by Don Robson

James, a servant of YEHOVAH God and of the Lord Yeshua the Messiah, greetings to the TWELVE TRIBES SCATTERED ALL OVER THE WORLD. This is a paraphrase of James 1:1 but yes, James was right; TWELVE tribes were scattered all over the world. So you say, "We know that! What's the fuss!" The truth is we do NOT know it because we certainly do not publicize it. I have just read two British Israel publications that talk about the ten tribes, under the name Israel, migrating through Europe to become the Anglo, Saxon, Celtic peoples of the world.

Why do we insist on speaking about the ten tribes? Perhaps it is YEHOVAH God inspired to accomplish His purpose but, by reinforcing this untruth, we add to the confusion that has allowed the Jews in Palestine to appropriate the name, "Israel" for themselves. Furthermore, because many Christians believe this error, they have ledged undying support to, "God's chosen people." I would like to review with you my understanding of Sennacerib's conquest of Israel and Judah, the exile and the escape from Assyria.

When Sennacerib invaded the two nations, Israel and Judah, he started by overcoming the two and a half tribes on the east side of Jordan; namely, Gad, Rueben and half of the tribe of Manasseh. Then, after a three year siege of Samaria, he took it and deported all the tribes of Israel to Assyria; namely, Halah, others by the Habor River in the territory of Gozan, and others to live in the cities of the Medes. Then, he attacked Judah, II Kings 18:13, "In the fourteenth year of Hezekiah's rule in Judah, king Sennacerib of Assyria invaded the country and captured EVERY WALLED CITY except Jerusalem." They were exiled to the same locations as the tribes of Israel. So, a remnant was left in the city of Jerusalem, as recorded in II Chronicles, II Kings and Isaiah. At Jerusalem, the Angel of the Lord slew 185,000 men of the invading army and Sennacerib returned home to Nineveh, only to be slain by two sons. So, all the tribes were sent into exile in Assyria EXCEPT the city of Jerusalem which contained members of the tribes of Judah, Benjamin and Levi.

In the time of the prophet Jeremiah, Nebuchadnezzer took the city of Jerusalem and the craftsmen and nobles were deported to Babylon. The poorest sort of the people were left in Jerusalem. Previously, the king of Assyria, after deporting the Israelites to Assyria, back filled the country with residents of Assyria. II Kings 17:24, "And the King of Assyria brought men from Babylon, and from Cuthah, and from Ava, and from Hamath, and from Sepharvaim, and placed them in the cities of Samaria instead of the children of Israel; and they possessed Samaria, and dwelt in the cities thereof."

Later, when 42,360 exiles returned from Babylon under Ezra and Nehemiah, they intermarried with those people whom Sennacerib transplanted from Assyria. Ezra 10:2, "One of the sons of Elam answered and said unto Ezra, We have trespassed against our God, and have taken strange wives of the people of the land; yet now there is hope in Israel concerning this thing." And in verse 11, Ezra responds saying, "Ye have transgressed, and have taken strange wives, to increase the trespass of Israel." And he exhorted the people to confess to YEHOVAH God and put away their wives and children. In this way the bloodlines were contaminated as they had been from the conquest of Canaan. This was the basic sin of Israel because the foreign wives insisted on worshipping their gods, just as YEHOVAH God had warned them. Indeed, it was the main reason for their subjection and exile.

Let us digress for a moment and consider the unusual tribe of Judah. Judah had three sons by a Canaanite woman. The first two were taken by the Lord for their sinful ways. Shelah was left. Tamar, the widow of the first two sons expected to be given to the third son but Judah was hesitant knowing the fate of the first two. Impatient, Tamar tricked Judah into lying with her, with him thinking she was a prostitute and the birth of the twins, Pharez and Zarah resulted. Zarah was the twin with the red thread tied on his wrist by the midwife, but Pharez was born first. I suspect there was rivalry between the boys because of the benefits accruing to the eldest.

The Zarah family did not follow Moses out of Egypt but made their own migrations. One of his sons, Calcol, is credited with founding Athens and migrating to Ireland. Another son, Darda, went into the territory now known as Turkey, and founded Troy. When Troy was defeated by the Greeks, (probably the tribe of Dan) they were led by Brutus to Britain where he founded New Troy, now London. So, now we have one half of the tribe of Judah in the British Isles. The Pharez branch of Judah carried into exile became Jutes and migrated to Jutland and Britain. So, Judah became part of the Anglo, Saxon, Celtic story.

The escape from Assyria began when that empire faltered and the beginning of the migration is recorded in II Esdras 13:41- 45, "But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the heathen, and go forth into a further country, where never mankind dwelt, that there they might keep their statutes which they never kept in their own land. And they entered into Euphrates by the narrow passages of the river. For the Most High then shewed signs for them, and held still the flood, till they were passed over. For through that country there was a long way to go, namely, of a year and a half; and the same region is called Asereth."

Daniel the prophet described the exact 70 weeks (490 years) of the Jewish state. During that time, John Hyrcannus defeated Edom and through forced circumcision, brought them into Jewry. Now Edom were the descendants of Esau. The Bible provides a triple witness to this fact in Genesis 36:8, Deuteronomy 2:22, and Joshua 24:4. The Edomites were called Idumeans in Greek, and Herod the king was an Idumean.

So, the people in Palestine in the Messiah's day were a mix of many people as well as some "pure" Judahites and Benjamites (known as Galileans in the Messiah's day). I say "pure" because Yeshua defined them as his sheep, who knew his voice. Many Judahites and Benjamites accepted the Messiah and acting on his counsel, when Titus of Rome besieged Jerusalem, fled to join their brethren abroad. As we know, Titus killed about one million Jews, scattered the rest abroad to many nations, and destroyed Jerusalem ending the Jewish state, thus fulfilling the prophecy of the Messiah that, "the Kingdom shall be taken from you and given to a nation bringing forth the fruits thereof."

The nation that was given the Kingdom were the countries making up the Anglo, Saxon, Celtic and related peoples, in other words, Israel. YEHOVAH God showed through the two sticks marked "Judah" and "Israel" that the two nations would be united under the throne of David and through His nurturing, guidance and protection that has been achieved. It only awaits the arrival of Shiloh, unto whom shall the gathering of the people be from the four winds of the earth. So, can we stop talking about the ten tribes? Let us agree with James who referred to the TWELVE tribes scattered abroad. TWELVE TRIBES! ! TWELVE TRIBES!!

Hope of Israel Ministries -- Preparing the Way for the Return of YEHOVAH God and His Messiah!

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