Igbo Tribe in Nigeria Claims To Be Long Lost Tribe of Israel

Summary of Article:

• The Igbo are a tribe in Nigeria. They are convinced that they are descendants of Gad, one of the lost tribes of Israel. They believe they were exiled with the Assyrian invasion into Northern Israel in 8th century B.C.E. and migrated into Nigeria. 
• Their story, passed down through the generations, is that Gad, 7th son of Jacob, settled in present day Nigeria with his 3 sons, each of whom founded clans and towns still in existence in modern Nigeria. 
• Their numbers range anywhere from 20-50 million.
• Their traditions echo those of Judaism, and predate the tribe's exposure to the Bible and Christian missionaries. For instance, they circumcise their sons at 8 days. They sit shiva. They celebrate the new moon. They get married under a chuppah/marriage canopy. They don't eat foods they consider "unclean." Some have even proposed that word "Igbo" is a corruption of the word "Hebrew."
• Igbo are Zionist and want to make pilgrimages to Israel. They are not yet recognized as official Jews.

For pictures, click here.

For a brief film on them, click here.