The Jewish Diaspora

[jeremiah1five]

The Israeli (or Jewish) Diaspora refers to the historical and ongoing scattering of the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland in Israel to various parts of the world. The term "diaspora" comes from a Greek word meaning "dispersion" or "scattering." this phenomenon is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and historical events recorded in the King James Version (KJV).

1. The Biblical Origins: The Captivities​

The Diaspora began as a series of forced exiles (often called "captivities") due to the people's departure from God’s commandments.

The Assyrian Captivity (722 BC): The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. Many were carried away, becoming known as the "Ten Lost Tribes."

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 2 Kings 17:6.

The Babylonian Captivity (586 BC): The Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem and the first Temple were destroyed, and the people were exiled to Babylon.

20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 2 Chronicles 36:20.

2. The Roman Dispersion (AD 70 and AD 135)​

While many Jews returned to Jerusalem under the Persians (as recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah), a massive, long-lasting Diaspora occurred after the Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple in AD 70. Following another failed revolt in AD 135, the Romans renamed the region Syria Palaestina and banned Jews from Jerusalem, forcing them to settle across Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

3. Key Characteristics of the Diaspora​

For nearly 2,000 years, Jewish communities lived as minorities in "host" countries. Despite being scattered, they maintained a relatively unified identity through:

The Torah: Even without a central Temple, the study of the Word kept the community connected.
Distinct Groups: Over centuries, different cultural branches emerged, such as the Ashkenazim (Germany/Eastern Europe) and Sephardim (Spain/Portugal).
The Hope of Return: A central theme in Diaspora life was the prayer to return to "Zion" (Jerusalem).

4. The Biblical "Dispersion"​

The New Testament also acknowledges this scattering. The writers often addressed their letters to those living in the Diaspora (the "dispersion").

1 JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. James 1:1.

1 PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1.

5. Modern Context​

Today, "Israeli Diaspora" can also refer to modern Israeli citizens who have moved abroad (emigrants). However, historically, it remains the defining term for the survival of the Jewish people as a "nation without a land" until the re-establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The historical and biblical narrative of the Jewish Diaspora involves a complex interplay of tragedy, survival, and the fulfillment of prophecy. When discussing the "hybridity" or mixing of Hebrews with Gentiles through forced unions, it is essential to look at the specific historical "bottlenecks" where survival often required biological or social assimilation. Here is the prophetic and historical context.

1. The Assyrian Conquest (722 BC): The Genesis of the "Samaritan" Hybrid​

The fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (the ten tribes) to Assyria created the first major biological and religious "hybrid" group.

Circumstances: The Assyrians utilized a policy of "mass deportation." They removed the upper classes of Israel and replaced them with Gentiles from Babylon, Cuthah, and other regions.
Forced Unions: The Israelite women left behind in the land were subjected to the invading settlers. This was not a voluntary "melting pot" but a byproduct of conquest and the necessity of survival in a land ravaged by war and "lions" (2 Kings 17:25-26).
The Result: The offspring of these unions were the Samaritans. In the KJV, they are described as a people who "feared the LORD, and served their own gods" (2 Kings 17:33).
Biblical Identity: To the Jews of Judah, Samaritans were seen as "half-breeds" or "Gentiles" in practice. This is why, by the time of Christ, the KJV notes that "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9).

2. The Babylonian Captivity (586 BC): Slavery and Concubinage​

When Judah fell to Babylon, the circumstances shifted from "mixing in the land" to "mixing in exile."

Biological Unions: Thousands were led into slavery. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, female captives were often taken as concubines or secondary wives by their captors.
Prophetic Warning: The KJV records the lamentations of this era, describing the violation of women: "They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah" (Lamentations 5:11).
The Struggle for Purity: Upon the return to Jerusalem, Ezra found that the people—including priests—had taken "strange wives" of the Gentiles, and the "holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands" (Ezra 9:2). Survival in Babylon for 70 years had led to 2–3 generations of biological mixing.

3. The Greek & Roman Dispersion: The "Gentile" Jews​

Following the conquests of Alexander the Great and later the Romans, the Diaspora expanded into the Hellenistic (Greek) world.

Cultural Assimilation: Over 29–35 generations, many Jews became "Greeks" in language, dress, and lifestyle. This created the group referred to in the KJV as the "Grecians" (Acts 6:1) or "the dispersed among the Gentiles" (John 7:35).
Prophetic Fulfillment: This period aligns with the prophecy that Israel would be "sown" among the nations. Zechariah 10:9 states: "And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again."
Hybrid Identity: Many "Gentiles" in the New Testament were biologically "mixed-race" Jews who had lost their lineage records but were "God-fearers" drawn back to the synagogue.

4. The European Diaspora to the 20th Century​

The long "Galut" (Exile) in Europe presented the most grueling circumstances for survival through "forced hybridity."

Medieval and Pogrom Era: During Crusades and Pogroms, Jewish women were frequently the targets of systematic rape by invading armies or local mobs. Children born of these tragedies were often raised within the Jewish community (contributing to the shift toward matrilineal descent—defining Jewishness by the mother—to ensure these children were legally part of the tribe).

Nazi Germany & The Holocaust: The "Nuremberg Laws" were specifically designed to target "Mischlinge" (people of mixed ancestry). By the 20th century, centuries of the Diaspora had created a population that was genetically diverse, yet bound by a singular prophetic destiny.

Summary Table: Forces of "Hybridization"​

Era	Primary Cause of Mixing	Resulting Social Group	KJV Reference/Prophecy
Assyrian	Settler Colonization	Samaritans	2 Kings 17:24-41
Babylonian	Slavery & Concubinage	"Strange Wives" progeny	Ezra 9:1-2
Hellenistic	Cultural Assimilation	"Grecians" / Hellenists	John 7:35, Acts 6:1
Roman/European	War Rape & Survival	Ashkenazi/Sephardic Admixture	Luke 21:24

The circumstances of the Diaspora were often marked by "the sword" and "the winepress of the wrath of God," where survival necessitated biological and social blending. Over roughly 29 to 35 generations (from the fall of Samaria in 722 BC to the mid-20th century), the Jewish lineage underwent significant shifts due to both forced and survival-based unions with non-Hebrews.
Here is a description of those circumstances through the lens of history:

1. The Assyrian Conquest (722 BC): The Samaritan Hybrid​

The first major "hybridization" occurred when the Northern Ten Tribes were conquered. The Assyrians utilized a policy of population exchange to break the national spirit of Israel.

The Circumstances: The "noble" and "mighty" were deported to Assyria, while the poor remained. The King of Assyria then brought in Gentiles from Babylon, Cuthah, and Hamath to inhabit the cities (2 Kings 17:24).
The Unions: Survival for the remaining Hebrew women meant unions—often via rape or forced marriage—with these new Gentile settlers.
The Result: This created the Samaritans, a group that was biologically mixed and religiously "hybrid." In the KJV, they are described as those who "feared the LORD, and served their own gods" (2 Kings 17:33). They became the biblical prototype for the "half-Jew," eventually leading to the deep-seated social divisions seen in the New Testament (John 4:9).

2. The Babylonian Captivity (586 BC): Concubinage and Slavery​

While the Babylonian exile was shorter (70 years), it introduced a pattern of concubinage that persisted for generations.

The Circumstances: The destruction of Jerusalem led to the "ravishing" of women. Lamentations 5:11 (KJV) records: "They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah."
The Necessity of Survival: In a slave economy, a Jewish woman’s survival often depended on becoming a "handmaid" or concubine to a Babylonian master.
The Return: When Ezra led the return to Jerusalem, he was devastated to find that the "holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands" (Ezra 9:2). This "mingling" was so widespread that Ezra forced a mass separation to preserve the lineage.

3. The "Grecian" Era and the 35-Generation Arc​

From the conquests of Alexander the Great through the Roman dispersion, the Diaspora Jews (often called Grecians in the KJV) lived in a world where "Gentile" culture was the only path to economic or physical safety.

Hellenistic Jews: These were Jews who grew up in Greek culture, spoke Greek, and often had Gentile fathers or mothers. By the time of the New Testament, there were "Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:5).
Biological Hybridity: Over the span of 2,000 years, many Jews "grew up Gentile." This aligns with the prophecy in Hosea 1:10, which speaks of a people who were told "Ye are not my people," but would eventually be called "the sons of the living God."
The Matrilineal Shift: Because of the frequency of war-rape by Gentile armies (Roman, Crusader, and Cossack), the Jewish community eventually codified the rule that Jewishness is passed through the mother. This ensured that a child born of a forced union with a Gentile soldier was still legally and spiritually a Jew.

4. Prophetic Significance: The "Gentiles" of the New Testament​

Many scholars interpret certain New Testament "Gentiles" not as pure pagans, but as the "lost" or "scattered" mixed-race Israelites who had lost their identity over the 29–35 generations of exile.

• The Olive Tree: In Romans 11:17-24, Paul describes the "wild olive tree" (Mixed-race Jew/Gentiles) being grafted into the "good olive tree" (Israel).
• The Regathering: This biological and social blending fulfills the prophecy that God would "hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased" (Zechariah 10:8, KJV).

Summary of Unions in the Diaspora​

Mechanism	Biblical Context	Resulting Identity
Forced Settling	Assyrian Exchange	Samaritans (2 Kings 17)
War Rape/Slavery	Babylonian Conquest	"Strange Wives" progeny (Ezra 9)
Concubinage	Roman/European Exile	Matrilineal Jewish descent
Assimilation	Hellenism (Greek)	"Grecians" (Acts 6:1)

These Biblical and Historical facts must be considered in one's interpretation of Scripture in order to come to a true knowledge of the truth.
-- Submitted for your consideration.

 

[armylngst]

3. The Greek & Roman Dispersion: The "Gentile" Jews
Following the conquests of Alexander the Great and later the Romans, the Diaspora expanded into the Hellenistic (Greek) world.

Cultural Assimilation: Over 29–35 generations, many Jews became "Greeks" in language, dress, and lifestyle. This created the group referred to in the KJV as the "Grecians" (Acts 6:1) or "the dispersed among the Gentiles" (John 7:35).
Prophetic Fulfillment: This period aligns with the prophecy that Israel would be "sown" among the nations. Zechariah 10:9 states: "And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again."
Hybrid Identity: Many "Gentiles" in the New Testament were biologically "mixed-race" Jews who had lost their lineage records but were "God-fearers" drawn back to the synagogue.

ethnos -
Gentile, heathen
Probably from etho; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. A tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan) -- Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

If anything can be said about the Jewish people, mixed race or otherwise, pagan is not it.

When Paul said he was an apostle to the Gentiles, this is the word he used.

"For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles."
The word for gentiles here is from ethnos. (ethnon)

Paul didn't say he was a missionary to the Greeks, but to the Gentiles. And he did speak of the Greeks as Greeks, so there is a set distinction.
------

hellen -
Gentile, Greek.
From Hellas; a Hellen (Grecian) or inhabitant of Hellas; by extension a Greek-speaking person, especially a non-Jew -- Gentile, Greek.

1672 Héllēn – an Hellene, i.e. a Greek. 1672/Hellēn ("Greek") originally referred to any native Greek and later became synonymous with any Greek-speaking person, i.e. anyone who followed Greek culture (and especially) spoke Greek.

Two different words, not with the same meaning. Jews in the New Testament were not pagans, and did not worship idols. That ended quite some time

Example:
"35 The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this Man intend to go that we will not find Him? He does not intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, does He?"

The dispersion among the Greeks. Since the Dispersion is said to be among the Greeks, then obviously by Greeks John means non-Jewish Greeks, or actual Greeks. And that He would be teaching these Greeks. (Since He just said the Jews would not find Him.) This just to show that no it is not always speaking of Hellenized Jews, but of actual Greeks.

It isn't that simple to interpret/translate. I found a whole page devoted to Jewish/Gentile Christian information. It ended up with saying, apparently, I never though about it, a Jew and a Gentile built God's temple. King Solomon and King Hiram. Another thing they pointed out with, as the end times of the world draw near, this Messianic Jew has seen a shift in the Gentile believers attitude towards Israel, with many joining in prayer to see the salvation of Jews in Israel, that they come to find and believe in their Messiah Yeshua.

The truth of scripture is that Salvation is for all, well, it is for any who believe in Christ through faith. Jew, Greek, or Gentile, it doesn't matter. It first came to the Jews, as Paul says, and then the Greek. This is why scripture says salvation is OF the Jews, which can be restated as salvation is FROM the Jews. There is nothing Gentile about salvation. There is nothing Jewish..ABOUT SALVATION. However, Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews, and the Jews God's chosen people, so salvation and the message of salvation came first to the Jews. When the Jews rejected it (national sin), the gospel, the message of salvation went out to the Gentiles. If you see Paul's tree as the new covenant, then Gentiles are GRAFTED into it, being foreign to it. (I remember a passage in scripture that speaks to this. I believe it was you who said that the Jews were strangers to the covenants of God, since that is what the passage said. It was about Gentiles, but you said the Jews. I pointed out what that would mean, but you went with it anyway, completely changing the passage. The Gentiles are grafted in because they are foreign to it. Strangers one could say. They come from a wild uncultivated tree/vine. Jews were removed from the tree/vine. Why? UNBELIEF. Also, as Paul's aid, the strictness of God. Gentiles grafted in by the kindness of God, but easily removed and quickly, if they don't continue in it. And God ready to reattach any Jew that comes to believe. Reattach, NOT GRAFT. Paul makes it clear that they were, and always will be natural branches. They may die unattached, and be destroyed, but they are still natural branches. The Gentiles were, and always will be foreign branches. They do not become natural branches. It is by God's mercy that salvation was extended to the Gentiles at all.
The new covenant was not made with the Gentililes, hence they are grafted in. And that is by God's kindness, and the same requirement as the Jews. Belief/faith.

 

[armylngst]

The Israeli (or Jewish) Diaspora refers to the historical and ongoing scattering of the Jewish people from their ancestral homeland in Israel to various parts of the world. The term "diaspora" comes from a Greek word meaning "dispersion" or "scattering." this phenomenon is deeply rooted in the biblical narrative and historical events recorded in the King James Version (KJV).

1. The Biblical Origins: The Captivities​

The Diaspora began as a series of forced exiles (often called "captivities") due to the people's departure from God’s commandments.

The Assyrian Captivity (722 BC): The Northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrians. Many were carried away, becoming known as the "Ten Lost Tribes."

6 In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes. 2 Kings 17:6.

The Babylonian Captivity (586 BC): The Southern Kingdom of Judah was conquered by Nebuchadnezzar. Jerusalem and the first Temple were destroyed, and the people were exiled to Babylon.

20 And them that had escaped from the sword carried he away to Babylon; where they were servants to him and his sons until the reign of the kingdom of Persia: 2 Chronicles 36:20.

2. The Roman Dispersion (AD 70 and AD 135)​

While many Jews returned to Jerusalem under the Persians (as recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah), a massive, long-lasting Diaspora occurred after the Roman Empire destroyed the Second Temple in AD 70. Following another failed revolt in AD 135, the Romans renamed the region Syria Palaestina and banned Jews from Jerusalem, forcing them to settle across Europe, North Africa, and Asia.

3. Key Characteristics of the Diaspora​

For nearly 2,000 years, Jewish communities lived as minorities in "host" countries. Despite being scattered, they maintained a relatively unified identity through:

The Torah: Even without a central Temple, the study of the Word kept the community connected.
Distinct Groups: Over centuries, different cultural branches emerged, such as the Ashkenazim (Germany/Eastern Europe) and Sephardim (Spain/Portugal).
The Hope of Return: A central theme in Diaspora life was the prayer to return to "Zion" (Jerusalem).

4. The Biblical "Dispersion"​

The New Testament also acknowledges this scattering. The writers often addressed their letters to those living in the Diaspora (the "dispersion").

1 JAMES, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, to the twelve tribes which are scattered abroad, greeting. James 1:1.

1 PETER, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, 1 Peter 1:1.

5. Modern Context​

Today, "Israeli Diaspora" can also refer to modern Israeli citizens who have moved abroad (emigrants). However, historically, it remains the defining term for the survival of the Jewish people as a "nation without a land" until the re-establishment of the State of Israel in 1948. The historical and biblical narrative of the Jewish Diaspora involves a complex interplay of tragedy, survival, and the fulfillment of prophecy. When discussing the "hybridity" or mixing of Hebrews with Gentiles through forced unions, it is essential to look at the specific historical "bottlenecks" where survival often required biological or social assimilation. Here is the prophetic and historical context.

1. The Assyrian Conquest (722 BC): The Genesis of the "Samaritan" Hybrid​

The fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (the ten tribes) to Assyria created the first major biological and religious "hybrid" group.

Circumstances: The Assyrians utilized a policy of "mass deportation." They removed the upper classes of Israel and replaced them with Gentiles from Babylon, Cuthah, and other regions.
Forced Unions: The Israelite women left behind in the land were subjected to the invading settlers. This was not a voluntary "melting pot" but a byproduct of conquest and the necessity of survival in a land ravaged by war and "lions" (2 Kings 17:25-26).
The Result: The offspring of these unions were the Samaritans. In the KJV, they are described as a people who "feared the LORD, and served their own gods" (2 Kings 17:33).
Biblical Identity: To the Jews of Judah, Samaritans were seen as "half-breeds" or "Gentiles" in practice. This is why, by the time of Christ, the KJV notes that "the Jews have no dealings with the Samaritans" (John 4:9).

2. The Babylonian Captivity (586 BC): Slavery and Concubinage​

When Judah fell to Babylon, the circumstances shifted from "mixing in the land" to "mixing in exile."

Biological Unions: Thousands were led into slavery. In ancient Near Eastern warfare, female captives were often taken as concubines or secondary wives by their captors.
Prophetic Warning: The KJV records the lamentations of this era, describing the violation of women: "They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah" (Lamentations 5:11).
The Struggle for Purity: Upon the return to Jerusalem, Ezra found that the people—including priests—had taken "strange wives" of the Gentiles, and the "holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands" (Ezra 9:2). Survival in Babylon for 70 years had led to 2–3 generations of biological mixing.

3. The Greek & Roman Dispersion: The "Gentile" Jews​

Following the conquests of Alexander the Great and later the Romans, the Diaspora expanded into the Hellenistic (Greek) world.

Cultural Assimilation: Over 29–35 generations, many Jews became "Greeks" in language, dress, and lifestyle. This created the group referred to in the KJV as the "Grecians" (Acts 6:1) or "the dispersed among the Gentiles" (John 7:35).
Prophetic Fulfillment: This period aligns with the prophecy that Israel would be "sown" among the nations. Zechariah 10:9 states: "And I will sow them among the people: and they shall remember me in far countries; and they shall live with their children, and turn again."
Hybrid Identity: Many "Gentiles" in the New Testament were biologically "mixed-race" Jews who had lost their lineage records but were "God-fearers" drawn back to the synagogue.

4. The European Diaspora to the 20th Century​

The long "Galut" (Exile) in Europe presented the most grueling circumstances for survival through "forced hybridity."

Medieval and Pogrom Era: During Crusades and Pogroms, Jewish women were frequently the targets of systematic rape by invading armies or local mobs. Children born of these tragedies were often raised within the Jewish community (contributing to the shift toward matrilineal descent—defining Jewishness by the mother—to ensure these children were legally part of the tribe).

Nazi Germany & The Holocaust: The "Nuremberg Laws" were specifically designed to target "Mischlinge" (people of mixed ancestry). By the 20th century, centuries of the Diaspora had created a population that was genetically diverse, yet bound by a singular prophetic destiny.

Summary Table: Forces of "Hybridization"​

Era	Primary Cause of Mixing	Resulting Social Group	KJV Reference/Prophecy
Assyrian	Settler Colonization	Samaritans	2 Kings 17:24-41
Babylonian	Slavery & Concubinage	"Strange Wives" progeny	Ezra 9:1-2
Hellenistic	Cultural Assimilation	"Grecians" / Hellenists	John 7:35, Acts 6:1
Roman/European	War Rape & Survival	Ashkenazi/Sephardic Admixture	Luke 21:24

The circumstances of the Diaspora were often marked by "the sword" and "the winepress of the wrath of God," where survival necessitated biological and social blending. Over roughly 29 to 35 generations (from the fall of Samaria in 722 BC to the mid-20th century), the Jewish lineage underwent significant shifts due to both forced and survival-based unions with non-Hebrews.
Here is a description of those circumstances through the lens of history:

1. The Assyrian Conquest (722 BC): The Samaritan Hybrid​

The first major "hybridization" occurred when the Northern Ten Tribes were conquered. The Assyrians utilized a policy of population exchange to break the national spirit of Israel.

The Circumstances: The "noble" and "mighty" were deported to Assyria, while the poor remained. The King of Assyria then brought in Gentiles from Babylon, Cuthah, and Hamath to inhabit the cities (2 Kings 17:24).
The Unions: Survival for the remaining Hebrew women meant unions—often via rape or forced marriage—with these new Gentile settlers.
The Result: This created the Samaritans, a group that was biologically mixed and religiously "hybrid." In the KJV, they are described as those who "feared the LORD, and served their own gods" (2 Kings 17:33). They became the biblical prototype for the "half-Jew," eventually leading to the deep-seated social divisions seen in the New Testament (John 4:9).

2. The Babylonian Captivity (586 BC): Concubinage and Slavery​

While the Babylonian exile was shorter (70 years), it introduced a pattern of concubinage that persisted for generations.

The Circumstances: The destruction of Jerusalem led to the "ravishing" of women. Lamentations 5:11 (KJV) records: "They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah."
The Necessity of Survival: In a slave economy, a Jewish woman’s survival often depended on becoming a "handmaid" or concubine to a Babylonian master.
The Return: When Ezra led the return to Jerusalem, he was devastated to find that the "holy seed have mingled themselves with the people of those lands" (Ezra 9:2). This "mingling" was so widespread that Ezra forced a mass separation to preserve the lineage.

3. The "Grecian" Era and the 35-Generation Arc​

From the conquests of Alexander the Great through the Roman dispersion, the Diaspora Jews (often called Grecians in the KJV) lived in a world where "Gentile" culture was the only path to economic or physical safety.

Hellenistic Jews: These were Jews who grew up in Greek culture, spoke Greek, and often had Gentile fathers or mothers. By the time of the New Testament, there were "Jews, devout men, out of every nation under heaven" (Acts 2:5).
Biological Hybridity: Over the span of 2,000 years, many Jews "grew up Gentile." This aligns with the prophecy in Hosea 1:10, which speaks of a people who were told "Ye are not my people," but would eventually be called "the sons of the living God."
The Matrilineal Shift: Because of the frequency of war-rape by Gentile armies (Roman, Crusader, and Cossack), the Jewish community eventually codified the rule that Jewishness is passed through the mother. This ensured that a child born of a forced union with a Gentile soldier was still legally and spiritually a Jew.

4. Prophetic Significance: The "Gentiles" of the New Testament​

Many scholars interpret certain New Testament "Gentiles" not as pure pagans, but as the "lost" or "scattered" mixed-race Israelites who had lost their identity over the 29–35 generations of exile.

• The Olive Tree: In Romans 11:17-24, Paul describes the "wild olive tree" (Mixed-race Jew/Gentiles) being grafted into the "good olive tree" (Israel).
• The Regathering: This biological and social blending fulfills the prophecy that God would "hiss for them, and gather them; for I have redeemed them: and they shall increase as they have increased" (Zechariah 10:8, KJV).

Summary of Unions in the Diaspora​

Mechanism	Biblical Context	Resulting Identity
Forced Settling	Assyrian Exchange	Samaritans (2 Kings 17)
War Rape/Slavery	Babylonian Conquest	"Strange Wives" progeny (Ezra 9)
Concubinage	Roman/European Exile	Matrilineal Jewish descent
Assimilation	Hellenism (Greek)	"Grecians" (Acts 6:1)

These Biblical and Historical facts must be considered in one's interpretation of Scripture in order to come to a true knowledge of the truth.
-- Submitted for your consideration.

Question I forgot. Since the Catholic church hated Jews so much, and the Anglican church is basically the Catholic church without the pope at the time of King James, wouldn't they translate Greeks (which could/did at times speak to mixed race Jews) as Gentiles to further remove Jews from the church? I mean, they did change scripture with their translation, such as changing Passover to easter. So why would you trust the KJV? They BLATANTLY changed scripture where the Greek specifically said Passover, and they changed it to easter.

 

[jeremiah1five]

ethnos -
Gentile, heathen
Probably from etho; a race (as of the same habit), i.e. A tribe; specially, a foreign (non-Jewish) one (usually, by implication, pagan) -- Gentile, heathen, nation, people.

If anything can be said about the Jewish people, mixed race or otherwise, pagan is not it.

When Paul said he was an apostle to the Gentiles, this is the word he used.

"For this reason I, Paul, am the prisoner of the Messiah Jesus for the sake of you gentiles."
The word for gentiles here is from ethnos. (ethnon)

Paul didn't say he was a missionary to the Greeks, but to the Gentiles. And he did speak of the Greeks as Greeks, so there is a set distinction.
------

hellen -
Gentile, Greek.
From Hellas; a Hellen (Grecian) or inhabitant of Hellas; by extension a Greek-speaking person, especially a non-Jew -- Gentile, Greek.

1672 Héllēn – an Hellene, i.e. a Greek. 1672/Hellēn ("Greek") originally referred to any native Greek and later became synonymous with any Greek-speaking person, i.e. anyone who followed Greek culture (and especially) spoke Greek.

Two different words, not with the same meaning. Jews in the New Testament were not pagans, and did not worship idols. That ended quite some time

Example:
"35 The Jews then said to one another, “Where does this Man intend to go that we will not find Him? He does not intend to go to the Dispersion among the Greeks, and teach the Greeks, does He?"

The dispersion among the Greeks. Since the Dispersion is said to be among the Greeks, then obviously by Greeks John means non-Jewish Greeks, or actual Greeks. And that He would be teaching these Greeks. (Since He just said the Jews would not find Him.) This just to show that no it is not always speaking of Hellenized Jews, but of actual Greeks.

It isn't that simple to interpret/translate. I found a whole page devoted to Jewish/Gentile Christian information. It ended up with saying, apparently, I never though about it, a Jew and a Gentile built God's temple. King Solomon and King Hiram. Another thing they pointed out with, as the end times of the world draw near, this Messianic Jew has seen a shift in the Gentile believers attitude towards Israel, with many joining in prayer to see the salvation of Jews in Israel, that they come to find and believe in their Messiah Yeshua.

The truth of scripture is that Salvation is for all, well, it is for any who believe in Christ through faith. Jew, Greek, or Gentile, it doesn't matter. It first came to the Jews, as Paul says, and then the Greek. This is why scripture says salvation is OF the Jews, which can be restated as salvation is FROM the Jews. There is nothing Gentile about salvation. There is nothing Jewish..ABOUT SALVATION. However, Jesus is the Messiah of the Jews, and the Jews God's chosen people, so salvation and the message of salvation came first to the Jews. When the Jews rejected it (national sin), the gospel, the message of salvation went out to the Gentiles. If you see Paul's tree as the new covenant, then Gentiles are GRAFTED into it, being foreign to it. (I remember a passage in scripture that speaks to this. I believe it was you who said that the Jews were strangers to the covenants of God, since that is what the passage said. It was about Gentiles, but you said the Jews. I pointed out what that would mean, but you went with it anyway, completely changing the passage. The Gentiles are grafted in because they are foreign to it. Strangers one could say. They come from a wild uncultivated tree/vine. Jews were removed from the tree/vine. Why? UNBELIEF. Also, as Paul's aid, the strictness of God. Gentiles grafted in by the kindness of God, but easily removed and quickly, if they don't continue in it. And God ready to reattach any Jew that comes to believe. Reattach, NOT GRAFT. Paul makes it clear that they were, and always will be natural branches. They may die unattached, and be destroyed, but they are still natural branches. The Gentiles were, and always will be foreign branches. They do not become natural branches. It is by God's mercy that salvation was extended to the Gentiles at all.
The new covenant was not made with the Gentililes, hence they are grafted in. And that is by God's kindness, and the same requirement as the Jews. Belief/faith.

Saul was "missionary TO the Gentiles" because that's where the Lord had scattered His people.

After Jesus' ascension He sent His messengers to the Gentiles with a message to the Jews and mixed-race Jews were living. The message?

"God has kept His Promise"

What Promise is that?

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deuteronomy 18:15–18.

Jews and mixed-race Jews lived among Gentiles for over seven hundred years. Many approximate this existence to be 29-35 generations. THAT is a lot of time to be fully ingratiated into a Gentile "camp" and way of living. If you live long enough you might see this:

3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.
7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. Jeremiah 23:3–8.

7 For thus saith the LORD;
Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations:
Publish ye, praise ye, and say,
O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the coasts of the earth,
And with them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child and her that travaileth with child together:
A great company shall return thither.
Jeremiah 31:7–8.


10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations,
And declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
He that scattered Israel will gather him,
And keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
Jeremiah 31:10.

So, who is "his flock" according to Jeremiah, a Hebrew, from the tribe of Benjamin?

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. Jeremiah 29:11–14.

21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and fa new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:21–28.

It is indisputable that the LORD had scattered HIS PEOPLE "among the heathen" and "into all nations" (Goyim) and that He will bring ALL His people back to their land and to Himself. Some may remain as mixed-race and they do not need to physically be back in the land, but He will bring them back "to Himself."

Is there really any promise from God to the "nations" or the "heathen" except one of destruction for how they treat Israel and Judah?

23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. Jeremiah 23:23–27.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day,
That I will seek to destroy all the nations
That come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:9.

Zechariah 14.

 

[jeremiah1five]

Question I forgot. Since the Catholic church hated Jews so much, and the Anglican church is basically the Catholic church without the pope at the time of King James, wouldn't they translate Greeks (which could/did at times speak to mixed race Jews) as Gentiles to further remove Jews from the church? I mean, they did change scripture with their translation, such as changing Passover to easter. So why would you trust the KJV? They BLATANTLY changed scripture where the Greek specifically said Passover, and they changed it to easter.

I trust the KJV because God has used passages to speak to me in my 49 years of knowing Him. He validates this translation. I do not trust the translations that come out of the work in 1880s from Westcott & Hort and their corrupt Greek revision from which all modern day, new-age translations derive.

 

[armylngst]

Saul was "missionary TO the Gentiles" because that's where the Lord had scattered His people.

That is incorrect. He is missionary to the Gentiles, because Peter and the others were the missionaries to the cicumcised. The reason why Saul called himself Paul was to 1. separate himself from who he once was, 2. he is a missionary to the Gentiles, so he used his Gentile name.

Romans says the most important things, like, salvation, curses, blessings, wrath, and judgment is first to the Jews. All those things. Then to the Gentiles/Greeks. Why? It isn't saying that the Jews were first, but that the Jews are the priority in ALL THINGS, bad and good. They are also going to hell due to Romans 3:23 "For all have sinned and fallen short of the glory of God." It doesn't matter that they are Jewish and under the covenant. They too are damned, and they are standing at the front of the line. (First to the Jew, then the Gentile.) They also face the worst of God's wrath because they were given the oracles of God, yet rejected. However, if you read Romans and what Paul has to say, they face the best when it comes to salvation and blessings. The Gentiles get the scraps (so to speak). (See the Syro-canaanite woman and Jesus).

After Jesus' ascension He sent His messengers to the Gentiles with a message to the Jews and mixed-race Jews were living. The message?

"God has kept His Promise"

What Promise is that?

15 The LORD thy God will raise up unto thee a Prophet from the midst of thee, of thy brethren, like unto me; unto him ye shall hearken;
16 According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
17 And the LORD said unto me, They have well spoken that which they have spoken.
18 I will raise them up a Prophet from among their brethren, like unto thee, and will put my words in his mouth; and he shall speak unto them all that I shall command him. Deuteronomy 18:15–18.

And, they didn't hearken.

Jews and mixed-race Jews lived among Gentiles for over seven hundred years. Many approximate this existence to be 29-35 generations. THAT is a lot of time to be fully ingratiated into a Gentile "camp" and way of living. If you live long enough you might see this:

You do understand that Paul has the worst things to say about Gentiles, right? Downright vile people. Also, when the Bible speaks of Gentiles, it speaks of nations/races, not individual people. So it actually means non-Jewish Gentiles, as opposing Jews. That is, the New Testament views two peoples, Jews and Gentiles.

3 And I will gather the remnant of my flock out of all countries whither I have driven them, and will bring them again to their folds; and they shall be fruitful and increase.
4 And I will set up shepherds over them which shall feed them: and they shall fear no more, nor be dismayed, neither shall they be lacking, saith the LORD.
5 Behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that I will raise unto David a righteous Branch, and a King shall reign and prosper, and shall execute judgment and justice in the earth.
6 In his days Judah shall be saved, and Israel shall dwell safely: and this is his name whereby he shall be called, THE LORD OUR RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Well, he can't be speaking of Judah and Israel then, because you said the Gentiles were mixed-race.

7 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the LORD, that they shall no more say, The LORD liveth, which brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;
8 But, The LORD liveth, which brought up and which led the seed of the house of Israel out of the north country, and from all countries whither I had driven them; and they shall dwell in their own land. Jeremiah 23:3–8.

7 For thus saith the LORD;
Sing with gladness for Jacob,
And shout among the chief of the nations:
Publish ye, praise ye, and say,
O LORD, save thy people, the remnant of Israel.
8 Behold, I will bring them from the north country,
And gather them from the coasts of the earth,
And with them the blind and the lame,
The woman with child and her that travaileth with child together:
A great company shall return thither.
Jeremiah 31:7–8.


10 Hear the word of the LORD, O ye nations,
And declare it in the isles afar off, and say,
He that scattered Israel will gather him,
And keep him, as a shepherd doth his flock.
Jeremiah 31:10.

So, who is "his flock" according to Jeremiah, a Hebrew, from the tribe of Benjamin?

11 For I know the thoughts that I think toward you, saith the LORD, thoughts of peace, and not of evil, to give you an expected end.
12 Then shall ye call upon me, and ye shall go and pray unto me, and I will hearken unto you.
13 And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart.
14 And I will be found of you, saith the LORD: and I will turn away your captivity, and I will gather you from all the nations, and from all the places whither I have driven you, saith the LORD; and I will bring you again into the place whence I caused you to be carried away captive. Jeremiah 29:11–14.

21 But I had pity for mine holy name, which the house of Israel had profaned among the heathen, whither they went.
22 Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; I do not this for your sakes, O house of Israel, but for mine holy name’s sake, which ye have profaned among the heathen, whither ye went.
23 And I will sanctify my great name, which was profaned among the heathen, which ye have profaned in the midst of them; and the heathen shall know that I am the LORD, saith the Lord GOD, when I shall be sanctified in you before their eyes.
24 For I will take you from among the heathen, and gather you out of all countries, and will bring you into your own land.
25 Then will I sprinkle clean water upon you, and ye shall be clean: from all your filthiness, and from all your idols, will I cleanse you.
26 A new heart also will I give you, and fa new spirit will I put within you: and I will take away the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh.
27 And I will put my spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes, and ye shall keep my judgments, and do them.
28 And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God. Ezekiel 36:21–28.

It is indisputable that the LORD had scattered HIS PEOPLE "among the heathen" and "into all nations" (Goyim) and that He will bring ALL His people back to their land and to Himself. Some may remain as mixed-race and they do not need to physically be back in the land, but He will bring them back "to Himself."

Goyim means Gentile. He will bring His people back to their land and to Himself. Those who are mixed race are still Jews, and will be back physically and back to Himself. Now consider that Moses himself married a gentile after receiving the Mosaic covenant. God had no problem with it. Miriam and Aaron did, and God showed his extreme displeasure with THEM, and struck Miriam with leprosy. There are many things you completely ignore that God has stated in scripture. You interpret things according to your beliefs, which, if you take those intepretations to other passages, completely destroys the passages. (Not to mention, makes Jews look REALLY bad.)

Is there really any promise from God to the "nations" or the "heathen" except one of destruction for how they treat Israel and Judah?

23 Am I a God at hand, saith the LORD, and not a God afar off?
24 Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
25 I have heard what the prophets said, that prophesy lies in my name, saying, I have dreamed, I have dreamed.
26 How long shall this be in the heart of the prophets that prophesy lies? yea, they are prophets of the deceit of their own heart;
27 Which think to cause my people to forget my name by their dreams which they tell every man to his neighbour, as their fathers have forgotten my name for Baal. Jeremiah 23:23–27.

9 And it shall come to pass in that day,
That I will seek to destroy all the nations
That come against Jerusalem.
Zechariah 12:9.

Zechariah 14.

So, if we go with your understanding of scripture, all the nations must be Israel, right? I mean, you say God meant Israel when he told Abraham that through His seed all the nations of the world would be blessed. You are so inconsistent. Jews have priority in all things. Gentiles are next. (non-Jewish Gentiles). If you don't realize or understand that mixed-race Jews are still Jews, that's on you.

Paul followed this at every city he went to. He first went to the synagogues and spoke to the Jews. (To the Jew first... priority). Then he would tell them he was going to the Gentiles, and that is what he would do. (then to the Gentiles.) And he is speaking of non-Jewish Gentiles. You keep missing the understanding that even in the new covenant, which has God grafting completely foreign branches on the tree (covenant), are both Jews and Gentiles through faith/belief. Paul actually speaks directly to that. Gentiles (non-Jewish) are not to be haughty and proud in attacking Jews, for God would gladly rip them out, and, for the Jew who comes to believe (Paul's words...), God will reattach. Do note, it doesn't say God will graft them in. Why not? NATURAL BRANCHES. Just reattach. Foreign branches are grafted.

 

[armylngst]

I trust the KJV because God has used passages to speak to me in my 49 years of knowing Him. He validates this translation. I do not trust the translations that come out of the work in 1880s from Westcott & Hort and their corrupt Greek revision from which all modern day, new-age translations derive.

They properly translate pascha as passover, and not Easter. The versions I like to use are NASB (older), NKJV (easier to understand the english), YLT (to get literal translations of words), etc. I'm surprised you take issue with the King James not recognizing passover in their translation. Also, changing John the immerser to John the Baptist. All their fault.

 

[jeremiah1five]

They properly translate pascha as passover, and not Easter. The versions I like to use are NASB (older), NKJV (easier to understand the english), YLT (to get literal translations of words), etc. I'm surprised you take issue with the King James not recognizing passover in their translation. Also, changing John the immerser to John the Baptist. All their fault.

It doesn't matter to me. I know the history. Still, it doesn't matter to me.