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Someone said “In the Book of Esther Jews are never called “Israel” -- this is because they were only from the southern kingdom called Judah and didn’t include the other tribes (except for Benjamin which Mordechai is said to be from…” Jews are NOT “Israel” claims this anti-semite. It may sound crazy but there are people living today who have deluded themselves into thinking that the Jews are not the "real" Israel, the people of the bible. This derangement goes further -- they think that THEY are the "true" Israelites. They think they are surely from one of the "lost tribes." Their thinking is that when the northern kingdom of Israel was destroyed some 500+ years before the southern kingdom of Judah was destroyed that the ten tribes who mostly lived in the north "disappeared" into history. Thus they say only the tribe of Judah was in the southern kingdom -- thus the name of "Jew" and the Jew not (somehow) being "Israel." Unfortunately for these people the Hebrew Bible destroys this argument. It clearly states that after the destruction of the northern kingdom members of all the tribes moved to the southern kingdom of Judah. Thus all 12 tribes were resident in Judah. Many of the residents of the northern kingdom were exiled and have been lost to history. Most adopted pagan religions and married other pagans thus the thought that after 2500+ years those people would still have an unbroken chain of Jewish mothers (and thus be Jewish themselves) is ridiculous. History does not record that there are people in the world faithful to Torah and its mitzvot who are not Jews. There are a few who are זרע ישראל / zera Yisrael (seed of Israel) who may have some Jewish ancestry but are not halachally (Jewish law) considered Jews (or Israel). If these people feel a connection to Judaism they may decide to convert to Judaism under Jewish law, but until (or if) they do they are not legally considered part of our people, simply people who may have some Jewish ancestry... The Samaritans (who primarily live in what used to be the northern kingdom) claim to be Jewish, but they are not. The Cuthean people were imported by the Assyrians to populate the land after they exiled the people from Israel 2,500+ years ago. Today there are only 600 Samaritans living there. If there are rare exceptions like the Lemba they are few and far between. Jews are Israel are Jacob are Hebrews... and those claiming to be "Israel" are nothing of the sort. This insanity is based on nothing more than wishful thinking. They certainly don't want to fulfill the mitzvot given to the Jewish people (Israel). No, they are generally Christians of a certain mindset... To convince themselves of their delusion they will look for proof that the Jews are NOT Israel -- and they will cherry pick the Hebrew Bible looking for proof. Proof which of course does not exist... Jews are called by many names -- and we always have been. We are first called “Hebrews.” Jews are called by many names -- and we always have been. We are first called “Hebrews.” The Book of Esther covers events from 3395-3406 (366-355 BCE). It was written by the Men of the Great Assembly circa 3450 (311 BCE). The Book of Ezra comes later (events from 3390-3438 -- 371-323 BCE) and the word “Israel” is found 37 times. This book takes place after the return from Babylonian Exile (Esther takes place during the exile)... “And these are the people of the province who went up from the captivity of the exile, whom Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon, had exiled to Babylon, and they returned to Jerusalem and Judea, each one to his city. [Those] who came with Zerubbabel, Jeshua, Nehemiah, Seraiah, Reelaiah, Mordecai Bilshan, Mispar, Bigvei, Rehum, Baanah, the number of the important men of the people of Israel.” Ezra 2:1 - 2. Don’t let anti-semites set up false issues. They are masters at it. The word "Jew" came to be a common name for us because the southern kingdom of Judah survived after the fall of the northern kingdom of Israel... There were Jews from all 12 tribes in ancient Judah. The concept of a "lost tribe" is questionable. Scripture is clear that the Jewish people would one day be scattered (Moses prophesied as such:D'varim / Deuteronomy 4:27-28, 30:1; also Y'rmiyahu / Jeremiah 30:11; and Michah / Micah 5:7-8), but it is equally clear that they would one day all be regathered (Y'shayahu / Isaiah 11:11-12; Y'rmiyahu / Jeremiah. 16:14-15;23:3-8;31:10; Y'chezkel / Ezekiel 11:17-19;39:28; Tzefaniah / Zephaniah 3:20). When the northern Kingdom of Israel split from the Southern Kingdom of Judah there was significant intermingling of the twelve tribes (Divrei Hayamim Beit / 2 Chronicles 11:3,16,15:9). “Speak to Rehoboam, the son of Solomon, king of Judah, and to all Israel in Judah and Benjamin" (the land of those tribes. . ."IN Judah").”Divrei Hayamim II / 2 Chronicles 11:3. and “And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, those who put their heart to seek the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the L-rd, the G-d of their forefathers. And after them, from all the tribes of Israel, those who put their heart to seek the L-rd, the G-d of Israel, came to Jerusalem to sacrifice to the L-rd, the G-d of their forefathers.” Divrei Hayamim II / 2 Chronicles 11:15-16. This is after the northern Kingdom of Israel had broken away from Judah – and there were members of ALL the tribes in Judah. . . Isn't it amazing how anti-semitic missionaries who want to claim to BE the "real" Israel don't bother to actually read the Hebrew Bible? “And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin and those dwelling with them from Ephraim and Manasseh and from Simeon, for many of Israel had defected to them when they saw that the L-rd their G-d was with them.”Divrei Hayamim II / 2 Chronicles 15:9.
In Sefer Ester (the Book of Esther) says of Mordechai: "There was a Judean man in Shushan the capital, whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair the son of Shimei the son of Kish, a Benjamite" Ester / Esther 2:5. Mordechai was of the tribe of Benjamin -- not the tribe of Judah. After the Babylonian Exile the term Jew and Israel were used interchangeably. See Ezra 8:35 ("Those coming from captivity, the people of the exile, offered up burnt offerings to the G-d of Israel, twelve bulls for all Israel");10:25; Nechemiah / Nehemiah12:47 "And all Israel in the days of Zerubbabel"). It is just plain silly that some people think the word “Jew” only applies to someone from the tribe of Judah or that the northern kingdom of Israel somehow had the only claim to that name -- after all there was an "Israel" before the northern kingdom broke off (the name was given to Jacob, the son of Isaac who in turn was the son of Abraham) and the Jewish people were called both "Jacob" and "Israel" throughout the Hebrew Bible... There is still an Israel today -- the Jewish people. The Jewish state in the Middle East adopted the name "Israel" -- and why not? After all it is the only country in the entire world for the Jewish people.
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