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The Ten Lost Tribes. For decades they were something of a "stock in trade" for the Worldwide Church of God. Long after British-Israelism had slipped to the farthest fringes of Christian non-conformity, Herbert W. Armstrong was still championing it as the "lost key" to Bible prophecy. 

The "BI" doctrine survives in many of the splinter groups, but nobody much is listening, except for confused ex members. Its fate is likely to be the dark obscurity to which its soul-mate, "pyramidology", descended long ago. May it rest in peace.

But that, of course, doesn't mean that the mystery of the "Lost Tribes" has gone away. If an entire nation was indeed deported from the Northern Kingdom those many centuries ago, they must have gone somewhere, if only to be dispersed and assimilated beyond recovery. To recap, the Assyrians arrived in 720 BC and sent the inhabitants of Samaria (the kingdom of Israel to the north of Judah) packing. They've never phoned home.

There have been no end of unlikely candidates, most nominations coming from marginal Christian enthusiasts with a vivid imagination. Most of us are aware that the Mormon church teaches, on the basis of Joseph Smith's alluring blend of fabrications, that Amerindians are descended from Ancient Israel. Other nominations, however, have included the Japanese and even the New Zealand Maori. 

Enter Hillel Halkin, an American born Israeli journalist. Halkin investigated the Miso people of northeast India who believe themselves to be descendants of the lost tribe of - wait for it - Manasseh. His book, Across The Sabbath River, is the result. Initially in the company of an Orthodox rabbi, and later on his own initiative, Halkin sets out to uncover the truth behind the elusive legends. This is something of a detective story, as Halkin seeks to untangle the roots of Mizo identity and culture, and test the credibility of their claims to Israelite origin. In the process the skeptic morphs into an advocate. And given the incongruities of clashing cultures, Indian, Israeli and Western, it's also a travelogue with a hefty dose of comic relief. Whether you end up agreeing with his conclusions or not, you have to admire Halkin's tenacity as he pieces the evidence together, and finds colorful and unlikely allies in his quest. 

Halkin mercifully doesn't mention Herbert Armstrong, though he does give a withering account of British-Israel history and beliefs. And he does mention in passing, on more than one occasion, a strange Christian sect that has been influential among the Mizo, some members of which have subsequently converted to the local form of Judaism, the B'nei Menashe. It's called... the Church of God. 

Has Halkin succeeded in finding the tribe of Manasseh? Judge for yourself. He's certainly put the Mizo "on the map". And you'd have to say he puts up a more credible case than anything Armstrong (or J. H. Allen) ever did for the flaky "BI" theories of the past, which relied on an equal measure of "proof-texting" and wishful thinking. Across the Sabbath River is worthwhile for its insights into Judaism, and for providing a fascinating portrait of the Mizo, a people who are attempting to reinvent their identity in a way that is also faithful to their past. I'll never think of the "Lost 10 Tribes" in quite the same way again.