Hebrewisms of West Africa. From Nile to Niger with the Jews.
New York, NY: Dial Press, 1930. First Edition. Hardcover. Large Octavo x + 444 pp. Dark blue cloth with gilt titling to spine and gilt illustration to upper board; index, bibliography, maps, frontis map. The author discovered what he identified as many Hebraic survivals in West African, and particularly Ashanti, religious customs, beleifs and practice which he documents here. He observes that these can also be found in some Jamaican religious practice, which he puts down to the fact that many Jamaicans were of Ashanti heritage. His conclusion is not a "lost tribe of Israel" type theory, but rather that the spread of the beliefs etc. was the product of cultural diffusion with Hebrew beliefs being spread through parts of Africa at some unknown point in antiquity. Hint of bruising to corners of boards, small thin vertical white line to front board, pages evenly toned, otherwise a bright, tight, clean VG+ copy (no dust jacket). Item #69896
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