Lost Tribes, in Jewish history, members of the 10 tribes exiled from the northern kingdom of ancient Israel. They were exiled in several stages after Assyrian invasions. Some 27,000 were exiled after Samaria, the capital, was taken by Sargon II in 722–721 B.C., after a three-year siege by his predecessor, Shalmaneser V. Speculations about the fate of the 10 tribes include theories that they went to China, Japan, India, or North and South America, or that they became the ancestors of the Anglo-Saxons. Historians believe the Israelites were settled in Assyria and were absorbed into its population.