Robert,
I actually think this has a lot of possibilities, although it might be a bit
much for students.
1) I believe the Romans were not the only people who claimed to be
descendants of the Trojans. And several groups, including the American
Indians, have been said to be the descendants of the 10 lost tribes of Israel.
Why do people want to believe these things? Maybe because it seems to solve
mysteries, like what happened to the lost tribes of Israel. Maybe because it
seems to provide an instant history where no history is otherwise known. But
why the Trojans and the Israelites particularly? Nobody claims, or is
claimed, to be descended from the Edomites or the Etruscans. A history of
these attributions would be really interesting, rather like the history of
millennial ideas. Or just handle it as an aspect of the history of
ideas--one can learn a lot by studying the development of Ptolemaic
astronomy, even if one doesn't believe that Ptolemaic astronomy gives an
adequate explanation of cosmology. But I think you need a Tom Izbicki or the
equivalent (is there an equivalent?) as an advisor to the project.
2) For students--simpler things--
(A) maybe a history of the Jews in Ireland. I assume they got there even
later than to England, but I don't think much has been written on the
details.
(B) maybe a good close look at the Bible to see what it actually has to say
about what happened to the "lost" tribes. Do later Biblical authors have
theories? Did the Church fathers have theories? Does the Talmud say anything
on the subject? List the possibilities--they died, they assimilated, they
went somewhere else. What are the pros and cons for each possibility? What
would one want by way of additional evidence?
(C) The theories that seem to us to have insufficient evidence didn't seem
that way to the people who proposed them. Someobody thought there were
similarities between the ancient Hebrews and the American Indians, or between
the Hebrews and the Celts. What were these people seeing? Irrespective of
whether their theories were right or wrong, they might have noticed something
we missed.
You seem apprehensive. Don't be.
pat sloane
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In a message dated 9-29-1999 9:28:23 PM Eastern Daylight Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
> Here at UPenn we have an endowed annual prize fund for student papers in
> religious studies (undergrad and/or grad), established many years ago in
> memory of a buisnessman who had the following passion:
>
> <quote>
> In his later years, the possibility of establishing ties between ancient
> Israel and the ancient Celts who migrated westward from east and central
> Europe was suggested to him by his analysis of Celtic sword designs and
> certain linguistic features. He did not live to see this theory tested by
> careful, sytematic study.</quote>
>
> We were able to convince the donor to let us award prizes for essays
> dealing with pre-modern Jewish topics, especially archaeological, rather
> than specific treatments of the late honoree's interests. Noone has ever
> submitted an essay on possible (or impossible) connections between ancient
> Israel, or even Judaism broadly defined, and "the ancient Celts," but I'm
> tempted to offer a special prize this year for such an essay (for UPenn
> students only) if there is any reason to think that a responsible study of
> that subject would be possible today (letting the chips fall where they
> may). Any advice from you experts would be appreciated, including
> judgments that it would be a waste of time, or conversely, pointers to
> responsible literature and/or evidence that might be useful to include in
> any "call for papers."
>
> Thanks!
> Bob
> --
> Robert A. Kraft, Religious Studies, University of Pennsylvania
> 227 Logan Hall (Philadelphia PA 19104-6304); tel. 215 898-5827
> [log in to unmask]
> http://ccat.sas.upenn.edu/rs/rak/kraft.html
>
>
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