Hadendoa Beja in Sudan

The Hadendoa Beja have only been reported in Sudan
Population
Main Language
Largest Religion
Christian
Evangelical
Progress
Progress Gauge

Introduction / History

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.


What Are Their Lives Like?

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.


What Are Their Beliefs?

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.


Prayer Points

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  

Beja People Video

Source:  Discover the Beja People      Download

People Name General Beja, Hadendoa
People Name in Country Beja, Hadendoa
Natural Name Hadendoa Beja
Alternate Names Beja
Population this Country 86,000
Population all Countries 86,000
Total Countries 1
Indigenous Yes
Progress Scale 1
Unreached Yes
Frontier People Group Yes
Pioneer Workers Needed 2
PeopleID3 12026
ROP3 Code 103626
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 (86,000 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 (86,000 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.


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