The Thirteenth Tribe,  Arthur Koestler,  Random House,  1976,  187pp.

This book traces the history of Khazaria, a nation formed around 550 A.D. from a major migration of peoples from areas around today's Kashmir, North Pakistan, and northern India. They settled north of The Black Sea and The Caucasus Mountains. The Caspian Sea formed it's eastern boundary, The Danube River it's Western. The Kagan (the kingly title) converted the entire 6 million population to Judaism in 650 A.D. Invasions from the east finally drove The Khazars westward to settle in Poland, East Germany, Hungary, and Romania. They formed the cradle of western Jewry. Today, according to this study, about 70% to 80% of all people in the world today who believe they are Jews actually are NOT as they are not descended through Abraham but are these Ashkenazi "Jews" descended through Indic roots. Ashkenaz was a descendent of Japheth in the Book of Genesis. Another son of Noah, Shem, led to Abraham's line.

The author discusses some parallel evidences that give clues to the origins and influence of these people including a study of Yiddish roots, physical anthropological and cultural anthropological studies, and the origins of the "Shield of David" (Star of David) which had become associated with a Jewish messianic leader in the Twelfth Century named David al-Roy.

There are way too many details, names, place names, etc. to list here. It is ENGROSSING reading! There are also 23 pages of appendices and 9 pages of references.

--RPC, Thursday, October 29, 2009