Israel in Europe?
The unbiblical and historically erroneous supposition of British Israelism that the captives from Samaria were allowed by the Assyrian rulers to freely migrate to Europe in large numbers, and that they subsequently replaced the European nations, is refuted by verifiable facts.
During the Syrian captivity of Israel Europe was, for many centuries already, inhabited by various white nations. Most of these nations can be identified as descendants of Japheth. In Genesis 10:2, Gomer, Magog, Tubal and Meshech, among others, are mentioned as sons of Japheth. From Gomer the Germanic nations of Central, Northern and Western Europe descended. The German, Dutch, Flemish, Scandinavian and Anglo-Saxon peoples are all Germanic in origin. Various Eastern European nations descended from Magog, Tubal and Meshech. These nations were in existence long before the Assyrian captivity of Israel.
The genealogical descent of the European nations is traced back to their progenitor, Japhet, while the Semitic nations are descendants of Shem. The nations of Europe also have distinct languages and cultures that are quite different to those of the Semitic nations (Israel and the Arabs). There is, therefore, no way in which they can be described as “the lost sheep of the house of Israel” (Mt. 10:6).
The initial small groups of Jewish families who migrated to other countries, including various European countries, did so mainly during the four centuries of turmoil before the birth of Jesus. Most of them maintained their Jewish religion and identity wherever they settled, and erected synagogues as places of worship and the conducting of Jewish ceremonies. They certainly did not replace the nations who stayed in those countries. Paul had no problem identifying the Jewish communities in the countries where he preached the gospel to both Jews and Gentiles. After the destruction of Jerusalem in 70 AD and the Bar Kochba rebellion of 132-133 AD, large numbers of Jews were dispersed – not only to Europe but eventually also to other continents.