2 Rabiga and Rebekah In the past I have mentioned the similarities between the prophet Jacob and the

Kyrgyz father, Jakyb. Today I will continue with a similar comparative character analysis. Rabiga and Rebekah: each the epitome of femininity. Rabiga became Jakybs daughter-in-law. Rebekah, on the other hand, became Jacobs mother. She enters the narative when Isaac was 40 years old and still did not have any marriage prospects, so Isaacs father, Abraham, acted on Isaacs behalf: ... Abraham said to the oldest servant of his house, who ruled over all that he had, swear by the Lord, the God of heaven and the God of the earth, that you will not take a wife for my son from the daughters of the Canaanites, among whom I dwell; but you shall go to my country and to my family, and (there you shall) take a wife for my son Isaac. Then the servant took ten of his masters camels and departed to Mesopotamia, to the city of Nahor. And he made his camels kneel down outside the city by a well of water at evening time, the time when women go out to draw water. Then he said, O Lord God of my master Abraham, please give me success this day, and show kindness to my master Abraham... And it happened, before he had finished speaking, that, Rebekah, who was born to Bethuel, son of Milcah, the wife of Nahor, Abrahams brother, came out with her pitcher on her shoulder. Now the young woman was very beautiful to behold, a virgin; no man had known her. And she went down to the well, filled her pitcher, and came up. And the servant ran to meet her and said, Please let me drink a little water from your pitcher. So she said, Drink, my lord. Then she quickly let her pitcher down to her hand, and gave him a drink. And when she had finished giving him a drink, she said, I will draw water for your camels also, until they have finished drinking. Then she quickly emptied her pitcher into the

trough, ran back to the well to draw water, and drew for all his camels. And the man, wondering at her, remained silent so as to know whether the Lord had made his journey prosperous or not. So it was, when the camels had finished drinking, that the man took a golden nose ring weighing half a shekel, and two bracelets for her wrists weighing ten shekels of gold, and said, Whose daughter are you? Tell me, please, is there room in your fathers house for us to lodge? So she said to him, I am the daughter of Bethuel, Milcahs son, whom she bore to Nahor. Moreover she said to him, We have both straw and feed enough, and room to lodge. Then the man bowed down his head and worshiped the Lord... So the young woman ran and told her mothers household these things. Now Rebekah had a brother whose name was Laban, and Laban ran out to the man by the well. So it came to pass, when he saw the nose ring, and the bracelets on his sisters wrists, Note that Laban seemed to respond to wealth, not necessarily relationship.1 He was greedy: Food was set before him to eat, but he said, I will not eat until I have told about my errand. And he said, Speak on. So he said, I am Abrahams servant. The Lord has blessed my master greatly, and he has become great; and He has given him flocks and herds, silver and gold, male and female servants, and camels and donkeys. And Sarah, my masters wife, bore a son to my master when she was old; and to him he has given all that he has. Abrahams servant recounted his meeting with Rebekah and Gods answer to his prayers. Then he asked if he could take Rebekah back to be Isaacs bride:

Laban is the man who eventually hired Rebekahs son Jacob a generation later.

And I bowed my head and worshiped the Lord, and blessed the Lord God of my master Abraham, who had led me in the way of truth to take the daughter of my masters brother for his son. Now if you will deal kindly and truly with my master, tell me. And if not, tell me, that I may turn to the right hand or to the left. Then Laban and Bethuel answered and said, The thing comes from the Lord; we cannot speak to you either bad or good. Here is Rebekah before you; take her and go, and let her be your masters sons wife, as the Lord has spoken. And it came to pass, when Abrahams servant heard their words, he worshiped the Lord, bowing himself to the earth. Then the servant brought out jewelry of silver, jewelry of gold, and clothing, and gave them to Rebekah. He also gave precious things to her brother and to her mother. This bride price (kalyng) is still practiced in many Eastern countries, including Kyrgyzstan. And he and the men who were with him ate and drank and stayed all night. Then they arose in the morning, and he said, Send me away to my master. But her brother and her mother said, Let the young woman stay with us a few days, at least ten; after that she may go. And he said to them, Do not hinder me, since the Lord has prospered my way; send me away so that I may go to my master. So they said, We will call the young woman and ask her personally. Then they called Rebekah and said to her, Will you go with this man? And she said, I will go. So they sent away Rebekah, their sister... 2

Genesis 24 (New King James Version)

Rabiga Now we will compare Rebekahs story with Rabigas. Manas wife Rabiga (also known as Kanykei) was taken from distant Tajiks in Bukhara, a clan that might be related to Kyrgyz. Finding a girl from kin was important to Abraham. Both narratives make a point of stating that no suitable young lady could be found from the surrounding tribes. Bukhara Jusup Mamais variation opens with 20,000 Kyrgyz families moving to Bukhara. A few pages later some of Jakybs brothers continued the migration: The ten sons of Orozdu Unlike their father Were not able to rise Or courageously stand, But wandered, scattered and moved. Adibai, Kolbai, and Tashbailar Packed and left for Bukhara3 Since Rabiga was taken from the Tajiks we should consider the following prelude to Rabigas story: Not leaving captives They gathered more And took them to Muz Mountain Detained with the Tajiks. Kyrgyz and Tajik Ruled by Kipchak Kalmaks.4
3

Mamai, Jusup The Kyrgyz Peoples Historical Epic - MANAS, told by Jusup Mamai (XingJian Peoples Publisher, Urumchi, China, 1995) p.5, 7
4

Mamai, Jusup The Kyrgyz Peoples Historical Epic - MANAS, told by Jusup Mamai (XingJian Peoples Publisher, Urumchi, China, 1995) p. 8

Kyrgyz and Tajiks were detained together. And, as stated above, Kyrgyz immigrants lived in Bukhara. Much later Jakyb sent a helper to the Tajiks in Bukhara to obtain a wife for Manas. Listen, my boy, Abdilda Who do I have To go far and return? You are friendly And have bravery If I dont go my sin remains, he said. If I dont listen, shame on me, said Abdilda who Jakyb hired To go to Bukhara.5 Manas already had two wives. But his pagan or unhonorable local wives were not a joy to him or his people. Manas wanted a proper bride and a proper wedding, so Jakyb sent Abdilda to the Tajiks in Bukhara, where he found a beautiful princess, SaniRabiga, often called Rabiga.6 She was stunning, modest, cultured, opinionated, courageous, hardworking, and wise. The girls father, ruler of Bukhara, did not want to give his daughter to a nomadic shepherd. He did not think nomads could afford a proper bride-price. Later Manas came to Bukhara and had some difficulty winning SaniRabiygas heart, but he eventually accomplished the task. They got married and moved back to Talas. She took the name Kanykei and became a loyal wife, true aid, and wise spouse to Manas as he led the nation.

Mamai, Jusup, - , : . The Kyrgyz Peoples Historical Epic - MANAS, told by Jusup Mamai ( , XingJian Peoples Publisher, Urumchi, China, 1995) p. 110
6

In Orozbakovs version Jakyb goes himself to find Rabiga.

Here is a taste of Manas courting Rabiyga from Orozbakovs version: I gave your father livestock, The fork and the nar I gave, Gold, silver, and all I gave, For you, called Rabiyga. I Manas have come.7 Both Isaac and Manas had an intermediary go to a distant land to find a girl named Rabiyga or Rebekah. Neither father Abraham nor father Jakyb wanted to get a bride for their sons from neighboring tribes. Both brides were blessed with similar graces, beauty, and wisdom. There are obvious differences: the biblical Jacob is a result of Isaac and Rebekahs union, while the Kyrgyz Jakyb sets up Manas and Rabigas union. Character & Name Earlier we compared Jakyb and Jacobs characters and their roles in their nations. Now we see Rabiyga and Rebekah both have similar characters and perform similar roles in each narrative. Both have greedy male figures looking to see what kalyng (bride price) or how much they can get for their girls.8 The prefix sani on SaniRabigas name could be rendered holy as in San Francisco or might mean old from a Navajo-Din word sn, thus renedering her name Holy Rabiga or Ancient Rabiga - possibly in memory of a great mother.

7 8

Orozbakov, Sagymbai, Vol. II, 13398-13402 (authors translation) Rebekahs male guardian is actually her brother, Laban.

A DNA Link Lets look again at the kin topic referred to in Rebekahs story. Abraham would not look for a kelin (daughter-in-law) from uncircumcised neighboring tribes, but from kin in a distant land, so he sent his servant to find a respectable kelin from the land of his relatives. Jakyb also goes the distance to find a proper kelin from the Tajiks in Bukhara. The epic does not directly say anything about Tajiks being kin. I have never heard a Kyrgyz say they are remotely related to Tajiks. Tajiks look, speak, and behave totally different from Kyrgyz. But the epic suggests they were held as captives together in Bukhara, and recently a remarkable study of Eurasian Y-Chromosomes by Dr. Spencer Wells revealed that Kyrgyz are more closely related to some Tajiks than they are to Mongols, Kazaks, Uzbeks or other neighboring tribes. Both Ishkashimi Tajiks and Kyrgyz have populations with over 60% of the R1a Ychromosome (also know as M17).9 So it seems Kyrgyz Jakyb may have found Rabiyga among kin, just like the nomadic prophet did. What Happened? How do we work a theory from this information? Elements of the biblical kin are not clear in Rabigas story like they are in Rebekahs story, but modern genetics confirms the biblical kin plot exists in the epics variation. Three possibilities come to mind: One, this is just a coincidence. Two, the Rebekah story was preserved among Manassehs tribes long after they were taken captive on the Silk Road. Centuries passed and their legends changed - forgotten kin, like Laban, were replaced with known kin, like the Tajiks. More centuries
9

Wells, Spencer; Yuldasheva, Nadira, Ruzibakiev Ruslan, et al, The Eurasian Heartland: a continental perspective and Y-chromosome diversity (the National Academy of Sciences of the United States of America, Vol. 98, No. 18 (Aug. 28, 2001), pp. 10244-10249)

passed, Kyrgyz joined other nomads, and lost all memory of their relation to Persian speaking Tajiks, but they still maintained Rebekah, now Rabiyga, was Tajik, so the kin element was dropped from the epic, but the Tajik aspect remained. A few more centuries passed and a geneticist found the old chromosomal link between Kyrgyz and Tajiks. Oral tradition does have a habit of cutting out unwanted or unnecessary limbs from epics while adopting new elements.10 During anti-Semitic eras one might imagine Israels name being exchanged for Jakyb. 11 Variations of a third option exist: maybe Kyrgyz had their own similar story. Someone who knew the Torah may have corrected the story-teller or manaschy with a more biblical variation. Lets reiterate the obvious: a link exists. Comprehending why is our problem. As we shall see, the more we seek answers the more evidence we find supporting the theory that Kyrgyz descended from the ancient prophets. Bukhara Many readers will note Bukhara, the city of SaniRabigas origin, is famous for its Bukharan Jewish community; a population which is one of the oldest indigenous groups in Bukhara. Even though Bukharan Jews are called Jews they may not be from Judah at all, but descendants from two of Jacobs other tribes, Issachar and Naphtali.12 Issachar and Naphtali cohabited Israels north with Manasseh before
10 11

Ong, Walter Orality and Literacy (Routledge, London & New York, 2002) p. 22, 42, 48

In Kyrgyzstan, I also referred to myself as Californian not American, purposely dodging discussions about George W. Bush and American politics. Just as I redirected conversation to the more palatable Terminator, so also Samarias exiles may have aligned themselves with the more favorable father-figure, a prophet, instead of the abased national identity, Israel.
12

Sloame, Joanna Bukharan Jews Virtual Jewish Library, 2008. In some instances Bukhara may have been part of Kyrgyz territory (Manas Encyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 160).

Assyria exiled them. Manassehs captive tribe would have known to which regions the other tribes were exiled. If Orozdus ten sons in the epic correlate with Jacobs 10 lost tribes, then maybe the sons who went to Bukhara were originally the tribes Issachar and Naphtali. If Issachar and Naphtalis tribes were taken to Bukhara Manassehs tribe would not consider this Bukharan community pagan, foreign, or uncircumcised like their other neighbors. Bukhara would be the perfect city for Jakyb to find a proper kelin. Let me take this moment to say the following: nations like Kashmiris and Pathans have some historical recollection of a link with Israeli tribes. Kyrgyz do not. Outsiders however, like Dr. Henry Lansdell have noticed a connection. Lansdells 1885 book Russian Central Asia including Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva, and Merv states that he had heard about a people in the south who lived like the Hebrew patriarchs. He then determined to come visit these Kirghese. He devotes quite a bit of attention to Kyrgyz-biblical commonalities, concluding that Kirghese may have descended from the prophet Abraham, offspring of his third wife Ketura. 13 Carl Jung Carl Jung (1875-1961), a Swiss psychiatrist who developed a theory called collective unconscious, believed every person in every race shares a deeper level of unconsciousness, which he called the collective unconscious. According to Jung this collective unconscious includes thought patterns of gods and supernatural powers which are deeply rooted in the collective unconscious of all peoples.14 Critics of my research often suggest Jungs collective unconscious theory shines
13

Lansdell, Henry Russian Central Asia, Including Kuldja, Bokhara, Khiva, and Merv (Boston, Houghton, Mifflin, and Compny, 1885; Elibron Classics Replica Edition, 2003) pgs. 1, 305, 332
14

Jung, C. G., The Archetypes and The Collective Unconscious. (Princeton, N.J. 1981 2nd ed.), Vol.9 Part 1

light on the reasons for so many similarities between biblical characters and Kyrgyz heroes. These critics insist storytellers in both narratives independently draw from a common conscious that leads them to common archetypes. For example, aging barren mother characters who eventually give birth to a hero are found in both biblical and Kyrgyz epics. This sequence is so common among different ethnic traditions that Jung suggests such archetypes are a part of humanitys collective conscience. His theory is interesting but is not relevant in our situation. Similar stories with matching names like Jakyb and Jacob, Manas and Manasseh, Rabiga and Rebekah, Mamir and Mamre, Naaman and Canaan, Orgo and Og, etc. do not spring from a vague cloud of universal unconsciousness. Jungs theory presented an interesting angle for cultural comparisons, but his perspective was developed before geneticists unlocked secrets on the Ychromosome, which are being used to track vast human migrations around the ancient world. These migrations were much more extensive than archaeologists previously imagined. 15 Explaining commonalities from massive international migrations is more intelligent than turning to Jungs dated theories. The precise links we have discussed simply will not fit into dated concepts defined by archetypes and common unconscious.

15

Olson, Steve; Mapping Human History; Genes, Race, and Our Common Origins (Boston, 2002) p. 167-173