Lemba (ethnos group)

See also: Lemba

The Lemba or Lembaa are an ethnicity of Southern Africa. With the number of envion 70.000, they are present in South Africa (in particular the province of Limpopo), but also the Zimbabwe, Malawi, Mozambique.

Although they speak about the languages bantoues close to those to the other ethnicities which they côtoient, they have of the religious practices similar to some of those partiquées in the Judaïsme, and a tradition of wandering people with origins supposed in North Africa or the the Middle East. According to their Oral tradition, their ancestors would be Juif S which would have come from a place called Sena to be established in West Africa. According to the research undertaken by the British Tudor Parfitt, Sena would be in the area of the Yemen. Lemba have a bond with the Grand Zimbabwe. They established a Synagog there, with their clean Rabbi S.

Lembas have restrictions on the inter-ethnic marriages with non-Lemba, and it is particularly difficult for a man to become Lemba. Lemba present a proportion except standard of men having a Polymorphisme known Y chromosome under the name of, which indeed suggests a connection with the traditional Jewish populations. A under-clan of Lembas, the Buba Clan, is regarded by Lemba as their caste of priests. Among Bubas, 52% of the men have the haplotype modal Cohen, which corresponds to the proportions found at the Juifs " Cohen " (priests). Lembas have also an important percentage of Gène S often found at the Sémite S not Arab S.

See too

Beta Israel
Newsweek, February 6,2006.

External bonds

"Y chromosomes dolly south" (abstract off has genetic paper one relationship between Jews and Lemba)
" Webpage discussing the Lemba"(Shows the road the Lemba believe they took from Israel.)

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