Who Are the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel?

Under the reigns of Saul, David, and Solomon the people of Israel formed a single nation through the union of the twelve tribes. This confederation ended at the death of Solomon when the tribes separated into two independent states. The northern Kingdom of Israel separated itself from the Kingdom of Judah at the beginning of the reign of Solomon’s son Rehoboam. The northern tribes formed the Kingdom of Israel. The tribes of Judah, Benjamin, and Levi made up the Kingdom of Judah to the south.

In BCE 722 the Kingdom of Israel fell to Sargon II and the Assyrians. By order of its conquerors the substantial majority of its inhabitants relocated in Assyria as captives, exiles, and slaves. This was the original Diaspora. At this time some members of the northern tribes, a remnant, fled to the south and joined themselves to the Kingdom of Judah. Evidence of this refugee movement into Judah are new neighborhoods and building programs at Jerusalem at that time. Hence the people known as the Jews involved some admixture of the tribes. This kingdom, which later fell to the Babylonians in BCE 587, added the Jews, that is the tribes of Judah, Benjamin, Levi, and the remaining remnant of the Ten Tribes to the Diaspora.

When Jewish exiles returned to Judea during the time of Ezra and Nehemiah not all did so. Those who did not go back remained part of the Diaspora which by then not only extended throughout the Persian Empire but to regions and lands far beyond.

What became of the lost ten tribes of the house of Israel? Outside of the Bible itself the limited evidence pertinent to this question appears to be ambiguous, incomplete, and suspect. Presumably the lost ten tribes never returned to the Holy Land. Archaeology, history, and linguistics fail to explain their fate. No more than soft evidence is available and none of it is scientific. While interesting the evidence is not compelling.

At the heart of the matter is a theological concept, a hermeneutic often with significant prophetic overtones, read into the findings of archaeology, history, and linguistics. Even a cursory reading of the various publications "identifying" and equating the United States, Britain, and northern European nations and peoples with the lost ten tribes evidence theological arguments based upon their particular authors' exegesis.

While the findings of historians, linguists and archeologists are of great import they do not establish with any certainty that Americans of northern European descent, the British, and northern European peoples are indeed the descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of the House of Israel. The data is inconclusive except for those people willing to accept a very low standard of proof, simply believe what they read, or trust in someone else's opinion and logic.

Moreover, the political situation since World War II has inhibited extensive archaeological research in Iraq, the former Soviet Union, communist Poland, and some adjoining states. This region is the traditional route of the Israelite immigration into northern Europe. Further, slaves, refugees, and nomads do not make good subjects for archaeological research. Their mudbrick houses washed away a long time ago and few, if any, monuments testify to their feats and accomplishments. Only rarely would we expect to find such data. It appears we now deal, absent some new accidental discovery, with an archaeological dead-end.

Except for a limited account of the deportation by the Assyrians and prophecies such as the promises made to the tribes recorded in Genesis 49 the Bible is silent on this subject. Spinning Genesis 49 and a few other scriptures such as Genesis 35:9, I Chronicles 5:2, Romans 1:16, and the like, results in an illusory proof. Why? Its proponents consistently fail to establish context! Now do not misunderstand. This criticism of some very prominent writers and their logic does not mean that the basic proposition is in error, nor does it necessarily diminish the writer's importance, stature, or contribution in his or her own time. I simply question the nature of the inquiry, the quality of the data, and the conclusions drawn from the available data. Northern Europeans may very well be and probably are descendants of the ancient Israelites. This is no great leap of faith for those of us who have spent time in the study of migration of ancient peoples and population genetics. I merely suggest we refocus the inquiry along scientific lines so we can develop sufficient evidence, perhaps, to put the matter to rest. If, on the other hand, hard scientific evidence confirms at a high level of statistical certainty that northern European peoples and Americans of northern European descent (Danes, Scots, English, Swedes, Fins, and the like) are descendants of the ancient Israelites then we should reconsider the theological implications. The matter would require careful scrutiny.

According to the apostle John, writing late in the first century, Jesus also had said, "And I have other sheep, which are not of this fold; I must bring them also, and they shall hear My voice; and they shall become one flock with one shepherd" (John 10:16 NASB). By "this fold,"

Jesus referred to the Jewish nation living in Roman Judea wherein he fulfilled his ministry. Presumably the apostles understood this reference to "other sheep" to refer to the scattered twelve tribes in the Dispersion. Technically the reference was to all thirteen tribes as the "tribe" of Joseph consisted of two tribes namely Ephraim and Manasseh. The Judean Jews of Jesus day referred to the scattered tribes of Israel as "the dispersed among the Gentiles" (John 7:35). They were the "Lost Ten Tribes of the house of Israel" and included scattered members of house of Judah as well.

The term "other sheep" could not have referred to Gentiles. In the Hebrew Scriptures only the descendants of Jacob, who had his name changed to Israel by YHWH, were known as "sheep." The Gentiles could secure salvation through Jesus Christ of Nazareth (Ephesians 2:11-13) but there is no scriptural reference to them nationally as "sheep." In the New Testament sheep became a cipher for the people of God, those converted through the indwelling of God's Holy Spirit, and not a symbol for Jews or for Gentiles.

The Assyrian empire declined and eventually collapsed with the rise of the Chaldean empire. Nearly all the literature dealing with the fate of the Israelite tribes suggest either their absorption into Gentile populations, where they perished as a people with their genes swamped and their culture abandoned, or their assent to nationhood as the British, and other northern European peoples. In this thinking the Anglo-Saxon and Celtic peoples are descendants of the lost ten tribes.

Claims that the tribes migrated into northern Europe and constitute the basic stock of modern nations arose in the seventeenth century commonly have a scriptural basis, arise from a prophetic hermeneutic, and reflect an ethnocentric philosophy. The idea caught on in the time of the industrial revolution in the West. It was a time when "civilized" peoples such as the British and French saw most of the world's peoples as savages. The British Israelite idea served to legitimize royalty and advance British imperialism. It also served in the eradication of native American populations seen by some as Canaanite peoples. In our present world the equation of America, Britain, and northern European nations with specific Israelite tribes serves to impart an exciting prophetic hermeneutic for interpreting why the world is the way it is and what is going to happen in the course of future events. Few who hold to this worldview are aware of the tenuous basis of the hermeneutic upon which they rely.

Even though such thinking is quite ethnocentric, often contradictory, and speculative, it does not negate the fact that hundreds of thousands of Israelites experienced deportation to Assyria where they settled. These refugees continued to live, have children, and grandchildren. Their descendants are with us today! But where? This leads us to consider what we can know and how we can know it. The question is can we identify the descendants of these ancient Israelite peoples and, if so, how? I suggest that the answer does not lie in theological speculation but in the science of molecular biology and genetics.

A 1982 study undertaken by Kobyliansky (1982) and colleagues at Tel-Aviv University in Israel found, with the exception of that in Yemen, that Jewish populations cluster together genetically and are distinct genetically from most non-Jewish populations. The Jewish populations in the study were closer to each other genetically than to their non-Jewish neighbors. Moreover, non-Jewish Middle Eastern populations, the Arabs, cluster with the Jewish populations. Since both peoples descend from Abraham, the Jews through Isaac and the Arabs through Ishmael, these findings are consistent with the biblical account. The study utilized seven genetic marker loci. This study provides a basis for beginning a similar study including imputed Israelite populations.

In recent decades molecular biology has significantly advanced. By 1990 scientists launched an ambitious attempt to map all of the estimated 100,000 genes in a human DNA (Deoxyribonucleic acid) molecule known as the Human Genome Project. The nucleus of each cell contains DNA. The structure of each DNA molecule consists of two strands arranged in a helix joined together by chemical bases. In humans the nucleus of a cell contains 23 pairs of DNA each known as a chromosome. Moreover, the mitochondria of each cell contains additional DNA called mtDNA (Mitochondrial DNA). The latter ordinarily pass only through the maternal line but there is some scientific evidence suggesting that some can transfer from the father.

A mutation must occur in the DNA, either nuclear or Mitochondrial, passed through a sperm cell or ovum to have a genetic impact in an offspring. A mutation is a change in genetic code. Mutations in nuclear DNA can bring about neutral, harmful, or helpful results. As scientists learn more of human DNA the mechanisms of heredity have become clearer. Molecular biology and genetics provide us with the means and the opportunity to identify the descendants of the ancient Israelite peoples.

Two avenues of scientific research can bare on this subject: (1) research on gene mutations and genetic diseases and (2) Mitochondrial DNA research. Both approaches require the identification of appropriate genetic markers and the establishment of a sampling technique across European peoples as part of a careful research design. A vital part of the study would need to be the acquisition and isolation of DNA from human remains from the ancient Israelites and burial sites along the imputed migration route in their relevant time periods..

Only certain peoples can assimilate dairy products due to a lactase deficiency in most human populations. Most adult humans cannot digest milk efficiently resulting in various symptoms including severe cramps, diarrhea, and other intestinal disorders. The "gene mutation" resulting in the ability to manufacture the lactase enzyme as a mature adult is traceable to a mutation occurring in an individual living in the Middle East several millennia ago about the time of the invention of herding and the domestication of animals. Research shows that European Americans have a 2-19% lactase deficiency, African Americans a 70-77% deficiency, and Asian Americans a 95-100% deficiency. This is an example of a helpful result coming from a gene mutation and it is a rich area for research on the Lost Ten Tribes issue. Other avenues for exploration are diabetes, sickle cell anemia, blood groups, the HLA system, and the like.

Neutral mutations of mtDNA are neither beneficial nor harmful but accumulate over long periods. The Israelite population in question involves a period of about 4,000 years. Assuming this accumulation occurs at a constant rate over time, as most researchers believe, the number of mutations shared by individuals reflect the closeness of their relationship. Molecular geneticists then employ this to estimate at what time in the past that they shared a common ancestor using DNA from the Mitochondria (the energy-producing part of a cell). Since mtDNA accumulates neutral mutations rapidly it is an effective tool for studying genetic relationships in humans. As inheritance of mtDNA is from the mother alone geneticists trace recent genetic change through the female line. Ultimately, the derivation of all human mtDNA is from a common female ancestor. A caveat is that there is some evidence to link some mtDNA to fathers. I suggest that mtDNA based studies can be quite helpful, perhaps ultimately key, in investigating the Lost Ten Tribes problem.

In spite of the potential of the science of human genetics for providing us with insight into the Lost Ten Tribes problem God might want, for his greater purposes, for the tribes to remain lost from we more inquisitive types. Note that I have not raised the issue of the identity of tribes nor suggested any particular prophetic significance. Those are another matter for another day. It is sufficient at this time to point out, however, that "the nations of the earth will be blessed" through the descendants of Abraham (Genesis 18:18, cf., Galatians 3:8 NASB). This scripture may include the birth of the Messiah to a virgin in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago but also through the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob God brought many blessings to the world.

November-December 1998
Volume 1 Number 2.1

Why Are They Lost? Can the Science of Molecular Genetics Help Identify Their Descendants? The archaeological dead-end in this area of investigation leads us to call for a new scientific investigation which could put this matter to an end.

November-December 1998 Volume 1 Number 2.1

Why Are They Lost? Can the Science of Molecular Genetics Help Identify Their Descendants? The archaeological dead-end in this area of investigation leads us to call for a new scientific investigation which could put this matter to an end.

November-December 1998
Volume 1 Number 2.1