The covenant was made when God led the Israelites out of Egypt, 

The Israelites were taken captive by multiple groups throughout history, including the Assyrians and the Babylonians: Assyrians In 701 BCE, the Assyrian kings Sargon II and Sennacherib conquered the Kingdom of Judah after besieging Jerusalem. They were unable to take over the territory, but the people they did capture became known as the Ten Lost Tribes. Those who remained in the kingdom became the Samaritan people. The Babylonian captivity is an important period in biblical history because it and the Jewish nation's return and restoration are considered fulfillments of Old Testament prophecies. Some say that God used Babylon as his agent of judgment against Israel for their sins of idolatry and rebellion. Others say that God exiled the people because they didn't follow his instructions to refrain from sin The ancient city of Babylon is located in modern-day Iraq, near the city of Al-Ḥillah, about 55 miles south of Baghdad. The ruins of Babylon are still a site of interest today, with thousands of Iraqis visiting each year for weddings, parties, and boat rides on the Euphrates. The World Monuments Fund (WMF) is also working to preserve the site, addressing issues like changing groundwater levels and their impact on the masonry humidity of the Ishtar Gate.  Assyrian, member of an ethnic group primarily in parts of Iran, Iraq, Syria, and Turkey that traces its roots to the Assyrian Empire, which ruled parts of the ancient Middle East variously from the 14th century bce to the 7th century bce. How do you respond to black Hebrew Israelites or others who claim that the Jews who currently inhabit Israel are not true Jews? Is there credible evidence and/or irrefutable arguments that can be used in answering these claims? Jeremiah 14:2 [2]Judah mourneth, and the gates thereof languish; they are black unto the ground; and the cry of Jerusalem is gone up. Genesis 15:13-14 [13]And he said unto Abram, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land that is not theirs, and shall serve them; and they shall afflict them four hundred years; [14]And also that nation, whom they shall serve, will I judge: and afterward shall they come out with great substance. Joel 3:7-12 [7]Behold, I will raise them out of the place whither ye have sold them, and will return your recompence upon your own head: [8]And I will sell your sons and your daughters into the hand of the children of Judah, and they shall sell them to the Sabeans, to a people far off: for the LORD hath spoken it. [9]Proclaim ye this among the Gentiles; Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: [10]Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong. [11]Assemble yourselves, and come, all ye heathen, and gather yourselves together round about: thither cause thy mighty ones to come down, O LORD. [12]Let the heathen be wakened, and come up to the valley of Jehoshaphat: