Josephus [Antiquities, Book XI, Chapter 5, Paragraph 2, lines 5-6] And when these Jews had understood what piety the king had towards God, and what kindness he had for Esdras, they were all greatly pleased; nay, many of them took their effects with them, and came to Babylon, as very desirous of going down to Jerusalem; but then the entire body of the people of Israel remained in that country; wherefore there are but two tribes in Asia and Europe subject to the Romans, while the ten tribes are beyond Euphrates till now, and are an immense multitude, and not to be estimated by numbers.
This was written in the first century. "Beyond the Euphrates" is also known as Babylon....the ancient civilization. There were still many Israelites living in these territories left over from the Assyrian captivity of 721 B.C. [II Kings 17:22-23]. There were also many Jews living here....left over from the Babylonian captivity 125 years later [II Kings 25:11]. These two houses....The House of Judah and The House of Israel were the Lost Sheep referred to by Our Saviour in [Matthew 10:5-6]....and these are the folks to whom the "Twelve" were given to evangelize!
Over the years history has lost track of these people but during the first century everyone knew who they were and where they were. [John 7:35] Then said the Jews among themselves, Whither will he go, that we shall not find him? will he go unto the dispersed among the Gentiles, and teach the Gentiles?
The two tribes mentioned by Josephus as still in Asia were of course Judah and Benjamin who comprised the House of Judah. Levi was also with them but was not listed separately as they were a priestly tribe and lived among and ministered to the others.
Beyond the Euphrates, yes. In the city of Babylon, no.
Beyond the Euphrates, yes. In the city of Babylon, no.
A more extensive answer. From HistoryWorld.net:
“The city’s end directly relates to the Greek conquest of this region. In 312 BC Seleucus founds a new Mesopotamian capital city, Seleucia, further to the north and on the Tigris rather than the Euphrates. Much of the building material is brought from Babylon, which becomes a forgotten city until excavated in the 20th century. But at all times there has been an important city in this region where the two great rivers come closest together. Seleucia is followed, in it turn, by Ctesiphon on the opposite bank of the Tigris. And from the early days of Islam this has been the site, a few miles further up the Tigris, of Baghdad. “
Or, from the Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological and Ecclesiastical literature:
“The Great City of Seleucia, which arose in its neighborhood , not only drew away its population, but was actually constructed of materials derived from its buildings... “The Great City,” “The Beauty of the Chaldean’s Excellency” has thus emphatically “become heaps” — she is truly “an astonishment and a hissing, without inhabitant.” Her walls have altogether disappeared — they have “fallen,” been “thrown down,” been “broken utterly.”... The natives regard the whole site as haunted, and neither will the “Arab pitch tent nor the shepherd fold sheep there.”