Original Land Allotment For Israel and Their Disappearance , and Today

 Nadene Goldfoot                                            

Jacob (later named Israel) had 12 sons who became the patriarchs of the tribes of Israel, and their descendants were allotted specific regions in the Land of Canaan, though the distribution of land differed slightly from the literal list of sons.

East of the Jordan River (Transjordan): Moses previously assigned land here to the tribes of Reuben=46,500, Gad=45,650, and the half-tribe of Manasseh=32,200.Transjordan (also called the East Bank) is the high plateau and plateau-edge region located east of the Jordan River in the Southern Levant, making up most of modern-day Jordan.              
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 Sub-regions: Historically divided from north to south into Bashan, Gilead, Moab, and Edom. [1]

Joshua divided the Land of Israel in 1200-1050 BCE (book of Joshua)  into twelve tribal territories using a system of lots as recorded in the biblical book of Joshua.  Joshua allotted land to the remaining seven tribes by casting lots at Shiloh, after sending a team to survey and map out the remaining territory into seven regions (Joshua 18). You will note that though Joshua was the leader now that Moses had died, he did not give himself any land, but it was divided between the 12 sons.

I. The Tribe of Levi: The Levites (no count taken) received no large continuous tract of land because God and the priesthood were considered their inheritance. Instead, they were allotted 48 specific cities and surrounding pasturelands scattered throughout the other tribal territories. 12 X4=48.  

II, III, Maintaining the Number 12: Because Levi was excluded from a geographic land inheritance, Joseph's two sons (Ephraim=40,500 and Manasseh=32,200) were counted as separate tribal allotments to maintain a total of twelve shares.Central Canaan: The tribe of Ephraim and the other half-tribe of Manasseh (the two sons of Joseph) received central hill country territories.  

IV South Canaan: The tribe of Judah=74,600 received a large territory in the southern region. [our name, Jew, comes from this tribe].  
Remaining Western Territories: Joshua had the remaining seven tribes (Asher,=41,500 Benjamin=35,400, , Dan=62,700, Issachar=54,400, Naphtali=53,400, Simeon=59,300, and Zebulun=57,400) survey the remaining land and cast lots for their specific boundaries.
1. Benjamin: Received a strategic, narrow strip of land sandwiched directly between Judah to the south and Ephraim to the north. It included major ancient cities such as Jerusalem, Jericho, and Bethel.
2. Simeon: Allotted an inheritance enclosed entirely within the southern territory of Judah. Because Judah's initial portion was larger than they needed, Simeon received cities in the dry Negeb desert region, including Beersheba.
3. Zebulun: Settled in the inland hill country of the north-central Galilee region. Its boundaries sat just north of the Jezreel Valley, touching borders with Issachar, Asher, and Naphtali.
4. Issachar: Received the fertile plains of the Jezreel Valley to the south of Zebulun and west of the Jordan River. It included strategic locations like Mount Tabor and Jezreel.
5. Asher: Occupied the northwestern coastal plain along the Mediterranean Sea, stretching from the tip of Mount Carmel northward up to the borders of Phoenicia (modern-day Lebanon).
6. Naphtali: Granted the eastern Galilee region, extending from the northern borders of Israel down along the western coast of the Sea of Chinnereth (Sea of Galilee) and the upper Jordan River.
7. Dan: Initially given a small territory on the central Mediterranean coast west of Benjamin and Ephraim, including Joppa. However, because they struggled to fully secure this land from the Philistines, a portion of the tribe later migrated to the far north near the base of Mount Hermon, capturing the city of Leshem and renaming it Dan.
The total number arrived was 601,730.  They had had a loss of 1,820 from their 1st census.  Dan's count had almost remained the same with a gain of 1,700.  Simeon had the most lost of 37,100. 
     Assyrian/Babylonian Attacks on 10 Northern Tribes
In 722 BCE, the Assyrian Empire (under Kings Shalmaneser V and Sargon II) successfully besieged the northern capital of Samaria and conquered the Northern Kingdom of Israel. 
The Captured 10 Tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Manasseh.
The Outcome: The Assyrians marched tens of thousands of Israelites away in chains and scattered them across upper Mesopotamia and Media (modern-day Iraq and Iran). They were replaced by foreign settlers, integrated into the empire, and became historically known as the "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel" because they lost their distinct identity.
 In 721 BCE King Hosea of Israel  in 726 BCE not only threw off the yoke of the Assyrians, but caused Shalmaneser V's siege of Samaria and its capture in 721 BCE by Sargon.  He annexed the country, deported 27,290 Israelites to Assyria and Media, and replaced them with Syrian and Babylonian prisoners, so Samaria was then mixed in with  the northern region and were primarily allocated to the Tribe of Ephraim and the Tribe of Manasseh (the sons of Joseph, making up the "House of Joseph"), alongside the priestly Tribe of Levi.
     Some 200 years later:  2. The Babylonian Empire (The 2 Southern Tribes)
In 586 BCE, King Nebuchadnezzar II of the Babylonian Empire conquered Jerusalem, the capital of the Southern Kingdom of Judah. ]
The Captured Tribes: Judah and Benjamin (along with members of the priestly tribe of Levi).

   Queen Esther with Darius, her son, Persian Jews, (Megillat Esther) 
The Outcome: Nebuchadnezzar destroyed Solomon's Temple and carried the population off to Babylon in what is known as the Babylonian Captivity. Unlike the northern tribes, these people maintained their cohesive cultural and religious communities. When the Persian Empire later conquered Babylon, they were permitted to return and rebuild their homeland.

                  Beautiful Esther with her uncle Mordecai
Then, the Persians were ruled by the Jewish name-King Ahasuerus before 330 BCE, who was married to our Queen Esther, which we read about during our holiday called Purim.  Of course, it was joyous when people were even allowed to get drunk in those days during this holiday !  This story tells of ending the annihilation of the Jewish people planned by the king's advisor-Haman.  
Today we are experiencing a return of the 10 Lost Tribes.  


The primary tribe currently returning to modern Israel is the Bnei Menashe, who trace their heritage to the biblical Tribe of Manasseh.(1st son of Joseph and Asenath, with brother, Ephraim an equal portion in the division of Canaan, The tribe from Manasseh was divided into 7 families, Machir and the other 6 claiming kinship with Gilead.  1/2 the tribe with those of Reuben and Gad asked for land in Transjordania, granted by Moses on condition the they accompany the other tribes in the conquest of the land as scouts going before all the people.  

                             Jewish tour guide in India       

                                                  



About the Bnei Menashe Return
Bnei Menashe - This is a Jewish community living in Northeast India, specifically in the states of Mizoram and Manipur. They practice traditions of Judaism and believe they descend from ancient Israelites exiled in 722 BCE.   Bnei Menashe: This community from northeast India (Manipur and Mizoram) claims descent from the Tribe of Manasseh. Thousands have immigrated to Israel through organizations like Shavei Israel, with ongoing government-backed relocation programs. 
Tribe of Manasseh - In the Bible, Manasseh is one of the sons of Joseph and the head of one of the traditional tribes of Israel. 
State of Israel - The modern government and organizations like Shavei Israel help members of this community make aliyah (immigration to Israel). 
Conversion Process - Upon arrival, members of the community undergo a formal conversion overseen by the Chief Rabbinate of Israel because they spent generations away from mainstream Jewish practice.
Judah and Benjamin were the main southern tribes that remained.  
Levites had been scattered among all 12 tribes, so we know that 10 of the tribes had lost Levites, and some must have returned with Menashe Tribe.  
                   Recognized or Immigrating Groups
                                      

Maru Teferi, Ethiopian for Israel, 2015 in Berlin Marathon
Maru Teferi: An Ethiopian-born Israeli marathon runner who has represented Israel in multiple Olympic Games (including Rio 2016, Tokyo 2020, and Paris 2024) and won a silver medal at the 2022 European Athletics Championships.
Selamawit (Selam) Teferi: An Ethiopian-born Israeli long-distance runner and wife of Maru Teferi, who competed for Israel in the 5,000-meter event at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics, marking the first time a married Israeli couple competed together at the Games.
Gashaw Ayale and Girma Amare: Prominent Ethiopian-born Israeli marathon runners who competed alongside Maru Teferi for Team Israel at the Paris 2024 Olympics.
Beta Israel: The Ethiopian Jewish community Beta Israel has historically been recognized by some rabbinic authorities as descendants of lost tribes (such as Dan), and tens of thousands have made aliyah over several decades. 
Samaritans: Living in Judea-Samaria (the West Bank) and Israel, the Samaritans consider themselves descendants of the Israelite tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh.

Afghanistani Jews

                             Pashtuns
Other Communities with Traditions of Descent
Pashtuns: Certain tribal traditions among the Pashtun people of Afghanistan and Pakistan trace their lineage back to the exiled Israelite tribes, though this remains largely folkloric and anthropological without formal recognition. 
House of Israel (Ghana) and other small emerging African communities claim connections to ancient Israel, though immigration and formal recognition face strict rabbinical scrutiny.
Historical and folkloric claims have also linked groups like the Igbo Jews of Nigeria, Lemba of southern Africa, and various indigenous groups globally to the lost tribes.

DNA shows that the main male people found among Jews are J1 and J2. Male Jewish paternal DNA tests (Y-DNA) most frequently show haplogroups of Middle Eastern origin, led by J1 and J2, alongside E1b1b. 
 
J1 (J-M267) – This Middle Eastern lineage is very common among Jewish men. It includes specific subgroups tied to the traditional Cohen Modal Haplotype. 
J2 (J-M67) – This is another major Middle Eastern branch with roots in the ancient Levant and the Mediterranean region. 
E1b1b (E-M35) – This haplogroup appears frequently in both Middle Eastern and North African Jewish populations. 
R1a and R1b (R-M17 / R-M269) – These European lineages show up in some Ashkenazi or Eastern European Jewish men due to historical regional admixture or founder effects. 
G and T – These groups appear in smaller, modest percentages, with T showing up slightly more often in Sephardic and Mizrahi communities
My father, Jewish with father from Lithuania, mother from Lithuania/Poland, has haplogroup of Q. Y-DNA Haplogroup Q (traditionally associated with Siberia, Central Asia, and Native Americans) is also found at low frequencies—around 5%—in Ashkenazi Jews as well as in various Sephardic, Yemeni, and Greek Jewish populations 



Narrowest Width: 9 miles (15 km) in the central mid-section, where it is possible to walk or run across the country in a couple of hours.
Widest Point: Roughly 71 to 114 miles (114 to 183 km) across depending on the southern Negev region measurements.
Total Length: Around 260 to 290 miles (420 to 470 km) from Metula in the north to Eilat in the south.
Total Area: Roughly 8,000 square miles, making it comparable in size to the U.S. state of New Jersey or the country of Wales.

A=Arabs, B=mixed, C=Jews             From Oslo Accords
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Resource:

The Stone Edition of the Torah/ProphetsWritings, etc.

AI