The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1884-12-28
THE LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL.

written Tor the Indianapolis Journdi.
A short paragraph in your yesterdays issue
on "The Stone of Scone," together with an ex-
tract from the Boston Herald on the subject of
Mr.. Edward Hines lecture there on Queen
Victoria's Descent from King David"-in yours
of Dec. 20-imply an interest on your part and
that of some of your readers in the discussion of
the present existence and locality OF ''The Lost
Tribes of Israel"
Not having seen any report Of the lecture al
luded to, but being somewhat familiar with the
writings of Mr.. Hine on this subject. and with
the facts and arguments he has offered as proof
of his position-the rather sarcastic dispo=ai Of
the whole theory in the brief review made by
the Herald, seems, under the mildest judgment
of the case, to be quite unwarrantable. That
Mr. Hine may have consumed too large a por-
ton of his lecture on subject so new to many,
as Introductory might have been necessary
considering the many years of careful research
and the volumes of various kinds OF evidence
devoted to its study. This, unfortunately, may
convey prejudice to those who, from indifer.
ence, or lack of industrious effort to study
the subject themselves, expect a con-
densed aud clearly eliminated abstract
in one evenings reading Mr.. Hine and Others
among whom are included some of the most en-
inent historians, phioogists and scholars Of
Great Britain, such as Piazzi Smythe and Sharon
Turner, etc, have been occupied most earnestly
in tracing the course of 1.-THE wanderers" as the
lost tribes are well known to have been, from
the time of their first scattering" entirely dis
tinct as it was from that of the Jews, or Judah
and Benjamin. down to that of their present
identification-z That they were not known as
tribes in Babylon during the Jewish captivity is
shown by the language used by Daniel in his
prayer. Daniel, tx, ~ They are not mentioned
among those who returned after the captivity to
rebuild and inhabit Jerusalem, but on the CON
trary, are spoken of by Josephus as gathered in
an immense company near the beadwaters of
the Euphrates. Later history locates them as
established on the northern shores of the Black
sea. From thence some Of the tribes are dis
tinctly followed by overland route to Denmark
presumably Danes, or the tribe of Dan--and, in
course of time the British isles. All of these
routes are clearly marked by them, and CORE
spond to monuments and other records of their
settlement in Ireland.
Other tribes are supposed to have wandered
west and north through Brittany, and others to
ry and their corresponding records. Others still,
passed through the Mediterranean and
Spain or Tarshsh, in the route employed by
PhGnician vessels of commerce, some Of which,
in Quest of tin. reached the British shores. But
not less was the part taken in the exile by the
prophet Jeremiah, whose mission, it will be re
membered, was not only Ito root out, and to pull
down, and destroy, and cast down" but also ''to
build and to plant" The destructive power
which followed his fearful threatenings is plain
" understood, but how have we heretofore
deIstood the execution of his equally divine
orders ito build and to plant" The last scrip
tural record of him is given in jeremiah, forty
third chapter. where we are told that with all
the rebellious remnant left by Nehuzar-adan in
Judah even men, women and children, and the
kings daughters, he went by divine command
down into Egypt That the stay of these exiles
in Egypt was TO be brief the prophetic assur
ance had been given; but the question arises,
what became of the prophet of the Lord and his
half-executed missiOn} What. too was the fate
of the princesses who had been committed to his
charged History merely intimttes that Jere-
mah finally died and was buried in Alexandria,
but has heretofore failed to follow the only heirs
of the throne of David, who had been committed
to his care.
Mr. Edward Hine could give most interesting
evidence from the bardic lore of Ireland and
from monuments now existing in Tara that
ship arrived that coast by way of Spain, hav
ing in charge prophet of Israel, and with him
a princess of the same race, whom he gave in
marriage to the relgnlng ch1eftaln OF the island
That said princess left records of benevolence
and religious zeal in founding schools and insti
tutons for the good of the people, so that the
name of Tephi and Lila Fail are sacredly pre-
served. The same history asserts that the
prophet also brought with him wonderful relic
in the form of stone called jacobs Pillar" to
serve as a witness and divine assurance to the
nation that so long as this was preserved faith
fully by them the kingdom should never be
destroyed. Sir Walter Scott mentions this stone
as passing into the hands of Edward the Con
queror, with the crown jewels. which last were
afterwards restored; but the stone remained in
its place under the coronation chair to this time.
Owing to the absence of papers of reference and
other data of information, this is necessarily
very blind and lame vindication of the theories
of Mr. Hine. but perhaps may be deserving of
tine same attention that given 20 hasty
newspaper report upon the main arguments en-
ployed by the aforesaid lecturer lately in Bos
ton. S.
INDIANAPoIIs Dec. 26, 1884
Discoura0ed Orange Growers,