The history of the Jews in Guinea-Bissau date back at least to the 15th century, when Sephardi Jewish traders and explorers arrived in the region from Portugal.
During the late 15th century and early 16th century, Portuguese Jews escaping religious persecution in Portugal during the Portuguese Inquisition formed Jewish communities along the coasts of the Upper Guinea from Sierra Leone to Senegal, including what is now Guinea-Bissau.
These Portuguese settlers, known as lançados, married local African women and formed families.
Much early commerce in along the Upper Guinea coastline was conducted by lançados who sailed to and from S. Domingos, located north of present-day Bissau.
Mixed-race Black Sephardi Jews in the region were referred to as filhos de terra and were generally considered "Portuguese".