Japanese-Jewish Common Ancestor Theory
Encyclopedia
The Japanese-Jewish Common Ancestor Theory is a hypothesis which originated in the latter half of the 19th century which claims the Japanese people
and the Jews
have common ancestors such as Jacob
and Abraham
and the Japanese are the main part of the ten lost tribes
of Israel. DNA evidence, however, excludes this possibility.
In the 1870s Nicholas McLeod
(Norman McLeod) visited Japan, published Epitome of the ancient history of Japan and Illustrations to the Epitome of the ancient history of Japan, and claimed similarities between Japan and Israel and the Japanese people include descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. His book was picked up by Jewish Encyclopedia
. These books were translated into Japanese, edited, renamed, and published in Japan. Subsequently, Marvin Tokayer, a Jewish rabbi, also published and claimed similarities between Japan and Judah and relevance to the ten lost tribes
. Many other books were also published.
The cultural similarities are many, says Jon Entine, but "the DNA evidence suggests that the Japanese are of exclusively Asian ancestry, with no Semitic markers."
Theories of a Japanese-Zuni Common Ancestor also exist.
Japanese people
The are an ethnic group originating in the Japanese archipelago and are the predominant ethnic group of Japan. Worldwide, approximately 130 million people are of Japanese descent; of these, approximately 127 million are residents of Japan. People of Japanese ancestry who live in other countries...
and the Jews
Jews
The Jews , also known as the Jewish people, are a nation and ethnoreligious group originating in the Israelites or Hebrews of the Ancient Near East. The Jewish ethnicity, nationality, and religion are strongly interrelated, as Judaism is the traditional faith of the Jewish nation...
have common ancestors such as Jacob
Jacob
Jacob "heel" or "leg-puller"), also later known as Israel , as described in the Hebrew Bible, the Talmud, the New Testament and the Qur'an was the third patriarch of the Hebrew people with whom God made a covenant, and ancestor of the tribes of Israel, which were named after his descendants.In the...
and Abraham
Abraham
Abraham , whose birth name was Abram, is the eponym of the Abrahamic religions, among which are Judaism, Christianity and Islam...
and the Japanese are the main part of the ten lost tribes
Ten Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
of Israel. DNA evidence, however, excludes this possibility.
In the 1870s Nicholas McLeod
Nicholas McLeod
Nicholas McLeod , was a native of the Isle of Skye, Scotland.He started his career in the herring industry before emigrating to Japan in 1867 or 1868. In Japan he worked as an accountant and later as a curio dealer, first in Nagasaki, then in Kobe and Yokohama...
(Norman McLeod) visited Japan, published Epitome of the ancient history of Japan and Illustrations to the Epitome of the ancient history of Japan, and claimed similarities between Japan and Israel and the Japanese people include descendants of the lost tribes of Israel. His book was picked up by Jewish Encyclopedia
Jewish Encyclopedia
The Jewish Encyclopedia is an encyclopedia originally published in New York between 1901 and 1906 by Funk and Wagnalls. It contained over 15,000 articles in 12 volumes on the history and then-current state of Judaism and the Jews as of 1901...
. These books were translated into Japanese, edited, renamed, and published in Japan. Subsequently, Marvin Tokayer, a Jewish rabbi, also published and claimed similarities between Japan and Judah and relevance to the ten lost tribes
Ten Lost Tribes
The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refers to those tribes of ancient Israel that formed the Kingdom of Israel and which disappeared from Biblical and all other historical accounts after the kingdom was destroyed in about 720 BC by ancient Assyria...
. Many other books were also published.
The cultural similarities are many, says Jon Entine, but "the DNA evidence suggests that the Japanese are of exclusively Asian ancestry, with no Semitic markers."
Theories of a Japanese-Zuni Common Ancestor also exist.
Additional reading
- Bandou, Makoto (2010). Yudayajin Torai Densetsu Chizu. Tokyo : PHP Kenkyuusho.
- Eidelberg, Joseph (2005). Nihon Shoki to Nihongo no Yudaya Kigen. Tokyo : Tokuma Shoten.
- Kawamorita, Eiji (1987). Nihon Heburu Shiika no Kenkyuu. (literally Research of Japanese Hebrew Verses.) Tokyo : Yawata Shoten.
- Kojima et al. (1994). Shinpen Nihon Koten Bungaku Zenshuu (2) Nihon Shoki (1). Tokyo : Shougakkan, ISBN 978-4096580028.
- Kojima et al. (1996). Shinpen Nihon Koten Bungaku Zenshuu (3) Nihon Shoki (2). Tokyo : Shougakkan, ISBN 4096580035.
- Kojima et al. (1998). Shinpen Nihon Koten Bungaku Zenshuu (4) Nihon Shoki (3). Tokyo : Shougakkan, ISBN 4096580042.
- Kokugakuin Daigaku Nihon Bunka Kenkyuusho (1999). Shinto Jiten. (literal translation : Shinto Dictionary ). Tokyo : Koubundou, ISBN 4-335-16033-X. (On line English Encyclopedia of Shinto : http://eos.kokugakuin.ac.jp/modules/xwords/ )
- Kubo, Arimasa (2011). Nihon to Yudaya Unmei no Idenshi. Tokyo : Gakken Publishing.
- Kubo et al. (2000). Nihon Yudaya Huuin no Kodaishi (2). Tokyo : Tokuma Shoten.
- McLeod and Kubo (2004). Nihon Koyuu Bunmei no Nazo wa Yudaya de tokeru. Tokyo : Tokuma Shoten.
- Takahashi and McLeod (1997). Tennouke to Isuraeru Jyuu Shizoku no Shinjitsu. Tokyo : Tama Shuppan.
- Tokayer and Kubo (1999). Nihon Yudaya Huuin no Kodaishi. (literally Japan Judah Sealed Ancient History.) Tokyo.
- Yamaguchi and Kounoshi (1997). Shinpen Nihon Koten Bungaku Zenshuu (1) Kojiki. (literal translation : New edition of Japanese Classical Literature Series (1)). Tokyo : Shougakkan, ISBN 978-4096580011.