Answers to Quora Questions by Yair Davidiy
What happened to the other 10 tribes of Israel? Why do we only always hear about the Jews? How are Jews different from the other tribes that are also the sons of Sarah and Abraham?
https://www.quora.com/What-happened-to-the-other-10-tribes-of-Israel-Why-do-we-only-always-hear-about-the-Jews-How-are-Jews-different-from-the-other-tribes-that-are-also-the-sons-of-Sarah-and-Abraham/answer/Yair-Davidiy
We were asked:
What happened to the other 10 tribes of Israel? Why we just always hear about the Jews? How are Jews different from the other tribes that are also the sons of Sarah and Abraham?
This query encompasses three questions:
1. What Became of the Ten Tribes?
2. Why are the Jews so Prominent when Considering Israel?
3. What About the Other Descendants of Abraham and Sarah?
1. What Became of the Ten Tribes?
The 10 Tribes who were exiled by the Assyrians moved, rebelled against Assyria and moved to the west. They lost awareness of their ancestry. They all got lost apart from a small minority who had fled to Judah.
We do not hear of them under their Israelite Tribal names because they were not recognized as Hebrews.
Here are some of the identifications that can be made concerning them:
Joseph (Ephraim and Manasseh) settled mainly in the British Isles and then populated North America, Australia, New Zealand, South Africa,etc.
Descendants of Reuben settled mainly in France.
Simeon was scattered among the other Tribes.
Levi, like Simeon, was also scattered BUT a large portion from Levi moved to Judah.
Yehudah, together with Benjamin, gave rise to the Jewish People as we now know them.
Issachar became Finland and part of the Swiss.
Zebulon created the Netherlands.
Gad became the Swedes or at least a portion of them.
Asher settled in Ireland, Scotland, and Scandinavia along with other Tribes.
Dan became the Danes of Denmark and some of the Irish.
Naphtali became a segment of the Norwegians.
We are NOT saying that everyone among the said nations is descended from the Tribes who settled among them. Nevertheless that is where the Tribes are now to be found.
2. Why are the Jews so Prominent when Considering Israel?
The Jews are comprised of the Tribes of Judah, Benjamin, much of Levi and minority sections of the other Tribes. Altogether they are referred to as "Judah" in Biblical prophecy. They were that portion of the Israelite Tribes that remained dentifiable in the eyes of others as Israelites. They were the ones who kept the Torah. This was part of the task they had. The other tribes had a different role to play.
3. What About the Other Descendants of Abraham and Sarah?
Abraham coupled with Hagar the handmaiden of Sarah. Abraham begat Ishmael from Hagar. Ishmael forefathered a portion of the Arabs.
Abraham also begat other children through Keturah who was also his concubine. These moved to the east, to India and other regions.
Abraham through Sarah begat Isaac. Isaac begat Esau and Jacob. Esau was also known as Edom. The Edomites became ruling elites in many nations such as Ancient Rome, Germany, Japan, etc.
Jacob was re-named Israel. He begat the 12 Tribes of Israel. The 12 Tribes separated into two sections. Ten Tribes were in the north. They were conquered and exiled by the Assyrians and lost awareness of their ancestry. They are referred to as the Lost Ten Tribes.
Two Tribes (Judah and Benjamin) were in the south, in the Kingdom of Judah. They were later joined by most of the Tribe of Levi plus minority refugees from the other Tribes. They became the core element of the Jews of today.