Bench in Ethiopia

The Bench have only been reported in Ethiopia
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

Cerulli includes the following groups of people within the Gimira or Bench people group: The Shako, the Dizu-Benesho, the She, the Kaba, the Nao, and the Maji.

The area where the Bench are found is generally made up of Savannah and forest land. According to Cerulli, this people group works as agriculturalists and produces sorghum, maize, wheat, and barley using a terracing system with the hoe as their principal tool. Sheep, cows and fowls are plentiful among the Bench people. Their food consists of meat of cattle and goats or sheep, milk, maize, and a kind of cassava that is a popular food item.

Piercing and stretching of the lobe of the right ear with ornaments or small pieces of wood is very common among the Bench, though this custom is practiced only by chiefs, hunters or brave warriors.

The Gimira are mainly ethnic religion believers of a sky-god. However, much more importance is given to the many local spirits. It is believed that the spirits by means of certain rituals become embodied in the living form of a ritual expert. Although the sky-god is not actually worshipped, periodical sacrifices are offered (a fowl, a cow, an axe) chiefly to appease his anger when somebody has died.

The number of indigenous churches is about 21, which is very high.


Prayer Points

Scripture Prayers for the Bench in Ethiopia.


Profile Source:   Dr. Samuel Kebreab  

People Name General Bench
People Name in Country Bench
Alternate Names Bencho; Dizu; Ghimiarra; Gimarra; Gimira; Mer; She; Siiz
Population this Country 651,000
Population all Countries 651,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 5
Unreached No
Frontier People Group No
GSEC 1  (per PeopleGroups.org)
Pioneer Workers Needed
PeopleID3 11896
ROP3 Code 103375
Country Ethiopia
Region Africa, East and Southern
Continent Africa
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 32  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Mizan Teferi area.   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Country Ethiopia
Region Africa, East and Southern
Continent Africa
10/40 Window Yes
National Bible Society Website
Persecution Rank 32  (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking)
Location in Country Southern Nations, Nationalities, and Peoples’ region: Mizan Teferi area..   Source:  Ethnologue 2016
Primary Religion: Christianity
Major Religion Percent
Buddhism
0.00 %
Christianity  (Evangelical 65.69 %)
73.00 %
Ethnic Religions
23.00 %
Hinduism
0.00 %
Islam
4.00 %
Non-Religious
0.00 %
Other / Small
0.00 %
Unknown
0.00 %
Primary Language Bench (651,000 speakers)
Language Code bcq   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect She
Dialect Code 20767   Global Recordings Listing
Language Written Yes   ScriptSource Listing
Total Languages 1
Primary Language Bench (651,000 speakers)
Language Code bcq   Ethnologue Listing
Primary Dialect She
Dialect Code 20767   Global Recordings Listing
Total Languages 1
People Groups Speaking Bench

Primary Language:  Bench

Bible Translation Status  (Years)
Bible-Portions Yes  (1991)
Bible-New Testament Yes  (1990)
Bible-Complete Yes  (2023)
FCBH NT (www.bible.is) Online
Possible Print Bibles
Amazon
World Bibles
Forum Bible Agencies
National Bible Societies
World Bible Finder
Virtual Storehouse
Resource Type Resource Name Source
Audio Recordings Audio Bible teaching Global Recordings Network
Film / Video Jesus Film: view in Bench Jesus Film Project
Film / Video World Christian Videos World Christian Videos
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Faith Comes By Hearing - Bible in text or audio or video Faith Comes by Hearing
General Scripture Earth Gospel resources links Scripture Earth
Photo Source Anonymous 
Map Source Joshua Project / Global Mapping International  
Profile Source Dr. Samuel Kebreab 
Data Sources Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more.


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