, Palestine, Syria, Lebanon and Jordan.
Some of these countries have implemented narratives in their education system - Syria's decades old, Assad dynasty implemented a narrative that unraveled in 2011 (the war in Syria is a result of a failed narrative and is now being rewritten in fact). Jordan's Hashemite kingdom seemed to have more success. Lebanon had a narrative that has been on literally hold since its 15 year so-called civil war starting in 1976 - though the war ended 27 years ago, our history lessons at school stop at the year the civil war starts. Palestinians have had a changing narrative that has imprisoned generations of Palestinians into perpetual grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-victimization and hate for decades with no end sight. And Israel - well Israel has what they think is a Biblical narrative but it is not, and more importantly, is rejected by at least a fifth of their own citizens, not to mention the entire number of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza who are in fact, subjects of the Israeli government in one way or another.
So of these narratives, some claim to be historical, others are based on ethnicity, religion and history but the vast majority of them are steeped in problems. I believe that all the narratives of the Levant have failed and for those that have not led to disaster (like in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories), eventually they too will collapse.
But there is a Biblical narrative that no body seems to have grasped and understood. This Biblical narrative is today backed by history and science like it never has before. Rather than going through the whole thing, here's the place we get it all wrong.
Number 1: "Israel" the country does not mean the 12 tribes of Israel.
Number 2: The Jewish people are only 1 tribe - The promised land, covenant people of God are the 12 tribes of Israel and here's the thing - the Jewish people of today represent, for the most part, only a single of those tribes.
Number 3: It's not a conflict between Ishmael and Isaac. Palestinians - genetically speaking - are part Jewish, part Israelite, part Esau and even part Arab.
Number 4: Most of Lebanese and a huge proportion of Syrians are Jewish and Israelite in origins.
Number 5: Many Jews and Israelites forgot their history, but their genes and names didn't! There's much in a name. The history of family names provides a shocking picture - many of the names among Muslim and Christian families are purely Israelite and Jewish names of ancient biblical origins, that their bearers are completely ignorant of. Moreover, genetic studies of the day (those of 20 years ago do not count because today's studies are vastly more complex in orders of magnitude) really confirm the common origins shared between Jews, Christians of the Levant, most Lebanese and many Syrian communities. Palestinian Muslims have a lot of Jewish blood but genetic studies show they mixed with Jordanian and Arabian ancestries, not surprisingly since they were connected to the wider Sunni nation.
Number 6: Ancient Levantine Christian communities hold the key. Many Christians of Palestine, Syria and all of those of Lebanon are virtually identical to Middle Eastern Jewish communities today in the genetic sense of the word. They are in fact, distinct from adjacent, down-the-street neighborly communities. In other words, our Jewish brothers of Spain and Morocco in the Western Mediterranean are identical to Maronite in the heart of Lebanon for example. Moreover, the history and liturgy of these communities also testifies to this lost connection that once was remember but now is forgotten. These ancient Christian tribes are essential because they can serve as a bridge. We should have done this 70 and 100 years and not be discussing it now, but I think peace is never a too-late option.
Some of these countries have implemented narratives in their education system - Syria's decades old, Assad dynasty implemented a narrative that unraveled in 2011 (the war in Syria is a result of a failed narrative and is now being rewritten in fact). Jordan's Hashemite kingdom seemed to have more success. Lebanon had a narrative that has been on literally hold since its 15 year so-called civil war starting in 1976 - though the war ended 27 years ago, our history lessons at school stop at the year the civil war starts. Palestinians have had a changing narrative that has imprisoned generations of Palestinians into perpetual grief, post-traumatic stress disorder, self-victimization and hate for decades with no end sight. And Israel - well Israel has what they think is a Biblical narrative but it is not, and more importantly, is rejected by at least a fifth of their own citizens, not to mention the entire number of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Gaza who are in fact, subjects of the Israeli government in one way or another.
So of these narratives, some claim to be historical, others are based on ethnicity, religion and history but the vast majority of them are steeped in problems. I believe that all the narratives of the Levant have failed and for those that have not led to disaster (like in Lebanon, Syria and the Palestinian territories), eventually they too will collapse.
But there is a Biblical narrative that no body seems to have grasped and understood. This Biblical narrative is today backed by history and science like it never has before. Rather than going through the whole thing, here's the place we get it all wrong.
Number 1: "Israel" the country does not mean the 12 tribes of Israel.
Number 2: The Jewish people are only 1 tribe - The promised land, covenant people of God are the 12 tribes of Israel and here's the thing - the Jewish people of today represent, for the most part, only a single of those tribes.
Number 3: It's not a conflict between Ishmael and Isaac. Palestinians - genetically speaking - are part Jewish, part Israelite, part Esau and even part Arab.
Number 4: Most of Lebanese and a huge proportion of Syrians are Jewish and Israelite in origins.
Number 5: Many Jews and Israelites forgot their history, but their genes and names didn't! There's much in a name. The history of family names provides a shocking picture - many of the names among Muslim and Christian families are purely Israelite and Jewish names of ancient biblical origins, that their bearers are completely ignorant of. Moreover, genetic studies of the day (those of 20 years ago do not count because today's studies are vastly more complex in orders of magnitude) really confirm the common origins shared between Jews, Christians of the Levant, most Lebanese and many Syrian communities. Palestinian Muslims have a lot of Jewish blood but genetic studies show they mixed with Jordanian and Arabian ancestries, not surprisingly since they were connected to the wider Sunni nation.
Number 6: Ancient Levantine Christian communities hold the key. Many Christians of Palestine, Syria and all of those of Lebanon are virtually identical to Middle Eastern Jewish communities today in the genetic sense of the word. They are in fact, distinct from adjacent, down-the-street neighborly communities. In other words, our Jewish brothers of Spain and Morocco in the Western Mediterranean are identical to Maronite in the heart of Lebanon for example. Moreover, the history and liturgy of these communities also testifies to this lost connection that once was remember but now is forgotten. These ancient Christian tribes are essential because they can serve as a bridge. We should have done this 70 and 100 years and not be discussing it now, but I think peace is never a too-late option.
So what's the new narrative that we need to work on? A narrative of Israelites long forgotten who now remember.
It's that yes, the Jewish people have returned but there are more Jewish and Israelite people right there in the land who have forgotten their roots and their re-unification with the Jewish peoples who identify themselves as such, is indeed the goal of this new, biblically-rooted but soundly scientific and historical narrative.
This means that Israeli Jews need to start looking at themselves as the forerunners of a revived Israelite kingdom and have to completely change their world outlook. It also means that we have to reeducate the entire peoples of the Levant to stop seeing each other as enemies but as members of the same family. (I know, even if we were not of the same family we as believers in Jesus should work for peace and make it ourselves 'Blessed are the peacemakers' and this happens constantly among the children of God. But this is a hidden mystery that only is revealed that would help tremendously in bringing peace).
You may ask if this is realistic? I think in our age of global and social media, it is. Very few people today, understand history. This is true of the Middle East as any other place. But with social media, these narratives (for business, Western politics, and global issues) are constantly being produced and rewritten and adopted at phenomenally fast rates. We need to start doing this for good purposes, and not producing 'fake news' but true, life-changing news.
Today, the Israelis don't think peace is a viable option. In fact, there is a real danger that Israel turns into a pre-1939 Germany like state. In those days, Nazi Germany vilified the Jews as a different people with a different agenda and history... it ultimately led to the unthinkable; mass genocide.
On the other hand, Palestinians have failed to produce a viable, non-violent form of resistance, and have in fact suppressed their history with shared Jewish ancestry.
When you keep doing the same thing and expect different results, it's called insanity, said Einstein once upon a time. 70 years on, I think it's time we start making the impossible, possible, and with God's help we will succeed.
The Peace of Yeshua Jesus be upon you all.
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