Judaic Traditions Found in Native American Cultures

For two cultures that are found on opposite sides of the planet, there are a disproportionate number of similarities in the laws, customs and traditions of the two groups.  One would normally expect to see a greater amount of difference in religious beliefs such as is found in other cultures that demonstrate animal worship, nature worship, ancestor worship, multiplicity of gods, such as in found amongst the Greeks, Romans, Egyptians, Vikings, Chinese, etc, etc. This essay will go through a number of these "evidences":

First Claim of the Book of Mormon

Start of the title page for the Book of Mormon.

One of the very first claims of the Book of Mormon, (made in its own Title Page and first published in 1829) is that the people in the Americas are part of the Lost Ten Tribes, "a remnant of the House of Israel".

Even though the history recorded therein tells the story of a great people who lost their way, rejected their God and suffered divine punishments accordingly, it would be quite natural to expect that their descendants, some 1500 years later, would still retain some significant traces, signs, traditions, laws and customs of their Judaic heritage.

Another major note is that the ancient Mormon prophets repeatedly wrote that this particular record was a condensed historical version of their significant religious experiences. One would have to assume that their record would be limited to those events taking place in their own communities and that over many centuries their peoples would branch off into many communities spread out across a very great continent and it would be impossible for them to know what took place in every part of the continent.

Prophecies of Gathering Israel

27 And the Lord shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the Lord shall lead you. (Moses in Deuteronomy 28:64)

There are multiple prophecies in the Bible that the twelve tribes of Israel will be scattered and then gathered from the four corners of the Earth. This prophesy is echoed by the Book of Mormon with emphasis that it includes the American continent. So strong are these prophecies that they constitute one of the Thirteen Articles of Faith of the church. Therefore you can ask: "What evidences are there that any of the lost tribes of Israel ever lived in America? The evidences are many as will be shown below.

In the Old Testament of the Bible, the great righteous patriarch Abraham was promised a numerous posterity and through his seed all the earl would be blessed. This covenant was renewed with his son Isaac and his grandson Jacob/Israel.. Ancient prophets, including Moses, foretold that Israel would be scattered. The Northern tribes were then carried from Jerusalem to Babylon between 605 BC and 597 BC (see 2 Chronicles 36).

Do you believe the many Biblical prophecies that scattered Israel will be gathered in the last days from the four corners of the earth? These prophecies are found in Jeremiah 23:3, Jeremiah 30:3,8, and elsewhere.

"And it shall come to pass in that day, that the Lord shall set his hand again the second time to recover the remnant of his people, which shall be left, from Assyria, and from Egypt, and from Pathros, and from Cush, and from Elam, and from Shinar, and from Hamath, and from the islands of the sea. And he shall set up an ensign for the nations, and shall assemble the outcasts of Israel, and gather together the dispersed of Judah from the four corners of the earth. (Isaiah 11.11-12)

See Also :

• New Era 2019 - Prophesied thousands of years ago, it’s the greatest work on earth today!
• Lesson 23
• Old Testament Prophecies

"10 We believe in the literal agathering of Israel and in the restoration of the bTen Tribes; that cZion (the New Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ will dreign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will be erenewed and receive its fparadisiacal gglory. (LDS Church 10th Article of Faith)

Earlier Scientific Research

But the Book of Mormon is not the first published work to make this bold claim! Their were many other earlier American writers to make similar claims and presented those claims with their authoritative research. Many of these were published long before Joseph Smith was born. Others were published well after his death. Here are some of the more notable works.

James Adair History (1775)

published in 1775

Adair's History of the American Indians (1775) - James Adair (1714-1796) - pioneer, indian trader, patriot, Scotch-Irish immigrant - [History of the American Indians.

This book, published 55 years beforehand, contains some powerful evidences for why Mr. Adair strongly felt from his forty years of personal observations that the American Indians were direct descendants of The House of Israel, and perhaps part of the Lost Ten Tribes. In his efforts to scientifically determine their historical origins, the first 100 pages of his book presents 23 "Arguments" or essays supporting this claim.

• Citations from Native American Historians

A Star in the West: Elias Bouodinot (1816)

A Star in the West by Elias Boudinot. Publ in 1816

A Star in the West A Humble Attempt to Discover the Long Lost Ten Tribes of Israel; Preparatory to Their Return to Their Beloved City, Jerusalem by Elias Boudinot: A Star in the West is an investigation by Elias Boudinot into the widely-held belief that the Native Americans were descended from the lost tribes of Israel.

Elias Boudinot, was not a crackpot, but one of the smartest men of the American Revolution, part of the founding fathers and a devoutly religious soul given to much personal research about religion in the Americas. He was the 2nd President of the Confederation Congress of the United States, the highest political office of the land until the U.S. Constitution created the office of President. Afterwards, Mr. Boudinot went on to be the director of the U.S. Mint, serving during the terms of the first three presidents, Washington, Adams and Jefferson. His family were neighbors and close friends with another great American thinker, Benjamin Franklin. His daughter Susan married William Bradford, who became Chief Justice of Pennsylvania and Attorney General under George Washington. And finally, Elias Boudinot was a co-founder and then president of the American Bible Society.

• In his book, Mr. Boudinot presents a number of essays for why the Native Americans were descendants of ancient Hebrews. He includes many citations from the Book of Isaiah. (See Also Biblical References to the Book of Mormon.)
• Religious arguments used
• Other evidences presented
• Principal theories

Traits of Indian Characterr

For the Preface of his book (about 20 pages) Boudinot borrows liberally from the work of Washington Irving (author of Rip Van Winkle and Legends of Sleeply Hollow) who published an essay called Traits of Indian Character. First printed when he was editor of the Analectic Magazine (Feb 1814 issue) and again in his famous 1819 Sketch-book of Geoffrey Crayon in his work titled "Traits of Indian Character. This writer beautiful summarize the many noble qualities of the earlier inhabitants of the land.

This work shows that the morality of the supposedly savage, barbarous and degenerate people, was far superior to that of the Christian white man. He lists that many of the conflicts between the groups were instigated by White man greed and usually resulted in slaughters and massacres of these aborigines. Then for course of his book he shows that the connections of their morality to Hebrew religious practices.

" How different was their state while yet the undisputed lords of the soil! Their wants were few, and the means of gratification within their reach. They saw every one around them sharing the same lot, enduring the same hardships, feeding on the same aliments, arrayed in the same rude garments. No roof then rose, but was open to the homeless stranger; no smoke curled among the trees, but he was welcome to sit down by its fire, and join the hunter in his repast. "For," says an old historian of New England, "their life is so void of care, and they are so loving also, that they make use of those things they enjoy as common goods, and are therein so compassionate, that rather than one should starve through want, they would starve all; thus they pass their time merrily, not regarding our pomp, but are better content with their own, which some men esteem so meanly of." Such were the Indians, whilst in the pride and energy of their primitive natures: they resembled those wild plants, which thrive best in the shades of the forest, but shrink from the hand of cultivation, and perish beneath the influence of the sun.

Notable Traditions

Judaic Tribal Organization

They are strongly affiliated in family clans resembling that of House of Israel in the old testament.

1. While strongly hostile and distrusting to other clans, they are fiercely loyal to their own clan.
2. Amongst their own clan they will freely share "all things in common" - reminscent of 4th Nephi in the Book of Mormon and The United Order
3. Tales of all tribes originally crossing the Mississippi River from the western territories centuries ago.
4. Similarities in tribal languages, while different they had strong similarities in structure. For example they all had the same term for buffalo, "Yanasa".

Research Notes

• Boudinot : Pg 26. - intro summary. Study history of Israel.
• Boudinot uses the histories of Coldrn, Adair, Brainerd, Edwards, Beatty and Bartrum.
• And follows the apocryphal account of Esdras about the lost of ten tribes.

References

See Also

• Historicity of the Book of Mormon