A program to test the Igbo of Nigeria for genetic links to Jews has heightened tensions between international groups representing mainstream Jews and Messianic Jews.

In February, Jewish Voice Ministries International organized a test to compare genetic samples from some 100 members of the Igbo group, who claim ancestral connections to the biblical Israelites, against a DNA bank of genes collected from Jews.

Shavei Israel, a high-powered Israeli organization also ramping up their own outreach to the Igbo, does not welcome the test and sees it as part of the growing threat Messianic Jews pose to the Israeli group’s mission.

“So called Messianic Jews are soul-snatchers and missionaries, who are trying to sell people a false bill of goods,” said Michael Freund, Shavei’s founder and chairman. “They try to convince some of these communities to unwittingly call themselves Jewish while at the same time believe in the Christian faith.”

Freund is on his own quest to bring “lost tribe” communities into the fold of the mainstream Jewish world. He has settled thousands of Bnei Menashe, a “lost tribe” from India, in Israel and the West Bank.

He sees Messianic Jews as competition.

“It’s a market place of ideas out there,” said Freund. “If the only ones in the marketplace are the so-called Messianic Jews, than they may very well succeed in deceiving many members of those communities into joining their ranks.”

Jonathan Bernis, head of Jewish Voice, said the group is transparent about their beliefs and points out that most of the Igbo are practicing Christians already — even though they proclaim an Israelite ancestry.

Michael Freund, whose organization Shavei Israel has focused primarily on the immigration of the Bnei Menashe from India to Israel, has recently begun outreach to the Igbo of Nigeria.

Michael Freund, whose organization Shavei Israel has focused primarily on the immigration of the Bnei Menashe from India to Israel, has recently begun outreach to the Igbo of Nigeria.

But whereas groups like Shavei teach that in order to “reconnect” to Jewish roots the Igbo must drop their worship of Jesus, Jewish Voice makes no such demand.

“We would attempt to bring them back to an understanding of their Jewish heritage without compromising their faith in Jesus.”

At some 30 million, the Igbo are among Nigeria’s largest ethnic groups. While the Igbo are primarily Christians, for generations they have identified as descendants of a “lost tribe of Israel,” some espousing a lineage to the tribe of Gad.

In recent years, international interest in the Igbo and Igbo interest in outside groups have both seen an uptick.

Since 2003, Kulanu, a New York based nonprofit that supports “isolated and emerging” Jewish groups has provided financial support and religious guidance to the Igbo, which has sometimes involved religious conversions to Judaism. Shavei Israel, a well-funded Israeli organization that encourages immigration to the Jewish state, began sending religious emissaries to Nigeria in 2015.

And last year, Jewish Voice Ministries International tossed their hat into the ring.

Messianic Jews believe that Jesus is the Messiah but still identity as Jewish, despite being rejected by mainstream Jewish groups. Some Messianic Jewish organizations, like Jews for Jesus, make it their mission to “spread the good news” of Jesus to Jews. Jewish Voice shares this mandate, with a special focus on seeking out “lost tribe” groups, in places like Africa.

There are smaller groups and individual actors involved, too.

For example, the American-based International Israelite Board of Rabbis, a rabbinical body of Hebrew Israelites, has also been sending their own emissaries and providing religious resources to the Igbo for a number of years. A Messianic Jew named Kris Shoemaker, who goes by Rabbi Yehudah ben Shomeyr, travelled to meet the Igbo in 2010 and has written a series of books on “the Igbo-Israel connection.”

DropShot:
Igbos are Jews!

InyinyaAgbaOku:
Most igbos don't believe this Jew stuff. The few that does are just too vocal.

No real evidence, just conjectures

prince9851:
plz go to Aguleri

InvestinOwerri:
Igbos are Jews & Jews Are Igbos Period! Lalasticala come and see how Isrealis are fighting to identify with Igbos. Envy go kill some people today.

InyinyaAgbaOku:
Most igbos don't believe this Jew stuff. The few that does are just too vocal.

No real evidence, just conjectures

InyinyaAgbaOku:


Aguleri where deluded igbos put up structures to simulate Hebrew connection.
Clowns.
They even changed a pure igbo town name Obuga to ObuGad.
SMH. All put up. Our ancestors didn't do that

prince9851:
u are such a foolish goat
Structures that have been there fore thousands of years
U think somebody just woke up one day and felt like putting up those structures just to "simulate Hebrew connection"??
What did they stand to gain by doing that plz?..does being Jewish cone with any special powers?
U think u are so smart and u know pass everybody
Go and sit with ur elders that grew up there let them tell u something
Ewu

Amarabae:
What you know now as IGBOS is the coming together of two people. 1st is the aboriginals called ADAMAs who were bantus and migrated into Nigeria where they settled at Okigwe/Uturu axis, the second people are the ERI Migration from Israel, they fled during the islamic conquest of North Africa/Middle East, Israel tribes were scattered, Lemba people of Ethiopia have the israeli link.
Eri migration into West of Alkebula(now Africa) had them settled at North of Igboland via Omambala River.
The coming together, intermarriage, intertrading, Socialisation etc btw Eri and Adama gave rise to early Igbo settlements.
I will open a thread on this with history resources.

jakandeola:
aba factry

Omambala99:
In AGULERI, they have the house of OBU GAD TEMPLE has survive thousands of years, which Eri himself built in remembrance of his father GAD son of Jacob. At OBU GAD you will see the onyx stone bearing the name of GAD written in acient hebrew. Rememeber onyx stone was given to isreal in the bible by moses, in Exedos 46.
At the OBU GAD temple, floor you will see a hebrew written in crowries, rememeber even soon pages of bible was written in cowries before in was translated.
At confluence of Eze and Omambala river you will see twelve onyx stones in the mouth of river, this represent twelve tribe of isreal.
Eri grave is still marked in AGULERI till date.
Visit AGULERI and see things for yourselves.

Amarabae:
What you know now as IGBOS is the coming together of two people. 1st is the aboriginals called ADAMAs who were bantus and migrated into Nigeria where they settled at Okigwe/Uturu axis, the second people are the ERI Migration from Israel, they fled during the islamic conquest of North Africa/Middle East, Israel tribes were scattered, Lemba people of Ethiopia have the israeli link.
Eri migration into West of Alkebula(now Africa) had them settled at North of Igboland via Omambala River.
The coming together, intermarriage, intertrading, Socialisation etc btw Eri and Adama gave rise to early Igbo settlements.
I will open a thread on this with history resources.