Bible Study Tools By Betty Dunn
What Do We Know about the Lost Tribes of Israel?
God promised Abraham that he would establish God’s chosen nation of people through his family. I will make you into a great nation, and I will bless you; I will make your name great, and you will be a blessing (Genesis 12:2). Abraham bore Isaac, whose son Jacob had 12 sons who founded the 12 tribes of Israel. Two of Jacob’s sons, Judah and Benjamin, settled in the southern region and became the Kingdom of Judah. These two tribal groups survived Old Testament history and Judah’s tribe continued its line to Jesus’ birth. What happened to the other 10 tribes who settled the northern region as the Kingdom of Israel? And why are these 10 tribes called the lost tribes of Israel?
Sons were frequently lost in Old Testament narratives. Tribal conflicts led to wars in which male heirs and leaders were killed. Marriages to other dwellers in the region combined and blurred tribal identity. After generations passed, a tribe’s identity could be lost for good. Scholars believe this is what happened to the 10 lost tribes of Israel. These tribes also settled far and wide around the earth. Of the original 12 tribes of Israel, 10 tribes did not survive Old Testament battles and mingling of cultures…
