The Twelve Tribes of Israel is a Rastafari religious group and one of the Mansions of Rastafari. Its headquarters is on Hope Road in Kingston, Jamaica.[1] The group was formed in 1968 by Dr Vernon Carrington.[1] The twelve tribes are based on the teachings of The Holy Bible. Members follow the teaching of reading the bible (the Scofield Reference Bible, King James Version) a chapter a day from Genesis 1 - Revelation 22, a teaching encouraged by the founder, Vernon Carrington, known to the organisation as the prophet Gad. It is the most liberal of the Rastafarian orders and members are free to worship in a church or building of their choosing.
The Twelve Tribes of Israel teach salvation through Jesus Christ. Members of the organisation see the same crucified Christ revealed through the personality of H.I.M Emperor Haile Selassie I of Ethiopia. Each of the 12 Tribes make up the body of Christ represented by each member. Each member of this sect belongs to one of the Twelve Tribes, which is determined by Gregorian birth month and is represented by a color, a part of the body, and a character trait, often called a "faculty." The standard Israelite calendar begins in April; the twelve tribes being Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah, Issachar, Zebulun, Dan, Gad, Asher, Naphtali, Joseph, and Benjamin. Although the twelve representations apply to male and female alike, Dinah, though not considered a tribe, is representative of the feminine.
Members of this order are not required to be turbaned, however, they do wear red, gold, and green banners at meetings, during prayer and Bible readings as a holy garment. The Twelve Tribes of Israel functions internationally and has headquarters in various different countries. Members work towards repatriation to Africa mainly Ethiopia (Shashamane)
Bob Marley was a noted member.[1] Other artists associated with the group include Sangie Davis, Fred Locks, Little Roy, and Pablove Black.[1] The group had an association with the Jah Love sound system in the 1970s.[1]
See also
References
- ^ a b c d e "And Tribes Made Merry", Jamaica Observer, 11 November 2013. Retrieved 11 November 2013