We Came from Israel: Visions of Shared History behind the Ga Story of Origin

The Ga people of Accra are in favor of a story of genesis that establishes strong cultural and religious ties with ancient Israel. While similar stories exist in other parts of Africa – i.e. among the Igbo of Nigeria, their prominence can be traced back to the colonial discourse and interpreted as a pushback against the religious and cultural evolutionism of the time. In contrast, the Ga story of Israelite origin has become especially pertinent in contemporary Accra, amidst the ascendance of Pentecostal/Charismatic Christianity and the renewed discrimination against indigenous cosmologies. The presented paper argued that in an environment where religious recognition is an emblem of political status, the Ga emphasis on their affiliation with ancient Israel is a means to carve out a new path of social legitimacy, and to gain access to various forms of capital. Ultimately, the case study contributes to reexamining the unsettling one-directionality of dominant narratives that underlie global history.