The Talmud on the Lost Tribes of Israel

by Mikkel S. Kragh

The Talmud: the 10 Tribes of Israel are as Gentiles

The religion of the 12 Tribes of Israel in the Old Testament was the Law of Moses, not Juda-ism. The

religion of Juda-ism started to take shape after Judah was carried away to Babylon approx. 587 BC and

started to formulate what would become known as the Talmud. The reason the religion of the Jews is

called Juda-ism is because it is the religion of JUDA(H) (Judah-ism).

The Talmud is a massive collection of commentaries to the Law of Moses (the Torah). The Talmud is

also called the 'Oral Torah'. In the New Testament Jesus called it the 'Tradition of the Elders' (Matt 15:2)

The Talmud as we know it today was compiled and edited between the 3rd and 6th centuries AD. The

first part of the Talmud, the Mishnah, was written down in the 3rd century, while the commentaries to

the Mishnah, called the Gemara, were written down around the 6th century. Together the Mishnah and

Gemara form the Talmud.

The rabbis of the Talmud were convinced that the 10 Tribes of Israel were outside the Jewish people

and that, according to Jewish law, they were to be considered as “full-fledged Gentiles”. They wrote

that children of Jewish and non-Jewish women should be considered as non-Jews, even if the non-

Jewish woman is descended from the 10 Tribes of Israel. The reason is, according to the Talmud, that

lineage is determined through the mother and that the rabbis had a tradition that only the women of

the 10 Tribes became infertile and only the men of the 10 Tribes of Israel had offspring with non-

Israelite women. Therefore, the half-Israelite half-goyim children were to be considered as non-

Israelites:

“Rav Yehuda said that Rav Asi said: With regard to a gentile who betrothed a Jewish woman nowadays,

we are concerned that the betrothal might be valid, despite the fact that a betrothal of a gentile is

meaningless, lest he be from the ten tribes of Israel who intermingled with the gentiles. The Gemara

raises an objection: But there is an important principle in halakha that any item separated, i.e., not

fixed in its place, is presumed to have been separated from the majority. In this case, it can be assumed

that any individual singled out from the gentiles belongs to the majority of gentiles and has no Jewish

[i.e., Israelite] roots at all.

The Gemara responds: Rav Yehuda means that there is a concern only with regard to those who came

from the permanent dwelling places of the ten tribes. As Rabbi Abba bar Kahana said that the verse

states about those exiled from Samaria: 'And he put them in Halah, and in Habor, on the river of Gozan,

and in the cities of the Medes' (I Kings 18:11). Rabbi Abba bar Kahana proceeded to identify these

places. Halah; this is the place called Ḥalzon. And Habor; this is Ḥadyab. The river of Gozan; this is

Ginzak. And the cities of the Medes; this is Ḥamadan and its surroundings. And some say: This is Nihar

and its surroundings. The Gemara asks: Which are its surroundings? Shmuel said: Kerakh, Mushkhei,

Ḥidkei, and Domakya are the surroundings of Ḥamadan. Rabbi Yoḥanan said: And all of them are for

disqualification. In other words, if someone from one of these places wishes to convert, there is

concern that he might be a descendant of a Jew [i.e., Israelite] and therefore a mamzer. Consequently,

they all are disqualified. ...

The Gemara asks: Aren’t there Jewish [i.e., Israelite] girls who were captured by gentiles, whose

children are considered to be Jews? And Ravina said: Learn from this that the son of your daughter

from a gentile is called your son. If so, the descendants of Jewish [i.e., Israelite] women captured by

gentiles would indeed be Jews [i.e., Israelites]. The Gemara answers: This is no concern, as it is learned

as a tradition that the girls from the ten tribes of that generation became barren and did not give birth

to any offspring, whereas some of the exiled men of the ten tribes married gentile women.

Consequently, all of the children born there were gentiles.

There are those who say that Rav Yehuda actually related the following: When I said this halakha

before Shmuel, he said to me: They did not move from there, the place where they deliberated on this

matter, until they rendered all of them, including those who intermingled with the ten tribes in

different locations, full-fledged gentiles. Consequently, there is no concern that their betrothals might

be of any effect, as it is stated: 'They have dealt treacherously against the Lord, for they have begotten

strange children' (Hosea 5:7).” (The Babylonian Talmud, Yevamoth 16a-17a)

The Talmud: Will the 10 Tribes be redeemed?

In the Talmud there is also a discussion whether or not the 10 Tribes of Israel will be redeemed and

reunited with Judah (the Jews) in the land of Israel. The rabbis all took it as an obvious fact that the 10

Tribes were not a part of the Jews. Rabbi Akiva (AD 50-135) said that the 10 Tribes were lost forever,

while Rabbi Eliezer said they would be reunited with Judah. Rabbi Shimon ben Yehuda from Akko in

northern Israel took the middle position and said it depended upon whether they repented:

“MISHNAH: The ten tribes are not destined to return to Eretz Yisrael, even during the messianic era,

as it is stated: 'And he cast them into another land, as it is this day.' (Deuteronomy 29:27) Just as the

day never passes to return, so too, the ten tribes go into exile and do not return; this is the statement

of Rabbi Akiva. Rabbi Eliezer says: 'As it is this day,' meaning just as the day darkens and then the sky

brightens the next day, with regard to the ten tribes as well, although it is dark for them now, so it is

destined to brighten for them.

GEMARA: The Sages taught in a baraita (Tosefta 13:12): The ten tribes have no share in the World-to-

Come, as it is stated: 'And the Lord rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great

indignation; and He cast them into another land, as it is this day” (Deuteronomy 29:27) 'And the Lord

rooted them out of their own land indicates for the World-to-Come; this is the statement of Rabbi

Akiva. Rabbi Shimon ben Yehudah of the village of Akko says in the name of Rabbi Shimon: If their

actions continue to be 'as it is this day' and they continue to sin, they do not return to Eretz Yisrael.

And if not, and they repent, they return to Eretz Yisrael.

Rabbi Yehuda Ha-Nasi says: The members of the ten tribes come to the World-to-Come, as it is stated:

'And it shall come to pass on that day, that a great shofar will be sounded, and they shall come who

were lost in the land of Assyria and who were dispersed in the land of Egypt, and they shall worship

the Lord at the holy mountain in Jerusalem.' (Isaiah 27:13)” (The Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 110b)

The Talmud: rabbis not sure where the 10 Tribes are

In another place in the Talmud the rabbis discuss where the 10 Tribes are. The rabbis all take it for

granted that the 10 Tribes are not a part of the Jewish people:

“The Gemara asks: To where did Sennacherib exile the ten tribes? Mar Zutra says: He exiled them to

Afrikei, and Rabbi Hanina says: To the Selug Mountains. The Gemara adds: But those exiled from the

kingdom of Israel spoke in disparagement of Eretz Yisrael and extolled the land of their exile. When

they arrived at one place, they called it Shosh, as they said: It is equal [shaveh] to our land. When they

arrived at another place, they called it Almin, as they said: It is like our world [almin], as Eretz Yisrael

is also called beit olamim. When they arrived at a third place they called it Shosh the second [terei], as

they said: For one measure of good in Eretz Yisrael, there are two [terein] here.” (The Babylonian

Talmud, Sanhedrin 94a)

Jerusalem Talmud: the 10 Tribes will return from three different places

There are two versions of the Talmud: The more popular Babylonian Talmud and the less popular

Jerusalem Talmud. Speaking of the exile and future return of the 10 Tribes of Israel we read in the

Jerusalem Talmud:

“Rebbi Berekhia and Rebbi Helbo in the name of Rebbi Samuel bar Nahman. Israel was exiled to three

diasporas: one inside the river Sanbation, one to Daphne of Antiochia, and one on whom the Cloud

descended and covered them. Just as they were exiled to three diasporas, so the tribes of Reuben,

Gad, and half the tribe of Manasse were exiled into three diasporas. What is the reason? You went in

the way of your sister and I gave her cup into your hand. So when they return, they will return from

three diasporas. What is the reason? To tell the prisoners, leave, those who were exiled inside the river

Sanbation; those in darkness, become visible, those upon whom the Cloud descended and covered

them; on the roads they are grazing and on all plains is their pasturage, those who were exiled to

Daphne of Antiochia.” (The Jerusalem Talmud, Sanhedrin 10:5)

The Midrash on the Lost 10 Tribes

The Midrash are Jewish exegesis compiled between the 5th and 12th centuries AD. The Midrash gives

the same account as in the Jerusalem Talmud mentioned above, but adds the colorful twist that God

is going to make tunnels for some of the Lost 10 Tribes. When God is going to step down on the Mount

of Olives and it will split in two (Zech 14:4) that part of the Lost 10 Tribes will emerge from under the

earth!

“To three places were the ten tribes exiled. … And for those who were swallowed in Rivlathah, G-d will

create for them underground tunnels, and they will travel through them until they reach the Mount of

Olives in Jerusalem. G-d will stand on the mountain, causing it to split, and the ten tribes will emerge

from within, as the verse states, 'On that day His feet will stand on the Mount of Olives, which is before

Jerusalem from the east, and the Mount of Olives will split in the midst thereof - toward the east and

toward the west - a very great valley. Half the mountain will move to the north, and half of it to the

south.' [Zech 14:4]” (Yehuda Shurpin: “Where Are the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel? The saga of the ten lost

tribes of Israel – Part 3”, Chabad.org)

Conclusion

In every single place where the Talmud menons the Lost 10 Tribes of Israel, the Jewish sages took it

for granted that they were somewhere outside the Jewish people. In other words, that the 10 Tribes

of Israel were not Jews. The Talmud does discuss whether the 10 Tribes of Israel will eventually be

redeemed or not, but not whether they are a part of the Jewish people.

Christians do, of course, not view the Talmud as a sacred text, but besides being a sacred text in

Judaism, the Talmud is also a valuable historical document, because it reflects the mainstream Jewish

viewpoints from the 3rd to the 6th centuries AD, and has remained almost intact since the 6th century.

Rabbis who lived back then are, of course, more reliable sources regarding the fate of the 10 Tribes

than modern rabbis and pastors, because the former lived much closer to the event. The Talmud is,

therefore, another valuable historical source which confirms that the 10 Tribes of Israel are to be found

somewhere outside the Jewish people.