IPOB 2 identity misfired

By

Sampson I. Onwuka

One tie that bounds now stiffens

When we point out that three Igbo villages with Hebrew names such Baro, Abba, Atta, put together is reciting Hebrew encomium > Baro Atta Abba or Baro (Baruch) Abba or Baruch Abba Atta, which literally means ‘Sovereign is your name Oh lord” we are point to the fact that these separatist groups (IPOB, MASSOB, Biafra Zionist, Congress of Lower Niger) are drawn to Israel because of her role in helping Biafra, but to the point of being Jewish many of them are closer to Hebrew and their language they chatter only recently revealed its link to Hebrew, that the above citation is correct from medieval Hebrew sources or without it, suggesting that current Hebrew is done a disfavor with Yiddish. In the circumstance we point out that Igbo language and Aramaic, and perhaps Greek can help unwrap what’s left of Hebrew, to the point above that a connection I think exist between the Igbo village ‘Eruchuku’ (as the neighboring Nkporo, Edda, Ohafia, Abiriba call Arochukwu), to Be-aro, possibly Baruch, the interpretation of Baruch Abba Atta, Baruch Atta Abba seem closer to ‘Sovereign is your place oh lord’ (Be ‘aru-Chu-Ku). We may add to these names such translation in Hebrew ‘El’ may give us brighter view on what means through Igbo language, using the example ‘most high’ is for instance ‘Ishielu’ in Igbo – may also mean ‘high one’, ‘top head’, which appear in older literature as also Elu, referring to the most high ‘El’, a word that appear as one of the names of God in Ugarit and Aramaic – being the language used by Egypt and then Persia, developed for Persia by Egyptian priest at Edfu, pushing Elam to the language of the chancery. Okobasi with ‘o’ nature is Igbo for ‘captain’, whereas O-basi is another Igbo for ‘most high’ and includes O-basidielu, O-basielu (O-ba-shielu) Igbo for the ‘exalted head, exalted one’ reserved for ‘God’, but here and perhaps throughout Biblical literature is also similar to Greek Basilus, Hebrew ‘Basielu’, English ‘Basil’, all meaning ‘King’, ‘most high’, etc., Can we convince IPOB, MASSOB, Biafra Zionist that Bini and perhaps Yoruba to start that hymn ‘Oba’ as most high, has an ‘o’ nature preceding the course word ‘ba’ is a dialect that point to errors of printing press, that ba>baba is father, the language may have roots in Greek like the Classic Igbo (Main land, Great Igbo). 

We are interested in Jewish History, with short emphasis on their European experience in Spain – which is not the same as Sefarad (Safa, pronounced Sofo), Portugal, Egypt, because of the so called ‘Act of Faith’ which the Spaniard call ‘auto de fe’, a translation that is perhaps at quarrel with the Muslims idea of living together ‘One faith’, which in Igbo and to some extent Aramaic, ‘One faith’ means ‘Otu Ofufe’ - not ‘act of faith’ and a comparison between Igbo’s ‘One faith’ out of ‘one faith’ ‘otu ofufe; to ‘auto de fe’ show why Medieval Spanish is perhaps similar to current Spanish but like current Hebrew it is now an ode to two different languages - we compare Spain and the experiment of a certain Dara es Salem to the problems of living together, Jews, Gentiles, Christians, Muslims, Hindu, etc., Budha, in a Spanish nation that was wielded together by Muslims in the 9th and 11th centuries; the Almoravids, the Almohovids > the (Moros, Mors, Moors) and was eventually reconquered by Christians in the 16th century to Nigeria which inherited sensitive pre-colonial cultures. I want to mention quickly that the Igbos (Ibo, Spanish, Portuguese Jews, some Morisco and Muslim like their Moors) in the South of Nigeria were not unaware of the Northern Nigerians before the coming of Britain whose land they call ‘Ugwu Awusa’, possibly meaning ‘hills of (Hausa)’ ‘Plateau’, or simply meaning, ‘of Hausa origin’, are known to us as ndi ‘Alakuba’ referring to their recitation ‘Allahu Akbar’, perhaps holding a second meaning for Igbo, ‘hitting the ground’ which in Igbo is also ‘Isi n’ala’ – head to the ground; the root and original meaning of the word ‘Islam’ – not Ishmaelite. The Igbo quarrel was with their neighbors and with themselves, the Yoruba not necessarily part of it, and were not popular in the East before the coming of Britain and the French. The Binis of the other hand were surprisingly popular in South East and the Eastern Nigeria and share centuries of relationship with them in Onisha (Onicha, Onitsha), Eri, Igbo-ukwu – occasionally sending emissaries to Ala Igbo > meaning Igbo land and receiving greetings as well. Note here – that ‘ala’ is a word in Igbo that means ‘land’ (English), and can be used in a sentence for instance ‘ala Tucka’ in Igbo is ‘land of Turkey’, ala Awusa, ‘land of Hausa>Hausa land’. My intention is to make the argument clear that the Bight of Biafra belong to Igbos and others including Bini, and the land is part of an enigma that is called Spanish and Portuguese Jewry, to this point, we may add that on closer examination of Igbo-ukwu culture and their arts, it is not accident to suggest that they are closer to Moo rs/Moro than any other group including Jews. The Igbos are more than one people, but I chose Hebrew because this is how their ancestors described themselves – telling their children not to forget who they are, secondly there is the elemental history of Hebrew language in Jewish centers in Spain, Portugal and Venice, before the 16th century which can be traced to Igbo language. 

But Igbo names and families have no direct meaning today because the language over the years have changed and some family names and villages such Ivo, Wawa, Izzi, Izzila, Atta, Abba, Attani, Agaba, Aba, Agbaa, Baro, Baruku, Ezzaa, Ekka, Edda, etc., has also changed. An Edda is (Jewish Congregation – mostly men, and usually a house of 72 priesthood, same with the Igbos. Their current counterpart in today’s Israel> The Eddas of today’s Israel are mostly from Askenazi - all 72 elders and part of ‘Knesset’ referring to council of elders, similar to Igbo version of Ndi eze, council of chief – Ohaneze; the Igbo public and the leaders. The Eddas in Jewish history are also part of what in Hebrew they call ‘Nasi ha Edda, meaning leaders of the Jewish congregation with emphasis on Princes for ‘Nasi’ > compare to Naseem for Arabic and Igbo : Nachi meaning leaders/rulers not necessarily Prince. So ‘rulers of the Edda in Igbo would be interpreted ‘Ndi nachi Edda, the root word ‘ha’ in Hebrew is a definite article, but in Igbo the word is ‘na’ whereas ‘ha’ is closer to ‘oha’ with emphasis on the ‘o’ nature of the written Lepsius form for Igbo O’ha; the public, the people, in Igbo, a case to consider that ‘Ha Likud, may mean in Igbo Oha Likud, the Likud Public, Party). Some of the Igbo village names such as Mbawsi and names Hagaba (Hagana), have roots elsewhere, including names such as Nllewedim (Hebrew for Levi, same as Lewis), Elebe, Eledo, Eja, are names we cannot easily trace to current Igbo language – to extent of names such as Aro, Akara, Ohachem, Ibiam are not easy translations but are Hebrew in meaning and show Jewish influences in the said culture and are Hebrew names. We may continue with Ohachem – my reconnoiter to one group for all these factions in the Niger-Delta seeking separation than a Likud – which is the impertinent given the psychology behind a public attachment to a publicly accepted form, or, perhaps a coalition called Hasidic – in spite its early opposition to Zionism. For it seems that in the context of the Hebrew meaning, ‘assemblies of God’, in Igbo, ‘Ohachi’ with inflection of ‘di’, a definite article for a third person singular ‘the’ given new meaning in Hebrew ‘Hasidic’ as if to say ‘the Rulers’ ‘the pure’ whereas it’s original interpreters call it ‘assemblies of God’, we are suggesting that Hasi>dic is perhaps a Jewish conservatory – Orthodox Jewry for many reasons non-political, including the claim that originators 'Israel Ben Eliezer' (Baal Shem Tov) who were directly convinced that they are to be set aside by social conditions by religion to pure knowledge of Torah. The interpreters of today's Hasidic point to a 'Lurianic Kabbalah' as a source on enlightenment, in Igbo, Kabbala as far as I know, its close to 'agbala' referring to mystic altars/shrines, to initiation at a young age (12/13yr) which is not dissimilar from Kabbala and the practices were borrowed from elsewhere to Cordoba by the long list of Rabbi in Spanish Jewish centers including Maimonides, Abulafia, Mier.   

 

We may cite that in Igbo ‘Assemblies of God’ > Hasidic; is ‘Oha chi’ ‘Oha shi’ different from ‘nachi’ ‘nashi’ nasi’ meaning the ‘rulers’ than the prince, and therefore close to the 'Essene' who were also Eboins (Ebonim>Ebonyim). We can however link Hasidic “Assemblies of God’ to an Ohaneze ‘assembly of people and leaders’ and to this point we add the presence of the word Edda, which in this case is one of the Chief party of Judaism or perhaps the very Jewish people as defined by Jacob Milgrom. Let us for the record look at 'hasi' as two possible words, 'ha' and a possibly 'si' - to proper Igbo Hashi, 'oha'>the public, the people, the assemblies, (and we notice here my use of the definitte article 'the' which for Igbo is ndi' as for Greek 'dide') and 'chi' 'shi' > the God almighty. Whereas in current Hebrew redeemed from Ashkeniza (Yiddish, Aramaic) seem to emphasize 'the righteous' than the essence of God. As such Hasidic may also refer to ‘Pious Ones’ and may and may not serve the purpose of a 'coalition' within the Igbo, to the point that the ‘Pious ones’ whose earlier incarnation were a Jewish party at the time of Christ, were called the Essenes - combining both the Pharisee and Sadducee - similar and perhaps the same as the Eboins, they are primarily desert dwellers, 'desert' 'wilderness' to be sure is the definition of Hebrew word ‘Nazareth’ and in Igbo (as in Hebrew) the word for 'desert' is called ‘ozara’, for 'wilderness' it is 'oha-ozara', point to be taken is that - the quarrel between Nigerian Igbo and Hebrew as we know it today is between the use of certain consonants, for instance ‘th’ in the end like ‘Beth’ for a ‘place’ to Igbo word for a place ‘ebe’ ‘beh’). For Coptic 'meios' for water, we look at Igbo 'miri' both of which does not shy from the words 'mire' in English a push on the translation but compared to French; 'danz dela meir', 'jumping into the semi liquid', whereas 'semi-liquid' in Igbo is 'logologo', 'lagoon' in English, and Portuguese 'Lagos' and raises altogether the issue of Essene as possible 'pious ones' - religious in its essence than the secular Ha Likud eflecting their 'bund' perhaps.  

 

The Sefarads (Sephardi) and Askeniza were not Jewish tribes or parties at the time of Christ and during the fall of Jerusalem in A.D 70, the Sefarad (Shephardic) were quite possibly among the many desert dwellers after the fall of Jerusalem - may or may not be related to the Mishrahim and the Eboins (Yes, there are still Ibos in Egypt) and may be closer to Essene, which in Igbo, Esse (esse) means ‘the seer, the diviner’, for instance Iju esse, Igbo for asking an interpretation – usually in my Igbo village, Nkporo of Abia State - it is visiting a certain Rabbi Eze - no longer – (slightly different from the syncretism of K.O.K Onyioha) at ‘ime ezi’ (mezzien, inner village), a word that also compare to Hebrew ‘Ertz’ as in Ertz Israel> Country of Israel. The Essene were mostly diviners, spiritually separate – has a relationship to the Greek word ‘Essaioi’ possibly for Holiness (popular sources) - in Igbo 'nso’ is holiness, 'nso ofo', ‘divine consciousness’, but essene, or the esse, is probably truer to Igbo word ‘esse’ > ‘to seek, ‘to find out, ‘iju esse’ usually seeking a spiritual council, than holiness tradition after 'nso', in the circumstance 'dia nso'> 'holy ones', di nso, to one 'who is holy', Igbo 'nke di ocha' > to what is clean, pure perhaps. The IPOB, MASSOB, BIAFRA ZIONIST, would not be strangers to these implicit re-enactment, but are failing to compare the Jewish Bund to Labor Party and are not looking to referendum on what the Igbo Jewry look like, what part is perhaps suitable for their kind - before any other development with or without the knowledge the transformation of Nigeria into Federal System was influenced by the so called Biafrans(?) - they were others, their ancestors fought hard for Nigerian indepedence, and when Aguiyi Ironsi joner the executive council, he re-emphasized the Republic of Nigeria (Nigeria Only, or One Nigeria) and with the circumstances which proven its case in Nigeria, the 'separatists' may or may not be stepping away from their hardly and desperately won Nationalism. Their current position in my view need perhaps to be "revision" or simply package as one party - the natural progression, a theme among the argument that they may yet accept the vast implications of their quest and realign all three, perhaps others in the Riverine areas as one party, Likud Party, Hasidic, or Oha-chem(Kim(?) according to their Jewish bund. 

 

It is important to add to these possibilities that Igbo names are different from more direct Jewish today names which are Igbo; Ezra, Eri, Erinma, Nguzi, Ovi, Ovim, Ovum, Azai, Ude (Hebrew for Jude, originally Yude, written Ude for Judah), Dim, Nkafa (Kafa), Wanu; Nwanu (Hebrew for the word Emmanuel), Amida (the Hymnal for the Jewish Edda), Amuda, Amasara, Arua, Ajike, Agulana, Aguleri, Ariso ogu > Arisa ogwu (warrior), Arisa agu (Tiger, Hebrew today call ari lion, and Agur warrior, where in the Igbo is necessarily the other way round), Asagu (In Igbo Asagu is den of Tigers) (Egela, Imo, Ebo (glory)> Ebonim (Hebrew for ‘The house of glory’ - one of the most important Jewish houses ‘Ebonyim’ written as ‘Eboin’ is higher than Yeshiva (Yeshivo), than Genoim and Gaon, higher than separate house of Abiam (the same in Hebrew as Abiam, same as Ibiam in Hebrew, referring to someone from Ebo (Eboin) - among the 8 Jewish party in the time of Christ, and to the Ebonim (The Eboin) it is said in their hymn, that ‘friendship with the world was enmity with God,’ and in the new testament rappaport of the Eboin, the Essene is a complementary line that 'whoever was friendly with the world was an enemy of God’ and were said to have been separated from others and remained in the desert before the time of Christ and after. It has been argued that ndi ohazara (Nazareths included the Eboins, the Essene, and early disciples of Christ) for it seems without marking distinction that their way of life may have also influenced Christ, 'James the Brother of Christ' and 'John Baptist' his cousin who were not part of this earthly possession. To these Ebos (Eboins) were also assigned the recitation concerning the ‘suffering servants of God’ which appear in Isaiah 53 and wandered into the wilderness following the fall of Bar Choba,), Abia (the town where Jesus Christ was born, on the cusp of Bethlehem in the boundary of Judah), Abiatha, Attani (Hebrew for Highpriest), Arua Arusi, Enu, Elu (Most high), Eloi – yes that’s also Igbo, Kanu (a Jewish greeting, also Igbo greeting Kaa nu, the synonym is Kaalunu – equally a greeting -whereas Akanu is priest< etc., names that you wouldn’t think are answered by other Jews both from Ashkeniza and Sefarad. 

Sefarad were shepherds of the Eastern desert who made it to Spain sometime in 6th century A.D – as opposed to the 3rd century A.D where the oral version of the laws or the Sofo was the guide for a branch Jews who remained in desert for a long a while and traveled on foot from Palestine to Syria and from Syria into Spain, Portugal, Venice, beginning their journey from the end of Bachoba wars till the 6th century A.D were the first copies of written version of both the Hagadic and Halakic called ‘Torah’ was received in Aramaic and Arabic form but not in Hebrew. They were joined by others from Gaons (Babylon) to Spain following the Codes of Oman, and enjoyed a brief respite from persecution following the domination of what later became Spain by Muslims. It was also in Cordoba that we learn that a group of Jews left in the 11th century to join others in far away land such as the Eastern Europe, to the extent of Kiev and Nosgorod when they heard that there others who spoke the ‘holy tongue’. They were never heard of again saving that a chance exist that Eastern Europeans where two or three types, those who came through the earlier years of Kiev from Turkey dating back to Assyrian years(?), those who made it from other parts of Europe and were perhaps converted or have their family so ostracized that they married into Christian others to the fourth and fifth generations but remained Jews for other reasons, those whose color of skin in Eastern Europe may entitle you to frown made it there from at least the 11th century on. It was also in the 11th century that the earliest attempt at translating Hebrew ‘Torah’ from Aramaic was completed – or much of the translation were done, and it created a fuss with Babylonian Jews who pointed that Arabic which was now but originally the standard text for Islam was perfected in Iran as upon the pre-existing Kufra, Coptic, and the Aramaic languages hold meaning for other Jews from Syria (Syriac) and Palestine (Peshita) in what was later called ‘Masoretic’ > Masori > how to pronounce it. It is here that I believe that the Igbo (Ibo (Ivo) Spanish, Venetian, Portuguese for Hebrew – at least up to the Medieval age and not Ivrit – there is no such thing in any translation from all the Jewish Centers beginning with Judah the Prince in Palestine to the Fall of Alhambra in 1492, and as such the Igbo may have borrowed several words that relate to Aramaic and Arabic, leading some of us to conclude that there were others who may also be called ‘Indigenous people of Biafra’