The Beja are a nomadic people group with a million and a half members who live in the northeastern portion of the African nation of Sudan. Eastern Sudan has been the homeland of the Beja since the days of the pharaohs 4,000 years ago. Despite contact with the Egyptians, along with Greeks and Romans, it was the Muslims who finally had a real and lasting impression on the Beja. Although the Beja had partially accepted Christianity in 500 A.D., their conversion was only skin deep and beginning in 640 A.D., when Arabs first invaded Sudan, the Beja began to gradually adopt the Islamic faith. The Arabs did not conquer Sudan, and although many Beja tribes still do not speak Arabic, Islam left a lasting impact on their lifestyle, customs and religious practices.
There are a number of Beja subgroups. Sometimes they are subdivided by clan, other times by language. The Hadendoa Beja speak Bedawiyet, though most also speak Sudanese Arabic.
Hadendoa Bejas are traditionally a pastoral people. Droughts and lack of grazing reserves have caused some to find new livelihoods in farming, labor jobs at seaport cities or selling some of their products.
Throughout their history, Beja groups have practiced a number of different religions, including ancestor and demon worship, devotion to Egyptian gods, Jacobite Christianity and now Islam. Although they are Muslims, Islam is not deep rooted or well understood by the Hadendoa Beja. Sharia, or Muslim religious law, is of some importance for settled Beja but matters little to the nomads. Salif, customary Beja law, is more important than either Sharia or modern Sudan code law. Salif emphasizes the mandate of hospitality and provides for rates and modes of compensation for all manner of physical injury, ranging from one blow through murder. They do not make the required pilgrimage to Mecca, and many concerned with the traditional belief of do not say the regular required prayers. The Hadendoa Beja continue to be highly afraid of jinn, or bad spirits, which they believe exist everywhere and cause sickness and accidents maintain peace between individuals.
Pray for many opportunities for the Hadendoa Beja people to hear the gospel and respond to it.
Pray for the Lord to speak to many Hadendoa Beja elders through dreams and visions.
Pray for many Hadendoa Beja to have the spiritual hunger it will take to embrace Jesus Christ no matter what the cost.
May there soon be Hadendoa Beja disciples making more disciples.
Scripture Prayers for the Beja, Hadendoa in Sudan.
Profile Source: Joshua Project |
People Name General | Beja, Hadendoa |
People Name in Country | Beja, Hadendoa |
Natural Name | Hadendoa Beja |
Alternate Names | Beja |
Population this Country | 84,000 |
Population all Countries | 84,000 |
Total Countries | 1 |
Indigenous | Yes |
Progress Scale | 1 ● |
Unreached | Yes |
Frontier People Group | Yes |
Pioneer Workers Needed | 2 |
People ID | 12026 |
ROP3 Code | 103626 |
ROP25 Code | 302921 |
ROP25 Name | Hadendoa |
Country | Sudan | ||
Region | Africa, East and Southern | ||
Continent | Africa | ||
10/40 Window | Yes | ||
National Bible Society | Website | ||
Persecution Rank | 8 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) | ||
Location in Country | Al Bahr al Ahmar state; Kassala, Nahr an Nil, and Al Qadarif states, southeast River Nile. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Country | Sudan |
Region | Africa, East and Southern |
Continent | Africa |
10/40 Window | Yes |
National Bible Society | Website |
Persecution Rank | 8 (Open Doors top 50 rank, 1 = highest persecution ranking) |
Location in Country | Al Bahr al Ahmar state; Kassala, Nahr an Nil, and Al Qadarif states, southeast River Nile.. Source: Ethnologue 2016 |
Primary Religion: | Islam |
Major Religion ▲ | Percent |
---|---|
Buddhism |
0.00 %
|
Christianity (Evangelical 0.00 %) |
0.00 %
|
Ethnic Religions |
5.00 %
|
Hinduism |
0.00 %
|
Islam |
95.00 %
|
Non-Religious |
0.00 %
|
Other / Small |
0.00 %
|
Unknown |
0.00 %
|
Primary Language | Bedawiyet (84,000 speakers) |
Language Code | bej Ethnologue Listing |
Primary Dialect | Hadendoa |
Dialect Code | 7911 Global Recordings Listing |
Language Written | Yes ScriptSource Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
Primary Language | Bedawiyet (84,000 speakers) |
Language Code | bej Ethnologue Listing |
Primary Dialect | Hadendoa |
Dialect Code | 7911 Global Recordings Listing |
Total Languages | 1 |
People Groups | Speaking Bedawiyet |
Primary Language: Bedawiyet
Bible Translation ▲ | Status (Years) |
---|---|
Bible-Portions | Yes (2008-2010) |
Bible-New Testament | No |
Bible-Complete | No |
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 | Beja peoples video | General / Other |
Film / Video | Jesus Film: view in Bedawiyet | Jesus Film Project |
General | Bible for Children | Bible for Children |
General | Scripture Earth Gospel resources links | Scripture Earth |
Photo Source | www.j-pics.info - Flickr Creative Commons |
Map Source | Joshua Project / Global Mapping International |
Video Source | Discover the Beja People |
Profile Source | Joshua Project |
Data Sources | Data is compiled from various sources. Learn more. |