I begin with the name your country bears, viz. Britain. Various are the conjectures which antiquarians and philologists advanced in order to account why this island is so called. Herodotus calls the British Isles Cassiterides, which signifies, the islands of tin. It is a name whereby the Phœnicians jealously contrived to conceal from their Mediterranean neighbours the locality of these islands, being the remote sources of their wealth. Now, Strabo calls Britain Βρετανικη. Bochart, a profound Oriental scholar, shows that Βρετανικη is a corruption of the Hebrew words ברת אנך Barat-Anach, which are in signification the same with Cassiterides.[1] Is it not highly probable that Jews came over to this island with the Phœnicians, and named it according to its peculiar quality; which designation was ultimately adopted by the aborigines when they began to have intercourse with the Jews.
[1] – See [Appendix F].
Any one having paid critical attention to the early history of this country, can scarcely remain in doubt as regards the existence of an intimate acquaintance between the Jews and the old Britons or Welch. An eminent Cornish scholar of last century, who devoted a great deal of his time to prove the affinity between the Hebrew and Welch languages, observes,[1] “It would be difficult to adduce a single article or form of construction in the Hebrew grammar, but the same is to be found in Welch, and that there are many whole sentences in both languages exactly the same in the very words.” From two columns of quotations, which he adduces, I select the following for your satisfaction, and shall translate them according to the Welch:—
[1] – See Monthly Magazine, 1796, vol. ii., p. 543.
בני אלים
Beni Elyv,
Reared ones of power.—Ps. xxix. 1.
מחיה מתים
Mychweii Methion,
Thou dost quicken those that have failed.