The Lemba

In Pretoria our tour guide told us he was a member of the Lemba tribe who trace their roots back to the Jewish priestly line of Aaron, the brother of Moses. For centuries their story has been dismissed as folklore. But genetics has given their claims unexpected weight.

Lemba traditions are rich with echoes of Judaism. They practice circumcision, observe ritual animal slaughter resembling kosher laws, avoid pork, and venerate a sacred object called the ngoma lungundu—a large wooden drum they associate with the Ark of the Covenant. 

In the 1990s, geneticists began testing the Lemba’s claims. They found unusually high frequencies of a genetic marker known as the Cohen Modal Haplotype (CMH) among Lemba men –strongly associated with Jewish priestly descent from Aaron. 

Scientists now suggest that sometime around 500 BC Lemba’s semetic ancestors migrated down to Africa from the Middle East.  This is another cool example of how genetics is helping us unveil deep layers of our human history.

Thank you God for the Lemba.

Toodling and Noodling, Stan