Greetings Dearhearts,

My promise last month was to identify an issue that "may have an impact upon the Arab-Israeli imbroglio on a par with the impact that the events I forecast in 1986 had on the outcome of the Cold War." Indeed, it goes far beyond the present Arab-Israeli confrontation and perhaps beyond the single issue of WW III, in which the current battle between both these children of Abraham is obviously an integral part. The global implication of this subject would find few equals in human history, especially in light of humanity's current capacity for global communication and its inevitable result - global consciousness. Appropriately, it will be the sole topic of this issue.

This theme centers on the history of a specific major religion. This should not, however, be misconstrued to imply the lack of spiritual efficacy of all other religions - in fact, quite the contrary. Religious diversity has been necessary and appropriate to the complex and evolving nature of a diverse humanity; the truths at their core have an equally significant role to play during these times - the end times.

The End Times

Scary title isn't it? That's because most of the folks who are constantly pulling it out of their trick-or-treatise Bible bag count on it -to scare the daylights out of you - and then keep counting on it - on their way to the bank. What's truly frightening is the fact that the end time entrepreneurs know as much about the true origins and meaning of the word "times" used in that phrase as would fit conveniently on the head of a pin. We'll speak more of this later.

Actually there are two major points of scriptural reference to which the term applies. The first is the biblical prophecies concerning the time of the ingathering of all Twelve Tribes of ancient Israel, and the second, the prophecies in the Christian Bible concerning the return of Jesus Christ. We will be treating the first while reminding you that the second is synchronously connected. Since the forecast of the return of all the Twelve Tribes occurred first and is the one directly connected to this discussion, it will be our focus here. If there is enough readership interest in the second "return" we will treat it in a future issue.

Israeli Zodiac Mosaic tile floor of a Synagogue in Galilee, at the time of Christ.

The Heavenly Connection

It would be impossible to talk about the Israelites and not talk about astrology. Most folks can't recognize the hundreds of respectful references in Jewish scriptures beneath the cover of a yamulka and a prayer shawl. But it's there, loud and clear beginning with Genesis and through all the books that followed including the Midrash and the Talmud. If there is any doubt about the connection between the Israelites and the sacred science of time, I would suggest you begin your investigation with the book "To Rule Both Day And Night" (subtitled - The Astrological Secrets Of The Hebrew Sages) by the scholar, Rabbi Joel C. Dobin. It is but one of countless similar works written in the last two millennia.

Siman Tov Umazzal Tov Y'hey Lanu v'al kol Am'cha Yisrael!
(May we, and all thy people Israel, enjoy good planetary aspects in fortunate constellations!)

Lost to even most Jews is the awareness that when they express the only way of saying "good luck" in Hebrew, Mazzal Tov, they are really saying "May you have fortunate constellations." One of the problems in recognizing astrology in all the world's cultures is its ubiquitous nature. An awareness and subsequent interpretation of the connection between celestial movements and earthly events is, and has always been, everywhere. Wherever civilization has appeared so has elaborate measurement of the heavens and its perceived earthly relevance. That perceived relevance is then layered over by cultural myths and spiritual paradigms. The simple truth, however, is that planets don't speak, people do. So while we would expect interpretive variations between different cultures as to the meaning of the celestial message, the differentiation between the children of Abraham and the surrounding "schools" of thought in this matter was far more profound and substantive. In fact, the same underlying disparity between Abraham's concept of the heavens and that of the rulers of Ur was repeated centuries later in the confrontation between Moses and the Pharaoh. With Abraham it was a psychic vision, with Moses it was a direct encounter at the burning bush - with the "invisible" God that created the stars and planets and their meaning.

Moses was as well schooled in Egyptian astrology as any high priest at Annu (Gr. Heliopolis). It was the required syllabus for those raised, as was the "Prince of Egypt", in the Pharaoh's household. He was privy to their most closely guarded secrets and knew well that it "worked" empirically. Moses didn't abandon astrology nor was it even suggested he do so. In fact he was probably the first in history to abandon what was in reality the religion of astrolatry for the science of astrology. He rejected the notion of causation for a deeper understanding of the planetary principles of correlation, which, incidentally, is the universally accepted belief in professional astrology today.

"The planets and stars (signs) have no power; they are merely numbers and hands on the cosmic clock; they do not create time, they merely measure it." Jayj Jacobs, Astrologer

The Egyptians' astrology was in fact, astrolatry - the worship of the planets and stars as gods. It reflected their concept of the perfection within the dynamics of the heavenly movements and was incorporated on earth with impressive and enduring architecture. And this was the same approach taken by all other surrounding cultures except one. Moses (with a little help from Divine inspiration) had a better idea how to apply the sacred science of time. He created an impressive and enduring living monument with people - not with stones, but with bones - and flesh and blood - with the living earthly temples of the soul.

Camp In The Wilderness. Illustration from "Astrology's Pew In Church" by Rev Don Jacobs, Astrologer

This is the arrangement detailed in the bible that Moses established for the encampments in the dessert of the twelve (major) tribes of Israel, along with their corresponding astrological signs. Today, you will still find these same astrological signs associated with the twelve tribes of Israel on boxes of Hanukkah candles, on stamps issued by the State of Israel, and even on old mosaic tile floors in Synagogues from Jesus' time, among many interesting places. The form itself is the geometrically unique astrological chart diagram in use in Moses' time and still in continuous use to this day in India as their horoscope form. Today we are more familiar with the circular format popularized later by the Greeks. As the bible states, he not only marched the tribes out of Egypt in strict astrological/tribal order, he apparently "incorporated" their tribal positions in a rather unique zodiacal fashion during that forty year period of gestation/purification while wandering in the dessert. By placing the Tribes/Signs in this particular zodiacal arrangement, (with the Sign Leo/Judah in the east or Ascendant/Rising Sign) it initiates an elegant astrological "statement" designed for defense, endurance and impregnability. And make no mistake about it, the bible emphatically confirms that "statement" as it tallies the number of soldiers in each tribe as they are being placed in this arrangement and further declares this specific formation to be their "marching" (into battle) configuration! Moses' monument is a nation of people that has endured since that inception in time and is equally remarkable in that it has survived as a single continuous culture through four millennia against all impossible odds. Going from a nomadic/pastoral rag-tag tribal collective where there's "three opinions for every two people," to where they are today - I'd say that's pretty impressive! Certainly there is no match in history. This union of the 12 Tribes into a true nation that he "re-birthed" at that time has sustained despite a history of nearly continuous internal strife and external confrontation. Social historians have often commented that the survival of the descendants of Jacob's twelve sons is the most improbable cultural story of all time.

Ancient civilizations built truly awesome structures, but it looks like Moses wins the "Architect of The Ages" award hands down.

All of the foregoing, Dearhearts, was presented as essential, albeit brief, background information in order for you to understand the crucial elements underlying the main subject of this issue. We've still got a lot of ground to cover. (I did warn you last month that this issue would be a bit "long winded!")

Before going on, however, I would like to acknowledge and strongly recommend to students of astrology, the book "Astrology's Pew In Church", by the Rev Don Jacobs. It's the best place to begin to delve deeper into the subject of astrology in both Judaism and Christianity. It's also the seminal professional astrological work on the amazing discoveries of the extraordinary birth charts of King David and Jesus.

The First and Longest Diaspora

The stage was set long after the establishment of Moses' people in the land known today as Israel. It is a 2,700-year-old drama that has just recently (latter half of the 20^th century) raised the curtain on the final act, one that will now be performed center stage in a global amphitheater.

Our tale begins around 930 BCE, after the glorious golden age for Israel under the illustrious King Solomon (son of King David). This is when the kingdom began to unravel. The ten northern tribes, under the leadership of the tribe of Ephraim split with the tribes of Judah and Benjamin in the southern portion, which then became known as Judea, wherein the capital city of Jerusalem is located. The word Jew is derived from the dominant southern tribe of Judah; the northern tribes kept the collective name of Israel. In common usage the names Israeli, Jew, Israelite and Hebrew are synonymous though strictly speaking they're not. In time the ten northern tribes of Israel were apparently given to increasingly idolatrous ways and abandoned their special Torah based covenant. They were given forewarnings by the prophet Elijah to repent or face specific severe consequences. Those prophetic warnings materialized a century later when, in 721 BCE, the Assyrian king Shalmaneser V. culminated his brutal march to the Mediterranean with the conquest of Israel. At a place in northern Israel known as Har Meggido (source of the English word Armageddon) the last and fiercest battle was lost by the Northern kingdom and within less than a generation, the Israelites were deported - en mass- into the eastern frontier of the Assyrian Empire. With the exception of stragglers that took refuge in the southern kingdom of Judea, they took everyone - not just the soldiers, but entire families and whole tribes. Historians have always been certain of the accuracy of the biblical accounts of this event since it was also corroborated by the massive and detailed stonewall reliefs the Assyrians constructed to celebrate their victories. They even kept the vaulted Sumerian Charioteers together as a fighting unit and employed them in their army on their furthermost and contentious eastern border with Media. In time, as the Assyrians gave ground to the Medes, the tribes were again pushed further east across central Asia, over what is now the "Silk Road" to China. Since then, these original ten of the twelve tribes were thought to be "lost" by western historians - a belief maintained primarily on the assumption that their identities could not have possibly survived the numerous waves of invading armies, cultural meltdowns and general mayhem that characterized this region for millennia. It's also a belief that lacks serious scholarship. Moreover, their assumptions would probably hold true for any other group - but this isn't just any group any more than Moses was just your average astrologer.

The prophet Elijah

Elijah wasn't your average prophet/astrologer either. Again, I would urge skeptics to read Jewish scholars such as Rabbi Dobin for an understanding of how all the major Hebrew Prophets synthesized their spiritual vision with astrology. Elijah's accurate forecast of the destruction and captivity of the tribes of Israel was coupled with a prophecy of their eventual return in "the end times", after having been "scattered" and "sifted" through the nations of the world, when many would then "awaken" to their true identity. This is the origin of the first "end times" prophecy, which was reaffirmed by other major biblical prophets throughout the centuries following. "Sifted" is a most interesting term, when one applies this notion to people, as will see. Until 1948, and for the nearly 2,000 years prior, there was no Israel or even Judea to which they could return. And just a half dozen years earlier, during the midst of the holocaust that wiped out one third of western Jewry, any "expert" would have told you that the idea of a state of Israel was ludicrous and delusional. Elijah's forecast referred to a united Israel, not just Judea. When the prophet Ezekiel later reaffirmed this prediction, he insisted that the "staff of Joseph" (staff of the ten northern tribes) would "then" be united with the "staff of Judah." Looks like Elijah really knew his stuff

Well, the state is now there. Judah and Benjamin are also there "to lead them back" just as the prophets also foretold. In my professional opinion and that of other leading Mundane astrologers, the astrological mandate of the "times" referred to in these prophecies are also now in place. So, where are the so-called lost ten tribes? What have they all been up to "scattered" all this time, and for what purpose? Sifting, perhaps? What's happening to them now? Awaking, possibly? Well, there are two good places to begin your search. The first is Judean legends and the second is the written records of history and the Bible itself. The Bible is rather explicit in this regard as we will see later on, but whether it's legends or biblical text, one thing is certain.

Wherever you go in search of the lost tribes you will know when you're getting warm. Most often, you'll either be in a war zone or in a region catching its breath for the next one.

Then again, that's essentially true for the entire history of all Twelve Tribes of Israel from the time of ancient Abraham to present day Arial.

Sift, sift, sift
Dan/Scorpio
In 1991 the Israeli government began airlifting the people know as the Falashas from the area of the Simien Mountains of Ethiopia to a permanent residence in Israel. They had been caught in the crossfire of a conflict between two local warring factions, subject to persecution, and were facing mass starvation. Well we've found our first war zone! After years of careful investigation the Chief Rabbi in Israel confirmed that these folks, the Beta Yisrael, were in fact remnants of the lost tribe of Dan!

Falasha Rabbi

Now, that's a whole lot of sifting - 2700 years worth! There's little doubt about what happened to them along the nearly three millennia journey of survival into the present. As the old saying goes, the Lord sure does move in mysterious ways. Nevertheless a faithful devotion to the Torah and many other unique dogmatic and physical accoutrements have been religiously maintained by these people since these remnants of the tribe of Dan likely fled south to safety in the wake of the Assyrian onslaught. Actually, their existence has been chronicled since the ninth century when the explorer Eldan Ha-Dani discovered them living across the Sambatyon River in Ethiopia. Sambatyon, incidentally, translates as Sabbath River. This confirmed a long-standing Judean legend of their existence in this general area of Africa. It would appear that the Scorpio tribe of Israel found refuge in a region long associated astrologically with Scorpio - deepest Africa. They have been described as "Quiet, determined, introspective and secretive" - quintessential Scorpio qualities. But confirming legends about Israelites living deep into the continent of Africa was the last item on the agenda of the Jews in the last 2,000 years while being scattered and splattered across Europe, the middle East and the Mediterranean coast of North Africa. Simple survival was the overriding mandate during this recently ended second Diaspora of Judea - ending with the restoration of the state of Israel. The first Diaspora for the Judeans (not the northern Ten Tribes of Israel who were long gone by then) was the famous Babylonian Captivity.

Falasha In Ethiopia	Falasha Flag	Falasha in Israel

The Beta Yisrael (Falashas) have since been immersed in a new challenge for both themselves and the present day Israelis - the social integration that must follow in the wake of 2700 years of disconnection and separate enculturation. In 1948 it was thought to be a daunting task just to bring together Orthodox Jews, Hassidic Jews, Reformed Jews, Conservative Jews and God only knows what else. Methinks they ain't seen nothing yet!

Drifting and Sifting
The biblical and historical accounts supply sufficient detail to follow the trail of the drifting tribes of Israel. In his book, Antiquities (70 CE), the Jewish historian Josephus states: "There are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans, while the Ten Tribes are beyond Euphrates and are an immense multitude, not to be estimated by numbers." The biblical account is even more specific. It relates that the Ten Tribes were exiled to: 1. The mountains of the Meads (the Caucuses), 2. The River Gozan, 3. Hala, 4. Hara, 5. Havor. While there are places in modern Syria that correspond to a couple of these references, it is historically obvious that, in time, they left and moved further east. So, while the Israelis left a couple of identifying "place names" in the old Assyrian Empire, there is every reason to assume that they continued this practice of geographical reminiscence as they were pushed further east. Human nature has changed little in this regard just as the map of the United States, for example, is laden with similar examples from all its many immigrant cultures.

Sifting and Shifting
Issachar/Virgo
Going "beyond Euphrates" to the mountains of the Meads puts us into places like modern Uzbekistan which was until recently part of the Soviet Union. And we all know how "friendly" the Soviet Union was to anything connected with Hebrew culture - cold or hot, a war zone is a war zone! When you dig into the local history in exotic places like Bukhara and Samarkand you find that there has been an interrupted Israeli presence for at least 2,500 years! But you will have to "dig" since it's a hidden history. Buried away in the basement of the Bukharan museum (as just one example) you will find a virtual mountain of Israelite artifacts from Torah scrolls, prayer books, prayer shawls and other ritual artifacts. If you are a scholar researching the "official" history you will find no reference to a Hebrew presence. In the 12^th century the Jewish traveler Benjamin of Tudella stumbled across these people whose elders claimed to not be Jews but Israelites from the thought to be "lost tribes." They claimed to be mainly descendents of Issachar and many there still have the last name Issachara. Many more have since immigrated to modern Israel and have been melding into the dominant "Judean" culture while still maintaining their ancient "Israelite" roots. Unassuming and humble in conduct, they collectively express stereotypical Virgo behavioral qualities. The significance of their presence in modern Israel is largely unrecognized due in large measure to their modest (Virgo) demeanor. Their records and artifacts have been diligently maintained, more so than any of the other "lost tribes", as one would expect to find with the detail conscious character of the Virgo tribe. Incidentally, it turns out that the name Samarkand translates to be "land (kand) of the Samarians." Samaria was the capitol city of the northern kingdom of Israel. Samarkand was founded around 2,500 years ago - just about the time the dispossessed Israelites would have arrived in exactly the place where the biblical account claims they should be. One could say that the tribe Issachar has been found but, in reality, they were never lost to themselves; we were lost to them. Such is the case, in various ways, for the rest as well. The Issachar elders also maintain that they came there with another tribe, the Napthali. Remnants of the Napthali tribe integrated themselves with Issachar and have also begun to return to Israel. One could also consider them to be found, but there were many more of the Napthali who apparently moved on.

Sift, Shift, Scatter
Napthali/Sagittarius
The "official" history of this region, at least, informs us that in the 5^th and 6^th centuries, Bukhara was the capital of an empire ruled by an "enigmatic Semitic tribe" that stretched into parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. They were known as Nepthalites or Hepthalites. Figuring out that the Nepthalites were in fact the Napthali wasn't rocket science. Among other things, their local artifacts are covered with inscriptions written exclusively in Aramaic, the everyday language spoken by the Hebrew tribes. Most have been long gone, however, apparently as far as western China. One would expect that the natural inclination of the Sagittarius tribe to travel far and wide should manifest in behavior. Astrology defines Sagittarius as restless, searching for distant connections. And so they were, as evidence of their presence remains to this day as far away as in the remote city of Kaifeng in western China, where their "papers" now officially list them as "Juda" but their faces are indistinguishable from any of the local Chinese. Only time will tell if any additional remnants will be found, seemingly hidden, as usual.

Sift, Scatter and Dream
Manesseh/Pisces
In the remote, hilly region in easternmost India centered around Manipur lives a tribe of about one and a half million people who are in a war zone. They call themselves the Manmasseh and are locked in a struggle over territory and ethnicity with the local Naga who insist that they don't belong there. Methinks we've hit warm and moved right into hot. To all external appearances they look like folks from Southeast Asia, but they have always emphatically insisted otherwise. Their history (maps, etc.) traces their origins across the route that later became the Silk Road, into China, down into Burma, and finally, just inside the border of India.

Mizoda Religious Ceremony (at the Red Sea Parting)

The Manmasseh have long held to a rich and intricate array of rather curious ancestral customs. The Mizoda, for example, is an extensive ceremony that relates an ancient story of their release from bondage, fleeing their enemies army through the parted Red Sea, their enemies being drowned by the waters closing behind them, wandering in the dessert, being guarded by a cloud during the day and a flame by night, picking up the quail dropped from heaven for sustenance, water being drawn from a struck rock, and all the rest of the essentials of the biblical story of the Exodus. And there's no doubt about how ancient the Mizoda is since it's in an archaic form of their language! Here are a people who perform (biblical) animal sacrifice that has no remote parallel in Confucianism, Buddhism, or any other indigenous religion. Moreover, they dip branches in the blood and paint their doorposts with it - Holy Moses! They consider pork to be a "meal of shame" that can only be eaten outside the home and not before it is "defiled" in a rather degrading manner. "It is a curse from our ancestors for having deserted the law of our God and being thrown out of our homeland." They claim to be waiting for "Shilova" to come and "redeem" them. As it turns out, the word "Shilova" is a fusion of the words Shilo and Jehovah. Shilo was a most holy place for the Northern Tribes of Israel. And then there is the business of those tallits (prayer shawls) that they've been wearing since "ancient times", identical to any modern tallit including the prerequisite "blue thread" hanging from one corner. Fifty years ago their local prophet, Tchala, revealed a vision to the Manmessah that it was time for them to return home. No one questioned where that "home" was; they all knew it was Israel. The Israeli government is proceeding very slowly in readmitting such a large group. So far hundreds have returned and most Israelis mistake them for "Thai guest workers", but they're under no such illusion. For the time being, the Manmessah in India are in a war with the Naga for survival and have petitioned the Indian government for an independent "Israelite" state in India.

Manmessah Flag

If this is the Pisces tribe we would expect the Pisces nature to be manifested in their long history. No other Israelite tribe has been more disenfranchised, suffered more persecution, chased out of more locales and clung more devotedly to a singular vision - the promise of ultimate redemption - than the Menesseh (Manmessah). If this isn't the Pisces tribe, then the center of Earth is made out of chopped liver!

Scatter, Sift, Eat
Zebulon/Cancer
Nestled on the opposite shore of India is another group that has recently been acknowledged as the "Bene Israel" who again, strictly speaking, are not Jews. Three hundred years ago a Jewish merchant traveling along India's west coast was shocked to overhear what were "obviously Indian" children at play, singing ancient Israelite prayers! When he questioned their parents, they claim to have lived in India "from ancient times" and were very insistent that they were not Jews but Israelites. Invited to dine with them, he offered an extensive array of seafood, in part to test them. The women unerringly separated the kosher from the non kosher for preparation. Along with their strict adherence to Israelite dietary laws, they retained practices and beliefs that could only be exclusive to Mosaic tradition.

Typical Bene Israel family c. beginning of 20th Century - Tribe of Zebulon

They may be living in relative peace at this moment, probably due to their vastly reduced numbers, but their past history in the Asian subcontinent was far from uneventful. If you will recall, in the 5^th and 6^th centuries, the "Semitic" tribe of Napthali ruled over parts of Afghanistan, Pakistan and India. History also records that, at the same time, another "Semitic" tribe, the Zavula also ruled other significant parts of the same three areas from within India. The tribe of Zebulon and Napthali were "brother" tribes in Israel which meant that they did more than just occasionally "hang out" together. For this and other pertinent historical reasons, there is little doubt that the Zavula were the tribe of Zebulon. Many have been slowly filtering back to Israel in recent years. You will find them gathered on holy days in Elijah's Cave in northern Israel, in the biblical region that was home to the tribe of Zebulon. They revere Elijah, the prophet who originally predicted the expulsion and ultimate return of the twelve tribes in the "end times" and quote him with even greater frequency and reverence than Moses and Abraham! Elijah was a member of the tribe of Zebulon. If there is any doubt that the Bene Israel is the Cancer tribe of Israel, the clincher is again, astrological. As any Astrology 101 student can tell you, the sign Cancer is particularly connected to family and food tradition, and we have already learned of their maintaining biblical dietary laws. The Cancer connection became almost egregious when I learned that the Bene Israel have "customs" almost unique to them. In nearly every thanksgiving ceremony, since "ancient times", they perform a ritual called Malida. The Malida is a home ritual which centers around an offering of food - now, it's roasted rice, fruits and spices, adorned with flowers. They then sing songs of praise to the Lord - in the main song they praise the prophet Elijah as the precursor of the Messiah. The Malida ceremony itself dates back to the time of the first Temple in Jerusalem and was thought to be a forgotten, discontinued ceremony. The "Crab" (Cancer) clings like no other. I'm reminded here of the humorous quip that most Jewish celebrations can be summed up with - They tried to kill us, we won, lets eat!

The challenge that the state of Israel faces in integrating the cultural and racial diversity we have seen thus far into their unique socio-religious paradigm would seem enormous by any anthropological measure. But why settle for enormous when you can have impossibly gigantic! I repeat - you ain't seen nothing yet!

Sifting and shifting
Ephraim/Aquarius   Rueben/Taurus   Simeon/Gemini   Gad/Aries

Khyber Pass

In a remote mountainous region on the border between Afghanistan and Pakistan lies the world famous (or should I say, infamous) Khyber Pass. Considered the "wild-west" of the East, the region around this pass has been guarded by the largest single integrated tribal society in the world, for over 2,000 years. They have somehow managed to turn back scores of armies, including those of Genghis Kahn, the "Imperial" British Army and most recently the Soviet Union - not to mention the permanent migraine they gave Alexander the Great! I remind you that this is a tribal confederation verses some of the most notable large armies in history. Undoubtedly, the US Special Forces will add a few more interesting tales to tell their grandchildren about them. Right now, we're hot and holding at boiling!

Pathan/Pashtoon Soldiers

If the history of the "lost tribes" is a hidden history, these folks have adopted the most ingenious disguise of all. Just when we were getting used to "mysterious", the Lord switches to downright "shifty." Known collectively as the Pathan (or Pashtoon), they number around 15,000 million people. Of course, they're devout fundamentalist Moslems, right? Every fool knows that! We've all seen them pictured in the media during the recent war coverage in Afghanistan. Lots are Taliban. Some even fought on the opposite side in this war, which apparently is nothing new to them. They have an underlying unity that is indestructibly etched in their tribal culture. Beginning to sound more familiar? The first thing to remember is that they were firmly entrenched in this place for a very, very long time before the birth of Islam. And it would appear that one of the main reasons why they accepted Islam in the first place was the fact that they recognized so many familiar faces in the Koran from their own "history" - like Moses and Abraham. So while it may have appeared to them to be an upgrade of the "Moses 1" program it's quite clear they've preferred the original version, run mainly on their old familiar operating system. A few examples -

Under the Islam program, people don't have a rock their heads in prayer application. The Moses1 is the only program in the world to run this particular application. These folks only run the Moses1 program; they always have. You can often see that same rock their heads in prayer application running every day, a thousand miles west, at the Wailing Wall in Jerusalem.

The Moses1 is also the only program in the world that runs the light oil lamps under a basket on Friday nights application. The Islam program rejects this application also. The Pathan have been running the Moses1 light oil lamps under a basket on Friday nights application since "ancient times" (their words) and, while most can't remember exactly why they do it anymore, they tenaciously, exclusively keep running the Moses1 program.

Islam is the only program in the world that runs the circumcision at age twelve application. Would it surprise you to know that the Moses1 circumcision at eighth day application is the only one the Pathan have ever used.

Then, of course, there's that famous Tallit (Israeli Prayer Shawl) application that we've run into previously in this article and, wouldn't you have guessed, the Pathan have it too! The closest thing the Islam program can run is the prayer rug application; it can't recognize the Tallit application.

In a nutshell, Dearhearts, anthropologists have thus far identified seventy one unique Israelite "custom/codes" that can only be found - again, worldwide - in the Moses1 program that the Pashtoon/Pathan tribes are steadfastly still running today! A most notable example of this tribal confederation's "code/law", called the Puckhtunwali, is one that most ironically and tragically may have a direct bearing on the current US Forces search for Ossama bin Laden. Before Moses died, he directed Joshua to set up cities of refuge in the promised land; places where people, regardless of their crime, or their guilt or innocence, would be given sanctuary and protection by the local elders - as a sacred duty. One of the three most important laws of the Pukhtunwali is Melmastia, which mandates hospitality towards a guest, stranger or an enemy if he seeks it, along with the Badragga, which requires a formal escort or assurance of safety! In plain language, they've got to protect fugitives like Ossama even if they hate his guts - it's the law! Don't hold your breath waiting for this exclusive Moses1 sanctuary/protection application to run on the Islam program. And just what is the history of these truly legendary tribes who have been literally locked in time and are still exclusively living according to strict Mosaic -"an eye for an eye"- biblical law? What is this place where the circumstances of their isolation has been so complete and distinctive that it would take a few textbooks to explain? For the moment, suffice it to say that, these tribes are there and have been for over 2,000 years - perhaps right where they ought to be.

The faces of the Pathan/Pashtoon

Faces and Places
You may recall that one of the places from the Bible we were looking for was Havor. Are you sitting down? The word Khyber in Hebrew is Havor. The Khyber Pass is the Havor Pass. We were also looking for the River Gozan. If you look just south of the Khyber Pass you'll see the River Ghazni. And the language experts tell us these two are also one and the same. But, three times is a winner and it didn't take much of a stretch for them to identify Hara as the Afghan city of Harat. Speaking of Afghanistan, their historians tell us that Afghan was the name of their King that led them to this place, right where you might say they ought to be, and that Afghan was a descendent of King Saul of Israel. They also proudly proclaim they are Mosakhal, "the children of Moses" and there are even families in these tribes with that exact last name. What of the tribes themselves? There are four main tribes in this area. The acknowledged leader and most powerful is the tribe of Effridi which is also the most numerous. This is without a doubt the Aquarius tribe of Epharim, which historically were also the most numerous of the Northern Ten Tribes of Israel and also their biblical leader. This tribe has set the dominant tone of the Pathan , and are described by cultural historians -"The Pukhtoon society is individualistic despite the rigid behavior prescribed by clan membership and they are fond of liberty, faithful to their friends, kind to their dependents and hospitable." These are virtual "textbook" astrological descriptions of the sign Aquarius. If you want more Aquarian clues, we're also informed that "the leader of each family group is a Malik" and that " a Pashtoon Malik is no more than a first among equals, and acquires the status through personal merit and the ability to inspire fellow tribesmen. Primogeniture is not recognized, and leadership is accorded to the most capable." If this isn't Aquarius then somebody just rewrote ages of astrological textbooks and you may as well add a pot of chicken soup to that chopped liver in the Earths core!

Another of the four major tribes is the Rabani who can't be anyone but the Taurus tribe of Reuben by their description. A third is Sinwari who bear all the earmarks of the Gemini tribe of Simeon and then there's the smallest of the major four tribes, Gadoon, who, by uncanny coincidence exhibit the expectations of the Israelite tribe of Gad! The Aries tribe of Gad was the smallest of the Twelve Tribes even in ancient times. But then, why not guild the proverbial lily? There are sub tribes here such as the Levani. The Israeli priestly sub tribe of Levi? We could also throw in the Pathan sub tribe of the Waziri for entertainment. They do a ritual dance unique to them where the men toss their legendary long hair locks about in wild abandonment. You should all remember the biblical Sampson - and his legendary hair - and his sexy, seditious hairdresser, Delilah. Well, Sampson was a member of the Israeli sub tribe of Naziri. Is this all coincidence or is this "war zone" in the Twilight Zone?

Step into their local gatherings and you'll step back through the pages of the Bible. Biblical visages, biblical fashions, biblical beards and biblical practices. The women live according to strict biblical codes of modesty and social constrictions layered over by some Islamic fashion accessories. Their traditional love songs are composed around the only place where it was acceptable for men to meet women - at the well! Shades of Moses meets Sephora at the well, along with other similar significant biblical marriage encounters - all at the well?!

The archeology of the region also supports the notion of a very early Israelite tribal presence. Beginning in the 1950s, massive stone "propaganda pillars" were discovered in Afghanistan and Pakistan that were erected as the boundary markers of a northern Buddhist Emperor's territory. They were placed there 2,300 years ago and originally thought to be written in Sanskrit. It was finally realized they were all written in Aramaic, the language of the Israelite tribes who western historians still say weren't supposed to be there. The Emperor knew exactly whom he was talking to; do we?

A few years ago, I secured a videotape by the award winning documentary film producer Simcha Jacobovici entitled Quest For The Lost Tribes which was my primary inspiration regarding this remarkable story. Most of the essential historical elements of the foregoing, with the exception of the astrological connections, were recounted in the documentary and in the tribal order in which it was presented here. Since then I have carefully researched the data and found it, along with other pertinent historical inclusions of my own, to be true. Some of my readers may recall my invitation to view the film immediately following the events of September 11, 2001. While I was aware of all this material prior to 9/11, even I began to doubt these last four tribes would ever get to see the full truth about themselves and their enigmatic past. Even though I should have known better, I couldn't see the slightest crack in the political, cultural and religious walls that surrounded them, trapped in time. A lot more has changed after 9/11 than the world or the Pathan tribes yet realize. But, the "times" are upon us and the Lord apparently still hasn't lost that ole knack for mysterious ways.

There is an update on the Moses1 program available free, on-line. The Moses2 is far more user friendly, eliminates the outdated keystrokes which is replaced by the Rabbinical Softening Mouse with 2,700 times faster operating speed. The time and the political environment is now "miraculously" ripe for them to ask these burning questions as to just who they really are, what are they doing there (cause they definitely acknowledge that they were dispossessed from their geographic origins) and where they really belong. Would you get goose bumps if I told you that they are beginning to ask those very questions? Put on a sweater, already.

Ashur/Libra
The only tribe still unaccounted for thus far is the Libra tribe of Ashur. They lived on the Mediterranean coast of Israel and were in a tight commercial seafaring alliance with their immediate northern neighbor, the Canaanites. Parenthetically, alliances in astrology fall within the exclusive domain of the sign Libra. It would have made perfect sense for at least some of them to take to the water and flee to safety. The Canaanites biggest colony was in Carthage, which you may remember was later utterly destroyed by Rome in the Punic wars. But tantalizing clues remain just off the coast of Tunisia in the tiny island of Djerba, which is not far from ancient Carthage. There is a small Jewish community of a "ritually pure line of Cohen priests" that has been living there uninterrupted since a time even before the construction of the first Temple in Jerusalem when they arrived with Ezra, the scribe. Certainly Ashur would have easily found kindred spirits and safety in this place during those tumultuous times. Libra is the sign of balance -in the form of compromise and cooperation, of treaties and effective partnerships. Perhaps they'll turn up when their unique abilities are most needed. At this point the question isn't will Asher be found but when. It's just a matter of time - in the end times.

The Times and the Meanings

There is one crucial issue be resolved in this long saga, the matter of why. The prophet Jeremiah explains, in one of the most explicit prophecies in the Bible that deals with this time of the return of all the tribes, when he explains, "in the latter days you will understand this." All of this is supposed to make sense now. Methinks it all does make perfect sense. What if all of what I've been "implying" throughout this article actually happens? What if the ancient Israelite prophet/astrologers were right on the money? What if the so called "lost" tribes are actually "awakening" and responding to their inner "clocks" that chime to the "times" and they begin the journey back to their ancient home in Israel? How will Israel deal with this? They are in a biblical bind on this issue and can't refuse to accept all these people that have now become the world in microcosm in these diverse, sifted tribes. If they refuse, they would have to wash their entire history, it's religion and culture, down the drain! Besides biblical "law" there is also the Israeli government's current Law of Return that demands they accept them.
Oy vey, is mir!
We know that the return of the tribes can't happen without Ephraim and Manesseh leading the way in significant numbers, as the prophets were very clear about that point. We are also told that the number of people in the lost tribes will equal the numbers in Judah and Benjamin when it happens. Do the math; their numbers are about equal now by last estimate. We were also informed that the struggle of the Apocalypse would begin after the return of the tribes.

Sift, Shift, Balance
The ancient Greek mathematical genius, Archimedes once proposed that if you could give him a lever long enough, with the fulcrum positioned in exactly the right place, he could, single-handedly, lift the whole world. For one person to lift the whole world is a seeming impossibility but we all know Archimedes was right. At this time, Israel is the fulcrum, positioned in exactly the right "place." The long lever is the long history of humanity in all its folly and glory - out of "balance" for it's entire existence. Out of balance since the species first became conscious of time and it's perceived implications of right and wrong - of good and evil. But that's a tale, longer than this one, which will have to wait for its time. What Israel will have to resolve, in microcosm, are the most basic challenges facing the peoples of the world in macrocosm. This will begin to occur with greater visibility in the next few years, which is why I've chosen this topic at this moment. They are forced to resolve the fundamental mandate for the entire human race now at the end of this age, the end times in the Age of Pisces, which began 2,000 years ago. Simply put - Humanity has finally arrived at the point where we either find a way to resolve our individual and national differences or we will literally self-destruct on a global scale. And if Israel, the fulcrum, can manage to "position" itself correctly, the rest of the world will be completely transformed both by direct and indirect result. That's an incredible responsibility to be chosen to execute, one that would require the wisdom of a Solomon. So who better?
I know we're the Chosen People but, every once and a while, could you maybe choose somebody else? -Tevia, Fiddler On The Roof
There is every good reason, in my opinion, why Israel will pass the test but not without a mighty struggle. It's perhaps poignant here to note that God ordered Jacob (of the Twelve Sons/Tribes/Signs) to change his name to "Israel" which means, "struggles with God." There will be a lot happening in the next few years that will serve to facilitate the emergence of this issue. There has been considerable effort to keep a lid on this story - for a variety of reasons and from various sources. When I got my hands on the FBI's "Meggido Report" it did fill in at least a few blanks. The report was prepared for the Israeli government just prior to the Millennium celebration in 2,000 when there were a lot of wacko fundamentalists descending upon Israel trying hard to jump-start Armageddon. The nature of these "times", however, is such that the story will emerge; incrementally, and gradually build to a crescendo during the seven-year period when the planet Uranus transits the sign Pisces - the "Sun-Sign" of the entire Hebrew people from Abraham to the present. Uranus enters Pisces next year.

There is only one answer for all of this. Only one option, one solution will work - and we all know what that is, don't we? The sacred cycles of "times" are inexorable and we will all be in the right place at the right time whether we've made good or bad choices. And "nations" will have arrived at their appointed places in time whether they had chosen the right way or the wrong way. The wrong way is always the hard way. If we haven't chosen to accept the need to love one another - in the right way mandate of the Age of Pisces that began 2,000 years ago - we will now be forced, the hard way, or perhaps I should say we would have chosen to force ourselves! Humanity itself, not just Israel, has no other choice.

"Times" begin and end but time itself never ends. The world, the human world, is NOT coming to an end but to a salvation in a new beginning.

Be good to yourselves,
Hannibal