Primary Source for Continued Belief in the 10 Lost Tribes - From Jewandjoes.com
The concept of the "Ten Lost Tribes" primarily finds it source in the Hebrew Scriptures, a body of texts which can be considered more than just an instrument of "Religion", but a profoundly accurate instrument of History (see The Bible as History by Werner Keller).
Though the Scriptures drive much of the discussion on the Ten Lost Tribes, non-religious archaeological evidence confirms their historic validity. Yet, the notion or belief that 10-Israel has some continued importance in modern times and in End Time prophecy is something deeply rooted in the Scriptures and Jewish Tradition (see the article: Where should 10-Israel be according to End Time Prophecy?)
In Ezekiel 37:16-17, the prophet is told to write on one stick "For Judah..." and on the other, "For Joseph...". The prophet is then told that these two "sticks" or "trees" (Hebrew: Etzim) shall someday be reunited under One Shepherd... echoing the days of King David who first successfully united all the tribes many generations before.
Moreover, thou son of man, take thee one stick, and write upon it, 'For Judah, and for the children of Israel his companions': then take another stick, and write upon it, 'For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim, and for all the house of Israel his companions': And join them one to another into one stick; and they shall become one in thine hand.
Talmudic sources [ref] discuss as to whether the Ten Lost Tribes will eventually be reunited with the House of Judah (i.e., the Jewish people).
Simple Biblical Clues for Finding the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel
We should look for the Lost Ten Tribes of Israel being represented by large population bodies and/or large nations. We should not have a minimalist view of the Scriptures and thus search through the breadcrumbs of humanity in isolated and remote regions. Hosea 1:9-10 indicates 10-Israel will become as numerous "as the Sand of the Sea" AFTER their exile. Genesis 48:19 indicates Ephraim would become "the fullness of the nations".
We should look for migrating peoples who have name derivatives of Abraham and Isaak (e.g., Brahman, Saka, etc). Genesis 21:12 reads: But Elohim said to Abraham, “Let it not be evil in your eyes because of the boy and because of your female servant. Whatever Sarah has said to you, listen to her voice, for in Isaak your seed is called." Genesis 48:15-16 further clarifies this and applies the name of Isaak primary to Joseph's sons Ephraim and Manasseh. It reads: And he blessed Joseph, and said, “The Elohim before whom my fathers Abraham and Isaak walked, the Elohim who has fed me all my life long to this day, (16) the Messenger who has redeemed me from all evil – bless the youths! And let my name be called upon them, and the name of my fathers Abraham and Isaak. And let them increase to a multitude in the midst of the earth.”
In spite of the traditional Christian belief and response to the subject, we should not consider 10-Israel forsaken or having died out from the earth or assimilated into oblivion. Jeremiah 51:5 reads: "For Israel is not forsaken, nor Judah, of his Elohim יהוה of hosts; though their land is full of guilt against the Holy One of Israel".
We should look for the nation or people who conquered the Neo-Assyrian Empire as being 10-Israel or at least hosting 10-Israel. Isaiah 14:2b reads, "And they shall make captives of their captors, and rule over their oppressors". Between 627-605 BCE, Scythians, Cimmerians, and Medes ravaged the Assyrians as far as the Egyptian border. Remember, Assyria deported some Israelites to the region of the Medes. Eventually, much of Assyria's former lands would be ruled by the Parthian Empire (of Scythian/Saka stock) for nearly 500 years. Its first king was crowned in the city of "Asaak" (note similarity to "Isaak") in 247 BC.
We should look for peoples who eventually migrate out of the Medio-Persian homeland, but we should also look for peoples who were "afar off" during the time of Daniel's prophetic period who may have never been deported to Media or Persia. Daniel 9:7 reads, “O יהוה, to You is the righteousness, and to us the shame of face, as it is this day – to the men of Judah, to the inhabitants of Yerushalayim and all Israel, those near and those far off in all the lands to which You have driven them, because of their trespass which they have trespassed against You."
We should not necessarily look for a people of any particular color or so-called "race", but instead should look for diverse peoples with "Many Colors" and many cultural customs and traditions. Genesis 37:3 reads,"Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his children, because he was the son of his old age: and he made him a coat of many colors".
We should not necessarily look for Jewishness or Jewish "customs" within prospective cultures because 10-Israel no longer embraced Torah customs during the period just before their exile, but instead they embraced lives of idolatry and mixed pagan worship, which was the central impetus for יהוה removing them from the Land of Israel in the first place (Daniel 9:7). This is not to say that some 10-Israelites would not later return to some vestige of Judaism (e.g., Khazaria converting to Judaism), but finding the presence of Jewish customs in any particular group should not be the primary litmus test of identification (which is a method of many minimalists ).
We should identify 10-Israel by identifying the nations which host Judah (the Jews) in the Last Days. Jeremiah 3:17-18 and Jeremiah 50:4,20,33-34 all indicate they (10-Israel and Judah) will be walking TOGETHER and will return to Zion TOGETHER from out of End-Time "Mystery" Babylon (see article Traits of End-Time Babylon).
We should look for peoples who have historically possessed "the Gate" of their enemies (e.g., major sea ports, narrow but significant sea channels, major trade routes). Genesis 24:60 reads, "And they blessed Rebekah and said to her, “Let our sister become the mother of thousands of ten thousands, and let your seed possess the gates of those who hate them.”
“Jesus replied, "If anyone loves me, he will obey my teaching. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.” (John 14:23)
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