Who Is the Lost Tribe of Israel in Southern Africa?

There is a large tribe of Africans who assert ancient ties to Israel. Are they considered a Lost Tribe of Israel in southern Africa? 

What Does the Word Tribe Mean?

First, it may help to sort out the different uses of the word tribe. A tribe is a clan of people made up of multiple families who have a common ancestor. Many people groups around the world are described as “tribes,” from Native Americans and African people groups in both remote and modernized places to clans found in distant islands and deep jungles around the world. Tribe, as it’s used in the Bible, bears the same ancestral meaning but refers specifically to the 12 Tribes of Israel – those family clans descended from the 12 sons of Israel (Jacob, before God changed his name).

Who Are the Lost Tribes of Israel?

After King Solomon reigned over a united Israel, the nation split into Israel in the north and Judah in the south. Ten tribes comprised Israel – Reuben, Simeon, Manasseh, Issachar, Zebulun, Ephraim, Dan, Asher, Naphtali and Gad. The remaining two tribes – Judah and Benjamin – formed the nation of Judah.

When the Assyrians conquered Israel in the sixth century B.C.E., the 10 Tribes were scattered throughout the world. Some were taken captive to various parts of the Assyrian Empire while others fled. Subsequently, the recorded history of these tribes, as Israel, ceased. Thus, they appeared lost, hopelessly intermingled with the people and assimilated into the cultures of their new residences.

There is an African tribe known as the Lemba, who live in several southern African countries. This people group has clear ties to the ancient people of Israel, but are they officially from a Lost Tribe?

About the Lemba

The Lemba assert that they originally came from Israel and are descendants of the priestly line, the Tribe of Levi. In recent decades, DNA testing has affirmed their claims. Their oral history states that their ancestors returned to Israel from the Babylonian Captivity but left when they refused to separate from their foreign wives and families they acquired in Babylon. They arrived in Africa by way of Yemen, settling in countries like Tanzania and Mozambique and migrating farther south over the centuries.

The Tribe of Levi is not listed among the Kingdoms of Israel or Judah. That’s because, when it came time for God to divide the Promised Land among the 12 sons of Israel, He shifted things around a bit, allotting land to the clans of Joseph’s two sons instead of Joseph and Levi. The Levites were the priests who served all of Israel. Thus, they lived among all the tribes.

When Assyria invaded the Northern Kingdom and, later, when Babylon conquered the Southern Kingdom, Levites living among those tribes were among the deported, enslaved and exiled Jewish people scattered throughout the world. So, although they are not technically considered a “Lost Tribe,” they are most certainly a scattered Jewish community whose history and destiny are wrapped up with the people of Israel.

Who is the Lost Tribe in Southern Africa?

The answer lies in how one defines the term “Lost Tribes” – whether literally or more loosely. The African tribe called the Lemba have the same Jewish heritage and ancestral roots as those of the official Lost Tribes. In this light, one could say that the Lemba represent, at least, a “scattered” Tribe of Israel.

The Lemba comprise a large population and live in several countries in southern Africa, including Zimbabwe, Zambia, South Africa, and Malawi. Jewish Voice Ministries International has served Lemba communities in Zimbabwe since 2012, conducting large-scale Medical Outreaches to meet medical, dental and eye care needs. In recent years, this ministry has expanded into Zambia, and we hope to soon serve the Lemba in Malawi and South Africa.

Along with meeting the healthcare needs of the Lemba and their neighbors, Jewish Voice offers a Spiritual Care Ministry where patients seeking prayer and spiritual comfort can receive it and hear the life-giving message of the Gospel.

Today, the Lemba of Zimbabwe have formed more than 180 Messianic Jewish congregations where they live out their faith in Yeshua (Jesus), the Messiah, within the context of their Jewish heritage. Many Lemba pastors now minister alongside Jewish Voice in reaching additional Lemba communities with healthcare and the Good News throughout Zimbabwe and nearby countries.