Background: Who are the Ethiopian Jews?
Ethiopian Jews are known at the Beta Israel, or House of Israel. There are several theories as to their origins:
- They are descendants of the lost tribe of Dan.
- They are descendants of Menelik, the son of King Solomon and Queen of Sheeba.
- Jews living in Egypt migrated to Ethiopia in the 5th-7th centuries BCE.
- In the 2nd-3rd centuries BCE, there was contact either through trade or war with the Jews of Southern Arabia.
While there was a small number of Beta Israel professionals living in urban areas, the vast majority of the Beta Israel were from mountainous villages in northern Ethiopia.
Beta Israel as part of the Jewish Religion
