The Lost Tribes Myth - Suggestions Towards Rewriting Hebrew History

by Allen H. Godbey

A scholar's research on the origins and distribution of Hebrews, Israelites and/or Jews written so as to be accessible to the lay reader. 42 pages of photographs representative of ethnic Jews around the world.

Genres: History

844 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1930

Reviews

[Charlene Mathe · Rating 4 out of 5]

I obtained this rare book through interlibrary loan. At 800 pages, I was only able to skip-read it in the two-week loan period. For a serious researcher of Jewish history, the book could be worth the several hundred dollars it would take to acquire a copy. The chapters are packed with interesting history of Hebrews, Israelites and mostly of Jews in their Canaanite origins, their vast dispersions via trade and exile, and their proselyte communities. The book closes with a 42-page collection of pictures showing the many ethnic types of Jews, which, the author advises, "have not been easy to secure."
The question of the Lost Tribes is actually not much covered except in the brief 8-page chapter 26, "No Lost Tribes in the Prophets." The author reports that as his book went to press, someone forwarded him a copy of A. M. Osborn's 1855 article published in the Methodist Quarterly Review, "Were the Ten Tribes of Israel Ever Really Lost?" This article follows the same lines of exegesis taken by Dr. Godbey in his brief chapter on the topic. The chapter puts forth his analysis of scripture in light of his understanding of the general history of the period. From my perspective, it does not add any historical content; while his scriptural analysis can be debated. The other chapters, however, provide absorbing and detailed historical content.