A leading Nigerian anthropologist, Prof. Peter-Jazzy Ezeh, has strongly rejected claims that the Igbo people migrated from the Jewish community, stating that no scientific or linguistic evidence supports the popular narrative. Ezeh, a retired Professor of Anthropology at the University of Nigeria Nsukka (UNN), made the assertion during the Maiden Annual Lecture 2025 organised by the Chess Conclave Section of the Enugu Sports Club. The event, held in Enugu on Thursday, focused on the theme “Igbo Origin: Facts and Fiction.”
While addressing long-standing historical debates, Ezeh stated that extensive linguistic comparison shows no link between Hebrew and the Igbo language. According to him, the claim that Igbos migrated from Jews does not withstand objective scrutiny.
“When compared with Hebrew and Igbo languages with their lexicon, there was nothing showing relatedness as reported by some writers,” he said.
He further explained that for any group to assert that two languages are genealogically related, there must be clear similarities in vocabulary, sound, and shared origins.
“According to him, for you to claim that any two languages are related genealogically, it must be the case that lexicon of those two languages are coordinated and originated from the same source, sound and meaning.”
Ezeh stressed that Hebrew belongs to the Afro-Asiatic language family, making it linguistically closer to Hausa rather than Igbo.
“Hebrew belong to Afro-Asiatic language and when it comes to Nigeria, they have Hausa as their relations because Hausa is Afro-Asiatic along with 23 others.
This is not assertion or belief but scientific as there is ample, credible, solid evidence. So, if belonging to Hebrew confers any advantage, then it is to the Hausa.”
He also dismissed arguments citing similarities between biblical names and Igbo names, such as the name Ada, noting that phonological similarities do not automatically imply shared meaning or ancestry.
The anthropologist emphasized that many accounts about the Igbo origin remain unproven, largely because creation stories are naturally subjective.
He noted that some authors claim the Igbo migrated from Jews because both groups practice circumcision. But according to him, such comparisons lack cultural and historical depth.
One writer claimed that “Igbos migrated from Jews as both practiced circumcision,” but Ezeh countered that the Igbo form of circumcision was historically a rite marking the transition into adulthood, which differs fundamentally from Jewish circumcision.
He said: “Average Nigerian cultural group practices circumcision, are you then saying that all Nigerians are Jews? So Hebrew and Igbo circumcision are two different things. One is a right of passage admitting you to manhood.
My father told me he was circumcised at adult.”
Justice Peter Umeadi, former Chief Judge of Anambra State and chairman of the event, said the Igbo people have a distinct cultural, linguistic, and social identity that has remained undeniable for generations. He described the Igbo as resilient, industrious, and consistently at the forefront of development wherever they settle.
Delivering the keynote address, Prince Chukwuemeka Onyesoh, Leader of the Chess-Conclave Section of the Enugu Sports Club, highlighted the purpose of the lecture: correcting misconceptions and promoting accurate cultural knowledge.
He said people who did not understand their history risk losing their identity.
Onyesoh noted: “People without knowledge of their past history, origin and culture are tree without roots, noting that those who could not remember their past were condemned to repeat it.”
He urged Igbos to continue celebrating and documenting their heritage, warning that partial knowledge among some elites fuels misinformation.
Stressing the importance of cultural preservation, he added:
“As it is accepted, those who half-know and half don’t, are a major problem of world development. That is the very essence of this lecture series which must continue as long as there is the will and the funding.”
Enugu Sports Club Chairman, Chief Ifeanyi Nweke, commended the organisers and described the lecture topic as timely and essential for reinforcing cultural identity.
The event featured an interactive question-and-answer session, presentations of awards, and a closing cultural dance, reinforcing the commitment to continuous education on Igbo heritage.
This renewed emphasis on factual historical research, Ezeh noted, ensures that society does not rely on myths asserting that the Igbo people migrated from Jews without scientific backing.
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