Ben Ammi Ben Israel, leader of American blacks who moved to Israel, dies at 75
African-American Ben Israel and 139 of his followers moved to Jewish state in 1969
The leader of a community of African Americans who moved to Israel decades ago in the belief they were of ancient Hebrew ancestry has died, their spokesman said.
Ben Ammi Ben Israel, 75, was spiritual leader of the small community of African Hebrew Israelites, based in the southern Israeli town of Dimona.
Spokesman Ahmadiel Ben Yehuda said that he died on Saturday. Ben Israel - born Ben Carter - grew up in Chicago, Illinois.
He was taught by his parents that he was a descendant of the ancient people of Israel, some of whom were dispersed by the Romans in AD70 to western Africa.
In 1966 he "received a vision, and he said the angel Gabriel visited him and told him it was time to leave America, to make an exodus, and head back to our land", Ben Yehuda said.
Along with 400 other believers, primarily from Chicago and Gary, Indiana, Ben Ammi travelled in 1967 to Liberia for more than two years of "wilderness" en route to the promised land, Ben Yehuda said. In 1969 Ben Israel and 139 believers arrived in Israel and were sent by the authorities to Dimona. The authorities and media were initially suspicious of the black Americans, wearing colourful robes, bearing biblical names and practising polygamy.