Why is Edom/Eisav in Yemen? What about the Pirates?

Yemeni Israelite/Judean ancestors

migrated to Africa: Ethiopia, Havilah

"The earliest Hebrew settlements in Africa date back to the pre-Israelite period, when the first Habiru tribes traded and even dwelled in Egypt. Tzo'an, a city built on the Nile Delta, seems to have been originally founded by the Habiru and was their main residence in Egypt. Tzo'an was in some way related to Hevron in Canaan since before Avraham's times; in fact, Hevron was the favourite home of the Hebrew Patriarch and it was probably Tzo'an where he took residence during his stay in Egypt. Some decades later, when Yakov and his family settled in Egypt, it was given them the region of Goshen, of which Tzo'an was the main inhabited centre.

The same city became Egypt's capital during the Hyksos' rule, which was a natural choice, being the Hyksos a Habiru people closely related to Israelites (although the identification of Tzo'an with Tanis and this with Avaris is not certain, the Nile Delta region was anyway the main settlement of the Hyksos rulers).

Egypt was officially monotheistic during the Hyksos' period, and such influence might have been extended throughout the African lands with which a fluent trade relationship was held, particularly Ethiopia.

After the Hyksos' rule was overthrown, Tzo'an kept its importance. It is identified with "the Town of Ramses", because the oppressor Pharaoh rebuilt and embellished it by the forced labour of the Hebrews, and made it his northern capital. Pharaoh's court was probably in Tzo'an at the time of his various interviews with Mosheh and Aharon (Tehilim 78:12).

Therefore, when considering that any apparent influence of ancient Hebrews is still present in some African peoples, this should not necessarily be related to exiled Israelites, but may belong to earlier periods or ascribed to other Semitic peoples, as shown in the following schema:

First period:

* Habiru tribes play an active role in trade relationships between Egypt and the Semitic kingdoms of the Middle East. The Habiru establish their commercial centres in Egypt around Tzo'an. Avraham dwells in Egypt.
* The Hebrew Patriarch Yakov and his family settle in Goshen. Origin of the Israelites.
* The Hyksos rule over Egypt for more than two centuries. Israelites become a numerous people. Egypt is officially monotheistic. The Hebrew peoples of Egypt may have established their first colonies in other regions of Africa in this period.
* The Hyksos are overthrown and many of them, as well as some Israelites, may have migrated to Ethiopia and other lands fleeing the Pharaoh's new policy of oppression.
* The Hebrews leave Egypt and return back in Canaan.

Second period:

* King Shlomo establishes alliances with Egypt, Sheva and other kingdoms. The Israelites increase their commercial activity and some of them settle in other lands, including Egypt and Punt (the Horn of Africa).
* One of the favourite lands for Israelite settlements was the Kingdom of Sheva, in Yemen, which in that period controlled also Punt and most of Ethiopia. Therefore, Israelite colonies may have been founded on both shores of the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, along two parallel land routes: the "Incense Road" in Arabia and the Nile in Africa (in addition to the sea route between Etzion-Geber and the Indian Ocean).
* Many Northern Israelites might have chosen to emigrate to these colonies in order to avoid the heavy taxation imposed by King Shlomoh to the Northern Tribes.

Third period:

* The Northern Kingdom of Israel is destroyed by Assyrians, that carried on three different deportations of the population to Mesopotamia and Media. Many Israelites took refuge in the Kingdom of Judah, but others may have settled in Egypt or even in Ethiopia during the last years before the definitive fall of Samaria.
* More than a century later, also the Kingdom of Judah fell under King Nebukhadnetzar. Most of the inhabitants were sent to exile in Babylon; a few of those left in Judah chose to re-settle in Egypt.
* The Persian Empire, that inherited Babylon's rule over Egypt, allowed Israelites to travel freely within the whole territory and even to engage in trade with other countries. The extension of the empire, that connected Central Asia and India with Ethiopia, favoured the development of intense exchange of goods between the African and Asian kingdoms, with the consequent flow of Jewish merchants.

Other migratory movements took place in later times, but the schema above may be taken as outline for a research concerning the probable origin of some Semitic or Hebrew elements found among some African peoples.

"From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia my suppliants, the daughter of My dispersed ones, shall bring My offering."

Tzephanyah 3:10

Source ImNinalu

Why Now the Pirates ... Somalia?

Some history of Ancient Piracy: Somali Pirates

Recent Pirate attacks: $4 Million Ransom.

Abraham the Blogger: A Jew in Somalia:

"Somalia is almost entirely Muslim, and Avraham could not feel more alone. "The hardest thing in my life is being Yehud, or Jewish, in a city where 99 percent of the people are Muslim," he writes in his blog. "Living as a Yehudi or Jewish person is not easy. I am surrounded by Muslim people all the time. Some are nice and some are full of hate. The people who are full of hate are ignorant people who are brainwashed in the Islamic school in Mogadishu." JPost article

Avraham was blogging at Greetings from Mogadishu but has stopped due to safety concerns. "Avraham writes that when his family came to Mogadishu from Yemen in 1901, there was no synagogue, but there was a Jewish cemetery. His grandparents and other family members are buried there, but he writes that the cemetery is now destroyed and houses have been built on it. "You can't do a thing or say something," he posted on his blog. "Just watch it and cry inside of your heart and soul."

Almost all the fighting in the world today

is on account of the Jews!

To find them and stir their neshomas,

to make them flee to Eretz Yisrael.