The journey of Jesus^(as) to India, Kashmir and Afghanistan in search of the lost tribes of Israel is strongly supported by Biblical, historical and traditional literature. Some inhabitants of these areas have called themselves ‘Beni Israel’ from time immemorial, and take pride in being of Israelite origin.^[1] Historical evidence supporting the journey of the tribes of Israel is compelling.^[2] The traditions of these people suggest that they originated from Syria and were taken into captivity by Bukhtunasar (Nebuchadnezzar), the king who reigned (c. 605 BC–562 BC) the Neo-Babylonian Empire. Nebuchadnezzar conquered Jerusalem in 597 BC destroying both the city and temple in 587 BC; he deported most of the Jewish population to Babylon and planted them as colonists in different parts of Persia and Media. They subsequently immigrated eastward into the mountainous country of Ghor (central Afghanistan). They were called by the neighbouring peoples ‘Bani Afghan’ and ‘Bani Israel,’ or ‘children of Afghan,’ and ‘children of Israel.’ Thus, from a common origin in the Middle East, the expulsion of Jews by Nebuchadnezzar led to the establishment of Jewish communities in Europe, Africa and Asia, in what is termed the Jewish Diaspora. The Jewish diaspora (or simply ‘the Diaspora’), is the term used to describe exile.

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