Joseph Israel, Lions of Israel, and the Reggae Sound of Faith

Joseph Israel was not just a reggae singer. He was a songwriter who used music as a spiritual language. Born Joseph Montgomery Fennel in Tulsa, Oklahoma, and raised around reggae from an early age, he developed a sound that blended roots reggae with soul, folk, jazz, and biblical themes. His music carried the warmth of classic reggae, but also a deep sense of prayer, prophecy, and moral purpose.

Before becoming known more widely as Joseph Israel, he formed the band Kepha, a Hebrew/Aramaic word meaning “rock.” After Kepha, he founded Lions of Israel, the group that helped carry his sound across the American Midwest and West. Lions of Israel became an important part of his musical journey, giving him the live-band foundation for the songs and messages that would later define his career. In 2003, he toured with roots reggae artist Abijah and recorded a Lions of Israel live CD on the final night of the tour.

As Joseph Israel’s career grew, his music connected him with major reggae figures. A solo acoustic performance before Ziggy Marley proved especially important, eventually leading him toward work connected to Marley’s circle and the recording of Gone Are the Days, his breakthrough album. That record included musicians and collaborators from the reggae world, while still preserving Joseph Israel’s own voice: sincere, scriptural, hopeful, and deeply human.

Later, Joseph Israel also performed and recorded as Joseph Israel and the Jerusalem Band. The band name reflected the central role that biblical imagery played in his music. His 2009 Solution EP was released under the name Joseph Israel and the Jerusalem Band, with Lions of Israel listed in the release credits.

The Jerusalem Band was not just a backing group. It was part of the sound and spirit of Joseph Israel’s live performances. According to a Fayetteville Flyer tribute, the band toured widely in support of his albums and often returned to Fayetteville, Arkansas for hometown shows. The same article notes that musicians connected to the group included Matt Smith, Rochelle Bradshaw, and Michael Walker, with Bradshaw and Walker having supplied backing vocals while on tour.

What made Joseph Israel’s music stand out was the way he treated reggae as a vehicle for spiritual teaching. Songs like “Jerusalem” and “Jericho Walls” are rooted in biblical imagination, but they are not locked in the past. They use ancient places and stories to speak about modern longing: peace, justice, unity, and the hope that human barriers can come down.

In that sense, Lions of Israel and the Jerusalem Band were more than band names. They were part of a larger musical mission. Joseph Israel’s work brought together reggae rhythm, biblical language, and a message of healing. His songs continue to feel meaningful because they are not only about faith as belief, but faith as action: loving one another, seeking peace, and believing that even the strongest walls can fall.