Posted on 07/17/2008 4:35:12 AM PDT by John Leland 1789
THE "LOST" TEN TRIBES
In a recent discussion of the subject, by P. Asmussim, in a German periodical, the writer shows that the ten tribes never were "lost." Both in the Books of Kings and in the Assyrian inscriptions we have records of the deportations of the inhabitants of the Northern Kingdom, and in leading particulars the accounts agree.
In 734 Tiglath-Pileser led into captivity the people of Gilead and of Galilee, and the districts of Issachar, Zebulon, Asher, Naphtali, Northern Dan, Eastern Manasseh and Gad were incorporated into the Assyrian monarchy. The last king of Israel accordingly ruled over nothing but what was afterwards called Samaria, i.e. the territory of Ephraim, West Manasseh, and the remnants of Benjamin. (Benjamin had not been joined to Judah, as is generally supposed; but Judah had extended her boundaries in the north at the expense of Benjamin as early as the reigns of David and Solomon. The district of Reuben had disappeared during the time of the Kings.)
From this limited territory, Sargon, in 722, according to his own report, led into captivity 27,280 persons, and later on until 711 some few more. In both deportations from all ten tribes the entire number of captives could not have numbered more than 50,000, including women and children.
The system of deportation then practiced by the despots never sent the entire population of a land into exile, and only those influential families who might stir up rebellion against the conqueror, and the artisans who made weapons. These captives formed a small minority in the communities where they settled, and being not very zealous Jews, religiously, they underwent a religious and social amalgamation with the foreign people. (It was different with Babylonian exiles of a century and a half later; they were zealous Jehovists, and were promised a return, so that they adhered to Judaism, lived together in Babylon, the prophetic activity continued, and some of them later returned to Jerusalem as a congregation.)
Those who were deported from the Northern kingdom were an insignificant number compared with the masses that remained, perhaps one-tenth. They were not tribes or large parts of tribes, but only individuals, or at most families. These persons were "lost" to be sure, but the tribes as such remained in Canaan, and absorbed the heathen settlers that were sent in. In later times the division into tribes signified little or nothing, the division into tribal territory was not regarded. In general, the Jew of the New Testament era knew as little from what tribe he came as does the modern Jew. Among modern Jews all these tribes, without any doubt, are their descendents. In other words, the "lost" tribes never have been and are not now "lost."
[Note: All Twelve Tribes were represented in Jerusalem at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2.]
Thanks.
Do you have a map related to all the above?
I don't, Quix, my library here in Shanghai is, of necessity, too small for that.
Let me recommend a book to you, though, with an excellent view of Israel's history, and it has a chalk-artists set of maps in the back. The author is also a chalk illustrator of Bible themes.
The book is titled ISRAEL, A DEADLY PIECE OF DIRT. Author: Dr. Peter S. Ruckman, Pensacola Bible Institute, Pensacola, Florida. Check out the Bible Baptist Bookstore in Pensacola. I believe they do have a web site.
Dr. Ruckman reads 700 words per minute at age @87, and has 99.xxx% recall. He has degrees in history as well as theology. Was a dance band drummer in his early years, and studied for the RC priesthood prior to being converted to Jesus Christ (1947). Has been a pastor, evangelist and Bible institute president — and artist and chalk illustrator. Still traveling and preaching! Has conducted public debates with RC lawyers, videos of which can be obtained from the bookstore.
One of Dr. Ruckman’s most interesting productions is an AD LIB COMMENTARY through the Bible, which you can get (I think) on audio CDs. You can learn more Bible running down the highway with those recordings running than most Bible colleges teach in a Bachelor's program, I guarantee.
Dr. Ruckman is a caustic, no-holds-barred preacher, one of the old types like Sam Jones, Uncle Bud Robinson, Gypsy Smith, and Billy Sunday.
bump.
Chaim Potok has a very interesting history of the Jews called Wanderings.
In discussing the various dispersals by conquering kings, he notes that some were left behind and that at least a minimal amount of communication went back and forth between those left in Israel and those removed over the years via trade.
A good archaeological, linguistic, cultural, and geographical study on this subject is written by Yair Davidy. Yair is a Jewish scholar based out of Jerusalem. He along with thousands of Orthodox Jews agree that the lost tribes were scattered but will be regathered by the soon coming Messiah.
By the way, the editors of THINGS TO COME (1894 to 1915) also believed that the tribes were scattered just as you state. They were Bible-literalists.
The word “scatter,” however, is not synonymous with the word “lost.” All Twelve Tribes were represented at Pentecost in Acts chapter 2, although they had been scattered.
The volumes of THINGS TO COME dealt often with the issue of British-Israelism which was a much bigger deal in theological discussion in those years than it is today in the USA (I assume you are writing from the USA). The editors published that article in that context.
Is it possible that the entire later Kingdom of Judea was made up of the descendants of the exiles who returned in the time of Cyrus? The returning exiles just could not have been that many, especially since many exiles, perhaps the majority, didn’t return at all; the exile community in Mesopotamia kept its identity long into the Christian Era.
Scattered yes, “lost,” no.
Are you telling me that the LDS Church either does teach, or used to teach, the Hollow Earth idea?
There does seem to be some facination among Mormons with the Hollow Earth Theory. Google Mormon and Hollow Earth and you will get over 200,000 hits.
I saw a pretty good argument that the Irish (Celts, in particular) very well could be from the tribe of Dan. Time line, historical oddities, and some genetic studies indicate they were at least middle eastern.
Burly folks with red hair, too.
Me, I am from the house of Levi, by family name (Kohen)/tradition and genetic study.
Hmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
I gather you don’t believe the tales of construction workers under the Salt Lake Temple running into Dracos?
LOL.
What do I know. I just live here.
I thought it was quite conclusive that the Danes are Dan.
Step-dad is 100% Dane.
Never heard that one.
All that is missing is Atlantis and the lost continent of MU.;-D
There are many stories of peoples who have Hebrew like religions in odd places also.
Poppycock! [II Kings 17:7] Therefore the LORD was very angry with Israel, and removed them out of his sight: there was none left but the tribe of Judah only.
Not only that.....they were still in exile when the Jews returned from their Babylonian captivity 200 years later. [II Kings 17:24] Until the LORD removed Israel out of his sight, as he had said by all his servants the prophets. So was Israel carried away out of their own land to Assyria unto this day.
The Books of the Kings and the Chronicles were written after the return of the Jews from Babylon.....and Israel was still in exile at that time! There is no mention of their return in scripture. They were not lost. Everyone knew where they were....but they have now been lost to history. During the first century Our Lord instructs his Apostles to evangelize them [Matthew 10:5-6]. Josephus says they are still beyond the Euphrates during the first century [Antiquities XI, Chapter 5, Paragraph 2]. Peter is evangelizing them here: [1 Peter 1:1-2] Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the strangers scattered throughout Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia, Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied. Here is what the Greek translated for "Strangers scattered" means: Strangers (3927. parepidemos (par-ep-id'-ay-mos), an alien alongside, i.e. a resident foreigner). Scattered ( 1290. diaspora (dee-as-por-ah')dispersion, i.e. (specially and concretely) the (converted) Israelite resident in Gentile countries). These folks were Israelites.....not Gentiles as most modern clergy would have us believe. They had a "Foreknowledge" of God, the Father!
Some folks of the Northern Tribes migrated to the south before the deportation [II Chronicles 11:13-17] and became known as Jews.....especially the Levites as they had been rejected as priests and found themselves only welcomed in the South. But scripture says "Only Judah remained" and at that time Judah consisted of Benjamin and Levi as well.
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