Ethiopian Jews: history, ethnic and religious characteristics

2024 Author: Henry Conors | [email protected]. Last modified: 2024-02-12 02:55

There is no consensus among specialists and rabbis regarding the origin of this community, which lived for a long time in the depths of Africa. According to official legend, Ethiopian Jews moved there during the time of King Solomon. Some researchers believe that perhaps we are talking about a group of local Christians who gradually converted to Judaism. In the 80s of the last century, the exodus to Israel began, in total about 35 thousand people were taken to the Promised Land.

General information

Ethiopian Jews are Falasha, which in translation from the ancient Ethiopian language geez means "natives" or "aliens". Geez belongs to the group of Ethio-Semitic languages; representatives of all local religions conduct services in it in Ethiopia - both the Jews themselves, and the Orthodox, and Catholics. The self-name of the Ethiopian Jews is Beta Yisrael, which translates as "the house of Israel." They profess mosaicism - a kind of non-Talmudic Judaism.

Originally by the languages of the JewsEthiopia had two related languages of the Agave group - Kayla and a dialect of the Kemant (kwara) language. From the Kaila language, written evidence of researchers remained. The second was preserved by the time of the mass migration to Israel, now it is owned only by elderly repatriates. In Ethiopia itself, most Beta Israel speak only Amharic, the language of the largest population in the region, which is also the official language of the country. A small number speak Tigray, the language of the province of the same name. In Israel, the majority begins to speak Hebrew, although according to statistics, the proportion of those who know the state language is one of the lowest among repatriates from different countries.

Lifestyle

Mostly the Falasha are poor farmers and for the most part primitive artisans, especially those who live in the northwestern regions of the country. Peasants grow local crops on rented land. Falasha Jewish artisans are engaged in basket weaving, spinning and weaving, pottery and blacksmithing. In large cities there are also jewelers, while most of the city Falashas work on local construction sites. It is noteworthy that, unlike the Jewish communities in other countries, they are almost not engaged in trade.

The basis of the diet of Ethiopian Jews is flour and cereals from local cereals durru and dagussa (which is also used to make beer), onions and garlic. They never eat raw meat, unlike neighboring tribes - big lovers of raw food. Unlike neighboring African peoples, they do not have polygamy. In addition, they enterthey marry at a relatively mature age. The upbringing of children is done by priests and dabtar, who teach them to read and write, interpret the Bible, an important part of education is the memorization of psalms. Dabtara are experts in calligraphy, the classical Ethiopian Geez language and church rites.

Ethnicity

According to the generally accepted scientific theory, which is followed by most historians and ethnographers, Ethiopian Jews are of Cushite origin. They belong to the Agau tribal group, which was an autochthonous population of the northern regions of the region before Semitic tribes from the ancient states of South Arabia poured there in the 1st millennium BC. At the same time, modern genetic studies conducted in 2012 show that despite the fact that the Falasha are closest to the local Ethiopian population, Jews were undoubtedly among their distant ancestors.

In the community itself, there is a belief that dark-skinned Ethiopian Jews (Baria) with characteristic African ethnic characteristics are descendants of slaves who adopted the religion of the masters. Another group of Chua (red) are the descendants of real Jews who came from Israel and allegedly darkened due to the sultry African climate. This division emphasizes the status and origin of the Falashas.

Features of belief

During the Second Temple in Jerusalem, there were several religious trends in Judaism (Pharisees, Sadducees and Essenes). Each of these currents had their own rituals and religious practices. Modern Jewishthe state adheres predominantly to the Pharisaic tradition. Many religious features of Ethiopian Jews contradict official Judaism.

For example, the holiness of the Sabbath among the Falasha must be kept even if human life is threatened, and in rabbinic Judaism this is an acceptable violation when saving a person. Beta Israel do not light candles on the eve of the Sabbath - in accordance with ancient customs, they cannot use any fire, even if it is lit in advance. In modern Jewish tradition, Sabbath sex is strongly encouraged, while among Ethiopian Jews it is strictly forbidden so as not to dirty the body.

Traditional Places

Before the mass aliyah to Israel (in the early 80s of the last century), the number of Ethiopian Jews numbered 45 thousand people who lived mostly in the northwestern part of the country. Approximately 500 Jewish villages were located in several areas of the province of Gondar (now North Gondar). The Falasha settlements were located between the settlements of the local large ethnic groups - the Amhara and the Tigre. According to the first census in 1874, more than 6,000 families then lived in these small towns, and the total number was 28,000 people. If you look at the map of Ethiopia, you can see that many Falasha settlements were located in the areas around the lake, in the Simen mountains.

Settlements of local Jews were also in the historical regions of Kuara and Lasta, in separate quarters in the cities of Gondar and Addis Ababa.

Folk legends

Ethiopian Jews consider themselves descendants of the legendaryQueen of Sheba Meakeda and King Solomon, as well as their entourage. In biblical times, when the Jewish sovereign escorted one of his seven hundred wives out of his palace, she was already pregnant. Together with her, 12 respected elders with households and servants, as well as the son of the high priest Zadok-Azaria, left their native country. While in exile, in due time she gave birth to a son, Menenlik, who chose Ethiopia to live and founded a village here. The descendants of noble Jerusalem refugees are the Falasha, in their opinion.

According to another version of the Ethiopian legend, which is considered true by both Jews and Christians of the country, Menelik I was anointed king in the ancient Jerusalem temple. After the solemn ceremony, along with the same staff of associates as according to the first version, he went to the Ethiopian colonies of Saba, where he became the founder of the Solomonic dynasty. The timing of the settlement in Ethiopia of supporters of Judaism has not been reliably established.

Basic scientific theories

There are two main scientific versions of the origin of Beta Israel. According to one of them, they are indeed the distant descendants of Jewish settlers. Some researchers note that this is proved by the religious features of the Ethiopian Jews, which almost completely coincide with those described in the Qumran manuscripts. This applies to rituals and religious practices.

According to another theory, the ethnic characteristics of the Ethiopian Jews show that they have nothing in common with the Jews. This indigenous population of the country, which in the XIV-XVI centuries took close to the Old Testament, gradually came toobservance of the Old Testament commandments and arbitrarily identified himself as a Jew.

According to scientific theories shared by most ethnographers and historians, Ethiopian Jews are of Cushite origin and belong to the group of Agau tribes that formed part of the autochthonous population of northern Ethiopia before they arrived there in the 1st millennium BC. e. Semitic tribes moved from South Arabia.

The opinion of authoritative researchers

The first scientific works confirming that Ethiopian Jews are still real, date back to the 16th century (North African scientist Radbaz), which was later confirmed by other researchers. Some modern scholars, including Professor of the University of Jerusalem S. Kaplan, admit that the complex process of the formation of the Falasha took place in the XIV-XVI centuries. When various groups merged into one ethnic community, which included representatives of the so-called Eihuds, and which united people who profess Judaism, as well as heretics and rebels who lived in the northwestern regions of Ethiopia.

Renowned researcher of Judeo-Ethiopian traditions Dr. Ziva believes that traditional practices indicate that the Falasha community was an integral part of the Jewish community in ancient times. At one point in history, Ethiopian Jews were cut off from the Promised Land. They lived in complete isolation, but nevertheless managed to preserve the ancient traditions of their distant ancestors.

First confession

Beta Israel were first recognized as real Jews in the 19th century when they were found by European missionaries-Protestants. They were allowed to preach under the reign of Tewodros II. The missionaries saw the baptism of local Jews as their main task in Ethiopia. Christian preachers rudely interfered in the life of the Jewish communities, but allowed them to study the Bible. But by order of the church leadership from Jerusalem, the native clergy were to baptize.

The baptism was successful, but was then suspended due to the efforts of European Jews, Catholics and local priests. Under subsequent rulers of Abyssinia, discussions about faith occurred frequently. And under John, all non-Christian religions were banned. Muslims and Falashas were driven into the river by soldiers with loaded guns and priests forcibly baptized them.

Spread of religion

There are several theories about the spread of Judaism in Ethiopia, according to one of them, settlers from South Arabia brought a new agau for the local tribes. Also, the Jewish faith could reach here through Egypt. Perhaps also thanks to the Jews who settled in this area in ancient times and eventually assimilated among the African population.

Ethiopian written chronicles of the 4th-5th centuries testify that Judaism was a widespread religion even before Christianity appeared in the country in the northern part of the country, which became the state religion of the Aksumite kingdom. After that, the persecution of supporters of Judaism began. The Falasha ancestors were forced out of the fertile coastal regions to the mountains north of Lake Tan, where they maintained political independence for a long time and hadtheir rulers centered in Samyen. The state of local Jews on the map of Ethiopia did not last long.

First Aliyah

The Falashas were recognized as part of the Jewish people in 1973, when the Chief Rabbi of Israel, Yosef Ovadia, announced that the traditions of this people are completely Jewish and they are generally descendants of the tribe of Dan. After that, the Ethiopian community received the right to move to Israel. In response, the Ethiopian authorities banned the departure of their citizens from the country.

In the 80s, Israel decided to take out Ethiopian Jews (some of them were already living in resettlement camps in neighboring Sudan). Mossad intelligence planned Operation Moses. Temporary airstrips were organized in Sudan, to which would-be Israelis were to be transported by trucks. The Falasha had to walk to the collection points on foot. In total, they managed to take out from 14,000 to 18,000 people.

Further Aliyah

In 1985, with the assistance of George W. Bush, 800 people were taken out of Sudan during Operation Jesus. After 6 years, the Ethiopian authorities allowed the remaining 20,000 Ethiopian Jews to be taken away for 40 million dollars, 2,000 for each "head". During Operation Solomon, in which intelligence and the army were involved, the Falashas were taken out within two days. The planes flew direct flights from Addis Ababa to Tel Aviv.

One of the flights set a record at the same time: 1,122 people flew on an Israeli airline cargo Boeing. In just three operationsabout 35,000 Ethiopian Jews were taken out.

The Promised Land

In Israel, there was a special absorption program for Falashas. The new Israelites did not know the language of the Jews, had never seen large cities, and lived almost subsistence farming. The first wave of repatriates quickly integrated into the life of the country: a year later, almost 50% of them mastered the state language, received vocational training and housing.

In addition to the Falasha, there is an ethnic group in Ethiopia, the Falashmura, whose ancestors were forcibly baptized. In 2010, 3,000 of them were taken to Israel - who managed to prove their Jewish roots, while they were required to undergo conversion (the rite of converting a "non-Jew" to Judaism).