We know from the Old Testament that the people of Israel were formed from twelve tribes, corresponding to the number of Jacob’s sons. Later, this nation acquired a royal house that ruled over these twelve tribes. Initially, this was King Saul, followed by David—to whom God attached His name and to whom He promised that the Messiah would come forth from his lineage. After him, his son Solomon became king, likewise ruling over all twelve tribes.
Divided
In his later years, Solomon turned to idolatry. Consequently, after his death, the kingdom was torn apart and divided into a northern and a southern realm. The northern realm is commonly referred to as the Ten-Tribe Kingdom and bears the name Israel. The southern realm, consisting of the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, is known as Judah.
In Scripture, the Ten-Tribe Kingdom is also frequently called Ephraim, after the tribe that held a leading position within it. Additionally, it is occasionally referred to as Joseph.
Disappeared among the nations
Both kingdoms were taken into captivity: the Ten-Tribe Kingdom to Assyria and the Two-Tribe Kingdom to Babylon. For instance, we read that Daniel was carried off to Babylon (Dan. 1:1–6). Regarding the captivity of the two tribes, the duration had been foretold—more on that later.
A small portion of Judah later returned to the land. Another portion did not return but remained in the diaspora while retaining its identity. Yet another portion eventually assimilated into the surrounding peoples and lost its Jewish identity.
A very small portion of the Ten-Tribe Kingdom also returned. However, the vast majority did not return from the Assyrian exile but assimilated into the peoples among whom they lived. In other words, they gradually lost their Israelite identity and merged into what Scripture calls the nations.
The lost ten tribes of Israel?
Because the greater part of the Ten-Tribe Kingdom disappeared from view, the question arose as to what became of these tribes. In this context, people often speak of “the lost ten tribes of Israel.”
Over time, various explanations have been offered for this. One of the best-known and most fully developed theories is that these tribes eventually ended up in Northwest Europe.
Israel in Northwest Europe
The most well-known and specific of these is the doctrine of British Israelism. This theory posits that the population of Great Britain (and often, more broadly, the Anglo-Saxon peoples) descends from the ten tribes of Israel.
According to this view, the ten tribes did not disappear after the Assyrian exile but—through migration—eventually arrived in Northwest Europe, where they live on, particularly in the British people and related nations. In this perspective, these peoples constitute the actual continuation of Israel.
An ecclesia from the ten tribes?
One conclusion drawn from this is that the ecclesia (congregation)—which is currently being gathered from the nations—can be seen (in part) as a form of restoration of the House of Israel. After all, in this view, the ecclesia is formed to a significant extent from the ten tribes.
Linked to this is the idea that the gospel found acceptance and took root particularly among the Anglo-Saxon peoples because of their presumed ancestry as descendants of the ten tribes. In this way, the Gospel—albeit in a hidden manner—would have ultimately reached this part of Israel. This would imply that lineage ultimately matters within the ecclesia, whereas Paul teaches that lineage plays no role in Christ (Gal. 3:28; Col. 3:11).
Furthermore, a distinction is made regarding the way God openly pursues His path with Israel as a people during different phases of His plan of salvation. When the ecclesia is taken from the earth and assumes its heavenly position, God will once again emphatically focus His dealings on Israel. According to this view, He will then gather both the two tribes and the “lost” ten tribes from among the nations and bring them back to the land.
Extra-biblical
About 25 years ago, I first encountered the teaching regarding the “lost ten tribes of Israel.” For a long time, I regarded this as an interesting theory and read various books on the subject, thereby becoming familiar with the arguments. However, one fundamental problem remained: this teaching is largely based on extra-biblical sources.
From time to time, I still encounter what I—for the sake of convenience—refer to as “the teaching of the lost ten tribes.” In these blog posts, I wish to outline my findings and examine what Scripture says about the twelve, two, and ten tribes—about Israel, Judah, the Jews, and the nations.