There are a great number of books and articles about the Lost Tribes of Israel. Some authors pretend that their descedants can be found in Asia, Africa and even in the Americas. There is this testimony from the Gospel:

36: And there was a prophetess, Anna, the daughter of Phan'u-el, of the tribe of Asher; she was of a great age, having lived with her husband seven years from her virginity. (Luke 2)

If Asher was one of the lost tribes how come we find Anna and Phanuel (descendants of Asher) in the Gospel?

Are there other examples of the Bible mentioning the "lost tribes" after the 8th. century BC ?

Enrique

-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), January 06, 2003

Answers

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-- Enrique Ortiz (eaortiz@yahoo.com), January 06, 2003.

Hello, Enrique.

You may find the following helpful. It is taken from the (old) Catholic Encyclopedia's article on "Jewish Tribe" (at http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/15039a.htm):

"After the establishment of the monarchy the autonomy and importance of the tribe as a political unit gradually waned, and at length the tribal names came to be little more than geographical expressions. On the other hand, veneration for the ancient tribes as social organizations with their religious and family traditions seems to have increased as time went on, and not only after the exile but also in the New Testament times we find much care displayed in recording the particular tribe or even family to which various persons are said to belong. The descendants of kings and other noted Old Testament personages could, of course, name their tribe, but in the case of more obscure individuals it is likely that the tribal indication is inferred from the fact of family residence in a particular district of Palestine."

God bless you.
John

-- J. F. Gecik (jfgecik@hotmail.com), January 06, 2003.