Jewish Communities in Africa in the Twentieth Century

Abstract During the twentieth century, over a dozen ethno-religious communities in Africa declared that they had a historical connection to the Land of Israel and the Jewish diaspora. The majority have claimed a descent from the Lost Tribes of Israel, and that their traditional pre-colonial practices were associated with Judaism. Roman and medieval Arab historians and travelers, as well as the Bible, all mention the presence of groups of Jews in Africa. It is known that Jews not only were present in North Africa, but also were engaged in trans-Saharan trade, and there is also evidence of Jewish communities living in sub-Saharan Africa in medieval times. Following the Inquisition, the Portuguese Crown exiled Jewish merchants, some of whom moved to the islands off the West African coast, and indeed to the coast itself.