People group profile · PG042689
The Beja of Egypt
The Beja of Egypt, numbering about 1,265,000 people, are Engaged yet Unreached. They are a Cushitic pastoralist people of the mountains between the Red Sea and the Nile, documented in the region since roughly 4000 BCE, organized into patrilineal clans and renowned as camel traders along Red Sea routes from Egypt to Eritrea.
They are an indigenous people in the Beja people cluster of the Horn of Africa Peoples. Their primary religion is Sunni Islam, and they primarily speak Beja.
Fast facts
- Country
- Egypt
- Population
- 1,265,000
- Affinity group
- Northern African and Middle Eastern Peoples
- People cluster
- Beja
- Primary language
- Beja (bej)
- Primary religion
- Sunni Islam
- Strategic Progress Index
- Engaged yet Unreached
- Evangelical
- No Known Evangelicals
- GSEC
- Less than 2% Evangelical, No Recent CP Activity
- Lostness priority
- Frontier Unreached People Group
- Region
- Northern Africa, Africa
Where they live
Gospel status
The Beja are Engaged yet Unreached, which means fewer than 2% are evangelical Christians, but there are sustained efforts to establish self-sustaining churches consistent with evangelical faith and practice. In GSEC terms, this people group is less than 2% evangelical, some evangelical resources are available, but there has been no active church planting among them within the past two years.
- Congregations exist No
- Church planting in the last two years No Churches Planted
Next steps for the Beja
- Continue prayer and fasting for this group
- Continue gospel seed sowing and church planting among this group
- Begin training up local leaders to lead and develop strategies to reach their own people
Primary religion
Sunni Islam · Islam
100% adherents
Primary language
Beja · Afro-Asiatic family
100% speak Beja
Gospel resources in Beja
- Bible available
- JESUS Film available
- Radio programs not available
- Gospel recordings available
- Audio resources available
- Bible stories not available
Films
Find more at the JESUS Film Project, Bible.com and Faith Comes by Hearing.
Pray for the Beja
- John 17:3. Pray that many will come to know the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom he has sent.
- Psalm 27:1. Pray that new believers will be strengthened in the face of persecution, with the Lord as their stronghold.
- Romans 12:4–5. Pray that believers from many cultures will work together as one body so that the church is built up.
- Revelation 7:9. Pray for the day when people from this group stand before the throne with every nation, tribe, people and language.
Beja in other countries
The same people (ROP3 101211) is reported in 2 other countries.
Know something we don't? Submit updates to IMB Global Research.