Igbo Jews of Africa as detailed in Forward – The Jewish Daily
LAGOS, Nigeria – Efraim Uba was born and raised Catholic in southeastern Nigeria, the homeland of the Ibo ethnic group. He spent 17 years as a Pentecostal preacher before joining a messianic congregation where members wore yarmulkes and tallits but praised Jesus. In 1999, one congregant traveled to Israel and came back claiming that the Ibos were Jews. He convinced the whole congregation to embrace Judaism.
“We believe we are from Israel, and we only recently discovered that so many old Ibo traditions were in fact Jewish ones,” said Uba, 60, who was wearing a large silver Jewish star around his neck. In 1999, he founded the Association of Jewish Faith in Nigeria, an organization with some 20 congregations, most of them in his native region. He is one of an estimated 30,000 Nigerians – a fraction of the nation’s 135 million people – who claim to be Jewish. In recent years, they have abandoned the Christian faith of most southern Nigerians and are longing for official recognition by rabbis and by Israel. Just this summer, four members of the community were the first to formally convert to Judaism.
Following the examples of Ethiopia’s Falashas, the Lembas of South Africa and Uganda’s Abuyudaya, the Nigerian Jews are part of a growing number of sub-Saharan Africans who have embraced Judaism. Nigeria’s Jews, like the Falashas, claim to be descendants of some of Israel’s lost tribes who settled in what is now southeast Nigeria. By comparison, the Abuyudayas do not claim to have blood ties to the ancient Israelites and converted by following a local leader.
“There is a real phenomenon of construction of a Jewish identity in sub-Saharan Africa over the last few decades,” said Edith Bruder, a French researcher who recently published “The Black Jews of Africa: History, Religion, Identity” (Oxford University Press). “You have a belief among some local communities that they are descendants of Jewish communities who settled there since ancient times. This phenomenon has accelerated recently with the Falasha precedent and the globalization of information.”
The Nigerian Jewish claim was bolstered several years ago with the discovery in the area of an onyx stone reportedly bearing the name “Gad” in ancient Hebrew. In addition, the Ibo Benei-Yisrael, as they sometimes call themselves, have traditions bearing some resemblance to Judaism. Among them are the circumcisions of newborn males on the eighth day, the separation of women during the menstrual cycles, the mourning period resembling a shiva and the prohibition of eating the meat of an animal that was not blessed. There is also the blowing of a ram’s horn, akin to blowing of the shofar.
Reluctant to convert
But to be officially recognized as Jewish is a tedious process. Israel granted that recognition to the Falashas only after careful vetting. The Abuyudayas underwent a conservative conversion six years ago, a path the Ibos are reluctant to embrace. Their reasoning is simple: To convert would undercut their claim to be Jewish by ancestry. “We are Israelites. This is our identity, and our religion is Judaism, so being denied inclusion into the Jewish family makes us feel lost,” said Michael Ginika, a 53-year-old accounting teacher. ……………………………..
By Marc Perelman October 2, 2008.
More @
http://www.forward.com/articles/14317/
http://www.haaretz.com/hasen/spages/1026682.html
This should not be a surprise as Hebrews obtained much of their knowledge in Ancient Khemit.After one of those captivies in Babylon or Persia many returned to Khemet “even though they supposedly labored in bondage ” while living their earlier.
its quite ironical that Africans with plausible claims to hebrew ancestry are being asked to convert by the state is composed of an overwhelming majority od descendants of converts to judaism!
This fixation with Israel among many Africans is due to the chosen people myth pronounced in the bible/torah.
Its just another form of mental slavery.
Africans must realize quickly that WE ARE THE CHOSEN PEOPLE. The first. Of a BLACK GOD. Period.
On what is the comment that the Jews living in Israel are descendants of converts based on? The DNA evidence shows the opposite. Also the claims of the Igbos are not necessarily that plausible being that they don’t practice any form of Judaism. It is possible though that there is Jewish ancestry but that has to be examined. When descendants of Marranos, whom we know for a fact come from Jewish ancestry want to return, they too must undergo conversion and they are white so skin color is not the issue here. The issue is that when a group has been estranged from the practice of Judaism and being identifiable as Jews and from other Jews then of course their ancestry becomes questionable. Judaism is passed through the matriarchal line, through the mother. In Spain and Portugal today about 20% of the males have Y chromosomes reflecting patrilineal descent from Sephardim (Spanish Jews). But if the mother’s line is not all Jewish they are not Jewish though they do indeed have Jewish ancestry. Also, what is the scriptural source for saying that the blacks are the chosen people? The Bible the Koran or some other source?
A quote from Abdel Gamel Yasser: “You will never have peace in israel, because you left here(Canaan) Black and returned white and we cannot accept you this way”… We know who the true Yahudim are and a point of fact they are not white..Thats why israel which is really canaan for there is no such thing as israel the state only israel the people.The word of torah is true Japheth now truly dwells in the tents of shem, but where is shem?
Show me the biblical proof they are white and what dna are they using by the way? We know the edomites and japhet intermingled(married) also the jewish encyclopedia admits that modern jewry are edom… So your point. Where did they aquire the dna sample from? A fake jew rabbi with a cohen or either a levi after his name interesting that makes it true?????We know who you are myriam your edomites your fakes and guess what your going to die in shame with that lie.
I love when people rattle of at the mouth about nothing especially when the debaters are not fluent in hebrew history or have never touched a talmud nor have read the book of yasher..
Judaism is not matriarchal idiot its is and has always been patriarchal…Why don’t you try reading the torah, tanak or anything besides your own flawed and worthless opinion?
Shalom,
DNA evidence does not support the
claim that the Jewish people living
in Israel are descendants of the
ancient Israelites. On the contrary
DNA evidence proves that the vast
majority of Jewish people around the
world are not Israelite by patrilineal
descent meaning of the seed of
Abraham,Isaac and Jacob.
Judaism is a religion comprised
of numerous and various peoples
of all races and ethnicities. Israelites
are the descendants of Abraham,Isaac
and Jacob. Israelites are scattered
around the world and can be found
practicing every religion. DNA testing
has proven that Judaism is a religion
as the Jewish people have tested
positive for at least 8 distinct and
unrelated lineages.
J1 is the only Semitic Haplogroup
recognized by geneticists. It appears
heavily in Ethiopia,Yemen and Arabia.
It is also common amongst Bedouins.
STR markers are used to specify
lineages within a specific haplogroup.
The Kohenim which are found within
the Buba clan of the Lemba tribe of South
Africa, the descendants of Muhammad
(Ishmael) and the Solomonic Amhara
of Ethiopia are all defined by specific
STR Markers within the J1 Haplogroup.
Only 4% of Jewish people around the
world claim to be Kohen. DNA testing
eliminated more than half of those
claims. Meaning that less than 2%
of Jewish people are actually of
authentic Kohen descent.
Approximately 13% of
the Jewish people have the
J1 haplogroup. This means
that almost 90% of the Jewish
people are not Semitic or
Israelite for that matter.
The Israelite Amhara of
Ethiopia have 10 times the
amount of J1 than all of
the Jewish people combined.
The Buba clan has a higher
ratio of Kohenim in comparison
to any Jewish community.
Only the ancient Kurdish Jews
have a ratio of Kohenim comparable
to that of the Buba(Lemba).
Note(J2 is not Semitic but
Phoenician, which was a
mixture of Semitic and Hamitic.
Some Israelite STR markers
were identified in J2 such as
a limited amount of Kohenim.
However J2 is not Semitic
and should not be confused
or combined with J1. J2
is non-existent in Ethiopia.
Matrilineal Judaism which
considers paternity irrelevant
to Jewish status could not
possibly inherit that which was
promised to the seed of Abraham,
Isaac and Jacob.
Below is a DNA Site presented
by an educated Jewish woman
which clearly demonstrates
the fact that the vast majority
of Jewish people are not J1.
Page 4- J1 constitutes 14.6%
of Ashkenazi results and 11.9%
of Sephardic results
A Reassessment of the Jewish DNA Evidence
A MOSAIC OF PEOPLE: THE JEWISH STORY
AND A REASSESSMENT OF THE DNA EVIDENCE .
Ellen Levy-Coffman . The Jewish community has
been the focus of extensive genetic study over the past …
* http://www.jogg.info/11/coffman.htm
* · Cached page
to be quite frank with you… unless they have the DNA of the Biblical Moses or Aaron on tap… there is no possible way to tell who has the “Kohen gene”.
I still do not understand why Moses, Jacob, or David DNA are not tested by different researchers of different part of the world. This would put to rest who are the real Isrealites.
I am Igbo. IGBOS ARE NOT JEWS,WE ARE IGBO. Stop the lies
Boma
You are Igbo? What does the word “Igbo” mean?
Jahdey
what happen to my post where I defined IGBO and its entomology?
Since the only common denominator of everyone’s comments/questions/reply is based on the biblical Israelites. God of the bible placed curses on the biblical Israelites for not obeying His commandments. Find the curses in the bible and find the race/group of people these curses are prevelant upon and you have found the biblical Israelites. Hint Read Deut. 28…who was sold as bond men and bond women throughout all nations. Who had their children snatched from them and sold into slavery and was powerless to defend them. Who served their enemies in nakedness, and want of all things. Who are the prison houses full of even in this modern day in age? Sickness and diseases…which racial group has the most AIDS cases, Diabeties and other chronic life threatening diseases. God doesn’t have to use DNA. Follow the curses and see who you find at the end of that curses.
DNA can be used to verify common
claims found in various parts of the world
amongst people who appear to be of
different racial,ethnic or cultural backgrounds
These varying peoples may have been further
separated by linguistic and geographic barriers,
but yet hold to the same tradition or claim.
For example if I was to arrive in the United States
and ask African-Americans where they originate
according to tradition or history,I most likely would
hear accounts of a Slave trade that took place hundreds
of years ago that brought their ancestors in ships from
Africa. I could then travel to French speaking Haiti and
hear of the same story. This process would continue
with identical accounts from Jamaica and Portuguese
speaking Brazil. Although there are no original captives
to test I could carry out DNA testing from all the present
day communities who are making this common claim
When the results come back positive linking all of the
tested communities the common tradition is now verified
through common ancestry. In order to reinforce these
results I could now do further DNA TESTING in the areas
from which the peoples commonly claim to have originated.
In this particular case it would be West Africa. When the
West African tested results likewise comeback as positive
the entire tradition as mentioned above is reinforced through
DNA EVIDENCES……CONT’D
I like to make this categorically clear . though i have been making statement on this issue most often but we seem to ignore the facts. Igbos are not jews, rather all jews are igbos. it is wrong and insulting for you to call an Ephraimite, or a Gadite a jew. Ephraimite are people from ephraim, Manasheite are from Manasseh, Zebulunite are from Zebulun, Gadite are from Gad , Jews are from Judah. there is definitly gonns be similarity in culture between igbos and present day Israel who i can call judah. but yet all cultures will not be same cos we are not from Judah , but from the house of israel. Igbos are HEBREWS as a genealogy and Israelite as a nationality. not jews.
Judaism is simply a religion and like Christianity and Islam
its members are from many different races and ethnic backgrounds.
In fact the word Jew as in Judaism does not even come from Judah
but is rather derived from the Hebrew word Yodea which means to
KNOW. This referred to the followers of the KNOWLEDGE of the RABBIS
or the WISEMEN. Rabbinical Judaism was founded by Rabbi Hillel in what
was called the era of the Tanaim. Rabbi Hillel was born in Babylon and was
taught by Sh’maya and Abtalion who were both descendants of the Assyrian
King Senechrib. As Israelites the Igbo have nothing to do with the followers of
Judaism.
Igbos are original Hebrews meaning they are the children of Ebere/ Eber “The Merciful” who preceeded Abiaraham ” A Just Man”. Abiaraham / Abraham though recorded as ” a Semite” is of the Igbo Race. Igbos who can trace their ancestry to Jacob whose name was changed to Israel (Gen.35. vs 10) ARE ISRAELITES INDEED. All Israelites are not JEWS .Jews are from the fellowship/ Tribe of Judah. All labelled as Jews today are not of the Hebrew/ Igbo Race meaning that they are not all descendant of Abaraham / Abiahaham neither are they descendants of Eber.