The History of the Igbo People
ERI: THE FATHER OF THE IGBO PEOPLE By WINNER ONYINYE 23 August 2021 | 10:44 am A sculpture of Eri, the son of Gad in Igboland It is believed that the Igbo people descended from Eri, a divine figure who according to folklore, was sent from heaven to begin civilization. Eri was the son of Gad and Gad was one of the sons of Jacob from his concubine, as mentioned in the Bible. Folklore has it that Eri lived in Egypt as a high priest during the reign of Joseph. When he foresaw the intending slavery of his people, he fled Egypt through the river Nile, crossed the river Benue, transversed across the river Niger, then settled near the confluence. With the people he was able to recruit, he established in that location. Eri had a son there, and he called him Nri. Nri possessed the same priestly ordination, and thus his spiritual powers, and was appointed as his heir. Eri went on to have four other sons and one daughter. As Nri got older, he left ...