Historical background

After the civil war in the time of Solomon's son Rehoboam, ten tribes split off from the United Monarchy to create the northern Kingdom of Israel.
These were the nine landed tribes Zebulun, Issachar, Asher, Naphtali, Dan, Manasseh, Ephraim, Reuben and Gad, and some members of Levi who had no land allocation. The Bible makes no reference at this point to the Tribe of Simeon, and some[who?] believe that the tribe had already disappeared due to the curse of Jacob. (Genesis 49:5-7)[citation needed]
Judah, the southern kingdom, had Jerusalem as its capital and was ruled by King Rehoboam. It was populated by the tribes of Judah and Benjamin (and also by some members of Levi and by the remnants of Simeon).
In 722 BCE the Assyrians under Shalmaneser V and then under Sargon II conquered the northern Kingdom of Israel, destroyed its capital Samaria and sent the Israelites into exile and captivity in Khorason[citation needed], now part of eastern Iran and western Afghanistan. The Ten Lost Tribes are those Israelites who were deported by the Assyrians. In Jewish popular culture, the ten tribes disappeared from history, leaving only the tribes of Benjamin,and Judah to become the ancestors of modern day Jews.
In 607 BCE the nation of Judah was conquered by Babylon. About 70 years later, in 537 BCE, the Persians (who had conquered Babylon in 539 BCE) allowed Jews to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the Temple. It is speculated, however, that by the end of this era, members of the tribes seem to have abandoned their individual identities in favor of a common one