lost tribes

American  

noun

1. (in the Bible) the members of the ten tribes of ancient Israel who were taken into captivity in 722 b.c. by Sargon II of Assyria and are believed never to have returned to ancient Palestine.

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lost tribes British  

plural noun

1. Old Testament the ten tribes deported from the N kingdom of Israel in 721 _bc and believed never to have returned to Palestine

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Example Sentences

They trace their Jewish roots to a variety of sources: the 10 lost tribes that were dispersed by the Assyrian conquest of the Kingdom of Israel in 722 B.C.E.; the Spanish and Portuguese inquisitions, which, starting in the late 15th century, scattered thousands of Jews in far-off lands, where many practiced their religion in secret; century-old conversions by communal leaders more attracted to the Old Testament than the teachings of Christian missionaries.

From New York Times

Many Igbos believe they have Jewish heritage as one of the so-called 10 lost tribes of Israel, though most are not practising Jews like Mr Yaakov.

From BBC

According to Igbo Jewish tradition, the community descends from one of the so-called 10 Lost Tribes of Israel which are said to have disappeared after being taken into captivity when the northern Israelite kingdom was conquered in the 8th Century BC.

From BBC

Shavei Israel, a Jerusalem-based organization which has been locating descendants of the lost tribes of Israel and bringing them home, has previously called the Bnei Menashe's return a miracle.

From Reuters

Christine Taylor-Butler, the prolific children’s author and writer of The Lost Tribes Series, said that she got into children’s literature because she wanted to see more stories of black joy.

From New York Times