Some historians have thought their ancestors may have belonged to one of the Lost Tribes of Israel, but the Bene Israel have never been officially recognized by Jewish authorities as such.
Beberapa sejarawah mendapati leluhur mereka masuk dalam salah satu Suku-Suku Israel yang hilang, namun Bene Israel tidak pernah secara resmi diakui oleh otoritas Yahudi seperti itu.