I can understand how some people, blinded either by ignorance or antisemitism, might see some validity to the completely discredited 1976 book by Arthur Koestler, The Thirteenth Tribe, but the last place I would expect to find such people is in a messianic Jewish congregation. Unfortuantely, I was there when the topic came up and was appalled when it was taken seriously and given credibility by a couple of people there. I was even more surprised when they ignored me after I warned them the book was, at best, fringe material with no credibility.

For those not in the know, The Thirtennth Tribe alleges that Ashkenazi Jews are all descended from an eastern European group know as the Khazars, none of whom are genetic Jews. It then further alleges that the modern state of Israel is primarily made up of such “fake Jews” and, therefore, Israel is not a legitimate Jewish state.

Of course, there is absolutely no truth to Koestler’s book, which has been discredited not only by other historians, but by recent genetic research into Ashkenazi bloodlines. I could go on to cite a boatload of details as to why and how Koestler’s theory is wrong in every possible respect, but that would dignify the hateful theory more than it deserves.

Sadly, Koestler himself was born a Hungarian Jew from the Ashkenazi lineage, and he should have known better. It may be notable, however, that he was 71 at the time he wrote the book and may not have been of the same intellectual capacity as he was in his prime, as one of London’s most outspoken anti-Communists.

Unfortuantely, although the book has been discredited for decades, it is still used in Muslim countries and among anti-Israeli hate groups as a polemic against the state of Israel. Much like another complete work of antsemitic propegandistic literature, The Protocols of the Elders of Zion, The Thirteenth Tribe’s influence will likely never disappear completely as long as anti-Semitism exists in teh world.

Still, it was disheartening to see two messianic believers discussing the book so uncritically and ramming home their ideas about it, completely unable to detect the antisemitic nature of the book, even after it was pointed out to them.