FOR hundreds of years many have argued the origins of indigenous Fijians.
Over time, a lot has been written and said about the iTaukei originating from Africa while others have argued the case of they being from Asia.
Others yet, hold firm to the idea of the indigenous being one of the lost tribes of Israel.
In addition, research has revealed the story of Lutunasobasoba was, as a result of a competition by the then colonial government, made up to satisfy all queries as to where indigenous Fijians originated from.
This article does not intend to contradict any strongly held belief or body of knowledge about the origins of the iTaukei. Instead, it puts forth another viewpoint that maybe, just maybe, Fijians are linked to one of the lost tribes of Israel.
One thing is for certain Lutunasobasoba and his family were not the original settlers of Fiji. Discoveries have revealed the first settlers were those who we now refer to as the Lapita people. Many may not realise there were several waves of migration, the Lapita people could have been one and Lutunasobasoba another, even others which were not recorded.
If the story of Lutunasobasoba has been found to be a fabrication, then questions need to be asked. How and where did they come up with the idea? Who assigned the names of people and places together with the significance of their meaning which make for an intriguing tale?
Growing up, I have always been interested in this topic when around the tanoa I would hear my elders talk about the relationship Fiji may have with the Israelites.
What further fuelled this interest is a copy of the letter obtained by this newspaper written by former American consul to Fiji John B Williams to his mother on October 24, 1847 and published in the New Zealand Journal.
He said in the letter: “The Feejee man’s manners, customs, and habits are precisely what we read of in ancient Jews, doubtless they are descendents of the lost tribes of Israel.
“They anoint the head and body with sweet scented oils, wear the long beard. They consider it a disgrace for a man to lose his hair or beard, unless they lose it by death of one of their families or a relative, in that case the beard is cut off as a badge of mourning, while others cut a finger off, or burn the arm in a circle.
“They also circumcise as did the Jews.
“Some of them have as many wives as Solomon and slave men and women accordingly as we read of in the Book of Solomon. One old chief in the islands has 200 children.
“In a word, all their women queens as well, are positive slaves. Trace all their wars in Feejee and you will find a woman the instigation of it, the war that is now raging, a woman was the cause of it.
“It is death for a woman to expose her person to a man; it is death for a man to expose his person to a woman. You may think strange of this for both sexes are in a manner naked.
“Our first Mother Eve being naked was ashamed and hid herself, so with this people.
“I have heard it said that the Feejee men were void of shame and gratitude; this I have proved to the contrary. They have great sense of shame and are grateful, if you are hungry they will share their food with you without trade and without price. They would put the European to the blush. In trading they are perfect Jews.
“Ancient European history points out to us that most of their wars were caused by their queens. So it has been and continues to be in Feejee.”
We also have to ask as to why did Williams compare Fijians with the Jews. It could have been because he was a Christian, or may be he has heard stories, or may be he found similarities in characteristics?
Last year, this newspaper reported three rabbis visited the country for the feast of the Passover. Why did they come to Fiji?
The Christian narrative has the 12 sons of Jacob and their descendants making up the tribes of Israel. They were scattered around the world as a result of the attack on Israel by Babylonian King Nebuchadnezzar in 586BC. It was per commandment of the Lord to scatter them because of their rebellious ways and inequities.
Jacob was the grandson of Abraham who in biblical terms was known as the father of Israel (Jews).
The Levites — descendant of Levi (one of the sons of Jacob) — were not given any land when they occupied Israel. Instead, they were given the specific role as elders or priests, with the primary responsibility to guard and protect the Ark of the Covenant and be God’s messenger to the people (the only ones who could communicate directly with the Almighty and do sacred works in the temple.)
In the book of Ezekiel, in chapters eight to 11 the Lord revealed he had departed from the temple because the priests had turned to idolatry.
“Have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel are doing in the darkness?
“Go in, and see the wicked abominations which they are doing there. So I went in and saw, and there — every sort of creeping thing, abominable beasts, and all the idols of the house of Israel, portrayed all around on the walls. And there stood before them 70 men of the elders of the house of Israel, and in their midst stood Jaazaniah the son of Shaphan. Each man had a censer in his hand, and a thick cloud of incense went up. Then He said to me, son of man, have you seen what the elders of the house of Israel do in the dark, every man in the room of his idols? For they say, the Lord does not see us, the Lord has forsaken the land.”
And in another dream revealed to the prophet Hezekiah king of Israel conducted a clean-up campaign, as recorded in 2 Chronicles 29:3-6, in an effort to rid all inequities.
“In the first year of his reign, in the first month, he opened the doors of the house of the Lord and repaired them. He brought in the priests and the Levites and assembled them in the square on the east and said to them, Hear me, Levites! Now consecrate yourselves, and consecrate the house of the Lord, the God of your fathers, and carry out the filth from the holy place. For our fathers have been unfaithful and have done what was evil in the sight of the Lord our God. They have forsaken him and have turned away their faces from the habitation of the Lord and turned their backs.”
Some accounts say Tura, Lutunasobasoba’s father, was a Levite banished from Israel because of idol worship.
Could Tura or one of his ancestors be one of the priests who were banished from the temple and Israel when King Hezekiah conducted his clean-up campaign?
While more research is needed to confirm this another similarity between the iTaukei and Israelites which might help answer this question.Israel had a priest as part of its social structure. There was also a high priest (Melchizedek was a high priest). In the iTaukei setting, the indigenous hierarchy system also has a priest (bete) and high priest (bete levu).
Like the Israelites the bete had the same responsibilities, to communicate with God on behalf of the people and had the ability to prophesy and foretell. The bete also performed sacred duties in the temple (bure kalou).
There are other similarities in social structure. Both had a king (chief, turaga), messenger (matanivanua/spokesman), warriors (bati), fishermen (gonedau), carpenter (mataisau).
* Next week we look into the story of Lutunasobasoba and how stories passed from generation to generation among the people of Tamasua and Nabukeru in Yasawa. They are about information hidden in the Sawailau caves that may just provide the information we have long been looking for.
