There were 12 original Christian Apostles sent by Jesus’ command to go forth and teach of the living Word of God (Christ’s gospel or “good news”) to the scattered Northern tribes of Israel.
Here is an account of the North tribes taken from the King James Apocrypha book of Esdras (The name “Esdras” is Greek for the Hebrew name “Ezra”).
II Esdras [13:40] ” These are the nine tribes (referring to the 10 Northern tribes minus Simeon which was absorbed into the Southern tribe of Judah) that were taken away from their own land into exile in the days of King Hoshea, whom Shalmaneser, king of the Assyrians, made captives; he took them across the river, and they were taken into another land. “
II Esdras [13:41] “But they formed this plan for themselves, that they would
leave the multitude of the nations and go to a more distant region, where no human beings had ever lived, “
II Esdras [13:42] “so that there at least they might keep their statutes that they had not kept in their own land. “
II Esdras [13:43] “And they went in by the narrow passages of the Euphrates river.”
II Esdras [13:44] “For at that time the Most High performed signs for them, and stopped the channels of the river until they had crossed over. “
II Esdras [13:45] “Through that region there was a long way to go, a journey of a year and a half; and that country is called Arzareth.* (Hebrew meaning “other land”).”
[ed: Another associated study of the Assyrian conquests against Israel will provide historical and biblical accounts of just how and why these Israelite people were taken away from their lands and placed into an exiled detention.
Most of these Israelite people and their generations would never to return back to that land again.]
A further study on the conquering Assyrian and Babylonian kings can be found here – https://www.ourgoodshepherd.org/assyrian-kings/
[ed: Below, we see Jesus is still alive and giving a commission for these 12 Apostles.]
Matthew [10:2] “Now the names of the twelve apostles are these; The first, Simon, who is called Peter, and Andrew his brother; James the son of Zebedee, and John his brother;”
Matthew [10:3] “Philip, and Bartholomew; Thomas, and Matthew the publican; James the son of Alphaeus, and Lebbaeus, whose surname was Thaddaeus;”
Matthew [10:4] “Simon the Canaanite, and Judas Iscariot, who also betrayed him.”
[ed: Of course we know that Judas Iscariot, the betrayer, will not become an Apostle after Christ’s death.
Jesus told the apostles not to teach to the non-Israelite peoples throughout the world before the time of his crucifixion. Instead, the apostles were to focus on the Israelite tribes who never did return back from the Assyrian captivities.
The large group of these people had already moved out of the Lake Van based location and ventured up into the area known as Anatolia, Greece, Phrygiam Lydia, Armenia, and Sarmatia.
Thus even after Cyrus the Persian had decreed that the Judites and Israelites were free to return and rebuild the Jerusalem temple and city, most of these were already migrating away from their pre=existing land.]
Matthew [10:5] “These twelve Jesus sent forth, and commanded them, saying, Go not into the way of the Gentiles, and into any city of the Samaritans enter ye not:”
Matthew [10:6] “But go rather to the lost sheep of the house of Israel.”
Matthew [10:7] “And as ye go, preach, saying, The kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
[ed: Salvation by the death of Jesus could not yet be offered, so the apostles were commanded to not travel into Samaria (land of the 10 North tribes before their exile) nor to the non-Israelite peoples of the world, since Christ was not yet sacrificed.
Upon Christ’s death, did all now gain the opportunity to accept God’s only begotten Son into their lives and become children of the living God.
In the verse below we see that Philip, for example, *after* the death of Christ, would travel to the city of Samaria, and convert many there. Peter and John would also arrive soon thereof.]
Acts [8:5] ” Then Philip went down to the city of Samaria, and preached Christ unto them.”
Acts [8:6] “And the people with one accord gave heed unto those things which Philip spake, hearing and seeing the miracles which he did.”
Acts [8:8] “And there was great joy in that city.”
Acts [8:14] “Now when the apostles, which were at Jerusalem heard that Samaria had received the word of God, they sent unto them Peter and John.”
Acts [8:25] “And they, when they had testified and preached the word of the Lord, returned to Jerusalem, and preached the gospel in many villages of the Samaritans.”
II Chronicles [36:23] “Thus saith Cyrus king of Persia,
`All the kingdoms of the earth hath the Lord God of heaven given me; and
he hath charged me to build Him a house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah,
Who is there among you of all His People?
The Lord his God be with him, and let him go up’. “
[ed: Cyrus would implore the Israelite/Judah captives to return to their original nation, even providing the wealth to allow such resettling/rebuilding efforts.]
Once commissioned, these apostles would travel to specific places of the world. This indicates that they already had some knowledge of where the 10 Northern tribes were chiefly living at that time. The Holy Spirit would also be with them in their journeys. The apostles would go forth to teach for the sake of hopefully providing the truth of the gospel, to accept the Lord Jesus Christ into their lives.
The 10 northern tribes consisted of Simeon, Reuben, Dan, Naphtali, Issachar, Gad, Levi, Zebulun, Asher and Joseph (who inheritance was double to the other 9 patriarchal sons of Jacob, and this extra land was to be divided amongst Joseph’s 2 sons – Manasseh and Ephraim) .
Judah was composed of the 2 Southern tribes of Judah and Benjamin, along with the originally northern tribe of Simeon absorbed into the tribe of Judah.
The original 10 Northern tribes of Israel were conquered and taken away by the Assyrian king Sennacherib.
Later, the original 2 Southern tribes of Judah were conquered and taken away by the Babylonian king Nebuchadnezzar.
Below is a list of locations where the original 12 appointed apostles would travel to meet with the scattered tribes of Israel, and once permitted, they could then also teach unto the non-Israelite peoples that they encountered on their path. It is so unfortunate to realize that all of them, excepting John, would be martyred for teaching the word of God.
They were living witnesses and disciplined by Christ to go forth and preach the good word. Their servitude and commitment is truly remarkable and inspiring.
Adding Paul to the list of 12 originally commissioned apostles.
Paul:
Traveled to Cyprus, Anatolia (Turkey), Greece, Rome. Spain,, Arabia, Sicily, Syria, Gaul (France) Britain.
Beheaded in Rome by Roman govenor Nero.
Simon Peter:
Traveled to Samaria, Babylon, Spain, Sicily, Syria, Gaul (France), Egypt, Britain, Rome.
Crucified in Rome upon a Roman cross upside down per order of Nero, in 67 AD.
Andrew:
Traveled with Matthias, went to Armenia, Colchis (Georgia), Scythia (Ukraine), Italy, Northwest Russia, Anatolia (Turkey), Jerusalem, and Greece.
Crucified on “X” per order of Greek governor Aegeates, in 69 AD.
James the Son of Zebedee:
Traveled to Jerusalem and perhaps also to Spain.
Killed by Herod Agrippa I in Jerusalem (Acts 12:1-2).
James (son of Zebedee, aka ” James the Great”),
Traveled into Erin (Ireland), Spain, and Britain.
Matyred by order from Herod Agrippa I in 44 AD.
John:
Traveled to Samaria, Rome, and to Ephesus to lead the church Paul started there, both before and after his exile on the island of Patmos of about 96 A.D.. There is a legend that Mary went with John to Gaul (France) and later to Britain.
Only apostle to die of a natural cause near Ephesus around 100AD. Known as the “disciple whom Jesus loved”.
Philip:
Traveled to Samaria, Gaza (Palestine), central Asia Minor (Galatia and Phrygia); Scythia, and Gaul (France).
Crucified in Hierapolis around 80 AD.
Bartholomew (aka Nathanael):
Traveled with Philip, and the two also went to Hierapolis in Phrygia and Azerbaijan.
Some records have him traveling with Thomas into Phrygia/Armenia, even unto India, some part of Arabia, and Iran.
Martyred in 68 AD in Armenia.
Thomas:
Traveled to Syria, Anatolia (Turkey), Babylonia (Iraq), Persia/Mede(Iran), Parthia (Turkmenistan), Afghanistan, and India.
Martyred in India by a Brahman Hindu priest in 60 AD.
Matthew: Traveled to Greece, Anatolia (Turkey), Persia/Mede (Iran), Egypt, Aethiopia (East of Assyria near India), and Parthia (Turkmenistan).
Martyred in 90 AD in Hierapolis, Parthia.
James: (the son of Alphaeus, aka “James the Younger” or “James the Less”, brother of Thadaeus and Simon).
Traveled to Syria, tradition makes him the first leader of the Church in Antioch.
Thrown to his death from the Jerusalem Temple by a Sanhedrin crowd in 53 AD, likely the first to be killed for his apostolic teaching.
Thaddaeus (Lebbaeus, aka Jude. Brother to Simon and James the Less):
Traveled to Armenia, Syria, Peria (Iran), Babylonia (Iraq), Aremnia, and Azerbaijan.
He and Simon were both martyred together in what is now a part of Iran, some time after 60 AD.
Simon the Zealot:
Traveled to Egypt, North Africa (Libya, Tunisia, Morocco, Mauritania), and Britain. Then he returned to Israel and journeyed through Syria, Armenia, Persia (Iran), and Babylonia (Iraq).
Martyred in northern Iran along with Thaddaeus.
Matthias:
Traveled with Andrew. Idumia, (Edom), Anatolia, Dacia (Romania, North Greece), and Georgia.
Martyred in Jerusalem somewhere between 51 and 64 AD.
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