Plucking the Eagle's Wings

Hebrew Parallels Associated with Early American History

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) The Spanish concentrated on converting the Indians of Central and South America. They also took their gold and enslaved them. The English began, timidly at first, exploring North America. In 1497, an Italian named John Cabot sailed from Bristol, England aboard the Matthew. Cabot was commissioned by the English King, Henry VII, and on June 24, 1497, landed on Newfoundland, claiming it for the English. This marked Britain's first efforts at colonizing the New World. Humble as it was, it was to forever impact the world. It would be 110 years before a permanent English colony would be established. Britain's Hebrew Heritage Earlier we discussed the Vikings and their relationship to the British. The Vikings assimilated into Franco communities and it was their descendants, the Normans, who conquered England in 1066 A.D. Now let's discuss another affiliation with the British—their relationship with the Jews. For centuries, people have pondered what became of the lost tribes of Israel. Legends and theories have arisen, but still no one but God knows what became of them. I do not want to imply that any legend or theory is a fact, and I do not want to validate the theory that the Anglo-Saxons are one of the lost tribes. However, I do want to mention several interesting topics as they relate to this book. First, I'd like to consider why God selected Britain as the nation that would birth the United States. The first possible reference in the Bible to Great Britain is the name Tarshish. Tarshish was a great-grandson of Noah, whose descendants migrated to Western Europe, Spain, and the British Isles. There was a city in southern Spain called Tartessus, which was often visited by Phoenician merchants. Some think that this town was ancient Tarshish. It was known for its tin trade (Ezekiel 27:12). There were tin deposits in Great Britain. Great Britain was originally called Britinnia, due to its tin mines located in Cornwall, England. Ezekiel 38:13 mentions Tarshish and the young lions thereof. This terminology infers that the mother lion is Tarshish. The fact that Britain's emblem is the lion

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