It was in the year 1837 that John Wilson, a religious minded
professional man, first considered and publicly proclaimed this teach-
ing. Seeking the meaning of the patriarchal blessing upon Joseph,
(5
miis bow abode in strength,” / the superiority of the English bowmen
during the French wars sugested to him the possibility of tae Israel-
itish origin of the English people. He stndied the idea, accepted
it, and gave a course of eight lectures on the subject in Dublin the
same year. ©) Tn 1839 he gave several courses of such lectures in
the north of ireland, and in 1840 upon the snggestion of one of the
great leaders of the 3ritish Advent Awakening took the step which is
probably responsible for tae existence of the apitish-Israel ovement
today. Let him tell the story in hls own words:
In 1840 : delivered several conrses of lectures in the
neighbournood of Liverpool, chizfly to schools... 1 also
delivered public courses, noth in Woodside and in the ‘ed-
ical Institute, Liverpool. = Several of tne most eminent
clerical students of prophecy attended. One of them had
previously impressed his dissent from the view: and said
that, after having examined my evidence, he would speak
out if ne found me in the wron:. ie did not do so; and
I suppose that the rev. sdugn cueile is not a man who would
fail to fulfil nis word: but, otherwise, I nave no sure
evidence that he yet sees along with me in the matter. In
addition to lecturing, ne had recommended this other means
of laying the information before the public; and accord-
ingly in the same year, L pudlisned tie first edition of my
lectures on Our lsraelitish Origin. 7)
John Wilson Lectures on Jur israelitish Origin went through five edi-
tions, 1840, 18LkL, 13L5, 1867 and 187€¢. He also wrote books on
(2cen. L324
Our Israelitish Origin, Fifth Edition, 1876, Appendix
( probably written by his daughter, Elizabeth lelville.
Our Israelitish Origin, freface to Third Edition, 1845.
TT,
i