They call themselves Beta Israel (House of Israel), and have wanted to live in the modern state of Israel since its establishment in 1948.Įthiopian Coptic Christianity incorporates an unusually large number of Judaic practices, including male circumcision, kosher dietary laws, and the Sabbath (which Christians observe on Saturday as well as Sunday). They are religious Zionists - i.e., they dream of a return to Zion. Otherwise their religion is the same as Judaism throughout the world, including observance of the Sabbath and Biblical dietary laws. Until recently Ethiopian Jews practiced animal sacrifice, and ritual purification through immersion in water. They have no knowledge or post-Biblical Jewish holidays such as Chanukah or Purim, or post-Biblical interpretations of the Law, e.g., the prohibition against mixing meat and milk. Their leaders are priests (kohanim) rather than rabbis. They have the Torah (Written Law) but not the Talmud (Oral Law). Eighty-five percent live in Gondar Province, in the Semien Mountains near Lake Tana the rest live in Tigre and Wollo Provinces.Įthiopian Jews are Biblical, pre-Rabbinic Jews. Today Jews number only 25,000, less than 1 % of the population. Known as 'Falashas' - a derogatory name meaning 'stranger' or 'exile' - Ethiopian Jews could no longer own land or be educated. With the help of modern Portuguese weapons, the Amhara finally conquered the Jews in 1616, enslaving, converting, and killing them. The Jews maintained their independence for over 1000 years in spite of continuous massacres, religious persecution, enslavement, and forced conversions. According to Ethiopian tradition, one-half of the population was Jewish before Christianity was proclaimed the official religion in the 4th century. It does not store any personal data.Jews have lived in Ethiopia for over 2000 years. The cookie is set by the GDPR Cookie Consent plugin and is used to store whether or not user has consented to the use of cookies. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category 'Performance'. This cookie is set by GDPR Cookie Consent plugin. The cookies is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category 'Necessary'. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category 'Other. The cookie is set by GDPR cookie consent to record the user consent for the cookies in the category 'Functional'. The cookie is used to store the user consent for the cookies in the category 'Analytics'.

These cookies ensure basic functionalities and security features of the website, anonymously. Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly.

Survive the nights beta