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Ben Ammi Ben-Israel ((ヘブライ語:בן עמי בן-ישראל)) (born Ben Carter, October 12, 1939 – December 27, 2014) was the founder and spiritual leader of the African Hebrew Israelites of Jerusalem. ==Biography== Ben Ammi Ben-Israel was born Ben Carter on October 12, 1939, in Chicago, Illinois. After dropping out of high school, Carter served three years in the United States Army, where he earned an equivalency degree. After Carter was discharged from the Army, he worked as a metallurgist at Chicago's Howard Foundry. In 1961, a co-worker introduced him to the idea that African Americans are descendants of the Biblical Israelites. Carter began to attend meetings of black Israelite groups, and was given a Hebrew name, Ben Ammi Ben-Israel, by Rabbi Reuben of the Congregation of Ethopian Hebrews. According to the Hebrew Israelite community, in 1966, Ben Ammi received a vision from the angel Gabriel, who told him to lead African-Americans to Israel.〔 In the vision, he claimed he was instructed to: "Lead the children of Israel among African Americans to the promised land, and establish the long-awaited Kingdom of God." In any case, Ben Ammi was one of four members of the Abeta Hebrew Israel Cultural Center to be chosen to travel to Liberia to explore the possibility of settlement there. In July 1967, a number of Abeta families began to arrive in Liberia, settling in spartan conditions on land purchased by an African American citizen of Liberia on behalf of the community. According to one account, Ben Ammi began his rise to leadership within the group around Passover in 1968. In accordance with their belief that they were the descendants of ancient Israelites, community members planned to sacrifice an lamb or kid as part of the observance of the holiday. When the goat acquired for the occasion was found accidentally strangled, and therefore ritually impure to be used as a sacrifice, Ben Ammi made a speech declaring that the faith and observance of the Black Hebrews was the true sacrifice that God desired.〔 The Abeta settlers were not welcomed by the Liberian government,〔 and suffered from economic and social difficulties. Many of them died from diseases.〔 In 1969, Ben Ammi visited Israel to once again explore the possibility the group's relocation. Taking advantage of the ambiguous attitudes of Israeli authorities, the community was able to immigrate to Israel. According to Ben Ami, tickets were purchased for their upcoming journey with the proceeds from the sale of two ice cream shops that had been established for the group's benefit in Monrovia--as well as some "divine intelligence." In 1970, 48 families immigrated to Israel, claiming their right to stay there under Israel's Law of Return. Ben Ammi and more of his followers arrived in the ensuing months, settling in the Negev city of Dimona.〔 Others settled in Arad and Mitzpe Ramon〔 The community was eventually given permanent residency in 1990, and then a path to citizenship in 2003. Ben Ammi served as the community's spiritual and political leader during this time, authoring a number of books. Ben Ammi died in a hospital in Be'er Sheva, Israel on December 27, 2014. At the time of his death, Ben Ammi had four wives—Tikvah, Yoninah, Baht Zion and Baht Ammi—as well as 25 children, 45 grandchildren, and 15 great-grandchildren.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Ben Ammi Ben-Israel」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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