Who are the Scots?

LCG’s Rod King wrote the following in an article titled Who Are the Scots?:

Much of what we learn about the origins of the people of Europe is skewed toward a Greco-Roman bias. What does that mean?
Students of European history—especially those who try to understand where the Friesians or Germans or Lombards came from—are often directed exclusively to Greek and Roman historians. Caesar’s Bella Gallica, with its observations of the Celts, is informative—but it is biased toward a Roman perspective. And we note that Strabo, the Greek geographer, held a rather jaundiced view of Britons. He wrote that they were “tall and bandy-legged.”
Who, then, can tell us who the Scots were? Well, how about the Scots themselves?
Soon after England’s King Edward II subjugated the Scots, 38 of the Scottish lairds wrote the “Declaration of Arbroath”—an impassioned plea to the Pope, asking him to call the English off. This document, dating to 1320ad, is preserved in a hermetically sealed case at the Scottish Archives in Edinburgh. In the Declaration’s preamble, we find the noble Scots in possession of their historic roots, which they proclaim boldly and confidently. Note their clear wording as to their origins:
“We know and from the chronicles and books of the ancients, we find that among other famous nations our own, the Scots has been graced with widespread renown. They journeyed from Greater Scythia by way of the Tyrrhenian [Mediterranean] Sea and the Pillars of Hercules [Straits of Gibraltar], and dwelt for a long course of time in Spain among the most savage tribes… Thence they came, twelve hundred years after the people of Israel crossed the Red Sea, to their home in the west where they still live today.”
It is widely understood that the ancient Israelites crossed the Red Sea in the fifteenth century bc—which would date the Scots’ migration from Greater Scythia to the third century bc! This equates well with other information that we can find, showing that there were successive migrations of people from the region of Scythia, which today comprises southern Ukraine.

Scythian Migration

Who were the Scythians? According to the Encyclopaedia Britannica, “Most writers think the Scythians who troubled Asia were Sacae from the east of the Caspian” (11th edition, article: “Scythia”). This is the region where, in the eighth century bc, the Assyrians had settled the ten tribes of Israel whom they had taken captive (see 2 Kings 17:23). The Israelites were named after their father Jacob, whose name God had changed to Israel. Israel’s father was Isaac—from which the name Sacae is derived. That name in turn became “Saxon” (son of Isaac). These “Saxon” people have left their name in northern Germany (Saxony) and amongst the people of southeast England: Sussex, Essex and Middlesex.
The name Scot is also derived from “Scyth.” The Scyth traveled to Scotland via Spain and Ireland. Prior to the Dalriadic migration of the Scots from Ireland to Scotland, the northern area of Ireland was known as “Scotia” (note the similarity to “Scythia”). These people simply carried their name with them into the highlands of Scotland. What else has been carried through these nations? If you are familiar with the bagpipe, a characteristically Scottish musical instrument, you may be surprised to learn that bagpipes are found in every country mentioned in the Declaration of Arbroath and in BBC correspondent Whewell’s report. Bagpipes are played in a total of 25 nations in the Middle East, Europe and North Africa. Notice this definition, from The New Bible Dictionary, of the word dulcimer used in Daniel 3:5, “It is now generally supposed to have been a form of bagpipe.” This most famous of Scottish instruments has left a musical footprint wherever the Scots have traveled on their journey, from Israel to Assyria and on through the Caucasus Mountains and the Black Sea, to Spain, and finally to their present home by way of Ireland.

Other Links

It is true that many Scots, particularly those on the east coast around Aberdeen and Inverness, have a link with the Vikings. The Normans also came into Scotland at about the time of William the Conqueror’s invasion of England in 1066ad. Robert the Bruce’s family name was “de Bruys” from Brittany, while the name Sinclair is a corruption of “St. Clair.”
The Normans (Norse men) and the Vikings both have their roots in Scandinavia. Vikings also settled in Iceland after marrying Irish women whom they had captured. On a recent trip to Iceland, I asked my taxi driver where the Icelanders came from. He answered, “We believe we are from the tribe of Benjamin [the youngest of the Israelite tribes]” This may be just anecdotal, but it bears out the fact that many northwestern Europeans have long held to the idea that they are descended from the so-called “lost ten tribes of Israel.”
God speaks to us through the prophet Jeremiah: “Thus says the Lord, who gives the sun for a light by day, the ordinances of the moon and the stars for a light by night… If those ordinances depart from before Me, says the Lord, then the seed of Israel shall also cease from being a nation before Me for ever” (Jeremiah 31:35, 36).
Yes, the descendants of Israel (not just the Jews who descend from Judah and part of Benjamin) can be identified!

It sometimes amazes me that people rarely consider the fact that all who are now alive descended from peoples thousands of years ago.

And many who descended from Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are found throughout the world. All peoples are also descended from some of the people mentioned in the Bible.

To learn who you may be descended from, please consider reading the following articles:

Anglo – America in Prophecy & the Lost Tribes of Israel Are the Americans, Canadians, British, Scottish, Welsh, Australians, Anglo-Southern Africans, and New Zealanders descendants of Joseph? Where are the lost ten-tribes of Israel? Who are the lost tribes of Israel? Will God punish the U.S.A., Canada, United Kingdom, and other Anglo nations? Why might God allow them to be punished first?
Africa: Its Biblical Past and Prophesied Future What does the Bible teach about Africa and its future? Did the early Church reach Africa? Will God call all the Africans?
The Arab World In the Bible, History, and Prophecy The Bible discusses the origins of the Arab world and discusses the Middle East in prophecy. What is ahead for the Middle East and those who follow Islam?
Asia in Prophecy What is Ahead for China? Is it a “King of the East”? What will happen to nearly all the Chinese, Russians, Indians, and others of Asia? China in prophecy, where? Who has the 200,000,000 man army related to Armageddon?
China, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Genesis and Chinese Characters This article provides information showing that the Chinese peoples must have known about various accounts in the Book of Genesis up until their dispersion after the Tower of Babel.
Europa, the Beast, and Revelation Where did Europe get its name? What might Europe have to do with the Book of Revelation? What about “the Beast”? What is ahead for Europe?
India, Its Biblical Past and Future: Any Witness? The Bible discusses the origins of those of Indian heritage and discusses some of the witness to them (including those in Bangladesh, Pakistan, and Sri Lanka).
Islands and Bible Prophecy What’s ahead for islands? What does the Bible prophesy about them?
Japan, Its Biblical Past and Future, Part 1: Any Witness? This is a draft of an in-process article about Japan. Have they had any witness?
Russia: Its Origins and Prophesied Future Where do the Russians come from? What is prophesied for Russia? What will it do to the Europeans that supported the Beast in the end?
Modern Nations and God’s Ancient Plan Many peoples are mentioned in the Bible. And other than the fact that the modern nation of Israel represents the ancient kingdom of Judah, do you know who any of these people are now?