Discussion of Three Chabad Articles about the Ten Tribes (20 March, 2014, 18 Adar-2, 5774).
Comments by Brit-Am to be followed (later) by our own article.
Contents:
1. Introduction. Mark Williams
2. Article no.1, The Exile of the Ten Lost Tribes
(1) Description of Article.
(2) Rabbinical Chronology versus the Conventional One.
(3) Evaluation
(4) Readers Comments to Article 1.
(5) Brit-Am Remark to Readers Comments to Article 1.
3. Article no. 2 , Are the Ten Lost Tribes Ever Coming Back?
(1) Description of Article.
(2) Brit-Am Replies to Article:
(a) Will the Ten Tribes Return?
(b) Have the Ten Tribes Already Returned?
(3) Evaluation.
4. Article no. 3 . Where Are the Ten Lost Tribes?
(1) Description of Article.
(2) The 'Maharal of Prague'
(3) The Article Concludes:
(4) Evaluation.
(5) Brit-Am Replies to Article.
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1. Introduction. Mark Williams
A correspondent of ours, Mark Williams, sent us a link (article no.3 below) and suggested we might like to comment on it. There are three articles discussing the Lost Ten Tribes. They appeared on the Chabad web site. Chabad is an organization centered around the later Rabbi of Lubavitch (Rabbi Menachem Mendel Schneerson, 1902 -1994). Chabad places great emphasis on bringing wayward Jews back to the fold. They are also prominent in the Bnei Noach movement.
These articles do not contradict our beliefs but neither are they in favor of it. They actually ignore it altogether.
The articles contain information, quotations, and opinions that are of value. These are worth knowing about.
Taken together with our own researches they actually strengthen our own findings.
In the notes below we have concentrated on aspects of the articles in question. A more complete explanation of our own position on matters raised will be given (we hope) by us later.
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2. Article no.1
The Exile of the Ten Lost Tribes
The saga of the ten lost tribes of Israel, Part 1
By Yehuda Shurpin
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1679684/jewish/The-Exile-of-the-Ten-Lost-Tribes.htm
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(1) Description of Article.
Gives an overall historical account based mainly on the Bible of the Exile of the Ten Tribes.
Makes the common mistake of referring to the Ten Tribes as "Jews" unstead of as Israelites.
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(2) Rabbinical Chronology versus the Conventional One.
The article uses the traditional Rabbinical system of dating.
The time of the Ten Tribes being exiled is given as 3187 from the creation of the World (A. M. i.e. Anno Mundi being Latin for Year of the World).
The world according to this system was created in 3761 BCE. Subtracting 3187 from 3761 we get 574.
This means the Exile of the Ten Tribes is given as 574 BCE. Conventional dating as used in all our reference books gives a date of ca. 720 BCE for the final Exile of Samaria with moist of the Exiles having been sent away a few years before.
Now it may be that Rabbinical Dating is more correct.
Contrary to what some people say we are at liberty to use either system.
We have not made a final decision on this matter but in our works we use the conventional (non-Rabbinic) chronology.
For our purposes it does not make that much difference.
At all events the truth is what counts. A lower date might help us more.
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(3) Evaluation
This article of Yehuda Shurpin is not brilliant but, along with its footnotes, it is worth reading.
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(4) Readers Comments to Article 1.
Looking at the reactions posted below the article in Discussion (16) on the same URL we see a few points worth noting.
Martin (USA) claims the Nestorian Christians are the Lost Tribes. These are also known as Assyrians. They speak Aramaic and many have Biblical names. There may be members of the Ten Tribes amongst them. The described characteristics however may be explained by the fact that they descend from Aramaic-speaking people in the Middle east who were converted to Christianity at an early date. They were probably converted by Christian Jews. This type of Christianity therefore had a Hebraic flavor.
Questions are asked concerning the quorum of the Ten Tribes.
Anonymous for instance asks what Simeon is doing amongst them? Jay Tompkins asks a similar question. So does Israel Korn.
Covenant People asks why the Ten Tribes are not still obligated to observe the Torah?
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(5) Brit-Am Remark to Readers Comments to Article 1.
These are questions similar to those we receive.
Concerning Simeon we have shown that the Northern kingdom had some kind of suzerainty over this area even though it was in the south.
This is confirmed by archaeological findings. The Midrash tells us that Simeon was also exiled by the Assyrians.
So too,we have answered the other questions.
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3. Article no. 2
Are the Ten Lost Tribes Ever Coming Back?
The saga of the ten lost tribes of Israel, part 2
By Yehuda Shurpin
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/1701071/jewish/Are-the-Ten-Lost-Tribes-Ever-Coming-Back.htm
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(1) Description of Article.
Discusses Questions as to whether or not the Ten Tribes
(a) are destined to return or not. OR
(b) have already returned.
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(2) Brit-Am Replies to Article:
(a) Will the Ten Tribes Return?
The idea that the Ten Tribes are not destined to return is ascribed to Rabbi Akiva. The article dismisses this opinion by showing that the opinion of Rabbi Akiva was not accepted. We quote the renowned commentator Rashi who interprets Rabbi Akiva differently. According to Rashi Rabbi Akiva was not referring to the Ten Tribes in the future.
(b) Have the Ten Tribes Already Returned?
We have shown elsewhere that in the time of King Josiah son of Amon (ca. 100 years after the Exile of the Ten Tribes) the Scythians took over the Assyrian Empire, set up a center in Beth-Shean in Northern Israel, recognized King Josiah as suzerian and assisted him is establishing colonies in former Israelite areas. Eventually the Scythians lost control of the Assyrian Empire and mostly left the region.
These Scythians were members of the Ten Tribes. Their actions parallel those concerning the Ten Tribes in Rabbinical sources, as we have shown. This event however concerned only a small portion of the Ten tribes and even they did not mostly stay with Judah.
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(3) Evaluation.
Worth Reading ESPECIALLY in light of our own comments.
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4. Article no. 3
Where Are the Ten Lost Tribes?
The saga of the ten lost tribes of Israel, Part 3
By Yehuda Shurpin
http://www.chabad.org/library/article_cdo/aid/2500863/jewish/Where-Are-the-Ten-Lost-Tribes.htm
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(1) Description of Article.
Gives different Rabbinical and general Jewish opinions from the past as to where the Ten Tribes went to.
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(2) The 'Maharal of Prague'
The article quotes
Rabbi Yehuda Loewe (d. 1609), the 'Maharal of Prague,' that there is no point in searching for the Ten Tribes.
At present, he explains, these tribes exist only in potential (this is the reason they are not mentioned by name). In fact, their potential is so obscured that it is as if they do not exist at all. G d bringing the tribes out from under the earth is another way of saying that He will transform this potential into a reality. The earth is particularly suited to this metaphor, as it already contains the potential for bringing forth fruit. Hence the reference to the Mount of Olives.
He adds that it is for this reason that the Midrash states, "To three places were the ten tribes exiled," to indicate that they were separated from the Jewish nation in three ways:
One is in distance, which is why it says that they were exiled to the Sambatyon River.
The second exile is to indicate that not only are they separated in distance, but that there are obstacles in the way as well. This is the meaning of the statement that they were exiled to a distant land behind the Sambatyon River.
And the third way in which they are separated is that they were exiled among the nations and were 'swallowed up' amongst them to such an extent that they themselves do not necessarily know that they are of the ten tribes. This is why it says that the ten tribes were taken to exile and 'were swallowed': they have totally forgotten their Jewish Identity, as if it has been 'swallowed' by some external force.
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(3) The Article Concludes:
Regardless of the current whereabouts of the ten tribes, whether they are hidden in some remote, impenetrable place, or whether they have been 'swallowed up' within the other nations. G d has decreed that they will ultimately return in the time of the final redemption: ''It shall come to pass on that day that a great shofar shall be sounded, and those lost in the land of Assyria and those exiled in the land of Egypt shall come, and they shall prostrate themselves before the L rd on the holy mount in Jerusalem.'
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(4) Evaluation.
Article contains valuable footnotes. Again this series of three articles is worth looking at.
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(5) Brit-Am Comments to Article:
Places of Exile are identified. One of these places was known as Afriki. Identifies Afriki with Africa meaning in those times North Africa. In footnote no.10 it is admitted that
Rabbi Yehuda Loewe (Maharal of Prague) writes in his work Netzach Yisrael (ch. 34) that 'Afriki' does not refer to what is usually called Africa, but is rather the place of that name described elsewhere in the Talmud (Tamid 32a) as being behind the impenetrable 'dark mountains.'
This is also our opinion. Afriki was actually the name of a sacred city in Media. It was also a name given to the British Isles and western Europe according to a scholar of ancient Greek texts.
So too, there were other places of Exile (such as over the sea) indicated by the Bible and Commentaries but the author of the article appears to have been unaware of them.
We identify the Lost Ten Tribes as peoples who later moved to the West. The opinions quoted in the article do not contradict our opinion but in some cases help confirm it.
So too concerning the opinion of the Maharal. We have understood this opinion a little differently from that of the article. We have written on the matter elsewhere.
We hope to discuss all this (God willing) in an article of our own.