The Ten Lost Tribes of Israel refer to ten of the original twelve Hebrew tribes. Under the leadership of Joshua, they took possession of Canaan, the Promised Land, after the death of Moses. These tribes are Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, and Joseph (whose tribe was divided into the tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh). According to biblical accounts, they were exiled from the Kingdom of Israel after its conquest by the Neo-Assyrian Empire around 722 BCE. While their fate remains a historical mystery, various groups and religions have claimed descent from these lost tribes throughout the world.
