Diaspora Distinctives: Experiences of Dispersion, Identity, and Revitalization in Old Testament Israel

Drawing on the Old Testament as an authentic source of Jewish cultural memory and the analytical scholarship of Diaspora Studies, this article spotlights and compares the prominent characteristics of the ancient Israelite diasporic experiences in Egypt, Babylon, and Persia. These experiences are reflected upon from a missional perspective to understand contemporary diasporic experiences of people groups across the globe. Most relevantly, these themes are applied to the modern Sri Lankan diaspora, especially that of Sri Lankan migrant workers in the Persian Gulf.