Video: The Ten Lost Tribes

by Rabbi Ken Spiro

Large numbers of Jews were exiled and disappeared. Where are they now?

Published: September 23, 2012

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Visitor Comments: 20

(16) Anonymous, October 18, 2012 2:47 AM

Many Jewish People know inside, they are Jewish

I am very drawn to the Jewish traditions. I recently discovered I have Jewish ancestry. I never knew this before, but I always felt there was more to me and the other religions just didn't fit. I went to a Jewish Temple and my heart felt like I was finally "home".

RJ, May 13, 2013 6:02 PM

Recently Discovered Jewish Ancestry

I was looking around to see if I authored this, but I didn't. I discovered my Jewish ancestry about 1-1/2 years ago. From my teen years, I knew the religion I was raised in was not "right." I always felt there was something more -- much more. When I discovered my ancestry and went to a Jewish temple, I was speaking with a woman in the bookstore and told her that I felt like I was finally "home." Those words coming out of my mouth surprised me, but it was an accurate statement of how I felt. I have since been taking Hebrew 101 classes and learning the Hebrew alphabet. The classes feel like I am learning about my heritage, rather than just another history course, and the alphabet is surprising easier to learn than I thought. Now I have to learn the grammer and build my vocabulary. Most of all -- like "anonymous" said -- I am finally "home."

(15) Judith, October 14, 2012 11:25 PM

linguistic similarities

Some words in Sanskrit are also Hebrew words e.g. 'eka' means ''echad'. There are others. In Hawaiian, the greeting 'eloha' means 'shalom': hello and peace. eloha or aloha is also the singular for elo[k]im- a greeting that seems to acknowledge the Gdly origin of the essence of each person. Who is, if anyone, doing the linguisitc research on these disparate languages that seem to reflect ancient Israelite culture and values?

(14) Devorah, October 11, 2012 1:36 AM

Would like some feedback on a little theory

There are many tribe-like groups and mini-societies worldwide, most of them, shall we say, technologically delayed (decidedly not First World) that I have read about, who claim either a close affinity to, or even to be directly descended from, the original tribes of Israel. Their proof may include: their insular practice of only marrying among themselves; avoiding milk with meat and other kosher-related practices;family purity restrictions; Jewish style prayers/Sabbath/Holidays;having Hebrew-sounding words and expressions in their dialects; having a tradition of the land of Israel - or some legendary Promised Land - as their dream homeland; Jewish ritual dress articles that are eerily similar to Tefillin and tzitzit; etc. It's intriguing, and after all these millenia of Galus the possibility of such racial disparity does not faze me. But I still remain healthily cynical. There is a long history of Jewish tradesmen traveling the world (even sent by King Solomon!) and leaving the locals spiritually and culturally impressed to the point where some Jewish practices can simply have been learned and adopted by these people because they are "cool," or whatever the 2,000-year-old equivalent of cool was. Another phenomenon that has occurred several times historically, is the situation in which there was a Jewish victory, causing a sense of fear in the hearts of the defeated natives and a desire to gain favor (and safety) by dropping their idol-worshiping ways and supposedly becoming Jewish. (Most classic case: Migilat Esther; "Veharbei mehem misYahadim" - and many of them became Jews). We know their changed status was not long-lived; I also sense that their conversions took place so rapidly that they could not have become properly learned. So these far-flung cultures who are discovered in Africa,Asia and Arabia can simply be remnants of those original MisYahadim ---and/or those impressionable simple folk who adopted those "cool" Jewish customs.What say you-all out there?

Salem, October 18, 2012 2:54 AM

Interesting!

I love this theory!

(13) Nir, October 7, 2012 12:22 PM

A video about possible Israelite origin of the Pashtuns and Pathans

By Simcha Yaakobovich http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQ_oMp8I-k8

(12) Damien Leung, October 6, 2012 2:03 AM

Where are the 10 Lost Tribes?

Not long after King Solomon died, Israel split into the the North Kingdom of Israel and the South Kingdom of Judea. Over the next two hundred years plus later, most of the kings of the North Kingdom turned against God and the kingdom was then conquered by the Assyrians while the South Kingdom survived, only to be conquered later by the Babyloinans in 587 B.C. The Ten Tribes that had formed the North Kingdom had simply been assimilated into other cultures that had also come under Assyrian and later Babylonian rule. In that identity sense they were lost, but not in the sense that they were physically lost or dispppeared.

(11) Anonymous, October 5, 2012 10:34 PM

Ten Lost Tribes

What did you expect? They're men, they won't ask for directions.

(10) William Sanderson, October 5, 2012 7:33 PM

Very interesting comments re lost tribes!

Little seems available on thus subject. I'm sure more will come in the near future. Aish.com will surely have it!!

(9) Bruce McLaughlin, October 5, 2012 6:51 PM

How strong is DNA analysis in unraveling the Lost Tribes question?

I have had significant but not thorough DNA analysis on myself as the data relates to both my father and mothers side. On my mothers side there are many, but not overwhelming "hits" related to Ashkenazi, Sephardic, and Mizrachi people or people groups found in my DNA. What can this mean?

(8) Kevin, October 5, 2012 6:04 PM

Who are the lost 10 tribes

I'm confused by the references in this video to Jews being part of the lost ten tribes. I understand that the House of Israel is made up of 12 tribes, of which Judah from which the Jews come is one. Ten have been "lost" due to various historical events, but will return. The whole House of Israel will then be reunited. That may seem like a rather literal understanding of prophecies and doctrines re future events. However, time, history, and continued discoveries seem to confirm that it is the safest, and ultimately most accurate perspective to have. On an unrelated note, I want to thank all of you at Aish.com for all you do. I discovered you after visiting Israel in late Dec. 1999, with my wife on our honeymoon. The Millennium and Y2k scares kept tourists away so crowds were minimal. We had a great time and you have helped me more easily maintain a connection to Israel, its people, and the religion that binds and empowers them.

Batya, October 7, 2012 4:53 PM

Not all Israelites were/are Jews

I agree that calling the "Lost Tribes" Jews confuses the issue. After the twelve tribes of Israel was divided into the two houses of Israel/Ephraim and Judah, they often went to war against each other, and they have not yet been reunited. See Isaiah 8:14 and Ezekiel 37:15-28.

(7) Ann, October 5, 2012 3:20 PM

Like grains of sand indeed

Rabbi Spiro, I sooo loved this. HaShem knows who we all are and He is watching.

(6) Anonymous, October 5, 2012 1:23 PM

video cop-out

This was a disappointing video. Ken's voice should have been heard in the background, while we were seeing visual examples of who might be part of the Lost Tribes, such as the Pashtuns. Just standing and telling us, was boring. I can read that in a book.

(5) Cyrus - Canada, October 5, 2012 11:22 AM

Lost Tribes

Some time ago a Jewish group did a VHS video tracing the paths of the Lost Tribes along the silk roads even to china. Along the way the discovered many clues and evidence of the Lost Tribes in that part of the world. It was quite interesting. Is that video still available or has it been updated?

(4) Yeshayahu Hollander, October 5, 2012 10:44 AM

We should open routes for their return

for this, of course, we must study them and consult with them, and not fear, but pray that we make no mistakes.

(3) Anonymous, October 5, 2012 9:25 AM

seems nice but not unified

in that past...when one "lost"Jew intermarried and thereafter intermixed...are we calling his progeny "Jews" in the future of perhaps 180 generations later...is that still a Jew? or are you suggesting that pashtuns for example might have more intensive lineage and this might qualify them moreso?

(2) Frank Adam, October 5, 2012 8:46 AM

Perhaps they had heder teachers instead of rabbis?

Has anyybody actually checked out what language group Pashtu belongs to? Does it matter to our function as Jews in this era of the World to drag up which tribe our ancestors belonged to? THe vision of the Messianic of too many is rearview mirror and should be forward looking to what we will do to make a better World and what on precedent we shall not do to spoil it.

(1) Avraham, September 23, 2012 7:15 PM

The sambatyan

The sambatyan is a dimensional gateway, hence its appearance in different places over history, and the ten tribes are safely on the other side. When the time comes, they will simply appear and rejoin the visible (to us) Jewish community.

Jack, October 5, 2012 1:54 PM

The Sambatyan

Hi Avraham, I have been wondering about this for a long time. How do you know that the Sambatyon isnt just somewhere we cannot see because god doesnt want us to?

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About the Author

Rabbi Ken Spiro

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Rabbi Ken Spiro, originally from New Rochelle, NY, graduated from Vassar College with a BA in Russian Language and Literature and did graduate studies at the Pushkin Institute in Moscow. He has rabbinic ordination from Aish Jerusalem and a Masters Degree in History from Vermont College of Norwich University. Rabbi Spiro is also a licensed tour guide by the Israel Ministry of Tourism. He has appeared on numerous radio and TV programs such as BBC, National Geographic Channel and The History Channel. He lives near Jerusalem with his wife and five children, where he works as a senior lecturer for Aish Jerusalem.

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