[tang-soo]

Not disagreeing with any of your points, but many from the Northern Kingdom migrated to the Southern Kingdom well before the Assyrian invasion. Not from fear of conquest but because of the apostasy started in the Northern - the worshiping of idols in the “High Places” begun after the split by Jeroboam (I Kings 12).

[Diego1618]

Not disagreeing with any of your points, but many from the Northern Kingdom migrated to the Southern Kingdom well before the Assyrian invasion. Not from fear of conquest but because of the apostasy started in the Northern - the worshiping of idols in the “High Places” begun after the split by Jeroboam (I Kings 12).

And they became know as Jews also....citizens of Judah. During the first century it was known as Judea. Here is the Biblical definition of Jews: The first time in scripture the word appears is [II Kings 16:6] At that time Rezin king of Syria recovered Elath to Syria, and drave the Jews from Elath: and the Syrians came to Elath, and dwelt there unto this day. Jews: 3064. Yhuwdiy (yeh-hoo-dee') a Jehudite (i.e. Judaite or Jew), or descendant of Jehudah (i.e. Judah) The first time the word Jews appears in the New Testament: [Matthew 2:2] Saying, Where is he that is born King of the Jews? for we have seen his star in the east, and are come to worship him. Jews: 2453. Ioudaios (ee-oo-dah'-yos) Judaean, i.e. belonging to Jehudah

The ten tribes of the north were never considered to be, or were called, Jews. This appellation belonged only to the citizens of the southern kingdom of Judah. This continued to the first century when the area was called Judea. That's why, when Our Lord directs the Apostles to their commission, He says....."Go to the Lost sheep of the House Of Israel" [Matthew 10:5-6]. He doesn't call them Jews. Jews were....and still are....only one of twelve distinct tribes that were the children of Israel. The folks who came south because of the sins of Jeroboam [ 2 Chronicles 11:13-17] became part of Judah....and were called Jews also.

Reading the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah that Chronicle the return of Judah (Jews) from their own captivity in Babylon 125 years after the exile of the ten tribes to Assyria, you will find no mention of any tribes other than Judah, Benjamin and Levi. You will see that Israelites are included in the population as the "Children of Israel" are mentioned quite a few times.....but the Jews (Judah, Benjamin and Levi) were also the Children of Israel as well.

[ladyL]

Yes, that's true. We really can't put any numbers to the population that went South and the ones who were carried off in the North.
What we can know with certainty is that Yah’s judgment came upon the whole House of Israel as stated in scripture. We also know that Yah told Jacob his descendent's would become a nation and a company of nations, Gen 35:9-12. He also said Abraham's decendents would be as many as the stars and sand uncountable. Well today there are 16 million Jews and approx. 230 million Ishmaelites. If Ishmael produced that many descendent's surely there are that many if not more descendent's of Isaac. So we have at least 230 million of Gentiles out there who have Abraham's DNA. So these are the only numbers I use to try to understand the Father's grand plan.