Beta Israel
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Beta Israel, formerly called Falasha also spelled Felasha, now known to be pejorative, Jews of Ethiopian origin. Their beginnings are obscure and possibly polygenetic. The Beta Israel (meaning House of Israel) themselves claim descent from Menilek I, traditionally the son of the Queen of Sheba (Makeda) and King Solomon. At least some of their ancestors, however, were probably local Agau (Agaw, Agew) peoples in Ethiopia who converted to Judaism in the centuries before and after the start of the Christian Era. Although the early Beta Israel remained largely decentralized and their religious practices varied by locality, they remained faithful to ...(100 of 390 words)