Video from Religion for Breakfast
What Happened to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?
Who are the Lost Tribes of Israel?
The 12 sons of Israel became the 12 tribes of Israel. God freed them from slavery in Egypt and brought them into the land – Israel – that He promised to their forefathers.
Centuries later, after King Solomon died, the Israelites divided their kingdom in two. The north became Israel with 10 tribes. The other two tribes in the south were called Judah.
In 722 BC, Assyria conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. While many of the 10 Northern tribes emigrated to Judah, some members of these tribes fled, were taken captive or deported to other lands. (See 2 Kings 17:5–6 and 1 Chronicles 5:26.) These became known as the 10 “Lost Tribes.”
Where did the Lost Tribes of Israel go?
Captives from Israel’s 10 tribes were taken north, south, and east. Some who fled captivity went south into Egypt while others followed trade routes eastward into the Orient, some continuing their migration across the millennia.
Where are the Lost Tribes of Israel now?
Did they disappear? Did they assimilate into other societies? Were they persecuted and wiped out?
Because of persecution over the centuries in many of the countries in which they now live, many hid their Jewish heritage by practicing their faith in secret. Some are locally known to be Jewish – and suffer prejudice and persecution because of it – but have only recently become known to the rest of the world.
In the last 75 years or so, Jewish communities have become known in Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, India, China, and other surprising countries. Even more surprising to some is that members of the Lost Tribes living in these countries look like any other people native to these regions.
Even though the “Lost Tribes” are found, the name stuck because it says so much about their history.." from the article: Who Are The “Lost Tribes of Israel”?