Let’s continue looking at places and terms in the Bible that have confused people through the ages.

Lost tribes of Israel

In 722 B.C. Israel fell to the Assyrian army. Many of its inhabitants were deported to the Syrian territories. This event marked the end of the northern kingdom of Israel. Assyrians had a terrible policy to prevent future unrest in territories they conquered – they deported the inhabitants and brought in others from someplace else in the kingdom.

So the question for some is simple – what happened to the 10 lost tribes? Many have attempted to trace these tribes all over the world. For example, there was something called British Israelism in the 1800s which suggested these tribes somehow had settled in ancient Britain. This idea helped the British become much more pro-Jewish, and in turn led to England’s support for a Jewish homeland after World War 1.

By the way, the people brought into the northern kingdom of Israel to replace the Jews were called Samaritans. The remaining Jews despised them and considered them mongrels, so when Jesus told the story of the good Samaritan, his listeners were amazed.

Mt. Sinai

Where exactly was the mountain on which Moses received the 10 Commandments? Traditionally, it’s been located in south central Sinai peninsula. There’s an ancient monastery there that is spectacular. However, there is not one piece of hard evidence to link this site with Moses.  Other verses in the Bible seem to agree – Galatians 4:25 says “Arabia”; Exodus 3:1 plainly says Mt. Sinai is in Midian (Saudi Arabia today). Base Institute, an organization that pursues biblical archaeological claims, makes a strong case for a mountain in Saudi Arabia. You can check out their information on the Internet if you choose.