Since the Assyrians in the VIII century BC drove ten Jewish tribes from their land, the further fate of these people is unknown. Where are they headed? What happened to the exiles then? Historians have not received a clear answer to these questions so far.

Take a short excursion into the biblical story and let's start with the Patriarch Abraham or, better yet, with his grandson Jacob. God was the last in a dream on the way to Padanaram, and blessed him to become a founder of the Jewish people. Jacob fathered 12 sons: Reuben, Simon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, each of which subsequently became the father of one of the tribes of Israel. In the country of Canaan tribes settled on the banks of the Jordan river. Later a monarchy was established, and the descendants of the sons of Jacob had a single ruler, but after the death of king Solomon, the state was divided into two. From the tribes of Judah and Benjamin, who lived in the South, separated ten other tribes, who have mastered the Northern areas. These tribes took control of the monarchs, who handed the throne is inherited. The peoples of Judah and Benjamin, as is commonly believed, are the ancestors of the Jews. And what happened with the Northern ten tribes? Where their descendants?

In 722-721 BC by the king of Assyria, the shalmeneser I V captured Samaria and drove ten of the peoples of the Northern Kingdom. People were removed from their homes and with small children and the elderly, with belongings that they could carry, on carts and on foot went into Mesopotamia and the city Indian (modern Syria and Iraq). Weeping and cries rose above the crowds exiles. Many people could not endure the hardships and died on the way. What happened to the survivors, nobody knows.

The relief with the image of a campaign of shalmeneser I on Syria and Samaria

The prophet Ezekiel foretold the future unification of all the Jews in the Promised Land. In many parts of the world people live, perhaps, are descendants of the lost tribes: in the Crimea, the Caucasus, Kenya, Nigeria, Armenia, Iran, Central Asia and the Northern Siberia, in Africa, South America, Australia and Ireland. Indisputable there is no evidence, but the Jewish elements of cultures of some of the peoples living in these regions, point to a possible link with the missing tribes.

One of the first known researchers of this mystery was Benjamin of Tudela, who lived in Spain in the XII century the Greater part of his life he had spent traveling in search of the descendants of the people belonging to the mentioned ten tribes, and visiting the Jewish community recorded experiences in a diary. After visiting Persia, and the Arabian Peninsula, Benjamin faced with the Jews, who, in his opinion, were the direct descendants of the exiled Israelites.

- Sufficient and ferocity was deeply impressed by the researcher. Benjamin wrote: "In Persia living descendants of the tribes of Dan, Naphtali, Asher, and Naphtali. They are supervised by the ruler Joseph. Among these people there are many scholars versed in the various Sciences. They sow cereals, taking a rich harvest, consist in a military Alliance with the Gentiles who worship the wind and living in the wilderness". While traveling in Arabia Benjamin also visited a large Jewish town, surrounded by strong defensive buildings. Local people were distinguished by militancy and in Alliance with the Arabs raided peace tribes of Arabia. The townspeople said Benjamin that their ancestors are Reuben and Gad.

When in 1492, Christopher Columbus made the journey and discovered new lands, no one imagined that his appearance will change the fate of the aborigines. But, perhaps, Columbus was not the first inhabitant of the Old world, who have come to America. Missionary Bartolomeo de Las Casas in the beginning of the XVI century. met in Peru and Guatemala, Indian tribes, tradition which says that their ancestors came from the East when we had sailed over the ocean. In addition, the Indians kept many Jewish rituals. After 120 years a similar report Portuguese traveler Antonio Montesinos has created a sensation among scientists of Europe. Montesinos met in the Andes Indians who recite excerpts from the Torah. Their clothes, pottery and other household objects were decorated with the star of David. Manasseh Ben Israel, Dutch scholar, a respected both in the Christian and Jewish circles, strengthened the representation about the American Indians as the descendants of the Jewish tribes. Impressed with the report of Montesinos and inspired by the mystical views, the scientist wrote the book "Hope of Israel", which called for the Jews scattered around the world, to unite. In 1655 Manasseh met in Westminster by Oliver Cromwell, and presented the petition on returning to England all the Jews who were expelled from the country. In his opinion, foggy Albion - is the Promised Land.

Fantastic manifest 1665 shook the Jews. Rabbi Nathan Gaza announced the Messiah destined to unite all the Jews, Sabbetai Zevi from Izmir. The Manifesto stated that last appeared on the earth, riding a dragon with seven heads. On the way the Messiah was attacked Gog and Magog, the enemies of Israel, who led a huge army. However Sabbetai with fire, escaped from his nostrils, was able to defeat the enemies. Nathan was announced that the Savior is on the way to Jerusalem, and when you arrive there, God will raise up a Church of gold, decorated with precious stones, and the whole city will be filled with glitter. On the day when this happens, the dead will rise from their graves.

The news swept from country to country. Many Jews began to sell the property and prepare for the journey to the Holy Land. What was really new was the Messiah? Sabbetai Zevi was born in Smyrna in Asia Minor in 1626 and was ordained a Rabbi at the age of 18 years. Under the influence of mystical teachings of Kabbalah, he announced the suffering Jews that the hour of redemption has come. Such ideas spread in Morocco, Tunisia, Egypt and Italy. It was rumored that the great army of the descendants of the ten tribes moving through Africa in the direction of Mecca. Alarmed the Turkish authorities in 1666, was arrested Zevi and turned it into Islam. Following this, thousands of Jews were also Muslims.

Possible descendants of the lost tribes is a large group of peoples who call themselves pathname. They live on the border of Afghanistan, Pakistan and Kashmir. Patani believe that conduct the origin from Kish, ancestor of the biblical king Saul. They wear clothes similar to that of the Jews, keep Jewish taboos regarding food, and celebrate the Jewish Passover. In South Africa, tens of thousands of black belonging to the tribe LEMP, claim that hundreds of years ago were cut off from their fellow Jews.

But, perhaps, the most exotic place where he could settle expelled the Jewish tribes, are the Japanese Islands. There are thousands of words and geographical names in Japanese, the etymological roots of which can not be traced. They all have Jewish voice. The Emperor of Japan Axis, who ruled around 730 BCE, a number of historians associate with the last king of Israel Hosea, who lived in a time when the Assyrians deported the Jews. Shinto temples that period reminiscent of ancient Israel. Among the artifacts found in Japan, some have clearly Assyrian or Hebrew descent. These include, for example, a well in Coripe with inscribed on it the words "the Well of Israel." Remaining part of the ancient carts differ sharply from Japanese and similar to that described in the old Testament. Maybe the ancient Israelites in these carts have traveled through the whole of Asia? Not accidentally samurai believe that came to Japan from Western Asia about 660 BC the word "samurai" sounds similar to the word "Samaria". But what of the ten tribes settled in Japan? Some historians suggest that the Mikado, the Japanese Emperor, is a descendant of the tribe of Gad. The word "Mikado" sounds like the Hebrew term meaning "his Majesty the king"...