Babala and the Bible: Israel and a ‘Messianic Church’ in Papua New Guinea

In early 2000s, a large group of G ogodala‐speaking villagers in the Western Province ( WP ) of P apua N ew G uinea, led by a man I refer to as Henry, claimed to be members of the L ost T ribes of I srael. H enry and his supporters arranged for the visit of T udor P arfitt, then Director of the C entre for J ewish S tudies at the U niversity of L ondon, to WP . In this paper, I suggest that an ongoing local interest in ‘origins’ has been framed in light of biblical teachings, and this more recent claim of a connection between the G ogodala ancestors and the L ost T ribes of I srael. I explore the generation of such ideas and claims through an examination of the significance of babala (‘rules’ or ‘laws’) as practices vital to the maintenance of village‐based life, and biblical teachings on behaviour and practice focused on by the local Unevangelised Fields Mission. In this context, I explore the implications of the conjuncture of babala and the B ible, and the visits by P arfitt and his team, through the recent development of a ‘Messianic Church’ in B alimo with explicit forms of worship associated with J udaism.