Almost 140 years before the southern kingdom of Judah went into Babylonian captivity, the northern kingdom of Israel was taken into Assyrian captivity. And, whereas the kingdom of Judah returned to the land, there is no corresponding record of the kingdom of Israel doing the same. This has led to much speculation on the present identity of the lost tribes of Israel, which make up ten of the twelve tribes of the ancient Hebrews.

A number of years ago, Herbert Armstrong and his Worldwide Church of God were known for their teaching that England and America were the lost tribes of Ephraim and Manasseh. Mormonism also plays on the continued existence of the lost tribes. Myriad speculations have been made as to the location of these tribes at various places all around the globe.

Actually, there may be some remnants of the ten tribes in some areas of Asia. In an age of genetic findings, some way may even come along in the near future to identify some of these people. However, there is no solid evidence that I have ever seen for anyone to claim to be from these tribes. Most assertions should be taken with the proverbial grain of salt.

Everywhere we turn, there seems to be someone else who is ready to claim to be from one of the lost tribes. Some of them may be but we should be careful. We are warned twice in the book of Revelation of those who "say they are Jews, and are not" (Revelation 2:9I know thy works, and tribulation, and poverty, (but thou art rich) and I know the blasphemy of them which say they are Jews, and are not, but are the synagogue of Satan.
See All...; Revelation 3:9Behold, I will make them of the synagogue of Satan, which say they are Jews, and are not, but do lie; behold, I will make them to come and worship before thy feet, and to know that I have loved thee.
See All...).  I think this should caution anyone from making this claim from weak or circumstantial evidence.

Also, although it may have happened, there is no need for the ten tribes to have survived outside the kingdom of Judah.  Let me explain.  Godly people of the northern tribes at different times immigrated to the kingdom of Judah in order to escape the paganism of the kingdom of Israel.  Consider the following:

1. When Jeroboam became king of the newly split-off northern kingdom of Israel, he established false gods (golden calves) in Dan and Bethel to keep the people from returning to Jerusalem in Judah.  However, many of the godly people in the northern tribes migrated to Judah in order to maintain the proper worship of God.  2Chronicles 11:16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.
   See All... states, "And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers."  Notice that they came out of all the tribes of Israel.  The next verse says that they strengthened Judah by their migration.
2. This occurred again during the reign of Asa (2Chronicles 15:8-9 [8] And when Asa heard these words, and the prophecy of Oded the prophet, he took courage, and put away the abominable idols out of all the land of Judah and Benjamin, and out of the cities which he had taken from mount Ephraim, and renewed the altar of the LORD, that was before the porch of the LORD. [9] And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
   See All...).  They came for a feast but many probably stayed.  They came from Ephraim, Manasseh and Simeon.  The Bible says that they "fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him." (2Chronicles 15:9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
   See All...).  This must also have included people from tribes other than those mentioned in the passage.
3. A third migration occurred when Hezekiah held the Passover feast shortly before the destruction of the northern kingdom in 2Chronicles 30:1-11 [1] And Hezekiah sent to all Israel and Judah, and wrote letters also to Ephraim and Manasseh, that they should come to the house of the LORD at Jerusalem, to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel. [2] For the king had taken counsel, and his princes, and all the congregation in Jerusalem, to keep the passover in the second month. [3] For they could not keep it at that time, because the priests had not sanctified themselves sufficiently, neither had the people gathered themselves together to Jerusalem. [4] And the thing pleased the king and all the congregation. [5] So they established a decree to make proclamation throughout all Israel, from Beersheba even to Dan, that they should come to keep the passover unto the LORD God of Israel at Jerusalem: for they had not done it of a long time in such sort as it was written. [6] So the posts went with the letters from the king and his princes throughout all Israel and Judah, and according to the commandment of the king, saying, Ye children of Israel, turn again unto the LORD God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, and he will return to the remnant of you, that are escaped out of the hand of the kings of Assyria. [7] And be not ye like your fathers, and like your brethren, which trespassed against the LORD God of their fathers, who therefore gave them up to desolation, as ye see. [8] Now be ye not stiffnecked, as your fathers were, but yield yourselves unto the LORD, and enter into his sanctuary, which he hath sanctified for ever: and serve the LORD your God, that the fierceness of his wrath may turn away from you. [9] For if ye turn again unto the LORD, your brethren and your children shall find compassion before them that lead them captive, so that they shall come again into this land: for the LORD your God is gracious and merciful, and will not turn away his face from you, if ye return unto him. [10] So the posts passed from city to city through the country of Ephraim and Manasseh even unto Zebulun: but they laughed them to scorn, and mocked them. [11] Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
   See All..., 18.  Again, they came to the feast but many certainly stayed.  They came from Asher, Manasseh, Zebulun, Ephraim and Issachar (2Chronicles 30:11Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
   See All..., 18). 
4. In these passages, six of the ten tribes are mentioned by name (2Chronicles 15:9And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and the strangers with them out of Ephraim and Manasseh, and out of Simeon: for they fell to him out of Israel in abundance, when they saw that the LORD his God was with him.
   See All...; 2Chronicles 30:11Nevertheless divers of Asher and Manasseh and of Zebulun humbled themselves, and came to Jerusalem.
   See All..., 18).  Dan does not need to be mentioned because it is not found in the tribes in Revelation 7.   Yet, in 2Chronicles 11:16And after them out of all the tribes of Israel such as set their hearts to seek the LORD God of Israel came to Jerusalem, to sacrifice unto the LORD God of their fathers.
   See All..., we are told that people came out of "all the tribes of Israel."  The ten lost tribes were never totally lost.
5. Even in the time of Christ, they are not lost.  Anna of  Luke 2:36And 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;
   See All... was of the tribe of Aser (i.e., Asher).  This is over 700 years after the fall of the northern tribes and the "loss" of the ten tribes.  Most likely, the Jews of today represent all twelve of the Biblical tribes (minus Dan).  There is no need to find the lost tribes.  Those in Samaria intermarried to the extent that God no longer considered them true Jews.  The same has probably happened to the lost tribes who were taken into captivity.  But though they were lost in captivity, they were preserved within the southern kingdom.