"One of the great mysteries of ancient history has been the fate of the lost tribes of Israel. Now the Israeli government, with the help of Jewish organizations, believes it has found members of the lost Tribe of Manasseh, today called Bnei Menashe." CBN
And the God of Israel stirred up the spirit of Pul king of Assyria,
and the spirit of Tilgathpilneser king of Assyria,
and he carried them away,
even the Reubenites, and the Gadites, and the half tribe of Manasseh,
and brought them unto Halah, and Habor,
and Hara, and to the river Gozan, unto this day.
1 Chronicles 5:23
Then the king of Assyria came up throughout all the land, and went up to Samaria,
and besieged it three years.
In the ninth year of Hoshea the king of Assyria took Samaria,
and carried Israel away into Assyria, and placed them in Halah and in Habor
by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes.
2 Kings 17:5,6
"JERUSALEM -- Dozens of Jews who claim to be the descendants of a lost biblical Jewish tribe emigrated to Israel on Monday from their village in northeastern India, celebrating their arrival after a five-year struggle to get in.The Bnei Menashe say they are descended from Jews banished from ancient Israel to India in the eighth century B.C. An Israeli chief rabbi recognized them as a lost tribe in 2005, and about 1,700 moved to Israel over the next two years before the government stopped giving them visas.
Israel recently reversed that policy, agreeing to let the remaining 7,200 Bnei Menashe immigrate.
The Bnei Menashe come from the states of Mizoram and Manipur near India's border with Myanmar, where, they say, their ancestors landed after the Assyrians banished them. Over the centuries they became animists, and in the 19th century, British missionaries converted many to Christianity.
Even so, the group says they continued to practice ancient Jewish rituals, including animal sacrifices, which they say were passed down from generation to generation. Jews in the Holy Land stopped animal sacrifices after the destruction of the Second Temple in Jerusalem in 70 A.D." HP
"According to the oral histories passed down through the tribe, they were captured by Assyria when the Nation of Israel was conquered. They were sent (or escaped, depending on the legend) to central Asia, eventually living for a time in China. About one hundred years after the birth of Yeshua, they came under persecution there and migrated to India, retaining their traditions and keeping the elements of their culture alive.
The people still sing songs about the Passover and the crossing of the Red Sea, keep the Sabbath, wear tallits (prayer shawls), circumcise male children on the eighth day, and offer animal sacrifices.
Many of the Bnei Menashe converted to Christianity in the late 1800s due to missionary efforts in the region. But others kept to their tradition, and when the nation of Israel was reborn in 1948, they began to seek official recognition as Jews. Unfortunately, many Jewish leaders refused to accept their claim because of their “conversions.”
DNA tests on the Menashe have not been conclusive. Most of the tests have not been submitted for scientific review, leaving their claims (both pro and con) subject to considerable doubt. The controversy continues, both in Israel and among the Menashe, over the truth of the claim that this is a “lost tribe.” JewishVoice
So is this significant? NO, except it is interesting from a historical, genetic & geographic point of discussion. Other than that-I guess if they are happy good for them.
The "secret rapture" crowd will use this to add to their focus on modern Israel as some sort of prophetic fulfillment. Problem with that is "Israel" in future prophecy is God's people--not literal Israel after the cross.
Also, what does this say for Armstrongism & its "British Israelism" or the Mormons belief about the lost 10 tribes are American Indians?
Genetic tests have totally undermined both the Mormon belief about the Lost 10 tribes & Armstrongism on British Israelism. But who, if they study scripture, would ever consider Mormonism or Mr. Armstrong as serious contenders in the arena of doctrinal formation in the first place?
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| Above is a map of the Assryrian Empire This is where the "10" tribes were taken & scattered Scripture even tells us where they were settled within Assryia Did some wonder beyond these broders over time? Probably.... maybe even east into the Indian subcontinent or west into Africa But did they make it all the way up into Anglo-Saxon territory or overseas into the Americas? NO, obviously not..... Joseph Smith & Herbert Armstrong were WRONG |