Purveyors of Prophecy

jeeff: 25th Oct 2005 - 16:43 GMT

ok, who are those guys? i have only ever seen them in nyc and i don't know anything about them, except that they really make a scene.

Peter: 25th Oct 2005 - 17:32 GMT

lol... theyre the "tribes of benjamin" www.factmonster.com/spot/israel1.html

theyre a pretty fringe element of folks who believe that theyre linked to the "lost tribes of israel" via their african heritage.

they are renowned for standing in times square, ranting about conspiracy, illuminati, aliens, racism, etc.

once, i was observing them (with no small amount of amusement) and one shook his fist at me and told me that the lord would rain fire upon my head for all eternity for being an "arrogant white male".

a classic nyc moment, for sure :)

Catherine Penfold-Waxman: 25th Oct 2005 - 18:30 GMT

I was told that they wanted me to go to the ATM, get out $300 and give it to them as reparations. As far as I know, the Irish and English peasants that I came from didn't own slaves, being feudal slaves themselves. I'm sure that they are lovely fellows (no women that I saw) but they look just like 'Earth, Wind and Fire'.

Peter: 25th Oct 2005 - 18:35 GMT

Huh. I wonder if they get alot of takers on that "bargain"?

Stacey: 25th Oct 2005 - 18:54 GMT

Wow these guys are still around. They used to be on Fulton Street in Brooklyn.

vz: 25th Oct 2005 - 20:11 GMT

one day i saw one of them "off-duty", and we exchanged what were unmistakably looks of knowing irony. this confused me a little, as i had previously been sure that they were indeed some kind of rabid fanatics. seeing their theatrics again afterwards, though, i'm almost starting to think that maybe there's something else at work.

Peter: 25th Oct 2005 - 20:20 GMT

you should ask them the next time you see em. be sure to hold our a couple of $ so they know youre for real. if youre lucky, they might tell you something, as opposed to just insulting you and getting preachy, lol.

oh, and be sure to take photos :)

StripesA4: 26th Oct 2005 - 07:00 GMT

yoo them dudes is crazy. they are fanatics. they be on 34th as well across the sdtreet from macys. they look at me like im white but im so puertorican i got it coming out my eyes so i guess they recoginize. anyway yea they a bunch of crazy dudes, but thats New york. a place of very weird and crazy things compared to other metro areas. i think its the population density. who knows.

jeeff: 26th Oct 2005 - 08:06 GMT

really cool, i always wondered about these guys. great article & thread.

Peter: 26th Oct 2005 - 15:48 GMT

im so gonna get up in their face for some photos next time i see em...

Balloonhedz: 26th Oct 2005 - 17:04 GMT

I used to see them downtown once in a while too..I think they were ranting about Y2K. I havent seen them around in a while, thought maybe theyd quit or something. Theyre entertaining at the very least if you remember not to take them seriously.