The Thirteen Tribes of Israel Returned to Judah. Ephraimites and Manassehites settled in Jerusalem.

Описание: From the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the following verses were written by men who were eyewitnesses of the return of all the tribes of Israel under the declaration of Cyrus of Persia whom God anointed to clear the way for them to build the second Temple.

They testify that all twelve tribes (and the tribe of the Levites) returned to the lands of Judah and the lands of Benjamin. The lands of the Kingdom of Samaria (the northern Kingdom sometimes called Ephraim and sometimes called Israel) were inhabited by imported gentiles:

“Thus said King Cyrus of Persia: The Lord God of Heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth, and has charged me with building Him a House in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. Anyone of you of all His people, the Lord his God be with him and let him go up.” 2Chronicles 36/2

“When the seventh month arrived—the Israelites being settled in their towns—the entire people assembled as one man in Jerusalem.” Ezra 3/1

“The priests, the Levites and some of the people, and the singers, gatekeepers, and the temple servants took up residence in their towns and all Israel in their towns.” Ezra 2/70

“And in the time of Zerubbabel, and in the time of Nehemiah, all Israel contributed the daily portions of the singers and the gatekeepers, and made sacred contributions for the Levites, and the Levites made sacred contributions for the Aaronites.” Nehemiah 12/47

“So Ezra at once put the officers of the priests and the Levites and all Israel under oath to act accordingly, and they took the oath.” Ezra 10/5

“The whole community that returned from the captivity made booths and dwelt in the booths—the Israelites had not done so from the days of Joshua son of Nun to that day—and there was very great rejoicing.” Nehemiah 8/17

“On the twenty-fourth day of this month, the Israelites assembled, fasting, in sackcloth, and with earth upon them. Those of the stock of Israel separated themselves from all foreigners, and stood and confessed their sins and the iniquities of their fathers.” Nehemiah 9/1-2

The tribes of Reuben, Gad and the ½ tribe of Manasseh, and the northern Kingdom of Samaria were deported north-west of Babylon (Iraq) and to the towns of Media (Iran) and the Kingdom of Judah was deported to Babylon (Iraq).

Jerusalem is within the lands of Benjamin which lands are considered part of the Kingdom of Judah since that is where the Kings of Judah ruled from. That is why there is an emphasis on the Judahites and Benjaminites in the accounts of the return of the twelve tribes of Israel to the lands of Judah and Benjamin.

The northern Kingdom of Israel was inhabited by imported gentiles. All of Israel had returned together to Jerusalem and Judah mindful of all the imported gentiles in the Kingdom of Israel, many of whom tried to stop the building of the second Temple.

When the seventh month arrived—the Israelites being settled in their towns—the entire people assembled as one man in Jerusalem. When the people Israel gather as one man it is all twelve tribes and the Levites (the priestly tribe without an allotment of the promised lands).

Judahites and Benjaminites alone are not Israel though all references to Israelites would include them.

The first to settle in their towns, on their property, were Israelites, priests, Levites, and temple servants, while some of the Judahites and some of the Benjaminites and some of the Ephraimites and Manassehites settled in Jerusalem.

Ephraim and Manasseh were not lost tribes as many believe from writings outside of the Hebrew Bible.

It is said in writings by Sages and Rabbis that ten of the twelve tribes of Israel became lost and did not return to Judah to build the second Temple. There never were lost tribes according to the Hebrew Bible. If there were lost tribes then Isaiah wrote a prophecy of God that was false and was not fulfilled.

“Fear not, for I am with you: I will bring your folk from the East, Will gather you out of the West; I will say to the North, “Give back!” And to the South, “Do not withhold! Bring My sons from afar, And My daughters from the end of the earth.” Isaiah 43/5-6

Isaiah's prophesy is to all Assyrian/Babylonian exiles returning by the words of God. The return of the exiles to the land of Israel given to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob by covenant and partitioned among the twelve tribes of Israel by Moses and Joshua is not just the Babylon exiles of Judah and Benjamin. It includes all the tribes that were defeated, deported and exiled by the Assyrians before them.

The Babylon exiles were the last to be deported to the vast lands of Babylonia which was once Assyria where all the exiles were and by this time scattered far and wide throughout Babylonia along many different rivers.

A remnant of all thirteen tribes in Assyria/Chaldea/Babylonia/Persia returned.