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170-814: The history of the Jews in Ethiopia dates back millennia. The largest Jewish group in Ethiopia is the Beta Israel . Offshoots of the Beta Israel include the Beta Abraham and the Falash Mura , Ethiopian Jews who were converted to Christianity, some of whom have reverted to Judaism. Addis Ababa is home to a small community of Adeni Jews . Chabad also maintains a presence in Addis Ababa. According to

340-635: A Priest-king . He changed the title Hakham to " Ḥakhan " (a portmanteau between Hakham and the Mongol-Turkic title khan ), forbade the use of Hebrew, and in the 1930s reintroduced Yahwist elements (such as the veneration of sacred oak trees in the cemetery). He also recognized both Jesus and Muhammad as prophets (in order to appease both the Tsarist Russian Orthodox government and the Muslim Turkic peoples). After

510-645: A resurrection of the dead or afterlife , a position also held by the Sadducees. The British theologian John Gill (1767) noted, In the times of John Hyrcanus , and Alexander Janneus his son, sprung up the sect of the Karaites, in opposition to the Pharisees, who had introduced traditions, and set up the oral law, which these men rejected. In the times of the said princes lived Simeon ben Shetach, and Judah ben Tabbai, who flourished AM 3621, these two separated,

680-515: A safek (legal doubt) over the Jewish peoplehood of the Beta Israel. Such dissenting voices include Rabbi Elazar Shach , Rabbi Yosef Shalom Eliashiv , Rabbi Shlomo Zalman Auerbach , and Rabbi Moshe Feinstein . Similar doubts were raised within the same circles towards the Bene Israel and to Russian immigrants to Israel during the 1990s Post-Soviet aliyah . In the 1970s and early 1980s,

850-594: A typhus epidemic, and a major smallpox epidemic (1889–1890). About one-third of the Ethiopian population died during that period. It is estimated that between a half to two-thirds of the Beta Israel community died during that period. The myth of the lost tribes in Ethiopia intrigued Jacques Faitlovitch , a former student of Joseph Halévy at the Ecole des Hautes Etudes in Paris . In 1904, Faitlovitch decided to lead

1020-551: A 10th-century usurping queen, was Jewish, some scholars consider that it is unlikely that this was the case. It is more likely, they say, that she was a pagan southerner or a usurping Christian Aksumite Queen. However, she clearly supported Jews, since she founded the Zagwe dynasty , who governed from around 937 to 1270 CE. According to the Kebra Nagast , Jewish, Christian and pagan kings ruled in harmony at that time. Furthermore,

1190-731: A 12th-century Rabbinic account, in approximately 760, Shelomoh ben Ḥisdai II, the Exilarch in Babylon died, and two brothers among his nearest kin, ʻAnan ben David (whose name according to the Rabbinical account was ʻAnan ben Shafaṭ, but was called "ben David" due to his Davidic lineage) and Ḥananyah were next in order of succession. Eventually, Ḥananyah was elected by the rabbis of the Babylonian Jewish colleges (the Geonim ) and by

1360-607: A 19th-century German scholar who founded Reform Judaism , posited a connection between the Karaites and a remnant of the Sadducees, the 1st-century Jewish sect that followed the Hebrew Bible literally and rejected the Pharisees ' notion of an Oral Torah even before it was written. Geiger's view is based on comparison between Karaite and Sadducee halakha : for example, a minority in Karaite Judaism do not believe in

1530-579: A Sunday. In the "Golden Age of Karaism" (900–1100) a large number of Karaite works were produced in all parts of the Muslim world, the most notable being a work penned by Jacob Qirqisani , entitled Kitāb al-Anwār wal-Marāqib ("Code of Karaite Law"), which provides valuable information concerning the development of Karaism and throws light also on many questions in Rabbinic Judaism. Karaite Jews were able to obtain autonomy from Rabbinic Judaism in

1700-467: A Tekhelet thread in Tzitzit was lost for most Rabbinic Jews. Their Tzitziyot are usually all white. Karaite Jews believe that the importance of Tekhelet is that the color of thread is blue-violet and it may be produced from any source, including synthetic industrial dyes, except impure (a state mostly overlapping unkosher ) marine creatures, rather than insist on a specific dye. Therefore, they believe that

1870-630: A devastating campaign against the Beta Israel with the use of cannons that he recently captured from the Ottomans. While on this campaign, Sarsa Dengel learned that the Borana Oromo had invaded the provinces of Shewa , Wej , and Damot . Despite this, Sarsa Dengel refused to defend these territories against the Oromos and instead continued to focus his attention on the Beta Israel. This decision generated considerable frustration among his officials but

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2040-409: A friction between later Karaite theology and possible connections to Philo's philosophy, which could serve as either a rejection of their origins, rejection of theological positions no longer accepted, or that Philo's philosophy was not entirely used in the founding of the Karaites (although some influences remain possible). Early 20th-century scholars Oesterley and Box suggested that Karaism formed in

2210-659: A great congregation of Karaites became Rabbinical Jews during the time of the Nagid Rabbi Abraham Maimonides , who, in his words, "was not reluctant to receive them." During the 19th century, Russian authorities began to differentiate Karaite Jews from Rabbanite Jews, freeing them from various oppressive laws that affected Rabbinic Jews. In the 1830s the Tsarist governor of the Taurida Governorate , Mikhail Semyonovich Vorontsov , told

2380-670: A kingdom of their own." Marco Polo and Benjamin of Tudela also mention the existence of an Ethiopian Jewish community. The earliest recorded mention of the Beta Israel comes from the Royal Chronicle of Emperor Amda Seyon , who sent troops to pacify the northwest provinces of Semien , Tselemt , Tsegede and Wegara where the Beta Israel had been gaining prominence. He sent troops there to fight people "like Jews" ( Ge'ez ከመ:አይሁድ kama ayhūd ). According to both Ethiopian written accounts and Beta Israel oral tradition, Emperor Yeshaq (1414–1429) began to exert religious pressure on

2550-476: A law built on their own conception, but failed, till Simon b. Shētaḥ returned with his disciples from Alexandria, and restored tradition to its former condition. Karaism had, however, taken root among people who rejected the oral law, and called all kinds of proofs to their aid, as we see to-day. As regards the Sādōcaeans and Boēthosians , they are the sectarians who are anathemised in our prayer. Abraham Geiger ,

2720-534: A letter to his children. The man told him of the ongoing conflict of his nation with the Christian Abyssinians ; he relayed some of the principles of his faith, which, Ferrara concluded, balanced between Karaite and Rabbinical Judaism . His people were not familiar with the Talmud and did not observe Hanukkah , but their canon contained the book of Esther and they had an oral interpretation of

2890-712: A new mission in northern Ethiopia. Faitlovitch obtained funding from the Jewish philanthropist Edmond de Rothschild , traveled and lived among the Ethiopian Jews. In addition, Faitlovitch managed to disrupt the efforts of the Protestant missionaries to convert the Ethiopian Jews, who at the time attempted to persuade the Ethiopian Jews that all the Jews in the world believe in Jesus . Between the years 1905–1935, he brought out 25 young Ethiopian Jewish boys, whom he planted in

3060-514: A number of Jewish legal authorities, in previous centuries and in modern times, have ruled halakhically (according to Jewish legal code) that the Beta Israel are indeed Jews, the descendants of the tribe of Dan , one of the Ten Lost Tribes . They believe that these people established a Jewish kingdom that lasted for hundreds of years. With the rise of Christianity and later Islam , schisms arose and three kingdoms competed. Eventually,

3230-400: A period of civil unrest, on September 12, 1974, a pro-communist military junta , known as the " Derg " ("committee"), seized power after ousting the emperor Haile Selassie I . The Derg installed a government which was socialist in name and military in style. Lieutenant Colonel Mengistu Haile Mariam assumed power as head of state and Derg chairman . Mengistu's years in office were marked by

3400-470: A purely solar calendar of 364 days and 30-day months, insisting that all the Holy Days and fast days should always occur on fixed days in the week, rather than on fixed days of the months. He further said that Shabbat should be kept from sunrise on Saturday to sunrise on Sunday. Most Ananites and Karaites rejected such beliefs. ʻAnan developed his movement's core tenets. His Sefer HaMiṣwot ("The Book of

3570-491: A reaction to the rise of Islam . The new religion recognized Judaism as a fellow monotheistic faith, but claimed that it detracted from its belief by deferring to rabbinical authority. Anan ben David ( Hebrew : ענן בן דוד , c. 715 – 795 or 811?) is widely considered to be a major founder of the Karaite movement. His followers, called Ananites, did not believe the rabbinical oral law was divinely inspired. According to

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3740-667: A result of this period of oppression, much traditional Jewish culture and practice was lost or changed. Nonetheless, the Beta Israel community appears to have continued to flourish during this period. The capital of Ethiopia, Gondar , in Dembiya , was surrounded by Beta Israel lands. The Beta Israel served as craftsmen, masons, and carpenters for the Emperors from the 16th century onwards. Such roles had been shunned by Ethiopians as lowly and less honorable than farming. These accounts also recounted that some knowledge of Hebrew persisted among

3910-619: A result, several European rabbis proclaimed that they recognized the Jewishness of the Beta Israel community, and eventually in 1868 the organization " Alliance Israélite Universelle " decided to send the Jewish-French Orientalist Joseph Halévy to Ethiopia in order to study the conditions of the Ethiopian Jews. Upon his return to Europe, Halévy made a very favorable report of the Beta Israel community in which he called for world Jewish community to save

4080-528: A totalitarian-style government, and the country's massive militarization, financed by the Soviet Union and the Eastern Bloc, and assisted by Cuba. Communism was officially adopted by the new regime during the late 1970s and early 1980s. As a result, the new regime gradually began to embrace anti-religious and anti-Israeli positions, as well as showing hostility towards the Jews of Ethiopia. Towards

4250-540: A visual reminder to the Israelites to remember the commandments given by God. The thread of Tekhelet is a blue-violet or blue thread, which, according to the traditions of Rabbinic Judaism, is to be dyed with a specific kind of dye derived from a mollusc (notably the Hexaplex trunculus sea snail). Due to a number of factors, including Rome outlawing the use of Tekhelet by commoners, the source and practice of using

4420-468: Is Geʽez , also Semitic. Since the 1950s, they have taught Hebrew in their schools. Those Beta Israel residing in the State of Israel now use Modern Hebrew as a daily language. Contemporary scholars believe that the Beta Israel emerged comparatively recently and formed a distinct ethnonational group in the context of historical pressures that came to a head from the 14th to the 16th centuries. Many of

4590-524: Is 54,000 years, and with others - 125,000 years. Additionally, around 18% of Ethiopian Jews are bearers of E-P2 (xM35, xM2) ; in Ethiopia, most of such lineages belong to E-M329 , which has been found in ancient DNA isolated from a 4,500 year old Ethiopian fossil. Such haplotypes are frequent in Southwestern Ethiopia , especially among Omotic -speaking populations. The rest of the Beta Israel mainly belong to haplotypes linked with

4760-493: Is banned. Ethiopian Jews were forbidden to eat the food of non-Jews. A Kahen eats only meat he has slaughtered himself, which someone else may prepare. Someone else may also eat meat that a Kahen has slaughtered. Those who break these taboos are ostracized, and must undergo a purification process that includes fasting for one or more days, eating only uncooked chickpeas provided by the Kahen, and ritual purification, before entering

4930-470: Is considered melakha (forbidden work). Their prayer books are composed almost completely of biblical passages. Karaite Jews often practice full prostration during prayers, while most other Jews no longer pray in this fashion. Unlike Rabbinic Jews, Karaites do not practice the ritual of lighting Shabbat candles . They have a differing interpretation of the Torah verse, "You shall not [burn] ( Hebrew : bi‘er

5100-675: Is later mentioned in the Futuh al-Habasa , the history of the conquests of Imam Ahmad ibn Ibrahim al-Ghazi . According to this source, Emperor Dawit II took refuge in a royal stronghold of Bahr Amba on the Simien Mountains , while besieging the stronghold, the Imam came across the Jews of Simien. The chronicler describes the encounter between the Imam and the Beta Israel: Jewish Abyssinians (once) controlled

5270-520: Is mostly composed of Beta Israel (practicing both Haymanot and Rabbinic Judaism ), and to a smaller extent, of Falash Mura who left Christianity and began practicing Rabbinic Judaism upon their arrival to Israel. Throughout its history, the community has been referred to by numerous names. According to tradition , the Beta Israel (literally, 'house of Israel' in Ge'ez ) community had their origins in

History of the Jews in Ethiopia - Misplaced Pages Continue

5440-468: Is said to be rejected if it contradicts the simple meaning of the Tanakh's text. The vast majority of these traditions are not forced upon any Karaite Jew or convert to Judaism through the Karaite movement, except very few such as donning a head covering in the Karaite kenesa . Those Karaites Jews who are new to the Karaite lifestyle do not have such an inheritance or tradition and tend to rely solely upon

5610-602: Is the most common paternal lineage among Ethiopian Jews. The clade is carried by around 41% of Beta Israel males, and is primarily associated with Nilo-Saharan and Khoisan -speaking populations. However, the A branches carried by Ethiopians Jews are principally of the A-Y23865 variety, which formed about 10,000 years ago and is localized to the Ethiopian highlands and the Arabian peninsula . The difference with some Khoisan

5780-583: Is the palace of the world's Ruler; (8) belief in Resurrection contemporaneous with the advent of the Messiah; (9) final judgment; (10) retribution. Karaite Jews do not object to the idea of a body of interpretation of the Torah, along with extensions and development of non-rabbinic halakha (Jewish law) that strives to adhere to the Tanakh's straightforward meaning. Several hundred such books have been written by various Karaite Ḥakhamim (sages) throughout

5950-480: Is turned on prior to Shabbat. Many observant Karaites either unplug their refrigerators on Shabbat or turn off the circuit breakers. Karaites consider producing electricity to be a violation of Shabbat , no matter who produces it. Additionally, some Karaites view the purchasing of electricity that is charged on an incremental basis during the Shabbat as a commercial transaction that the Tanakh prohibits, no matter when

6120-604: Is used as a term for the Jewish religion by the Beta Israel community, although Ethiopian Orthodox Christians also use it as a term for their own religion. Mäṣḥafä Kedus (lit. "Holy Scriptures") is the name for the religious literature of the Beta Israel. These texts are written in Geʽez , which is also the liturgical language of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church . The holiest book is the Octateuch, known as

6290-670: Is very corrupt. They have their Hebrew Bibles and sing the psalms in their synagogues. The isolation of the Beta Israel community in Ethiopia was also reported by the Scottish explorer James Bruce who visited Gondar in the 18th century: "The only copy of the Old Testament, which they have, is the translation in Geez, the same made use of by the Abyssinian Christians, who are the only scribes, and sell these copies to

6460-454: Is why Rabbinic Judaism prohibits starting a fire on Shabbat. The vast majority of Karaite Jews hold that, throughout the Tanakh, ba‘ar explicitly means "to burn", while the Hebrew word meaning "to ignite" or "to kindle" is hidliq . Accordingly, the mainstream in Karaite Judaism takes the passage to mean that fire should not be left burning in a Jewish home on Shabbat, regardless of whether it

6630-407: The pi‘el form of ba‘ar ) a fire in any of your dwellings on the day of Shabbat." (Ex. 35:3) In Rabbinic Judaism, the qal verb form ba‘ar is understood to mean "burn", whereas the pi‘el form (present here) is understood to be, not intensive as usual but causative, the rule being that the pi‘el of a stative verb will be causative, instead of the usual hif‘il. Hence bi‘er means "kindle", which

6800-503: The Christian and Muslim Ethiopian kingdoms reduced the Jewish kingdom to a small impoverished section. The earliest authority to rule this way was the 16th-century scholar David ibn Zimra (Radbaz), who explained elsewhere in a responsum concerning the status of a Beta Israel slave: But those Jews who come from the land of Cush are without doubt from the tribe of Dan, and since they did not have in their midst sages who were masters of

6970-987: The E-M35 and J-M267 haplogroups, which are more commonly associated with Cushitic and Semitic-speaking populations in Northeast Africa. Further analysis show that the E-M35 carried by Ethiopian Jews is primarily indigenous to the Horn of Africa rather than being of Levantine origin. Altogether, this suggests that Ethiopian Jews have diverse patrilineages indicative of indigenous Northeast African , not Middle Eastern, origin. A 2011 mitochondrial DNA study focused on maternal ancestry sampling 41 Beta Israel found them to carry 51.2% macro-haplogroup L typically found in Africa. The remainder consisted of Eurasian-origin lineages such as 22% R0 , 19.5% M1 , 5% W , and 2.5% U . However, no identical haplotypes were shared between

History of the Jews in Ethiopia - Misplaced Pages Continue

7140-418: The Falash Mura . The larger Christian Beta Abraham community is considered to be a crypto-Jewish offshoot of the Beta Israel community. The Beta Israel first made extensive contact with other Jewish communities in the late 20th century, after which a comprehensive rabbinic debate ensued over their Jewishness . Following halakhic and constitutional discussions, Israeli authorities decided in 1977 that

7310-951: The Ge'ez calendar . The years are counted according to the counting of Kushta: "1571 to Jesus Christ, 7071 to the Gyptians , and 6642 to the Hebrews"; according to this counting, the year 5771 ( Hebrew : ה'תשע"א ) in the Rabbinical Hebrew calendar is the year 7082 in this calendar. Beta Israel holidays include ba'āl lisan (New Year in Nissan), fāsikā (Passover), mã'rar (Shavuot, lit. "harvest"), 'āl Matqe (Rosh Hashana, lit. "blowing holiday", compare zikhron teru'ah in Hebrew ), astasreyo (Yom Kippur), and ba'āla maṣallat (Sukkot, lit. "tabernacles holiday"). Other holidays unique to Beta Israel include ṣomä mã'rar (a fast before Shavuot, lit. "harvest fast"),

7480-675: The Ishmaelites , and part of which to the Christians, and part of which to the Israelites from the tribe of Dan . In all likelihood, they are from the sect of Sadok and Boethus , who are [now] called Karaites , since they know only a few of the biblical commandments , but are unfamiliar with the Oral Law , nor do they light the Sabbath candle . War ceases not from amongst them, and every day they take captives from one another... In

7650-679: The Kingdom of Italy , headed by the fascist leader Benito Mussolini , invaded and occupied Ethiopia. The Italian regime showed hostility towards the Jews of Ethiopia. The racial laws which were enacted in Italy were also applied to Italian East Africa. Mussolini attempted to reach an agreement with Britain which would recognize Italian East Africa, during which Mussolini proposed to solve the " Jewish problem " in Europe and in Palestine by resettling

7820-672: The Mo‘eṣet HaḤakhamim . KJU teaches various forms of Karaite Judaism and includes Sevel HaYerushah in its course materials. Thus, newly admitted converts to Karaite Judaism can choose to accept or reject Sevel HaYerushah. As with other Jews, during Shabbat , Karaites attend synagogue to worship and to offer prayers . Most Karaites refrain from sexual relations on that day since they maintain that engaging in them can cause fatigue and copulation, in particular, results in ritual impurity on this holy day, concerns that Rabbinic Judaism ceased to have long ago; additionally, impregnating one's wife

7990-578: The New Testament and the Quran . Yudghan was a follower of Abū ʻĪsā al-Iṣfahānī and claimed to be a prophet and the Messiah, saying that the observance of Shabbat and Holy Days was no longer obligatory. Isma‘il al-‘Ukbari believed he was the prophet Elijah , and hated ʻAnan. Mishawayh al-‘Ukbari, who was a disciple of Isma‘il al-‘Ukbari and the founder of the Mishawites, taught his followers to use

8160-459: The Oral Law , nor do they light the Sabbath candle . War ceases not from amongst them, and every day they take captives from one another... In the same responsum , he concludes that if the Ethiopian Jewish community wished to return to rabbinic Judaism, they would be received and welcomed into the fold, just as the Karaites who returned to the teachings of the Rabbanites in the time of Rabbi Abraham ben Maimonides . The contemporary history of

8330-513: The Orit among Ethiopian Jews: the Five Books of Moses plus Joshua , Judges and Ruth . The Beta Israel scriptures also include the Book of Lamentations and Book of Jeremiah , which are also found in the Orthodox Tewahedo biblical canon . Deuterocanonical books that also make up part of the Beta Israel canon are the Book of Sirach , Book of Judith , Esdras 1 and 2 , the Books of Meqabyan , Book of Jubilees , Book of Baruch (including 4 Baruch ), Book of Tobit , Book of Enoch , and

8500-670: The Testaments of Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob . Many of these books differ substantially from the similarly numbered and named texts in Koine Greek and Hebrew (such as the Book of Maccabees ), though some of the Ge'ez works are clearly dependent on those texts. Others appear to have different ancient literary and oral origins. Many texts used by the Beta Israel but other rabbinic Jewish groups are also used by Ethiopian Orthodox Christians but not other Christian groups. Important non-Biblical writings include: Mota Aron ("Death of Aaron"), Mota Musé ("Death of Moses"), Nagara Muse ("The Conversation of Moses"), Te'ezaza Sanbat ("Commandments of

8670-409: The written Torah without any additional Oral Law or explanation. Unlike mainstream Rabbinic Judaism , which regards the Oral Torah , codified in the Talmud and subsequent works, as authoritative interpretations of the Torah , Karaite Jews do not treat the written collections of the oral tradition in the Midrash or the Talmud as binding. Karaite interpretation of the Torah strives to adhere to

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8840-488: The " London Society for Promoting Christianity Amongst the Jews " which specialized in the conversion of Jews. The organization began its operating in Ethiopia in 1859. The Protestant missionaries, who worked under the direction of a converted Jew named Henry Aaron Stern, converted many of the Beta Israel community to Christianity. Between 1859 and 1922, about 2,000 Beta Israel members converted to Ethiopian Christianity (they did not convert to Protestantism due to an agreement

9010-441: The "black and beautiful" in Song of Songs 1:5). Rather, the narrative records that she was impressed with Solomon's wealth and wisdom, and they exchanged royal gifts, and then she returned to rule her people in Kush . However, the "royal gifts" are interpreted by some as sexual contact. The loss of the Ark is not mentioned in the Bible. Hezekiah later makes reference to the Ark in 2 Kings 19:15 . The Kebra Negast asserts that

9180-415: The 12th century scholar and liturgist Judah ben Elijah Hadassi in his Eshkol ha-Kofer : (1) God is the Creator of all created beings; (2) He is premundane and has no peer or associate; (3) the whole universe is created; (4) God called Moses and the other Prophets of the Biblical canon; (5) the Law of Moses alone is true; (6) to know the language of the Bible is a religious duty; (7) the Temple at Jerusalem

9350-399: The 1980s until the early 1990s. Addis Ababa at one point had a prominent Adenite community. Most of them left fairly quickly, with many making aliyah , however some stayed and established synagogues and Hebrew schools. By 1986, there were only six Adeni families left in the city, and almost all of their property was seized by the Mengistu regime. Ethiopia has an embassy in Tel Aviv ;

9520-428: The 1st, a holiday for the reception of Moses by the Israelites on the 10th, and a fast on the 12th. The month of Elul also has additional holidays for the Beta Israel— awd amet (lit. "year rotate") on the 1st, ṣomä lul (lit. "Elul fast") between the 1st–9th, anākel astar'i (lit. "our atonement") on the 10th, and asartu wasamantu (lit. "eighteenth") on the 28th. The fast in Tammuz ( ṣomä tomos ),

9690-449: The 4th century CE, when they refused to convert to Christianity during the rule of Abreha and Atsbeha (identified with Se'azana and Ezana ), the monarchs of the Kingdom of Aksum who embraced Christianity. This name contrasts with Beta Kristiyan , the term for the church in Ge'ez, literally meaning "house of Christianity". Since the 1980s, it has also become the official name used in the scholarly and scientific literature to refer to

9860-488: The Beginning God Created"). The synagogue is called the masgid (place of worship), it is also called the bet maqdas (Holy house) or the ṣalot bet (Prayer house). Beta Israel kashrut law is based mainly on the books of Leviticus , Deuteronomy , and Jubilees . Leviticus 11:3–8 and Deuteronomy 14:4–8 list permitted and forbidden land animals and their signs. Leviticus 11:13–23 and Deuteronomy 14:12–20 list forbidden birds. Leviticus 11:9–12 and Deuteronomy 14:9–10 list

10030-418: The Beta Israel are descended from a battalion of men of Judah who fled southward down the Arabian coastal lands from Judea after the breakup of the Kingdom of Israel into two kingdoms in the 10th century BCE (while King Rehoboam reigned over Judah). Although the Kebra Nagast and some traditional Ethiopian histories have stated that Gudit (or "Yudit", Judith; another name given her was "Esato", Esther),

10200-418: The Beta Israel community begins with the reunification of Ethiopia in the mid-19th century during the reign of Tewodros II . At that time, the Beta Israel population was estimated at between 200,000 and 350,000 people. Despite occasional contacts in an earlier stage, the West only became well-aware of the existence of the Beta Israel community when they came in contact through the Protestant missionaries of

10370-458: The Beta Israel generally grouped with other Cushitic and Ethiosemitic -speaking populations inhabiting the Horn of Africa. Karaite Judaism Karaism is a non-Rabbinical Jewish sect characterized by the recognition of the written Tanakh alone as its supreme authority in halakha ( religious law ) and theology . Karaites believe that all of the divine commandments which were handed down to Moses by God were recorded in

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10540-492: The Beta Israel qualified on all fronts for the Israeli Law of Return . Thus, the Israeli government, with support from the United States , began a large-scale effort to conduct transport operations and bring the Beta Israel to Israel in multiple waves. These activities included Operation Brothers , which evacuated the Beta Israel community in Sudan between 1979 and 1990 (including Operation Moses in 1984 and Operation Joshua in 1985), and Operation Solomon in 1991. By

10710-415: The Beta Israel then switched their alliance and began supporting Emperor Gelawdewos against the Muslim invaders. The Christian Ethiopians did succeed eventually in defeating the Muslims and preventing Ahmed Gragn from conquering Ethiopia. The Beta Israel then maintained good relations with Gelawdewos until the end of his reign. During the reign (1563–1597) of Emperor Sarsa Dengel , the Emperor launched

10880-413: The Beta Israel tradition, the legendary Kingdom of Beta Israel, later called the Kingdom of Simien, was initially established after Ezana declared Christianity as the official religion of the Kingdom of Aksum . The inhabitants who practiced Judaism refused to convert to Christianity and began revolting; this group was referred to as "Beta Israel". Following a civil war between the Jewish population and

11050-531: The Beta Israel were required to undergo a modified conversion ceremony involving immersion in a mikveh (ritual bath), a declaration accepting Rabbinic law, and, for men, a hatafat dam brit (symbolic recircumcision). Avraham Shapira later waived the hatafat dam brit stipulation, which is only a requirement when the halakhic doubt is significant. More recently, Shlomo Amar has ruled that descendants of Ethiopian Jews who were forced to convert to Christianity are "unquestionably Jews in every respect". With

11220-416: The Beta Israel which sparked a revolt. Following the defeat of the rebellion, Yeshaq divided the territories of the Jews into three provinces, which were controlled by commissioners appointed by him. He reduced the Jews' social status below that of Christians and forced the Jews to convert or lose their land. It would be given away as rist , a type of land qualification that rendered it forever inheritable by

11390-460: The Beta Israel's accounts of their own origins state that they stem from the very ancient migration of some portion of the Tribe of Dan to Ethiopia, were led by the sons of Moses, perhaps at the time of the Exodus. Alternative timelines include the later crises in Judea, e. g., the split of the northern Kingdom of Israel from the southern Kingdom of Judah after the death of King Solomon or the Babylonian Exile . Other Beta Israel take as their basis

11560-420: The Bolshevik Revolution of 1917, atheism became official state policy in Soviet territories and Karaite religious schools and places of worship were the very first religious institutions closed by the Soviet government. The authorities allowed only the teaching of Shapshalian doctrines about the Karaites, and the official stance according to Soviet law (carried over from Russian Imperial law) erroneously regarded

11730-457: The Christian account of Menelik 's return to Ethiopia. Menelik is considered the first Solomonic Emperor of Ethiopia , and is traditionally believed to be the son of King Solomon of ancient Israel , and Makeda, ancient Queen of Sheba (in modern Ethiopia ). Though all the available traditions correspond to recent interpretations, they reflect ancient convictions. According to Jon Abbink, three different versions are to be distinguished among

11900-425: The Christian overthrow of the Zagwe by the "Solomonic" Aksumite dynasty, whose rulers are glorified. The writing of this polemic shows that criticisms of the Aksumite claims of authenticity were current in the 14th century, two centuries after they came to power. Many Beta Israel believe that they are descended from the tribe of Dan. Most reject the "Solomonic" and "Queen of Sheba" legends of the Aksumites . To prove

12070-508: The Christian population, the Beta Israel were said to have forged an independent state located in the Semien Mountains region and the Dembia region – situated to the north of Lake Tana and south of the Tekezé River . However, there is no evidence that directly support its existence, and its historicity is considered unlikely by scholars. Nothing in the historical record from the 6th to the 13th centuries, however, has allowed scholars to make anything more than very tentative hypotheses concerning

12240-488: The Commandments") was published about 770. He adopted many principles and opinions of other anti-rabbinic forms of Judaism that had previously existed. He took much from the old Sadducees and Essenes, whose remnants still survived, and whose writings—or at least writings ascribed to them—were still in circulation. Thus, for example, these older sects prohibited the burning of any lights and the leaving of one's dwelling on

12410-492: The Emperor Susenyos I . By 1624, the revolt had been quelled, and the conclusive defeat of a subsequent uprising the following year marked the end of the political autonomy of the Beta Israel. After the Beta Israel autonomy in Ethiopia ended in the 1620s, Emperor Susenyos I confiscated their lands and forcibly baptized others. In addition, the practice of any form of Jewish religion was forbidden in Ethiopia. As

12580-530: The Emperor justified his action by stating: "It is better for me that I fight with the enemies of the blood of Jesus Christ [i.e. Jews ] than go to fight against the Galla ." The Ethiopian forces continued to pacify the Jews, culminating in the capture and execution of the Jewish rebel leader, Goshen. Following his death, many of the Beta Israel committed mass suicide. In 1614, the Jews of Seimen rebelled against

12750-502: The Emperor, and the rebellion was crushed. Beta Israel Historically, Beta Israel lived in northern and northwestern Ethiopia , where they were spread out across more than 500 small villages over a wide territory, alongside predominantly Christian and Muslim populations. Most of them were concentrated mainly in what is today North Gondar Zone , Shire Inda Selassie , Wolqayit , Tselemti , Dembia, Segelt, Quara , and Belesa. The Beta Israel appear to have been isolated from

12920-602: The Ethiopian Jewish population permission to leave his empire. Between the years 1965 and 1975, a relatively small group of Ethiopian Jews immigrated to Israel. The Beta Israel immigrants in that period were mainly a very few men who had studied and come to Israel on a tourist visa, and then remained in the country illegally. Some supporters in Israel who recognized their Jewishness decided to assist them. These supporters began organizing associations, including one under

13090-544: The Ethiopian Jews, to establish Jewish schools in Ethiopia, and even suggested to bring thousands of Beta Israel members to settle in Ottoman Syria (a dozen years before the actual establishment of the first Zionist organization). Nevertheless, after a brief period in which the media coverage generated a great interest in the Beta Israel community, the interest among the Jewish communities worldwide declined. This happened mainly because serious doubts still remained about

13260-470: The Falasha Jews; and no controversy, or dispute about the text, has ever yet arisen between the professors of the two religions. They have no Ketubah, or various readings; they have never heard of Talmud, Targum, or Cabala; neither have they any fringes or ribband upon their garments; nor is there, as far as I could learn, one scribe among them." The Beta Israel lost their relative economic advantage in

13430-594: The Israeli city of Ashdod . Some scholars trace the origin of Karaism to those who rejected the Talmudic tradition as an innovation. Judah Halevi , an 11th-century Jewish philosopher and rabbi , wrote a defense for Rabbinic Judaism entitled Kuzari , placing the origins of Karaism in the first and second centuries BCE, during the reign of Alexander Jannaeus ("King Jannai"), king of Judaea from 103 to 76 BCE: After him came Judah b. Tabbāi and Simon b. Shētaḥ, with

13600-441: The Jewish communities of Europe, for example Salomon Yesha , Taamerat Ammanuel , Abraham Adgeh , Yona Bogale , and Tadesse Yacob . Following his visit in Ethiopia, Faitlovitch created an international committee for the Beta Israel community, popularized the awareness of their existence through his book Notes de voyage chez les Falashas (1905), and raised funds to enable the establishment of schools in their villages. In 1908,

13770-535: The Jewish communities of that time. According to Ethiopian legend, a Jewish Queen Judith signed a pact with the Agaw tribes which were pagans . Around 960, the large confederation led by Queen Judith, which included both forces of the Agaw tribes and the Beta Israel forces, invaded the capital city of Aksum , conquering and destroying it (including many churches and monasteries which were burned and destroyed) and imposed

13940-597: The Jewish religion was effectively lost for some years, before being restored in the 1840s by Abba Widdaye, the preeminent monk of Qwara . Rabbi David ibn Zimra of Egypt (1479–1573), when asked about a certain black-skinned woman taken captive from Ethiopia ( Judeo-Arabic : אל-חבאש ) and sold to a Jew in Egypt (the woman claiming to be of Jewish descent), wrote of the impressions the Jews of Egypt had at that time of their Ethiopian counterparts who claimed Jewish descent: ...Lo!

14110-652: The Jewish rule over Aksum. However, legends surrounding a Jewish queen called Judith (Gudit) have been dismissed by scholars like Edward Ullendorff as without foundation in any historical facts. According to Jewish traveler, Eldad ha-Dani , the Tribe of Dan established their own kingdom in Ethiopia, "They went by way of Egypt further down the upper Nile River and settled in Ethiopia, in East Africa. The Danites were great warriors, and after fighting many battles against native tribes, they established themselves securely, with

14280-495: The Jewishness of the Beta Israel community, and because the Alliance Israélite Universelle organization did not comply with Halévy's recommendations. Between 1888 and 1892, northern Ethiopia experienced a devastating famine . The famine was caused by rinderpest that killed the majority of all cattle (see 1890s African rinderpest epizootic ). Conditions worsened with cholera outbreaks (1889–1892),

14450-597: The Jews in the north-west Ethiopian districts of Gojjam and Begemder , along with the Beta Israel community. The proposed Jewish state was to be federally united with the Italian Empire. Mussolini's plan was never implemented. When the State of Israel was established in 1948, many Ethiopian Jews began contemplating immigrating to Israel. Nevertheless, the Emperor Haile Selassie refused to grant

14620-687: The Karaite Mordecai ben Nissan (born 1650), the ancestors of the Karaites were a group called Benei Ṣedeq during the Second Temple period . Historians have argued over whether Karaism has a direct connection to the Sadducees dating back to the end of the Second Temple period (70 CE) or whether Karaism represents a novel emergence of similar views. Karaites have always maintained that while there are some similarities to

14790-657: The Karaite leaders that, even though the Russian Empire liked the idea that the Karaites did not accept the Talmud , they were still Jews and responsible for the crucifixion of Jesus and thus subject to the laws. The leaders, hearing that, devised a ruse by which they could be freed of the oppressive laws and told him that the Karaites had already settled in the Crimea before the death of Jesus. The Tsarist government then said that, if they could prove it, they would be free of

14960-546: The Karaite revival of the late 20th century; the World Karaite Movement was founded by Nehemia Gordon and Ḥakham Meir Rekhavi in the early 1990s. Karaite Jewish University (KJU), approved by the Mo‘eṣet HaḤakhamim (the Council of Sages) in Israel, was founded to teach an introductory course on Karaite Judaism. It could lead to a student's conversion by a Beit Din (religious Jewish court) authorized by

15130-523: The Karaite teaching...but in other things, they appear to follow the instruction of the Rabbis; and they say they are related to the tribe of Dan. Rabbi David ibn Zimra of Egypt (1479–1573), writing similarly, held the Ethiopian Jewish community to be similar in many ways to the Karaites, writing of them on this wise: ...Lo! the matter is well-known that there are perpetual wars between the kings of Kush , which has three kingdoms; part of which belonging to

15300-628: The Karaites as Turkic descendants of the Khazars and not as Jews. Not all European Karaites accepted the Shapshalian doctrines. Some Hachamim and a small part of the general Karaite population still preserved their Jewish heritage, but most dared not oppose Shapshal openly due to his official standing with regard to the Soviet Union . The Karaite community in Egypt was considered one of

15470-686: The Mediterranean world over the succeeding centuries and persuaded rabbinic authorities there that they were of Jewish descent, and so could if slaves be ransomed by Jewish communities, join synagogues, marry other Jews, etc, also referred to the Mosaic and Danite origins of Ethiopian Jewry. The Mosaic claims of the Beta Israel, in any case, like those of the Zagwe dynasty, are ancient. Other sources tell of many Jews who were brought as prisoners of war from ancient Israel by Ptolemy I and settled on

15640-576: The Midrash, Talmud, and other sources to indicate the authentic meaning of the Torah. Karaism holds every interpretation of the Torah to the same scrutiny regardless of its source, and teaches that it is the personal responsibility of every individual Jew to study the Torah , and ultimately to decide personally its correct meaning. Karaites may consider arguments made in the Talmud and other works, but without exalting them above other viewpoints. According to

15810-566: The Muslim government. He was sentenced to death, but his life was saved by his fellow prisoner, Abu Hanifa , the founder of the madhhab or school of fiqh (Muslim jurisprudence) known as the Hanafi . Ultimately he and his followers were permitted to migrate to Palestine . They erected a synagogue in Jerusalem that continued to be maintained until the time of the Crusades . From this center,

15980-459: The Muslim world and establish their own institutions. Karaites in the Muslim world also obtained high social positions such as tax collectors, doctors, and clerks, and even received special positions in the Egyptian courts. Karaite scholars were among the most conspicuous practitioners in the philosophical school known as Jewish Kalam . According to historian Salo Wittmayer Baron , at one time

16150-399: The Protestant missionaries had with the government of Ethiopia). The relatively low number of conversions is partly explained by the strong reaction to the conversions from religious leadership of the Beta Israel community. The Beta Israel members who were converted to Christianity are known today as "Falash Mura". The Protestant missionaries' activities in Ethiopia provoked European Jewry. As

16320-489: The Sabbath"), Arde'et ("Disciples"), Gorgoryos ("Apocalypse of Gorgorios"), Ezra ("Apocalypse of Ezra") , Barok ("Apocalypse of Baruch"), Mäṣḥafä Sa'atat ("Book of Hours"), Fālasfā ("Philosophers"), Abba Elias ("Father Elijah"), Mäṣḥafä Mäla'əkt ("Book of Angels"), Dərsanä Abrəham Wäsara Bägabs ("Homily on Abraham and Sarah in Egypt"), Gadla Sosna ("The Story of Susanna"), and Baqadāmi Gabra Egzi'abḥēr ("In

16490-506: The Sabbath. Unlike the Sadducees, ʻAnan and the Qumran sectaries allowed persons to leave their house, but prohibited leaving one's town or camp. ʻAnan said that one should not leave one's house for frivolous things, but only to go to prayer or to study scripture. The Sadducees required the observation of the new moon to establish the dates of festivals and always held the Shavuot festival on

16660-719: The Sadducees due to the rejection of rabbinical authority and of the Oral Law, there are major differences. According to Rabbi Abraham ibn Daud , in his Sefer ha-Qabbalah (written c. 1160), the Karaite movement crystallized in Baghdad in the Gaonic period ( c. 7th–9th centuries) under the Abbasid Caliphate in present-day Iraq . This is the view universally accepted among Rabbinic Jews. However, some Arab scholars claim that Karaites were already living in Egypt in

16830-476: The Sages, advising him to browbeat, expel, and scatter or kill them. He replied: 'If I destroy the Sages what will become of our Law?' 'There is the written law,' they replied, whoever wishes to study it may come and do so; take no heed of the oral law.' He followed their advice and expelled the Sages and among them Simon b. Shētaḥ, his son-in-law. Rabbinism was laid low for some time. The other party tried to establish

17000-403: The Tanakh and those practices mentioned in it, and to adapt Biblical practices to their cultural context. Karaite communities are so small and generally isolated, that their members commonly adopt the customs of their host country. In Israel, too, traditional Karaites tend to be culturally assimilated into mainstream society (both secular and Orthodox ). Many modern Karaite Jews have emerged from

17170-541: The Torah. Ferrara further recorded that they had their own language, that the journey from their land lasted six months, and that the biblical Gozan river was found within their borders. In the mid 15th century, Ethiopian missionaries began to carry out evangelization efforts in Seimen and Tselemt. Later on, the Beta Israel revolted against the Emperor Zara Yaqob (1434–1468) in the region of Seimen, this revolt

17340-661: The Ukbarites emerged separately from the Ananites. However, the Isunians, Yudghanites, Ukabarites , and Mishawites all held views that did not accord with those of either the Ananites or the Karaites. Abū ʻĪsā al-Iṣfahānī, who was an illiterate tailor, claimed to be a prophet, prohibited divorce, claimed that all months should have thirty days, believed in Jesus and Muhammad as prophets, and told his followers that they must study

17510-541: The Yemenite and Ethiopian Jewish populations, suggesting very little gene flow between the populations and potentially distinct maternal population histories. The maternal ancestral profile of the Beta Israel is similar to those of highland Ethiopian populations. The Ethiopian Jews' autosomal DNA has been examined in a comprehensive study by Tishkoff et al. (2009) on the genetic affiliations of various populations in Africa. According to Bayesian clustering analysis,

17680-597: The Zagwe dynasty claimed legitimacy (according to the Kebra Nagast ) by saying it was descended from Moses and his Ethiopian wife. Most of the Beta Israel consider the Kebra Negast to be legend. As its name expresses, "Glory of Kings" (meaning the Christian Aksumite kings), it was written in the 14th century in large part to delegitimize the Zagwe dynasty, to promote instead a rival "Solomonic" claim to authentic Jewish Ethiopian antecedents, and to justify

17850-461: The [Christian] empire was much larger, but since the [pagan and Muslim] Gallas have been pressing in upon them [from the east and south], the Emperors have pressed in upon them [i. e., the Jews to the west?] much more and took Dambea and Ogara from them by force of arms many years ago. In Seman, however, they defended themselves with great determination, helped by the position and the ruggedness of their mountains. Many rebels ran away and joined them till

18020-575: The ambassador is also accredited to the Holy See , Greece and Cyprus . Israel has an embassy in Addis Ababa ; the ambassador is also accredited to Rwanda and Burundi . Israel has been one of Ethiopia's most reliable suppliers of military assistance, supporting different Ethiopian governments during the Eritrean War of Independence . In 2012, an Ethiopian-born Israeli, Belaynesh Zevadia ,

18190-596: The antiquity and authenticity of their claims, the Beta Israel cite the 9th-century CE testimony of Eldad ha-Dani (the Danite), from a time before the Zagwean dynasty was established. Eldad was a Jewish man who appeared in Egypt and created a stir in that Jewish community (and elsewhere in the Mediterranean Jewish communities he visited) with claims that he had come from a Jewish kingdom of pastoralists far to

18360-442: The area as his homeland. Eldad's was not the only medieval testimony about Jewish communities living far to the south of Egypt, which strengthens the credibility of his account. Obadiah ben Abraham Bartenura wrote in a letter from Jerusalem in 1488: I myself saw two of them in Egypt. They are dark-skinned...and one could not tell whether they keep the teaching of the Karaites, or of the Rabbis, for some of their practices resemble

18530-545: The border of his kingdom with Nubia ( Sudan ). Another tradition asserts that the Jews arrived either via the old district of Qwara in northwestern Ethiopia, or via the Atbara River , where the Nile tributaries flow into Sudan. Some accounts specify the route taken by their forefathers on their way upriver to the south from Egypt. As mentioned above, the 9th-century Jewish traveler Eldad ha-Dani claimed he descended from

18700-585: The chief rabbis of 45 countries made a joint statement officially declaring that Ethiopian Jews were indeed Jewish. The Jewishness of the Beta Israel community became openly supported amongst the majority of the European Jewish communities during the early 20th century. In 1921, Abraham Isaac Kook , the first Ashkenazi chief rabbi of the British Mandate for Palestine , recognized the Beta Israel community as Jews. In 1935, armed forces of

18870-590: The community Ḥakhamim still taught that the Karaites were and had always been a part of the Jewish people; prayer was in Hebrew, the lineage of Kohens , Levites , and families of Davidic descent were meticulously preserved, and books printed in Hebrew adamantly identified the Karaites as Jews. In 1897 the Russian census counted 12,894 Karaites in the Russian Empire. By the early 20th century, most European Karaites were no longer very knowledgeable about

19040-533: The community, his conservatism and opposition towards local customs were met by little success. In the 1950s, the entire Jewish population in Egypt was estimated at 80,000 including 5,000 Karaite Jews. Following the United Arab Republic 's participation in the Six-Day War , a few Jewish men in Egypt were placed in short term detention, before being expelled from the country. This resulted in

19210-422: The community. The term Esra'elawi , meaning " Israelites ", is also used by the community to refer to its members. The name Ayhud (lit. " Jews ") is rarely used in the community, as Ethiopian Christians had used it as a derogatory term; however, the term has increased in usage in the 20th century as the Beta Israel strengthened its ties with other Jewish communities. The term Ibrawi (lit. "Hebrew")

19380-441: The consent of Ovadia Yosef, Amar ruled that it is forbidden to question the Jewishness of this community, pejoratively called Falash Mura in reference to their having converted. A number of DNA studies have been done on the Beta Israel. Genealogical DNA testing allows research into paternal (meaning only through fathers) and maternal (meaning only through mothers) ancestry. According to Cruciani et al. (2002), haplogroup A

19550-400: The contest for the office of exilarch which allegedly served as the immediate cause of his apostasy." Nemoy later notes that Natronai—a devout Rabbanite—lived where ʻAnan's activities took place, and that the Karaite sage Jacob Qirqisani never mentioned ʻAnan's purported lineage or candidacy for Exilarch . ʻAnan's allowing his followers to proclaim him as Exilarch was considered treason by

19720-484: The day after the weekly Sabbath (i.e., the Sunday) that occurs during the seven days of Ḥagh HaMaṣṣot to the day after the seventh weekly Sabbath. They celebrate Shavu‘ot on that Sunday, no matter what the calendar date of that Sunday on which it happens to fall. A Tzitzit (alternatively spelled Ṣiṣit, plural: Tzitziyot or Ṣiṣiyot) is a knotted or braided tassel worn by observant Jews (both Karaite and Rabbinic) on each of

19890-496: The days from the offering of the ‘Omer is different from the rabbinic method. The Karaites understand the term "morrow after the Sabbath" in Leviticus 23:15–16 to refer to the weekly Sabbath, whereas Rabbinic Judaism interprets it as referring to the day of rest on the first day of Ḥagh HaMaṣṣot . So while Rabbinic Judaism begins the count on the 16th of Nisan and celebrates Shavu‘ot on the 6th of Sivan , Karaite Jews count from

20060-575: The death of Jesus and thus had no responsibility for it. Firkovich referenced tombstones in Crimea (altering the dates) and gathered thousands of Karaite, Rabbinic, and Samaritan manuscripts, including one rabbinic document from Transcaucasia that claims that the Jews there were descendants of the exiles from the northern Kingdom of Israel . These actions convinced the Tsar that Karaite ancestors could not have killed Jesus and that thus their descendants were free of familial guilt . Despite this, within

20230-624: The direction of Ovadia Hazzi, a Yemeni Jew and former sergeant in the Israeli army who married a wife from the Beta Israel community after the Second World War. Some of the illegal immigrants managed to regularize their status with the Israeli authorities through the assistance of these support associations. Some agreed to "convert" to Judaism, which helped them to regularize their personal status and thus remain in Israel. Those who had regularized their status often brought their families to Israel as well. In 1973, Ovadia Hazzi officially raised

20400-576: The district of Semien . They are called, in their own language, Falasa, because they chant the praise of the One God and have faith in none other. They have no Prophet and no saint. For forty years the people of Bahr Amba had enslaved them and put them to work as servants. They tilled the fields for them. After the imam had won the victory over the patrician Sa'ul, all the Falasa came from deep valleys and even from mountain caves – because they did not dwell in

20570-563: The end of 2008, there were 119,300 Ethiopian Jews living in Israel, including nearly 81,000 born in Ethiopia and about 38,500 (about 32% of the Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel) born in Israel with at least one parent born in Ethiopia or Eritrea (formerly a part of Ethiopia). At the end of 2019, there were 155,300 Jews of Ethiopian descent in Israel. Approximately 87,500 were born in Ethiopia, and 67,800 were born in Israel with parents born in Ethiopia. The Ethiopian Jewish community in Israel

20740-562: The fast for Tisha B'Av ( ṣomä ab ), the fast in Tevet ( ṣomä tibt ), and the Fast of Esther ( ṣomä astēr ) are multi-day fasts while they are only one day in rabbinical Jewish tradition. The first of each month is celebrated as yačaraqā ba'āl (lit. "new moon festival") (compare Rosh Chodesh ), and the last of each month is a fast called ṣomä mälěya (compare Yom Kippur Katan ). There are also monthly celebrations commemorating

20910-454: The fate of the Ethiopian Jews and fear for their well-being contributed eventually to the Israeli government's official recognition of the Beta Israel community as Jews in 1975, for the purpose of the Law of Return. Civil war in Ethiopia prompted the Israeli government to airlift most of the Beta Israel population in Ethiopia to Israel in several covert military rescue operations which took place from

21080-741: The first Islamic governor of Egypt (d. 664), and was reportedly dated 20  AH (641 CE). At one time, Karaites made up a significant proportion of the Hebrew population. However as of 2013, an estimated 30,000 to 50,000 Karaites resided in Israel , with smaller communities in Turkey, Europe and the United States. A 2007 report estimated that, of 30,000 worldwide, more than 20,000 descend from those who made aliyah from Egypt and Iraq to Israel . The largest Karaite community today resides in

21250-462: The first half of the seventh century, based on a legal document that the Karaite community in Egypt had in its possession until the end of the 19th century, in which the first Islamic governor ordered the leaders of the Rabbinite community against interfering with Karaite practices or with the way they celebrate their holidays. It was said to have been stamped by the palm of Amr ibn al-ʿĀṣ as-Sahmī ,

21420-452: The four corners of what is often an outer garment or their Tallit . The Torah commands Israel to make tassels on the corners of their four-cornered garment containing a thread of Tekhelet ( Numbers 15:38 ) and repeats this commandment using the word for "twisted cords" ("Gedilim") instead of "tassels" at Deuteronomy 22:12 . The purpose of the tassels is stated in the Book of Numbers as

21590-457: The fourth sabbath of the fifth month, and an additional ṣomä mã'rar and mã'rar in Kislev. The most notable of the holidays unique to Beta Israel is Sigd , or měhlělla (lit. "supplication"), celebrated on the 29th day of Cheshvan , and recognized as an official state holiday in Israel since 2009. The month of Cheshvan also includes a holiday for the day Moses saw the face of God on

21760-399: The friends of both. At this period the doctrine of the Karaites arose in consequence of an incident between the Sages and King Jannai who was a priest. His mother was under suspicion of being a 'profane' woman. One of the Sages alluded to this, saying to him: 'Be satisfied, O king Jannai, with the royal crown, but leave the priestly crown to the seed of Aaron.' His friends prejudiced him against

21930-719: The late 18th and early 19th centuries, during the Zemene Mesafint , a period of recurring civil strife. Although the capital was nominally in Gondar during this time period, the decentralization of government and dominance by regional warlords resulted in a decline and exploitation of Beta Israel. According to the early 19th century missionary Samuel Gobat , the Christians considered the Jews boudas , or sorcerers, and they often fell victim to marauding warlords, as Gobat reported "Their cattle are often taken from them. They carry no arms, either for attack or defense." During this period,

22100-595: The latter from the former, because he could not embrace his inventions which he formed out of his own brain; and from him the Karaites sprung, who were first called the society or congregation of Judah ben Tabbai, which was afterwards changed into the name of Karaites. Gill also traces the Karaite sect to the split between the schools of Hillel the Elder and Shammai in 30 BCE. American scholar Bernard Revel rejects many of Geiger's arguments in his 1913 published dissertation, The Karaite Halakah . Revel also points to

22270-600: The latter in Dambea and in various regions; they live by weaving cloth and by making zargunchos [spears], ploughs and other iron articles, for they are great smiths. Between the Emperor's kingdoms and the Cafres [Negroes] who live next to the Nile outside imperial territory, mingled together with each other are many more of these Jews who are called Falashas here. The Falashas or Jews are ... of [Arabic] race [and speak] Hebrew, though it

22440-408: The lowlands, but in the mountains and in caves. They said to the imam "For forty years there has been hatred between us and the people of Bahr Amba. Let us kill them now, those who are left. And let us occupy their strongholds now that you have conquered them. We will be sufficient to do this to them. So, remain in your camp, and what we will do to them will astonish you." After the death of Dawit II ,

22610-540: The main annual holidays, asärt (lit. "ten") on the tenth day to commemorate Yom Kippur, asrã hulat (lit. "twelve") for commemorate Shavuot, and asrã ammest (lit. "fifteen") for Passover and Sukkot. Shabbat is called Sanbat . There are also weekly fasts on Monday ( ṣomä säňňo ), Thursday ( ṣomä amus ), and Friday ( ṣomä 'arb ). The Beta Israel once spoke Qwara and Kayla , both of which are Agaw languages . Now, they speak Tigrinya and Amharic , both Semitic languages . Their liturgical language

22780-432: The many correlations between Karaite halakha and theology and the interpretations of Philo of Alexandria , the 1st-century philosopher and Jewish scholar. He also notes the writings of a 10th-century Karaite who refers to Philo's works, showing that the Karaites made use of Philo's writings in the development of their movement. Later Medieval Karaite commentators did not view Philo in a favorable light. These attitudes show

22950-614: The matter in 1974. In April 1975, the Israeli government of Yitzhak Rabin officially accepted the Beta Israel as Jews, for the purpose of the Law of Return (an Israeli act that grants all the Jews in the world the right to immigrate to Israel). Later on, Israeli Prime Minister Menachem Begin obtained clear rulings from Ovadia Yosef that they were descendants of the Ten Lost Tribes . The Chief Rabbinate of Israel did, however, initially require them to undergo pro forma Jewish conversions , to remove any doubt as to their Jewish status. After

23120-437: The matter is well-known that there are perpetual wars between the kings of Kush , which has three kingdoms; part of which belonging to the Ishmaelites , and part of which to the Christians, and part of which to the Israelites from the tribe of Dan . In all likelihood, they are from the sect of Sadok and Boethus , who are [now] called Karaites , since they know only a few of the biblical commandments , but are unfamiliar with

23290-399: The mid-1980s, Ethiopia underwent a series of famines , exacerbated by adverse geopolitics and civil wars , which eventually resulted in the deaths of hundreds of thousands. As a result, the lives of hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, including the Beta Israel community, became untenable and a large part tried to escape the war and the famine by fleeing to neighboring Sudan . Concern for

23460-472: The more mainstream Jewish communities for at least a millennium, and practiced a non- Talmudic form of Judaism that is similar in some respects to Karaite Judaism . The religious practices of Israeli Beta Israel are referred to as Haymanot . Having suffered persecution in Ethiopia, a significant portion of the Beta Israel community was forced into Christianity during the 19th and 20th centuries; those who converted to Christianity then came to be known as

23630-681: The movement's history, although most are lost today. The disagreement arises over the rabbinic tradition's raising of the Talmud and the other writings of the rabbis above the Torah. The Karaites believe this has led to traditions and customs being kept under rabbinic law that contradict what is written in the Torah. The Karaites also have their own traditions and customs passed down from their ancestors and religious authorities. These are known as Sevel HaYerushah , which means "the Yoke [or burden] of Inheritance." Most of these practices are kept primarily by traditional Karaites; theoretically, any tradition thereof

23800-409: The near complete disappearance of the Jewish and Karaite communities by the 1970s. Karaites were among the last to leave and most of Egypt's Karaite Jews settled in Israel. The latest Chief Karaite sages of the Karaite community in Egypt (החכמים הראשיים הקראים) were: From 1916 to 1921, due to World War I, there was no Chief sage in Egypt. The oldest Karaite articles of faith were formulated by

23970-453: The notables of the chief Jewish congregations, and the choice was confirmed by the Caliph of Baghdad. A schism may have occurred, with ʻAnan ben David being proclaimed exilarch by his followers. However, not all scholars agree that this event occurred. Leon Nemoy notes, "Natronai, scarcely ninety years after ‘Anan's secession, tells us nothing about his aristocratic (Davidic) descent or about

24140-481: The number of Jews affiliating with Karaism was as much as 10 percent of world Jewry, and debates between Rabbinist and Karaite leaders were not uncommon. Among the staunchest critics of Karaite thought and practice at this time was Saadia Gaon , whose writings brought about a permanent split between some Karaite and Rabbinic communities. Egypt had long been a bastion for Karaites and their teachings. According to David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra , in one day in Egypt,

24310-523: The oldest and had existed in that country for about 1,300 years. Many interactions, including financial support, religious leadership positions and marriages, have taken place between the various Karaite communities, including those in Egypt, Turkey, Jerusalem and Crimea. A split emerged within the Karaite community of Egypt around the turn of the 20th century, between those now termed "progressives" and those termed "traditionalists". The progressives, of which noted writer and intellectual Murat Faraj Lisha‘

24480-442: The oppressive laws. The community leaders charged Abraham Firkovich (1786–1874) with gathering anything that could help show that Karaites were not in Jerusalem at the time of Jesus , and thus not responsible for the crucifixion. Through his work, Firkovich helped establish the idea among the Russian authorities that the Karaites, as descendants of the exiled northern kingdom of Israel, had already gone into exile centuries before

24650-400: The payment is made; the recording of the electric meter is considered by them to be a commercial transaction. Karaites maintain that in the absence of a Temple , ordinary washing with flowing waters (described in the Torah as "living"—flowing—water) should be substituted for purification with water that includes ashes obtained through the red heifer burning ritual. Karaites believe that this

24820-400: The people in the 17th century. For example, Manoel de Almeida , a Portuguese diplomat and traveller of the day, wrote that: There were Jews in Ethiopia from the first. Some of them were converted to the law of Christ Our Lord; others persisted in their blindness and formerly possessed many wide territories, almost the whole Kingdom of Dambea and the provinces of Ogara and Seman. This was when

24990-406: The plain or most obvious meaning ( peshat ) of the text; this is not necessarily the literal meaning of the text—instead, it is the meaning of the text that would have been naturally understood by the ancient Hebrews when the books of the Torah were first written—without the use of the Oral Torah. By contrast, Rabbinic Judaism relies on the legal rulings of the Sanhedrin as they are codified in

25160-428: The present Emperor Setan Sequed [throne name of Susneyos], who in his 9th year fought and conquered the King Gideon and in his 19th year attacked Samen and killed Gideon. ... The majority and the flower of them were killed in various attacks and the remainder surrendered or dispersed in different directions. Many of them received holy baptism, but nearly all were still as much Jews as they had been before. There are many of

25330-409: The question of the Jewishness of the Beta Israel to the Israeli Sephardi rabbi Ovadia Yosef . The rabbi, who cited a rabbinic ruling from the 16th century Radbaz and asserted that the Beta Israel are descended from the lost tribe of Dan , acknowledged their Jewishness in February 1973. This ruling was initially rejected by the Ashkenazi Chief Rabbi Shlomo Goren , who eventually changed his opinion on

25500-419: The recipient and not transferable by the Emperor. Yeshaq decreed, "He who is baptized in the Christian religion may inherit the land of his father, otherwise let him be a Falāsī ." This may have been the origin for the term "Falasha" ( falāšā , "wanderer", or "landless person"). This term is considered derogatory to Ethiopian Jews. In 1435, Elijah of Ferrara recounted meeting an Ethiopian Jew in Jerusalem in

25670-473: The religion and Seraya Shapshal , a Karaite soldier of fortune who had been the tutor of the last Qajar Shah of Persia, Mohammad Ali Shah Qajar and a Russian spy, managed about 1911 to get himself elected Chief Ḥakham of the Karaites in the Russian Empire (by that time, due to Russian regulations, the position had become more of a political one than a spiritual one). Influenced by the Pan-Turkic movement in Turkey, Shapshal made his position into something of

25840-446: The same responsum , he concludes that if the Ethiopian Jewish community wished to return to rabbinic Judaism, they would be received and welcomed into the fold, just as the Karaites who returned to the teachings of the Rabbanites in the time of Rabbi Abraham ben Maimonides . Reflecting the consistent assertions made by Ethiopian Jews they dealt with or knew of, and after due investigation of their claims and their own Jewish behaviour,

26010-523: The scholarly traditions of his own people. Eldad said that the Jews of his own kingdom descended from the tribe of Dan (which included the Biblical war-hero Samson ) who had fled the civil war in the Kingdom of Israel between Solomon's son Rehoboam and Jeroboam the son of Nebat, and resettled in Egypt. From there, they moved southwards up the Nile into Ethiopia. The Beta Israel say this confirms that they are descended from these Danites. Some Beta Israel, however, assert that their Danite origins go back to

26180-403: The sect diffused thinly over Syria , spread into Egypt, and ultimately reached Southeast Europe . Ben David challenged the Rabbinical establishment. Some scholars believe that his followers may have absorbed Jewish Babylonian sects such as the Isunians (followers of Abū ʻĪsā al-Iṣfahānī ), Yudghanites , and the remnants of the pre-Talmudic Sadducees and Boethusians . Later, sects such as

26350-486: The signs of permitted fish. Insects and larvae are forbidden in Leviticus 11:41–42. Gid hanasheh is forbidden in Genesis 32:33. Mixtures of milk and meat are not prepared or eaten, but benefiting from them is permitted—Haymanot use a literal interpretation of the verses Exodus 23:19, Exodus 34:26, and Deuteronomy 14:21, "shalt not seethe a kid in its mother's milk", similar to Karaite Judaism ; whereas, under Rabbinic Judaism , any benefit from mixing dairy products with meat

26520-446: The son of King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba (or Makeda, in the legend) (see 1 Kings 10:1–13 and 2 Chronicles 9:1–12 ). The legend relates that Menelik, as an adult, returned to his father in Jerusalem, and later resettled in Ethiopia. He took with him the Ark of the Covenant . In the Bible , there is no mention that the Queen of Sheba either married or had any sexual relations with King Solomon (although some identify her with

26690-402: The south. The only language Eldad spoke was a hitherto unknown dialect of Hebrew. Although he strictly followed the Mosaic commandments, his observance differed in some details from Rabbinic halakhah. Some observers thought that he might be a Karaite, although his practice also differed from theirs. He carried Hebrew books that supported his explanations of halakhah. He cited ancient authorities in

26860-461: The time of Moses, when some Danites parted from other Jews right after the Exodus and moved south to Ethiopia. Eldad the Danite speaks of at least three waves of Jewish immigration into his region, creating other Jewish tribes and kingdoms. The earliest wave settled in a remote kingdom of the "tribe of Moses": this was the strongest and most secure Jewish kingdom of all, with farming villages, cities and great wealth. Other Ethiopian Jews who appeared in

27030-402: The tradition, they clung to the simple meaning of the Scriptures. If they had been taught, however, they would not be irreverent towards the words of our sages, so their status is comparable to a Jewish infant taken captive by non-Jews… And even if you say that the matter is in doubt, it is a commandment to redeem them. In 1973, Ovadia Yosef , the Sephardi chief rabbi of Israel ruled, based on

27200-417: The traditions which were recorded by the priests of the community. According to one account, the Beta Israel originated in the kingdom of Israel and they were the contemporaries rather than the descendants of King Solomon and Menelik. The Ethiopian history described in the Kebra Nagast relates that Ethiopians are descendants of Israelite tribes who came to Ethiopia with Menelik I , alleged to be

27370-574: The tribe of Dan. He also reported other Jewish kingdoms around his own or in East Africa during this time. His writings probably represent the first mention of the Beta Israel in Rabbinic literature. Despite some skeptical critics, his authenticity has been generally accepted in current scholarship. His descriptions were consistent and even the originally doubtful rabbis of his time were finally persuaded. Specific details may be uncertain; one critic has noted Eldad's lack of detailed reference to Ethiopia's geography and any Ethiopian language, although he claimed

27540-416: The village. Unlike other Ethiopians, the Beta Israel do not eat raw meat dishes such as kitfo or gored gored . The Beta Israel calendar is a lunar calendar of 12 months, each 29 or 30 days alternately. Every four years, there is a leap year which adds a full month (30 days). The calendar is a combination of the ancient calendar of Alexandrian Jewry , Book of Jubilees, Book of Enoch, Abu Shaker , and

27710-454: The writings of David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra and other accounts, that the Beta Israel were Jews and should be brought to Israel. Two years later this opinion was confirmed by a number of other authorities who made similar rulings, including the Ashkenazi chief rabbi of Israel Shlomo Goren . In 1977, the law was passed granting the right of return. Some notable poskim (religious law authorities) from non-Zionist Ashkenazi circles, placed

27880-494: Was appointed Israeli ambassador to Ethiopia. During the imperial era , Israeli advisers trained paratroops and counterinsurgency units belonging to the Fifth Division (also called the Nebelbal, 'Flame', Division). In December 1960, a section of the Ethiopian army attempted a coup whilst the Emperor Haile Sellassie I was on a state visit in Brazil. Israel intervened, so that the Emperor could communicate directly with general Abbiye. General Abbiye and his troops remained loyal to

28050-402: Was at the forefront, called for a more liberal interpretation of Halakha , along with societal reforms and greater solidarity with Rabbanites. The traditionalists were led by Chief Hakham Tubiah ben Simhah Levi Babovich, and called not only for a more obdurate interpretation, but for greater separatism from both Rabbanites and Zionism . Although Babovich was respected for his dedication towards

28220-400: Was given to the community in the 15th century by the Emperor Yeshaq I ; its use is now considered offensive. The term Zagwe is also used for the Beta Israel, although it is considered derogatory, as it associated the community with the Agaw people of the Zagwe dynasty , who largely practice traditional African religion . Haymanot ( Ge'ez : ሃይማኖት) is the colloquial term for "faith" which

28390-445: Was lit prior to, or during the Sabbath. However, the minority of Karaites who view the prohibition to be on kindling a fire often permit a fire to continue burning into the Sabbath. Historically, Karaites refrained from using or deriving benefit from fire until the Sabbath ends, and accordingly their homes were not lit during the night of the Sabbath. Many modern Karaites today use a fluorescent or LED lamp powered by batteries, which

28560-459: Was put down ruthlessly and many Ethiopian Jews in Seimen were massacred. The chronicler documenting the reign of Zara Yaqob even goes so far as to proudly bestow upon the Emperor the title "Exterminator of the Jews". In the 16th century, the Chief Rabbi of Egypt , David ben Solomon ibn Abi Zimra (also called Radbaz, ca.1479–1573), proclaimed that in terms of halakha the Ethiopian Beta Israel community are ethnically Jewish. The Beta Israel

28730-455: Was the practice before the Tabernacle was built in the Sinai Peninsula following the Exodus . They follow certain Torah laws for avoiding Ṭum’at Met (ritual impurity caused by contact with a dead body, human bones, graves, or being present in a space under any ceiling where a human died) which are no longer considered relevant in Rabbinic Judaism, except for Kohanim (members of the Jewish priestly class). The Karaite method of counting

28900-436: Was used to refer to the chawa (lit. "free man") in the community, in contrast to the barya (lit. "slave"). The term Oritawi (lit. " Torah -true") was also used to refer to the Beta Israel; since the 19th century, it has been used in contraast to the term Falash Mura (converts). The colloquial Ethiopian/Eritrean term Falasha or Felasha , which means "landless", "wanderers", or "associated with monks",

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