.
Here is why there is a possibility that the Igbo tribe
Igbo Men
However, apart from the story of how they came into
being, the Igbos also shares some similar practices
with the biblical Jews.
But upon factual analysis, one is forced to rethink the
possibility of this claim.
Known to be third largest of the three major ethnic
groups in Nigeria, the typical Igbo communities are
found in the southeastern part of Nigeria.
And according to oral tradition and many writers of
Igbo history, Eri is to the Igbos, what Oduduwa is to
the Yoruba.
But unlike Oduduwa whose father is unknown, Eri was
the fifth son of Gad, the seventh son of Jacob
(Genesis 46:15-18 and Numbers 26:16:18).
He was said to have migrated from Egypt with a
group of companions just before the exodus of the
Israelites from Egypt thousands of years ago.
.
Eri and his group were said to have traveled by water
and finally arrived at the confluence of Ezu and
Omambala Rivers, located in present-day Aguleri,
Anambra State.
.
We were not told how long their voyage took to get
to their promised land, what we were told is that Eri
and his group was divinely instructed to make the
confluence of Ezu and Omambala Rivers their final
destination.
They would move into the hinterland and make a
settlement in the present-day Aguleri. It was here
that Eri lived and died.
Meanwhile, amongst Eri's children was Agulu, the
eldest son who took over from his father after his
demise.
.
It was him who appended the name of his father, Eri,
to his name and founded Agulu-Eri (Aguleri) by
calling the settlement where his father Eri died and
he (Agulu) lived AGULERI.
However, apart from the story of how they came into
being, the Igbos also shares some similar practices
with the biblical Jews. And among the Igbos, these
traditional practices predate the coming of the
Christian missionaries.
Examples of shared traditional practices between the
Jews and the Igbos include circumcising male
children eight days after birth, refraining from eating
" unclean " or tabooed foods, mourning the dead for
seven days and celebrating the New Moon.
Supporting this belief is Daniel Lis, a foremost
researcher on Jewish Identification among the Igbo
from the University of Basel, Switzerland.
He affirms that there has been a clear continuity of
Jewish identity among the Igbo. "It's not just
something that happened yesterday, " he said.
In addition to the shared practices between the Jews
and the Igbos, there is a striking evidence that forces
one to see a link between the Igbos and the ancient
civilization of Egypt: It is the Ancient Igbo Pyramids,
which is also known as the Nsude Pyramids.
.
The Ancient Igbo Pyramids or Nsude Pyramids is a
testimony of ancient civilization among the Igbos.
Nobody knows when it was built, but archeologists
have said that the pyramids have lasted centuries
and are believed to have been built at the same time
the first or second wave of Egyptian pyramids were
built by the Nubians.
..
With similar features to that of the Stepped Pyramid
of Djoser at Saqqara, Egypt, one is forced to
contemplate on the mystery behind their
resemblance.
And without exaggeration, it can be suggested that
the knowledge of one must have led to the building
of the other.
.
Be that as it may, it should be stated here for the
purpose of clarity that the word Ndi Igbo/ Ndigbo
mean the " Ancient People. " And according to them,
the British called us IBO or (Heebos): A word
synonymous to Hebrew.
..
There are other interesting arguments, with regard to
the topic of this article, that has been presented by
concerned Igbo scholars.
Notable among them is the claim that the following
Igbo words/phrases were used in the bible.
.
.
1. Jee na isi isi (Genesis)
.
Known to be the first book in the bible, some Igbo
scholars believe that the word is a corrupted version
of the Igbo phrase "jee na isi isi " which when
translated in English means "go to the very first".
2. Detere nu umu (Deuteronomy)
.
Known to be the fifth book in the Bible, the word
“Deuteronomy ” is from Latin Deuteronomium, from
Greek Deuteronomion and originally from Igbo phrase
"detere nu umu".
The Igbo phrase, "Detere nu umu" means "written
down for the children". And actually, the book of
Deuteronomy was words written down to serve as
laws for the children of God.
.
3. Asaa bu taa (Sabbath)
.
According to the biblical story of creation, God
rested on the seventh day. Sabbath is a day set
aside for rest and worship. The word is said to be the
same with the Igbo phrase "asaa bu taa" which
means "today is seventh."
.
.
4. Chere ubim (Cherubim)
Described in the Bible as a winged angel and
represented in ancient Middle Eastern art as a lion or
bull with eagles' wings and a human face, Cherubim
is regarded in Christian angelology as an angel of the
second highest order of the nine-fold celestial
hierarchy.
.
However, the name is believed to be a distorted
version of the Igbo phrase " chere ubim" which means
" guard my home." And of course, angels are
guardians.
5. Nta lite kuo ume (Talitha cumi)
According to the book of Mark 5:41, Jesus was
storied to have raised from death the daughter of
Jairus. And "Talitha cumi " were the words he used.
"Talitha cumi" or " Talitha kum " or " Talitha koum" is an
Aramaic phrase and believed to be an Igbo phrase
" nta lite kuo ume " which means " little child wake up
and start breathing".
.
Source: Pulse
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