Ten Lost Tribes
The concept of there being Ten Lost Tribes of Israel who left Israel and ended up in Britain and the USA is one that has grown into a sect (British-Israelism) and is also the premise behind the Book of Mormon. The existence of such a creed seems to come partly from a belief that a nation as powerful as America must feature in the Bible somewhere and perhaps a worthy desire to be associated with the promises made by God to His chosen people, the Jews.
What we know from Bible History is that of the two Nations, it was the Northern Kingdom that was conquered first and the people led off into captivity by Assyria in 722 BC. They were forcibly resettled and other tribes were brought into their land (later to be called the Samaritans). Not all from the Northern Kingdom were deported. Archaeologists have uncovered annals of the Assyrian Sargon, in which he tells that he carried away only 27,290 people and 50 chariots. As the Northern Kingdom numbered in the hundreds of thousands, we can safely assume that only the leaders and skilled artisans were carried off. This is the pattern we know was carried out on the Southern Kingdom.
The Southern Kingdom of Judah was later subdued and many of the people were deported to Babylon.
If we wish to believe in the story of the Lost Tribes, we have to accept the theory that the scattered tribes re-assembled from where their captors had spread them and then moved off in a north-westerly direction without their captors having any objections to it.
Does the Bible support any of this? Let us consider some of the accounts of the Jews returning to the land.
Ezra 1: 5 Then the family heads of Judah and Benjamin, and the priests and Levites-everyone whose heart God had moved-prepared to go up and build the house of the LORD in Jerusalem.
Straight away we have a problem, because three tribes are mentioned here returning to the land: Judah, Benjamin and Levi. So this leaves only nine tribes apparently unaccounted for rather than ten!
If we go further to Chapter 2, we find a list of who returned, among them:
58 The temple servants and the descendants of the servants of Solomon 392
59 The following came up from the towns of Tel Melah, Tel Harsha, Kerub, Addon and Immer, but they could not show that their families were descended from Israel:
60 The descendants of Delaiah, Tobiah and Nekoda 652.
So there were 652 Israelites who could not prove their descent. These may well have come from the "lost Tribes", especially as they were called "Israel" rather than "Judah", although this may be referring to Joseph who was renamed "Israel".
But we can go back earlier than that to see that the tribes of the two Kingdoms had already become intermingled, meaning that within the Southern Kingdom of Judah, all the tribes of Israel were represented, as is proved by these scriptures:
1 Kings 12:16-17
So the Israelites went home. 17 But as for the Israelites who were living in the towns of Judah, Rehoboam still ruled over them.
2 Chronicles 11:16-17
16 And after the Levites left, those from all the tribes of Israel, such as set their heart to seek the LORD God of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD God of their fathers. 17 So they strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and made Rehoboam the son of Solomon strong for three years, because they walked in the way of David and Solomon for three years.
2 Chronicles 30:
10 The couriers went from town to town in Ephraim and Manasseh, as far as Zebulun, but the people scorned and ridiculed them.
11 Nevertheless, some men of Asher, Manasseh and Zebulun humbled themselves and went to Jerusalem.
12 Also in Judah the hand of God was on the people to give them unity of mind to carry out what the king and his officials had ordered, following the word of the LORD .
Years after the deportation by Assyria, King Hezekiah of Judah issued a call to all Israel to come and worship in Jerusalem and celebrate the Passover. Eighty years later King Josiah of Judah also issued a call, and an offering for the Temple was received from "Manasseh and Ephraim and all the remnant of Israel...." (2 Chronicles 34:9)
Therefore we can see clearly that representatives of all the Tribes continued to live in the land. It is certainly true even today that there are many more Jews scattered around the world than there are in Israel itself and we know that many Jews chose to stay in their adopted land rather than return to their homeland even in the time of Ezra and Nehemiah. But sufficient did return.
In the New Testament, James makes this statement
James 1:1
"James, a servant of God and of the Lord Jesus Christ, To the twelve tribes scattered among the nations: Greetings."
He made no distinction between the Ten Tribes and the Two; all had representatives scattered among the nations, but obviously scattered where they were known about and could be reached by James' letter. This hardly indicates that the Tribes were "lost".
Anna knew her tribal identity was of the tribe of Asher (Luke 2:36). Paul knew he was of the tribe of Benjamin, a "Jew" and an "Israelite" (Romans 11:1). Therefore representatives of all twelve tribes were still to be found.
Perhaps this leaves the question - "Did individuals or even large numbers from the Ten Tribes migrate either to Europe (British-Israelite theory) or to America (Mormons)?" . Whilst the European option is possible and the American option very unlikely, would such a migration have any bearing on Christians of today?
The short answer is "No". We become associated with God and His promises through faith in Jesus Christ, not through any ancestral association. Secondly, God still has His witnesses, namely the nation of Israel which includes people from all the Tribes.
Acts 20:21
I have declared to both Jews and Greeks that they must turn to God in repentance and have faith in our Lord Jesus.
Romans 3:
19 Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
20 Therefore no one will be declared righteous in his sight by observing the law; rather, through the law we become conscious of sin.
21 But now a righteousness from God, apart from law, has been made known, to which the Law and the Prophets testify.
22 This righteousness from God comes through faith in Jesus Christ to all who believe. There is no difference,
23 for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,
24 and are justified freely by his grace through the redemption that came by Christ Jesus.
Therefore rather than speculate on what the Bible does not tell us, we must concentrate on what the Bible does tell us about Jesus Christ, the only name by which we may be saved.
If you want further information, please visit our local Christadelphian web site or Email us at Mail the Christadelphians
The Dawn Christadelphians
Back
Home