Which peoples consider themselves to be related to the Jews?
Jews are rightfully considered one of the most successful nations in the world – the number of famous artists, entrepreneurs and scientists of Jewish origin is simply off the charts. It is not surprising that there are people who declare their closeness to this unusual ethnic group for cultural and genetic reasons.
Who, then, consider themselves to be relatives of the children of Zion, or, shall we say, their spiritual brothers?
Despite the fact that Georgia has long had its own Jewish diaspora, locals have always been inclined to compare the Mingrelians, a small ethnic group of Kartvelians and the closest relatives of Georgians, with Jews. The Mingrelians do not seem to be against this point of view, especially since it has some justification. In the 8th century BC, the Assyrian king Sargon II conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel and, according to legend, resettled its population in Colchis. Even Herodotus later claimed that the Mingrelians were of Jewish blood. And indeed, despite the obvious small number of this community, its representatives in their homeland and abroad often occupy the most lucrative places. For example, the head of the NKVD Lavrentiy Beria, the first president of Georgia Zviad Gamsakhurdia, the famous surgeon Leo Bokeria and even the hero of the Great Patriotic War Meliton Kantaria belong to the Mingrelians.
Back in the 19th century, the British noticed that some of the powerful Pashtun clans had typical Jewish names – Barakzai, Ismailkhel, and so on. And that the idea of the origin of the Pashtun ethnos from the ten lost tribes – ancient Hebrew tribes who left their homeland after the conquest of Northern Israel by the Assyrians – is widespread among them. Allegedly, during the invasion of India by the Iranian military commander Nadir Shah, the elders showed him some ancient scrolls that the Jews present in the army were able to read. When asked about this, the Emir of Kabul, Dost Mohamed Khan, replied that the common people really believed it, but he himself did not believe that the Pashtuns were of Jewish origin.
There is a common idea among some European Roma communities that Jews once came with them from India. Perhaps the Romale have indeed preserved some memory of the Indian Jews who have lived in their historical homeland since ancient times. Or maybe they insist on kinship out of solidarity: it is known that both peoples suffered severely at the hands of the Germans in the 1940s for similar reasons.
Armenians themselves do not often refer to themselves as relatives of Jews. Instead, other nations do it for them, reminding them of their common commercial talents, certain similarities in character, and the presence of diasporas around the world. In addition, in ancient times, the Armenians themselves seem to have thought otherwise. There is a legend that the ancient Armenian royal family of the Bagratids comes from among the descendants of the biblical King David, who were resettled to the north by one of the great conquerors of the past.
The Assyrians are a Christian Semitic people living mainly in Iraq and Syria. Due to the difficult attitude towards themselves, they appeared on the territory of the Russian Empire, and from there later dispersed throughout the post-Soviet space. Unlike many other peoples, they are real relatives of the Jews, albeit quite distant. But they are even more akin to their Semitic brethren in spirit, and are famous for their commercial talents. “I’m not lagging behind, I’m always getting something” – this is the song about them.
The idea that the inhabitants of the United States are descended from the inhabitants of ancient Israel who traveled across the ocean has always been popular among some religious, but not very educated, Americans. In particular, Mormon theology is based on this assumption. As the Indians converted to Christianity, such theories spread among some of their tribes. Now they are largely mixed with each other, and therefore such ideas are accepted almost universally. As a result, many Native Americans consider themselves descendants of Jews, and modern Israelis as close relatives.