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British Israelism, also known as Anglo-Israelism, is the belief that the “lost ten tribes” of Israel migrated to Europe and then to England, becoming the primary ancestors of the British people and, consequently, the United States. This belief gained popularity through the Worldwide Church of God and Herbert Armstrong, among other groups.
Is British Israelism accurate and supported by the Bible? To assess this, we must consider two main assertions: (1) The ten tribes were lost, and (2) the ten tribes migrated to England.
(1) According to 2 Kings 17:18, Israel was exiled to Assyria in 722 B.C. Subsequently, references to the ten northern tribes (Israel) in Scripture are scarce. Nonetheless, additional biblical passages (and historical accounts) suggest that some individuals from the northern ten tribes remained in the region. For instance, Second Chronicles 35:18 mentions Israel celebrating the Passover with Judah around 90 years post the Assyrian exile. It is probable that many people from the northern ten tribes sought refuge in Judah to evade the Assyrians, with more fleeing to Judah’s safety after the Assyrian invasion. Second Chronicles 15:9 documents individuals from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon settling in Judah long before the Assyrian conquest. In the New Testament, Anna the prophetess is identified as being from the tribe of Asher «And there was one Anna, a prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Aser: she was of a great age, and had lived with an husband seven years from her virginity; », (Luke 2:36), one of the purported ten lost tribes. Therefore, it is evident that many individuals from the northern ten tribes were indeed exiled to Assyria and not mentioned thereafter. Simultaneously, scriptural evidence indicates that the ten tribes were not lost but rather reunited with Judah in the southern region.It is likely that when Judah was deported by the Babylonians, the people would have sought out the Israelites in Assyria (very near Babylon) and joined with them. In the returns to Israel recorded in Ezra and Nehemiah, the Scriptures nowhere limit the returnees as being entirely from the tribe of Judah.
Is it possible that some of the deported Israelites emigrated to Europe, even England? Yes. Is it likely? No. A journey from Assyria to England would have been exceedingly difficult in ancient times, especially for a large number of people. Geographically speaking, Afghan-Israelism and even Japanese-Israelism have a greater possibility of truth. Furthermore, why would Assyria, or later Babylon, or later Persia allow the Israelites to migrate outside of their territories? Additionally, if the Israelites had the ability to migrate, why would they travel to Europe / England instead of back to their ancestral homeland? So, while it is possible that some Israelites migrated to Europe / England, it is highly unlikely that this occurred to any significant degree.
The primary goal behind British Israelism is to claim that England and the United States have inherited the covenant promises God made to Israel. While England and the United States have been blessed by God in many ways, it is not because God’s promises to Israel have been transferred to those two nations. God’s covenants with Israel always involved the specific land of Israel. Abraham’s descendants would inherit the land. The blessings of God to Israel were always in connection with the specific land that was promised. These promises, therefore, cannot apply to England or the United States, as those two nations do not possess the promised land. Moreover, while a significant number of Americans have English heritage, there are far more American immigrants from other nations combined than from England.
British Israelism (and other forms of Israelism) should be rejected because it does not have a solid basis biblically or historically.
