{"id":5459,"date":"2014-09-19T08:57:56","date_gmt":"2014-09-19T15:57:56","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/?p=5459"},"modified":"2025-09-16T08:35:08","modified_gmt":"2025-09-16T15:35:08","slug":"the-tribes-of-israel","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/blog\/2014\/09\/19\/the-tribes-of-israel\/","title":{"rendered":"The Tribes of Israel: Their Dispersion and Ultimate Return"},"content":{"rendered":"

My apologies, but in my print version of this article, I have numerous footnote references, which, sadly, don’t come through in this online version. If you need the footnotes, please email me and I’ll send you a pdf of this article with the footnotes. All the footnotes can be found in my longer article (https:\/\/hoshanarabbah.org\/pdfs\/migrations.pdf) that includes the following excerpt.<\/span><\/span><\/em><\/p>\n

A Brief History Lesson<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

When the children of Israel exited Egypt, they were one nation composed of twelve tribes. Contrary to popular opinion, the Jews (from the tribe of Judah) were only one-twelfth of that nation \u2014 not the whole nation. At Mount Sinai, that nation made a covenant with YHVH Elohim to obey him and keep his commandments with the Torah as the nation\u2019s constitution. In return, YHVH promised to bless and\u00a0 protect the nation of Israel. Several hundred years later, the nation of Israel began to turn away from its covenantal promises by not adhering to its Torah-constitution and by worshipping pagan deities. The result of this apostasy was that the nation of Israel split in two becoming two nations: the Northern Kingdom (composed of the tribe of Ephraim and nine other tribes) and the Southern Kingdom (composed of Judah and two other tribes more or less). The tribes of the Northern Kingdom never did come back to YHVH or his Torah, but continued to walk in the ways of the heathen nations around them. As punishment for their disobedience and rebellion against him, YHVH allowed the very nations whom the Northern Kingdom \u201cfell in love with\u201d other than YHVH to take them captive. This resulted in the Israelite dispersion among the nations of the world as Moses predicted would happen in the Torah. Sadly, the same thing eventually happened to the Jews of the Southern Kingdom. Even though the Torah predicted this would occur (Gen 49:16; Deut 28:64; 29:25\u201328; 30:1\u20135; 32:21\u201329), it also predicted that YHVH would regather his people from the lands where they had been scattered (Deut 30:1\u20135). The Hebrew prophets spoke extensively about the exile and eventual return of all the tribes to the land of Israel. Often these prophecies were coupled with end time, Messianic and millennial prophecies. The prophecies about the return of the Israelites to their land was partially fulfilled by the return of a small remnant of Jews and Levites to the Israel during the time of Cyrus, king of Persia and Babylon. But this historical event didn\u2019t fulfill these prophecies totally even in the least. First, Ezra makes it clear that only those from the tribes of Judah and Levi returned to Israel after the Jews\u2019 seventy-year exile in Babylon. None from the Northern Kingdom returned. Second, the Jews only came from one nation of exile (Babylon), and not from many nations around the world \u2014 including even the furthest islands \u2014 as the Hebrew prophets predicted would happen. So the remnant of Jews who returned to Israel from Babylon was only a partial fulfillment of the biblical prophecies about all twelve tribes eventually returning to the land of Israel. Why did YHVH allow a remnant of Jews to return to Israel? Simply this. Had there been no Jews in the land of Israel, the Messiah couldn\u2019t have been born in Bethlehem. With no Messiah, then the Messianic biblical prophecies couldn\u2019t have been fulfilled making the Bible \u2014 the Word of Elohim \u2014 a lie. Not only that, as we shall see below, it was the purpose of the Messiah to regather the lost sheep of the house of Israel by sending out spiritual fishermen with the good news message of redemption and salvation for all those who would repent of sin (i.e., Toarhlessness, see 1 John 3:4) and place their faith in the Yeshua, the Jewish Messiah. As we shall also discuss below, the apostolic writers of the Testimony of Yeshua (the New Testament) were very well aware that the twelve tribes were still extant in their day, and the gospel message needed to be taken to them. Not only that, but in Paul\u2019s mind, the Gentiles were, at least in part, to be viewed as the lost the sheep of the house of Israel (i.e., the Northern Kingdom). The gospel message was to be like a net to draw them back into the spiritual fold of nation Israel \u2014 back into a spiritual relationship with YHVH Elohim through Yeshua the Messiah. Paul makes this clear in several places (especially in Eph 2:11\u201319).<\/p>\n

What the Jewish Sages Say<\/strong><\/p>\n

For several millennia, many notable Jewish scholars have been aware of the biblical prophecies pertaining to the return of the Israelite exiles (all twelve tribes) from the lands where they were scattered. Even today, Orthodox Jews still pray daily for and look forward to the regathering of the dispersed of Israel from the four corners of the earth. They see this as something to be fulfilled in the end times with the advent of the Messiah. They refer to this event as the final redemption<\/i>. Here are some quotes from some of these Jewish sages: The late Menachem Schneerson, the head of the Orthodox Jewish Lubivicher Movement, stated that,<\/p>\n

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The future King Messiah (Messiah Ben [Son of] David) will not only redeem the Jews from exile, but will restore the observance of the Torah-commandments to its complete state, which will only be possible when the Israelites are living in the land of Israel.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

At this same time, according Schneerson while referencing the notable rabbinic sage of the Middle Ages, Moses Maimonides also known as the Rambam,<\/p>\n

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\u201c[T]here will be an ingathering5<\/sup> of the dispersed remnant of Israel. This will make it possible for the Davidic dynasty to be reinstated and for the observance of the Torah and its mitsvot<\/i> to be restored in its totality.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Jacob Immanuel Schochet states,<\/p>\n

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The Jewish [sages] recognize that the ingathering5<\/sup> of the exiles,3<\/sup> including the Ten Tribes of the Northern Kingdom, will also return, be reunited with Judah and that the whole House of Israel will serve YHVH together (Ezek 20:32\u201337, 40\u201342).<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

Several passages in the Torah serve as the prophetic foundation for the Jewish sages\u2019 belief that all tribes of Israel would be regathered after having been scattered among the nations. In regards to Deuteronomy 32:26 which says, \u201cI said, I would scatter them into the corners,\u2026\u201d (KJV), The<\/i> ArtScroll<\/i> Stone Edition Chumash<\/i> comments,<\/p>\n

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\u201cThis refers to the exile3<\/sup> of the Ten Tribes,8<\/sup> who were scattered to an unknown place where they have never been heard from again.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

On the phrase in the same verse, \u201cI would make the remembrance of them to cease from among men\u2026.\u201d (KJV) the same Chumash<\/i> states, This is a reference to the exile of Judah and Benjamin, the Davidic kingdom from which today\u2019s known Jews are descended.\u201d It goes on to say that though nations would seek to destroy Israel entirely, YHVH would never allow Israel to become extinct or disappear. Israel\u2019s perpetual existence is a constant reminder of YHVH\u2019s plan and eventually Israel will thrive and fulfill YHVH\u2019s intention for it.\u201d S. R. Hirsch (a preeminent Orthodox 19th century Torah scholar) in his commentary on Deuteronomy 32:26 translates the phrase \u201cI would scatter them into the corners, \u2026\u201d (KJV) as follows: \u201cI would relegate them into a corner, \u2026\u201d and then says that the Hebrew here refers to the \u201cextreme end of a surface, the side or corner \u2026\u201d He, too, relates this fate to the ten tribes who would be scattered \u201cto some distant corner of the world, where, left entirely to themselves, they could mature towards serious reflection and ultimate return to Me [YHVH],\u2026.\u201d In The<\/i> ArtScroll<\/i> <\/b>Bereishis Genesis Commentary<\/i>, in its commentary on Genesis 48:19 regarding the house of Ephraim (the Northern Kingdom of Israel or the northern ten tribes of Israel), we read:<\/p>\n

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\u201cR. Munk explains: \u2018while it is true that the dispersion [of the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh] was caused by the unfaithfulness and sinfulness of Ephraim\u2019s descendants (Hos 7:8ff), Jacob\u2019s blessing was not in vain for \u201cthey will return to [Elohim]\u201d and will have their share in the world to come ([Talmud<\/i>] Sanhedrin<\/i> 110b).\u2019 And R. Eliezer adds: \u2018Even the darkness in which the Ten Tribes were lost will one day become as radiant as the day\u2019 (according to the version of Avos d\u2019Rabbi Nosson <\/i>36). And in the perspective of history, did not these exiled children of the Patriarchs enlighten the nations among whom they were scattered? They did so by teaching their conquerors the fundamental ideas of the knowledge and love of [Elohim], ideals they had never forsaken. Hence they too have a messianic vocation and their Messiah, the Mashiach ben Yosef, Messiah son of Joseph (Succah<\/i> 52a), also called Messiah son of Ephraim (Targum Yonasan<\/i> on Exodus 40:11), will play an essential role in humanity\u2019s redemption, for he will be the precursor of the Mashiach ben David, Messiah Son of David. It is therefore not surprising to find that the prophet Jeremiah (3:12) speaks affectionately of Ephraim. In this light, Jacob\u2019s words, his offspring will fill the nations <\/i>nation,\u2019 assume the significance of a blessing.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n

The above statements of the sages are entirely consistent with numerous prophetic pronouncements made by the ancient biblical prophets concerning the return or regathering of the exiled or \u201clost\u201d ten tribes of Israel.These same prophecies speak of the Northern Kingdom of Israel (also known as the House of Israel, house of Ephraim or just Ephraim) being reunited with the Southern Kingdom of Israel (also known as the house of Judah) into one nation with Messiah Son of David as the king over both. This glorious and long-awaited event will occur at the coming of Messiah Son of David at the end of our current age just prior to the Messianic Age or Millennium (see Ezek 37:15\u201328).<\/p>\n

Setting the Stage<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

In Genesis 48:14 and 16 when laying his hands on his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob crossed his arms making a cross and a fish symbol. Then in verse 16 he speaks of the \u201cAngel which redeemed me from evil.\u201d The word \u201cangel\u201d <\/i>is the Hebrew word malak<\/i>, which simply denotes \u201ca messenger\u201d <\/i>and is used in the Tanakh (OT) in reference to angels, prophets and to a mysterious figure known as \u201cthe Angel of YHVH\/Elohim.\u201d Many, including this author, believe this Messenger of YHVH was none other than an appearance of the Word of YHVH who later become incarnated as Yeshua the Messiah (John 1:1\u201314). The patriarch Jacob had an encounter with this same individual whom Scripture calls \u201cthe Messenger of Elohim\u201d <\/i>(Gen 31:11). This same Messenger goes on to say of himself, \u201cI am the Elohim of Beth-el.\u201d So in light of all this, what does the crossing of the hands represent in context of Jacob\u2019s referring to this Divine Being as being his Redeemer? Then in verse 16, we find Jacob prophesying that the descendants of his grandsons, Ephraim and Manasseh, would become \u201ca multitude in the midst of the earth.\u201d The<\/i> ArtScroll<\/i> Stone Edition Tanakh<\/i> translates this verse as, \u201cMay the angel who redeems me from all evil bless the lads, and may my name be declared upon them, and the names of my forefathers Abraham and Isaac, and may they [Ephraim and Manasseh] proliferate abundantly like fish within the land<\/b>.\u201d Onkelos, an early Jewish Aramaic translation of this verse renders it: \u201cAnd like the fish of the sea may they multiply among the children of men on earth.\u201d \u201cThe literal translation of vdS [dagah<\/i>] refers to procreation \u2026 [and] the word essentially denotes fish\u201d (emphasis added). What religious group on earth today has spread out across the face of the earth into all nations, has proliferated a message of redemption pertaining to a Messenger of YHVH involving a cross-symbol, <\/i>and who uses the fish-symbol to identify itself? Christianity, of course. On the phrase found in Genesis 48:18, again pertaining to what would become of the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh, Jacob prophesies that they would become \u201ca multitude of nations.\u201d <\/i>What do the Jewish sages say about this prophetic verse pertaining to the descendants of Ephraim and Manasseh?<\/p>\n