Lost Tribes

A theory, influential in European thought for several centuries, that posited the idea that various indigenous or unfamiliar peoples around the world were descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel. This theory was used by European explorers and thinkers to explain foreign cultures and helped drive early exploration, especially of the Pacific.

Claims that use this term

• For four centuries the Lost Tribes theory explained native peoples worldwide.
• Pacific exploration was driven by expectations of finding the Lost Tribes
• European explorers explained unfamiliar peoples as descendants of the Lost Tribes