Beta Israel

Ethiopian Jews, also known as Beta Israel, live in the highlands in northwest Ethiopia, and claim descent from the Tribe of Dan, one of the Ten Lost Tribes of Israel, which may have settled the region in three waves following the destruction of the northern Kingdom of Israel. In 325 CE, initially subjects of the Kingdom of Aksum, they split off when the now-Christian king of Aksum attempted to convert them - instead, they formed their own state, the Kingdom of Semien, ruled by a descendant of the Jewish High Priest Zadok, King Phineas. Around 960 CE, after centuries of warfare between Aksum and Semien, the forces of Beta Israel (led by Queen Gudit) allied with the pagan Agaw tribes and destroyed the city of Axum, slaying any potential male heirs to the throne. The Golden Age of Beta Israel began.

In 1270 CE, a Christian King claiming descent from the Axumite emperors founded the Solomonic Dynasty, and warfare between the two dynasties resumed. Periodic interventions by Muslim Somalis and Catholic Portuguese threw monkey wrenches into the affair. Finally, in 1627 CE, Ethiopia conquered Simeon, converting and selling into slavery many of its inhabitants, banning Judaism to boot. Still, Beta Israelis endured to the present day - Aliyah is currently open to Ethiopian Jews, allowing many to return from the diaspora to the land of Israel proper, though integration still remains a significant challenge.

The Tribe of Dan is typically represented by both scales and a snake. The colors were an attempt to mix two pan-African colors - red and green - with the blue of the Israeli flag.