According to the Bible, the Hamites (Ham’s descendants), originally settled the Nile Valley. Ham’s four sons settled specific areas: Cush (Ethiopia); Mizraim (Egypt); Phut (Libya); and Canaan (Palestine), all of who were black. Let’s establish that before moving on.
According to Dr. Charles B. Copher, considered the godfather and leading biblical scholar, and creator on the subject of blacks in the Bible, is quoted in virtually every book dealing with this subject. In his lecture, “Black People and Personalities In And Of The Bible,” at the now infamous Nile Valley Conference, in Atlanta, Georgia stated, “The Hamites, who created the great civilization in Egypt, were black.”
Dr. William LaRue Dillard, a nationally known biblical scholar, published seven books. In his book, Biblical Ancestry Voyage, in the chapter, “The Patriarch Ham, His Sons and Grandsons,” states “Ham, one of the sons of Noah, according to Genesis 6:10, perhaps the third if Japheth was the elder brother (Genesis 10:21). He settled in Africa and also sent many branches into Asia (Mesopotamia, India) and other areas where his seed established nations. Ham is identified with Jupiter, Ammon, and also Zeus, because both words are derived from a root meaning ‘black, dark, fervent, or sunburnt.”
George Rawlinson, in his book, Seven Great Monarchies of the Ancient Eastern World, states, “The descendants of Ham led the way as pioneers in art, literature and science. Man at the present day lies under infinite obligations to the genius and industry of those early ages, more especially for alphabetic writing, weaving cloth, architecture, astronomy, plastic art, sculpture, navigation, agriculture and textile industry.”
Dr. Dillard continues, “Ham, the patriarch was not cursed black, or dark, but born black by the creative work of God, through Noah and his wife. He is considered the paternal ancestor of Ethiopia, Egypt, Libya, Carthage, and many African tribes, northern and southern Arabia, Crete, Cyprus, Asia Minor (Hittite), a portion of Israel, and the African Americans and others. These progenies are called Hamites, and for centuries many ruled with imperial power. Ham’s seed produced great descendants of renowned fame such as Nimrod, Rameses, Bathsheba, Solomon, the Ethiopian Queen of Sheba, and many others.
“Ham’s settlement from his four sons was called the land of Ham for thousands of years, and is the same as what is known as Egypt and Africa to this day.
“The Hebrew race (nation) were born on the continent of Africa, and much of their social, natural and applied science, customs, etc., were borrowed from the Hamites.”
As negative as it was, the curse of being black, was the so-called biblical justification for the slave trade. But again, this is a myth and is not in the Bible at all. In fact, I have offered any of my students $100 if they can show me anywhere in the Bible where it states that Ham was cursed and turned black. The Ku Klux Klan (KKK) usurped this myth and almost convinced an entire nation that this was reality. Their white supremacy philosophy was created from this myth.
According to Dr. Dillard, “The story of Ham being changed to black as a result of his father’s curse is a myth developed and taught by western slave masters.” The reason it was not in the Bible, you cannot change from what you already were. This further establishes that the Nile Valley civilizations, which includes Kemet (Egypt), was of black origin.
– Dr. Kwaku’s next class, Afrikan World Civilizations (Part II), conducted on Friday evenings, 7-9 p.m. at Kaos Studios in Leimert Park, will begin Feb. 22, 2008. For details go to: www.drkwaku.com.
