Black Jewish Tribes of Africa (Part 3: From Ethiopia to Israel)

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Tacitus, Ethiopians and Black St. Paul

Roman historian Tacitus wrote that many of his time believed that the Jews “were a race of Ethiopian origin.”

The Bible classifies the Ethiopians & Jews together, “Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? saith the Lord.” (Amos 9:7)

Black Paul is mistaken for an “Egyptian” and declares himself to be a “Jew.” (Acts 21:37-39, 22: 2,3) 

Persia and Ashanti

It has also been speculated that the Jewish presence and influence was greatly helped by the ancient gold trade between Persia and Africa.

Jews were the main intermediaries of this trade in the medieval ages since most Muslims (due to Islamic laws prohibition on usury) were wary of its usurious dimensions.

These Jewish itinerant traders came to rely on contacts with the various Jewish communities of West African who proved no mean help in sourcing the scarce commodity. Thus, for instance, the silk of the Royal Kente cloths of the Ashanti reputedly came from China. 

Various historical accounts claim that Jewish travelers from Persia had organized exchanges of Chinese silk for gold in the Kingdom of Ghana; the Ashanti needed the silk for weaving Kente cloth and the Jews need gold for their intrinsic and fiscal value. It is said that the Ashanti words for numbers relate to those in Parsi, the language of Persia. See Lichtblau.

Genetics

Haplogroup E3B

The E3b haplogroup has been observed in all Jewish groups world wide. It is considered to be the 2nd most prevelent haplogroup amoung the Jewish population.

All the major studies agree that E-M35 is the second highest in prevalence next to J, for “Founding Jewish Lineages.” http://www.familytreedna.com/pdf/Behar_contrasting.pdf.

It is found in moderate amounts in all Jewish populations, from Ashkenazi, Sephardic, Kurdish, Yemen, Samaritan and even among Djerba Jewish groups.

The scientific consensus is that Haplogroup E3b (M35) appears to have originated in East Africa, but has been carried from there to the Near East and then on to North Africa and Europe. Today it is most common in East Africa, North Africa, the Near East and around the Mediterranean.

Haplogroup J

Haplogroup J (previously known as HG9 or Eu9/Eu10) is a Y-chromosome DNA haplogroup. T is subdivided into two subclades: haplogroup J2, defined by the M172 marker, and haplogroup J1, defined by the M267 marker.

Of special interest are maps that show the geographical spread of the J haplogroup. J1 and J2 are both common in southern Europe, central Europe, the Mediterranean region, and Africa. The J haplogroup is considered to be a signature gene of Jewish ancestry and the cohen modal gene happens to be a subgroup of J.

In fact, the highest frequencies of J1 (M267) are seen in the Middle East, north Africa, and Ethiopia. See (Thomas et al. 1999). J2 (M172) also exists in significant proportions across Africa especially among the semitic speaking peoples of Tigriniya, Amhara, and Oromiya.

The J1’s from the Middle East and North Africa seem to be distinguishable from the rest of J’s by having YCAII=22,22. Behar et al found that a significant proportion of the Jewish population of Europe (more than 20%) carry the J1 haplogroup. The other 20% carry the J2 haplogroup. See Behar et al Hum Genet (2004) 114: 354-365

Cohen Modal Haplotype

The presence among the Lemba of a disproportionate number of men carrying a particular polymorphism on the Y chromosome known as the Cohen modal haplotype suggests an ancestral link to the Jewish population. One sub-clan within the Lemba, the Buba clan, is considered by the Lemba to be their priestly clan. Among a small sample of the Buba, fifty-two percent of males were found to carry the Cohen modal haplotype CMH, which is generally suggestive of Y-DNA haplogroup J, but notably prevalent among Jewish Kohanim, or priests.

Decline of the Black Jews of Africa

Many reasons have been sought for the decline and virtual disappearance of Africa’s once thriviing Jewish communities of black Jews. Many see the beginning of this decline as contemporaneous with the advent of the Islamic religion in Africa.

Some historical accounts highlight the fact that black Jews were die-hard nationalistic traditionalists and had led the black African resistance against the influx of the black muslim jihadists and their new interpretation of morality. The most notableof these black Jewish nationalists was Queen Kahina Dahiya Bint Thabitah ibn Tifan otherwise known as El-Kahina. A descendant of one of the priestly Black Jewish families of North Africa, Kahina led the nationalist resistance against the muslim invasion until her defeat at the hands of Hassan Ibn Numan. See Margolis, “History of Jewish people”, 1927 pages 278-279. See also Remy Ilona, “The Igbos: Jews in Africa?” volume 1, Research Findings Historical Links, Commentaries, Narratives,” 2004, Mega Press Limited, Abuja, Nigeria.

Amidst this tumult, the Jews of Northern and West Africa were given a choice of conversion or emigration. Many left for the deeper forest recesses of West Africa seeking the peace and tranquility that appeared to elude them in each generation. The late incursions by the colonialist christian elements of Europe did not make matters any better. There seems to have been a direct link between the incursion of relatively modern religions in Africa and the decline of the ancient practise of the Hebrews which had a pride of place in Africa, its mother land.

For instance the Jewish enclaves of Qamnurya or Naghira in the area of modern Senegal was destroyed completely in the wake of sectarian unrest. Similarly, Al-Maghili a prominent black Muslim noble not only destroyed the Jewish enclaves of Tuat in the old Mali empire, he convinced other potentates throughout the Western Sudan to banish Jews from the empire’s cities. See Remy Ilona, supra.

Lichtblau speculates that: although “…Jewish presence is also confirmed by numerous surviving accounts of Portuguese and other European visitors in the 14th and 15th centuries, as well as North African and Arab historical records… gradually most of these communities disappeared. Since they existed largely in isolation, there was a good deal of intermarriage which for a while reinforced their influence and expansion. As a result they were increasingly viewed as a threat by Muslim rulers, and most of the Jewish communities and nomad groups south of the Atlas mountains were either forced to convert to Islam or massacred; the remainder fled to North Africa, Egypt or the Sudan, and a few also to Cameroon and Southern Africa.”

Jide Uwechia

August 19, 2007

http://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/the-black-jews-of-africa-part-2-jews-of-nigeria-senegal-and-congo/

http://www.africaresource.com/rasta/sesostris-the-great-the-egyptian-hercules/the-black-jews-of-africa-part-1/


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219 thoughts on “Black Jewish Tribes of Africa (Part 3: From Ethiopia to Israel)”

  1. I really interested in info re hebrews in Eastern Central, and South Africa.

    I am good in picking up languages. What I have come to realise is that
    the above regions have got very similar languages. i.e. the Bantu.
    For example sotho, tswana, Zulu, Swazi are diffierent in a way however
    if you add all those languages you get a lot of Buganda vocabulary.

    Watching a tourism TV program, I noted the guide saying the pygmies in
    western uganda used to hide in caves i.e. away from the Bantu.

    According His Majesty Zweluthini, Zulus are children of NTU They Zulus migrated from North East Africa. This implies that BA-NTU means belonging to NTU or of –NTU or
    Children of NTU.

    According to some scholars Atlantis is Lumeria or MU.

    This implies that MU-NTU means ….Of NTU FROM ……MU

    How does all this fit in original Hebrews.

    Regards

  2. Does this fit in any hebrew tales e.g Adam, eve …Lucifer?

    The legend of Kintu is told by the Baganda as the story of the creation. According to this legend, which we will detail in a moment, Kintu was the first person on earth. Unfortunately, many writers of the history of Buganda have confused the two people called Kintu; i.e. Kintu the first king of Buganda, and Kintu the alleged first man on earth. This confusion has led some to conclude that there was never a king called Kintu, and that Kintu is merely a legend. What Baganda scholars assert however, is that Kintu was indeed a legend relating the creation of man. Creation stories abound in all cultures and that there should be a creation story among the Baganda is not surprising. Thus the Baganda regarded the Kintu in this legend as the father of all people. It appears that when Kato established himself as king, he gave himself the name Kintu, a name that he knew the Baganda associated with the father of all people. Thus Kintu was in effect trying to establish his legitimacy as ruler of the Baganda by associating himself with the legendary first person in Buganda. It is for this reason that he also named his principal wife Nambi. With that in mind, let us now detail the legend of Kintu the first person on earth.
    Kintu the Legend

    Long long ago, Kintu was the only person on the earth. He lived alone with his cow, which he tended lovingly. Ggulu the creator of all things lived up in heaven with his many children and other property. From time to time, Ggulu’s children would come down to earth to play. On one such occasion, Ggulu’s daughter Nambi and some of her brothers encountered Kintu who was with his cow in Buganda. Nambi was very fascinated with Kintu and she felt pity for him because he was living alone. She resolved to marry him and stay with him despite the opposition from her brothers. But because of her brothers’ pleading, she decided to return to heaven with Kintu and ask for her father’s permission for the union.

    Ggulu was not pleased that his daughter wanted to get married to a human being and live with him on the earth. But Nambi pleaded with her father until she persuaded him to bless the union. After Ggulu decided to allow the marriage to proceed, he advised Kintu and Nambi to leave heaven secretly. He advised them to pack lightly and that on no condition were they to return to heaven even if they forgot anything. This admonition was so that Walumbe, one of Nambi’s brothers should not find out about the marriage until they had left, otherwise he would insist on going with them and bring them misery ( walumbe means that which causes sickness and death). Kintu was very pleased to have been given a wife and together they followed Ggulu’s instructions. Among the few things that Nambi packed, was her chicken. They set out for earth early the next morning.

    But while they were descending, Nambi remembered that she had forgotten to bring the millet that her chicken would feed on. “I have left my chickens’ millet on the porch, let me return and fetch it,” she begged Kintu. But Kintu refused and said, “Don’t go back. If you do, you will meet Walumbe and he will surely insist on coming with you.” Nambi, however, did not listen to her husband, and leaving him on the way she returned to fetch the millet. When she reached the house, she took the millet from the porch, but on her way back, she suddenly met Walumbe who asked: “My sister, where are you going so early in the morning? Nambi did not know what to say. Filled with curiosity, Walumbe insisted on going with her. Therefore Kintu and Nambi were forced to go to earth together with Walumbe.

    It did not take long for Kintu and Nambi to get children. One day, Walumbe went to Kintu’s home and asked his brother-in-law to give him a child to help him with the chores in his (Walumbe’s) house. But remembering Ggulu’s warning, Kintu would not hear of it. Walumbe became very angry with Kintu for refusing him the simple favor he had asked. That very night, he went and killed Kintu’s son. Naturally, this caused a deep rift between them. Kintu went back to heaven to report Walumbe’s actions to Ggulu. Ggulu rebuked Kintu, reminding him of the original warning he had disregarded. Kintu blamed Nambi for returning to get the millet. Ggulu then sent another of his sons, Kayikuuzi, to go back to earth with Kintu and try to persuade Walumbe to return to heaven or if necessary return him by force.

    On reaching earth, Kayikuuzi tried to persuade Walumbe to go back to heaven but Walumbe would not hear of it. “I like it here on earth and I am not coming back with you” he said. Kayikuuzi decided to capture Walumbe by force, and a great fight broke out between them. But as Walumbe was about to be overpowered, he escaped and disappeared into the ground. Kayikuuzi went after him, digging huge holes in the ground to try and find his brother. When Kayikuuzi got to where he was hiding, Walumbe run back out to the earth. Further struggle between the brothers ensued but once again Walumbe escaped into the ground. The famous caves that are found today at Ttanda in Ssingo are said to be the ones that were dug by Kayikuuzi in the fight with his brother Walumbe. (Kayikuuzi means he who digs holes).

    The struggle went on for several days and by now, Kayikuuzi was close to exhaustion. So he went and talked to Kintu and Nambi as follows: “I am going back into the ground one more time to get Walumbe. You and your children must stay indoors. You must strictly enjoin your children not to make a sound if they see Walumbe. I know he is also getting tired so when he comes out of the ground, I will come upon him secretly and grab him.” Kintu and Nambi went into their house, but some of the kids did not go in. Kayikuuzi once again went underground to find Walumbe. After a struggle, Walumbe came back out to the surface with Kayikuuzi in pursuit. Kintu’s children who were outside at the time saw Walumbe coming and sreamed in terror. On hearing the screams, Walumbe went underground once again. Kayikuuzi was furious with Kintu and Nambi for not having followed his instructions. He told them that if they did not care to do the simple thing he had asked of them, he was also giving up the fight. Kintu in his embarrassment had nothing more to say. So he told Kayikuuzi “You return to heaven. If Walumbe wants to kill my children, let him do so, I will keep having more. The more he kills, the more I will get and he will never be able to kill off all my children”. Ttanda, where the fight between Walumbe and Kayikuuzi allegedly took place is figuratively referred to as the place of death (i.e. Walumbe’s place).

    So that is the legend of creation, and how sickness and death started. Nonetheless, Kintu’s descendants will always remain as Kintu said in his last words to Kayikuuzi. Hence the Kiganda saying “Abaana ba Kintu tebalifa kuggwaawo”. Which means that Kintu’s children (i.e. the Baganda), will never be wiped off the face of the earth.

    Kato Kintu the first king used this saying to his advantage, by taking on the name of the reputed father of all people in Buganda. However Kintu the legend and Kato Kintu the first king are distinct and should not be confused with one another. Kintu the legend was reputedly the first person on earth and therefore could not have been a king since he had no people to rule over!

  3. Dear Muwanga:
    What you want to know is extensive and some of them could not be answered fully here, but I will try to answer what I know. Beginning with the creation story of the Baganda people, it is like many other creation stories or myths around the world. Each people group tell their own creation story according to the legends of their fathers, Hebrew or Non-Hebrew.
    To be specific, Southern Nigeria is the origin of Hebrews around the world. They later spread to many parts of the world. So, we can be sure that many of them migrated to other parts of Africa, as some other people groups also migrated into Southern Nigeria.
    If you notice, I said that Igbo language is the original Hebrew as well as the language of God himself. When I said this, it is not a matter of probably, maybe or could be; I say it with relative certainly. And that is why a “non-expert” like me have the audacity to challenge even the most knowledgeable among the Jewish Rabbis and scholars of the highest repute to come and say that what I am saying is wrong. I believe none of them dare to refute what I am saying because I speak the truth.
    Igbo language, as the original language of the world, is traceable to every language including English language. For example, “mu” in Igbo is me in English,” Madu (Manu in Igbo)” is “man” in English, and so on. The problem is that language becomes corrupt as it moves farther away from its mother land, or if the invaders colonise the aborigines as the Oduduwa (“their leader” or “their lion”) from the Arabian Kush and his follower did in the Igboland of Western Nigeria, and impose their language and culture on them. But what the ivaders may not be able to do is to change the names of rivers, gods, and shrines that existed before their arrival.
    I remember going back to Nigeria with some of my Igbo brothers with one Ugandan brother sitting among us. We were surprised to learn afterwards that the Ugandan understood what we were saying as he told us everything we said in English. Having done enough research, now I know for sure that there are Hebrews scattered in many nations of sub-Saharan Africa. Some of them resulted from early migration, and some from the era of slave trade when the Portuguese send Igbo slaves to their various plantations and mines around Black Africa. Nations like Kenya, Tanzania, Gabon, Congo, Uganda, Ruwanda, Malawi, Angola, Mozambique, Zulu nation, Zambia, Botswana, Zimbabwe, Cameroon, Ghana, Dahomey, Togo, Ivory Coast, Senegal, and so on have Hebrews and Israelites living among them. You talked about Zulu meaning the “Children of Ntu. Yest, we have Nne-Ntu (Mother of Ntu) in Abia State in Nigeria among the Igbo today. I hope I have helped. Thanks.

  4. Page 14 of New African Magazine October

    Ancient Egypt

    “Ntr (singular) and Ntw (plural) replace the terms of Godesses and Gods who are viewed as aspects of the one creator ( the unknown, all that is, was and shall be).

    How does this relate to NTU or Kintu?

  5. Good morning;

    There is no doubt that Kintu could be one of the peoples of Ntu (Bantus). That is, the prefix Ki may be a descriptive tern for this Ntu group, hence Bantu. As for the gods you mentioned, people have different names for their gods, but some gods are found in more than one place. For instance, Nkisi in my home town is also found either in Zambia or one the nations around the area. And there are shrines and towns in Igboland also found in Japan and India. But in the end, I put more emphasis on the Bible because it is the only sacred book that has enabled me to confirm the things about us in Africa. Thanks.

  6. Muwanga,
    I forgot to mention this the last time. Just wanted to let you know that in the Genealogy of the later Mesopotamian Gods, there was a god known as “Lugabanda”. Does that ring a bell? Thanks.

  7. I will think about it.

    According to Some Ganda elder-with esoteric knowledge, There is Ssegulumanda who is the Supreme Lord.

    I will post one of his articles but its rather long and deep.

    I think you should also have a look at DR. Mathole’s website “kara heritage institute”. He has done research you might find his writtings interesting

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