“And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations…” Deut. 4:27
The fall of Parthia
The Sassanian Persians conquered the Parthian Empire in 226 A.D. So where did such a large and widespread group of Parthian Israelites go? Many men were killed in the two preceding wars; the Parthian-Roman War of 216-217, a Parthian victory, and the Parthian-Persian war, three battles of rebelling Persians beginning 220 A.D. ending 226 A.D. with a Persian victory. The Sassanian Persians acted quickly to expel Parthians from the region, completely destroying the city of Hatra which would not recognize Persian rule. They also killed all Arsacids (royal family) they could find. Anyone opposing their authority had reason to fear for their lives. The Parthians really had no place to go but toward the northwest. To the west was the Roman Empire, to the south were the Arabian Desert and the sea, to the east and northeast were the expanding oriental populations which had driven other Scythians westward into Parthia centuries ago.
To the northwest they could expect to find refuge because of their kinsmen, the Scythians. Also, the Parthian rulers had established good relations with the Dacians of eastern Europe, who were also enemies of Rome. But the best reason to migrate to the northwest was because of Parthia’s farthest province, which had repelled the Persians in battle and retained their independence and Arsacid ruler! That province was Armenia and it was there that “a number of the princes [of Parthia] found refuge in Armenia, where the Arsacid dynasty maintained itself till A.D. 429.” (Encyclopedia Britannica, The Sassanian Empire, p. 580)
Reality: It's Not What It Is; It's what we Think It Is
“Almost everyone believes that they see things as they are. Almost no one does. Our perception of reality rules our lives no matter what we think. Propagandists know the very high manipulative value of peoples’ expectations based on their perception of reality….So the difference in people is the way they think. Our individual perception of reality controls our thought processes. Our thought processes control our lives. Word manipulation and semantic trickery controls our thoughts and our total being.”—Copied from The Bob Livingston Letter, August 2010.
The jews are a small percentage of our population: less than 3%. During the Articles of Confederation they could not vote or hold any office in the states in which; they lived. With the ratification of the U. S. Constitution, jews could hold federal office. They rejoiced; for they knew that the state restrictions would soon be gone too. And they were right.
Now jews will soon hold 1/3 of the Supreme Court judges (33 1/3%). They also hold a much larger percentage than their population in the House of Representatives, Senate, State Governors, State Senators, State Representatives, Mayors, etc. Who are these people? The chosen of God and the covenant people in the Old Testament? Are they descended from Judah? Be careful how you answer these questions: It’s not what it is, it’s what you think it is.
