Death of Ben Ammi Ben-Israel

By IAN DEITCH, The Associated Press

JERUSALEM (AP) — The spiritual leader of the African Hebrew Israelites, a movement that believes some black Americans are the descendants of an ancient Israelite tribe, has died in the southern Israeli town where he brought his followers four decades ago, the polygamous vegan group said Sunday.

Ben Ammi Ben-Israel died Saturday at the age of 75, the group said. He was born Ben Carter in Chicago in 1939. The group considers him the Messiah.