You might not know it by walking its streets or visiting its local establishments, but Mercer Island is home to a mysterious and exotic tribe that is believed to predate Christianity.
University of Washington anthropologist and Mercer Island resident Diane Aspora studies this ancient tribe. According to historical records, it traces its origins back several millennia to a region near the Mediterranean Sea that scholars refer to as the Levant. Aspora has researched local census records and confirms that thousands of members of the tribe reside on Mercer Island.
Aspora says that while they appear superficially similar to ordinary people, members of the tribe are distinguished by an unusual and fascinating set of customs. For example, instead of observing the Sabbath on Sunday in the government-sanctioned manner, they do so on Saturday. They read from a holy book similar to the real bible, except it is written backwards by hand on parchment scrolls. They celebrate Christmas not by exchanging gifts, but by going to the movies. And they refrain from eating pork and shellfish, except in Chinese restaurants.
What is unclear to scholars is what has drawn so many members of this close-knit tribe to Mercer Island. “They are known to be nomadic by custom,” says Aspora, “so it’s curious that they would choose to settle on a remote island in the middle of a lake. Especially since we’re thousands of miles away from a decent bagel.”