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The Ten Lost Tribes
There are many Torah opinions regarding the Ten Lost Tribes
Throughout the years, many efforts have been made to locate the Ten Tribes who were exiled by Shalmanassar, King of Babylon. Many theories aroused concerning the whereabouts of the tribes as several of them allegedly fitted into specific behavior patterns of different peoples around the world. Most of the assumptions, however, were later questioned and dropped.
In 1853, a Christian doctor named Ashal Grant was sent by the Missionary Committee of America to conduct a research on a certain ethnic group in Babylon. The group claimed to perform several Jewish rituals, such as keeping the Sabbath, and was therefore, in their opinion, one of the lost tribes.
The Shomrons also claimed to be the descendants of the lost tribes. However, Jewish tradition refers to them as the ancient Kutim. Another example is the Yazdim, who also argue about belonging to the Ten Tribes, as they keep the commandment of circumcision.
These assumptions are further rendered as extremely questionable, as the leaders of the Jewish nation are divided in their opinions regarding the return of the lost tribes before the coming of the Messiah.
The opinion of Rabbi Akiva, who had visited Babylon and Media several times and could not find any traces of the tribes, was that the lost tribes had assimilated with the other nations and had totally disappeared, never to return. As it is written: "And you shall be lost amongst the nations" – those are the Ten Tribes who were exiled to Media.
On the other hand, Rabbi Eliezer is of the opinion that the tribes will, in fact, return. As it is written: "And he shall expel you to another land as of that day" – just as the day is darkened and lightened, so shall the tribes be darkened in their exile and lightened in their redemption.
The Talmud Yerushalmi relates that the Ten Tribes do not have a share in the World to Come and will not merit to see the Final Redemption.