For four centuries a theory of Jewish origins dominated explanations of Native Americans

Evidence

From the very beginning of European expansion Judaism was employed in the decipherment of religions, and Jewish ancestry was used as likely explanations for the peoples Europeans encountered. With the European exploration and conquest of new continents this device was used more and more. In the first stages the derivation of North and South American native beliefs and customs from ancient Israel was formulated. Certainly the Jews were not the only candidates to be enlisted in the battle to explain the existence and origin of the peoples of the New World, but they were among the first, and the discourse suggesting Israelite origins ran the longest and had the greatest influence. In the case of the Americas, over several centuries, first in the work of the Spanish historians and later in British, French, and North American accounts, the idea of Jewish origins for the indigenous peoples of the Americas was the dominant discourse and for much of the four hundred years between 1500 and 1900 commanded the attention of some of the greatest European and American thinkers. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 311 (#corroborates, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Jewish-origins explanations for native Americans dominated 400 years of scholarship. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 311; Elevating native peoples as noble Hebrews displaced living Jews from sacred history — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 339; For four centuries the Lost Tribes theory explained native peoples worldwide. — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 305 (+5 more)

Broader Connections

• Jewish-origins explanations for native Americans dominated 400 years of scholarship. #corroborates (1.00) — Ivan Davidson Kalmar, Derek Penslar, Orientalism and the Jews, 311