 
Ark of the
covenant of Israel (left)
and "Omikoshi" ark of Japan
(right)
Dear friends in the
world,
I am a Japanese Christian writer living in Japan. As I study the Bible, I began
to realize that many traditional customs and ceremonies in Japanare very similar
to the ones of ancient Israel. I considered that perhaps
these rituals came from the religion and customs of the Jews and the Ten Lost
Tribes of Israel who might have come to ancient Japan.
The
following sections are concerned with those Japanese traditions which possibly originated from the ancient
Israelites.
The reason why I exhibit these on the internet is to enable
anyone interested in this subject, especially Jewish friends to become more
interested, research it for yourself, and share your findings.
The ancient kingdom of Israel, which consisted of 12 tribes, was in 933
B.C.E. divided into the southern kingdom of Judahand the northern kingdom of
Israel. The 10 tribes out of 12
belonged to the northern kingdom and the rest to the southern kingdom. The
descendants from the southern kingdom are called Jews.
The people of the northern kingdom were exiled to
Assyria in 722 B.C.E. and did not come back to Israel. They
are called "the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel." They were
scattered to the four corners of the earth. We find the descendants of the
Israelites not only in the western world, but also in the eastern world
especially along the Silk Road. The following
peoples are thought by Jewish scholars to be the
descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
Yusufzai
They live in Afghanistan.
Yusufzai means children of Joseph. They have customs
of ancient Israelites.
Pathans
They live in Afghanistan and Pakistan. They
have the customs of circumcision on the 8th day, fringes of robe, Sabbath, Kashrut, Tefilin,
etc.
Kashmiri people
In Kashmir they have the same land names as were
in the ancient northern kingdom of Israel. They have the feast of
Passover and the legend that they came from Israel.
Knanites
In India there are people called Knanites, which means people of Canaan. They speak Aramaic and use the Aramaic Bible.
Shinlung
tribe (Bnei Menashe)
In Myanmar (Burma)
and India live Shinlung tribe, also called Menashe tribe. Menashe is Manasseh, and the Menashe tribe is said to be the
descendants from the tribe of Manasseh, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel.
They have ancient Israeli customs.
Chiang (Qiang or Chiang-Min) tribe
They live in China and have
ancient Israeli customs. They believe in one God and have oral tradition that
they came from far west. They say that their ancestor had 12 sons. They have
customs of Passover, purification, levirate marriage, etc. as ancient
Israelites.
Kaifeng, China
It is known that there had
been a large Jewish community since the time of B.C.E..
Japan
I am going to discuss this
on this website.
The "Suwa-Taisha"
shrine
A Japanese Festival
Illustrates the Story of Isaac.
In Nagano prefecture, Japan, there is a large Shinto shrine named
"Suwa-Taisha" (Shinto is the national traditional
religion peculiar to Japan.)
At Suwa-Taisha, the traditional festival called "Ontohsai" is held on April 15 every year (When the Japanese
used the lunar calendar it was March-April). This festival illustrates the story
of Isaac in chapter 22 of Genesis in the Bible - when Abraham was about to
sacrifice his own son, Isaac. The "Ontohsai" festival,
held since ancient days, is judged to be the most important festival of "Suwa-Taisha."
At the back of the shrine "Suwa-Taisha," there is a mountain called Mt.
Moriya ("Moriya-san" in Japanese). The
people from the Suwa area call the god of Mt.
Moriya "Moriya no kami," which means, the "god of Moriya." This shrine is built to worship the "god of Moriya."
At the festival,
a boy is tied up by a rope to a wooden pillar, and placed on a
bamboo carpet. A Shinto priest comes to him preparing a knife, and he
cuts a part of the top of the wooden pillar, but then a messenger (another
priest) comes there, and the boy is released. This is
reminiscent of the Biblical story in which Isaac was released
after an angel came to Abraham.
At this festival, animal sacrifices are
also offered. 75 deer are sacrificed, but among them it is believed that there is a deer with its ear split.
The deer is considered to be the one God prepared. It
could have had some connection with the ram that God prepared and was sacrificed after Isaac was released. Since the ram was caught in the thicket by the horns, the ear might have
been split.
The knife and
sword used in the "Ontohsai" festival
In ancient time of Japan there were no sheep and it might be the
reason why they used deer (deer is Kosher). Even in historic times, people
thought that this custom of deer sacrifice was strange, because animal sacrifice
is not a Shinto tradition.
A deer with
its ears split
People call this festival "the festival for Misakuchi-god". "Misakuchi" might
be "mi-isaku-chi." "Mi"
means "great," "isaku" is most likely Isaac (the
Hebrew word "Yitzhak"), and "chi" is something for the end of the word. It seems
that the people of Suwa made Isaac a god, probably by
the influence of idol worshipers.
Today, this custom of the boy about to be
sacrificed and then released, is no longer practiced,
but we can still see the custom of the wooden pillar called "oniye-bashira," which means, "sacrifice-pillar."
The "oniye-bashira" on which the boy is supposed to be tied
up
Currently, people use stuffed animals instead of performing
a real animal sacrifice. Tying a boy along with animal sacrifice was regarded as
savage by people of the Meiji-era (about 100 years ago), and those customs were
discontinued. However, the festival itself still
remains.
The custom of the boy had been maintained
until the beginning of Meiji era. Masumi Sugae, who
was a Japanese scholar and a travel writer in the Edoera (about 200 years ago), wrote a record of
his travels and noted what he saw at Suwa. The record shows the details of "Ontohsai." It tells that the custom of the boy about to
be sacrificed and his ultimate release, as well as
animal sacrifices that existed those days. His records are
kept at the museum near Suwa-Taisha.
The
festival of "Ontohsai" has been
maintained by the Moriya family ever since ancient times. The Moriya
family thinks of "Moriya-no-kami" (god of Moriya) as
their ancestor's god. They also consider "Mt. Moriya" as their holy place. The name, "Moriya,"
could have come from "Moriah" (the Hebrew word "Moriyyah") of Genesis 22:2, that is today's Temple Mount of Jerusalem. Among Jews, God of Moriah means the one true God whom the Bible teaches.
The
Moriya family has been hosting the festival for 78 generations. And the curator
of the museum said to me that the faith in the god of Moriya had existed among
the people since the time of B.C.E..
Apparently, no
other country but Japanhas a festival
illustrating the biblical story of Abraham and Isaac. This tradition
appears to provide strong evidence that the ancient Israelites came to ancient
Japan.
The Crest of the Imperial
House of JapanIs the Same As That Found On the
Gate of Jerusalem.
The crest of the Imperial House of Japan is a round mark in
the shape of a flower with 16 petals. The current shape appears as a
chrysanthemum (mum), but scholars say that in ancient times, it appeared similar
to a sunflower. The sunflower appearance is the same as the mark at Herod's gate
in Jerusalem.
The crest at Herod's gate also has 16 petals. This crest of the Imperial House
of Japan has existed since very ancient times. The same mark as the one at
Herod's gate is found on the relics of Jerusalemfrom the times of the Second Temple, and also on Assyrian relics from
the times of B.C.E..
 
The mark on
Herod's gate at Jerusalem (left) and the crest of the Imperial
House of Japan (right)
Japanese Religious Priests "Yamabushi" Put A Black Box on their Foreheads Just As Jews
Put A Phylactery on their Foreheads.
"Yamabushi" is a religious man in
training unique to Japan. Today, they are thought to belong to Japanese Buddhism. However, Buddhism
in China,
Korea and
India has no such custom. The custom
of "yamabushi" existed in Japan before Buddhism was
imported into Japan in the seventh
century.
On the forehead of "Yamabushi," he puts a black small box called a "tokin", which is tied to his head
with a black cord. He greatly resembles a Jew putting on a phylactery (black
box) on his forehead with a black cord. The size of this black box "tokin" is almost the same as the Jewish phylactery, but its
shape is round and flower-like.
 
A "yamabushi" with a "tokin" blowing
a horn
Originally the Jewish phylactery placed on the forehead
seems to have come from the forehead "plate" put on the high priest Aaron with a
cord (Exodus 28:36-38). It was about 4 centimeters (1.6 inches) in size
according to folklore, and some scholars maintain that it was flower-shaped. If
so, it was very similar to the shape of the Japanese "tokin" worn by the "yamabushi".
A Jew with a
phylactery blowing a shofar
Israel
and Japan are the only two countries
that in the world I know of that use of the black forehead box for religious
purpose.
Furthermore, the "yamabushi" use a big seashell as a horn. This is very
similar to Jews blowing a shofar or ram's horn. The
way it is blown and the sounds of the "yamabushi's"
horn are very similar to those of a shofar. Because
there are no sheep in Japan, the "yamabushi" had to use seashell horns instead of rams'
horns.
"Yamabushis" are people who regard mountains as their holy
places for religious training. The Israelites also regarded mountains as their
holy places. The Ten Commandments of the Torah were
given on Mt. Sinai. Jerusalem is a city on a mountain. Jesus
(Yeshua) used to climb up the mountain to pray. His
apparent transfiguration also occurred on a mountain.
In
Japan, there is the legend of "Tengu" who lives on a mountain and has the figure of a
"yamabushi". He has a pronounced nose and supernatural
capabilities. A "ninja", who was an agent or spy in the old days, while working
for his lord, goes to "Tengu" at the mountain to get
from him supernatural abilities. "Tengu" gives him a
"tora-no-maki" (a scroll of
the "tora") after giving him additional powers. This
"scroll of the tora" is regarded as a very important
book which is helpful for any crisis. Japanese use this
word sometimes in their current lives.
There is no knowledge that a real
scroll of a Jewish Torah was ever found in a Japanese
historical site. However, it appears this "scroll of the tora" is a derivation of the Jewish Torah.
Japanese "Omikoshi" Resembles the Ark of the Covenant.
In the Bible, in First Chronicles, chapter 15, it is written that David brought up the ark of the covenant of
the Lord into Jerusalem.
"David and the elders of
Israel and the commanders of units
of a thousand went to bring up the ark of the covenant of the LORD from the
house of Obed-Edom, with rejoicing. ...Now David was clothed in a robe of fine linen, as were all
the Levites who were carrying the ark, and as were the singers, and Kenaniah, who was in charge of the singing of the choirs.
David also wore a linen ephod. So all Israelbrought up the ark of
the covenant of the LORD with shouts, with the sounding of rams' horns and
trumpets, and of cymbals, and the playing of lyres and harps." (15:25-28)
Illustration
of Israeli people carrying the Ark of the Covenant
When I read these passages, I think; "How well does this
look like the scene of Japanese people carrying our 'omikoshi' during festivals? The shape of the Japanese 'Omikoshi' appears similar to the ark of the covenant.
Japanese sing and dance in front of it with shouts, and to the sounds of musical
instruments. These are quite similar to the customs of ancient
Israel."
Japanese
"Omikoshi" ark
Japanese carry the "omikoshi" on
their shoulders with poles - usually two poles. So did the ancient
Israelites:
"The Levites carried the ark of God with poles on their
shoulders, as Moses had commanded in accordance with the word of the LORD." (1
Chronicles 15:15)
The Israeli ark of the covenant had
two poles (Exodus 25:10-15).
Some restored models of the ark as it was imagined to be have used two poles on the upper parts of
the ark. But the Bible says those poles were to be
fastened to the ark by the four rings "on its four feet" (Exodus 25:12). Hence,
the poles must have been attached on the bottom of the
ark. This is similar to the Japanese "omikoshi."
The Israeli ark had two statues of
gold cherubim on its top. Cherubim are a type of angel, heavenly being having
wings like birds. Japanese "omikoshi" also have on its
top the gold bird called "Ho-oh" which is an imaginary bird and a mysterious
heavenly being.
The entire Israeli ark was overlaid
with gold. Japanese "omikoshi" are
also overlaid partly and sometimes entirely with gold. The size of an
"omikoshi" is almost the same as the Israeli ark.
Japanese "omikoshi" could be a remnant of the ark of
ancient Israel.
Many Things Concerning the
Ark Resemble
Japanese Customs.
King David and people of Israelsang and danced to
the sounds of musical instruments in front of the ark. We Japanese sing and
dance to the sounds of musical instruments in front of "omikoshi" as well.
Several years ago, I saw an
American-made movie titled "King David" which was a faithful story of the life
of King David. In the movie, David was seen dancing in
front of the ark while it was being carried into Jerusalem. I thought:
"If the scenery of Jerusalemwere replaced by Japanese
scenery, this scene would be just the same as what can be observed in Japanese
festivals." The atmosphere of the music also resembles the Japanese style.
David's dancing appears similar to Japanese traditional dancing.
At the
Shinto shrine festival of "Gion-jinja" in Kyoto, men carry "omikoshi," then enter a river, and cross it. I can't help but think this originates from the memory of the
Ancient Israelites carrying the ark as they crossed the Jordan river after their
exodus from Egypt.
In a Japanese island
of the Inland Sea of Seto, the men selected as the
carriers of the "omikoshi" stay together at a house
for one week before they would carry the "omikoshi."
This is to prevent profaning themselves. Furthermore on
the day before they carry "omikoshi," the men bathe in
seawater to sanctify themselves. This is similar to an ancient Israelite
custom:
"So the priests and the Levites sanctified themselves to bring up the
ark of the Lord God of Israel." (1 Chronicles
15:14)
The Bible says that after the ark entered Jerusalem and the march
was finished, "David distributed to everyone of Israel, both man and woman, to
everyone a loaf of bread, a piece of meat, and a cake of raisins" (1 Chronicles
16:3). This is similar to a Japanese custom. Sweets are
distributed to everyone after a Japanese festival. It was a delight
during my childhood.
The Robe of Japanese Priests
Resembles the Robe of Israeli Priests.
The Bible says that when David brought up the ark into
Jerusalem,
"David was clothed in a robe of fine linen" (1 Chronicles 15:27). The same was
true for the priests and choirs. In the Japanese Bible, this verse is translated into "robe of white linen."
In ancient Israel,
although the high priest wore a colorful robe, ordinary priests wore simple
white linen. Priests wore white clothes at holy events. Japanese priests also
wear white robes at holy events.
In Ise-jingu, one of the oldest
Japanese shrines, all of the priests wear white robes. And in many Japanese Shinto shrines, especially traditional
ones, the people wear white robes when they carry the "omikoshi" just like the Israelites did.
Buddhist priests
wear luxurious colorful robes. However, in the Japanese Shinto religion, white
is regarded as the holiest color.
The Emperor of Japan, just after he
finishes the ceremony of his accession to the throne, appears alone in front of
the Shinto god. When he arrives there, he wears a pure white robe covering his
entire body except that his feet are naked. This is similar to the action of
Moses and Joshua who removed their sandals in front of God to be in bare feet
(Exodus 3:5, Joshua 5:15).
Marvin Tokayer, a rabbi
who lived in Japan for 10
years, wrote in his book:
"The linen robes which Japanese Shinto priests wear
have the same figure as the white linen robes of the ancient priests of
Israel.
"
Japanese
Shinto priest in white robe with fringes
The Japanese Shinto priest robe has cords of 20-30
centimeters long (about 10 inches) hung from the corners of the robe. These
fringes are similar to those of the ancient Israelites. Deuteronomy 22:12 says:
"make them fringes in the... corners of their
garments throughout their generations."
Fringes (tassels) were a token that a
person was an Israelite. In the gospels of the New Testament, it is also written that the Pharisees "make their tassels on
their garments long" (Matthew 23:5). A woman who had been suffering from a
hemorrhage came to Jesus (Yeshua) and touched the
"tassel on His coat" (Matthew 9:20, The New Testament: A Translation in the
Language of the People, translated by Charles B. Williams).
Imagined pictures of ancient Israeli
clothing sometimes do not have fringes. But their robes
actually had fringes. The Jewish Tallit (prayer
shawl), which the Jews put on when they pray, has fringes in the corners
according to tradition.
Japanese Shinto priests wear on their robe a
rectangle of cloth from their shoulders to thighs. This is the same as the ephod
worn by David:
"David also wore a linen ephod." (1 Chronicles
15:27)
Although the ephod of the high priest
was colorful with jewels, the ordinary priests under him wore the ephods of
simple white linen cloth (1 Samuel 22:18). Rabbi Tokayer states that the rectangle of cloth on the robe of
Japanese Shinto priest looks very similar to the ephod of the Kohen, the Jewish priest.
The Japanese Shinto priest puts a cap
on his head just like Israeli priest did (Exodus
29:40). The Japanese priest also puts a sash on his waist. So did the Israeli
priest. The clothing of Japanese Shinto priests appears to be similar to the
clothing used by ancient Israelites.
Waving the Sheaf of Harvest
Is Also the Custom of Japan.
The Jews wave a sheaf of their first fruits of grain seven
weeks before Shavuot (Pentecost, Leviticus 23:10-11), They also wave a sheaf of
plants at Sukkot (the Feast of Booths, Leviticus
23:40). This has been a tradition since the time of Moses. Ancient Israeli
priests also waved a plant branch when he sanctifies someone. David said, "Purge
me with hyssop, and I shall be clean" [Psalm 51:7(9)]. This is also a
traditional Japanese custom.
Shinto priest
waving for sanctification
When a Japanese priest sanctifies someone or something, he
waves a tree branch. Or he waves a "harainusa," which is made of a stick and white papers and
looks like a plant. Today's "harainusa" is simplified
and made of white papers that are folded in a zigzag pattern like small
lightning bolts, but in old days it was a plant branch
or cereals.
A Japanese Christian woman
acquaintance of mine used to think of this "harainusa"
as merely a pagan custom. But she later went to the
U.S.A.and had an
opportunity to attend a Sukkot ceremony. When she saw
the Jewish waving of the sheaf of the harvest, she shouted in her heart, "Oh,
this is the same as a Japanese priest does! Here lies the home for the
Japanese."
The Structure of the Japanese
Shinto Shrine is Similar to God's Tabernacle of Ancient Israel.
The inside of God's tabernacle in ancient Israelwas divided into two
parts. The first was the Holy
Place, and the second was the Holy of Holies. The
Japanese Shinto shrine is also divided into two
parts.
The functions performed in the
Japanese shrine are similar to those of the Israeli tabernacle. Japanese pray in
front of its Holy
Place. They cannot enter inside. Only Shinto priests
and special ones can enter. Shinto priest enters the Holy of Holies of the
Japanese shrine only at special times. This is similar to the Israeli
tabernacle.
The Japanese Holy of Holies is
located usually in far west or far north of the shrine. The Israeli Holy of
Holies was located in far west of the temple. Shinto's Holy of Holies is also
located on a higher level than the Holy Place, and between them are steps.
Scholars state that, in the Israeli temple built by Solomon, the Holy of Holies
was on an elevated level as well, and between them
there were steps of about 2.7 meters (9 feet) in
width.
Typical
Japanese Shinto shrine
In front of a Japanese shrine, there are
two statues of lions known as "komainu" that sit on
both sides of the approach. They are not idols
but guards for the shrine. This was also a custom of ancient Israel. In
God's temple in Israel and
in the palace of Solomon, there were statues or relieves of lions (1
Kings 7:36, 10:19).
"Komainu" guards for shrine
In the early history of Japan, there
were absolutely no lions. But the statues of lions have
been placed in Japanese shrines since ancient times. It has
been proven by scholars that statues of lions located in front of Japanese
shrines originated from the Middle
East.
Located near the entrance of a Japanese shrine
is a "temizuya" - a place for worshipers to wash their
hands and mouth. They used to wash their feet, too, in old days. This is a
similar custom as is found in Jewish synagogues. The ancient tabernacle and
temple of Israelalso had a laver for washing hands and
feet near the entrances.
In front of a Japanese shrine, there is a gate
called the "torii." The type gate
does not exist in China or
in Korea, it is peculiar to Japan. The "torii" gate consists of two vertical pillars and a bar
connecting the upper parts. But the oldest form
consists of only two vertical pillars and a rope connecting the upper parts.
When a Shinto priest bows to the gate, he bows to the two pillars separately. It
is assumed that the "torii"
gate was originally constructed of only two pillars.
In the Israeli temple, there were two pillars used as a gate
(1 Kings 7:21). And according to Joseph Eidelberg, in Aramaic language which ancient Israelites
used, the word for gate was "tar'a." This word might
have changed slightly and become the Japanese "torii".
Some "toriis,"
especially of old shrines, are painted red. I can't help but think this is a picture of the two door posts
and the lintel on which the blood of the lamb was put the night before the
exodus from Egypt.
In the Japanese Shinto
religion, there is a custom to surround a holy place with a rope called the
"shimenawa," which has slips of white papers inserted
along the bottom edge of the rope. The "shimenawa"
rope is set as the boundary. The Bible says that when Moses was given God's Ten
Commandments on Mt. Sinai, he "set bounds" (Exodus 19:12) around it for
the Israelites not to approach. Although the nature of these "bounds" is not known, ropes might have been used. The Japanese "shimenawa" rope might then be a custom that originates from
the time of Moses. The zigzag pattern of white papers inserted along the rope
reminds me of the thunders at Mt. Sinai.
The major difference between a Japanese
Shinto shrine and the ancient Israeli temple is that the shrine does not have
the burning altar for animal sacrifices. I used to wonder why Shinto religion
does not have the custom of animal sacrifices if Shinto originated from the
religion of ancient Israel. But
then I found the answer in Deuteronomy, chapter
12. Moses commanded the people not to offer any animal sacrifices at any other
locations except at specific places in Canaan
(12:10-14). Hence, if the Israelites came to ancient Japan, they
would not be permitted to offer animal
sacrifices.
Shinto shrine is usually built on a
mountain or a hill. Almost every mountain in Japan has a shrine,
even you find a shrine on top of Mt. Fuji. In ancient Israel, on mountains were usually
located worship places called "the high places". The
temple of Jerusalem was built on a
mountain (Mt. Moriah). Moses was
given the Ten Commandments from God on Mt.
Sinai. It was
thought in Israel that mountain is a place
close to God.
Many Shinto shrines are built with the gates in the east and the Holy of Holies
in the west as we see in Matsuo grand shrine (Matsuo-taisya) in Kyoto and others. While,
others are built with the gates in the south and the Holy of Holies in the
north. The reason of building with the gates in the east (and the Holy of
Holies in the west) is that the sun comes from the east. The ancient Israeli
tabernacle or temple was built with the gate in the
east and the Holy of Holies in the west, based on the belief that the glory of
God comes from the east.
All Shinto shrines are made of wood.
Many parts of the ancient Israeli temple were also made of wood. The Israelites
used stones in some places, but walls, floors, ceilings and all of the insides
were overlaid with wood (1 Kings 6:9, 15-18), which was cedars from Lebanon (1
Kings 5:6). In Japanthey do not have cedars from
Lebanon, so in Shinto
shrines they use Hinoki cypress which is hardly eaten
by bugs like cedars from Lebanon. The wood of the ancient Israeli temple was
all overlaid with gold (1 Kings 6:20-30). In Japan the
important parts of the main shrine of Ise-jingu, for instance, are overlaid with gold.
Many Japanese Customs
Resemble Those of Ancient Israel.
When Japanese people pray in front of the Holy Placeof a Shinto shrine, they
firstly ring the golden bell which is hung at the
center of the entrance. This was also the custom of the ancient
Israel. The high priest Aaron put
"bells of gold" on the hem of his robe. This was so that its sound might be heard and he might not die when ministered there
(Exodus 28:33-35).
 Golden bell at the
entrance of Shinto shrine
Japanese people clap their hands two times when they pray
there. This was, in ancient Israel, the custom to mean, "I keep
promises." In the Scriptures, you can find the word
which is translated into "pledge." The original meaning of this word in
Hebrew is, "clap his hand" (Ezekiel 17:18, Proverbs 6:1). It seems that the
ancient Israelites clapped their hands when they pledged or did something
important.
Japanese people bow in front of the shrine before and after
clapping their hands and praying. They also perform a bow as a polite greeting
when they meet each other. To bow was also the custom of the ancient
Israel. Jacob bowed when he was
approaching Esau (Genesis 33:3).
Ordinarily, contemporary Jews do not bow.
However, they bow when reciting prayers. Modern Ethiopians have the custom of
bowing, probably because of the ancient Jews who immigrated to
Ethiopiain ancient days.
The Ethiopian bow is similar to the Japanese bow.
We Japanese have the
custom to use salt for sanctification. People sometimes sow salt after an
offensive person leaves. When I was watching a TV drama from the times of the
Samurai, a woman threw salt on the place where a man she hated left. This custom
is the same as that of the ancient Israelites. After Abimelech captured an enemy city, "he sowed it with salt" (Judges 9:45). We Japanese quickly
interpret this to mean to cleanse and sanctify the city.
I hear that when Jews move to a new
house they sow it with salt to sanctify it and cleanse it. This is true also in
Japan. In Japanese-style
restaurants, they usually place salt near the entrance. Jews use salt for Kosher
meat. All Kosher meat is purified with salt and all
meals start with bread and salt.
Japanese people place salt at the entrance
of a funeral home. After coming back from a funeral, one has to sprinkle salt on
oneself before entering his/her house. It is believed
in Shinto that anyone who went to a funeral or touched a dead body had become
unclean. Again, this is the same concept as was observed by the ancient
Israelites.
Japanese
"sumo" wrestler sowing with salt
Japanese "sumo" wrestlers sow the sumo ring with salt before
they fight. European or American people wonder why they sow salt. But Rabbi Tokayer wrote that Jews
quickly understand its meaning.
Japanese people offer salt every time they
perform a religious offering, This is the same custom used by the
Israelites:
"With all your offerings you shall offer salt." (Leviticus
2:13)
Japanese people in old times had the custom of putting
some salt into their baby's first bath. The ancient Israelites washed a newborn
baby with water after rubbing the baby softly with salt (Ezekiel 16:4).
Sanctification and cleansing with salt and/or water is a common custom among
both the Japanese and the ancient Israelites.
In the Hebrew Scriptures, the words
"clean" and "unclean" often appear. Europeans and Americans are not familiar
with this concept, but the Japanese understand it. A central concept of Shinto
is to value cleanness and to avoid uncleanness. This concept probably came from
ancient Israel.
Similar to Judaism, in
Japanese Shinto Religion, There Are No Idols
Buddhist temples have idols which
are carved in the shape of Buddha and other gods. However in Japanese Shinto shrines, there are no idols.
In
the center of the Holy of Holies of a Shinto shrine, there is a mirror, sword,
or pendant. Nevertheless, Shinto believers do not regard these items as their
gods. In Shinto, gods are thought to be invisible. The
mirror, sword, and pendant are not idols but merely objects to show that it is a holy place where invisible gods
come down.
In the ark of the covenant of ancient
Israel, there were stone tablets of
God's Ten Commandments, a jar of manna and the rod of Aaron. These were not
idols, but objects to show that it was the holy place where
the invisible God comes down. The same thing can be
said concerning the objects in Japanese
shrines.
Old Japanese Words Have
Hebrew Origin.
Joseph Eidelberg, a Jew who once
came to Japanand remained for years
at a Japanese Shinto shrine, wrote a book entitled "The Japanese and the Ten
Lost Tribes of Israel." He wrote that many Japanese words originated from
ancient Hebrew. For instance, we Japanese say "hazukashime" to mean disgrace or humiliation. In Hebrew, it
is "hadak hashem" (tread
down the name; see Job 40:12). The pronunciation and the meaning of both of them
are almost the same.
We say "anta" to mean "you," which is
the same in Hebrew. Kings in ancient Japan were
called with the word "mikoto," which could be
derived from a Hebrew word "malhuto" which means "his
kingdom." The Emperor of Japan is called "mikado." This resembles the Hebrew word, "migadol," which means "the noble." The ancient Japanese word
for an area leader is "agata-nushi;" "agata" is "area" and "nushi" is
"leader." In Hebrew, they are called "aguda" and "nasi."
When we
Japanese count, "One, two, three... ten," we sometimes say:
"Hi, fu, mi,
yo, itsu, mu, nana, ya, kokono, towo."
This is a traditional expression, but its
meaning is unknown it is thought of as being Japanese.
It has been said that this expression originates from an ancient
Japanese Shinto myth. In the myth, the female god, called "Amaterasu," who manages the world's sunlight, once hid
herself in a heavenly cave, and the world became dark. Then, according to the
oldest book of Japanese history, the priest called "Koyane" prayed with words before the cave and in front of
the other gods to have "Amaterasu" come out. Although
the words said in the prayer are not written, a legend
says that these words were, "Hi, fu, mi...."
"Amaterasu" is hiding in a heavenly cave; "Koyane" is praying and "Uzume" is
dancing.
Joseph Eidelberg stated that this
is a beautiful Hebrew expression, if it is supposed
that there were some pronunciation changes throughout history. These words are spelled:
"Hifa mi yotsia ma na'ne ykakhena tavo."
This means: "The beautiful (Goddess). Who will bring her
out? What should we call out (in chorus) to entice her to come?" This
surprisingly fits the situation of the myth.
Moreover, we Japanese not only
say, "Hi, hu, mi...," but also say with the same
meaning:
"Hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu, yottsu, itsutsu, muttsu, nanatsu, yattsu, kokonotsu, towo."
Here, "totsu" or "tsu" is put to each of "Hi, hu, mi..."
as the last part of the words. But the last "towo" (which means ten) remains the same. "Totsu" could be the Hebrew word "tetse," which means, "She comes out.
" And "tsu" may be the
Hebrew word "tse" which means "Come out."
Eidelberg believed that these words were
said by the gods who surrounded the priest, "Koyane." That is, when "Koyane" first says, "Hi," the surrounding gods add, "totsu" (She comes out) in reply, and secondly, when "Koyane" says, "Fu," the gods add "totsu" (tatsu), and so on. In this
way, it became "Hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu...."
However, the last word, "towo," the priest, "Koyane," and
the surrounding gods said together. If this is the Hebrew word "tavo," it means, "(She) shall come." When they say this, the
female god, "Amaterasu," came out.
"Hi, fu,
mi..." and "Hitotsu, futatsu, mittsu..." later were used as the words to count numbers.
In addition, the
name of the priest, "Koyane," sounds close to a Hebrew
word, "kohen," which means, "a priest." Eidelberg showed many other examples of Japanese words
(several thousand) which appeared to have a Hebrew origin. This does not appear
to be accidental.
In ancient Japanese folk songs, many words appear that
are not understandable as Japanese. Dr. Eiji Kawamorita considered that many of them are Hebrew. A
Japanese folk song in Kumamoto prefecture is
sung, "Hallelujah, haliya, haliya, tohse, Yahweh, Yahweh,
yoitonnah...." This also sounds as if it is
Hebrew.
Similarity
Between the Biblical Genealogy and Japanese Mythology
There is a remarkable similarity between the Biblical
article and Japanese mythology. A Japanese scholar points out that the stories
around Ninigi in the Japanese mythology greatly
resemble the stories around Jacob in the Bible.
In the Japanese mythology,
the Imperial family of Japanand the nation of
Yamato (the Japanese) are descendants from Ninigi, who came from heaven. Ninigi is the ancestor of the tribe of Yamato, or Japanese
nation. While Jacob is the ancestor of the
Israelites.
In the Japanese
mythology, it was not Ninigi who was to come down from
heaven, but the other. But when the other was
preparing, Ninigi was born and in a result, instead of
him, Ninigi came down from heaven and became the
ancestor of the Japanese nation. In the same way, according to the Bible, it was
Esau, Jacob's elder brother, who was to become God's nation but in a result,
instead of Esau, God's blessing for the nation was
given to Jacob, and Jacob became the ancestor of the
Israelites.
And in the
Japanese mythology, after Ninigi came from heaven, he
fell in love with a beautiful woman named Konohana-sakuya-hime and tried to marry
her. But her father asked him to marry not only her but
also her elder sister. However the elder sister was
ugly and Ninigi gave her back to her father. In the
same way, according to the Bible, Jacob fell in love with beautiful Rachel and
tried to marry her (Genesis chapter 29). But her father
says to Jacob that he cannot give the younger sister before the elder, so he
asked Jacob to marry the elder sister (Leah) also. However the elder sister was
not so beautiful, Jacob disliked her. Thus, there is a parallelism between Ninigi and Jacob.
And in the
Japanese mythology, Ninigi and his wife Konohana-sakuya-hime bear a child named
Yamasachi-hiko. But Yamasachi-hiko is bullied by his elder brother and has to go
to the country of a sea god. There Yamasachi-hiko gets
a mystic power and troubles the elder brother by giving him famine, but later
forgives his sin. In the same way, according to the Bible, Jacob and his wife
Rachel bear a child named Joseph. But Joseph is bullied
by his elder brothers and had to go to Egypt. There Joseph became the prime
minister of Egypt and gets
power, and when the elder brothers came to Egypt because
of famine, Joseph helped them and forgives their sin. Thus, there is a
parallelism between Yamasachi-hiko and
Joseph.
Similarity
between the biblical genealogy and Japanese mythology
And in the
Japanese mythology, Yamasachi-hiko married a daughter
of the sea god, and bore a child named Ugaya-fukiaezu.
Ugaya-fukiaezu had 4 sons. But his second and third sons were gone to other places. The
forth son is emperor Jinmu who conquers the land of
Yamato. On this line is the Imperial
House of Japan.
While, what is it in the Bible?
Joseph married a daughter of a priest in Egypt, and
bore Manasseh and Ephraim. Ephraim resembles Ugaya-fukiaezu in the sense that Ephraim had 4 sons, but his
second and third sons were killed and died early (1 Chronicles 7:20-27), and a
descendant from the forth son was Joshua who conquered the land of Canaan (the land of Israel). On the line of Ephraim is the Royal House of
the Ten Tribes of Israel.
Thus we find
a remarkable similarity between the biblical genealogy and Japanese mythology -
between Ninigi and Jacob, Yamasachi-hiko and Joseph, and the Imperial family of
Japan and the tribe of
Ephraim.
Furthermore, in the Japanese
mythology, the heaven is called Hara of Takama (Takama-ga-hara or Takama-no-hara). Ninigi came from there and founded the Japanese nation.
Concerning this Hara of Takama, Zen'ichirou Oyabe, a Japanese
researcher, thought that this is the city Haranin the region of Togarmah where Jacob and his ancestors once lived; Jacob
lived in Haran of Togarmah for a while, then came to
Canaanand founded
the Israeli nation.
Jacob once saw in a dream the angels
of God ascending and descending between the heaven and the earth (Genesis
28:12), when Jacob was given a promise of God that his descendants would inherit
the land of Canaan. This was different from
Ninigi's descending from heaven, but resembles it in
image.
Thus, except for details, the outline
of the Japanese mythology greatly resembles the records of the Bible. It is
possible to think that the myths of Kojiki and
Nihon-shoki, the Japanese chronicles written in the
8th century, were originally based on Biblical stories but later added with
various pagan elements. Even it might be possible to think that the Japanese
mythology was originally a kind of genealogy which
showed that the Japanese are descendants from Jacob, Joseph, and Ephraim.
Impurity during Menstruation
and Bearing Child
The concept of uncleanness during menstruation and bearing
child has existed in Japan since ancient
times. It has been a custom in Japan since
old days that woman during menstruation should not attend holy events at shrine.
She could not have sex with her husband and had to shut herself up in a hut
(called Gekkei-goya in Japanese), which is built for
collaboration use in village, during her menstruation and several days or about
7 days after the menstruation. This custom had been widely seen in
Japan until Meiji era (about 100
years ago). After the period of shutting herself up ends, she had to clean
herself by natural water as river, spring, or sea. It there is no natural water,
it can be done in bathtub.
This resembles ancient Israeli custom
very much. In ancient Israel, woman during menstruation could not attend holy
events at the temple, had to be apart from her husband, and it was custom to
shut herself up in a hut during her menstruation and 7 days after the
menstruation (Leviticus 15:19, 28). This shutting herself up was said "to
continue in the blood of her purification", and this was for
purification and to make impurity apart from the house or the
village.
Menstruation hut
used by Falasha, Ethiopian Jews
This remains true even today. There are no sexual relations,
for the days of menstruation and an additional 7 days. Then the woman goes to
the Mikveh, ritual bath. The water of the Mikveh must be natural water. There are cases of gathering
rainwater and putting it to the Mikveh bathtub. In
case of not having enough natural water, water from faucet is
added.
Modern people may feel irrational
about this concept but women during menstruation or bearing child need rest
physically and mentally. Woman herself says that she feels impure in her blood
in the period. "To continue in the blood of her purification" refers to this
need of rest of her blood.
Not only concerning menstruation, but also the
concept concerning bearing child in Japanese Shinto resembles the one of ancient
Israel.
A mother who bore a child is regarded unclean in a certain period. This concept is weak
among the Japanese today, but was very common in old
days. The old Shinto book, Engishiki (the 10th century
C.E.), set 7 days as a period that she cannot participate in holy events after
she bore a child. This resembles an ancient custom of Israel, for
the Bible says that when a woman has conceived, and borne a male child, then she
shall be "unclean 7 days". She shall then "continue in the blood of her
purification 33 days". In the case that she bears a female child, then she shall
be "unclean two weeks", and she shall "continue in the blood of her purification
66 days'" (Leviticus 12:2-5).
In Japan it had been widely seen
until Meiji era that woman during pregnancy and after bearing child shut herself
up in a hut (called Ubu-goya in Japanese) and lived
there. The period was usually during the pregnancy and 30 days or so after she
bore a child (The longest case was nearly 100 days). This resembles the custom
of ancient Israel.
In ancient Israel, after
this period of purification the mother could come to the temple with her child
for the first time. Also in the custom of Japanese Shinto, after this period of
purification the mother can come to the shrine with her baby. In modern Japan it
is generally 32 days (or 31 days) after she bore the baby in case of a male, and
33 days in case of a female.
But when they come to
the shrine, it is not the mother who carries the baby. It is a traditional
custom that the baby should be carried not by the
mother, but usually by the husband's mother (mother-in-law). This is a
remarkable similarity of purity and impurity of the mother, after childbirth,
with ancient Israeli custom.
Japanese "Mizura" and Jewish Peyot
The photo below (left) is a statue of an ancient Japanese
Samurai found in relics of the late 5th century C.E. in Nara, Japan. This statue shows
realistically the ancient Japanese men's hair style
called "mizura," which hair comes down under his cap
and hangs in front of both ears with some curling. This hair
style was widely seen among Japanese Samurais, and it was unique to
Japan, not the one which
came from the cultures of China or Korea.
 
Ancient Japanese
Samurai's hair style "mizura" (left) and Jewish "peyot" (right)
Is it a mere coincidence that this resembles Jewish "peyot" (payot) very much, which is
also a hair style of hanging the hair in front of the
ears long with some curling (photo right)? "Peyot" is
a unique hair style for Jews and the origin is very
old. Leviticus 19:27 of the Bible mentions:
"'Do not cut the hair at the
sides of your head."
So, this custom originated from the
ancient Israelites. The "peyot" custom of today's
Hasidic Jews is a recovery of this ancient custom. Yemenite Jews have had this
custom since ancient times. There is a statue from Syria, which is from the 8th or 9th
century B.C.E.. It shows a Hebrew man with peyot and a fringed shawl.
DNA Research on the Japanese and Jews
DNA shows the common ancestry of the Japanese and
Jews
Recent DNA researches on Y-chromosome showed that about 40 % of the
Japanese have DNA of haplogroup D. Y-chromosome DNA is passed from father to son, and is classified according to genetic features into genetic groups called
“haplogroups” from A to T. Only Japanese and Tibetan peoples in the world have haplogroup D at a high frequency. D is rarely found even among the Chinese
and Koreans.
According to geneticists, haplogroup D is the compatriot of haplogroup E, which is found in all Jewish groups of the world. Haplogroups D and E were once one and have the common origin, as
Wikipedia encyclopedia states:
“Along with haplogroup E, D contains the distinctive YAP polymorphism,
which indicates their common ancestry.” [Haplogroup D (Y-DNA)]
According to Family Tree DNA, a DNA test provider, especially E1b1b1
type of haplogroup E is “found in all Jewish populations, from Ashkenazi,
Sephardic, Kurdish, Yemen, Samaritan and even among
Djerba Jewish groups.” They use this genetic marker to find Jewish descendants.
The Pathans in Afghanistan and Pakistan, who are
said to be descendants of the Lost Tribes of Israel, have haplogroup
E remarkably. The Uzbekistan Jews, who are also said to be from the Lost Tribes,
have haplogroup E at the frequency of 28 %. The Falasha, Ethiopian Jews, have haplogroup E at 50
%. Haplogroup E is found even among those said
to be from the Lost Tribes of Israel.
Haplogroups D and E were once one, but became separate in the Near
East. Those who remained in the Near East or went west became Jews, while those
who moved east became the Lost Tribes of Israel in the East,
including”Israelite Tibetans” and the Japanese.
What I call “Israelite Tibetans” are the Chiang (Qiang) people
(southwest China), the Shinlung (Bnei Menashe, northeast India) and the Karen (Myanmar). They all live near Tibet and speak language of Tibet-Burma language
group. Rabbi Eliyahu Avichail of Amishav thinks that
these tribes are descendants of the Lost Tribes, because they have many ancient
Israeli customs. It is noteworthy that especially 23% of the Chiang people have haplogroup D, which came from the common ancestor with E. The Japanese, having haplogroup D also, are closely related to
them.
Rabbi Avichail thinks that these Chiang, Shinlung and Karen were once one and the same tribe, because
they all once wandered in China, were persecuted by the Chinese and lost the Torah there, having the same legends and customs. It
seems that the origins of the Japanese and these Israelite Tibetans were once
the same.
Current Jews, both Ashkenazi and Sephardic, mainly have haplogroups J, E and R. It is
thought that ancient Jews mainly had haplogroups J and E.
Some people think that especially J was peculiar to original Jews,
because about 80% of paternally inherited Cohen families, who are descendants of
the High Priest Aaron, belong to J. However, Aaron was a Levite, and J is found among paternal Levites only at a relatively low
frequency. The Levites have haplogroup E as other Jews do, and Samaritan Levite
priests belong to haplogroup E. For haplogroup E is found in all Jewish groups of the world, E had
been a distinctive Jewish haplogroup since before the diaspora of 70 C.E..
Israelites had experienced blood mixing since very early times.
The Bible mentions about the
exodus from
Egypt, "Many other
people who were not Israelites went with them" (Exodus 12:38, New
Century Version). Moses many times mentioned about foreigners living among his people.
They could become Israelites if circumcised and living as Israelites
(Exodus 12:48, etc). There were
thus some
haplogroups found among ancient
Israelites.
However, most of the peoples who are said to be from the Lost Tribes of Israel do not have haplogroup J, including the following
peoples:
*Chiang (Qiang, southwest China)
*Bnei Menashe
(Shinlung, northeast India)
*Karen (Myanmar)
*Bene Ephraim (South
India)
*Beta Israel (Falasha,
Ethiopia)
*Bukharan Jews (Persian
Jews)
*Igbo Jews (Nigeria)
The Japanese also do not have haplogroup J. It seems that the basic haplogroup of ancient Israelites was
haplogroup E or haplogroup DE (ancestor of haplogroups D and E). Today, the Pathans and Uzbekistan Jews, who are the Lost Tribes of
Israel living in West Asia or Central Asia, have haplogroup E. While in the
East, the Chiang and the Japanese have haplogroup D.
D and E were once one. The Japanese are genetically from the Lost
Tribes of Israel.
To be continued to:
Chapter 2 - The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel in
Afghanistan, Pakistan, Kashmir, Myanmar, and China
Chapter 3 - Did the Lost Tribes of Israel
Come To Ancient Japan?
Chapter 4 - Various Other Similarities
Between Ancient Israel and Ancient Japan |
