The passage from Jeremiah speaks of Jews who were driven out of the land. Judah was taken to Babylon in three exiles; these Jews were driven out into exile to Moab, Ammon and Edom which is more in keeping with the way the Assyrians moved people out of their lands and brought other conquered peoples in. That is how the Samaritans came into being by foreigners intermarrying with the Jews of northern Israel.
Here is what the passage from Jeremiah says. [Jeremiah 40:11-12] 11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; 12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
Whither they were driven....Strongs #5080. nadach (naw-dakh')a primitive root; to push off; used in a great variety of applications, literally and figuratively (to expel, mislead, strike, inflict, etc.banish, bring, cast down (out), chase, compel, draw away, drive (away, out, quite), fetch a stroke, force, go away, outcast, thrust away (out), withdraw. )
The first verse of Ruth gives us a good example of why Jews were in Moab. [Ruth 1:1] Now it came to pass in the days when the judges ruled, that there was a famine in the land. And a certain man of Bethlehemjudah went to sojourn in the country of Moab, he, and his wife, and his two sons.
When Moses had led the Israelites to the promised land he took the upper portion of Moab away from the Ammorite King, Sihon....who had taken the land earlier from the Moabites [Numbers 21:26] For Heshbon was the city of Sihon the king of the Amorites, who had fought against the former king of Moab, and taken all his land out of his hand, even unto Arnon. The river Arnon thus separated the Moab of Israel from the Moab of the Moabites. The reason the Israelites wanted this land (called the Plains of Moab) was because two of their tribes had a lot of cattle and these "Plains of Moab" were ideal for cattle raising. This area was located directly east of the Dead Sea on the eastern bank of the Jordan.
[Numbers 32:1-4] Now the children of Reuben and the children of Gad had a very great multitude of cattle: and when they saw the land of Jazer, and the land of Gilead, that, behold, the place was a place for cattle; The children of Gad and the children of Reuben came and spake unto Moses, and to Eleazar the priest, and unto the princes of the congregation, saying, Ataroth, and Dibon, and Jazer, and Nimrah, and Heshbon, and Elealeh, and Shebam, and Nebo, and Beon, Even the country which the LORD smote before the congregation of Israel, is a land for cattle, and thy servants have cattle If you check your Bible maps you will see that "Jazer and Gilead" are indeed on the Plains of Moab north of the River Arnon.
These were the lands of the two tribes of Israel, Rueben and Gad....so when Naomi and family went to Moab [Ruth 1:1], it was here they went to escape the famine......not to heathen Moab below the river Arnon. Many other families followed suit and this was how there came to be so many Jews living in the areas of Moab and Ammon according to Jeremiah. Ammon of course being the name for the Kingdom of the Ammorites who had previously taken this land from heathen Moab.
These Jews were not driven to these areas by the Assyrians....they went to escape nature...to live with their sister Israelites, Ruben and Gad. Ruth was an Israelite of Moab and when Boaz asks his servant "Who is this woman" and is told "she is a Moabitess" it's a mis-translation. {Ruth 2:5-6] Then said Boaz unto his servant that was set over the reapers, Whose damsel is this? And the servant that was set over the reapers answered and said, It is the Moabitish damsel that came back with Naomi out of the country of Moab. Ruth was called a Moabitess much the same way as an Englishmen moving to Australia.... would then be called an Australian. Moab retained the same name much the same way that California has retained the same name it was known by under Spanish/Mexican rule.
"Country of Moab" Strong's #7704. sadeh (saw-deh')or saday {saw-dah'-ee}; from an unused root meaning to spread out; a field (as flatcountry, field, ground, land, soil, X wild.) The country of Moab was referring to the "Plains of Moab"....not the Kingdom of Moab as most everyone seem to think. Samuel, when writing the Book of Ruth, used the word country as in "Countryside".
The Jews in those lands were the ones who returned to Judah after hearing the King of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah [Jeremiah 40:11-12].
To reiterate....you will not find anywhere in scripture folks of the Northern Kingdom of Israel being referred to as Jews. Yes, you find it many times in literature, but it is in error.
This month (June 1995) we celebrate the Feast of Shavout, or Pentecost. In Peter's famous speech on this day in Acts Chapter 2, he referred to both "Jews" and "Israel", which brings up an ubiquitous myth concerning the "Ten Lost Tribes" of Israel.
There are many groups that believe the northern tribes, separated during the rift between Rehoboam and Jeroboam after the death of Solomon (and subsequently taken captive by Assyria in 722 b.c.), later migrated to Europe and elsewhere.
The myth of the "Ten Lost Tribes" is the basis for "British- Israelism" and other colorful legends, but these stories have no real Biblical basis. They are based upon misconceptions derived from the misreading of various Bible passages.1
The Faithful Voted With Their Feet
Before the Assyrian captivity, substantial numbers from the northern tribes had identified themselves with the house of David.2 The rebellion of Jeroboam and subsequent crises caused many to repudiate the Northern Kingdom and unite with the Southern Kingdom in a common alliance to the house of David and a desire to worship the Lord in Jerusalem.3
In 930 b.c., Jeroboam ruled the Northern Kingdom from his capital in Samaria.4 When Jeroboam turned the Northern Kingdom to idolatry, the Levites (and others who desired to remain faithful) migrated south to Rehoboam.5
Horrified that Jeroboam had set up a rival religion with golden calf worship at Bethel and Dan, many Northerners moved south, knowing that the only place acceptable to God was the Temple on Mt. Moriah.6 Those who favored idolatry migrated north to Jeroboam.
Later, when Asa reigned as king in the south, another great company came from the north.7
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.8 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...."9
Eventually, all 12 tribes were represented in the south. God even addresses the 12 tribes in the south: "Speak unto Rehoboam the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin...."10
The "tribe of Judah" (2 Kings 17:18, et al.) is used idiomatically for the Southern Kingdom.11 When encountering the tribal designations, it is important to distinguish between the territories allocated to the tribes and the people themselves.
The Northern Kingdom Falls
In 724 b.c. Shalmaneser V besieged Samaria for three years. King Hoshea of Israel attempted to revolt against paying Assyrians annual tribute money--a treaty with Pharaoh of Egypt did not help 12--and Samaria, Jeroboam's capital, fell in 722 b.c. with Sargon II seizing power in 721 b.c.
The Assyrians implemented their infamous policy of mixing conquered peoples to keep them from organizing a revolt. Israelite captives were mixed with Persians and others, and strangers from far-off lands were resettled in Samaria. The resulting mixed, quasi-Jewish populations became the "Samaritans."13 (You can read about this "fall" in 2 Kings 17.)
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.14
Population estimates of the Northern Kingdom at that time range from 400,000 to 500,000; less than 1/20th were deported-- mostly the leadership from the capital, Samaria. The rest of the Northern Kingdom were taken by Assyria as slaves, which were a valuable commodity. (It is difficult to view the Assyrians as careless enough to let their captives wander off to Europe.)
When the Babylonians take over Assyria, the descendants of the "ten tribes" were probably again commingled with the captives of Judah.
The Babylonians Take Over
When the Northern Kingdom went into captivity (722 b.c.), all 12 tribes were also represented in the south. When the Babylonians took the Southern Kingdom into captivity (586 b.c.), members of all 12 tribes of Israel were involved. Isaiah, prophesying to Judah, refers to them as the "House of Jacob, which are called by the name of Israel..." (Isaiah 48:1; cf. vv. 12-14).
Post-Captivity Terminology
After the Babylonian captivity, the terms "Jew" and "Israelite" are used interchangeably. Ezra calls the returning remnant "Jews" 8 times and "Israel" 40 times. (Ezra also speaks of "all Israel": Ezra 2:70; 3:11; 8:35; 10:25, et al.) Nehemiah uses the term "Jew" 11 times and "Israel" 22 times. Nehemiah too speaks of "all Israel" being back in the land (Nehemiah 12:47). The remnant who returned from Babylon is represented as "the nation" (Malachi 1:1, et al.).
The same is true in the New Testament. Our Lord is said to have offered Himself to the nation, "the lost sheep of the house of Israel" (Matthew 10:5-6; 15:24). Tribes other than Judah are mentioned specifically in the New Testament as being represented in the land.15
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). The New Testament speaks of "Israel" 75 times and uses the word "Jew" 174 times.16
At the Feast of Pentecost Peter cries, "Ye men of Judea" (Acts 2:14), "ye men of Israel..." (Acts 2:22), and "All the house of Israel" (Acts 2:36).
Regathered as One
Ezekiel 36 and 37, the Dry Bones Vision, declares that Judah (Jews) and Israel (10 tribes) shall be joined as one in the regathering.17 This is true today. (The total physical descendants were not the people to whom the promises were made [Romans 9:4-7].)
Anti-Semitism
Accompanying some of the legends of the so-called "Ten Lost Tribes" are aspersions on the present State of Israel and the people being regathered in the Land. These various theories such as "British Israelism" are by their nature anti-Semitic because they deny the Jewish people their proper place in the plan of God. Let's remember that Genesis 12:3 has never been repealed!
Israel is being regathered in the land just as God has announced.18 There is yet to come an event which will awaken them to realize that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob once again has His hand upon them (Ezekiel 38, 39). I believe this event could happen at any moment. 19
The Throne of David was promised to the Son of Mary (Luke 1:32). I believe His taking possession of it is on the near horizon. Maranatha!
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