File pictures of members of the Benei Menashe community, which claims to be descendants of one of the Biblical lost tribes of Israel

Guwahati, Jan. 21: Mizoram?s Biblical ?lost tribe? is trying to renew its Israel connection through a book on Jewish history in the Mizo language.

A Mizo scholar has translated stories from the Jewish holy book, Talmud, into the local language for the state?s Benei Menashe community, which is said to be a descendant of the lost tribe of Menashe.

The Menashes, one of the 10 lost tribes mentioned in the Bible, were exiled from Israel by the Assyrians 2,700 years ago.

The book, titled Juda Thawnthu (Jewish stories), has been written by Allenby Sela, who is the principal of the Shavei Israel Hebrew Centre in Aizawl. Published by the Jerusalem-based organisation Shavei Israel, which helps ?lost Jews? return to the land of their ancestors, the tome contains 20 stories about the life and times of ancient Jewish sages and icons like Rabbi Akiva and Rabbi Shimon.

Sela said over phone from Aizawl that his translations would help Mizoram?s 2,000-strong Benei Menashe community to understand the civil and social laws of Judaism, as enshrined in the Talmud. ?We believe that the Mizos, Kukis and Paiteis are the descendants of the Menashe community, one of the Biblical lost tribes. The collection of stories will help them understand Jewish history better.?

The combined population of the Benei Menashes in Mizoram and Manipur is about 7,000. At least 800 Beni Menashes from the two states have already migrated to Israel. The first batch left in 1989 and the last group in 2002.