The Biblical Jews | Les VersetsBibliques

House of Israel and House of Judah

Here are some biblical and historical facts about Israelites and Jews that we find very hard to challenge. And, since our main objective has always been to expose the truth, we will present it to you without any bias and without adding our personal viewpoint, but only in the light of the Word of God, the characters involved and historical data. It's up to you to do your own research.

Israelites and Jews according to the Bible and Scriptures

Jacob-Israel, son of Isaac, begat 12 sons, one of whom was Judah, from whom the Jews are descended.

People tend to confuse these terms, but the words "Hebrew", "Jew", "the House of Israel" and "the House of Judah" have never designated the same people or nation.

Bishop J. A. Allen of California, speaking of this modern confusion wrote:

""For ecclesiastical writers to ignore the representative national and racial Israelite names of Joseph, Ephraim and Samaria (the name of the ancient capital of Israel, as used in history and prophecy) and substitute for them by the term "the Jews," either as a name or as a people, calling them the sole representatives of the race of Israel, is not only the height of ignorance, but the great ecclesiastical crime of the years. It is truly an enemy who has done this".

Leah and Rachel (Jacob's wives), are identified as "the two families whom the Lord chose to build the House of Israel". The promise of the birthright covenant was given to Joseph, son of Rachel, and the kingship was given to Judah, son of Leah.

Jeremiah 33:24 "Have you not noticed what these people are saying: ‘The LORD has rejected the two families He had chosen’? So they despise My people and no longer regard them as a nation."
Ruth 4:11 “May the LORD make the woman entering your home like Rachel and Leah, who together built up the house of Israel.”

We read in Ezekiel 37, that the two "pieces of wood" which are now separated, but are to be reunited, represent, on the one hand, Judah son of Leah, and on the other, Joseph and the rest of the house of Israel associated with him. However, it must be understood that the Bible never uses the word "Jew" as a collective term for all the nations descended from Jacob-Israel.

The House of Israel and the House of Judah went into captivity separately, at different times and by different nations: Israel was taken captive by the Assyrians, while Judah was later taken captive by the Babylonians. Scripture also asserts that the House of Israel and the House of Judah do not all inhabit the same country, territory, region or continent, but their nations were scattered across the four corners of the earth, and will only be reunited after the establishment of the Messianic Kingdom.

Therefore, those who preach or teach that the Jewish nation and the nation of Israel have already been reunited and now occupy present-day State of Israel in the Middle East, are propagating heresies that are not substantiated in the Bible. To this end, the Reverend Canon Faucett M.A. states in his "Critical and Expository Bible Encyclopedia": "The idea that the House of Israel has been amalgamated and incorporated with the "Jews," is one of the most amazing errors in Biblical History."

In Amos 9:7, it is written that these two nations stand as equals, yet interestingly, this verse is one that scholars do not comment on. Why is that? Well, the truth is the more in-depth you study this verse, the more you'll be challenged by the evidence we're presenting below.

Amos 9:7 "Are you not like the Cushites to Me, O children of Israel?” declares the LORD." - Bereans Standard Bible
Amos 9:7 "Are ye not as children of the Ethiopians unto me, O children of Israel? " - The King James Bible 1611

Differences between a Hebrew, an Israelite and a Jew

Before continuing, it's important to understand the difference between the terms Hebrew, Israelite and Jew.

Hebrew: Heber/Eber, Abraham's ancestor, was the 4th generation after Shem; and only Heber's descendants are Hebrews. Abraham is a Hebrew, but not an Israelite, as this term only designates the descendants of Jacob. Abraham is also not a Jew, for this term only applies to the descendants of Yehuda (Judah), son of Jacob, from whom the Judeans (renamed Jews) are descended.

Israelite: All descendants of the 12 tribes of Jacob are Hebrew Israelites.

Jew: Yehuda is the fourth son of Jacob and Leah, his first wife. Only Yehuda's descendants are Hebrew Israelites Jews.

Who is Yehuda (Judah) and why is he separated from the other tribes of Israel?

Yehuda grew up with his brothers, working in the family business as a cattle and sheep herder. In time, he and his brothers became jealous and envious of their younger brother Joseph. Hatred intensified to the point where his brothers wanted to kill Joseph, but Reuben, the eldest, stepped in to stop them. Joseph was thrown into a pit and, while Reuben was away, it was Judah's idea to sell Joseph to Midianite merchants for 20 shekels of silver. We may speculate that it was Yehuda's suggestion that led to the enslavement of his descendants.

Yehuda married a Canaanite woman and had three sons with her: Er, Onan and Shelah. However, Elohim killed Er and Onan because they were only engaging in sodomite sexual relations with Tamar, lest she become pregnant. As a result, after the death of the two brothers, Tamar remained a virgin, until one day, hearing that her father-in-law was going to shear his sheep, she removed her widow's garments and dressed as a prostitute, then went and sat down along the road where Yehuda was passing. Yehuda approached her, and she demanded his staff, his belt and his royal headband as collateral, and they had an intimate relationship. When it was discovered that she was pregnant, Yehuda threatened to kill her for whoring. To save her life, she presented the items belonging to Yehuda and said: "I am pregnant by the man to whom they belong" (Genesis 38:18, 24-26). The Twins she bore were Zerah and Phares, from whom descended King David, ancestor of Joseph, the legal father of Jesus Christ.

Hebrews 7:14 "For it is evident that our Lord sprang out of Juda; of which tribe Moses spake nothing concerning priesthood."
Revelations 5:5 "Then one of the elders said to me, “Do not weep! Behold, the Lion of the tribe of Judah, the Root of David, has triumphed to open the scroll and its seven seals.”

The Bible doesn't say why the royal scepter was bestowed on Yehuda, or why divine kingship was to be born in his bloodline. But we can assume that his ability to take a leadership position over his older brothers predisposed him to kingship, notably when he opposed Joseph's murder, negotiated with his father Joseph's request to take Benjamin to Egypt, and pleaded with Joseph after the latter had concealed a silver cup in Benjamin's sack.

Genesis 49:9-10 "Judah is a young lion—my son, you return from the prey. Like a lion he crouches and lies down; like a lioness, who dares to rouse him?. The scepter will not depart from Judah, nor the staff from between his feet, until Shiloh comes and the allegiance of the nations is his."
Psalm 78:68 "But He chose the tribe of Judah, Mount Zion, which He loved."

However, in the Testament of Judah (a document classified as apocryphal) it is written that, in his youth, he showed irreproachable obedience to his father Jacob and unfailing respect for his mother. Moreover, he was endowed with impressive strength and fought fiercely against the Canaanites, enemies of ELOHIM. Later, however, he lacked wisdom by having sexual relations with Shua the Canaanite under the influence of alcohol, and was forced to marry her, although this was formally forbidden to him. After Shua's death, he acted shamefully when, under the influence of alcohol, he mistook Tamar, his daughter-in-law, for a prostitute, had sexual relations with her and impregnated her, a deed for which he repented at length. |The Testament of Judah|

How to identify Jews according to the Bible

Born in the 7th century B.C. (650-570), the prophet Jeremiah lived through the disintegration of the kingdom and witnessed the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple. He spent the last forty years of his life in the kingdom south of Egypt. The book that bears his name and contains a wealth of information on the period of the Old Testament is a long exhortation to "The House of Israel" and "The House of Judah".

If you carefully read the Testament in its entirety, you will realize that the nations of "The House of Israel" and "The House of Judah" are under the yoke of a divine curse that makes their living conditions globally charged with hardship, challenges and psychological distress, for they were handed over to dominant and powerful nations on account of their unfaithfulness and idolatrous practices, which the Lord abhors.

Jeremiah 44:8-26 Why are you provoking Me to anger by the work of your hands by burning incense to other gods in the land of Egypt, where you have gone to reside? As a result, you will be cut off and will become an object of cursing and reproach among all the nations of the earth.? ... Nevertheless, hear the word of the LORD, all you people of Judah living in Egypt: Behold, I have sworn by My great name, says the LORD, that never again will any man of Judah living in the land of Egypt invoke My name or say, ‘As surely as the Lord GOD lives.’"

The Scriptures are very clear on the fact that these sister nations will be identified through the similarity of the curses to which they are subjected.

Jeremiah 50:33 "Thus saith the LORD of hosts; The children of Israel and the children of Judah were oppressed together: and all that took them captives held them fast; they refused to let them go."

Here's an exhaustive list of verses that mention the curses weighing on Judah and Israel.

► Their lands will be devastated, and their wealth plundered.

Daniel 11:40-43 "At the time of the end, the king of the South will engage him in battle, but the king of the North will storm out against him with chariots, horsemen, and many ships, invading many countries and sweeping through them like a flood ... He will extend his power over many countries, and not even the land of Egypt will escape. He will gain control of the treasures of gold and silver and over all the riches of Egypt, and the Libyans and Cushites will also submit to him."
Jeremiah 15:13-14 "Your wealth and your treasures I will give up as plunder, without charge for all your sins within all your borders. Then I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for My anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you."
Isaiah 1:7 "Your land is desolate; your cities are burned with fire. Foreigners devour your fields before you—a desolation demolished by strangers"

► They will be handed over to violent, and ruthless nations they've never seen before: namely, the Peoples of the Septentrion (The Great North).

Deuteronomy 28:49-50 "The LORD will bring a nation from afar, from the ends of the earth, to swoop down upon you like an eagle— a nation whose language you will not understand, a ruthless nation with no respect for the old and no pity for the young."
Deuteronomy 28:36 "The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone."
Jeremiah 1:15 "For I am about to summon all the clans and kingdoms of the north,” declares the LORD. “Their kings will come and set up their thrones at the entrance of the gates of Jerusalem. They will attack all her surrounding walls and all the other cities of Judah."
Jeremiah 4:6-7 "Raise a signal flag toward Zion. Seek refuge! Do not delay! For I am bringing disaster from the north, and terrible destruction. A lion has gone up from his thicket, and a destroyer of nations has set out. He has left his lair to lay waste your land. Your cities will be reduced to ruins and lie uninhabited."
Jeremiah 5:15-16 "Behold, I am bringing a distant nation against you, O house of Israel,” declares the LORD. “It is an established nation, an ancient nation, a nation whose language you do not know and whose speech you do not understand. Their quivers are like open graves; they are all mighty men."
Jeremiah 6:22-23 "This is what the LORD says: “Behold, an army is coming from the land of the north; a great nation is stirred up from the ends of the earth. They grasp the bow and spear; they are cruel and merciless. Their voice roars like the sea, and they ride upon horses, lined up like men in formation against you, O Daughter of Zion.”
Jeremiah 10:22 "Listen! The sound of a report is coming—a great commotion from the land to the north. The cities of Judah will be made a desolation, a haunt for jackals."
2 Kings 24:2 "And the LORD sent Chaldean, Aramean, Moabite, and Ammonite raiders against Jehoiakim in order to destroy Judah, according to the word that the LORD had spoken through His servants the prophets."

► They will lack basic essential resources.

Isaiah 3:1 "For behold, the Lord GOD of Hosts is about to remove from Jerusalem and Judah both supply and support: the whole supply of food and water."
Jeremiah 14:2-3 “Judah mourns and her gates languish. Her people wail for the land, and a cry goes up from Jerusalem. The nobles send their servants for water; they go to the cisterns, but find no water; their jars return empty. They are ashamed and humiliated; they cover their heads."

► Cannibalism will become a common practice in various cities of Judah.

Jeremiah 19:8-9 "I will make this city a desolation and an object of scorn. All who pass by will be appalled and will scoff at all her wounds. I will make them eat the flesh of their sons and daughters, and they will eat one another’s flesh in the siege and distress inflicted on them by their enemies who seek their lives."

► Their leaders will govern in a state of cabegie, caring mostly for their personal well-being, they will be like little kids, unable to protect and care for their populations.

Isaiah 3:4 "I will make mere lads their leaders, and children will rule over them."
Isaiah 1:23 "Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them."
Ezekiel 34:8 "As surely as I live, declares the Lord GOD, because My flock lacks a shepherd and has become prey and food for every wild beast, and because My shepherds did not search for My flock but fed themselves instead"
Hosea 3:4 "For the Israelites must live many days without king or prince"

► They will be subjected to servitude and slavery, and worship other Gods.

Lamentations 1:3 "Judah has gone into exile under affliction and harsh slavery; she dwells among the nations but finds no place to rest. All her pursuers have overtaken her in the midst of her distress."
Isaiah 20:4 "so the king of Assyria will lead away the captives of Egypt and the exiles of Cush, young and old alike, naked and barefoot, with bared buttocks—to Egypt’s shame."
Jeremiah 16:13 "So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor."
Jeremiah 13:19-20 "The cities of the south shall be shut up, and none shall open them: Judah shall be carried away captive all of it, it shall be wholly carried away captive? Lift up your eyes, and behold them that come from the north: where is the flock that was given thee, thy beautiful flock?"

► They will be scattered all over the earth in boats.

Ezekiel 30:23 "And I will scatter the Egyptians among the nations, and will disperse them through the countries."
Ezekiel 30:9 "On that day messengers will go out from Me in ships to frighten Cush out of complacency. Anguish will come upon them on the day of Egypt’s doom. For it is indeed coming."
Deuteronomy 28:64 "Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known."
Deuteronomy 28:68 "And the LORD will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘You shall never see it again.’ And there you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you."

► They will be subjected to violence and oppression wherever they go.

Jeremiah 20:7-8 "You have deceived me, O LORD, and I was deceived. You have overcome me and prevailed. I am a laughingstock all day long; everyone mocks me.! For whenever I speak, I cry out; I proclaim violence and destruction. For the word of the LORD has become to me a reproach and derision all day long."
Jeremiah 30:12-14 "For this is what the LORD says: “Your injury is incurable; your wound is grievous. There is no one to plead your cause, no remedy for your sores, no recovery for you. Tous ceux qui t'aimaient t'oublient, Aucun ne prend souci de toi; Car je t'ai frappée comme frappe un ennemi, Je t'ai châtiée avec violenceAll your lovers have forgotten you; they no longer seek you, for I have struck you as an enemy would, with the discipline of someone cruel, because of your great iniquity and your numerous sins."

► They will become the laughingstock of all nations and the subject of mockery.

Jeremiah 24:8-9 "But like the bad figs, so bad they cannot be eaten,’ says the LORD, ‘so will I deal with Zedekiah king of Judah, his officials, and the remnant of Jerusalem—those remaining in this land and those living in the land of Egypt. I will make them a horror and an offense to all the kingdoms of the earth, a disgrace and an object of scorn, ridicule, and cursing wherever I have banished them."
Jeremiah 29:17-18 "this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “I will send against them sword and famine and plague, and I will make them like rotten figs, so bad they cannot be eaten. I will pursue them with sword and famine and plague. I will make them a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth—a curse, a desolation, and an object of scorn and reproach among all the nations to which I banish them."
Jeremiah 44:12 "I will take the remnant of Judah who have set their faces to come to the land of Egypt to live, and they shall all be consumed. In the land of Egypt they shall fall; by the sword and by famine they shall be consumed. From the least to the greatest, they shall die by the sword and by famine, and they shall become an oath, a horror, a curse, and a taunt."

► All the other nations of the earth will reject them with the same zeal, and will neither conceive nor tolerate them as being the true Jews and Israelites

Psalm 83:5-8 "For with one mind they plot together, they form an alliance against You, the tents of Edom and the Ishmaelites, of Moab and the Hagrites, of Gebal, Ammon, and Amalek, of Philistia with the people of Tyre, Even Assyria has joined them, lending strength to the sons of Lot."
Psalm 83:3-4 "With cunning they scheme against Your people and conspire against those You cherish, saying, “Come, let us erase them as a nation; may the name of Israel be remembered no more.”

► They will not know their true identity. In other words, Israelites and Jews don't know who they are, and don't consider themselves as such.

Isaiah 1:3 "The ox knows its owner, and the donkey its master’s manger, but Israel does not know; My people do not understand.”
Isaiah 44:18 "They do not comprehend or discern, for He has shut their eyes so they cannot see and closed their minds so they cannot understand."
Revelations 2:9 "I know your affliction and your poverty—though you are rich! And I am aware of the slander of those who falsely claim to be Jews"

However, we must keep in mind that ELOHIM always applies equity in his judgment, what he grants to some, he also gives back to others but in a different contexte; and although this terrible yoke was imposed on "The House of Israel" and "The House of Judah", these nations are not destined for eternal destruction unlike the other nations. For if divine graces should benefit only the other dominant nations, and Israel and Judah's portion should be nothing but humiliation, oppression, physical and moral distress without any redemption or comfort, then ELOHIM would not have kept his Promise to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob and can never be called Righteous.

► The House of Israel and the House of Judah will be saved

Romans 11:26-28 "And so all Israel will be saved, as it has been written: "The One Delivering will come out of Zion, He will remove ungodliness from Jacob. And this is My covenant with them when I take away their sins."
Jeremiah 30:10-11 "As for you, O Jacob My servant, do not be afraid, declares the LORD, and do not be dismayed, O Israel. For I will surely save you out of a distant place, your descendants from the land of their captivity! Jacob will return to quiet and ease, with no one to make him afraid. For I am with you to save you, declares the LORD. Though I will completely destroy all the nations to which I have scattered you, I will not completely destroy you. Yet I will discipline you justly, and will by no means leave you unpunished.”
Jeremiah 30:16-17 "Nevertheless, all who devour you will be devoured, and all your adversaries—every one of them—will go off into exile. Those who plundered you will be plundered, and all who raided you will be raided. But I will restore your health and heal your wounds, declares the LORD, because they call you an outcast, Zion, for whom no one cares."

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Israelites and Jews according to historians of the Middle Ages

In this section, we'll share with you the writings of renowned and respected historians concerning the ancient Jews, as well as relics found in buried prehistoric sites. For the sake of brevity, we'll only touch on the most relevant facts. But it's up to you to do your own research and deepen your understanding.

First of all, historically, the Greeks were in a sense Romans, as they were governed by the Roman Republic, the Roman Empire and the Eastern Roman Empire, and until 1700 CE, many Greeks still called themselves Romans. We all too easily forget that interbreeding or interracial marriage was an explicit part of Alexander the Great's policy; he wanted all his subjects to have Greek blood running through their veins. Thus, many first-century Jewish slaves lived in areas where they could mix freely with other racial and ethnic groups.

Acts 16:1 Paul came also to Derbe and to Lystra. A disciple was there, named Timothy, the son of a Jewish woman who was a believer, but his father was a Greek."

We must also remember that in the first century A.D., the modern state of Israel did not exist, nor was the term "Jew" used, and there were no Ashkenazi or Sephardic Jews either. But there were black Greco-Roman slaves known as Judeans or ioudaios (in Greek), meaning those who lived in the Roman province of Judea (called Judaei) in southern Palestine. This region was once called Eretz Kna'an (the land of Canaan), and the borders were known in Jewish tradition as the "borders of those who came out of Egypt".(Nunbers 34:2, Deuteronomy 1:6-8)

Here's an extract from "The Histories: The Jews - Book 5 Chap. 2" by Cornelius Tacitus (56 - 120 A.D.), Roman orator and politician considered the greatest Roman historian, in which he asserts that the Jews who populated Judea originated from ancient Ethiopia.

It is worth informing the reader of its origins. The Jews are said to have been refugees from the island of Crete who settled in the remotest corner of Libya at the time when, according to history, Saturn was driven from his throne by the aggression of Jupiter. This is evident from the name "Judaei" by which they came to be known: the word must be seen as a barbaric extension of "Idaei", the name of the people who lived around the famous Mount Ida in Crete. Some authorities maintain that, under the reign of Isis, the surplus Egyptian population was evacuated to neighboring lands, under the leadership of Hirosolymus and Judas. Many believe that the Jews are descended from those Ethiopians who were forced by fear and hatred to emigrate from their homeland when Cephaeus was king.

Ancient Ethiopia

Often, those who teach the Gospel do not take into account ancient geography or historical facts, but associate biblical places with our modern-day sites. The Bible clearly states that "the ancient boundaries" by which the founding fathers marked and delimited lands, estates and countries are eternally fixed and must not be changed or moved.

Proverbs 22:28 "Remove not the ancient landmark, Which thy fathers have set." |King James Bible|
Proverbs 22:28 "Do not remove the border which your fathers have made from old times.." |Aramaic Bible|
Proverbs 22:28 "Never move an old property line that your ancestors established." |Good News Translation|

Altering geography was considered a despicable crime, and a biblical curse was decreed against those who tampered with the geography established by the Founding Fathers. For this reason, we urge those who preach the Gospel to do thorough research before speaking of biblical geographical locations.

Deuteronomy 19:14 "You shall not move your neighbor’s boundary mark, which the forefathers [who first divided the territory] have set, in the land which you will inherit in the land which the LORD your God is giving you to possess."
Deuteronomy 27:17 "‘Cursed is one who displaces his neighbor’s boundary marker.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’."

According to historical data, the country that now bears the biblical name "Ethiopia" was formerly known as "Abyssinia" throughout the Middle Ages. It wasn't until 1932 that Abyssinia (present-day Ethiopia) was renamed "Bank of Ethiopia" after being indemnified by Emperor Haile Selassie. And in 1945, after regaining its independence and taking part in the founding of the United Nations, Abyssinia was officially registered as "Ethiopia", making the name "Abyssinia" obsolete.

The word "Ethiopia" is derived from the Greek name Αἰθιοπία (Aithiopia), which is a composition of the words: aíthō "burnt" + ṓps "face"; and correctly translated into a substantive as "burnt face". Since Homer's time, the exonym had been used to designate the dark-skinned populations inhabiting the regions below the Sahara and the Equator.

Abd Allah Mohammed Al-Idrissi, the greatest geographer and cartographer of the Middle Ages, toured the world and observed the indigenous populations. In 1154, he was able to write the world's first geography with detailed descriptions. His works are preserved in the most prestigious libraries, such as Oxford's Bodleian Library and the Bibliothèque nationale de France in Paris. Interestingly, in his maps, he indicated that Jews populated the southern regions below the Sahara desert, namely all of West Africa and sub-Saharan Africa: Senegambia, Guinea, Sierra Leone, Mauritania, Liberia, Malia, Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Togo, Benin, Nigeria, Niger, Chad, South Sudan, South Africa, Angola, Congo Basin (DRC), Congo Brazzavile, Botswana, Burundi, Cameroon, Gabon, Lesotho, Malawi, Namibia, Uganda, Central African Republic, Rwanda, Swaziland, Tanzania, Zambia, Zimbabwe.

Here's a copy of what Al-Idrissi wrote in his book entitled "Description de l'Afrique et de l'Espagne", on page 4 of the chapter 'Premier Climat - Première Section'.

"The inhabitants are traveling merchants and obey the prince of Tacrour. To the south of Barisa is the country of Lamlam, distant about 10 days. The inhabitants of Barisa, Silla, Tacrour and Ghana make forays into the Lamlam , reduce the inhabitants to captivity, transport them to their own country, and sell them to the merchants, who come there and send them elsewhere. big as villages. One of them is called Mallel, and the other Daw. They are distant from each other by 4 days. According to what the people of this region report, the inhabitants are Jews, but for the most part they are steeped in impiety and ignorance. When they have reached the age of puberty, they brand their faces and temples with fire. These are signs that serve to make them recognised. All the dwellings of their country are built on the banks of a river which throws into the Nile. Beyond the Lamlam, to the south, there is no inhabited country. That of Lamlam touches on the western side to Magzara, to the east to Wangara, to the north to the country of Ghana, to the south to deserts. The language of the inhabitants of Lamlam differs from that of the Magzarians and that of the Ghanaians."

If the first Bibles were published in antiquity, between 50 and 60 A.D., then we must understand that biblical Ethiopia does not refer exclusively to the ancient state of Abyssinia, which became modern-day Ethiopia in 1932; for in antiquity, and in the Middle Ages, the name "Ethiopia" referred to the whole of sub-Saharan Africa, including the above-mentioned countries. It is therefore historically inaccurate and misleading to say that only Abyssinians are "biblical Ethiopians".

Here are more statements made by Al-Idrissi in which he asserts that the Jews populated the empire of Kanem or Cânem (the Camnouria), which formed part of the region known as Nigritie. Cânem included at various times what is today southern Chad, northern Cameroon, northeastern Nigeria, eastern Niger and southern Libya.

""But the Zaghawa and Lamtouna of the desert, who inhabited both sides of this country (I mean Kamnouria), conquered it, exterminated most of the inhabitants and dispersed the rest. The inhabitants of Camnouria, according to the report of the merchants, claim to be Jews. Their religion is a confused mixture of all things; they are nothing and have no fixed beliefs; they have no king themselves and do not obey a foreign king, but are the pawns of all the neighboring tribes. In the past, there were two flourishing towns in Camnouria, one known as Camnouri, the other Naghîra. Incursions from neighboring towns desolated the country, and the inhabitants fled, seeking refuge in the mountains or dispersing into the deserts, falling under the yoke of their neighbors or placing themselves under their protection, so that only a small number of individuals remain, belonging to the Camnourians, scattered across these deserts or on the shore, living on dairy and fish. They lead a hard life, having barely enough to live on, and constantly wandering..." |Deuxième Climat - Première Section pg 35-36|

Al-Idrissi also mentioned this about Jews exiled in the southern Rif of Egypt.

""Most of Egypt's towns and villages are in the Upper and Rif regions. The Rif is the region south of the Nile. Most of the inhabitants of these villages are Christian Copts and Jacobites - according to one tradition, the name derives from Jacob, the biblical patriarch. A Jacobite deacon claimed that his people were descended from Jews who converted to Christianity, and another source asserts that the name comes from St. James, brother of Jesus and first bishop of Jerusalem. They have a large number of churches. They are an inoffensive people who live in abundance of all goods." |Deuxième Climat - Première Section pg 193|.

Ludovico di Varthema, also known as Barthema and Vertomannus (c. 1470 - 1517), Italian traveler, chronicler and aristocrat known for being the first non-Muslim European to enter Mecca on pilgrimage. Most of what we know about his life comes from his own travel account, Itinerario de Ludouico de Varthema Bolognese, published in Rome in 1510. Here's an extract from what he wrote about Ethiopia and the Jews on page 22 of his book"The Travels of Ludovico de Varthema, in Egypt, Syria, Arabia, Persia, India and Ethiopia in 1503-1508.

LE CHAPITRE CONCERNANT UNE MONTAGNE HABITÉE PAR DES JUIFS.

Au bout de huit jours, nous trouvâmes une montagne qui paraissait avoir dix ou douze milles de circonférence, dans laquelle habitent quatre ou cinq mille Juifs, qui vont nus, ont une taille de cinq ou six empans, ont une voix féminine, et sont plus noirs que toute autre couleur. Ils vivent entièrement de la chair des moutons, et ne mangent rien d'autre. Ils sont circoncis, et confessent qu'ils sont Juifs; et s'ils parviennent à mettre la main sur un Maure (Arabe), ils l'écorchent vif. Au pied de ladite montagne, nous avons trouvé un réservoir d'eau, qui est de l'eau qui tombe dans la saison des pluies. Nous chargeâmes de cette eau 16 000 chameaux, ce qui déplut aux Juifs, lesquels se promenaient sur cette montagne comme des chèvres sauvages, et ne descendaient en aucun cas dans la plaine, car ils sont les ennemis mortels des Maures (Arabes).

Relics and historical facts about ancient Jews

Ancient slavery was present in civilizations as far back as Mycenaean Greece, which stretched from 1750 to 1050 BC, including ancient Egypt, and the Roman Empire. As the Roman Empire expanded, entire populations were enslaved, since this was an important element in the development of cities. Those enslaved were for reasons of debt, punishment for crime, prisoners of war, child slavery and the birth of the children of slaves. They were mainly used for labor.

All was well between the Roman Empire and the Judeans, who were allowed to practice their religion in Judea, a Roman province that included the regions of Samaria and Idumaea.

In 66 CE, a revolt broke out in Judea. According to Josephus, a Jewish Roman historian who fought alongside the Judeans people in the revolt, the indifference, oppression and malevolence exercised by an elite Roman minority was the main cause of the Judeans' anger against their Roman masters. Faced with such a slave revolt, Emperor Nero sent an army under the leadership of Vespasian to restore order.
In the year 68, the resistance in the northern part of the province was defeated, and the Romans shifted their attention to the enslavement of the Judeans. That same year, Emperor Nero died, creating a power vacancy in Rome. In the ensuing chaos, Vespasian was declared emperor and returned to the Imperial City. The task of leading the remaining army in its offensive against the Judeans was passed on to his son, Titus. The Roman legions surrounded the city and slowly began to dismantle the remaining Judeans resistance forces.
In the year 70, the assailants succeeded in breaching the outer walls of the Judeans cities and began to slaughter them mercilessly. The highlight of the assault was the burning and destruction of the Temple, the center of Judaism. The sacred relics of the Temple were transported to Rome and displayed in exhibitions as a sign of victory celebration. In the victory, the Romans killed thousands of Judeans. Of those who escaped death, some were dispersed throughout the Empire's arenas to be exterminated for the amusement of the public; others were deported to Egypt to work in the mines.

We must not forget that the Exodus of Israel out of Egypt was a divine act of grace and love. The return to Egypt was a reconsideration, a reversal of the whole Exodus process and the annulment of the blessings, should Israel disobey the Laws of the Eternal Covenant.

Deuteronomy 28:68 "“And the LORD will take you back to Egypt in ships, by the way of which I said to you, ‘You shall never see it again.’ And there you shall be offered for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you."

"And Hashem will exile you back to Egypt in ships by way of the Reed Sea that you once crossed and concerning which I said: You shall not see it again! And there you will be sold into servitude to your enemies for large sums of money as crafts-men. And afterwards you will be sold cheaply as slaves and maidservants, until you will be cheapened and try to sell yourselves for nothing, and no one will take you in." |Deuteronomy 28:68 paraphrased from The Aramaic translation known as "Targum Yonatan ben Uziel"|

This punishment was repeated against the Judeans in the year 132 after the Bar Kokhba revolt, which was a large-scale armed rebellion launched by the Judeans of Judea, under the leadership of Simon bar Kokhba.

The toll of the Bar Kochba uprising was devastating both on the population and on the places of habitation. The numbers of dead were awesome, while multitudes of Jews were taken captive to fill the slave markets near and far. The slave market of the Terebinth of Hebron was particuIarly famous as a center where Jewish slaves, sent into captivity by Hadrian were sold. So many Jewish slaves were available that, recording to one report, a Jew was sold for as little as the price of a portion of horse feed. |History of Am Yisrael in Ancient Days (Hebrew, Devir), 1971, p.321.|
Innumerable was the multitude of those who were sold away as slaves. At the Annual market at Terehinth of Hebron they were offered fur sale in such numbers that a Jewish slave was of no more value then a horse. What could not be disposed of there was brought to Gaza and there sold or sent to Egypt, on the way to which many died of hunger, or of shipwreck. |Emil Schurer, ”A History of the Jewish People in the Time of Jesus Christ”, Edinburgh, 1896, p.11.|

Systematic excavations of ancient Greek sites have uncovered a plethora of sculptures dating from between 400 and 100 B.C., depicting black Greco-Roman Judeans; and more than ever before, our era is increasingly permitting the recognition of such an important fact. This reinforces the hypothesis that the Judeans who lived in Judea (Judaei), the province of ancient Rome that included the regions of Samaria and Idumaea, were of black descent. It was they who accused Jesus Christ to the Roman authorities and played a criminal role in his crucifixion. As a result of their actions, they were massacred or relegated to the status of slaves. After their deportation from Judea to Egypt, they mixed with the descendants of Cusch.

Amos 9:7 "Are you not as the sons of Ethiopia to Me, O sons of Israel?."

In addition, there is a considerable collection of ancient sculptures and paintings in Russian iconography, in the catacombs* of Rome, and in the backgrounds of many Orthodox and Catholic churches, seemingly depicting Hebrew patriarchs and prophets of black descent. (See video below)

Catacombs are the underground cemeteries of ancient Rome, created by early Christians to bury their dead. The catacombs consist of a system of passageways, often forming labyrinths, and rectangular niches of varying size dug into the walls for burials. They were created by excavating a very soft, porous sedimentary rock called tuff. Before being exposed to air, tuff is a very malleable rock, relatively easy to excavate with hand tools. But after exposure to air, it gradually hardens. As a result, excavated passages become firm and do not collapse. There are over 60 different catacombs in Rome, most of them underground and located along the Appian Way, and nowadays, almost all the niches are open and empty, but some are still closed.

Scholars have speculated that icons have darkened over time, through varnishing, candle smoke, incense burning, lead brushing and so on. And while these factors sometimes darken paintings, in this case, the characters do have distinctive features such as frizzy or curly hair and nasal structure.

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