by Chief Joseph RiverWind:
“In the early 18th century James Adair, an Irish born Hebrew scholar, lived for forty years among the Cherokee. He recorded the similarities within the Cherokee culture, traditions, laws, feast days and more, which are similar or identical to the Torah that was given to the Jews and Gentiles at Mount Sinai. A few of the things that Adair recorded go beyond the realm of coincidence in regard to Hebrew influence.
The following are some examples of what he witnessed:
• The Cherokee name for God: YoHeWaH (Yo-Heh-WaH). This is amazing because in Hebrew the name of God is written YHVH and is often pronounced Yehovah, Jehovah, and Yahweh.
• Cherokee name for the Holy Spirit: Loak-Ishtohoollo-Aba, “the great, beneficent, supreme, Hol Spirit of fire.”
• The Cherokee God is a duality , that is One family named: El-o-HeyM.
• In Cherokee, Au-Do-NiV-Du is the word for “Lord.” There is some similarity with the word “Adonai,” used by Hebrew-speakers.
• According to the Cherokee story, Creation took seven days and man was made from red clay and woman made from first man’s rib. The Hebrew account tells the same, even calling first man “Adam” which means “red earth” in the Hebrew language.
• In Cherokee accounts, there was a great flood which killed the giants but YoHeWah said He would never flood the earth again.
• The Cherokee site the existence of a Patriarch named Aquahami (sounds similar to the Biblical Patriarch Avraham/Abraham).
• The Cherokee kept no idols per their ancient religious laws.
• Six days of work with one commanded day of rest.
• Cherokee considered eating pork unclean.
• Cherokee ceremonial songs often began with singing “Hallel, Hallelu-yah!”
• Cherokee did not practice divination. Being a witch
or bad medicine person was punishable by death.
• Cherokee carried a sacred ark before them into battle.
• He states the Cherokee linguistic structure is almost identical to the Hebrew language.
• The Cherokee word for wife is Havah or Avah.
“Chavvah” is the Hebrew word commonly translated as “Eve” and means “Lifegiver.”
• The Cherokee word for earth is “Yahkane” which means “Yah’s footstool.”
• New Moon assemblies with the new year beginning at the first sighting of the New Moon during the Spring Equinox.
• In both Hebrew and Cherokee cultures, days are counted from sundown.
• Both cultures had a daily sacrifice of fat including Peace Offerings, Sin Offerings, and Trespass Offerings.
• High Priests of both cultures wear white cotton cloak, 72 bells, a sleeveless jacket, and a breastplate set with 12 stones.
• The Cherokee have Feast Days that closely resemble Passover (Pesach), Feast of First Fruits (Bikkurim), Pentecost (Shavuot), The Day of Atonement (Yom Kippur) and The Feast of Tabernacles (Sukkot). During the Cherokee Feast that is similar to Passover, the songs include the words YoHeWahsho Mashi-yo which means “The Anointed Ruler” in Cherokee.
These are just a few of the examples that show us what could be ancient Hebraic influence among the Cherokee, as enumerated by James Adair.”