The Hebrew Igbo or Igbo Hebrew Review

THE HEBREWS AND THE IGBOS AS THE HEBREW TRIBES IN AFRICA

After a research of all stories of the Igbo Hebrew or Hebrew Igbo origin not as a historian or an authority in the field but as an igbo person and someone who wishes to know. I have divided the Hebrew-Igbo history into three parts namely;

• mythology,
• Hebrew origin proponents
• and Hebrew origin antagonists

I have also added my own view of the matter.

The failure of a people begins when the belief in themselves is taken from them; then the detractor needs do no more (Achebe, Morning Yet on Creation Day).

• MYTHOLOGY

Oral history of the Nri people, the oldest known kingdom in Nigeria dated to about 9AD has it that Eri ( a sky being) was sent by Chukwu to dominate the earth, Eri settled in the middle of Omambala (oral history has it that Eri met an Authchonous group who had no living memory of their origin) river valley where he married two wives the first Nneamaku bore him five children, the first was Agulu the founder of Agulueri the second was Nri ifikuanim the founder of Umunri kindom of Nri followed by Nri Onugu the founder of Igbariam and Ogbodulu, the founder Amanuke the fifth one was a daughter called Iguedo who is said to have born the founders of Nteje,Awkuzu,Ogbunike,Umuleri,Nando and Ogboli in Onitsha the second son of Nri ifikuanim oboli begot Onoja the only son who founded the Igala kingdom( strong evidence points to the fact that Nri son Onoja Oboli was the founder of Igala kingdom).

Other stories have it that a man of Igala stock from Idah called Eri, son of Achado, a native doctor and hunter, came down the Omambala River in search of the River at a place later called Aguleri (Aguleri Igbo), and begat a number of children, to whom he passed on the secrets of his arts. His eldest son, who succeeded to the paraphernalia of his trade, was called Nriifikwuanim.

The Aguleris also have it that they migrated from Igala as they put it “The leader Eri, a warrior, took his people on a war expedition, and after long travel and many fights, established his camp at Eri-aka, near Odanduli stream, a place which lies between Ifite and Igbezunu Aguleri. Eri, with his soldiers, went out regularly from his settlement to Urada, Nnadi and other surrounding towns on war raids and captured many of the inhabitants.

These were the Ibo-speaking people and by mixing with them and inter-marriage, the immigrants adopted the language.” It is pertinent to note that it is widely believed that the Nri and Aguleri people are the progenitors of the Igbo’s. There are also other oral histories of other Igbo town stating their origin from Benin kingdom, Idoma (Aro people) and many other surrounding towns, there also exist many Igbo towns whose stories states that they came from nowhere but the soil, mpu ala

• HEBREW-IGBO PROGENITORS

The cultural connection between the Igbo’s and the Hebrews was first made by Olaudah Equiano an ex-slave of Igbo origin in the west indies from Essaka( probably Nsukka) writing in his 1789 book, “The Interesting Narrative of the Life of Olaudah Equiano made this statement ” Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath.

And here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that pastoral state which is described in Genesis–an analogy, which alone would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the other.”

Equiano analogies were based on common cultural practices as circumcision, conferment, purification of women, naming children after specific events and experience as also found in Hebrew culture.

The colonial master arriving the Igbo heartland also saw this similarities hence further comparison.

The Igbo origin as defined by the colonial masters has two hypothesis, the Hamitic Hypothesis and oriental hypothesis; the hamitic hypothesis proposed that the Igbo were of Middle Eastern origin, either Egyptian or Hebrew.

The most outspoken proponent of the Hamitic hypothesis was the colonial Christian missionary Archdeacon G.T. Basden. The question of Igbo Jewish identity to which many Igbo’s lay claim was a result of the colonial discourse based on the Hamitic hypothesis the oriental hypothesis was borne out of the hamitic hypothesis, the oriental hypothesis proposes that the Igbo’s are descended from the Jews.

The proponent of this theorem base their argument from circumstantial and biblical evidence.The exponents of this theory found similarity of culture between that of Igbo and some of the middle Eastern peoples. Circumcision, system and manner of naming children, sentence structure and similarity in some words, religion and ritual symbols, love of adventure and enterprise were used to explain derivation from the East.

It is also believed that the word Ibo is the corruption for the word Hebrew

According to Eze Nri, Nri-Enwelana II, the “Nri Kingdom is the oldest Kingdom in Nigeria. It was founded around 9AD by the progenitor, Eri, the son of Gad. According to biblical accounts, Jacob had Leah as his wife who begot four sons for him. When Leah noticed she had passed child-bearing age, she gave her maid servant, Zilpah to Jacob to wife, and through Zilpah he had a son named Gad.

Gad then bigot Eri, who later formed a clan known as Erites vide (Genesis Chapter 30 verse 9; 46 verse 16 and Numbers chapter 26 verses 15-19). Eri was therefore amongst the twelve tribes of Israel via Gad.” Jacob and his 12 sons, and his vast number of descendants became the 12 tribes of Israel. 10 of these tribes, including that of Gad, made home in Samaria, today the northern part of present day Israel. In the year 722 B.C, the tribes were attacked by Assyria, and quickly conquered. Sent into exile, they scattered throughout the land. And it is here that we lose track of the 10 lost tribes Including Gad, Eri and their families

still speaking Eze Nri, Nri-Enwelana II said “During the Exodus, which marked the beginning of the mass movement of the tribes of Israel, the tribe of Eri was amongst the tribe that left Egypt following the injunction from God to the Israelites (see Deuteronomy chapter 28 verses 58 68)”.

The proponent of this theory also believed that Some of these tribes founded settlements in the southern part of Sudan, where they established the Nok culture, which is similar to that of other (sun Cult) culture, like Nri, Fiji, Samoa, and Jukun in the Northern part of Nigeria and elsewhere.

But others who could not remain in the Southern Sudan traveled further South, some branched off to Jukun, in Northern part of Nigeria, others continued and arrived at the confluence of Rivers Niger and Anambara known as Ezu-na-Ọmambala and settled there while some veered off to the Island of Fiji in the South Pacific Ocean.

Noam Katz, former Israeli Ambassador to Nigeria, also believes that there are some common cultures and customs that bond the Igbo with Israel. Most Nri sons supports this oriental hypothesis as attested by one of their son Ogbuefi Madubueze Enemmou speaking on the origin of the Igbo’s, on behalf of Nri people, during an audience participation programme of Radio Nigeria on July 13, 1966, hear him,

“ about two years ago, Israel government sent delegates to our place, Nri to confirm the historical relationship between Igbo’s and Hebrew people. We took Israeli officials round historical places in our town. They expressed surprise at what they observed as obvious similarities between our custom and theirs. Later, they could not help but conclude that Nri and Igbo in general are among the lost tribes of Israel ”.

Some have also suggested that “ Chukwu Abiama” is a corruption for “Chukwu Abraham”. To further strengthen the claims some point to evidence in the onyx stone found at Aguleri with Aramaic (ancient Hebrew writing) written on it indicating the twelve tribes of Israel and also similarities in ritual symbols found at the archaeological excavations sites at Igbo Ukwu and that of the Hebrews.

• HEBREW IGBO’S ANTAGONIST

Available evidence such as Language diversity; Botanical (Forests Conservation); Population density; Archaeological, suggests that the Igbo and their forbears have lived in much their present homes from the dawn of human history.

It is well established that the oriental hypothesis holds no weight as it is quoted here”Knowledge from sources broader and more self-critical than the Biblical — from contemporary historians, archaeologists, historical linguists, and other scientifically based disciplines — have argued against these claims”
Renowned Igbo historians such as Professor Adiele Eberechukwu Afigbo, professor M.A Onwuejiogwu, Professor Catherine Acholonu, Dr Elizabeth Isichei and many other has also argued against this claims.
Professor Adiele Afigbo goes further to give the genesis of this view that the Igbo’s are Hebrews based on the Hamitic hypothesis

“Despite the very negative impression of Igbo culture popularized by the British during their administrative reign in Nigeria… both British and Igbo chroniclers also noted much in common between the Igbo cultures and ‘civilized’ European culture. As a result, the myth grew that the Igbo were either descended from one of the lost tribes of Israel or the ancient Egyptians, or had at some point in their history been influenced by one of these societies”

Professor Afigbo further believes that when the colonial masters came to Igbo land they viewed the generality of the Igbo nation as an inferior group as there were no known strong empire as compared to their neighbors ( Benin,Igala and co) they viewed this lack of empire and strong military command in Igbo land as due to lack of intelligence of the Igbo nation, on encountering towns such as Nri, Onitsha, the AROS and the discovery of bronze metal work in igbo ukwu dated to 9AD.

They were surprised at their intelligence and civilization which can be compared to some places in Europe as of then, they could not believe that this primitive people could do such marvels, they initially stated that Nri, AROS and Onitsha were not Igbo’s, as they could not substantiate their claims they now used the cultural comparisons to link the Igbo’s to the middle East because they found it hard to believe that such primitive people could be so sophisticated hence the hamitc hypothesis.

Such aspects of Igbo life as its traditions of origins, democratic political culture, Aro trading and oracular oligarchy, Nri priestly tradition and cult ceremonials, Nkwerre and Abiriba skilled iron works and lot more – were all misunderstood to be of oriental origin. In what Afigbo has described as their search for ‘noble ancestry’ these flattered Igbo communities (the Aro, the Nri and Abiriba), began to concoct histories of origins that linked their remote ancestors with either Israel or Egypt.

Nri it at its height was the spiritual centre of most Igbo towns and other surrounding states, its powers stretching as far as Benin ,Ijo, Ibibio ,Igala, Idoma and others, Nri at its height is often compared to Mecca and Rome the other world known spiritual and power centre.

This commentator here added his own voice to the assumption also quoting Afigb o“Later [colonial] educated Igbo would glom onto the Hamitic theory to show that they had not always been as ‘despicable as the colonialists found them. In the post-independence period, Afigbo argues that the theory of Hebrew origin has continued to be attractive to the Igbo.

For instance, he suggests that: Publicists and others soon started drawing parallels between Igbo business acumen and their sufferings at the hands of other Nigerian ethnic nationalities on the one hand, and Jewish experience throughout history on the other. Between 1967 and 1970 embattled Biafra provided the perfect parallel to the state of Israel surrounded by hostile Arab nations. The Igbo not only made this comparison themselves, but believed in it. They also came to hope that they would weather the Nigerian storm just as the Israelis are weathering the Arab storm. Thus there is no mere history…but an ideology for group survival.

In this way, the Hamitic theory of Igbo origin has survived among the Igbos.

Afigbo also suggested that the hamitc hypothesis also suited the colonial masters in their bid to gain unchallenged control of the Igbos.

See this excerpts from a journal

“The political ramifications of this interpretation were quite advantageous to the British because, ‘implicit in this claim was the idea, not hitherto emphasized by any one, that British colonialism was not a radical departure from the past. Instead it was in some sense a continuation of the cultural education of the Igbo which had been started long ago by the Egyptians.’

Furthermore, this theory helped the British established a typology through which they could administer the notoriously decentralized Igbo areas directly.

Thus, Afigbo explains,

“it came to be argued first that Igboland was once under Egyptian influence, secondly that the spread of Egyptian culture in Igboland was the work of a small elite who after inter-breeding with the people became the Nri and the Aro of today, and thirdly, that if the British really wanted to rule the Igbo ‘indirectly,’ then they had to do so through the Nri and the Aro. Politically, the Hamitic theory was the key to the benevolent imperialism of the British in Igboland”

Professor M.A. Onwuejiogwu also voiced out his views lashing out to the exponents of this claims, hear him “The Igbo scholars who depend on bible to determine Igbo origin are yet aware of the metaphysical language of the bible and the history of the Hebrew. The creationist theory has to be abandoned for more empirical enquiry”. He also pointed to archaeological evidence at Ugwuele, Afigbo Nsukka and Igbo Ukwu which had irrevocable evidence to show that at least that between 100000 B.C and 5000 B.C man started his existence in Igbo land.

Professor Catherine Acholonu believes that Hebrews and Egyptians descended from the Igbo’s and human history started from Nigeria Igbo land in particular, in her latest work “ They lived before Adam” she uses both mythology, archaeological, linguistic and scientific evidence to prove this, although some facts are proven while others were not, she still did have a lot of evidence to substantiate her claims.

The Philosophical Significance of Jesus

Omenka Egwuatu Nwa-Ikenga article written in the Odinani journal titled “A Re-Emerging Scam: A Review of The Jews of Nigeria” he debunks e most of this cultural claims, he states that circumcision was done for both male and female in Igboland as against the Jewish believe for only men and circumcision was done all over west Africa, he also raised the issue of polytheism and monotheism in religious worship He also showed that different part of Igbo land had differing cultural practices.

For reasons of effective assimilation, I can not write all that he debunked.

Other commentators also showed their disbelieve of this claims below are some of them:

“Is it possible that Igbos descended from the Jews?  – The circumcision and menstrual separation will not pass the link test as almost all tribes in West Africa were known to circumcise boys. Men and women belong in different social groups traditionally and so the separation is inherent within cultural and family lifestyle anyway.

–To establish credibility you should find some unique rituals that’s exclusively common between Igbo and Jews outside of any other African groups or ethnicity. Linguistic, archaeological, oral history and DNA science disproves the myth very easily.

First Igbo has always been Igbo, not Ibo (colonial distortion and problematically many Igbo use Ibo which is incorrect).

Secondly, most of the myth arises from researchers during the colonial era of the 19th and 20th centuries who remarked on SIMILARITIES (there are many similarities across populations, however, you need stronger evidence to draw conclusions of origin), some Igbo researchers who have been influenced by foreigners, the fact that Israel supported Biafra during the civil war, and a host of other recent phenomena. Igbo oral histories never pointed to a Jewish/Hebrew point of origin until recently.

Looking at the history of Nigeria (missionary influence, civil war and so forth) it is clear why. There were no documented Jewish communities in Nigeria pre-19th century; in fact we can even push the date up further”.

“Many draw the comparison between Jews and ndi Igbo of circumcision practice. The 8 day practice of cirumcision is not universally practiced in Igbo land and secondly, Ndi Igbo is not special from other West African groups in their circumcision practice”.

Omenka Eqwuato also observed and questioned “But the most damning question is that if Igbo people are descendants of Jews who migrated from Israel, why don’t they have any type of relationship with any of the other groups in Africa that claim the same thing such as the Lemba of Zimbabwe, Beta Israel of Ethiopia, or Yibir of Somalia?

Why is that that until now, they had never heard of such groups although it’s pretty clear that if their narratives were true, that they would have either been part of them at some time or at least encountered them? And if they did come from the Sephardic populations in Northern Africa, why is there no record of such a migration on either end?

Furthermore, why don’t any of their surrounding neighbors have any stories of wandering Hebrews or Jews passing through their land? The only people in Nigeria that share some of the migration routes that the Igbo Jews are claiming would be the Fulani people, who have populations in West, Central, North and East Africa

PERSONAL VIEW ON IGBOS AS THE HEBREW TRIBES IN AFRICA

I have tried to present an unbiased views of believes above, from my standpoint, the Igbo’s were never Hebrew.

Why? –  I don’t believe that circumstantial evidence without physical prove is enough to prove origin, the name similarities in the bible as between the Hebrew Eri and the Eri of Nri is not a prove at all.

To prove that the name similarity is an evidence we need to totally look at other names in Igbo land at the time ERI was said to have migrated from Israel and even now and compare it with other Hebrew name and see whether there are also similarities, which if you do is no, the Igbo language and the Hebrew language has no similarities.

It is unfortunate that in their bid to make us Hebrew some had intentionally distorted the word Igbo to ibo, eboe, yibo all in a bid to make it sound like Hebrew, the Arabic name for God is Allah while the name for the Igbo God of land is Ala those that make us Arabic? Those claiming Igbo Jews actually have lot of questions to answer, such as why have they dwelled on cultural similarities and not dissimilarity?

(The Igbo’s have lots of cultural dissimilarities with the Jews)

at what point did they know they were Jews ?

Could any Jew forget about such event like exodus from Egypt, Passover, patriarch such as Abraham and Moses? Since such stories has never been told in Igbo land until the arrival of colonization and Christianity, what happened to Judaism? (monotheism to polytheism) what happened to the political structure of the Jews in Igbo land? (monarchy to quasi republican)

Many supposedly Igbo elites has been concocting lies and trying by all means to link Igbo omenala to Jewish culture all in their bid to claim noble ancestry with the Jews. Of the onyx stone with Aramaic writing on it I personally asked professor Acholonu who told me that onyx stones are found inside the Omambala River so it is not a big issue and that the particular stones found at Aguleri had no Aramaic writing on it and nothing pointing to the twelve tribe of Israel was found on it.

I have also tried to link the claimant of Igbo Jews ancestry to other well known claimant in Africa like the Lembe of Zimbabwe and the Beta Jews of Ethiopia, this other claimant oral history, tradition and DNA are distinctive and shows linkage with the middle East, the Igbo Jew claimant has none of the element found in the Beta and Lembe claimant (the Beta Jews of Ethiopia has long been evacuated back to Israel).

Oral history, archaeological and scientific evidence debunks all this Hebrew claims no oral Igbo history of migration from Middle East exists.

The Israelis are smart they have never rejected or supported that the Igbo’s are Jews there just exploit loop holes to penetrate Igbo land and expand Judaism this is attested by the large Judaism books they donate and synagogue they have built. Over 100years of this hypothesis why have DNA not been used to verify this claims (am sure they would have done DNA and the result came back negative and they kept quite so that the Jewish imperialism could continue) DNA has been used to verify other Jewish claims from other places and some even evacuated back to Israel.

There are also some Jewish rabbi who have stated altogether that no evidence suggests that the Igbo’s are Jews.

Why do we find it easy to believe we came from a Jewish origin and hard to believe that the Jews came from us? if you observed Olaudah Equiano statement “an analogy, which alone would induce me to think that the one people had sprung from the other” He dint say the Igbo were Jews or vice versa he just gave a suggestion. Why can’t we then believe the Jews came from us? If we are to follow the hamitic hypothesis The igbo language and culture has more similarities in Egypt rather than Hebrew
We should understand that no particular group are the chosen people we are all chosen by God and nature has bestowed unto all man intelligence to develop within his environment.

The Igbo nation has always been an individualistic and intelligent group we have shown that we had civilization that can be compared to places in Europe then. The Igbo nation has proved that the African is not dumb but rather intelligent and all this came from our grandfathers and nowhere else. I am a proud Igbo man and I don’t need linkage of ancestry to a supposedly “chosen people” to be a special breed.

Conclusion

In writing this, I have encountered a lot of Igbo cultures and believe which I have never heard before which were unique and beautiful. I suggest that Igbo history and culture should be taught as a subject of its own in all primaries and secondary school in Igbo land so the new generation will not forget them.

The Odinani religious worship should also be taught alongside Christianity so that everyone could make a choice since it does not offend anyone sensibility and it’s not against nature since I believe no religion or culture is superior to any other.

Bibliography

I don’t want to add to the longevity of this writing, so I have not added any bibliography. you can contact us to get the bibliography or share your comment.

Emeka Thrice Obi

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