Lost Tribes

[Open Heart]

I just got finished watching this video. It is excellent, excellent. It is narrated by a Christian, who is just as interested in finding the lost tribes as we are. His group believes they found all of the remnants of the ten except Asher. I was just blown away by this video. PS I don't know what is with the weird picture on the title page LOL.

 

[rakovsky]

1. Some of them joined the Kingdom of Judah, according to the Bible. For instance, Paul said that he descended from the Tribe of Benjamin.
2. There is a lot of evidence that the Samaritans are at least partly from the Ten Tribes. The Samaritans are on the Ten Tribes' territory, but there has been a debate since ancient times as to how many of the Samaritans are from Persia vs. from the Ten Tribes.

 

[tbeachhead]

Anna, the prophetess of temple fame who greeted the infant Jesus, was of the tribe of Asher. Nothing lost about her.

 

[Marcha]

Anna, the prophetess of temple fame who greeted the infant Jesus, was of the tribe of Asher. Nothing lost about her.

That is interesting. I wish I could learn more about this woman

 

[tbeachhead]

That is interesting. I wish I could learn more about this woman

What is most interesting is that her presence in the temple, with Simeon, belies the claim that there ever were four hundred silent years...There were clearly deaf years, where no one was listening, but they were never silent. There have been times where "the Word of the Lord is rare" in those days, but the problem is not a willingness to speak...but the inability to hear.

 

[American Gothic]

According to Ken Johnson, who studies the Dead Sea Scrolls, there is a prophecy specifically about Benjamites populating the Negev at some point in the future.

 

[balshan]

I just got finished watching this video. It is excellent, excellent. It is narrated by a Christian, who is just as interested in finding the lost tribes as we are. His group believes they found all of the remnants of the ten except Asher. I was just blown away by this video. PS I don't know what is with the weird picture on the title page LOL.

Interesting subject.

 

[Hawkeye]

1. Some of them joined the Kingdom of Judah, according to the Bible.

The southern Kingdom of Judah (after Israel split in two) [I Kings 12:19-20] included the tribe of Benjamin [I Kings 11:11-13/12:22-24] and part of the Levites who were always assigned to individual tribes [Numbers 1:49-53]. Eventually....most of the Levites came to Judah as well [II Chronicles 11:13-17]

The House of Israel was carried captive to Assyria in 721 B.C. [II Kings 15:29] and never returned (enmasse) to the Levant but were filtered through the rest of civilization after the Assyrian Empire emploded about 630 B.C. [Amos 9:9].

Judah itself was carried captive to Babylon in 598 B.C. but returned as a nation 70 years later [II Kings 25:21-22] and this is all chronicled in the books of Ezra andf Nehemiah.

The northern Kingdom of Israel (ten tribes) never returned.........and their national identity was lost to history.

 

[Marcha]

The southern Kingdom of Judah (after Israel split in two) [I Kings 12:19-20] included the tribe of Benjamin [I Kings 11:11-13/12:22-24] and part of the Levites who were always assigned to individual tribes [Numbers 1:49-53]. Eventually....most of the Levites came to Judah as well [II Chronicles 11:13-17]

The House of Israel was carried captive to Assyria in 721 B.C. [II Kings 15:29] and never returned (enmasse) to the Levant but were filtered through the rest of civilization after the Assyrian Empire emploded about 630 B.C. [Amos 9:9].

Judah itself was carried captive to Babylon in 598 B.C. but returned as a nation 70 years later [II Kings 25:21-22] and this is all chronicled in the books of Ezra andf Nehemiah.

The northern Kingdom of Israel (ten tribes) never returned.........and their national identity was lost to history.

So, any one of us could be a descendant of the Israelites. Didn't scripture say somewhere that they were prophysied to lose their identity.

 

[Hawkeye]

So, any one of us could be a descendant of the Israelites. Didn't scripture say somewhere that they were prophysied to lose their identity.

[Romans 9:25-27]
As he saith also in Hosea, I will call them my people, which were not my people; and her beloved, which was not beloved.
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.
Esaias also crieth concerning Israel, Though the number of the children of Israel be as the sand of the sea, a remnant shall be saved:

[Hosea 1:10-11]
Yet the number of the children of Israel shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered; and it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.
Then shall the children of Judah and the children of Israel be gathered together, and appoint themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land: for great shall be the day of Jezreel.

 

[Open Heart]

So, any one of us could be a descendant of the Israelites. Didn't scripture say somewhere that they were prophysied to lose their identity.

The thing is, in the movie that I opened this thread with, the peoples who are the descendents of the Israelites REMEMBER who they are. They have remnants of traditions of the Israelites. You cannot say this about just "any one of us."

 

[Open Heart]

The southern Kingdom of Judah (after Israel split in two) [I Kings 12:19-20] included the tribe of Benjamin [I Kings 11:11-13/12:22-24] and part of the Levites who were always assigned to individual tribes [Numbers 1:49-53]. Eventually....most of the Levites came to Judah as well [II Chronicles 11:13-17]

It also included refugees from the Northern kingdom, so that when the Kingdom of Judah was carried off into captivity, it included all 12 tribes plus Levi. In other words, the word "Jew" can refer to all of the tribes.

 

[Open Heart]

What is most interesting is that her presence in the temple, with Simeon, belies the claim that there ever were four hundred silent years...There were clearly deaf years, where no one was listening, but they were never silent. There have been times where "the Word of the Lord is rare" in those days, but the problem is not a willingness to speak...but the inability to hear.

The years were neither silent nor deaf. The fact that there is no book of canon doesn't mean that nothing happened. For one thing, there was the whole Maccabean war, a significant event, that is now remembered through the festival of the dedication (Chanukah).

 

[Hawkeye]

It also included refugees from the Northern kingdom, so that when the Kingdom of Judah was carried off into captivity, it included all 12 tribes plus Levi. In other words, the word "Jew" can refer to all of the tribes.

You're correct....it did. Some folks from the north came south to Judah [II Chronicles 31/32] and obviously through inter-marriage many of them may have remained and their progeny were included in the Babylonian captivity of Judah in 598/600 B.C. [II Kings 25:21]. You will not see any mention in Ezra and Nehemiah of anyone but Judah, Benjamin and Levi seventy years later.

But the majority of Israel (ten tribes) were taken to Assyria [I Chronicles 5:26][II Kings 15:29][II Kings 17:3-6][II Kings 18:11-12]. It has been estimated by some historians to have numbered in the "Hundreds of Thousands.....perhaps millions".

During the first century the Hebrew historian, Josephus wrote this..........

[Antiquities Book 11; Chapter V, Paragraph 2]
"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,"

The two tribes he spoke of were Judah and Benjamin as Levi was never counted [Numbers 1:49]. The other ten tribes had migrated throughout the known civilized world....and became lost to history after the Assyrian implosion (600 B.C.)

 

[Hawkeye]

It also included refugees from the Northern kingdom, so that when the Kingdom of Judah was carried off into captivity, it included all 12 tribes plus Levi. In other words, the word "Jew" can refer to all of the tribes.

You are not mistaken (in a sense) that all tribes of Israel are sometimes referred to as Jews.....but incorrectly as it is. They are never called by that appellation in scripture and indeed sometimes it's very obvious they shouldn't be.

King James [II Kings 16:5-6] Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. 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.

As you can see....scripture defines Israel apart from the Jews. In fact this is the first place in the Bible where the word, "Jew" is used.....and they are at war against "Israel". All Jews are Israelites (as all Californians are Americans)......but not all Israelites are Jews (as all Americans are not Californians).

In the Early Church these points were well understood by the Church Fathers but as time went on and tradition took over many things became obscured. I still hear frequently statements such as...."Oh yes...the tribe of Dan, who were one of the Jewish Tribes...................." No they weren't.

Justin Martyr said in his first apology:

CHAPTER XXXII --Moses then, who was the first of the prophets, spoke in these very words: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is reserved; and He shall be the desire of the nations, binding His foal to the vine, washing His robe in the blood of the grape." It is yours to make accurate inquiry, and ascertain up to whose time the Jews had a lawgiver and king of their own. Up to the time of Jesus Christ, who taught us, and interpreted the prophecies which were not yet understood, [they had a lawgiver] as was foretold by the holy and divine Spirit of prophecy through Moses, "that a ruler would not fail the Jews until He should come for whom the kingdom was reserved" (for Judah was the forefather of the Jews, from whom also they have their name of Jews); and after He (i.e., Christ) appeared, you began to rule the Jews, and gained possession of all their territory. And the prophecy, "He shall be the expectation of the nations,"

 

[Open Heart]

You are not mistaken (in a sense) that all tribes of Israel are sometimes referred to as Jews.....but incorrectly as it is. They are never called by that appellation in scripture and indeed sometimes it's very obvious they shouldn't be.

King James [II Kings 16:5-6] Then Rezin king of Syria and Pekah son of Remaliah king of Israel came up to Jerusalem to war: and they besieged Ahaz, but could not overcome him. 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.

As you can see....scripture defines Israel apart from the Jews. In fact this is the first place in the Bible where the word, "Jew" is used.....and they are at war against "Israel". All Jews are Israelites (as all Californians are Americans)......but not all Israelites are Jews (as all Americans are not Californians).

In the Early Church these points were well understood by the Church Fathers but as time went on and tradition took over many things became obscured. I still hear frequently statements such as...."Oh yes...the tribe of Dan, who were one of the Jewish Tribes...................." No they weren't.

Justin Martyr said in his first apology:

CHAPTER XXXII --Moses then, who was the first of the prophets, spoke in these very words: "The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor a lawgiver from between his feet, until He come for whom it is reserved; and He shall be the desire of the nations, binding His foal to the vine, washing His robe in the blood of the grape." It is yours to make accurate inquiry, and ascertain up to whose time the Jews had a lawgiver and king of their own. Up to the time of Jesus Christ, who taught us, and interpreted the prophecies which were not yet understood, [they had a lawgiver] as was foretold by the holy and divine Spirit of prophecy through Moses, "that a ruler would not fail the Jews until He should come for whom the kingdom was reserved" (for Judah was the forefather of the Jews, from whom also they have their name of Jews); and after He (i.e., Christ) appeared, you began to rule the Jews, and gained possession of all their territory. And the prophecy, "He shall be the expectation of the nations,"

You apparently didn't read what I wrote. We know that the Jews were called Jews in Babylon, and that they consisted of ALL the tribes. You can quote whomever you want. It won't change that fact.

 

[Hawkeye]

You apparently didn't read what I wrote. We know that the Jews were called Jews in Babylon, and that they consisted of ALL the tribes. You can quote whomever you want. It won't change that fact.

So.....? What am I attempting to change? What didn't I read?

All I am saying is that the captivity and dispersion of the ten tribes (Israel) was greater than...... and occurred much earlier than the captivity of Judah to Babylon. The Jews weren't dispersed. They came back to Jerusalem 70 years later.

Of course there may have been individuals from the ten tribes that went to Babylon with their brothers. There may have been individuals from Judah and Benjamin who were involved in the Assyrian captivity 125 years earlier.

So what? They remain two distinct biblical events and the preponderant majority of Israel was never heard from again.............125 YEARS EARLIER!

You may be living next door to Israelites.....and not know it! They may not either...........

 

[Open Heart]

So.....? What am I attempting to change? What didn't I read?

All I am saying is that the captivity and dispersion of the ten tribes (Israel) was greater than...... and occurred much earlier than the captivity of Judah to Babylon. The Jews weren't dispersed. They came back to Jerusalem 70 years later.

Of course there may have been individuals from the ten tribes that went to Babylon with their brothers. There may have been individuals from Judah and Benjamin who were involved in the Assyrian captivity 125 years earlier.

So what? They remain two distinct biblical events and the preponderant majority of Israel was never heard from again.............125 YEARS EARLIER!

You may be living next door to Israelites.....and not know it! They may not either...........

So what? It means that the title of Jew belongs to ALL of the tribes.

 

[Hawkeye]

So what? It means that the title of Jew belongs to ALL of the tribes.

 

[Hawkeye]

Sorry............no cigar.

Abraham, Isaac and Jacob were not Jews.

Moses was not a Jew....and strictly speaking.....The Apostle Paul was not even a Jew, but because he came from Benjamin he adopted that appellation as one of the two tribes of Judah.

This error about who can be called a Jew should end if folks are to understand (not only prophecy) but basic Biblical literacy.