The phrase "Ten Lost Tribes of Israel" refers to the ancient Northern Kingdom of Israel (composed of the tribes of Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, and Manasseh). These tribes disappeared from the texts of the Hebrew Scriptures after they were scattered, conquered, and/or deported by the Neo-Assyrian Empire between 740 and 722 BCE. Many Jews (largely descending from the ancient Southern Kingdom of Judah) have Messianic hopes intimately woven into the continued hidden existence and future restoration of the lost ten tribes of Israel. Finding their modern descendants is a hotly debated subject and shrouded in much unnecessary mystery, for there are many Biblical clues and historical way-marks which make finding the bulk of the so-called "lost" tribes a profoundly simple effort.
Background on the 12 Tribes of Israel
According to the Hebrew Scriptures, the patriarch Jacob (renamed "Israel" by יהוה) had 12 sons and at least one daughter by two wives and two concubines.
When the Land of Israel was apportioned among the tribes of Israel in the days of Joshua, the tribes of Levi and Simeon did not receive large land tracks because of their deceit and cruelty at Shechem (Genesis 49:5-7; Joshua 13:33, 14:3). However, they were given cities with surrounding open space to dwell (Numbers 35). Simeon was initially given many cities inside the tribe of Judah's portion since Judah had more than what they needed (Joshua 19:1-9).
Also, Jacob elevated his grandsons Ephraim and Manasseh, the two sons of Joseph by his Egyptian wife Asenath (Genesis 41:50-52) to the status of full tribes (Genesis 48:1-6), in essence replacing and multiplying the Tribe of Joseph (Joshua 14:4).
