Well....it may have been....but by the first century there were millions of Israelites living in and about the area: Josephus/Antiquities, Book XI, Chapter 58, Paragraph 2 [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.]
The other two tribes still under Rome's influence, of course would be Judah and Benjamin (Judea) and most of the priestly tribe of Levi who were not counted separately.....but as part of other tribes. The rest of the Israelites of the dispersion [II Kings 17:6] have never been shown in scripture to have returned from their exile. Josephus tells us where many of them still were during the first century and many were still in Babylon.....abandoned heap....or not!
Coincidently.....scripture tells us that the Apostle Peter was here [1 Peter 5:13].....evangelizing these folks just as The Lord [Matthew 10:5-6] had told him to do. Scripture never finds Peter in Rome as tradition tells us. He was told not to go there!
Nope. The reference was to Rome.
...evangelizing these folks just as The Lord [Matthew 10:5-6] had told him to do. Scripture never finds Peter in Rome as tradition tells us.
Arguing from silence is very weak.
He was told not to go there!
And later he was told to go everywhere!