...but were instead symbolic? Wouldn't that explain why they are now lost? Seriously, if knowing which 'tribe' you were from was important to people, and these tribes actually existed, descendants today would know what tribe they are from too regardless of Babylonian exile.
2007-12-27 16:19:29 · 9 answers · asked by Anonymous in Society & Culture ➔ Religion & Spirituality
They did existed. They were from 12 sons of Prophet Jacob
2007-12-31 01:15:40 · answer #1 · answered by Happily Happy 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋
"swindled" has an "interesting" fairy tale. Pay it no heed! It is based on Anglo conceit and not scholarship!
The tribes certainly existed (their patriarchal eponyms, though, are likely a different matter).
But the Babylonian Exile DID interrupt their genealogy, but at that time the only tribes left were Judah (for which the nation as named) and Benjamin, plus the Levites. The Lost Tribes were exactly that. When Assyria destroyed the Northern nation of Israel, they expelled and dispersed the population. Judaism was in a rudimentary state hey were not truly monotheistic yet, but henotheistic. When they settled in other lands, they naturally adopted those gods, assimilated into those cultures, and lost their identity irrevocably. The later Judahites were monothestic and this enabled them to preserve their identity through the Babylonian Exile.
2007-12-27 16:33:32 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, Ephraim, and Benjamin. In parts of the Bible, Ephraim and Manasseh are treated as together constituting the House of Joseph, while the Levi have a special religious role and had only scattered cities as territory; whence traditionally either Ephraim and Manasseh were counted as one tribe, or Levi wasn't counted, so that together the tribes were the Twelve Tribes of Israel. The division into Tribes was geographical, as well as genealogical; each tribe held a distinct territory, though there are a few peculiarities. Levi had no territory, but lived in towns and cities scattered as enclaves within the territory of the other tribes, Simeon's territory was entirely inside the territory of Judah, and Manasseh was split between the half tribe west of the Jordan, and the other half tribe on the eastern side. The Kingdom of Judah consisted of Judah, Simeon, Benjamin, and the parts of Levi within those lands, while the Kingdom of Israel contained Reuben, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Manasseh, Ephraim, and the remainder of Levi. The ten lost tribes of Israel is a subject that is partially based upon authenticated and documented historical fact, partially upon written religious tradition and partially upon extreme speculation. There is a vast amount of literature on the Lost Tribes and no specific source can be relied upon for a complete answer. Please check the link below for further reading.
2016-05-27 09:45:52 · answer #3 · answered by ? 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is interesting that you ask this question. Have you noticed that there are 12 states in Saudi Arabia? They are named after the twelve sons of Ishmael, the half brother of Isaac. Did you notice that there are 12 states in Israel? They are named after the sons of Jacob. Notice also the present, in which the Jews of the world are reuniting in Israel according to their tribes.
2007-12-27 16:33:02 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the LDS church they have a great geneaology system.
They believe there were a literal 12 tribes of Israel and are trying to find out which tribe people are from, though it is not completed yet.
2007-12-27 16:29:55 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
No. There were 10 at first then some splitting occurred making 12 . these are sometimes referred to as the lost tribes . but God knows where they are. It is written that they went north over the caucauses mountains and settled the Europe and went west over to north America. The fact that they went over the caucuses mountains is why they are called Caucasians.
2007-12-27 16:31:38 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 1⤋
My totally uneducated guess is that there must have been some tribes -- it was a tribal culture. And they probably did combine to form Israel on culture and ethnic lines.
Anyway, I have no clue. An anthropologist might have more intelligent things to say. :)
2007-12-27 16:23:39 · answer #7 · answered by STFU Dude 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
google the stuff and see what you find..... Most of the tribes have and or returned to Isreal now..... just a few are still missing..... check it out....... go in peace...... God bless
2007-12-27 16:24:16 · answer #8 · answered by Annie 7 · 0⤊ 1⤋
Not only did they exist they still are they just don't know it but God will reveal to them who they are.
2007-12-27 16:24:28 · answer #9 · answered by furgetabowdit 6 · 1⤊ 1⤋