Beta Israel and the Torah

The Beta Israel closely followed the Torah, called the Orit and written in Ga’ez, an ancient Semitic language. The kessim were the highly respected religious leaders of the community. The Beta Israel observed Shabbat – they prayed in their synagogues, did not work, and did not light fires. They also observed the holidays from the Torah - Rosh Hashana, Yom, Passover, Shavuot, and Sukkot. In the Sigd festival, which is mentioned in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah, the kessim went up a hill carrying the Orit, followed by the community. After prayers, the community came back down and had a feast, singing, and dancing.  The Beta Israel practiced circumcision and ritual purity and observed the dietary laws mentioned in the Torah. A core tenet of their Judaism was their desire to return to Jerusalem. Because of their lack of contact with other world Jewry, they were not familiar with the Talmud or post-biblical holidays.