«The Lost Descendants of “God’s People” in West Africa» (to the 115th anniversary of Yu. Shumovskyi’s birth)

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  Ya. Taras

  V. Yaremchuk

Abstract

Yurii Shumovskyi (1908–2003) is a Ukrainian scholar who gained worldwide fame due to his numerous scientific discoveries in the field of archeology and ethnography which were made far beyond the borders of this Motherland, on the African continent. Among them, the studies of the Jewish question have a particular value. The relevance of the chosen topic is stipulated by the lack of scientific knowledge of Yu. Shumovskyi’s hypothesis about the Pel tribe as a “degenerate branch” of the Jewish people. In fact, they did not follow Moses to the north, but headed to the southwest of Africa. Therefore, in order to prove the importance of the scientific research within the outlined topics, and to establish the value of Yu. Shumovskyi’s treating the Jewish question, his foreign and Ukrainian heritage is analyzed, to form new comprehension of his contribution to the specified issues. The paper aims to publicize and characterize Yu. Shumovskyi’s hypothesis that the Pel tribe in Ghana are the descendants of the Jewish people, to show its scientific value and to attach importance to the study of the Jewish question and the African continent. Achieving the set goals involves fulfilling the following tasks: to analyze the foreign and Ukrainian historiography of Yu. Shumovskyi’s scientific heritage, to outline his hypothesis on the origin of the Pel tribe, to consider determinants of its construction and to investigate his contribution to the study of ethnogenesis of the Jewish people and the study of West Africa. To understand the ethnogenesis of the Jewish people, the scholar had to use comparative and hermeneutic methods. As the results of the scientific research, it is established that Yu. Shumovskyi’s hypothesis as to the ethnogenesis of the Jewish people in Africa is based on his study of the Pel tribe: numerous archaeological and ethnographic artifacts, oral history of its belonging to the Jewish culture as evidence of the past presence of the Jewish population in West Africa, characteristics of traditional household culture and anthropological features of the tribe members. It is proved that Yu. Shumovskyi’s research has gained significant resonance and has become an impetus for new studies on the history of Africa. Besides, analysis of primary foreign historiography highlighted recognition of the Ukrainian researcher of Africa as the pioneer of the genesis of the Pel tribe – the descendants of the Jewish people.

How to Cite

Taras, Y., & Yaremchuk, V. (2023). «The Lost Descendants of “God’s People” in West Africa» (to the 115th anniversary of Yu. Shumovskyi’s birth). The Oriental Studies, (92), 269–294. https://doi.org/10.15407/skhodoznavstvo2023.92.269
Article views: 92 | PDF Downloads: 36

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Keywords

Yurii Shumovskyi, ethnogenesis of the Jewish people, Pel tribe (Fula), West Africa, Ghana, Mali, Nigeria

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