Here we will continue with another installment from Charles Weisman’s book Is Universalism Of God? — specifically where Weisman addresses the racial identity of Moses’ wife whom many falsely believe was a Nubian — a black African woman.
We cannot look at the Near East today and assume that it looked that way 3,500 years ago at the time of Moses — nor can we project our modern Marxist racial indoctrination on the ancient Israelites — who, as a people, were commanded by God to be an ethnically separate and holy people in order to maintain their spiritual purity.
No doubt, if we were able to go back in time and inform Moses that people 3,500 years in the future would believe that he had taken a black Nubian as a wife, he would probably be shocked.
Likewise, Moses would also be shocked to learn that Christians routinely believe that he was a “Jew” — despite the fact that Moses was from the line of Eber — making him a Hebrew, not a “Jew”.
At the heart of Weisman’s explanation is the fact that the “Ethiopia” referred to in the Bible is not the same “Ethiopia” we know today as a nation-state in north-east Africa.
We have previously addressed the problematic concept of “Ethiopia” in two other essays — Pyramids Of The Ancient Aryan Kingdom Of Kush : Ethiopia And Sudan — and in Was The Ethiopian Eunuch An Israelite?
Crucial to understanding the context of Moses’ marriage, we must first understand the Israelite concept of a “stranger” — and so we would recommend you read our essay Strangers In The Bible — Who They Are And Who They Are Not — which is based on another chapter from Weisman’s book.
In the context of the Israelites who lived in the Greco-Roman world, the term “Africa” would not have referred to the entire African continent as it does today — it would have been confined to the northern coast of Africa which had been settled by the Greeks and Romans.
An “African” most certainly was not equated with a “Nubian black” — as most Christians today falsely believe.
And given that it was Moses who received the Ten Commandments on Mount Sinai — he most assuredly knew the importance of not adulterating the bloodlines of Adam — and the Israelite people.
Without any further prefatory remarks, we present Chapter 3 of Weisman’s book:
Did Moses Marry a Black Woman?
A very common argument raised by humanist Christians and Universalists is that Moses had a black or Negro wife. They say that this gives support to interracial marriages since Moses was a man of God, and God did not condemn the union.
The verse they base this upon is Numbers 12:1 —
“And Miriam and Aaron spake against Moses because of the Ethiopian woman whom he had married: for he had married an Ethiopian woman.”
The point of contention here is not Moses’ marriage, but rather the superior position Moses occupied which brought about the jealousy of Miriam and Aaron. They were merely using the marriage as a pretext to start a campaign against their brother.
Since the term “Ethiopian” is used, many think it is in reference to the Ethiopia of modern times in Africa south of Egypt; however, this is a false assessment.
The word “Ethiopian” means “a Cushite, or descendant of Cush.” [see Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, No. 3569]
Cush is a region named after the patriarch (Genesis 10:6). The original land of Cush was located in Arabia and Mesopotamia — and one who lived in these lands would have been called a Cushite or Ethiopian.
Most authorities recognize that the use of “Ethiopian” in Numbers 12 is in reference to “Arabia,” [see Matthew Henry, Commentary in One Volume, p. 153] — or the lower Tigris-Euphrates valley. This was the land designated as “Cush” in ancient times.
Speaking on this verse one Bible authority states:
“An Ethiopian woman — Hebrew, a Cushite woman-Arabia was usually called in Scripture the land of Cush — its inhabitants being descendants of that son of Ham.”
–Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary on the Whole Bible, Zondervan, vol. 1, p. 104.
Concerning the identity of the ‘Cushite woman,’ modern writers tend to think of the Cassites, east of Babylonia, or, with better justification, of Kusi in North Arabia, mentioned by Esarhaddon of Assyria [see Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, Nelson, 1962, p. 259].
Professor Davidson [in The New Bible Commentary, Eerdman’s, p. 177] says it may be in reference to “the Cassites, a people north-east of Mesopotamia.”
The land or country of Cush or Ethiopia was not originally located in Africa, as most Bible scholars acknowledge. For example,
“Cush is connected with Kish, the ancient city-state in lower Babylonia.”
–Unger’s Bible Handbook, Moody Press, 1980, p. 53
“Cush, the name of the territory through which the Gihon flowed (Genesis 2:13), translated ‘Ethiopia’ by KJV, but in view of the distance of Ethiopia in relation to the Red Sea, the site is probably in SE Babylonia or Chaldea.”
—The Zondervan Pictorial Bible Dictionary, M.Tenney, 1967, p. 191
In 2 Chronicles 14:9, “Zerah the Ethiopian” refers to a person of “an Arabian tribe,” [according to The Interpreter’s One Volume Commentary on the Bible, 1971, p.215].
In Habakkuk 3:7, the term “Cushan” — which is derived from the word “Cush” — is identified with “the land of Midian” which is a “region of Arabia,” [according to Strong’s Hebrew Dictionary, No 3572].
Since Midian was one of the sons of Cush, some think that the woman referred to may have been Zipporah, who was a Midianite (Exodus 2:21). Others say this was a second wife of Moses from Cush:
“Recent researches (especially by Winckler) have made it probable that two districts were known both to the Assyrians and the Hebrews under the same name, ‘Cush.’ One of them was Ethiopia. The other was in the West and South of Arabia, not always exactly defined. Winckler considers that the Arabian Cush is meant in the following passages: Genesis 2:13, 1:6 ff.; Numbers 12:1; 2 Samuel 18:21; 2 Chronicles,14:8 ff., 21:16; Isaiah 20:3, 43:3, 45:14; Habakkuk 3:7; Psalms 87:4.”
—A New Standard Bible Dictionary, Funk & Wagnalls, 1936, p. 162
This tells us that the wife of Moses mentioned in Numbers 12 was from the region of southern Mesopotamia or western Arabia — and was thus of the same race as Abraham who was from Ur of the Chaldeans in lower Mesopotamia (Genesis 11:31). This was the only region of Cushite people at that time.
The Ethiopia in Africa was not actually known or so named at the time of Moses:
“The Ethiopians ruled southwestern Arabia for many years. Cush is mentioned in Genesis 10:8 as the father of Nimrod, whose kingdom began in Babylon, and Erech, Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar. Cush might originally have been an ancient region in Assyria named after Cush, the father of Nimrod. The present Ethiopia was unknown and uninhabited at this time.“
–George M. Lamsa, Old Testament Light, 1964, p. 15
The original Cushites (Ethiopians) settled in Mesopotamia after the Flood, as did the Shemites. They both helped to form the ancient states of Sumer, Akkad, and Babel. But centuries later some migrated to Africa.
The Greek historian Herodotus (440 B.C.), states that “the Ethiopians came from the region above [north of Egypt]” [see The History of Herodotus, trans., George Rawlinson, Tudor Pub., 1932, book VII, p.379].
That is, they came from the Tigris-Euphrates valley and the Sinai Peninsula.
The Cushites established a new settlement in southern Egypt — and over time formed a considerable population by mixing with the dark skinned inhabitants south of Egypt.
Thus there were two areas called “Cush” or “Ethiopia” — the Arabian Cush, and the African Cush. It is like Boston, Massachusetts being named after Boston, England.
The African Cush in the ancient world became the better known Ethiopia or Cush — and the darker complexion of its people was expressed in the biblical proverb,
“Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots?”
–Jeremiah 13:23
Some will point out that the Greek term for Ethiopian — Aithiopisses — means dark or dusky. But this is the more modern definition used in reference to people south of Egypt at a later time period.
You cannot apply a more contemporary Greek definition to ancient Hebrew words.
The original word in Numbers 12 is associated with a certain location — Mesopotamia — at a certain time period — 2300-1400 B.C.
And it is well known that there were no Negroes in this region at this time.
Words must be kept in their proper historical context as well as the context of the original subject matter.
Nimrod was an Ethiopian (Cushite) — but certainly was not a Negroid type.
Actually, there is tradition that “Cushite” under Hebrew etymology means “fair of appearance” [see Peake’s Commentary on the Bible, Nelson, 1962, p.259].
“Ethiopian” in the modern Greek, Latin and English languages may have inference to dark or black, but its original Hebrew etymology reveals no connotations of — or connections to — dark, dusky or black.
The Greek historian Herodotus described different types of “Ethiopians” or Cushites. One of these types he clearly describes as “tall” and “fair”, which means the exact opposite of dark:
“These Ethiopians, to whom Cambyses sent them are said to be the tallest and fairest of all men.”
—Herodotus
For anyone who thinks Asians are not a threat to the White race, or that they don’t want to breed us out of existence….(language warning)….
https://files.catbox.moe/bkwh21.mp4
I suspect that the very purpose of Genesis 10:8-12 was to show that Cush originated in Asia instead of Africa.
James:
Could you explain why you think Genesis 10:8-12 shows that Cush originated in Asia? I assume you mean the original Land of Cush rather than the Cushite people?
By Asia do you mean the Near East?
Those verses don’t mention northeast Africa where Ethiopia now is, that’s for sure.
Those verses show that Nimrod, one of the first “Cushites” in the Bible, built cities near Babylon. The context of the verses show that the first Cushites lived in Asia even if they ostensibly migrated to Africa later.
If the reader didn’t know what the Kingdom of Kush was, they would think by the context that Cush’s descendants settled in Asia because Nimrod built Mesopotamian cities like Uruk. Of course I mean the Near East or Southwest Asia.
Why is Nimrod the only one of Noah’s grandsons where the cities he built were mentioned? In Egypt at the time of Moses, the term Cushite would have occasionally been used to describe Nubians, but Genesis 10:8-12 shows that Ham’s son Cush did not simply settle in North Africa.
The African Kushite Empire was not located in modern day Ethiopia either like many seem to think.
Right. That’s basically what Charles Weisman argues, that the original Land of Cush was in the Near East, and I can’t see how anyone could possibly argue otherwise.
I say that because it’s pretty evident that Noah and his descendants settled in that area, post-Flood, so it only makes sense that the original Genesis 10 nations arose in that area and then spread west into the Levant, and then north Africa and Egypt.
CFT, I don’t know under what article to comment with this, and I do so dislike being off-topic, sorry: but this is just mad and I thought you and other people would like to know about it…
This Christian man got charged with a “hate crime” for smashing up a Baphomet statue. Yes, really.
https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2024/01/30/iowa-capitol-satanic-statue-vandalism-hate-crime-michael-cassidy-mississippi/72413585007/
Now, Im not one for smash “idols” or art, etc, but there has to be a limit on what’s acceptable… and Baphomet is not acceptable. And penny to a pound I’d wager that the satanists wouldn’t hesitate to smash churches if they could get away with it.
What a topsy-turvy world!
I saw a programme on the (((History Channel))) recently about the ark of the covenant. In one hour of episode they didn’t quote the Bible once. The “experts” waffled about what it could do (lightning, weapon,God’s seat,etc) and where they thort that it could be.
The modern day Ethiopians have it, apparently, but only one fellow can ever see it at any one time, and he has to be a priest, or something, and no one is even allowed a glimpse of it at all, ever. Yeah, pull the other leg!
Normally I would suggest a holy crusade to rescue it, but, hey, it is keeping the 30 million “Christian” Ethiopians happy! so best leave it be.
I don’t think Moses and this negress got married at this chapel, do you?
https://media.gab.com/cdn-cgi/image/width=1136,quality=100,fit=scale-down/system/media_attachments/files/153/401/729/original/938f5ba5505ab32b.jpg
Did Moses Actually Marry A Black African Woman?
NO.
I’ve seen many judeo-christians get literally excited when they point out that Moses married a black wife. As if it was some kind of proof that race mixing is some kind of ultimate moral virtue.
If the most famous moralist in history can take a black wife, then race mixing is some sort of way of showing that you are pleasing to God who apparently doesn’t notice race even though He created the races and intentionally separated them.
Why are judeo-christians so obsessed with race, just like your typical liberal democrat? It can’t be a coincidence.
It’s the easiest way to show you’re a “martyr” deserving of sainthood and other forms of men’s praise.
They have their reward.
Well, if Moses was a race mixer, that’s good enough for me. Hopefully my son will marry a negro so that God will love me for my tolerance. Sigh….
I love the picture at the top of the article. Charleton Heston does not look pleased being married to a Negro “princess”.
Funny thing is that even the black Ethiopians did not look like sub-saharan Africans, so why cast one to play the part? Agenda?
Yes, an agenda. Hollywood is nothing but Jew entertainment.
I would call her a black “female”, not a black “woman”. A woman is a term that should be exclusively used for White women.
Indeed. Blacks and Jews are not people, but rather beasts.
Try to look at the movie still photo and ask yourself, “if I had no context for this photo, would I even think the black was FEMALE?” The torso couldn’t be boxier.
Black is NOT beautiful no matter how many times they try to say so. Each people has been blessed and cursed with various traits.
Blacks score about last place in beauty. And it’s not skin color alone; otherwise tanned skin on Whites would be very unpopular.
Compare Blacks, who AI famously concluded were gorillas some years back. Now contrast this with the look of albino Sub-Saharans, who sport one of the most unsettling looks on Earth.
You can’t turn your head away fast enough to escape the horror.
Your comment had me in stitches! haha!
Yes, I’ve never found other races attractive. I know some people do, but I don’t.
Aborigines in Australia are particularly ugly, I find. South east asians can also be hard on the eyes with narly teeth and wide grins. The fuzzy wuzzys of the south seas are very unattractive.
I’m generalizing, of course, but honestly, some races on the whole are just not my cuppa tea to look at.
Oh yeah. Only White women can spark anything in me.
It goes back to the different talents each people has. Fun story from when I taught SAT classes years ago. Last day of class I taught the kids a lesson on thankfulness. Each teenager had to choose hypothetical gifts they were born with, from 4 categories: Wealth, Good Looks, Intelligence, and natural talents such as art, music, sports, and so on. Each kid had to allocate 20 points from 1 to 10 in each category, then explain their choices to their classmates. The race – based patterns were profound and revealing.
Almost all the Asian kids wanted to be smart and naturally talented. Usually it was high intelligence which led to building skills to create wealth. No Asian placed more than 3 points in Good Looks. Other Asians wanted sports or musical abilities to achieve the same goal (and thereby cease even to need good looks because they would be able to attract the same respect and mating choices).
White kids I found to be unremarkable, with good balance and leaning towards intelligence. Sounds about right and like the people I grew up with.
ONLY the Black teen girl cared greatly about good looks, allotting 10/10 points, with wealth not far behind.
It’s fascinating on multiple levels and I’d love to read each of your thoughts. Best example of time preference and delayed satisfaction. I never could have come up myself with such a great example of these in action.
A good exercise to try with the family on a road trip, or to have your Youth Group give a try.
it looks to me in that pic that Moses just grabbed the keys to his chariot ready to make an exodus,
“it looks to me in that pic that Moses just grabbed the keys to his chariot ready to make an exodus”
roll on the floor laughing…..
The context of this photo, and the scene, is Moses getting a gift from, not marrying, this negro “princess”. She is also called a “beautiful hostage” by Nefertiri (Ann Baxter). Gifts are being brought to Seti.