Replies

As for the 10 northern tribes, they were never re-united, never returned to the homeland, were assimilated and scattered and re-homed.

Israelites from tribes other than Judah and Benjamin were in the land of Israel, in the Exile, and present at Jerusalem, and are properly called Jews. Even the Hebrew language is also called the Jews' language.

And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD. And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him. So they gathered themselves together at Jerusalem in the third month, in the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. And they offered unto the LORD the same time, of the spoil which they had brought, seven hundred oxen and seven thousand sheep. And they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their fathers with all their heart and with all their soul;

Second Chronicles, Catholic chapter fifteen, Protestant verses eight to twelve,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James,
boldness mine

And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beer-sheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.

Second Chronicles, Catholic chapter thirty, Protestant verses one to eleven,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James,
boldness mine

Then they cried with a loud voice in the Jews' speech unto the people of Jerusalem that were on the wall, to affright them, and to trouble them; that they might take the city.

Second Chronicles, Catholic chapter thirty two, Protestant verse eighteen,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James,
boldness mine

And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; And she was a widow of about fourscore and four years, which departed not from the temple, but served God with fastings and prayers night and day. And she coming in that instant gave thanks likewise unto the Lord, and spake of him to all them that looked for redemption in Jerusalem.

Luke, Catholic chapter two, Protestant verses thirty six to thirty eight,
as authorized, but not authored, by King James,
boldness mine

There were two exiles. The people of both the north and south kingdoms both spoke Hebrew (and other languages). They were all cousins, descended from the same patriarchs, and of course they intermingled. But the northern kingdom was exiled hundreds of years prior to the Jew’s captivity by Babylon. Where one was living at the time of the conquests would certainly have determined his fate, but where one lived was primarily determined by tribal geography. You focus on outliers.

The Lord has always taken those who sincerely seek him, and that would, of course, include those of the errant northern tribes who chose to center their lives around Jerusalem.

If you’re trying for broad definition of Jew, you must include those of Moab and Canaan whose bloodlines flowed through the Messiah, a precursor for those of us Gentiles who would also be adopted into the family.

Seems we’re talking about two things here: Genetic Jewishness and metaphorical. I’ve enjoyed the discussion. Must go now.