Commandment Keepers

Black Hebrew Israelites
Subgroups and denominations
People

The Commandment Keepers Ethiopian Hebrew Congregation of the Living God Pillar & Ground of Truth, Inc. are a group of Black Hebrews, who believe that people of Ethiopian descent represent one of the lost tribes of Israel.[1] They claim King Solomon and the Queen of Sheba as their ancestors, and believe the biblical patriarchs were black.[2] They originated in Harlem, New York City, in 1919.[3]

Most of its members are Afro-Caribbean but since its founding it has had diverse visitors, and occasionally white members. They use the De Sola Pool Spanish and Portuguese prayerbook, the Hertz Chumash, parchment Torah scrolls, and offer standard orthodox Sephardi style Sabbath and Jewish Holy Day services.[4]

  1. ^ Cite error: The named reference maahcg was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  2. ^ University of Virginia New Religious Movements website Archived April 8, 2006, at the Wayback Machine
  3. ^ Wiener, Robert. "Tragedy at African-American synagogue". njjewishnews.timesofisrael.com. Retrieved 2022-05-19.
  4. ^ Pinn, Anthony B., ed. (2009). African American Religious Cultures. ABC-CLIO. pp. 169–174. ISBN 978-1-57607-470-1. Retrieved 8 March 2016.