Background
After the fall of the Northern Kingdom of Israel, the conquering Assyrians exiled ten of the Twelve Tribes of Israel "in Halah, and in Habor by the river of Gozan and in the cities of the Medes" (II Kings 17:6). These Ten Lost Tribes are: Reuben, Simeon (Shimon), Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Manasseh, and Ephraim. Subsequent biblical passages and prophecies describe the ingathering of the lost tribes at the time of the future redemption. While the location of the lost tribes is unknown, Christian groups throughout the ages have sought to identify the lost tribes among both Jewish and non-Jewish groups in order to convert them and thereby speed up the Second Coming. The claim of identification with the lost tribes has devolved on hundreds of groups worldwide, including the Pashtun people, the world's largest tribe (15 million) occupying Afghanistan, Pakistan, and Kashmir, whose tribal names are said to resemble those of the Ten Lost Tribes.
Read more about this topic: Kashmiri Descent From Lost Tribes Of Israel
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