72. The Demise of the Northern Tribes?

The Northern Tribes

After the death of Elisha, which is recorded in 2 Kings 13, the pictures painted of Israel, Judah and the surrounding nations continues on in the same vein as we have been studying.  Because of that, we will skip the last part of chapter 13 through to the last part of chapter 18, where we find the "supposed" end of the kingdom of Israel.

According to some scholars, Jeroboam became king of Israel in 931 BCE; some place it as early as 975 BCE.  Depending on which numbers one chooses, when Assyria captured Israel in 723 (or 721) BCE, The Northern Kingdom had lasted 240 years. International Standard Bible Encyclopedia.  The kingdom's duration was 254 years, from 975 to 721 B.C. Fausset. 

In that time period, Israel had 20 kings, from 8 dynasties, and their average time on the throne was about 10 years.  This number, of course, is not exactly right because there were several times when two kings, from different dynasties, ruled Israel at the same time.

Jeroboam had such a wonderful promise from Jehovah, but he blew it!

Ahijah (the prophet) caught hold of the new robe on him (Jeroboam), and tore it in twelve pieces. And he said to Jeroboam, Take ten pieces for yourself. For so says Jehovah, the God of Israel, Behold, I will tear the kingdom out of the hand of Solomon (Rehoboam was Solomon's son), and will give ten tribes to you, But I will take the kingdom out of his son's hand, and will give it to you, ten tribes. 1 Ki 11:30-35.  Jehovah's plan was that the Northern tribe was to be the real Israel and the Southern tribe would have only Judah and Benjamin.  However, Jeroboam, because of fear of losing his people, set up false gods and idols and consequently, the Northern Kingdom was destroyed even before the Southern kingdom was.

The prophets, extraordinarily raised up, were the only salt in Israel to counteract her desperate corruption: Ahijah, Elijah, Micaiah, Elisha, and Jonah, the earliest of the prophets who were writers of Holy Scripture. In the time of this last prophet (Jonah), God gave one last long season of prosperity, the long reign of Jeroboam II, if haply His goodness would lead the nation to repentance. Fausset Bible Dictionary.  The prophets could not persuade the people to return to Jehovah. 

Assyria Captures Israel

When the king of Assyria captured Israel in 721? BCE he took many of the people captive and led them to Assyria; some Israelites fled to Judah.  We noticed earlier that the priests and some of the more righteous people had already moved to Judah; they could not tolerate the paganism instituted by Jeroboam.  At the final captivity of Israel by Shalmaneser, we may conclude that the cities of Samaria were not merely partially, but wholly depopulated of their inhabitants in B.C. 721, and that they remained in this desolated state until, ... the king of Assyria brought men from Babylon ... and placed them in the cities of Samaria, instead of the children of Israel, and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof. Thus, the new Samaritans were Assyrians by birth or subjugation. Smith's Bible Dictionary.

The king of Assyria carried away Israel to Assyria, ... because they did not obey the voice of Jehovah their God, but transgressed His covenant, and all that Moses the servant of Jehovah commanded, and would not listen to them, nor do them.  2 Kings 18:10-12.

Was that the end of Israel?

Fausset's has much to say to answer the question, where is that nation now,   His list includes China ... the Aral mountains ... the Indian Caucasus ... The Afghans style themselves the Bani Israel, "the sons of Israel," and by universal tradition among themselves claim descent from (king) Saul. Faussets

However,  note, Many attempts have been made to discover the ten tribes existing as a distinct community; ... after the time of the Captivity.

• Some returned and mixed with the Jews. 
• Some were left in Samaria, mingled with the Samaritans, and became bitter enemies of the Jews.  

These people are the "mixed race" whom the Jews, at Christ's time, hated.  For example, if they were going from Jerusalem to Nazareth some Jews would cross the Jordan River twice rather than walk through the Samaritan territory.  They probably also had a problem fathoming Christ's story about a good Samaritan.

• Many remained in Assyria, and were recognized as an integral part of the Dispersion; 
• Most, probably, apostatized in Assyria, adopted the usages and idolatry of the nations among whom they were planted, and became wholly swallowed up in them. Smith's Bible Dictionary.

Some people believe that the white people of North America and The British Commonwealth are the "ten lost tribes" of Israel.  To me, it seems as if there is far too much religious wishful thinking involved in this theory.

Perhaps the "lost ten tribes" are not so easily dismissed.  Note these words by Amos, a prophet to Israel, Yet the number of the sons of Israel (here the word Israel does not include Judah, as we see in verse 11) shall be as the sand of the sea, which cannot be measured nor numbered. And it shall be, in the place where it was said to them, You are not My people, there it shall be said to them, You are the sons of the living God.  Then the sons of Judah and the sons of Israel shall be gathered together, and shall set over themselves one head, and they shall come up out of the land. Hos 1:10-11.

A little image of this union was seen after the captivity in Babylon, when some of the children of Israel, i. e., of the ten tribes, were united to Judah on his (their) return, and the great schism of the two kingdoms came to an end. Barnes Bible Commentary.