The thirteenth tribe : the Khazar empire and its heritage

The Thirteenth Tribe; The Khazar Empire and Its Heritage [Paperback] [Jan 01, 1976] Koestler, Arthur ... This book traces the history of the ancient Khazar Empire, a major but almost forgotten power in E. Europe, which in the Dark Ages became converted to Judaism. Khazaria was finally wiped out by the forces of Genghis Khan, but evidence indicates that the Khazars themselves migrated to Poland & formed the cradle of Western Jewry. To the general reader the Khazars, who flourished from the 7th to 11th century, may seem remote today. Yet they have a close & unexpected bearing on our world, which emerges as Koestler recounts the fascinating history of the ancient Khazar Empire. At about the time that Charlemagne was Emperor in the West. The Khazars' sway extended from the Black Sea to the Caspian, from the Caucasus to the Volga. They were instrumental in stopping the Muslim onslaught against Byzantium, the eastern jaw of the gigantic pincer movement that in the West swept across N. Africa & into Spain. Thereafter the Khazars found themselves in a precarious position between the two major world powers: the Eastern Roman Empire in Byzantium & the triumphant followers of Mohammed. As Koestler points out, the Khazars were the 3rd World of their day. They chose a surprising method of resisting both the Western pressure to become Christian & the Eastern to adopt Islam. Rejecting both, they converted to Judaism. Koestler speculates about the ultimate faith of the Khazars & their impact on the racial composition & social heritage of modern Jewry. He produces a large body of meticulously detailed research. The Khazars (turkish: Hazarlar) Were A Semi-nomadic Turkic People Who Created One Of The Largest States Of Medieval Eurasia, Khazaria, With Its Capital At Atil. Astride One Of The Major Arteries Of Commerce Between Northern Europe And Southwestern Asia, Khazaria Commanded The Western Marches Of The Silk Road And Played A Key Commercial Role As A Crossroad Between China, The Middle East, And Europe.--wikipedia. Rise And Fall Of The Khazars. Rise ; Conversion ; Decline ; Fall -- The Heritage. Exodus ; Where From? ; Cross-currents ; Race And Myth -- Appendices. A Note On Spelling ; A Note On Sources ; The Khazar Correspondence ; Some Implications : Israel And The Diaspora. Arthur Koestler. Includes Index. Bibliography: P. [241]-246.