Beta Israel

noun

ˈbe-tə- 

: a people of highland Ethiopia who practice a variety of Judaism

Note: The Beta Israel are also referred to as Falasha, a term that continues in widespread use but is considered to be offensive.

Examples of Beta Israel in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web

The large-scale immigration after 1980 of tens of thousands of the Beta Israel, Ethiopian Jews whose Jewishness has sometimes been challenged by Orthodox rabbis, has generated considerable controversy and ethnic tension in Israel. —Encyclopedia Britannica, 30 Apr. 2026

Word History

Etymology

borrowed from Hebrew bēyṯeʼ yiśrāʼēl (Geez betä ʼəsrāʼel), literally, "house of Israel"

First Known Use

1919, in the meaning defined above