Reply To: Black Ethiopian Jews

Benignuman: “although the Beta Israel believed themselves to be Jewish it is not clear whether (a) the founders of the community were actually Jews (according to one tradition they are descendants of a son of Shlomo HaMelech with the Queen of Sheba and Shlomo slaves) or (b) the conversions they conducted over the years were halachically valid.”

If it isn’t clear the founders of this community were Jewish, and we know they definitely didn’t conduct a proper halachic life, and they accepted “converts” into their community for marriage, which clearly wasn’t done halachicly, some kind of legend that they descend from the Queen of Sheba does not a Jew make.