The Lost Ark & the Lost Tribes of Israel – From PNG to Zimbabwe
I read an intriguing article today concerning one of the greatest mysteries of the Biblical era – the present whereabouts of the Ark of the Covenant. Most articles regarding the Ark of the Covenant are quite riviting – Indiana Jones stuff. And let’s be honest, when you read such an article, there is a bit of you that wants it to be true – all that legend, myth, history and adventure.
Well, according to Tudor Parfitt, Professor of Jewish Studies at London’s School of African and Oriental Studies, the Ark has been discovered – by him. And the Ark of the Covenant was discovered in no other place than the Republic of Zimbabwe – Mugabe land. Who would have guessed?
Professor Parfitt began his quest in 1987 when he was living with the Lemba tribe in a rural area of central Zimbabwe. They had sparked his interest because they claimed to be descended from the tribes of Israel. His quest for the Ark led him to look into a number of groups of people claiming to be one of the lost “tribes of Israel”. Professor Parfitt even travelled to PNG in search of the Ark because of claims that a PNG-based lost tribe of Israel had brought it with them!
I wouldn’t have thought much about the issue if this whole talk about the lost tribes of Israel hadn’t triggered my memory. Not too long ago Sir Paulias Matane, Governor General of PNG, launched the book Bine Mene: Connecting the Hebrews by PNG geoscientist Samuel Were. Were put forths the argument that his people, the Bine tribe of Western Province, are directly related to the the Hebrews (for more information about the Bine’s claim, click here).
However, the claim of being a lost tribe of Israel in the Pacific isn’t exclusive to PNG – Solomon Islands seems to have a number of tribes that ardently lay claim to that title too. Those tribes in Solomon Islands have even voiced their wish to build a full-scale replica of the temple believing it is pre-ordained for a country named the Solomon Islands – makes sense doesn’t it?
If you think not, ponder this. Fiji has elements of Fijians-as-Israelites in its culture too with a popular myth often told between Nadi and Lautoka about a boat called Kaunitoni being the first to bring people ashore. It is said to have contained ancient Israelites who journeyed down to Lake Tanganyika and in an unexplained way ended up in Fiji.
The Garamut 
T, another great post!
It is very interesting to read about Samuel Were’s work (link you provided) – particularly the Hebrew words and how they almost rhyme in Bine. I’ll try to obtain a copy of his book and have a read thru.
You know, sometimes I jokingly tell my friends at the bar that PNG is where the biblical story of the Tower of Babel was built – as when the people were building the tower to reach the heavens God confused the people by making them speak different languages. That is why you find 800 plus different languages in only one country. Amazing! isn’t it?
And if we add in the geographical explanation to the story – the world was once a single continent and over the hundreds of thousands of years ago started splitting into different tectonic plates which we now have the different continents. So we can argue that the world was ONE once upon a time ago and people probably spoke the same language but were separated when the plates moved apart.
There is certainly some linkage between religion and science and to understand our world I believe we need to combine both.
In reality,nothing is created nor destroyed but covered!
Therefore those tribes a close at hand,literally modern people.
peace
A classic example of the Bible proving science wrong is the example of the Hittites – although the Bible described these people as being a substantial civilisation, archaeologists thought the Bible was wrong. Well – the Hittites were discovered in the end, much to everybody’s surprise.
What really amuses me is this talk of the lost tribes of Israel – just imagine if a PNG group was actually a lost tribe. I’m not saying it’s not impossible – tasol tingim, dispela kain tingting save kirapim ol kago kalt.
J,
Thanks for the You Tube link. Well, if the Ark of the Covenant has already been found – where is it now?
Does Israel have it under lock and bolt?
about the fiji claims, it has been passed down by oral traditions about settlers that came in to Fiji from “taqanika” pronounced Tangganiika. they were a priestly tribe and had escaped with a chest which was said to contain a rock and the written history of their ancestors. they had settled in Tanganyika for an unspecified length of time and were forced to move on due to a disease that plagued the area. Four ships had left with people of the tribe to search for a new home for the chest. they stopped over at several places before stopping in Fiji where they hid the chest in the Nakauvadra range of mountains in Viti Levu. Apparently they understanding of writing has been lost from Fijian culture but the writing still exists in the form of petroglyphs around certain areas of religious and cultural importance, sadly no one has been able to decipher them. most of the population do not know about this history since the European colonizers had tried to wipe out such stories that were linked with ancient Fijian Religion. certain tribes nowdays closely guard these legends knowing that one day they will need to relocate the place where the chest is kept.
to add to that is the part that before Tanganyika. they were originally from a tribe of Israel , their leader was married to an Egyptian woman. So due to a raid on Israel by some other country they ran away with the chest that contained a rock with powers.
many of the Polynesian Islanders came from Fiji and nowdays also claim similar links to Judah
We Fijians or the iTaukeis are trully Israelites from the tribes of Jacob. I have the prima facie, geniune and sciptural proof. Let’s look at the scripture in the Old Testament in the Book of Joel Chapter 2 verses 27, 28, 29 and 30 in which God the Supreme or Jesus Christ says: “And ye shall know that I am the Lord your God, and none else: and my people shall never be ashamed. And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh; and YOUR sons and YOUR daughters shall prophesy, YOUR old men shall dreams dreams, YOUR young men shall see visions: And also upon the servants and upon the handmaids in those days will I pour out my spirit. And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth, blood, and fire, and pillars of smoke.”
In 1980 I was given this spiritual gift as promised by God to our ancestors the Israelites to to dreams things before they actually happen. I have dreamt of happenings in my country of FIJI before they actually happen……all the coups and related events and also the present Prime Minister Voreqe Bainimarama’s future. I have dreamt the crushing down of the Twin Towers 4 years before they actually happen and all the related cirmustances. Also the death of Princess Diana and all related circumstances. The present global economic recession or downfall. And also the electing of Obama to the White House and his future and all who are related to its cicumstances………Now let’s go back to what God said….”And I will show wonders in the heavens and in the earth…..” For the things of heaven: I have seen in a vision….. people who are in Paradise (Spirit World) Now God’s word is fulfilled to the Israelites. The second proof is from my Patriachal Blessing…..It states that I am trully from the family of Manasseh the eldest son of Joseph…who was given the gift to dream and translate them through the power of the God of Isreal our God who’s the God of all the people who believe in HIM. Now let’s talk about the dark skin that the iTaukeis or the Fijians have…It is a genetic from Cain…….the mark given to him by God as the consequence of him killing Abel his brother. During the building of the Tower of Babel…dark skinned people were already there but all in one language with other people. When God scattered them from there to all parts of the world, the Fijians were one of those people with a new language. They then travel across most lands including Egypt…where they stayed for a while but were starting to reduce in numbers through severe sickness, drought and famine. Lutunasobasoba then received a bride of the same dark skin like him and his people. Through the severity of those droughts, famine and diseases, they like the Egyptians ate there own small children to keep alive. Lutunasobasoba sensed this chaos decided to leave the land and travel to the isles of the seas for survival and freedom.
Shalom Simione, It would be interesting meeting you…we are moving to Fiji and are Israelites and keep the Commands of the Most High. Would this be possible?
Great….I have more to tell you and the world, and there are others who have supportive and circumstantial evidences of this…I am in the process of making the declaration nationwide and worldwide…through all forms of media. This project is called “Declaration of Origin.” It would me sensational and a great honor to meet with you…to uplift this divine declaration by our most High God. HE is the ONE who is doing this work…not me or anyone else…with all due respect we are just HIS conduits and servants and the tools as HE pleases. Please come. We should meet and do this together and become a partnership.
Shalom Simione, we moved over to Fiji and met wonderful Y’sraelites there. We only stayed 3 months and never got to met you.I hope and pray the Most High puts us together some day. We are in US now, a place called Babylon in the Bible and pray the Most High guides us out of here once and for all.
so simione, what could you tell us about the future? what have you been dreaming??
Before Barrack Obama got in to the White House, I dreamt of three white people sitting on the flooor in the White House. It was a little bit dark. And then suddenly some young black youths dashed in. One of the 3 people was George Bush former president of the USA. There were 2 others whom I do not know their identity. But there was a fourth person in the room, a white male adult sitting a little bit far off at a higher level. His back towards these 3 gentlemen. He was wearing a long sleeve white shirt. And there was light in his shirt that makes it more bright and white..that it brightens his whole body and image. And then he suddenly turns around, revealing himself. It was Bill Clinton and he gave rather a rare broad smile that made his face stretched. He looked confident. NOW for the INTEPRETATION…..The young black youths that dashed into the room represented Barrack Obamas becoming the next President of USA. Those sitting on the floor represented the end of white leadership in the White House. Sitting on the floor means that someone superior is coming or taking the leadership. The dark of the room means a black day for the white people. Now, as for Bill Clinton….it a prophesy that the next President of the United States should be a white person…a new image altogether with bright ideas and hope bringing light to the people. Back to Bill Clinton…he also represented his wife making it to the Obama administration…so he and his wife Hillary Clinton didn’t lose face after all. Most dreams and visions have two meanings.
hahaha, im from bine tribe. dnot have much to put on the table but assure you that I stil have strongs believes about our side of the story. mainly because of only one primary source or evidence about our stands. AND that is All our ancesteral or TUMBUNA stories are similar and related to bible stories,,,, Just like our Bine language…………..TA …fando.diiwaii
If anyone around the world who is a Taukei or an original Fijian who has some evidence or proof that we Fijians are true descendants of the Israelites please contact me on 6798661207 so that we can formulate this declaration of origin globally as the Lord Jesus Christ has commanded. I have about 50 scripture evidences supported with historical and current affairs of Fiji. We are anointed and chosen by God to do this. God has spoken.