The Kingdoms of Central Asia - Sogdiana / Samarkand / Bactria

philadelphos

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Please post any info here about Sogdia/Sogdiana, Samarkand, Bactria, and anything related. Particularly history, culture, language. This fringe region is shrouded in mystery, eclipsed and sandwiched between Persia and China, yet there is evidence of movement, paper trails, artefacts, that indicate possible travel from Israel, Syria/Persia, eastward into China, also south-east into Northern India.

There is living and documented evidence of movement/migration/assimilation into China, tracing back to time of the first Chinese Emperor and the confederation of clans along the Yellow River.

Dr David A. Law, From Samaria to Samarkand: The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, 1992, From Samaria to Samarkand: The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel by David A. Law

Blurb:

Many people have speculated on the destiny of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, which were carried away by the Assyrians in 722 B.C. Even serious attempts to find remnants of the Ten Lost Tribes have never proved where they are now located. This book primarily shows evidence that the tribes went to Samarkand and that their descendants still live in that area. Samarkand has been called a mysterious, exotic, or grand city by different authors. However, little is known about its origin, name and people, even though it has existed for more than 2500 years and was a hub of the Great Silk Route from China and the Great Spice Route from India. The author noticed, after visiting the city in 1971, an amazing number of similarities between the people there and the tribes. This book will interest religious groups, biblical historians and historians of ancient history.


I'll try to organise sources under 'primary' and 'secondary' even though there's often a mix of both within the contents. i.e. commentary, analysis, bibliography of various historians, archaeologists, linguists, etc.

Primary Sources:

Sogdian Ancient Letter I & II, Ancient Letters | The Sogdians

In FIG. 3 Nicholas Sims-Williams (School of Oriental and African Studies) discusses the “Sogdian Ancient Letters.”

Sogdian Ancient Letter II, Sogdian Ancient Letter II · Telling the Sogdian Story: A Freer|Sackler Digital Exhibition Project

Sogdian Ancient Letter III, Sogdian Ancient Letter III: Letter to Nanaidhat · Telling the Sogdian Story: A Freer|Sackler Digital Exhibition Project

Sandalwood at Horyu-ji Temple in Nara, pre-761 CE, Sandal wood in the Horyuji Temple · Telling the Sogdian Story: A Freer|Sackler Digital Exhibition Project

"These rare items are preserved in the treasury of the Horyu-ji Temple in Nara. According to ink inscriptions on the wood, these pieces had reached Japan at some point before 761 CE, (Yoshida, 1993, 256; Yajima, 1989, 137), and attest to the wide international network of Sogdian trade. ... There is evidence that Sogdian seafaring merchants based in Southeast Asia were involved in the Buddhist interactions between South Asia and China as much as on the mainland, and that Chinese Sogdians were involved in spreading the religion by the northern routes (Sen, 2014, 48). Two kinds of “Silk Road”, the overland and the maritime, coexisted for most of the first millennium AD, and in mercantile activities of both sets of travellers had a major role (Sen, 2014, 41). ... These sandalwoods could have arrived to Japan either by a combination of the overland and the sea roads, or else directly by ship from Sri Lanka or India."

NYU, Telling the Sogdian Story, Telling the Sogdian Story: A Freer|Sackler Digital Exhibition Project

Other NYU search results under "sogdian": Search (59 total) · Telling the Sogdian Story: A Freer|Sackler Digital Exhibition Project


Secondary Sources:

Iranica Online, SOGDIANA iii. HISTORY AND ARCHEOLOGY, Welcome to Encyclopaedia Iranica

The History Files, Far East Kingdoms - Central Asia, Kingdoms of Central Asia - Sogdiana / Samarkand

Joseph Naveh and Shaul Shaked, Aramaic Documents from Ancient Bactria
(Fourth Century BCE.), 2012,
Aramaic Documents from Ancient Bactria (Fourth Century BCE.)

Quote: "This is the first publication of a group of 30 documents on leather in Official Aramaic, dating to the 4th century bc and reflecting the practice of the Achaemenian administration in Bactria and Sogdiana..."

Reviewed Work: Les Sogdiens en Chine. Études thématiques 17 by ÉTIENNE DE LA VAISSIÈRE, ÉRIC TROMBERT, Review: [Untitled] on JSTOR

Valerie Hansen, THE SILK ROAD PROJECT REUNITING TURFAN'S SCATTERED TREASURES, 1999, THE SILK ROAD PROJECT REUNITING TURFAN'S SCATTERED TREASURES on JSTOR

Étienne de la Vaissière, Sogdians in China: A Short History and Some New Discoveries, Sogdians in China: A Short History and Some New Discoveries

Étienne de la Vaissière, 粟特商人史 (Chinese translation of Sogdian Traders), 2012,
粟特商人史 (Chinese translation of Sogdian Traders)

Times of Israel, Ancient and Unique Uzbekistan: Samarkand region II, 2021, Ancient and Unique Uzbekistan: Samarkand region II

Judith A. Lerner with Matthew Z. Dischner, THE (RE)DISCOVERY OF THE SOGDIANS: From Ancient Texts to 3D Scanning,
The (Re)discovery of the Sogdians | The Sogdians

Frantz Grenet et al, The Sogdian Ancient Letter V, The Sogdian Ancient Letter V on JSTOR

Qi Xiaoyan, Samarqand’s Cast Coinage from the Early Seventh to the Mid-Eighth Century AD: An Assessment Based on Chinese Sources and Numismatic Evidence, 2019, Samarqand’s Cast Coinage from the Early Seventh to the Mid-Eighth Century AD on JSTOR

Lucas Christopoulos, Hellenes and Romans in Ancient China (240 BC – 1398 AD), 2012, http://www.sino-platonic.org/complete/spp230_hellenes_romans_in_china.pdf

Quote: The independent kingdom of Bactria claimed by Diodotes gave rise to a distinctive culture that mixed Persian, Indian and Greek elements, and its later expansion eastward eventually had a great impact on the Chinese world. The Greco-Bactrians and their Hellenized Scythian troops reached China through the Tarim Basin and established colonies in its southern portion, along the northern range of the Himalayas. The eastern part of the Roman Empire then took the relay, thronged with travelers, embassies and traders reaching China through Sri Lanka, the Kushana Empire and India, following the Spice Road from Roman Egypt.

About the Hephtalites:

Étienne de la Vaissière, Is There a "Nationality of the Hephtalites"?, 2003, Is There a "Nationality of the Hephtalites"? on JSTOR

Quote: "This paper deals with the Chinese sources on the Hephtalites, showing that the oldest one was not fully analyzed. It demonstrates that the Hephtalites arrived in Central Asia in the fourth century and that there was only one wave of nomadic invasions. The Hephtalites should be regarded as a tribal and political confederation, and certainly not as a linguistic or ethnic one."


About Sakas:

According to Herodotus (IV.64): "The Sacae, or Scyths, were clad in trousers, and had on their heads tall stiff caps rising to a point. They bore the bow of their country and dagger; besides which they carried the battle axe, or sagaris. They were in truth Armygian (Western) Scythians, but the Persians called them Sacae, since that was the name which they gave to all Scythians."


Chinese Language Key:
  1. Dayuan (大宛 Dai Yuan) in Fergana
  2. Yuezhi (月氏 Yuet Si, later 月支) (the Kushans)
  3. Daxia (大夏 Dai Haa) Bactria
  4. Kangju (康居 Hong Geoi) the royal house is related to Yuezhi
  5. Anxi (安息 On Sik)(Arsacid territories)
  6. Tiaozhi (條支/条支 Tin Zi) (Seleucid Empire in Mesopotamia)
  7. Shendu (身毒 San Duk) (India)
  8. Wusun (烏孫 Wu Syun)
  9. Yutian or Khotan (于闐國 Jyu Tin Gwok)
  10. Yancai (奄蔡, Vast Steppe)(Yim Coi)
  11. Xiong Nu (匈奴)
Most if not all of these places were reported by Zhang Qian 張騫 (Cheung Hin) in 125 BC to the Chinese emperor.

* Trolls: This 'History & Genealogy' thread/section is not the place for theological argument/debate challenging intents and purposes. If you are genuinely interested however, I suggest reading the sources listed in light of promises/prophecies in Scripture. e.g. Ezekiel 37, Joel 3, Isaiah 49.

"Thus saith the Lord GOD; Behold, I will take the children of Israel from among the heathen, whither they be gone, and will gather them on every side, and bring them into their own land: And I will make them one nation in the land upon the mountains of Israel; and one king shall be king to them all..." (Ezek 37:21-22)

"For, behold, in those days, and in that time, when I shall bring again the captivity of Judah and Jerusalem, I will also gather all nations, and will bring them down into the valley of Jehoshaphat, and will plead with them there for my people and for my heritage Israel, whom they have scattered among the nations, and parted my land." (Joel 3:1-2)
 
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dqhall

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The Assyrians conquered Israelite lands north of Judah and deported most of the inhabitants. These tribes lost their national identity and religion. Next the Babylonians invaded and deported the Jews of Judah leaving a few of the poor on the land. The Samaritans survived two deportations living in the mountains. They intermarried. They built a temple on Mt. Gerazim and retained the Torah, copying Torah scrolls. Cyrus of Persia conquered Babylon and allowed the Jews there to return to Judah.During the Persian period there was a group of Jews serving in the Persian army on Elephantine Island, Egypt. They left papyrus texts behind preserved in the arid climate. The earliest extant reference to the Passover was found there.

As for Bactria, the only thing I can remember about it is the two humped Bactrian camel.
 
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Tolworth John

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Many people have speculated on the destiny of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel

They went into a physical exile from Israel as wel as into a spiritual exile from God.
They were being punished for there continued rebellion against God as they worshipped idols etc.
In exile they would have continued that rejection of God and worship of the local idols untill they were assimulated into the local population.
Those who were faithfull got called back to Israel.

Search for the lost tribes, you might as well look for the phonicians or carthagians.
 
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philadelphos

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They went into a physical exile from Israel as wel as into a spiritual exile from God.
They were being punished for there continued rebellion against God as they worshipped idols etc.
In exile they would have continued that rejection of God and worship of the local idols untill they were assimulated into the local population.
Those who were faithfull got called back to Israel.

Search for the lost tribes, you might as well look for the phonicians or carthagians.

Archaeological evidence and historical evidence supports idol worship in Central Asia, at least in the wealthy established cities. Findings as early as 650 BC predates Confucianism & Taoism when numerous 'gods' were worshipped, also predating dynastic imperial China. It was still 'Ancient China' then. Farming methods, fire-making, and medicine, were undergoing trial and error, and worship of such things hadn't happened. There was no superstition surrounding this until some generations later.

Central Asians and Zoroastrians however had been worshipping such things, which evidently spread throughout Chinese religion/culture. Many influences apparently.

Quote:

Two temples stood on artificial platforms within this sacred precinct, which priests entered by means of a ramp and a portico gateway (aivan). Temple I was dedicated to Adhvagh, the “great god,” as the Sogdians called Ahura Mazda, the chief deity of the Zoroastrian/Mazdean pantheon. Temple II was dedicated to Nana, the patron goddess of Panjikent, but it also housed chapels dedicated to several local, Iranian, and Hindu deities, all of which reflect a distinctly Sogdian acceptance of other religious traditions. Within the sanctuaries, priests organized ritual processions and performed rites involving lighting fires on altars in front of carved sculptures set into large niches. On some holidays, Panjikenters made food offerings at the temple to celebrate their ancestors and held feasts within the temple. Murals throughout the temples depicted deities and donors who sought divine blessings.

The City of Panjikent and Sogdian Town-Planning, The City of Panjikent and Sogdian Town-Planning | The Sogdians

Imperial China arrived under Qin (Ceon 秦) in 221–206 BC. Cao 曹 who unified/tyrannised China is a Sogdian name, from Central Asia. His forces came from the Western fringes, later known as the Western state of Qin/Ceon (秦國). Similarly, the Near East (Syria/Persia) and the Roman Empire were referred to as 'Big/large/great Qin/Ceon' (大秦), indicating both scale and the foreign and 'Western' origin of this empire or model of reign. Their appearance, metallurgy, and military/warfare skills, were exceptional.

Quote:

The surnames of known Sogdians living in China are often linked to specific Sogdian cities where they or their ancestors originated. For example, Shi Jun’s last name, Shi 史, indicates that his ancestors emigrated from Kesh (modern Shahr-i Sabz, about eighty kilometers south of Samarkand), while An Qie’s, An 安, connects his family to Bukhara . Such surnames also include Kang 康 (Samarkand ); Shi 石 (Chach, modern Tashkent ); Cao 曹 (Kabudhan, north of the Zerafshan River ); He 何 (Kushaniya, northwest of Samarkand ); Mi 米 (Maymurgh, the area around Panjikent , sixty kilometers east of Samarkand); and a few others. Collectively they are best known as the “nine surnames of Zhaowu” (Zhaowu jiuxing 昭武九姓), since the Chinese believed that Sogdians originally made their base at Zhaowu 昭武 or Guzang 姑臧 in the Hexi Corridor (Hexi Zoulang 河西走廊, in Gansu Province). In reality, however, they came from much farther west.

The Nine Sogdian Surnames, The Nine Sogdian Surnames | The Sogdians

Similarly, the Ancient Chinese kingdom of the Zhou Dynasty, that was intertwined with the founding clans/families of China and the first Chinese 'emperor', is of Hebrew origin, from Persian Jews.
  • 艾 āi Mugwort (daisy like plant)
  • ⽯ shí Stone
  • ⾼ gāo High
  • ⾦ jīn Gold
  • 李 lǐ Plum,
  • 張 zhāng (Cheung) Name of a founder of Han dynasty
  • 趙 zhào (or Chou) Name of a state in Zhou dynasty
These Are The Names: Studies in Jewish Onomastics, 2003, https://www2.kenyon.edu/Depts/Religion/Fac/Adler/Reln270/Judaism/Demsky - Kaifeng Jewish names.pdf

View attachment 321008

Per Gen 32:33, "Therefore the children of Israel eat not of the sinew which shrank, which is upon the hollow of the thigh, unto this day: because he touched the hollow of Jacob's thigh in the sinew that shrank."

Jewish Currents, The Long History of Chinese Jews, 2016, The Long History of Chinese Jews

Quote:

During the Ming Dynasty (1368-1644), a Ming emperor assigned seven surnames to Jews, by which they are still known today: Ai, Shi, Gao, Jin, Li, Zhang, and Zhao. Of these, Jin and Shi are reminiscent of Western Jewish names: Gold and Stone. The 1489 inscription lists seven others: Yen, Kao, Mu, Huang, Nie, An, Zuo, Bai, and Zhou. Apparently, only seven names survived after 1642.

The naming system is the same as Ashkenazic Jews: Berg and Stein, from Yiddish, barg (mountain) and shteyn (stone). More on this later.
 
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philadelphos

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Aleksandr Naymark, Returning to Varakhsha, Returning to Varakhsha

The Palace of Toghshada, quote: On the first glance the clearly [depicted in the Painting of the fire ritual in the East Hall] “zoroastrian” content of these paintings, which shows the royal couple performing a fire ritual in front of the giant figure of Vashagn, the Sogdian god of war and the celestial patron of the Bukhar Khuda family, seems to contradict the statement of the sources, that Toghshada b. Bidun “accepted Islam from the hands of Qutaiba b. Muslim” [Narshakhi - Frye 1954, p. 10]. We have, however, a reason to suspect that Toghshada’s conversion was only a part of a political deal and that, in secret, he kept practicing the traditional Sogdian form of Zoroastrianism. In addition to the plain statement of Tarikh-i Bukhara that “he was still an unbeliever in secret” [Narshakhi - Frye 1954, pp. 60-2], we know that he was buried according to the local version of Zoroastrian burial rites [Tabari - de Goeje 1906, II, p. 1693; Narshakhi - Frye 1954, p. 62].
 
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Tolworth John

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That sounds trollish. Please define and elaborate.

Why were the ten tribes taken into exile?
What where the curses promised by God when he made the covernant with Israel back at mount sini?
Why did the Jews in Jesus's day and even today, dispise the samaratans?

Because if you don't know the answers to these basic questions, why are you interested in the lost ten tribes of israel.
 
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philadelphos

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Why were the ten tribes taken into exile?
What where the curses promised by God when he made the covernant with Israel back at mount sini?
Why did the Jews in Jesus's day and even today, dispise the samaratans?

Because if you don't know the answers to these basic questions, why are you interested in the lost ten tribes of israel.

Again, that is trollish. Your rhetorical remarks are condescending and incendiary. The purpose of the thread is clearly stated in the OP, to "Please post information". If you prefer to be ignorant and uninformed, and have nothing to contribute that is informative, please stop.--This thread is not the place to argue/debate. If you wish to do that please do it elsewhere.
 
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OldAbramBrown

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Why were ... the samaratans?

Because if you don't know the answers to these basic questions, why are you interested in the lost ten tribes of israel.
They got combined with many nations on the earth. At the same time almost every nation has also been partly combined with almost every other nation (not an argument for political hegemony).

In addition however, a large number of them recombined with the two tribes (see Ezra and Nehemiah) and are henceforth among those called jews.

Somebody mentioned Phoenicians, who have left traces in obvious places that some people would claim to be surprised at.

People similar to Berbers, Lapps or Caucasians have descendents everywhere. A race is not an essence, it's merely a temporary concentration of traits.

This doesn't have a spiritual meaning. The Jews are certainly in the process of coming to belief. The English, French, Americans (all mixtures also), have the same needs as them.

In a history subforum, history is interesting!

As for despising, that itself is despicable.

HTH!
 
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