When Scotland Was Jewish: DNA Evidence, Archeology, Analysis of Migrations, and Public and Family Records Show Twelfth Century Semitic Roots

Elizabeth Caldwell Hirschman · Donald N. Yates

May 2015 · McFarland

About this ebook

The popular image of Scotland is dominated by widely recognized elements of Celtic culture. But a significant non-Celtic influence on Scotland's history has been largely ignored for centuries? This book argues that much of Scotland's history and culture from 1100 forward is Jewish. The authors provide evidence that many of the national heroes, villains, rulers, nobles, traders, merchants, bishops, guild members, burgesses, and ministers of Scotland were of Jewish descent, their ancestors originating in France and Spain.

Much of the traditional historical account of Scotland, it is proposed, rests on fundamental interpretive errors, perpetuated in order to affirm Scotland's identity as a Celtic, Christian society. A more accurate and profound understanding of Scottish history has thus been buried.

The authors' wide-ranging research includes examination of census records, archaeological artifacts, castle carvings, cemetery inscriptions, religious seals, coinage, burgess and guild member rolls, noble genealogies, family crests, portraiture, and geographic place names.

Ratings and reviews

The Scots are an amalgam of various migrations from the main centres of population in Europe. An aristocracy that was imposed and largely of French Norman origin. Like all of the European origins, coming out of Africa and the middle east in the 35,000 BCE timescale. Links to Russia through the dominant trade of processing Flax into linen, jute, sailcloth with the raw material coming from the Baltic states and Russia. The largest migration of Jews into Scotland was in the 19th century as a result of the pogrom's in Russia and its subject states. The origin of surnames in Scotland following the lines, Donald son of David or Donald Davidson, then, Donald having a son Finlay, Finlay being Finlay Donaldson etc. Census, the first universal census being in 1841, a country already in existence for 10,000 years at this point, tells you that there are large numbers of Irish in Scotland as a result of the potato famines of the early 1800's, the arrival of the industrial revolution needing large amounts of coal, labourers to meet the need coming from the impoverished parts of the British isles. John Knox and the reformation, having taken hold in Scotland, the religion of the Culdies and other monastic traditions, not necessarily aligned with Rome, the on-going history of schism within the Christian churches, point to greater complexity to the psyche and history of my country. Having traced my family in Scotland, living here, my conclusion is 99.99% of the ancient Scot's were poor people, struggling to escape from the circle of ignorance and feudal toil. The yoke of religion being light, a country where up till the 18th century marriage was something that occurred after pregnancy for a huge portion of the populace. The saddest aspect is that there is little written history before the 15th century - no conclusions can be made on anything that ages back 9,500 years before this. So, see the history for what it is, unknown. Postulation that the Scots comes from an invasion of aliens as valid as the nonsense here

I have Scottish ancestry (or at least that is what my Grandmother McDonald told me), so I guess I am appalled at my own stupidity. I am also Jewish (or at least that is what my rabbi tells me), so I guess I don't really exist! No wonder we muddle headed college teachers spend years on impossible topics and write such total fabricated nonsense. My 6th great grandfather was William Cooper, who was hired by Daniel Boone to guide him to Kentucky and clear the Wilderness Road. He was a Mulatto, which meant in the legal terminology of the day, half Indian. Daniel Boone's funding came from wealthy Jewish developers with names like Cohen and Franks and Myers and Gratz. William Cooper married a half Choctaw, half Portuguese Jewish woman who was a secret Jew. Guess I'll always just be a wannabee Jew, though. Always unhappy and trying to be something classier. Like a true Scotsman. Cheers!

My ancestors were the early Scots Irish who helped colonize Virginia, South Carolina, Pennsylvania, and Tennessee. They were also dark eyed and olive skinned. I have also noted that Christmas was not a national holiday in Scotland until the 1960s, which I find unusual. Even if the DNA anthropology is kind of "young" there is enough evidence here to frame a theory, worth pursuing for awhile...

About the author

Elizabeth Caldwell Hirschman is a professor of marketing at Rutgers University in New Brunswick, New Jersey and a professor at the University of Virginia–Wise. She has written widely on genealogy and ethnic identity. Donald N. Yates is an American genealogist, cultural historian and DNA investigator. He lives in Longmont, Colorado. For more information visit his official site at www.donaldyates.com.