After the reign of Solomon (10th century BCE), the united kingdom of Israel split into two nations: the northern Kingdom of Israel (ten tribes) and the southern Kingdom of Judah (Judah and Benjamin, with many Levites). This division weakened Israel spiritually, politically, and militarily.
Over a century later, in 586 BCE, the Babylonian Empire destroyed Jerusalem and the Temple, exiling the southern Kingdom of Judah to Babylon. Unlike the Assyrian captivity, this exile preserved Jewish identity, lineage, and records. After about 70 years, many Jews returned under Persian rule, rebuilt the Temple, and reestablished worship—forming the historical and religious continuity of the Jewish people.
In 722 BCE, the northern Kingdom of Israel was conquered by the Assyrian Empire under Shalmaneser V and Sargon II. The Assyrians practiced mass deportation, scattering the ten northern tribes across Assyrian territories (Mesopotamia, Media, and beyond). These tribes gradually assimilated into surrounding nations and were never restored as a unified body in the biblical record—hence the term “the lost ten tribes.”
