It’s a ‘homecoming’ for around 240 Indians who landed at Ben Gurion Airport in Israel on Thursday. This is because they are believed to be descendants of the biblical Jewish tribe.
The Bnei Menashe (Sons of Manasseh) tribe is a tribal community spread over Manipur and Mizoram and claims descent from Manasseh, the ancestor of one of the biblical “Lost Tribes” of Israel, who were driven out by the Assyrian conquerors in 720 BC.
The Ten Lost Tribes of Ancient Israel
Biblical Israel consisted of twelve tribes: Reuben, Simeon, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, Asher, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Manasseh, Judah and Benjamin.
Except for the members of Yehuda and Benjamin, they were forced to leave their homeland in the 8th century BC and were scattered throughout the world for centuries.
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And now, like others, Manasseh is returning to his Jewish homeland as part of an Israeli government operation to relocate them.
Bnei Menashe Jewish ties
Since the founding of Israel, attempts have been made to identify and repatriate the Lost Tribes to their Jewish homeland. Members of the Bnei Menashe community, who claim to follow several ancient Jewish traditions, have attempted to legitimize their claims to Israeli roots since the 1950s.
Over the decades, several Jewish religious experts and historians have studied the oral and other traditions of the Bnei Menashe community and found certain similarities with ancient Jewish customs.
According to AFP, their oral history tells of a centuries-long exodus through Persia, Afghanistan, Tibet and China, while observing certain Jewish religious practices such as circumcision.
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In the early 2000s, despite DNA tests failing to clearly demonstrate their Middle Eastern heritage, the Bnei Menashe were recognized by Israel’s Chief Rabbi Shlomo Amar as the “seed of Israel”, paving the way for migration to Israel.
Since then, several small groups of the Bnei Menashe community have migrated to Israel with the help of Shavei Israel, an NGO that claims to help the descendants of Jews and the Lost Tribes of Israel reclaim their roots.
According to Shavei Israel, about 4,000 Bnei Menashe have already immigrated to Israel since the 1990s, with about 7,000 others still living in India.
The NGO said it plans to resettle all members of Bnei Menashe to Israel by 2030.
What’s next for Bnei Menashe in Israel
The 240 Bnei Menashe who arrived on Thursday are to settle in northern Israel, according to the Integration Ministry.
They will have to convert to Judaism to become Israeli citizens.
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Immigration Minister Ofir Sofer, who welcomed the new arrivals at the airport, told AFP their arrival marked a “historic moment”.
“This is the beginning of an operation that will allow the whole community to immigrate, 1,200 a year,” he said.
Key things
- The Bnei Menashe community claims descent from the biblical tribe of Manasseh and has sought recognition for decades.
- Israeli initiatives have facilitated Bnei Menashe immigration with plans to resettle all members by 2030.
- Despite the difficulties in proving their heritage, their cultural practices and oral traditions gained the attention of the Jewish authorities.
