What happened to the ten lost tribes of Israel?

• A. Migrated to Egypt and became priests
• B. Disappeared after the Assyrians captured Israel
• C. Joined the Babylonians
• D. Stayed in Judah

Answer: (B)

The fate being tested is what happened to the northern kingdom’s people after it was conquered by the Assyrians. Around 722 BCE the Assyrians deported many Israelites to distant parts of their empire, scattering them and breaking the distinct tribal structure of the ten tribes. Over time they merged with other populations and lost a unique tribal identity, so they come to be known as the Ten Lost Tribes because their separate existence isn’t recorded in later history. The other ideas don’t fit with the historical sequence: the exile associated with Judah happened later under Babylon, not the northern tribes; staying in Judah would imply they stayed with the southern kingdom, which isn’t where the ten tribes originated; and the notion of them becoming Egyptian priests isn’t supported by the biblical record, which ties priestly roles to the temple-centered system in the land of Israel.