1 Kings 17: 23b
So Israel was carried away from their land to Assyria, “as it is to this day.”
NOTE: Assyria [Asshur] anciently comprised the whole region between the Armenian mountains of the North, the South country of Baghdad [Iraq], and on its Eastern boundary are the mountains of Kurdistan, and Westward it was bounded by the Mesopotamian desert as it reached the Euphrates.
2 Kings 11: 32-33
In those days the LORD began to cut off parts of Israel; and Hazael conquered them in all the territory of Israel from the Jordan eastward; all the land of Gilead-Gad, Reuben, and Manasseh-from Aroer, which is by the River Arnon, including Gilead and Bashon.
2 Kings 15: 29
In the days of Pekah king of Israel, Tiglath-Pileser [Pul] king of Assyria came and took Ijon, Abel Beth Maachah, Janoah, Kedesh, Hazor, Gilead, and Galilee, and all the land of Naphtali, and he carried them captive to Assyria.
2 Kings 17: 6
In the ninth year of Hoshea, the king of Assyria took Samaria and carried Israel away to Assyria, and placed them in Halah, and by the Habor, the River Gozan, and in the cities of the Medes (Cp. 2 Kings 18: 11).
NOTE: Halah is a region in northern Mesopotamia, possibly northeast of Nineveh the capitol city of Assyria. The Habor is a major tributary of the Euphrates River and the Gozan is a Syrian city-state and probably modern Tel Halaf in northwestern Mesopotamia on the southern bank of the River Khabut. Cities of the Medes is a designation for Media proper- An ancient Iranian people and sister nation of the “Persians.” Their empire stretched from the Southern shore of the Black Sea and Aran province (Republic of Azerbajani) to North and Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Amos 5: 4
For thus says the LORD to the house of Israel: “Seek Me and live; but do not seek Bethel, nor enter Gilgal, nor pass over to Beersheba; For Gilgal will go into captivity, and Bethel shall come to nothing.
Amos 6: 14
But, behold, I will raise up a nation against you, O house of Israel, says the LORD God of Hosts; And they will afflict you from the entrance of Hamath to the valley of the Arabah.
NOTE: Hamath is the principal city of upper Syria. The valley of the Arabah extends from Mount Hermon to the Elanitic Gulf (Gulf of Akabah) of the Red Sea.
Hosea 9: 3
They shall not dwell in the LORD’S land, but Ephraim [Israel] shall return to Egypt, and shall eat unclean things in Assyria.
Hosea 10: 6
The idol shall be carried to Assyria as a present for king Jareb. Ephraim shall be ashamed of his own counsel.
Hosea 11: 5
He shall not return to the land of Egypt; But the Assyrian shall be his king.
John 7: 35b
Does He [Jesus] intend to go to the Dispersion [Jewish] among the Greeks [Gentiles] and teach the Greeks?
James 1: 1b
To the twelve tribes that are scattered abroad: Greetings.
1 Peter 1: 1
Peter, an apostle of Jesus Christ, to the pilgrims [sojourners] of the Dispersion [Jewish] in Pontus, Galatia, Cappadocia, Asia, and Bithynia.
NOTE: Pontus- Located on the SE coast of the Black Sea in modern-day NE Turkey, extending from the borders of ‘Colchis’ [modern-day Republic of Georgia] well into Paphlagonia in the West. Galatia- An area in the highlands of Central Anatolia in modern-day Turkey. Cappadocia- An extensive inland district of Asia Minor bounded on the South by the Mt. Taurus chain, the East by the Euphrates River, the North by Pontus, and on the West by Lake ‘Tuz’ in Central Anatolia [“Turkey”]. Bithynia- A Roman province in the upper region of NW Asia Minor, joining the Propontis, Thracian Bosporus and Euxine [Black Sea].
Acts 2: 1, 5, 7-11
When the Day of Pentecost had fully come, they were all with one accord in one place. And there were dwelling [visiting-not permanently residing] in Jerusalem Jews, devout men, from every nation under heaven. Then they were all amazed and marveled, saying to one another, “Look, are not all these who speak Galileans? “And how is it that we hear, each in his own language [dialect] in which we were born? “Parthians and Medes and Elamites, those dwelling in Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia, Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphilia, Egypt and the parts of Libya adjoining Cyrene, visitors from Rome, both Jews and proselytes, Cretans and Arabs [Arabians]-we hear them speaking in our own tongues [languages] the wonderful works of God.”
TABLE OF NATIONS:
Parthians/Parthia- Located in NE Iran.
Medes/Media- An ancient Iranian people and sister nation of the “Persians.” Their empire stretched from the Southern shore of the Black Sea and Aran province (Republic of Azerbajani) to North and Central Asia, Afghanistan, and Pakistan.
Elam/Elamites- Located in SW Iran, East of Mesopotamia and the lowlands of Khuzestan and Ilam Province.
Mesopotamia- Region of the Tigris and Euphrates Rivers bordering Iraq, Syria, Turkey, and Iran.
Judea- Mountainous Southern part of the historical land of Israel and modern-day West Bank.
Cappadocia- An extensive inland district of Asia Minor bounded on the South by the Mt. Taurus chain, the East by the Euphrates River, the North by Pontus, and on the West by Lake ‘Tuz’ in Central Anatolia [“Turkey”].
Pontus- Located on the SE coast of the Black Sea in modern-day NE Turkey, extending from the borders of ‘Colchis’ [modern-day Republic of Georgia] well into Paphlagonia in the West.
Asia- a Roman province on the west of Asia Minor who capital was Ephesus, generally comprising the southwest portion of Anatolia [Turkey].
Phrygia- Located in West Central Anatolia [Turkey].
Pamphylia- A region in the South of Asia Minor [Turkey??] between Lucia and Cilicia, North by Pisidia extending from the Mediterranean Sea to Mt. Taurus.
Egypt- Located in North Africa with the Mediterranean Sea to the North between the Gaza Strip and Israel to the NE.
Libya- Located in North Africa around the Mediterranean Sea to the North, between Egypt to the East and Sudan to the SE, Chad and Niger to the South, Algeria and Tunisia to the West.
Cyrene- A Greek colony in Eastern Libya.
Rome- The capitol city of Italy and Lazio on the Central Western portico of the Italian Peninsula, on the Tiber River.
Crete/Cretans- The longest of the Greek islands and home of the Minoan civilization;
Arabia/Arabs- Peninsula of SE Asia at the junction of Africa and Asia.
Amos 8: 9, 11, 14-15
For surely I will command, and will sift the house of Israel among the nations, as grain is sifted in the sieve; yet not the smallest grain will fall to the ground [be lost or unaccounted for]. On that day I will raise the tabernacle [House] of David, which has fallen down, and repair its damages; I will raise up its ruins and rebuild it as in the days of old. I will bring back the captivity [from Assyria] of My people Israel; They will build the waste cities and inhabit them; They shall plant vineyards and drink wine from them; They shall also make gardens and eat fruit from them. I will plant them in their land, and no longer shall they be pulled up from the land that I have given them, says the LORD your God.
COMMENT: It seems that the supposed lost ten tribes of the house of Israel were known at the time of Jesus and the apostles to be residents of Europe, Asia and Asia Minor, Africa and the Middle East. Interestingly, of the sixteen regions that are listed, five of them are in the vicinity of Turkey (31.25%). In fact, some historical records indicate that there were more Jews living in Turkey than in Judea, with Alexandria, Egypt being the next most populous area. Prophetic announcements about the house of Israel going into captivity was penned as far back as 560 BC or even later around 425 BC, and their exile or banishment seemed to have continued in effect since that time onward. The prophet Amos envisions a scattered remnant will be returned back to the land from all parts of the world in a type of mass immigration or resettlement at some future time period. The thing is, what will happen to the people and their descendants who have been occupying the land for millennia; where will they go?
Robert Randle
776 Commerce St. #B-11
Tacoma, WA 98402
June 3, 2011
robertrandle51@yahoo.com
