You might want to take a look at this scripture.
The Levites left the kingdom of Israel for Jerusalem.
And the priests and the Levites that were in all Israel resorted to him from all places where they lived.
For the Levites left their common lands and their holdings and came to Judah and Jerusalem, because Jerobo'am and his sons cast them out from serving as priests of the LORD (2 Chronicles 11:13-14)
And we also see that so did members of all the other tribes.
And those who had set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came after them from all the tribes of Israel to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the LORD, the God of their fathers.
They strengthened the kingdom of Judah, and for three years they made Rehobo'am the son of Solomon secure, for they walked for three years in the way of David and Solomon. (2 Chronicles 11:16-17)
Over a period of time, more people from the northern kingdom migrated south to Judah.
When Asa heard these words, the prophecy of Azari'ah the son of Oded, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols from all the land of Judah and Benjamin and from the cities which he had taken in the hill country of E'phraim, and he repaired the altar of the LORD that was in front of the vestibule of the house of the LORD.
And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from E'phraim, Manas'seh, and Simeon who were sojourning with them, for great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
They were gathered at Jerusalem in the third month of the fifteenth year of the reign of Asa. (2 Chronicles 15:8-10)
Corroborating these scriptural accounts, archaeological evidence shows a substantial increase in the population of Judah at this time.
Bottom line is, while the southern kingdom was predominantly of the tribe of Judah, there were people represented there from all twelve tribes. And therefore it is from all twelve tribes that modern Jews are descended.
This is not to say that other peoples are not also descended from the 10 northern tribes. But it does refute the notion that modern Jews are only from the tribe of Judah.
Thank You. I have no doubt there was some level of intermingling between the tribes, and there is probably some small number of every tribe in every other tribe. But when speaking of peoples it's necessary to look at the "broad streams of history", not the individual rivulets. It is from these broad streams we make our generalizations known as history.
}This is not to say that other peoples are not also descended from the 10 northern tribes. But it does refute the notion that modern Jews are only from the tribe of Judah.
Indeed. Virtally every solid Biblical source and historical stream suggests the Southern Kingdom was made up of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi. The "strays" are not counted. {ggg}. But God keeps track.