Sefwi Wiaswo and Sefwi Sui

It is believed that Jewish communities had an established a presence in Ghana since ancient times. Migrations into western Africa by Jewish traders, merchants, and other groups have been documented by Arab, Jewish, and European travelers and historians. Members of the House of Israel document their arrival in Ghana via a Jewish migration across the Sahara desert, into Mali, where there has been a documented Jewish community in Timbuktu, and further along through the Ivory Coast and into Ghana.

The Sefwi tribe has established ties to worldwide Jewry in the late 20th century and have thus received educational materials about modern Judaism and vital texts such as Tanakhs, Siddurim, etc. The community traces its return to normative Judaism to an individual known as Aaron Ahomtre Toakyirafa. In 1977, Toakyirafa had a vision that the Sefwi people, a tribe of which he was a member, were one of the Lost tribes of Israel. He believed that the Sefwi practiced rituals and had a theology that was unlike that of the surrounding population. He concluded that these customs were of Hebraic origin. They avoided the consumption of pork, or pig-like animals, and observed a day of rest on Saturdays, which coincides with the Jewish Shabbat. Additionally, males were circumsized 8 days after birth, a custom that is identically practiced by Jews the world over. The custom of separation of man and woman during female menstruation was also observed among members of the Sefwi tribe. More recently, the community, largely based in Sefwi Wiaswo and Sefwi Sui and several tribal elders of the Sefwi have begun exploring the possibility of a Jewish ancestry.

In Arabic, Israel has survived because it is “Inshallah” (God’s will).

Israel’s resettlement in its ancestral land 60 years ago resulted from the expulsion and exodus of more than 850,000 Jews from Arab countries. For hundreds of years, and in many cases for millennia, Jews lived in countries such as Algeria, Egypt, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Syria, Tunisia, Iran, Iraq and Yemen. In several of these countries, the Jewish population was established more than 1,000 years before the advent of Islam. From the seventh century on, special laws of the Dhimmi (“the protected”) subjected the Jews of the Middle East and North Africa to prohibitions, restrictions and discrimination — not to mention harsh conditions of inferiority. Between the 1940s and 1980s, Jewish property was seized without compensation; Jewish quarters were sacked and looted and cemeteries desecrated; synagogues, Jewish shops, schools and houses were ransacked, burned and destroyed; and hundreds of Jews were murdered in anti-Semitic riots and pogroms.

The borders of Israel did not happen by accident, they are defined in clear and precise language by the most High God in the following passages of scripture. “In the same day the Lord made a covenant with Abram, saying, Unto thy seed have I given this land, from the river of Egypt unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” (Genesis 15:18).

In this passage of scripture the Lord defines the north and south borders of Israel, through a covenant he made with Abram, long before the nation of Israel came into existence. From the river of Egypt in the south to the great river Euphrates in the north would include all of modern day Lebanon and three-forths of modern day Syria. The Lord expanded these borders in the following passage of scripture.

“Turn you, and take your journey, and go to the mount of the Amorites, and unto the places nigh therein unto, in the plain, in the hills, and in the vale, and in the south, and by the sea side, to the land of the Canaanites, and unto Lebanon, unto the great river, the river Euphrates.” Behold, I have set the land before you: go in and possess the land which the Lord swore unto your fathers, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give unto them and to their seed after them.” (Deuteronomy 1:7-8).

The Lord never leaves anything to chance where the true borders of Israel are concerned, therefore the following is recorded in scripture.

“Every place whereon the soles of your feet shall tread shall be yours: from the wilderness (Sinai) and Lebanon, from the river, the river Euphrates, even to the uttermost sea shall your coast be.” (Deuteronomy 11:24).

When Moses lead the children of Israel out of Egypt, crossed the Red Sea, he left Egyptian territory behind and entered Israeli territory. How? The Sinai wilderness never belonged to Egypt. The soles of Jewish feet treaded in this wilderness forty years thereby making it Jewish land according to the teachings of Moses, which he received from the Most High God. Scripture records how hundreds of thousands of Jews died and were buried in the Sinai, making it one of the largest Jewish graveyards in the world. Their story is recorded as follows:

“And the Lord’s anger was kindled against Israel, and he made them wander in the wilderness forty years, until all the generation, that had done evil in the sight of the Lord was consumed.” (Numbers 32:13).

Thus, the scriptures clearly teach the Sinai belongs to Israel, and the Red Sea is its uttermost western border. However, the Sinai is not part of the Jewish heartland, but extended Jewish land.

The teachings of Joshua picks up where the teachings of Moses leaves off in the book of Deuteronomy.

“Every place that the soles of your feet shall tread upon, that have I given unto you, as I said unto Moses.” From the wilderness (Sinai) and this Lebanon even unto the great river, the river Euphrates, all the land of the Hittites, and unto the great sea (Mediterranean) toward the going down of the sun, shall be your coast.” (Joshua 1:3-4).

Thus we have scriptural proof that both Moses and Joshua are teaching the same doctrine as it pertains to the borders of Israel.

Samuel, the last of the judges tells the story of king David moving north to recover his border. His story is recorded as follows:

“David smote also Hadadezer, the son of Rohob, king of Zobah, as he went to recover his border at the river Euphrates.” (11 Samuel 8:3).

The scriptures tell the story of many battles fought by Israel in defence of her borders. One such battle is recorded as follows:

“In his days Pharaoh-nechoh king of Egypt went up against the king of Assyria to the river Euphrates: King Josiah went out against him: and he slew him at Megiddo when he saw him.” (11 Kings 23:29).

The lands east of the Jordan river, referred to today as the nation of Jordan also belong to the House of Israel. “And eastward he inhabited unto the entering in of the wilderness from the river Euphrates: because their cattle were multiplied in the land of Gilead.” And in the days of Saul they made war with the Hagarites, who fell by their hand: and they dwelt in their tents throughout all the east land of Gilead.” (1 Chronicles 5:9-10).

Both history and scripture clearly teach, the land of Gilead lies east of the Jordan river. Concerning these eastern lands, scripture records the following:

“And the children of Gad dwelt over against them in the land of Basham unto Salcah.” (1Chronicles 5:11).

The land of Basham lies east of the Jordan river and north of the land of Gilead. The land of Gilead runs all the way to the Dead Sea, on the east side of the Jordan river. These lands were settled by the tribe of Gad, who was the seventh son of Jacob. Concerning these eastern lands, scripture records the following as it pertains to this tribe and their descendants.

“And they dwelt in Gilead in Basham, and in their towns, and in all the suburbs of Sharon, upon their borders.” All these were reckoned by genealogies in the days of Jotham king of Judah, in the days of Jeroboam king of Israel.” (1 Chronicles 5:16-17).

Thus the borders of Israel runs from the wilderness on the east side of the Jordan river to the uttermost sea (Red Sea) on the west side of the Sinai: and from the Euphrates river in the north, to the river of Egypt in the south. These borders, like God’s covenant with Israel, are everlasting, for they were established by God.

This Biblical truth should be enough to give an apoplexy. However, in today’s modern world, man no longer honours God’s laws, ordinances, statutes, and commandments, therefore he feels free to ignore the borders that were established by God. Why? He has lost his fear of God. Therefore, God and his laws are no longer binding upon the lives of modern man or nations. However, God will not be mocked, for whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.

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