#5 by Rev. Bertrand L. Comparet, A.B., J.D.
One of the greatest figures in history is the prophet Jeremiah. God commissioned him to carry out a double task: "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and to pull down and to destroy and to throw down; TO BUILD AND TO PLANT." (Jeremiah 1:10) His rooting out and throwing down was completed when Nebuchadnezzar's Babylonian army finished the deportation of the Kingdom of Judah to Babylon, its last traces being thrown down when the murder of governor Gedaliah was followed by the flight of the survivors to Egypt, compelling Jeremiah to accompany them, despite his warning against this. But WHAT AND WHERE DID HE PLANT? Historically, the Bible does not tell us, as it last mentions him at Tahpanhes, in Egypt.
Just as Jeremiah, in Jerusalem, had warned the people of Judah not to rebel against Babylon, so had Ezekiel, at Babylon, given the same warning, giving the parable of a great eagle which cropped off the top twigs of the cedar tree (an emblem of Judah's royal family), carried it to Babylon and planted it, where it became a low vine; but another eagle came along and the vine grew toward him. Ezekiel says the first eagle is Nebuchadnezzar, and the second is Pharaoh of Egypt, and warns of punishment for breaking the covenant to be a vassal of Babylon. THEN, IN CONTRAST TO WHAT "THE EAGLES" HAVE DONE, GOD SAYS WHAT HE WILL DO:
"Thus saith the Lord God: I also will take of the highest branch of the high cedar and will set it; I will crop off from the top of his young twigs A TENDER ONE, and will plant it upon an high mountain and eminent. IN THE MOUNTAIN OF THE HEIGHT OF ISRAEL WILL I PLANT IT: and it shall bring forth boughs and bear fruit and be a goodly cedar: and under it shall dwell all fowl of every wing; in the shadow of the branches thereof shall they dwell." (Ezekiel 17:22-23) Feminine words are used for "young twigs a tender one", though masculine words would have served as well.
Nebuchadnezzar killed all the sons of the King of Judah, thinking this destroyed the royal family; but under Israel law, when there were no sons the inheritance went to the daughters. (Numbers 27:8) The 43rd and 44th chapters of Jeremiah record that he, with his scribe Baruch, and the king's daughters, were taken by the remnant of the people to Tahpanhes, in Egypt; there he warned them that they were all doomed, except such as could possibly escape from Egypt. THIS ESCAPE IS THE ONLY POSSIBLE FULFILLMENT OF GOD'S PROPHECY THAT JEREMIAH WOULD "BUILD AND PLANT." Churches which like to call Jeremiah "the prophet of Doom" have created the fable that he died in Egypt: but by this they accuse their God of failure and falsehood, for Jeremiah could only "Build and Plant", as God prophesied, after leaving Egypt; so let us see WHAT JEREMIAH BUILT AND PLANTED AND WHERE.
The king's daughters were the "tender twigs" which God said He would plant. Where could Jeremiah have taken them? Remember, it must be to a great Israel nation: "In the mountain in the height of Israel". He did not take them to Babylon, where the people of Judah were captives, for what would have been recorded by Ezekiel and Daniel if it had happened. He would not have been allowed to take them through the Babylonian Empire to where the ten northern Tribes of Israel were by this time known as the Scythians. The record is clear that he did not take them back to the old Kingdom of Judah to stay, though he probably stopped off there long enough to pick up the Ark of the Covenant and Jacob's Pillow, the Stone of Destiny, which had been hidden from the Babylonians. Where else were there Israelite kingdoms? In Greece, in Spain and in Ireland.
Historians agree that Greece was barbarous until a high civilization was brought there by settlers who had come from Egypt, but were not Egyptians, being aliens expelled by the Egyptians. These are the DANAOI, seafarers of the Tribe of Dan, who had left Egypt by sea. The date is approximately that of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt. Also near this date, Ireland had been conquered by highly civilized invaders who came by sea, the Tuatha De Danaan, or Tribe of Dan", who ruled Ireland for about 200 years thereafter.
Another Hebrew migration from Egypt was that of half of the Royal Tribe of Judah. This Tribe consisted of two branches, respectively the descendants of Pharez and of Zarah. The Zarahites were men of great ability, even Solomon being compared to them in wisdom; but the Pharez branch was considered the older, hence entitled to preference as the Royal line. So, the Zarahites sought other lands where their ability might seek its own level. They settled in Crete, also founded the cities of Troy and Miletus. After the fall of Troy, somewhere near 1,000 B.C., Brutus the Trojan and his followers went to England, founding what became the City of London. Miletus became a great power: Milesian coins bore the Lion of Judah; Milesian mercenary troops were hired by Egypt as its chief Border Guards; and Milesians from Spain, with a considerable fleet and army, conquered the Tuatha De Danaan and settled in Ireland, where Milesian civilization lasted as long as Ireland remained independent.
Their language was "Phoenician", which is a Semitic dialect akin to Hebrew and became the Gaelic language of ancient Ireland and Scotland, which even today is nearly identical with Phoenician. The Irish Chronicles also record that the Milesians introduced the Laws of Moses, which remained Irish Law until the time of St. Patrick.
Ancient Irish history records that, about 583 B.C., there came to Ireland from Egypt "Ollam Fodhla" (that which means "The Great Prophet"), with "Brugh" his scribe and Tea Tephi, the daughter of a king. Irish tradition has always identified "Ollam Fodhla" as the Prophet Jeremiah; Brugh, his scribe is, of course, Baruch, mentioned in the Bible as Jeremiah's scribe.
Near Jeremiah's tomb in Ireland, is a stone inscribed with hieroglyphics which show a star formation which could only have been seen about 583 B.C., which was the time of Jeremiah's migration from Egypt. While the Bible records the capture of the Ark of the Covenant by the Philistines, it does not mention its capture by Babylon, although it does mention their looting the golden vessels of the Temple; hence we may be sure the Ark was safely hidden. In taking the king's daughter on his divinely commanded mission TO BUILD AND TO PLANT, Jeremiah would naturally try to take along the remaining sacred objects. While there is no positive record of his taking the Ark, the Irish Chronicles do record his bringing the Stone of Destiny, Jacob's Pillow; and from Ireland, it is historically traced through Scotland to England, where it is now in the Coronation Chair in Westminster Abbey. The family of a member of our congregation had their genealogy traced and published; and it records that one ancestor came to Ireland with the Prophet Jeremiah, this ancestor's duty being that of Custodian of the Stone of Destine. I might add that this is not mere wishful thinking, for the member who had the genealogy traced and published knew nothing of the identity of the Anglo-Saxon people with the Israel of the Bible.
The princess Tea Tephi, brought to Ireland by Jeremiah, is undoubtedly the daughter of King Zedekiah of Judah. She was married to Eochaid, the Heremon (0r Chief King) of Ireland, who was of the Milesian dynasty and therefore of the Zarah branch of the Royal Tribe of Judah: so the two branches of the Royal Tribe were now united in the royal family ruling the free half of Judah. As God said to Jeremiah, He would clip off a tender twig from the highest twigs of the great cedar tree of Judah and plant it "in the mountain of the height of Israel", which was fulfilled by this royal marriage.
Jeremiah was a prophet of doom only to the Palestinian Kingdom of Judah and his prophecies were accurate. But this was not the end, for God said "See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out and pull down and to destroy and to throw down but also to BUILD AND TO PLANT." Having finished the rooting out and throwing down, Jeremiah went on to BUILD AND TO PLANT in Ireland, where God's people, Israel, had established a high civilization, just as God had prophesied.