Ethiopia: Some 65,000 Ethiopian Jews from different groups have moved to Israel since 1974. Israel’s chief rabbis believe they are descended from the lost tribe of Dan. Others say they are descended from King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba. Many Ethiopians were so isolated they thought all Jews were black. They did not know of the standardization of Jewish law, the Talmud, or Hanukkah. Mexico: As reported in the Wall Street Journal, a tribe of Indians living 100 miles north of Mexico City claims to be descended from clandestine Jewish soldiers from Spain who arrived with Hernán Cortés in 1519. While the tribe did not follow many Jewish practices, they did possess an old Torah. They also maintained an “eternal lamp” burning with olive oil, as in Biblical times. Since their “rediscovery” thousands have been officially converted to Judaism, and learned Hebrew, while many have moved to Israel. To learn more about the lost tribes, visit PBS’s Lost Tribes of Israel.
