Tracing Our Israelite Ancestors – Story #4 Israelites in Asia
Did you know that Afghanistan was named after the grandson of King Saul? Saul being the first King of Israel!
Afghani was according to Afghan tribal traditions, a Bani Israel (Israelite) Prince and is the legendary descendant of the Pashtun people (Afghans).
King Saul and Afghani were from the Tribe of Benjamin.
Afghani always was referred to as Malak Hebrew for leader or King. Afghani was the son of Irmia (Jeremia), in turn was the son of Saul. So, Afghani was King Saul’s grandson.
It is mentioned that Afghani was orphaned at a young age, and was brought up by Israelite King David.
When Solomon became King of Israel, Afghani was promoted to Commander-in-Chief of the Israelite Army.
Also, Afghani became the Chief Builder of King Solomon’s Temple.
It is written in the ancient history of Afghanistan that King Solomon, during his Reign over Israel and with Afghani visited Afghanistan and Pakistan.
This trip is recorded in 2 ancient books on Afghanistan history called Concise of Afghanistan and Historical Society of Afghanistan book called Aryana or Ancient Afghanistan.
Afghani loved the mountains and decided to stay in Afghanistan.
According to legend, Malak Afghani after his death was buried in Ghowr, Afghanistan.
This is how Afghanistan got its name, from Afghani!
Afghanistan is an Israelite Name!
Afghan historians have maintained that Pashtuns of Afghanistan are linked to the ancient Israelites.
According to the Encyclopaedia of Islam, the theory of the Pashtun people, the Bani Israel are descended from Israelites.
Afghan historians agree with the commonly held view that when the wandering Tribes of Israel migrated from the Holy Land, some of the tribe of Joseph, along with some other Hebrew tribes, settled in the Afghanistan region.
Hence the Pashtun tribal name Yusufzai in Pashto translates into the “Sons of Joseph”.
This oral tradition is widespread among the Pashtun tribes.
Other connections of ancient Israel to the Afghanistan area…
The city of Balkh in northern Afghanistan, whose ancient original name was the “City of Lot”, after Lot of Sodom and Gomorrah, also after King Solomon’s visit to the “City of Lot”, was nicknamed the “City of Solomon”.
When Alexander the Great conquered Persia, he renamed the “City of Lot” to “Zaraspa”. Was this name changed to connect the Judah/Zara bloodline by Alexander the Great? Was Alexander the Great of the Judah/Zara bloodline from Troy?
Zaraspa has a river flowing through it bearing the same name Zaraspa River and another river called Darapsa.
Here in ancient history, we have Zara’s name and his son’s name Dara together.
About 90 years after Alexander the Great conquered Persia, the Israelite Scythians/Saka Tribes led by the Royal Scythian Tribe named the Parni, in 250 B.C. invaded and conquered his Greek Empire from the east side of the Caspian Sea, to create the Israelite nation of Parthia.
The first 2 capitals of Parthia Empire names were Israelite! Issak was the first capital named after Jacob’s Father Issak and then they moved the Parthian capital up river to a new location and they called it Dara. Yes again, the same Dara who was Zara’s son again!
Why do we not read this in our Western history books???
More Israelite connections to Afghanistan and region……
Another city in Kyrgyzstan, named Osh in the Fergana Valley and just north of Balkh Afghanistan, claims that King Solomon created their city.
From the Kyrgyzstan Travel website…
“Osh City traces its origins back over 3,000 years, making it one of the oldest cities in Central Asia. Legend has it that the city was founded by King Solomon himself, earning it the nickname “Solomon’s Throne.””
This is near where King Solomon climbed the mountain that is named after him and also the mountain range.
Zabul – A province in present day Afghanistan. In ancient days, the whole region of Afghanistan was known as Zabulistan.
Zebulun was one of the sons of Jacob/Israel.
City of Kabul means dirty city in Hebrew.
Kohat – a town in Pakistan, means assembly in Hebrew, and it is also the name of the second son of Levi.
The City of Kerak in Pakistan is also a city in Jordan.
Killa Yahoodi: (Meaning “Jewish Town”) is a town along the Afghanistan border of Pakistan.
Herat, called “The pearl of Khurasan”, is a city in Afghanistan. This city was named after Hara, that the Bible depicted as one of the places where the Nation of Israel was deported to, along with the rivers of Habor (Peshawar River), and the Gozan (Amu River).
The village of Saul (King Saul) is located near Gardez in Afghanistan.
The Famous Khyber Pass was called the “Jew Fort”.
The original population of Bactria were Scythian according to the Iranian Chamber of Commerce. Scythians were Israelites.
Afghanistan and surrounding area was also known as Khorasan.
Khorasan means “The Kingdom of Solomon”!
Khorasan also means “Land of the Rising Sun”.
From an Ancient Poem…
“How was Khorasan, once the Dominion of Solomon
Now become a Kingdom of devils accursed?”
In the eastern part of Khorasan is a massive lake named to this day, Lake Issak.
We can see that 3 different Israelite Tribes such as Judah (King Solomon), Benjamin and Zebulon are represented in Afghanistan.
Also the tribe of Ephraim can be traced to Afghanistan and Iran who were subdivided into four clans, three of which were named the Bachrites, the Eranites and the Tahanites.
Bactria was derived from the Ephraimite clan name of the “Bachrites.”
In later centuries, three powerful tribes of the Scythian-Parthian alliance were the Bactrians, the Eranians and the Dahanites.
These tribes were all clans of the same Israelite tribe of Ephraim grown into exceedingly great numbers.
Numbers 26 35 -36 KJV
35) These are the sons of Ephraim after their families: of Shuthelah, the family of the Shuthalhites: of Becher, the family of the Bachrites: of Tahan, the family of the Tahanites.
36) And these are the sons of Shuthelah: of Eran, the family of the Eranites.
The term “Eran” is an archaic one from which is derived the name of the modern nation of Iran or Aryan. Iran means “Land of the Aryans”.
This how Iran got its name! It’s from Ephraim’s son Eran.
Another Israelite name!
Interestingly, the nation of Iran (although it is now Persian, not Israelite) is still known by the name of a clan of the Israelite tribe of Ephraim which used to live in that region. “D” and “T” are related (and often interchangeable) consonants even as “P” and “B” were often interchangeable consonants in the ancient world, making the Dahanites and the Tahanites the same Ephraimite clan.
I doubt you will ever see the Israelite origin of all these names in any history book.
Bactria, by some writers, was called “The pride of Ariana“!
The ancient local citizenship called it “Bactria the beautiful”.
I have come to the conclusion that King Solomon came to visit Israelite colonies in the Afghanistan region, maybe as a Royal tour or just a trip to visit Israelites themselves……so interesting, so inspiring!
We have made lots of Israelite names and Biblical connections to the Afghanistan area dating back 3,000 years!
I would like to thank Author Steven Collins for inspiring me to do research on the wanderings of the Israelites and I used some information from his 4-book set on our Israelite ancestors. And I highly recommend you order these books for yourself or any family or friends that would appreciate well written and researched books on Israelite ancient history.
1) The Origins and Empire of Ancient Israel
2) Israel’s Lost Empire
3) Parthia: The Forgotten Ancient Superpower
4) Israel’s Tribes Today
Other sources for information
Life magazine Aug 9th 1963 carries the story of Afghani
Pakistan Defence Website
Afghan Jewish Heritage Website
The Geographical Magazine Oct 1st 1878
