The first group of Indian migrants claiming to belong to a lost biblical tribe have arrived in Tel Aviv, as part of an Israeli government relocation programme | Al Jazeera English
The Bnei Menashe is a community of Indian Jews from various Tibeto-Burman speaking ethnic groups from the border of India, Bangladesh and Myanmar who claim descent from one of the Ten Lost Tribes, allegedly based on the Hmar belief in an ancestor named 'Manmasi', Some of them have adopted Judaism. The community has around 10.000 members.
The movement began in 1951, when a tribal leader reported having a dream that his people's ancient homeland was Israel; some tribal members began embracing the idea that they were Jews.
Before the movement's start, the community was largely a Christian one. Members are from the Chin, Kuki, and Mizo ethnic groups, amongst others.