Torah.org Home Subscribe Services Support Us
 


Jewish History: Biblical History: The Assyrian Exile:

What happened to the Israelite tribes that were exiled by the Assyrians? Can they still be identified? Will they ever be found?

In 2 Kings 17:6, 18:11 and the parallel passage in 1 Chronicles 5:26, nothing is said about the deportation being partial, and there is no indication in the Bible that any significant number of the deportees later returned. An exception is mentioned in 2 Kings 17:24ff: When the Assyrians settled other tribes in that land, they found the land hostile to them, so one of the exiled priests was allowed to come back and teach them the local (i.e. Israelite) religion. There are many legends about what happened to the "Ten Lost Tribes"; for a summary see Encyclopedia Judaica, vol.15, cols.1003-1006. But there is no solid evidence of any existing group being descended from them; they have left no indisputable traces. There were Jewish groups in Ethiopia that apparently did go back to First Temple times, and probably had connections with the tribe of Dan. The groups that have been found in Mexico, India, etc. are of less certain origins; they may be of Jewish descent, but it isn't possible to associate them with any specific tribe. The Tannaim disagreed as to whether the Ten Tribes will eventually return; see Mishnah Sanhedrin 10:3. If we accept Rabbi Akiva's view, we must conclude that they are permanently lost; but many Tannaim did not accept this view (see Talmud Sanhedrin 110b).
Ask a follow-up question
BACK
Torah.org Home


Torah Portion

Jewish Law

Ethics

Texts

Learn the Basics

Seasons

Features

TORAHAUDIO

Ask The Rabbi

Knowledge Base




Help

About Us

Contact Us



Free Book on Geulah!




Torah.org Home
Torah.org HomeCapalon.com Copyright Information