Can you provide a reliable, scholarly source concerning the "Lost Tribes of Dan"?

Question

Recently someone mentioned the Cherokee/Shawnee indians were likely one of the Lost Tribes of Dan which piqued my interest since I am of both Cherokee and Shawnee ancestry. I've never heard this before, although I do recall some reference to the tribe of Dan in the Bible.

The first link I brought up claims that Bible prophecies point to the Anti-Christ being from the lost tribe of Dan! http://www.watch.pair.com/dan.html

I'd like something a little more reliable, so if there is anyone out here in Y! land who has studied this, I hope you'll provide some further reading recommendations.

Thanks!

Answer 1

There are people all over the planet claiming to be the the lost tribes of Israel.

During the Diaspora the tribes intermingled and intermarried. Tribal identities of the 10 tribes as a separate tribal entity are lost. There are likely descendents of them dispersed all over the world as there are Jews dispersed all over the world. You could be looking at a descendent of Dan wherever there are Jewish communities. But unless you're a descendent of a Kohenim ( Cohen, Kohen, Levi, Levine), you don't have much way to determine tribal affiliation. There is a DNA marker that has been discovered that can confirm if you are of the Kohenim. I cannot recall the issue, but a cover story from the National Geographic sometime in the 90s was all about the discovery of this distinct genetic marker that proves this.

Unfortunately, in the United States, even having the last name of Cohen or Levine doesn't guarantee that you're of the priestly lineage. A sad testament to the massive wave of Jewish immigrants escaping the tidal wave of persecution and pogrom in the days BEFORE the Holocaust, the years 1880s through 1924 when very strict quotas were placed to limit those numbers, saw many Jews who could not speak English have their names changed by immigration officials.

Some name changes happened through choice. Jews who came to the "goldeneh medinah" ( some literally believed the streets were paved with gold it was such a rich country) wanted to assimilate and blend in and not be persecuted here for being Jewish so they changed their names from things like Moskovitz to Morris. Unfortunately and Most often, however were immigration officials who simply ASSIGNED whatever name they thought they heard or if they couldn't make it out they just gave them a name of COHEN or LEVINE! Some were proud to now have the name of the priestly clan. Others were simply shuffled through the line and didn't realize untl later what had happened.


Shalom

Answer 2

No tribe is "lost", because God knows exactly where they are. As for Dan, they are mostly in Israel with the other 11 tribes. The Cherokees are not Dan, and neither are the Shawnees. Each and every people group is loved of God (including Dan, Cherokees, and Shawnees). They don't have to all be "secretly a 'lost' tribe"

Answer 3

The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel (including Dan) are the ancient Tribes of Israel that disappeared from the Biblical account after the Kingdom of Israel was totally destroyed, enslaved and exiled by ancient Assyria in 722 BCE.

The Ten Lost Tribes are those who were deported. In Jewish popular culture, the ten tribes disappeared from history, leaving only the tribes of Benjamin, Judah and Levi to become the ancestors of modern day Jews.

The lost tribes were probably absorbed into the main Assyrian population.

Both the Cherokee and Shawnee have lived in North American since much before 722 BCE.

With love in Christ.

Answer 4

We were created on this continent and have a history going back over 30,000 years. We are not part of any "tribe" of Israel.