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

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 • Oct. 17, 2021

People at the time thought there might be dinosaurs or lost tribes down there.

From National Geographic • Jan. 13, 2018

With trumpeters on the hilltop and incidental music from Wagner and Victor Herbert, the pageant then unfolded the Book of Mormon's story of the lost tribes of Israel.

From Time Magazine Archive

Was his expedition to the Indies actually a search for the lost tribes of Israel?

From Time Magazine Archive

Whenever we hear of a Jewish community whose settlement in its home is tinged with mystery, we straightway seek to establish its connection with the ten lost tribes.

From Jewish Literature and Other Essays by Karpeles, Gustav