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The Beginning: Where Did the Early Germans come from? And so much more. I love history, so please bear with me. Other historical links are to the right.

Where Did The Germans Come From - A Possible Legacy in History

Where to Start From a Valid Point

To try and decipher all there is about our German heritage, where we originated from, would take an entire website. I will quote data I've researched and read from many books, articles, magazines and of course the one source that does not dispute anything within it's covers, the Bible. In no manner do I intentionally or otherwise try to shed a negative light on the German people or their descendants. This is only an insight into possibilites and factual data from written record, in pursuit of a further point in our life.

Let's start with what we know. The oldest direct & validated German, in our ancestry who is known and proved by civil and church records is Balthazar Lambmann. He was born about 1648 in Gedern, Hessen, Germany near the end of the infamous Thirty Years War. He died January 14, 1692 in Gedern at the age of 44 during the Augsburg War. From here back in time is purely speculation in some respects, due to lack or burning of church of records and other data. What is known, is the Germans were in this area for several thousand years before hand.

Balthazars wife Sabina Margaretha Arnold died December 15, 1709 in Gedern also, at the age of 78 years and 9 months. Their childrens names are validated by church parish records. As far as documented records go, this is our Generation One record.

Their son Peter (1010) was born abt. 1678 in Gedern, Germany. Peter married Catherina Degman in Stockheim, Germany. He died in 1734 in New York. Peter is listed as our Second eneration, and was the immigrant Lambmann to America.

What is Known and What Can Be Deduced?

Much of what I will detail here is deemed "conjecture" by many. I am pointing out obvious clues, biblical records and records of the Roman's who tried to overpower many nations as well as the Germans. The latter never completely happened. The Barbaric Germans or Germanic Tribes are the only people, which the Romans never could dominate. Except for several successful ventures, Rome could not maintain a base across the Rhine River. In fact, in the latter years of the Roman Empire as it was declining, the Romans hired the Germans to command thier armies as well as fill it's ranks instead of the Romans of earlier days. These Germans were highly succesfull in fighting and intimidating the Romans, who were "ahh their superiors". Most Germans were considered during Roman times, "Barbarians".

Some History to Go On

Considering that Germany has set itself up as the bulwark of European civilization for well over a thousand years. Germany for centuries has claimed to stand as the eastern wall of defense against the barbarism of Asia. It was on French & German soil that the hordes of Atilla the Hun, sweeping across eastern Europe, was finally stopped. The German Reich long endured as the oldest political institution in Europe, is older than the government of France or England by centuries. The German people called their Reich the Holy Roman Empire. It ruled over Europe for a thousand years. This "Holy Roman Empire of the German People" was officially designated by the Church in the Middle Ages as "The Kingdom of God" on earth. Its citizens, the Germans, felt themselves true Romans and bearers of the Christian Reich or Kingdom.

The German people have been the civilizers of Central Europe. It is they who have fundamentally carried the torch of this world's civilization from pre-Roman to modern times. It is the same German people who, often by the sword, occasionally by diplomacy; brought the pagans of Europe into the fold of the Catholic Church. (Before Lutheranism and other offshoots). "The History of Germany," writes Bayard Taylor, "is not the history of a nation, but of a race ...". Even before the fall of the Roman Empire, it becomes the main trunk from which branch histories of nearly all European nations, and the connecting link between ancient and modern history. The records of no other race or group of people throw so much light upon the development of all civilized lands during a period of fifteen hundred years.

The German's which now number over one hundred million throughout the world today are one great family. But they were composed of many small tribes. Nations, are merely a group of tribes grown together. Take Israel for example. The nation Israel descended from one man, Jacob (who was renamed Israel upon his conversion -- Genesis 35:9-10). But Israel had 12 sons. His family therefore was divided into 12 tribes. You read so often in the Bible about "the 12 tribes of Israel" -- Judah, Dan, Ephraim, Levi, etc. (Genesis 49:28). The same is true of the German people. The Germans are composed of numerous small tribes divided today into three primary nations; Austria, East and West Germany and nearby countries which were a part of the German Empire at time or another.. Of all these tribes, perhaps the most famous name to Americans is that of the HESSIANS. The British hired numerous Hessians in their effort to put down the American Revolution. Ah, but the Hessians are not the only German tribe. When the German tribes poured into Europe nearly 2700 years ago, they were known to the Roman historians by various tribal names. Among the most important German tribes were the "Hatti" (the ancestors of the modern Hessians), the "Alemani" and "Suabi," the "Quadi," the "Casuari" and others. The Romans called them collectively "Kermani", meaning "War-men" (from the "Encyclopedia Britannica", article, "Germany").
From where did all these Germanic people come?

Europe was NOT their original homeland, contrary to popular belief! "There can be no doubt that the Germans migrated into Europe from the Caucasus and the countries around the Black and Caspian seas," states "Smith's Classical Dictionary", article, "Germania," p. 361. The Germans, then, can be traced in historical records to the regions surrounding the Black and Caspian seas, which border on the ancient BIBLICAL LAND OF MESOPOTAMIA and Samaria. This is the region where civilization is said to have commenced and from where the Bible patriarchs came! Note the map link for an idea of this location....

Germans affected a great ethnic complex of ancient Europe, are a basic stock in the composition of the today's populations of Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Iceland, Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Northern Italy, the Netherlands, Belgium, Luxembourg, Northern and Central France, the Lowlands of Scotland, and England. From archaeology it is clear that the Germans had little ethnic solidarity; by the 7th cent. B.C. they had begun a division into many peoples or tribes. They did not call themselves Germans; the origin of the name is uncertain, but there are literal suggestions or translations. Their rise to significance (4th cent. B.C.) in the history of Europe began roughly with the general breakup of the pagan Celtic culture (which originated in the Middle East also) in central Europe. Before their expansion, the Germans primarily inhabited Northern Germany, Polish areas, Southern Sweden and Denmark and the shores of the Baltic. From these areas they spread out in great migrations southward, southeastward, and westward.

The earliest mention of the Germans is by a Greek navigator who saw them in Norway and Jutland penninusla in the 4th century B.C., their real appearance in history began with their contact (1st century B.C.) with the Romans. The chief historical sources for the culture and distribution of the Germans are Tacitus’ Germania and Agricola and the remnants in later ages of early Germanic institutions. Apart from describing their barbarity and warlikeness, Caesar’s Commentaries tell little. As the centuries passed the Germans became increasingly troublesome to the Roman Empire. The Vandals in the west and the Ostrogoths in the east were the first to attack the Roman empire seriously. The Ostrogoths were a part of the Gothic people, often called the East Germanic, whose language (Gothic) was the first written Germanic language. The Goths apparently moved southeast from the Vistula River to the Balkans, thence West across Europe.

The German agricultural system was vital to the economy in Germany. Most Germans families were farmers but a large portion of the population herdered animals also. The Germans were agriculturists from the beginning of their existence. They established agricultural villages based on land plots that were grouped around a central water supply and protected their land successfully. The main crops that they raised were cereal grains such as wheat, barley, oats and rye. Around the North Sea area there was an emphasis on cattle raising. They raised herds in the mountainous districts in the surrounding areas as well.

Ancient German records claim that their oldest city, Trier, was founded by a son of Ninus or Nimrod of the Bible who founded civilization (Genesis 10:8-12). "The inhabitants of Trier maintain that their city is the oldest in all Europe," writes Josef K. L. Bihl in his textbook "In deutschen Landen," page 69. "Trier was founded," he continues, "by Trebeta, a son of the famous Assyrian King Ninus. In fact, one finds in Trier the inscription reading, 'Trier existed for 1300 years before Rome was rebuilt.'" But how is it possible that the oldest German city, Trier, founded over 2000 years before Christ, should be built by a son of Ninus, the renowned King of ANCIENT ASSYRIA? Ninus or his Biblical name was Nimrod, according to Genesis 10, led the ancient Assyrians from Babylon and supervised their building of Nineveh, the capital of ancient Assyria. From there the Assyrians began their conquest of the ancient world. The Assyrians called themselves "the Master Race." Keep this thought, as we progress in this lineage. Who was who invaded Israel and took captives?

But why do the German records speak of the son of an ASSYRIAN King as the builder of their first city?
What connection have the German tribes WITH THE ASSYRIANS of history?

Jerome, the historian lived at the time when the Indo-Germanic tribes were invading Europe, gives the answer: "For 'Assur (the Assyrian) also is joined with them'"! (Letter 123, and 16, quoted from Psalm 83:8; from "Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers".) He literally saw them! He was an EYEWITNESS to their migrations from Mesopotamia and the shores of the Black and Caspian seas!

Only 300 years before Jerome, the Roman naturalist Pliny the Elder declared the "Assyriani" the Assyrians were dwelling north of the Black Sea ("Natural History", IV, & 12, page 183). But the Assyrians did not remain there! They are not there today! Of course they migrated into Central Europe, where the Germans live today! The Germans, came into Europe from the shores of the Black Sea and its surrounding areas. Now consider what Sylax, the author of the "Periplus," who lived about 550 B.C., writes of this region: "THE COAST OF THE BLACK SEA ... IS CALLED ASSYRIA" (from page 261 of Perrot and Chipiez's "History of Art in Sardinia, Judaea, Syria and Asia Minor", Vol. II.)

The Germans most likely came from Assyria! The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel were driven out of Samaria (their country after the split up) in 772 B.C. One of the pilot objectives of the Assyrians was to remove large populations of people from areas captured to an interior location, then relocate others to the open area who were more easily controlled. The Assyrian goal was not to hold these prisoners captives, rather to use them as a buffer region surrounding their kingdom, Assyria from raids and ventures by enemies. Sooner or later the Lost Tribes of Israel would have been moved also in the same manner, to new lands which were conquered, quite possibly the areas of Germany and other today.

Ancient Assyria was the greatest war-making power in all history. Its soldiers were drilled to be hard-fighting WARMEN. When the Assyrians invaded Europe, the Romans called them "Kermans" a name meaning "men of war." And that is how the Assyrians may have become to be known as Germans. Four thousands of years ago (during the time of Abraham), four Assyrian Generals invaded Asia Minor or Palestine. One of these Generals was named Tidal.

The name Tidal was a common throne name among the ancient Hatti (pecursor to the Hessian Revolutionary Soldiers) or Chatti kings of Anatolia, or Asia Minor. Since Tidal was also an Assyrian king or commander, that would make the Hatti or Chatti an ASSYRIAN TRIBE! The Chatti were the ruling tribe in Anatolia (Asia Minor). They ruled it over several other nations. Notice that in Genesis 14:1 Tidal, the Hattian king, is called "king of nations." The Hatti Were to later be Hessian Germans!

Now what does the word "Hatti" or "Chatti" mean in the Hebrew language? Hebrew uses no vowels, only consonants so the closest derivation is the root "chathath". It means "to terrorize, or break down, as in war, hence a warrior or MAN OF WAR." The Chatti were therefore Men of War or Germans. The name Chatti is but the Hebrew form of the word GERMAN, The word which the Romans applied to the Assyrians. That means that the ancient Chatti were Assyrian or German migrants who early settled in Asia Minor. Did these Chatti or Hatti later also migrate into Western Europe, where the Germans are today? Indeed they did! The Chatti were the chief people who settled in modern Germany. Their descendants are the HESSIANS today! In fact, the Old High German spelling of Hesse was Hatti! In Germany there are two variations of the German lanquage, High and Low German. Low German predominately being in the Switzerland, Austria and Barvarian areas today. The land of Hatti was the Western part of the Assyrian Empire. The ancient Assyrian Empire was divided. THE ANCIENT KINGS OF ASSYRIA called themselves Khatti-sars meaning the ""Kings of Hatti or Kaisers of Hatti." WOW.........

The chief people of Hatti regarded themselves as Assyrians. The Assyrian kings wrote of the tribes of Hatti the ancestors of the Hessians: "as Assyrians I counted them" (D. D. Luckenbill, "Ancient Records of Assyria and Babylonia", Vol. II, & 29). The ancient capital of the land of Hatti was popularly known among the Romans as "Ninus Vetus -- the old Nineveh" ("History of Art in Sardinia, Judaea, Syria and Asia Minor", by G. Perrot and C. Chipiez, Vol. II, page 272). Nineveh was Assyria's capital! The Empire of Hatti and the Empire of Assyria were the same Empire not two empires existing five centuries apart as many historians assume. Excavated records from Bible times prove that the great rulers of the land of Hatti were not only contemporary with the famous kings of Assyria, but were also federated with them. All ancient Greek writers agreed that Assyria and Anatolia (the land of Hatti) were allies. The chief supporters of the famous Troy in Asia Minor were the Assyrians. In fact, the Trojan War was a struggle between the Greeks and Assyrians for possession of Western Asia Minor. These Hessian or Assyrian kings are even mentioned in the Bible in I Kings 10:29 and II Kings 7:6. The Hebrews called them "kings of the Hittites." The Assyrian Hessians were called "kings of the Hittites" because the Canaanite Hittites, driven out by Joshua, migrated into Asia Minor where the Assyrians also dwelt. All historians recognize that there were at least two distinct peoples in Asia Minor who came to be known by the same name Chatti or Hittite. The first were the Assyrians. The second were the Canaanite sons of Heth. Heth's sons received the name Hittite or Chatti because they too were warriors. Centuries later, after Alexander the Great conquered Asia, those Canaanites migrated out of Asia Minor to Europe. The Assyrian Hatti claimed to be "the Master Race." So too at times have the Germans! The Hatti lorded it over other peoples who lived in Asia Minor. They were the inventors of the DOUBLE-HEADED EAGLE which has always been A SYMBOL OF THE GERMAN EMPIRE! Professor A. H. Sayce states it was left to these people "to invent a double-headed eagle" (page 116 of "The Hittites").

The Assyrians or ancestors of most German people are first mentioned in Genesis 10:22. In this verse you find the father or ancestor of the Assyrians is named "Asshur." The word Asshur is often translated as "Assyrian" or "Assyrians" in the Bible, because Asshur is the father of the Assyrian nation. But the Germans today are also descended in part from Abraham, through his wife, Keturah.

Most people have never known that Abraham had other sons besides Isaac and Ishmael. These other sons are listed in Genesis 25:1-4. " Abraham gave (them) gifts, and sent them away from Isaac his son, while he yet lived, eastward, unto the east country" (Gen. 25:6). The east country included the land of Assyria. Assyria lay east of Palestine. Even Josephus mentioned that one of Abraham's great-grandsons joined with the Assyrians. ("Antiquities", book I, ch. xv & 1.) His name was Asshur, the son of Dedan, the son of Jokshan. Jokshan was the son of Abraham. See Genesis 25:3. "And Jokshan begat Sheba, and Dedan. And the sons of Dedan were Asshurim, and Letushim, and Leummim." From Sheba have come the Swabian Germans. From Letushim are descended the Lettish people along the Baltic. And from Asshurim have descended the Nordic North Germans. But the ancestor of the great majority of Germans and Austrians is Asshur, the grandson of Noah.

Most of the ancient Assyrians moved westward from the Bible lands into Europe. But one small tribe moved eastward and settled among the Persians. Historians called them the GERMANII (Herodotus' "History", bk. 1, & 125). The region where they settled is today called Kharmania or Carmania. The oriental Kerman rugs, recognized the world over for their fine quality, are made in this region. Kerman, the literalized name for the inhabitants, Ker -- Man, could easily have been pronounced German, as the Romans had problems relaying the Barbaric words and names of our ancestors.

What did Assyrians Look Like?

What did the ancient Assyrians look like? Here is the answer: "In the Zagros hills and across the plain to the Tigris, there lived a ... FAIR-HAIRED ... PEOPLE akin to the Guti [the Goths , another German tribe] who ... remained in what was afterwards Assyria, the neighbour land to Akkad" (page 5 of "The Sumerians"). When the ancient Greek writers wanted to distinguish the Assyrians from the Arameans or Syrians, the Greeks called the Assyrians, "Leucosyri" -- meaning "WHITES" or "BLONDS" as distinct from the noticeable dark colored hair and skin who still live in Mesopotamia.

Jacob, son of Abraham produced twelve sons, each of whom became the father of one of the twelve tribes of Israel. Reuben, Shimon, Levi, Yehuda, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Joseph and Benjamin. In the Land of Canaan, each of the twelve Israelite tribes settled a different region on either side of the Jordan River. During a later period of history, a monarchy was established, but with the death of King Solomon, the state was divided in two separate countries as referenced in the bible.... The tribes split along territorial and political lines, with Judah and Benjamin in the south loyal to the Davidic house, and the rest of the tribes in the north ruled by a succession of monarchies. The southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin constitute the historical forbearers of most of the Jewish People as it is known today. And the Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom, what became of them?

Benjamin of Trudela; Jewish son of Jonah, was determined to see the world. In 1165, in an age when travel meant peril on road and sea, he set out from his native Tudela, Spain on an extended voyage. He spent several years visiting Jewish communities in the East and West. The great medieval Jewish traveler is familiarly known as Benjamin of Tudela. We know little about him other that what emerges in his famous "Book of Travels." In whichever community he visited, and even in those he didn't, Benjamin recorded his observations, many of which are quite imaginative.

When visiting in Persia and in the Arabian peninsula, Benjamin came across Jewish tribesmen whom he was convinced were descendants of the Lost Israelites. The self-sufficiency and fierceness of these tribesmen deeply impressed him. He writes as follows:

"There are men of Israel in the land of Persia who say that in the mountains dwell four of the tribes of Israel, namely, parts of the tribe of Dan, the tribe of Zebulun, the tribe of Asher, and the tribe of Naphtali. "They are governed by their own prince, Joseph the Levite. Among them are learned scholars. They sow and reap and go forth to war as far as the land of Cush, by way of the desert. They are in league with the Kofar-al-Turak, pagan tribesmen who worship the wind and live in the wilderness."

During his visit to Arabia he came across the largest Jewish settlement in the region, the Jews of Kheibar. "These tribesmen," he writes, "are of the tribes Reuben and Gad, and the half-tribe of Menasseh. Their seat of government is a great city surrounded by the mountains of the North. The Jews of Kheibar have built many large fortified cities. The yoke of the gentiles is not upon them. They go forth to pillage and to capture booty in conjunction with the Arabs their neighbors." The diary of Benjamin of Trudela, son of Jonah—translated into so many languages—inspired many in their quest for the independent kingdoms of the Ten Lost Tribes.

Straddling the boundaries between Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir lives the world's largest tribal grouping—the Pathans. All of the 15 million Pathans, who comprise some 60 tribes, claim descent from Kish, an ancestor of the Biblical King Saul. Many of them also claim to be children of the Lost Israelites. The Pathans perform circumcision of the eighth day, wear a fringed garment similar to the Jewish tzizit, light candles on Friday nights and observe food taboos similar to the laws of Kashrut. In South Africa, Zimbabwe and Mozambique, tens of thousands of blacks have, in recent years, declared themselves descendants of one of the Lost Tribes. The Lemba claim to have been cut off from mainstream Judaism hundreds of years ago. They are well-versed in the Old Testament and avoid marriage outside their community. From every imaginable corner of the world theories arise linking different peoples and tribes with the Ten Lost Tribes: the Crimea, the Caucasus, Kenya, Nigeria, Armenia, Persia, Central Asia, North Siberia, West Africa, Peru, South America, Australia, Ireland. While the evidence may at times seem flimsy, the Jewish elements in these tribal cultures continue to fascinate scholar and layman alike.

Why Germans Call Themselves "Deutsch".

Perhaps you have never thought of it but the Germans do not call themselves "German." They refer to themselves as DEUTSCH, and to their country as DEUTSCHLAND. Let's turn back the pages of history for the answer. The Assyrians anciently called their land "Athur" -- the Indo-Germanic form of the Semitic word "Asshur" ("Encyclopedia Britannica", article, "Mesopotamia"). Sometimes the name "Athur" was shortened simply to "Tyr" in the Indo-European tongue. Asshur or Tyr was worshipped as the god of war by all the ancient world. His name was placed on the third day of the week which is called "Tuesday" in the English-speaking world. Tuesday is Asshur's day. Tuesday is from an old Saxon (Another German Tribe who invaded England during King Arthurs days) word meaning "Tiw's day." Tiw was the god of war of the Germanic people of Europe. Tiw, or Tiwe, was also known by the name Tyr that is, Asshur. Tiw is another name of Asshur! The Assyrians knew Asshur or Tyr was their ancestor. We should expect, therefore, that when they migrated to Europe they would still be known as the sons of Tyr or Tiw, that is, Asshur. And what do we find? When the Germans appeared in Europe, they claimed Tyr or Tiw as their ancestor! Tyre is the oldest city in Germany or Europe with inscriptions to prove it.

But what has the name "Deutsch" to do with Tiw?

The modern German word "Deutsch" as educated Germans know is derived from the old Anglo-Saxon word Tiw. Whenever a German calls himself Deutsch, he is saying he is Tiw's or Asshur's son, thus an Assyrian. And when he terms his country Deutschland, he is saying Tiw's or Asshur's land; Assyria! Even ancient Hindu literature uses both the word "Asgras" and "Daityas" to refer to the Assyrians. "Daityas" is but a Sanskrit word for "Deutsch" -- a name applied to the Assyrians over 1500 years before the birth of Christ!

What Language Did They Speak?

But what about the common assumption that the Assyrian language was Semitic, not Indo-Germanic? How is it that the Hebrew-speaking House of Israel, who were carried into Assyrian captivity, spoke an Indo-Germanic language when they arrived in Northwestern Europe? The most obvious solution is, they were forced to learn it as a result of their captivity! The bible says they were stripped of their identities, and a language is surely an identity. The common tongue of the Assyrians was not only Semitic, but Indo-Germanic! Here is the proof!

European scholars have thoroughly studied the language of the land of Hatti -- the ancestors of the Hessians. They found it to be an Indo-Germanic tongue with numerous words of which were akin to Old High German! So many similarities were found that Edgar Sturtevant had to declare: "To me it seems incredible that so remarkable a situation developed in two languages independently. I feel compelled to trace the Germanic ... to a common origin" with the language of Hatti -- common tongue of the Western Assyrians (from "A Comparative Grammar," page 240). The language of the Hatti was the language of the West Assyrians. Scholars today, steeped in the theory of evolution, refuse to recognize that both people were one and the same, because if they did admit it, their whole system of chronology would fall like a house of cards, and their view of world history would burst like a pricked balloon. Scholars admit that FOR CENTURIES THE LANGUAGE OF THE PEOPLE WHO INHABITED ASSYRIA WAS NOT MERELY SEMITIC. Semitic was the late LITERARY LANGUAGE of Assyria -- the language of scholars, the language of international commerce. Modern historians and archaeologists assume that the common tongue of all Assyrian people was Semitic. There is no proof, so noted an Assyriologist as Sydney Smith admitted "... that the documents from Asia Minor and from east of Tigris are couched in Semitic dialects spoken by men unable to pronounce all the Semitic consonants ..." (p. xi, from "Early History of Assyria to 1000 B.C."). The same circumstance occurred during the Middle Ages all over Europe. The language of almost all European scholars and even their names until the time of the Protestant Reformation was LATIN but Latin was NOT the common tongue of the people!

Because most of the literature of Germany was in Latin during the Middle Ages does not prove that the common people spoke Latin. Just because a few of the libraries and monuments of ancient Assyria contain records written in a Semitic tongue, that does not demonstrate that the common people spoke the same language. Semitic by Race, NOT Language as Asshur was a son of Shem. But after the tower of Babel, when the languages of the world were confused (Genesis 11), most Assyrians no longer spoke a Semitic tongue, but rather Indo-Germanic and related tongues! The Germans, therefore, are Semitic by race, but NOT by language!

In the days of Abraham, the Germans or Assyrians formed a great confederation of states or tribes, speaking several different languages (Josephus' "Antiquities of the Jews", book 1, ch. 9). One king of the Assyrians whom we have already discussed was "Tidal, king of nations" (Genesis 14:1). The name Tidal is Indo-Germanic, not Semitic. Another name was Arioch of Ellasar the City of Asshur. He ruled Assyria from 1968-1938 B.C. The Greek historian Ctesias preserved all the names of the successors of Arioch who ruled for the next 1122 years. He had access to the Assyrian records from the Persian Court. Almost all the names are non-Semitic. Most are Indo-Germanic. Here are some examples of the Indo-Germanic names of the early Assyrian kings: Arelios, Xerxes, Armanithos, Sphaeros, Sparthaios, Panyas, Teutamos, Teutaios, Ophrataios, etc. The endings of these names are, of course, the common Greek. But they illustrate how different these early kings' names are from the Semitic name of the late king Asshur-banipal, for example. Most scholars have never been conscious of the fact that THE USE OF THE SEMITIC LANGUAGE IN ASSYRIA WAS DUE TO THE RISING INFLUENCE OF THE ARAMAIC PEOPLE IN MESOPOTAMIA. So prominent did the Arameans become that Mesopotamia is called "Padan-Aram" -- the plain of Aram -- in the Bible (Genesis 28:2). These dark-complexioned ARAMAIC people still dwell there, and they still speak a Semitic tongue. We call them SYRIANS today because they once composed part of the ASSYRIAN confederation of nations. The Aramaic language influenced only the Eastern Assyria Empire and that for hardly more than five centuries.

The bulk of the Assyrian population had begun to already migrate out of Assyria. Some had already settled in Western Europe at the city of Trier about three centuries after the Flood. Others had migrated to the shores of the Black and Caspian seas. Many went to Asia Minor even before the days of Abraham, where they were known as the Hatti. In all these areas the Assyrians were speaking non-Semitic languages. After Assyria fell, her small Semitic-speaking population was expelled from Mesopotamia into those regions where other Assyrians were already speaking Indo-Germanic tongues. The newcomers rapidly adopted the speech of those among whom they were now living. That is how Semitic ceased to be spoken among Assyrians outside Mesopotamia.

What Is Learned From all this?

From a biblical and civil records standpoint (both do offer historical evidence), the Germans most likely are from or off Assyrian stock. In a book on the Roman Empire ("The Greek & Roman World" by W. G. Hardy) I read, it speaks of the hordes of German Barbanians as being fair or reddish haired devils. Interesting as this is, it was written by a military man during about 257 A.D. Some of the Germanic Tribes named were; Vandals, Lombards, Alamanni, Goths and Burgundians, Heruli, Marcomanni, Alamanni, Franks (later became the French today) and the Saxons. It speaks of flotillas of ships as large as 2,000 moving men and supplies in or out of the Mediterranean Sea. Severe wars are listed from 165-175 B.C. with the Germans, and finally about 180-395 A.D. the German tribes broke thru the Roman frontiers and ravaged Britain, Gaul, Spain, Italy and the Danube River provinces. During this time the Heruli's another German tribe sacked Athens. On page 69 it states, "all these peoples were blonde intruders from the north and were cousins to the Greeks." Tacitus described the Germans as blond-haired, blue-eyed people with large frames. Other accounts tell of reddish-blond-haired figures that were well-built and long-skulled. These German facial features are well preserved on Roman monuments.

So in my opinion and maybe yours if you concur:

I believe the Germans (a grouping of maybe several of the original lost tribes) moved out north and west from Palestine, away from any warlike situations after the Assyrian capture, entering the areas north of Turkey, most likely the Tribe of Ashur. Quite possibly like other travels, one tribe was the forerunner to another one picking up their roots and following later after word was sent to them. That would explain the Tribe of Dan, who named every physical feature after their leader, Dan. Think of all the European Rivers, Danube, Dnieper and more. Interesting at most, and then Danmark.

It is a known fact, the Vikings (Norwegians, Danes and some Swedes) had already pioneered a route thru the Baltic to Russia and down to the Middle East as early as the late 600's A. D following the rivers for a trade route. Artifacts which were only in Asia Minor have been found along this trade route, and in the Scandinavian countries. There is notable evidence of trading with Arabians, as Arabic coins have shown up in Norway during this time period, along with silver and gold which is not easily gotten in this area. In fact a movement towards Poland and then the Baltic would make these folks the direct Scandinavian descendants. Think about, highly warlike, fierce and fearless. Does that sound like a Viking to you? Part of the Tribe of Dan was not taken into captivity per records. Their land was next to the separate country of Judah, and on the Mediterranean Sea. It is said parts of this tribe, flew south from the Assyrians, some stayed with what is today's Jews, and others fled across northern Africa. The tribe of Dan, fished, used ships and could very easily have fled the Middle East for England, Ireland, and the Scandinavian Countries. Over the years, intermarrying and such, their religion and roots vanished. Maybe will never know where they went, but the clues of rivers names,and other places such as Denmark (European spelling has always been Danmark) which means "Mark of Dan" still exists. I leave it up to you to explain..................... One can not deny the evidence of proof of at least one and most likely more tribes and their origins and existence. I hope you had as much fun reading this as I did researching it.

Greg Lampman