SPECIAL INTEREST
The Bnei Menashe of Northeastern India
BY SARAH WEINER T
hey have ancient traditions hand- ed down orally from generation to generation, honoring the Patri-
archs Abram, Moriah (a reference to Isaac and Mount Moriah, where Abram was called to sacrifice his son), and Jacob. To this day, they conduct a sacri- ficial ceremony on an altar reminiscent of the ancient Temple altar. Their priest uses the Hebrew name of God as it appears in the Bible, and also speaks of Mount Sinai, Mount Moriah, and Mount Zion. When discovered by Christian missionaries, they were per- forming biblical circumcision using a stone, and observing other Old Testa- ment ordinances such as those regard- ing skin disease. This is the Bnei Menashe, the Sons of Manasseh, who tradition believes to be one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, exiled by the Assyrians when they cap- tured the northern Kingdom of Israel in the eighth century B.C. They live today in the highlands of far northeast-
8 | Jewish Voice Today JULY/AUGUST 2010
ern India, bordering modern-day Myanmar (formerly Burma). The Bnei Menashe trace their jour- ney from northern Israel to Assyria— modern-day Iraq—to Afghanistan, and through the Himalayas to Mongolia. They came to the two states in India in which they currently reside, Mizoram and Manipur, 500 to 600 years ago after fleeing to southern China, where they were persecuted for their faith and forced
to hide in caves. They were
called the Shinlung, which means “cave covering.” When the Chinese found them, they seized their “holy parch- ment,” thought to be a Torah scroll. Approximately 600 years ago, believing they were the only Israelites left, they made their way to their current home, where the highlands of far eastern India meet Myanmar. Far from finding peace, this area
was a war zone of civil strife. Yet, on one thing the warring tribes agreed: the Bnei Menashe do not belong with either clan—they are different. Why? The Menashe do not fit into the cul-
tures of any of the indigenous peoples of the region. They instead identify with Israel, and have a strong desire to “return home.” There are approximate- ly 10,000 actively Jewish Bnei Menashe living in 13 different towns, who prac- tice the Feasts of Israel, identify them- selves with the Star of David, and the biblical Tribe of Manasseh.
After the loss of their parchment, the Menashe held out hope that one day a white man would come to return their holy books. So when Reverend Pettigrew, a zealous Baptist, arrived in India in 1813 with Christian Bibles, the Bnei Menashe believed the prophecy had been fulfilled. Recognizing many Old Testament stories, within a decade, the whole community became Chris- tians.
When told that they must abandon their “Jewish” traditions, however, unrest set in. Soon, isolated families began to return to their identity as Isra- elites. In the 1970s, a group of educat- ed middle-class Bnei Menashe made a formal decision to return to Judaism.
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