Editing House of Israel (Guyana)

{{Short description|Religious denomination}}
The '''House of Israel''' is a [[Black Hebrew Israelites]] religious organisation in [[Guyana]] founded in 1972 by Rabbi Washington which claims that Africans were the original Hebrews, and that [[Jesus Christ]] was black.<ref name="jones"/> During the 1970s and 1980s, it was often described as a [[cult]].<ref name="jones"/><ref name="latimes"/> It was associated with the [[People's National Congress Reform|People's National Congress]] government under [[Forbes Burnham]], and was sometimes described as its paramilitary arm.

== History ==
The House of Israel was established by an American fugitive, David Hill, also known as Rabbi Edward Washington, who arrived in Guyana in 1972.<ref name="jones"/><ref name="case"/> In the 1970s, the group claimed a membership of 8,000.<ref name="jones">{{cite web|url=https://jonestown.sdsu.edu/?page_id=34259|title=The "Other" Jim Jones: Rabbi David Hill, House of Israel, and Black American Religion in the Age of Peoples Temple|author=Nishani Frazier|website=San Diego State University|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref> The House of Israel had a daily radio programme in which it preached that Africans were the original Hebrews. Opponents of the government claimed that the House of Israel constituted a private army for Guyana's ruling party, the [[People's National Congress (Guyana)|People's National Congress]] (PNC).<ref name="jones"/>

During an anti-government demonstration, a House of Israel member murdered Roman Catholic priest [[Murder of Bernard Darke|Bernard Darke]] because he was on the staff of a religious opposition newspaper, the ''[[Catholic Standard (Guyana)|Catholic Standard]]''. The House of Israel also engaged in strikebreaking activities and disruptions of public meetings.<ref name="jones"/>

Critics of the government alleged that House of Israel members acted with impunity during the government of [[Forbes Burnham]]. However, under [[Desmond Hoyte]], Burnham's successor, Rabbi Washington and key associates were arrested on a long-standing manslaughter charge for the death of James Maion, a former member of the House of Israel,<ref name="loc">Conway, Frederick J. "Religion" (and subsections). [https://countrystudies.us/guyana/42.htm A Country Study: Guyana] (Tim Merrill, editor). [[Library of Congress]] [[Federal Research Division]] (January 1992). ''This article incorporates text from this source, which is in the [[public domain]].''</ref><ref name="case">{{cite web |url=https://case.edu/ech/articles/h/hill-david-rabbi |title=Hill, David,  Rabbi |author=Justin Evans |website=Case Western Reserve University |access-date=26 November 2024}}</ref> and sentenced to 15 years in 1986.<ref name="latimes">{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1986-11-01-me-14465-story.html |title=Cult Leader Given 15-Year Sentence for Manslaughter |website=Los Angeles Times|date=1 November 1986|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref> Hill was released in 1992, and [[Extradition|extradited]] to the United States. Hill died on 11 December 2005.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.angelfire.com/dragon3/rampur/Rabbi_dead.html |title=Rabbi Dead at 77|website=Guyana Chronicle|date=11 December 2005|access-date=23 November 2021}}</ref>

At the 2014 [[Walter Rodney]] inquiry, [[Joseph Hamilton (politician)|Joseph Hamilton]], former priest of the House of Israel, testified that the House of Israel committed “oppressive and terrorizing acts on behalf of the PNC.”<ref name="chronicle">{{cite news|url=https://guyanachronicle.com/2014/06/03/corbin-delivered-guns-to-house-of-israel/ |title=Corbin delivered guns to House of Israel|website=Guyana Chronicle|access-date=23 November 2011|date=3 June 2014}}</ref> It was also revealed that the murderer of Walter Rodney was a member of the House of Israel.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.stabroeknews.com/2014/04/30/news/guyana/house-israel-hit-squad-rodneys-brother/ |title=House of Israel was hit squad - Rodney's brother|website=Stabroek News|access-date=23 November 2021|date=30 April 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Religion in Guyana]]
[[Category:Christian denominations in Guyana]]
[[Category:Black Hebrew Israelites]]
[[Category:Christian new religious movements]]