Post by rmlowe on Apr 19, 2016 0:03:29 GMT -6
During episode #55 of Let's Get Biblical Q&A, there was a caller who insinuated that "black people" in the United States are the "original Israelites," and claimed that there has been "archaeologists and religious leaders" that supports this, as well as Biblical evidence, like people being "mistaken for Egyptians." This "question" (to put it mildly) that was more like a provocation, appears around the 50:33 mark.
I've since been pondering writing this essay, responding to this loaded "question." The translation I use is taken from the RSV, but will not be linked to the Christian site that hosts it. So to start with:
The Bible does not really mention the skin color of the people of Israel.
The supposed "examples of them being "black" in the Bible, are weak, as it usually presents what's called a "false dichotomy." In other words, Moses' skin has to be black in order for it to turn white:
Exodus 4
6 Again, the LORD said to him, "Put your hand into your bosom." And he put his hand into his bosom; and when he took it out, behold, his hand was leprous, as white as snow.
Or Joseph needs to be black in order to for him to not have been recognized:
Genesis 42
8 Thus Joseph knew his brothers, but they did not know him.
For example. How serious are these arguments? It is silly to claim that a person needs black skin in order for it to turn white. "White" people don't literally have paper-white skin.
[Source]
One thing I always found funny:
Numbers 12
1 Miriam and Aaron spoke against Moses because of the Cushite woman whom he had married, for he had married a Cushite woman;
This is actually implying some kind of discrimination.
Joseph was 17, and considered to be a boy when he was sold.
Genesis 37
2 This is the history of the family of Jacob. Joseph, being seventeen years old, was shepherding the flock with his brothers; he was a lad with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father's wives
When the brothers finally see him again, during the seven years of famine, he was in his late 30s:
Genesis 41
46 Joseph was thirty years old when he entered the service of Pharaoh king of Egypt. And Joseph went out from the presence of Pharaoh, and went through all the land of Egypt.
Therefore, does the failure to recognize him have anything to do with confusing his skin color, like he was some chameleon, or the fact that they haven't seen him for at least 20 years? The former conclusion would be a flimsy attempt at argumentation.
In my own experience, I've generally heard people speak of the "ancient Israelites" as if it was only consisted of the descendants of the 12 tribes. The reality we find in the Bible, is that from the very beginning, there was intermingling.
Genesis 12
5 And Abram took Sar'ai his wife, and Lot his brother's son, and all their possessions which they had gathered, and the persons that they had gotten in Haran; and they set forth to go to the land of Canaan.
Genesis 17
12 He that is eight days old among you shall be circumcised; every male throughout your generations, whether born in your house, or bought with your money from any foreigner who is not of your offspring,
13 both he that is born in your house and he that is bought with your money, shall be circumcised.
Genesis 18
19 No, for I have chosen him, that he may charge his children and his household after him to keep the way of the LORD by doing righteousness and justice; so that the LORD may bring to Abraham what he has promised him."
That was before Isaac was born in Genesis 21, so it is undeniable that there was conversion being practiced from the very beginning, and thus no one can claim there was some "pure Israelite race," or focus on something as silly as who was "original" or who looked like what. Moving on further:
Exodus 12
37 The Israelites journeyed from Rameses to Sukkoth. There were about six hundred thousand men on foot, besides women and children.
38 Many other people went up with them, and also large droves of livestock, both flocks and herds.
Leviticus 24
10 Now an Israelite woman's son, whose father was an Egyptian, went out among the people of Israel; and the Israelite woman's son and a man of Israel quarreled in the camp,
It's obvious that this man was not born yesterday. Also note that verses 43-49 of Exodus 12 echoes the circumcision-conversion described in Genesis 17. Moving on:
Ruth 1
4 These took Moabite wives; the name of the one was Orpah and the name of the other Ruth. They lived there about ten years;
Ruth 4
13 So Bo'az took Ruth and she became his wife; and he went in to her, and the LORD gave her conception, and she bore a son.
14 Then the women said to Na'omi, "Blessed be the LORD, who has not left you this day without next of kin; and may his name be renowned in Israel!
15 He shall be to you a restorer of life and a nourisher of your old age; for your daughter-in-law who loves you, who is more to you than seven sons, has borne him."
16 Then Na'omi took the child and laid him in her bosom, and became his nurse.
17 And the women of the neighborhood gave him a name, saying, "A son has been born to Na'omi." They named him Obed; he was the father of Jesse, the father of David.
The fact that the Davidic line had descended from a convert (Ruth), is overlooked. King David was described as being "ruddy."
1 Samuel 16
12 And he sent, and brought him in. Now he was ruddy, and had beautiful eyes, and was handsome. And the LORD said, "Arise, anoint him; for this is he."
"Ruddy" is not describing someone with "black" skin. The irony here, is that we are also told:
Deuteronomy 23
7 "You shall not abhor an E'domite, for he is your brother; you shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you were a sojourner in his land.
8 The children of the third generation that are born to them may enter the assembly of the LORD.
Furthermore:
Jeremiah 23
23 Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil.
This comparison would not make any sense if the people of Israel were the same skin color as the Cushites/Ethiopians. Lastly:
Esther 8
9 The king's secretaries were summoned at that time, in the third month, which is the month of Sivan, on the twenty-third day; and an edict was written according to all that Mor'decai commanded concerning the Jews to the satraps and the governors and the princes of the provinces from India to Ethiopia, a hundred and twenty-seven provinces, to every province in its own script and to every people in its own language, and also to the Jews in their script and their language.
17 And in every province and in every city, wherever the king's command and his edict came, there was gladness and joy among the Jews, a feast and a holiday. And many from the peoples of the country declared themselves Jews, for the fear of the Jews had fallen upon them.
So we have demonstrated that in the TaNaKH, from the beginning to the end, there are examples of conversion and intermingling with other peoples. There are more that i have not mentioned. The people of Israel therefore, come from all nations of the world, and there is no "ancient Israelite race." It is perfectly acceptable to claim that some people of Israel were dark-skinned, and even African (Like the Egyptians). It is another thing entirely to claim that they were "all" dark-skinned. That's simply not true.
Who Fulfilled Deuteronomy 28?
One of the go-to passages for people, who the gentleman who asked the "question" reminded me of, is Deuteronomy 28.
68 And the LORD will bring you back in ships to Egypt, a journey which I promised that you should never make again; and there you shall offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no man will buy you."
I've seen very often, that people claim that this is referring to the transatlantic slave trade. One of the biggest problems with this, is that this prophecy was fulfilled during the second temple period.
Deuteronomy 28,68 Prophecy fulfilled within the pages of history
As stated above, the prophecy was fulfilled in historical accounts given by more than one witness and this prophecy was fulfilled between 66-70 CE., during and shortly after the Second Temple destruction.
“Now that Betar had been captured, everything came under Human control, while Palestine[Judah] was reduced to a desolate mound. Captives were sold into slavery in numbers too great to count. First they were brought to the grand annual market at the Terebinth-Eloh tree in Hebron, or in the words of Hyranumous, to the Tent-Ohel of Abraham near Hebron. Each [Jewish] slave sold for the price of a horse.Those captives who were not sold there were brought to the market place in Azza[Gaza] which, because of the great multitudes of slaves who were sold there,was called Hadrian's market place. And those who were still not sold there WERE HERDED INTO SHIPS AND WERE TAKEN TO EGYPT. Many died in transit, whether by starvation or by shipwreck, while many also were killed by cruel masters..” Munter, Primordia Eccl. Africanae, pp. 85f.,113.
"He [Ceaser] picked out the tallest and handsomest [Jews] of the lot and reserved them for the Triumph. Of the rest, those who were over seventeen HE PUT IN CHAINS AND SENT TO HARD LABOR IN EGYPT while greet numbers were presented by Titus to the provinces to perish in the theaters by sword or by wild beasts; those under seventeen were sold." Josephus, The Jewish Wars; Book 6, 9:2.
The above historic accounts also acknowledges the migration of Jews from the Second Temple period migrating back into Africa via Egypt and Ethiopia (including Saudi Arabia). I will now address the legends and history of other Jewish migrations into West Africa, including the periods prior to both First and Second Temple destruction and afterwards.
Of course, this fact does not diminish the experience of servitude of slavery created and maintained by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the continued onslaught of African Americans, because of Racism White Supremacy.
Source: Judah Moshe - The Phenomenon of African American Jews (West African Jewish Roots)
As stated above, the prophecy was fulfilled in historical accounts given by more than one witness and this prophecy was fulfilled between 66-70 CE., during and shortly after the Second Temple destruction.
“Now that Betar had been captured, everything came under Human control, while Palestine[Judah] was reduced to a desolate mound. Captives were sold into slavery in numbers too great to count. First they were brought to the grand annual market at the Terebinth-Eloh tree in Hebron, or in the words of Hyranumous, to the Tent-Ohel of Abraham near Hebron. Each [Jewish] slave sold for the price of a horse.Those captives who were not sold there were brought to the market place in Azza[Gaza] which, because of the great multitudes of slaves who were sold there,was called Hadrian's market place. And those who were still not sold there WERE HERDED INTO SHIPS AND WERE TAKEN TO EGYPT. Many died in transit, whether by starvation or by shipwreck, while many also were killed by cruel masters..” Munter, Primordia Eccl. Africanae, pp. 85f.,113.
"He [Ceaser] picked out the tallest and handsomest [Jews] of the lot and reserved them for the Triumph. Of the rest, those who were over seventeen HE PUT IN CHAINS AND SENT TO HARD LABOR IN EGYPT while greet numbers were presented by Titus to the provinces to perish in the theaters by sword or by wild beasts; those under seventeen were sold." Josephus, The Jewish Wars; Book 6, 9:2.
The above historic accounts also acknowledges the migration of Jews from the Second Temple period migrating back into Africa via Egypt and Ethiopia (including Saudi Arabia). I will now address the legends and history of other Jewish migrations into West Africa, including the periods prior to both First and Second Temple destruction and afterwards.
Of course, this fact does not diminish the experience of servitude of slavery created and maintained by the Trans-Atlantic Slave Trade and the continued onslaught of African Americans, because of Racism White Supremacy.
Source: Judah Moshe - The Phenomenon of African American Jews (West African Jewish Roots)
The other prophecies and conditions given throughout the Torah are also ignored. For example:
Leviticus 26
19 and I will break the pride of your power, and I will make your heavens like iron and your earth like brass;
20 and your strength shall be spent in vain, for your land shall not yield its increase, and the trees of the land shall not yield their fruit.
If the people of Israel who are within the land now, were not "real Jews", then needless to say, the Kibbutz would not have been successful in making the land arable, nor would there be rain. Such "imposters" would therefore be the enemies of Israel, and actually, nothing should be growing in that land.
Leviticus 26
32 And I will devastate the land, so that your enemies who settle in it shall be astonished at it.
33 And I will scatter you among the nations, and I will unsheathe the sword after you; and your land shall be a desolation, and your cities shall be a waste.
34 "Then the land shall enjoy its sabbaths as long as it lies desolate, while you are in your enemies' land; then the land shall rest, and enjoy its sabbaths.
35 As long as it lies desolate it shall have rest, the rest which it had not in your sabbaths when you dwelt upon it.
What about things like the "small number" mentioned?
Deuteronomy 28
62 Whereas you were as the stars of heaven for multitude, you shall be left few in number; because you did not obey the voice of the LORD your God.
What is the number of African-Americans in the United States today? According to the 2010 census from Census.gov: 42 million. What is the number of Jews in all the world? According 2013 numbers from jewishdatabank.org: 13.8 million. We can be generous and say it is 14.2 million (2014) according to the references Wikipedia cites. African-americans would still outnumber the so-called "fake Jews," and that's without accounting for the population of Africa itself.
In closing, I took the time to write this because, I found that caller's loaded "question" to be pretty insulting, as I am a non-Jew. That kind of thinking serves only to encourage a "us against them" mentality, as if being a certain skin complexion somehow entitles you to something or makes you more special than others. Of what benefit is it for me to believe that Moses was "black"? This kind of western thinking really has no place among God-fearing Torah scholars.
To quote someone from a different forum:
This is just one of many groups who react against their sense of disenfranchisement in the United States by claiming a religious basis to assert their own ethnic superiority over Caucasians.
Others embrace real or some fake Islam for the same reason.
Others embrace real or some fake Islam for the same reason.