The Israelites of the Bible
Before I dive in, I would like to nip something in the bud. When I mention to people that Black People are the true Israelites of the Bible, occasionally I will hear skeptics say :
“Israel is in the Middle East, therefore the Israelites looked like the modern day people in the Middle East”
Before Europeans and Asians invaded the region known as the Middle East, Black People were living there.
Over a thousand years ago, around 100 AD, a Roman historian named Tacitus wrote about Jews in his book, Histories, saying, “Many assure us they were a race of Ethiopian origin.”
Translation: the Jews are of Black African origin.
The British Historian C
Africans in Iraq:
Godfrey Higgins wrote in the 17th century in his book Anacalypsis, about the early inhabitants of Iraq. (Chaldeans was the ancient name for the people who lived there)
“I admit with great difficulty the theory of all the early astronomical knowledge of the chaldees having been acquired or invented by his race, and that the Chaldeas were orginally negroes”
Africans in Iran/Persia:
A British Anthropologist named Alfred C Haddon, wrote in 1934 in his book the History of Anthropology,
“The elamites of Mesopotamia seem to be a negro people with kinky hair and have transmitted this racial type to the Jews and Assyrians”
Africans In The Middle East: John D. Baldwin, Historian and Former Senator wrote in his book Pre-Historic Nations
“It is now admitted that a people of the Cushite or Ethiopian race, sometimes called Hamites, were the first civilizers and builders throughout Western Asia, and they are traced, by the remains of their language, their architecture, and the influence of their civilization, on both shores of the Mediterranean, in eastern Africa and the Nile valley, in Hindustan, and in the islands of the Indian Seas.”
DNA evidence
DNA evidence actually proves that black people’s ancestors come from Israel. In 2016 a genetic study called, the Genetic Structure of the World’s First Farmers, led by a Professor from the Department of Genetics of Harvard University showed that the same DNA (E1b1A) that African Americans, Blacks in Latin America and the Caribbean, many blacks still in Africa, as other well as other black people around the world(Asia and Europe etc), is traced back to Israel. Keep in mind, Africa is home to the biggest genetic diversity in the world, so not every African has the E1B1A genetic code.
In a separate study back in the 1990’s, a black tribe called the Lemba, that resides in Zimbabwe, had their DNA tested in a study done by The Center for Genetic Anthropology at University College London.
The DNA test confirmed, that the Lemba had the same DNA sequences as the Israelite priests, that many believe to be the descendants of Aaron, the older brother of Moses.
The results from the study means that the Lemba tribe share the same DNA as the ancient Israelites. A DNA study done on Sephardic Jews, by Family Tree DNA, showed that the DNA sequences that are found in predominately Sub Saharan Africans and African Americans, were present during the “formation of the Ancient Israelites.”
2. Appearance
The Bible as well as ancient historians describe the Ancient Israelites as black. The bible uses the appearance of Ancient Egyptians, as a reference to what the Ancient Israelites looked like.
The Torah(first five books of the Old Testament) and the New Testament describes how Israelites such as Moses and the apostle Paul looked like Africans.Moses and Paul, who were Israelites, were mistaken for Egyptians. Egyptians were black Africans. For some, the fact that Ancient Egyptians were Black could be new information and sound outlandish. Therefore I first will show that the Ancient Egyptians were Black Africans.
Below are photos of the tombs of Ancient Egyptians
In the 2001 Oxford Encyclopedia, egyptologist, Stuart Tyson Smith wrote :
“Any characterization of race of the ancient Egyptians depends on modern cultural definitions, not on scientific study. Thus, by modern American standards it is reasonable to characterize the Egyptians as ‘black’, while acknowledging the scientific evidence for the physical diversity of Africans.”
Based off how the Ancient Egyptians portrayed themselves through art, it is clear that they were a black African race. Ancient Greek and Roman travelers and historians, who lived during that time said that the Egyptians were black as well. An ancient Greek historian named Herodotus (400 B.C.), who is known as the “Father of History “, wrote about Ancient Egypt when he traveled there.
“ I myself guessed their Egyptian origin not only because the Colchians are dark-skinned and curly-haired (which does not count for much by itself , because these features are common in others too) but more importantly because Colchians, Egyptians and Ethiopians are the only peoples in the world who practise circumcision and who have always done so.”
In a nutshell he is saying that Egyptians had dark skin and curly hair. More importantly, he is saying that those three dark races above were the only race to practice circumcision. Circumcision is a Hebrew custom.
Below is what the French artist and historian, Vivant Denon, drew when he saw the Sphinx of Giza (before the nose was knocked off) around 1798. Note the African features.
In 1782 a French philosopher and historian named, Count Constantine de Volney, visited Egypt and said this:
“All the Egyptians,” wrote de Volney, “have a bloated face, puffed-up eyes, flat nose, thick lips — in a word, the true face of the mulatto. I was tempted to attribute it to the climate, but when I visited the Sphinx, its appearance gave me the key to the riddle. On seeing that head, typically Negro in all its features.”
In 2012, the Laboratory called DNA Tribes,released the DNA results of Pharaoh Amenhotep III and Pharaoh Tutankhamen. They lived around 1300 and 1400 B.C. The results showed that they had the same DNA as people from Great Lakes and the Southern Africa( Near Uganda.)This is DNA evidence showing that the Ancient Egyptians were black African people.
The pictures on the tombs and statues show that the Ancient Egyptians looked like Black Africans, African Americans or Black People. The eye witness accounts of ancient European travelers, show that the ancient Egyptians were black people. As mentioned earlier, the biblical evidence shows that Moses and Paul looked nearly identical to the Egyptians, thus confirming that Moses and Paul, were “so called black people”.
The story of Moses, found in the Torah, in the book of Exodus, confirms the African resemblance. The Pharaoh at that time was planning on killing every Hebrew baby in Egypt. The Pharaoh was scared that the Israelite population in Egypt would outnumber the Egyptians. Moses’s mother, hid him in a basket, and put the basket with Moses in the river, to prevent him from being killed. The daughter of the Pharaoh, found Moses in the basket and they raised him like a grandson. For many years Pharaoh believed that Moses was his blood grandson. In a nutshell, the Pharaoh couldn’t tell the difference between a Hebrew baby and an Egyptian baby. This means Moses looked like a black African. Moses was mistaken for an Egyptian by others as well. After he helped a group of girls water their flock, they mentioned this to their father. They said “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds, and also drew water enough for us, and watered the flock” (Exodus 2:19.)
The fact that the group of girls thought Moses was Egyptian, means he looked like a black African. The apostle Paul was also mistaken for an Egyptian. In the book of Acts, in the New Testament, Paul was being arrested and a Roman soldier said, “Art not thou that Egyptian, which before these days madest an uproar, and leddest out into the wilderness four thousand men that were murderers?”(Acts 21:38.) This confirms he looked like a black African.
How Did Our Ancestors Get From Israel to West Africa then to America?
Israelites migrated from North East Africa to West Africa where they were kidnapped into slavery and shipped to the Americas.
In 70 AD the Romans invaded Israel causing millions of Israelites to escape to Africa. “In his book ,The Great Roman-Jewish War: 66–70, the Roman historian, Flavius Josephus, stated over thousands of years ago,that the Israelites migrated into Africa. He writes:
“General Vaspasian and his son Caesar Titus fought against the Jews. Millions of Jews fled into Africa, among other places, fleeing from Roman persecution and starvation during the siege.”
This historical migration is backed up by the DNA evidence which says black people of the African diaspora can trace their ancestors back to Israel.
According to the Tarikh es Soudan recorded by Abderrahman ben Abdallah es-Sadi (translated by O.Houdas) a Jewish community was formed by a group of Egyptian Jews, who had travelled to the West Africa through Chad. This is just one example of the migration.
Once the Israelites migrated to West Africa, they established communities all through-out Africa.
Below is a 1747 map of Africa, created by an English cartographer named Edward Bowen(1693 or 1694–1767). This map, shows specifically where the ancestors of many African Americans come from. Notice that the region of Africa that is labeled the “Slave Coast”, is also labeled the Kingdom of Juda. Juda known as Judah, is the name of one of the Southern Kingdom of Israel
You can view the map on the link below to the site for the Library of Congress.
The Kingdom of Juda was in what is now called, Benin. According to the Washington Post, it was once West Africa’s largest slave port.
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In the 1870’s, a French public research university called, the University of Montepellier, put out a book(below)on geography, that stated:
“Whydah (Fidah, Hwedah, Ouida, Judah, or Ajuda) is a old city frequented since the 16th century by the Portuguese slavers, who gave it its name. It’s inhabitants were said to be this Judaic, “and they were indeed considered as a remnant of scattered tribes of Israel”
In 1876 a French geographer named, Élisée Reclus , wrote in his book called, “The Earth and Its Inhabitants” (below) :
“The Dahomey territory, guarded by the important town of Glehuech, Known to Europeans by various names of Fida, Heredah, Whydah, Wida. The old writers called it Juda, and it’s inhabitants were said to be Jews.”
In 1820 an English traveler named James Gray published his book “An account of Timbuctoo and Housa”, where he wrote:
“This place is reported to be inhabited by one of the lost tribes of Israel, possibly an emigration from the tribe of Judah. Yahooda, in African Arabic, signifies Judah. Yahoodee signifies Jew. It is not impossible, that many of the lost tribes of Israel may be found dispersed in the interior regions of Africa, when we shall become better acquainted with that Continent; it is certain, that some of the nations that possessed the country eastward of Palestine when the Israelites were a favoured nation, have emigrated to Africa.”
-El Hage Abd Salam Shabeeny collected and formatted by James Gray Jackson: An Account of Timbuctoo & Housa (1820)
Two French travelers from the 18th century, Conrad Malte-Brun and James Gates-Percival, traveled around Africa during the time of the Slave Trade and documented the tribes in Africa. While traveling through the Kingdom of Loango, which is present day Congo, they came across black Jews. In their book, A system of universal geography: or A description of all the parts of the world, they write :
“The kingdom of Loango contains black Jews, scattered throughout the country; they are despised by the Negroes who do not even deign to eat with them; they are occupied in trade, and keep the sabbath so strictly that they do not even converse on that day; they have a separate burying ground, very far from any habitation. The tombs are constructed with masonry, and ornamented with Hebrew inscriptions.”
A historical account from the 1700’s describes the connection between West Africans and the Israelites. This account is from an African man from the Igbo tribe of Nigeria, named Oludah Equiano.
He was kidnapped from Nigeria and was enslaved in Barbados and Virginia. He was somehow able to purchase his freedom and went on to become a writer and abolitionist. In his autobiography, he not only documented the horrors of slavery, but he also wrote about his culture back home during the slave trade. He detailed how his tribe practiced the same customs of the Jews in the Torah,
“We practiced circumcision like the Jews, and made offerings and feasts on that occasion in the same manner as they did. Such is the imperfect sketch my memory has furnished me with of the manners and customs of a people among whom I first drew my breath. And here I cannot forbear suggesting what has long struck me very forcibly, namely, the strong analogy which even by this sketch, imperfect as it is, appears to prevail in the manners and customs of my countrymen and those of the Jews, before they reached the Land of Promise, and particularly the patriarchs while they were yet in that pastoral state which is described in Genesis — .”
“Like the Israelites in their primitive state, our government was conducted by our chiefs or judges, our wise men and elders; and the head of a family with us enjoyed a similar authority over his household with that which is ascribed to Abraham and the other patriarchs. The law of retaliation obtained almost universally with us as with them: and even their religion appeared to have shed upon us a ray of its glory, though broken and spent in its passage, or eclipsed by the cloud with which time, tradition, and ignorance might have enveloped it; for we had our circumcision (a rule I believe peculiar to that people:) we had also our sacrifices and burnt-offerings, our washings and purifications, on the same occasions as they had.”
An article from 1853, out of the Weekly Raleigh Register
“A Jew who had accompanied a German traveller,as far as Timbuctoo, found near the boundary of Bambara a large number of Jewish negroes. Nearly every family among them possesses the law of Moses, written upon parchment.”
“The explanation which they give of themselves, in connection with their black skin, is this — that after the destruction of Jerusalem, at the time of the captivity, some of their ancestors, having neither goods nor land, fled to the desert. The fatigue which they endured so great, that nearly all the females died by the way. The children of Ham received them with kindness and by intermarriage with their daughters, who were black, communicated their color to their children. These children became generation by generation, of a deeper hue, until no differences of color now distinguish the children of Shem and those of Ham.”
Now back to Genesis 15
400 years
Why did god send the Israelites/ aka the so called Black people into slavery for 400 years?
Because we broke a contract with God.
What I mean is God made a covenant or an agreement with our ancestors, and our ancestors broke the agreement.
This was the agreement that our ancestors broke.
God chose our ancestors as his chosen people . They were chosen to carry out the will of God and to be an example for how the world should act.
“For thou art an holy people unto the Lord thy God: the Lord thy God hath chosen thee to be a special people unto himself, above all people that are upon the face of the earth”
Deuteronomy 28 15–68 details the covenant God made with the Israelites. A part of the covenant was that if they followed God’s laws and commandments, they would be blessed,have their own land and would be wealthy.
This can be found in verses 1–14
But the other part of the covenant was, if they broke God’s laws and did not keep the commandments, God would allow numerous curses to come upon them. The Torah states that these curses would be a sign upon the Israelites and their descendants forever.
“Moreover all these curses shall come upon thee, and shall pursue thee, and overtake thee, till thou be destroyed; because thou hearkenedst not unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to keep his commandments and his statutes which he commanded thee: 46And they shall be upon thee for a sign and for a wonder, and upon thy seed for ever.”
The curses mentioned in the covenant can be found in verses 15–68.
As stated in the verse 46 above, the curses help us identify those who are Israelites are today.
What are some of the curses that would identify the Israelites?
One of those curses would be going into slavery by ships.
Deuteronomy 28:68
“And the LORD shall bring you into Egypt again with ships, by the way whereof I spoke to you, You shall see it no more again: and there you shall be sold to your enemies for slaves and bondwomen, and no man shall buy you” ( Deuteronomy 28:68).
Egypt is a Greek word. The Hebrew name for Egypt is Mitzraim. Mitzraim means bondage or slavery.
The Egypt being referred to in this passage is not literal Egypt. In the book of Revelations one of the prophecies during the end times says “And their dead bodies shall lie in the street of the great city, which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also our Lord was crucified.” The curse is saying that the Israelites would go into slavery or bondage by ships, and would be sold to their enemies.
This curse fell upon black people during the Atlantic Slave Trade. During the Atlantic Slave Trade, it is estimated that a total of about 12 million Africans were scattered to the United States and Latin America.
Another curse was the rape of our women
“Thou shalt betroth a wife, and another man shall lie with her: thou shalt build an house, and thou shalt not dwell therein: thou shalt plant a vineyard, and shalt not gather the grapes thereof” (Deuteronomy 28:30).
“Thy sons and thy daughters shall be given unto another people, and thine eyes shall look, and fail with longing for them all the day long: and there shall be no might in thine hand” (Deuteronomy 28:32).
“Thou shalt beget sons and daughters, but thou shalt not enjoy them; for they shall go into captivity” (Deuteronomy 28:41).
These passages apply to the Atlantic Slave Trade and Arab Slave Trade, in which the wives of African men were raped by many European and Arab slave owners. It also describes how the children of black men and women were sold away into slavery as well. Many black families were torn apart during slavery.
The fruit of thy land, and all thy labours, shall a nation which thou knowest not eat up; and thou shalt be only oppressed and crushed always” (Deuteronomy 28:33).
This passage means that the Israelites would labor in a nation, and that the country they were in would get wealthy off the labor. The passages also says that the Israelites would not enjoy the fruits of their labor. It also mentions that the Israelites would always be persecuted. Are blacks, Native Americans and Latinos still being persecuted today? The countries that participated in the Atlantic slave trade and slavery, got rich off the free labor of blacks. Blacks did not receive reparations, but many slave owners did. Globally, blacks are socially, politically, and economically at the bottom of society.
“The Lord shall smite thee with a consumption, and with a fever, and with an inflammation, and with an extreme burning, and with the sword, and with blasting, and with mildew; and they shall pursue thee until thou perish.” (Deuteronomy 28:22)
“Also every sickness, and every plague, which is not written in the book of this law, them will the Lord bring upon thee, until thou be destroyed.” (Deuteronomy 28:61)
Black people are almost 13 percent of the population but are 42 percent of HIV patients.
Black people have the highest death rate of Cancer and the lowest rate of survival when battling Cancer than any other race in America
Black people have the highest death rates from heart disease than any other race in America.
Black people are more at risk for lung and kidney disease as well.
The trials and tribulations of the Africans that were kidnapped and forced into the Atlantic Slave Trade, as well as their descendants, match up with the curses listed from the Torah. The history and present condition of the Israelites may seem very tragic but the future for them is very promising.
In the book of Acts it says
“And God spoke on this wise, That his seed should sojourn in a strange land; and that they should bring them into bondage, and entreat them evil four hundred years” (7:6).
This passage helps show that “Egypt” is a symbol for oppression and not literal Egypt. The 400 years of bondage does not apply to the time the Israelites spent in literal Egypt. This is due to the fact that the Israelites only spent 210 years in Egypt.
The passage above, about the 400 years of slavery and mistreatment can only apply to American Slavery. The Israelites sold to America during the Atlantic Slave Trade have been in America for almost 400 years. The first Africans to arrive in America during slavery was in 1619. Next year, 2019, will mark 400 years of Africans being in America.
In the next line of this passage, it says
“And the nation to whom they shall be in bondage will I judge, said God: and after that shall they come forth, and serve me in this place” (7:7).
This passage describes how after the Israelites are in bondage for 400 years, God will judge the nation that mistreated the Israelites. In this context, judge means punish. After 400 years of America mistreating the Israelites or so called African Americans, America will be punished by God’s divine wrath and then the Israelites, will be freed from their captivity and will return to their homeland, Israel.
I don’t think it is a coincidence that earlier this year, Trump just signed a bill called the 400 years of African American History Commission Act. This was proposed by a black congressman named Bobby Scott of Virginia. This bill plans to redistribute wealth to the African American community through grants. Also, Ghana just declared 2019, the year of return for black people of the African Diaspora. This will allow black people to return to their homeland and receive dual citizenship. Although only God knows the concept of time, I believe all the signs point to the 400 year captivity being about 1619–2019. Even if this assessment of the prophecy is wrong, it still will not take away from the biblical, historical, anthropological, archeological, and DNA evidence that proves the Israelites are black.
One of the aspects of God’s divine wrath was Iran destroying the country that enslaved the Israelites, so called “black people”.
Isaiah 13–19
17 “See, I will stir up against them the Medes,
. who do not care for silver
. and have no delight in gold.
18 Their bows will strike down the young men;
. they will have no mercy on infants,
. nor will they look with compassion on children.
19 Babylon, the jewel of kingdoms,
. the pride and glory of the Babylonians
will be overthrown by God. (Isiah m
Medes was an ancient name for Iran.
Babylon refers to America. We know Babylon is America because:
- The Bible said Babylon would be the hammer of the earth aka the military superpower (Jeremiah 50:23)
- Babylon would enslave the Israelites
- Babylon is the economic superpower of the world. (Revelations 18:11)
Bernie Sanders just warned America last year, that Trump is leading us into a War with Iran.
Only God knows what and when these events will happen. My advice is simply to pray to God asking if this is true and for him to show you answers regarding this.