Much of the history of the ancient kingdoms of Israel and Judah are well known.
Preserved in the Bible is an epic anthology from the birth of this storied nation to the
division, collapse, and ultimate captivities of the Israelite and Jewish peoples.
While the Bible details the Jews' return to their homeland, the northern kingdom of Israel
seemingly became lost to history.
What happened to the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel?
Shortly after the death of Israel's most prosperous king, Solomon, the nation divided into two
kingdoms - Israel and Judah.
A ferocious war soon erupted between them
resulting in the loss of half of Israel's army.
Taking advantage of Israel's weakened state, the Syrians began to invade.
Josephus records the brutality of these campaigns,
leaving little doubt that many fled to safety:
The kingdom of Israel was destroyed completely in 722 BC, and to many, this appears to be
the end of their story.
But the rich and powerful boarded ships and sailed away; the less fortunate were rounded
up and deported to the fringes of the Assyrian Empire,
specifically the lands of modern Turkey and northwestern Iran.
The Israelites began life anew in the lands of their captivity.
But full-scale conquests by Babylon, Persia, Greece, and Rome were coming, all of which
drove migrants toward Scythia and Thrace - the"lands of the horse".
The Black Sea region was filled with competing tribes of mounted warriors,
some of which were subsequently driven into Europe.
Some have speculated that Israelite migrants learned about horses in Scythia, but it may
surprise many that ancient Israel deployed one of the most respected,
and feared, chariot forces in the Near East.
One might even describe elite Israelite society as a "horse-riding aristocracy"!
1Kings 10:26 records Solomon's construction of chariot cities throughout Israel that included
stabling for 40,000 horses.
His army incorporated 12,000 horsemen and 1,400 chariots
- a significant force the equal of any in the region at the time.
King Ahab, a few decades later at the Battle of Qarqar,
fielded 2,000 chariots according to the Kurkh Stela.
The Nimrud Prism, and records from the State Archives of Assyria,
indicate just how respected Israel's horsemen were.
When the Israelite capital of Samaria fell to Sargon II, he incorporated its chariot
force into the Assyrian army:
The Israelite charioteers were even permitted to retain their identity,
a rare privilege indeed.
Recent research by Tamas Dezso demonstrates that this Israelite chariot force was among
the largest in the Assyrian Army.
The common people of Israel were not so fortunate.
Hundreds of thousands were rounded up and resettled in the northern and eastern fringes
of the Assyrian Empire.
Significantly, however, many of the resettlement areas of the Israelites were also horse breeding
and training areas of the Assyrian military.
In other words, Israelite captives would have retained their equine skills and become valuable
contributors to the local economies.
When they were subsequently driven into the Black Sea region, they were well-equipped
to join the horse-cultures of the steppes.
Raiding, warfare, and strife in the steppes drove many from Scythia and Thrace up the
Danube corridor into Europe.
The timing of the sudden appearance of 'horse-riding aristocrats' in the Celtic homeland of Hallstatt
is uncanny, coinciding roughly with the Syrian invasions of northern Israel in the ninth
century BC. Israel was conquered in 722 BC and never regained its lands.
But this was not the end of their story.
The lost tribes of Israel survived, and thrived, in their lands of captivity,
before journeying west into Europe.
I'm Kevin Gibson for Tomorrow's World Viewpoint
Subscribe and click the notification bell to receive updates about new content
Visit TomorrowsWorld.org for more articles, telecasts and booklets