For thousands of years, African tribes in Mozambique and Zimbabwe have claimed Jewish heritage and priesthood lineage. Their religious practice has included monotheistic worship, circumcising male children, and dietary practices closely resembling those prescribed in the Old Testament, including eschewing the eating of pork. Although some scholars have dismissed the tribes’ ancestral claims, new DNA evidence has confirmed their descent from the house of Israel, including possession of the priestly Cohanim gene. What are the implications of these findings in relation to the Church’s previous denial of the priesthood to blacks? This paper examines the evidence that blacks have held or were entitled to hold the priest-hood since before the time of Christ.

Robert A. Rees, Darron Smith