JESUS' DISCIPLES TO BRITAIN #2

 The Lost Disciples to Britain #2

The Tin Island and Culdee

by George Jowett (1961)

LET THERE BE LIGHT

     WE have identified the sterling character of the Noblis

Decurio, his eminence in religious, political and commercial

affairs in both the Jewish and Roman hierarchy, his intimate

association with the family of Christ, and particularly the

powerful influence he exercised in the last tragic days of Jesus,

from the scene of the illegal trial for life to the time Joseph,

with his companions, were banished from Judea, to their arrival

at Marseilles, in Gaul. It will be helpful if we pause to

consider the world of A.D. 36, before beginning the fascinating

story of Joseph's landing in Britain with his companions and 

what followed.

     Due to the historic discrepancies that commonly exist

concerning this era, it is important that one becomes familiar,

if but slightly, with the histories of the peoples of the various

nations who played an active part in the Christian drama. We

commonly find much confusion and misunderstanding caused 

by the random translation of names and places into the various 

languages that then prevailed. Historians do not quote, or even 

refer, to the language then spoken by the original Britons and 

Gauls.

Reference is generally given piecemeal from the Greek or Latin,

which had not the slightest affinity with the Cymric tongue.

Perhaps unwittingly, historians have been the worst offenders in

erecting barriers to the truth, subscribing to the unsupportable

belief that Britain, for centuries before and after A.D. 36, was

an island populated by wild savages, painted barbarians

completely devoid of culture and religious conscience.

     Nonchalantly, the reporters wrote off those majestic years

as being steeped in myth, legend and folklore.

     The strange distortion of ancient Britain is the most incredible 

paradox in history. One could be forgiven for thinking that certain 

academic minds had deliberately entered into a joint conspiracy 

to defame the history of those islands and their inhabitants. 

It is not as though the truth were hidden. They had but to read the 

classical histories of Rome, Greece and Gaul, as their course 

affected Britain, and compare notes with the early British Triads. 

It required but a mite of effort on their part to search the old 

church records and the stored tomes in the British Museum Library 

and other libraries at hand, replete with concrete evidence 

contradicting the spurious writers. In addition, thousands of 

Cymric Triads and monastic documents exist, particularly in 

the Vatican Library, as well as the historic versions of the earliest 

British historians, Celtic and Saxon. A few enlightened historians 

did cast gleams of light on the truth, but it was darkened and made 

obscure by the mass of irresponsible literature foisted on the public.

     Truth was lost in unbelievable error.

     Strange as it may seem, it was the enemies of ancient

Britain who wrote at length with candour the most faithful

description of the early Britons, showing that they possessed an

admirable culture, a patriarchal religion, and an epochal history

that extended far beyond that of Rome. Modern writers also

confirm their testimony.

     E. O. Gordon, in "Prehistoric London," states that the city

of London (Llandn) was founded two hundred and seventy years

before Rome, in 1020 B.C.

     The famed British archaeologist, Sir Flinders Petrie,

discovered at Old Gaza gold ornaments and enamelware of Celtic

origin, dated 1500 B.C., and in reverse found Egyptian beads at

Stonehenge.

     The art of enamelling is early identified with Britain as is

the production of tin. The ancient Briton was the inventor of

enamelling. He was so perfect in this craft that relics reposing

in the British Museum, and the Glastonbury Museum, such as the

famous Glastonbury bowl (over two thousand years old), and the

beautiful Desborough mirror are as perfect as the day they were

made. They are magnificent examples of "La Tene" art, as the

Celtic design is named, their geometric beauty and excellence

being beyond the ability of modern craftsmen to duplicate.

     In "Early Britain," by Jacquetta Hawkes, page 32, we read

"These Yorkshire Celts, beyond all other groups, seem to have

been responsible for establishing the tradition of La Tene art.

... Nearly all the finest pieces are luxuries reflecting the

taste of warriors who enjoyed personal magnificence and the

trapping out of their wives and horses. Brooches to fasten the

Celtic cloak, bracelets, necklaces, pins, hand mirrors, harness

fittings, bits and horse armour, helmets, sword scabbards and

shields were among the chief vehicles of La Tene art. They show

on the one hand strong plastic modelling, and on the other

decorative design incised, in low relief, or picked out in

coloured enamel. Both plastically and in the flat the Celtic work

shows an extraordinary assurance, often a kind of wild delicacy,

far surpassing its Greek prototypes. In these the finest artists

achieved a marvellous control of balanced symmetry in the design

and equally in its related spaces."

     S. E. Winbold, in Britain B.C., writes:

"The Celtic curvilinear art, circa 300 B.C. and of which the

famous Glastonbury bowl is a good example, reached its zenith

development in Britain."

     Roman testimony states that captive Britons taught the

Romans the craft of enamelling.

     Herodotus, father of profane history, circa 450 B.C., wrote,

of the British Isles and its people, under the name of

Cassiterides, remarking on their talent in the metal industry.

Julius Caesar, following his campaign in Britain, 55 B.c., wrote

with admiration of their culture, their sterling character,

ingenuity in commerce and craftsmanship. He refers in amazement

to the number of populous cities, the architecture, universities

of learning, the numerical population of England, and

particularly to their religion with its belief in the immortality

of the soul.

(Obviously the druids of Britain did not have all truth, they did

have false doctrine among many truths - the immortality of the

sould being one of those false doctrines - Keith Hunt)

MIGRATIONS

     Ancient historians record the exploits of the Kimmerians-

Kimmerii-Keltoi-Kelts, in their migrations through Europe into

Britain. Modern historians refer to their passage and somehow

leave and lose them on the European continent. Yet modern

ethnologists have correctly charted their migrations from their

ancient source in the East to their final destination in Gaul and

Britain, which were uninhabited before their arrival.

     Archaeologists have uncovered their past from the Crimea to

Britain as factually as they have substantiated the historic

existence of Babylon and Chaldea.

     Long before they were known as Kimmerians, the prophet

Isaiah addressed himself plainly to the inhabitants of "The Isles".

     Why historians have mutilated the facts, submerging in myth

and mystery the antiquity of Britain, is a tragedy that baffles

the mind.

     While it is stated that the ancient Phoenician script is an

ancestor of our own, philologists assert that the Keltic or

Cymric tongue is the oldest living language. Its root words have

a basic affinity with ancient Hebrew. In making this statement it

should be pointed out that the original tongue of the Biblical

characters had little association with modern Hebrew. The ancient

language was devoid of vowels. Modern Hebrew was not formulated

until the sixth century. To the modern Jew, the original Hebrew

is a lost tongue.

(On visiting Wales today you will find in many stores things like

tea-towels with the words on them "Welsh, the oldest living 

language in Europe" - yes Europe not Britain. I talked to a 

Welshman and he told me that if you could raise from the dead 

a Kelt from 500 B.C. the two of them would speak and understand 

each other perfectly in the Welsh language - Keith Hunt)

     In the Bible we read of Ezra bewailing the fact that his

brethren could not understand their native language and,

therefore, on their return to Jerusalem from the Babylonian

captivity, 536 B.C., Ezra was obliged to read the law to them in

the Assyrio-Chaldean language.

     Modern Hebrew is like Greek and Latin, a classical language.

The Jew of today reads and speaks in Yiddish, a conglomeration 

of several languages.

     In the same manner as many modernists prate the dead, false

theory of evolution, the prejudiced, and uninformed continue to

regard the ancient British language as a mixture of several,

regardless of philologic contradiction.

     Abundant proof exists today that the ancient language is

still alive. It is frequently spoken in Wales, Cornwall, Ireland,

Scotland. and in Brittany and Normandy. Available are many old

Bibles written in the Celtic languages. One of the most prominent

Scottish newspapers is published in the old tongue, and an

adaptation of the Celtic is the official language of Eire.

     It is interesting to know the important part the ancient language 

played in World War I. When the Allied Command could

find no other method to prevent German Intelligence from

deciphering the Allied wire messages, it was Lloyd George,

Britain's wartime Prime Minister, who suggested that the ancient

language, which he spoke fluently, be employed. Its use

completely baffled German Intelligence, preventing further code

interception. This could not have been possible if the Cymric

tongue was garbled. It had to be grammatically organized and

intelligible.

     Even today, nothing is more distorted than the modern

histories of world nations. They are either subject to political

chauvinism, or glorified idolatry by super-patriots. The historic

truth seems to be unpopular. Reporters seem to revel in biased

national opinion, with an inclination to judge from the

materialistic level of intelligence. Anything different is

ignorant, medieval or prejudiced. They tend to describe their own

native history according to their Party philosophy, ignoring its

transition in name and language from the past. They fail to

recognize the significant fact that language and geography is no

criterion of race. There is change in everything. Language

changes, so does the geographical habitation of people, but not

race. To evaluate the history of any race we must recognize the

progressive changes as they appear in language, religion, social

custom, and their adaptation to geographical residence. We must

ever be on guard against the distorters, the irresponsible, the

charlatan and the atheist. Their warped minds are motivated by

bigotry, prejudice, intolerance, religious and racial hatred.

They delight in destroying the champions of the truth. What they

do not understand they scofflingly label as tradition. Actually,

they do not understand the meaning of the word. To them it means

a myth. Disraeli eloquently said: "A tradition can neither be

made nor destroyed."

(Since 1961 when the author was publishing this work, what he

said about historians was very correct. Since then historians

have had to admit historic truth they would not accept, so things

have changed, and British ancient history is now admitted to be

correct as preserved by the Welsh and others - Keith Hunt)

     A tradition is a truth, though garnished with degrees of

exaggeration in the passage of time from repetitive retelling. It

can be clearly elucidated by separating the chaff from the wheat.

Through the common practice of generalizing we are prone to use

terms loosely, which easily side-track us into forming faulty

conclusions. Arising out of this habit we have come to generalize

the meaning of the word "Christian", insinuating that all

followers of Jesus were known by that name from the beginning. 

In actual fact, the name "Christian" had not then been coined. It

was not created until years after His death. To the Judean, the

Greek, and the Roman world, the early adherents to the new Gospel

were known as "Followers of The Way". Jesus had said, "I am The

Way." To all His devotees He was "The Way". In their devotions

they referred to Christ and His spiritual philosophy as "The

Way".

CULDEE

     The title, "Christian", is claimed to have originated at

Antioch, following the enthusiastic reception given to the

disciples who fled there in A.D. 36. It is nearer to the truth

that the inhabitants of this ancient city referred to the

converts as "Little Christs", and, "Little men of Christ". These

labels are by no means the correct interpretation of the name

"Christian". The word is a composite of Greek and Hebrew.

"Christ" is the Greek word meaning "consecrated", and "ian" 

is from the Hebrew word "am", meaning a person, or people.

Therefore, the true meaning of the word "Christian" is

"consecrated people".

     Early ecclesiastics and historians definitely state that the

word is of British origin. Philologists also support its claim to

British invention; created by the British priesthood, among whom

the Christian movement gained its first and strongest impetus.

Substantiation is found in the statement by Sabellus, A.D. 250,

who wrote: "The word Christian was spoken for the first time in

Britain, by those who first received The Word, from the Disciples

of Christ."

     It is interesting to note that the Bethany group who landed

in Britain, was never referred to by the British priesthood as

Christians, nor even later when the name was in common usage.

They were called "Culdees", as were the other disciples who later

followed the Josephian mission into Britain.

     There are two interpretations given to the word "Culdee", or

"Culdich", both words purely of the Celto--British language, the

first meaning "certain strangers", and the other as explained by

Lewis Spence, who states that "Culdee" is derived from

"Ceile-De", meaning, "servant of the Lord". In either case the

meaning is appropriate.

     This title, applied to Joseph of Arimathea and his companions, 

clearly indicates that they were considered as more than ordinary 

strangers. The name sets them apart as somebody special. In this 

case, since they arrived in Britain on a special mission with a 

special message, we can fairly accept the title meant to identify 

them as "certain strangers, servants of the Lord".

     In the ancient British Triads, Joseph and his twelve

companions are all referred to as Culdees, as also are Paul,

Peter, Lazarus, Simon Zelotes, Aristobulus and others. This is

important. The name was not known outside Britain and therefore

could only have been assigned to those who actually had dwelt

among the British Cymri. The name was never applied to any

disciple not associated with the early British missions. Even

though Gaul was Celtic, the name was never employed there. 

In later years the name Culdee took on an added significance,

emphasizing the fact that the Culdee Christian Church was the

original Church of Christ on earth. It became a title applied to

the church, and to its High Priests, persisting for centuries in

parts of Britain, after the name had died out elsewhere in favour

of the more popular name, Christian. Culdees are recorded in

church documents as officiating at St. Peter's, York, until A.D.

936. And, according to the Rev. Raine, the Canons of York were

called Culdees as late as the reign of Henry II. In Ireland a

whole county was named Culdee, declared with emphasis when

reference was heard at a court hearing in the seventeenth

century, as to its laws. The name Culdee, and Culdich, clung

tenaciously to the Scottish Church, and its prelates, much longer

than elsewhere.

     Cambell writes in "Reullura":

     The pure Culdees

     were Alby's [Albion] earliest priests of God,

     ere yet an island of her seas,

     by foot of Saxon monk was trod.

LANGUAGES AND GREEK

     In the days of Christ the popular language of the East was

Greek, more so than Roman. Aramaic and Hebrew were chiefly

confined to the Judeans. Jesus was, in all probability, fluent in

Aramaic, Hebrew, Greek and Latin. And, if what we are told is

factual, He was also versed in the Celtic language. The cultured

people of the Roman province of Palestine were conversant with

Greek, Hebrew and Latin.

     The Septuagint translation of the Old Testament was written

in Greek at Alexandria, 285 B.C. It is interesting to note that

this work was compiled by seventy Jewish scholars, and not Greek,

as was generally supposed.

     Centuries before Christ, the Greek-language was well known

to the ancient British, from commercial association with the

Phoenicians, Greek tin traders and sailors. Julius Caesar tells us 

that the Druids employed the Greek script in all their commercial 

transactions. 

TIN ISLAND

At this particular period of British history, the island was more

commonly referred to by its industry than by its British name.

Known as the Cassiterides, meaning "Tin Island", it was for many

centuries the only country in the world where tin was mined and

refined, Aristotle, 350 B.C. is one of the first writers to name

Britain, the "Tin Islands". Herodotu uses the name earlier, circa

450 B.C. (Bk.3:115).

     Julius Caesar writes of his visit to the famous Spanish tin

mine at Talavera, 50 B.C. Many centuries before tin was

discovered at Talavera the tin trade flourished in Britain. In

fact, Spanish history tells of a close association with Cornwall

and it appears that the Spanish Government sought the skilled

miners of Cornwall, to instruct them in obtaining the wolfram and

in constructing the mines. Many Cornish names appear in Talaveran

tin mining history of men who were instructors, superintendents,

overseers and foremen and experts in assaying the rock. Proof of

British superiority in the tin industry and its affluent world-wide 

trade is referred to by Herodotus 450 B.C., Pytheas 353 B.C., 

Aristotle 350 B.C., Polybius 150 B.C., Diodorus Siculus, Posidonius 

and others, most of whom wrote long before the Christian era. 

Each deals at length with the British tin industry in Cornwall and 

Devon, explaining the paths of transportation from Britain, overland 

and by sea to the various ports on the Mediterranean and elsewhere 

in the known world of that time.

     The ancient ships of biblical Tarshish were the first navigators 

to transport tin and lead from Britain to the nations of the empiric 

world. Their navy controlled the seas and later became known 

in history as the Phoenicians. The tin that garnished the splendour 

of the Palace of Solomon, 1005 B.C., was mined and smelted into 

ingots at Cornwall and thence shipped by the Phoenicians to Palestine.

     Creasy, the eminent British historian, in his "History of England," 

writes: "The British mines mainly supplied the glorious adornment 

of Solomon's temple."

     For many years the Phoenicians held a monopoly on the

transportation of British tin over the sea lanes. They guarded

their secret jealously. It is well known that when followed by

other seacraft, seeking to learn the source of their trade, their

mariners would deliberately strike a false course, and in

extremity would purposely wreck their vessel. This sacrifice was

reimbursed out of the Phoenician treasury. For confirmation of

this it is interesting to quote Strabo, who died A.D. 25

"Anciently the Phoenicians alone, from Cadis, engrossed this

market, hiding the navigation from all others. When the Romans

followed the course of a vessel that they might discover the

situation, the jealous pilot wilfully stranded the ship, misleading 

those who were tracing him to the same destruction. Escaping from 

shipwreck, he was indemnified for his losses out of the public treasury."

     The Phoenicians of Carthage were more, successful. Anxious

to share in the trade of Cadis, an expedition under Hamilco

passed the Straits about 450 B.C., and sailing to the north,

discovered the Tin Island.

     Ptolemy and Polybius, vigorously support Diodorus, writing

of the friendliness of the people of Cornwall and of Dammonia,

which was the name then applied to Devon. These locales were

where the tin mining chiefly existed. In the making of bronze,

tin was the main alloy. Thus it can be safely said that the Bronze 

Age had its inception in Britain. Knowledge of this fact

alone is sufficient to refute all malicious insinuation that the

ancient Britons were barbarian.

(Most historians today agree that B.C. Britain was FAR from

barbarianism - Keith Hunt)

     By necessity, to excel in mining and smelting tin and lead,

to be proficient in casting metal, and expert in enamelling, a

people must be intelligent in the science of minerology and

metallurgy.

     The world-wide demand for these precious metals beat a sea

lane to Britain's shores, bringing its inhabitants in close contact 

with the ancient powers. Consequently, it is quite understandable 

why the British, with the foundation of their own language steeped 

in ancient Hebrew, and their knowledge of Greek, could be responsible 

for coining the word "Christian". Also, we can understand why many 

of the oldest landmarks in this area of Britain abound in Hebrew names.

(Many have seen the connection between Welsh and ancient Hebrew

languages - neither of them used vowels - and the pronouncing of

words had to be handed down from generation to generation. So

today nobody can pronounce Welsh unless you are verbally taught

as it contains no vowels - Keith Hunt)

     The association of Joseph of Arimathea with the tin industry

in Cornwall is positive. Fragments of poems and miners' songs,

handed down through the centuries, make frequent reference to

Joseph. It has long been customary for the miners to shout when

they worked, "Joseph was a tin man", "Joseph was in the tin

trade."

     These were their chief trade slogans which identified Joseph

as a prominent person in the British tin industry.

KELTS

     At the time of our story, the islanders were known racially

as Kelts, derived from their historical racial name Kimmerian-

Kimmerii-Kymry-Keltoi-Kelt. The letter 'C' began to substitute

the letter 'K' in spelling the name, but the pronunciation is the

same. Even in those remote times the name Kelt took on a

different enunciation and spelling, arising out of native patois.

Then, as today, we find the descendants of this ancient people in

England and Wales referred to as Celts, the inhabitants of

Hibernia - Ireland - as Kelts, Gaels, in Scotland and the people

of Gaul, now France, as Gauls - Gallic. Ethnically they are all

the same people. The meaning of the word in each case is

"stranger", indicating that a Celt, Kelt, Gael or a Gaul were

strangers to the land in which they dwelt, not an aborigine as

some would have us suppose. It is important to note, though they

were strangers to the land, they were its first settlers, securing their 

new homeland in peace, and not with the sword, since there were 

no people to conquer.

(Brutus the Trojon from the city of Troy - the famous Troy/Greek

wars - came with his band of settlers to Britain about 1100 B.C.

and were its first permenant settlers. The Trojons were from the

house of Judah, they left the tribe of Judah and settled the city

of Troy - Keith Hunt)

     They were truly colonizing strangers in a virgin land.

We know they were strangers to Britain and Gaul, though very

ancient, but, like a silver thread woven in a dark woof we can

trace their wanderings as one people from their original homeland

beyond the Euphrates river, for over three thousand years B.C. to

their new domicile in the Mystic Isles, and in Gaul.

     Francois Guizot, the authoritative French historian in his

"Histoire de la Civilisation en France," writes: "The Gauls, or

Celts, had the honour of giving their name FIRST to this land."

The name of the Gaul persisted until about the middle of the

fifth century, when the Gothic Franks, under the leadership of

Meroveus, invaded, and settled the land, displacing the Gaul in

numbers and in name.

     The national name "France" is derived from the tribal name

of Frank, meaning "Freeman". Yet, the Gaul left his impress on

the land in his co-British name in the first province he founded.

Today it is still known by its original ancient name - Brittany.

At one time the Continent had been land-locked with Britain,

until a natural upheaval caused the present separation. Evidently

for a considerable length of time the separation was not too

widely marked. In the ancient Druidic Triads we read of a Gaulish

bishop, walking over the divide across a plank as he journeyed

from Gaul to pay the annual tithe to the mother Druidic Church in

Britain.

     Despite the washing of the lands by the seas for many

centuries, the distance between Dover and Calais today is only

twenty-four miles.

     Separated, the island became geographically known as

Britain, and the nearby Continental section as Gaul.

..........

To be continued with "The Glory in the Name"

NOTE:

In the last 40 years Scotland and Wales have become very "proud

of their nations" and their long history and culture and language; 

hence finally the Anglo-Saxon English have acknowledged and 

admitted to the truth of the historical records kept preserved by 

the Scottish and Welsh people - Keith Hunt