Origins of Blackness in the Bible

Origins of Blackness in the Bible

• The author uses the Old Testament to argue for the presence of black people in the Christian faith.
• The author identifies two instances, the wife of Moses, and Ebed-Melech, a Kushite who saved Jeremiah.
• Kush often meant Nubia, an area spanning from Southern Egypt to Khartoum, now modern Sudan.
• Nubian people were the earliest beneficiaries of Egyptian civilization, becoming a corridor between Egypt and sub-Saharan Africa.
• Nubia, under its own pharaohs, developed its own pyramids, temples, and writing. This led them to achieve dominance over Egypt in the 8th century BC.

The XXVth Dynasty

• Piankhi, a Nubian son of Kashta, assumed the title of Pharaoh of Upper and Lower Egypt in 750 BC, marking the beginning of the XXVth Dynasty.
• Piankhi and subsequent Nubian pharaohs ruled both Egypt and Nubia for nearly a hundred years.
• Isaiah refers to Nubian warriors in Isaiah 18:1-2.
• Tirhakah, a powerful Nubian pharaoh, prevented the Assyrians from seizing Jerusalem during the reign of Hezekiah.
• The Assyrians eventually defeated the Nubians in 663, under Tanoutamon, taking over the kingdom.

The Ethiopian Eunuch

• Acts 8:26-40 introduces the 'Ethiopian Eunuch' as a proselyte, highlighting the introduction of a non-Jewish believer into Christianity.
• He is described as a wealthy man, travelling in a chariot and possessing a scroll of Isaiah in the Greek Septuagint.
• The author argues that despite being referred to as 'Ethiopian,' the Eunuch was likely from Nubia due to his position as the treasurer of the 'kandake', a title related to the Nubian queen mother.
• The unnamed African is the first recorded black person to convert to Christianity.

Introduction of Christianity to Nubia

• Justinian, the Byzantine emperor, and his wife Theodora sent missionaries to Nubia in the mid-6th century.
• Theodora was a supporter of Monophysitism, a doctrine that Christ was divine and not human, while Justinian supported Chalcedonian Christianity.
• By the end of the 6th century, Nubia adopted Christianity, with the northern and southern kingdoms following Monophysitism and the central kingdom of Makouria following Chalcedon.
• The kingdoms of Nobatia and Makouria eventually unified under a single king, solidifying their acceptance of Monophysitism.
• The archaeological exploration of Nubia has only recently begun, providing insights into the lives of its people.
• Nubian churches feature murals depicting saints with white skin and Nubian kings, queens, and bishops with dark skin in Byzantine style.
• The Byzantine influence was prominent in Nubia, evident in the royal administration, using Byzantine titles and the Greek language alongside Nubian and Coptic.
• The church of Nubia was likely under the influence and jurisdiction of Alexandria in Egypt by the 8th century.
• Despite the Arab conquest of Egypt, Nubia remained a Christian kingdom, independent of external influences.

The Nubian Church

• Nubia maintained Constantinople's liturgy, monasteries, cathedrals, and military forces throughout its Christian history.
• The Nubian church remained an outpost of Christianity for a longer period than previously thought.

The Ethiopian Church

• Caleb or Elesbaan, the Ethiopian king, led an expedition against those responsible for the massacre of Christians at Najran in 523.
• Ethiopia became a Christian nation in the 5th century with a distinct liturgy, derived from the Coptic liturgy of Alexandria.
• Ethiopian Christianity developed unique characteristics in liturgy, music, art, and architecture.
• Ethiopian monasteries existed since the 5th century, playing a vital role in the spiritual lives of the people.
• Ethiopia, similar to Nubia, followed Egypt's rejection of the Council of Chalcedon and remained Monophysite, except for the Eastern Rite Ethiopian Church, which is part of Rome.
• From the 4th to the 7th century, Ethiopia had a political partnership with the Byzantine Empire.
• The spread of Islam into Africa in the 7th century resulted in a severing of ties with the Byzantine Empire and the Mediterranean world.
• Ethiopia remains an early African church with its own unique culture and tradition, predating the establishment of the church in Europe.

This quiz explores the historical presence of black individuals in the Christian faith as argued through the Old Testament. It highlights significant figures such as Moses' wife and Ebed-Melech, emphasizing the importance of Nubia and the XXVth Dynasty. Discover how these connections enhance our understanding of biblical narratives.