The 12 Tribes of Israel - and Some Data on the Lost Tribes...As I mentioned in my History of Israel page, Jacob the biblical patriarch had 12 sons who became the ancestors of the 12 tribes of Israel. Actually it is a bit more complex but first things first.
After the Exodus – the tribes left slavery life in Egypt – the 12 tribes of Israel arrived to the promised land (not before wandering for 40 years in the desert). Each of the tribes got a piece of the land – known in Hebrew as “Nahala”, in which the tribe settled. The land was divided between the tribes more or less as follows:
Real Estate was always big... Nowadays you can find the “tribes” of Judah and Benjamin – which you may know simply as the Jewish people that are living in modern Israel and around the world. However, many people in Israel and elsewhere carry the last name Levi and are most likely descendants from the Levi tribe. As to the rest of the “lost” ten tribes there are many theories and speculation as to what happened to them. The Assyrians conquered the Kingdom of Israel in 722 BC, and sent the Israelites into exile in a region which is today’s Iran and Afghanistan. This is the point in history in which the ten tribes were lost. There are still groups in different parts of the world that claim they belong to a certain lost tribe or another. Examples for such groups are: Bnei Menasseh in India, Falashas of Ethiopia (some live in modern Israel as Jews), Samaritans (a small ethnic group living in Israel), and there are other groups in China, Africa and even England.   The Promised Land for the Sons of Israel, c.1663 Art Print Visscher,... Buy at AllPosters.com Return from 12 tribes of Israel page to History of Israel page Return to the Home Page
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