Umu oji: Community which has celebrated biblical Pesach for thousands of years

An Igbo community called Umu oji just finished celebration of ‘Uzo Iyi’(way/road through sea/water). It was at this same clan that I saw my first Sukkot (‘ima ntu’).

The name of the just concluded festival Uzo Iyi, tells us the full story…didn’t Israelites pass through the sea (iyi) to freedom, with Moshe (Moses)! Its the ancient Passover that these Igbos just finished celebrating without advantage of the Written Torah.

Like every other feast of Igbos, uzo iyi was termed pagan by European missionaries who were part of the gang that colonized Igbos. Even the term for the Igbo religion, Ome na ana, which sits smack in the middle of the Hebrew Bible was demonized.

The inquisitive will learn many things from Igbo culture as this culture gives us additional tools for looking at biblical, and Israelite culture and history.

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Remy Ilona is an Igbo scholar and author. He is presently in the United States.

About the Author

Remy Ilona, is a PhD candidate at the University of California, Riverside, where he also functions as a teaching assistant. He is also the secretary-general of Hebrew-Igbo people, an Igbo socio-cultural organization. He is also an author of 10 books. He is of Ibo or Igbo extraction, and a lawyer by training, as well as a historian of the Ibo. He is among the leaders shepherding the Ibos re-emerging Judaism.