The "curse of Ham" has been used to legitimize slavery. Both Ethiopians and Arabians claim the queen of Sheba. Could Moses and Jesus have been black? Edwin Yamauchi explores the historical and archaeological background of biblical texts that refer to Africa and traces the results of past interpretations and misinterpretations. He covers such topics as the curse of Ham's son Canaan, Moses' Cushite wife, Simon the Cyrene, and afrocentric biblical interpretation. Along the way, he dispels myths, interacts with current theories, and provides readers with sound judgments as to what the Bible does and does not say. Readers interested in the connections between Africa and the Bible will enjoy this insightful book. More then eighty photos, maps, and charts are included.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Edwin M. Yamauchi (Ph.D., Brandeis University) is professor of history emeritus at Miami University, Ohio. He is the author or editor of numerous books, including Persia and the Bible, Greece and Babylon, The Archaeology of New Testament Cities in Asia Minor, Harper's World of the New Testament, and Africa and Africans in Antiquity. A co-edited work, Peoples of the Old Testament World, won a Biblical Archaeological Society Award.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Hmmmmmm,
By
This review is from: Africa and the Bible (Hardcover)
I'm no scholar - but this is my fourth year of slowly, seriously studying the Bible. I'm not claiming the wisdom of Solomon, but I am quite sure I am not an idiot. This book borders on hogwash (I am being kind - there were some nice photographs). The title IS deceiving as the other reviewer said. I thought it would tie the entire region (modern day Egypt, Sudan, Ethiopia, Saudi Arabia, Iraq, Iran, Turkey - for the most part) together. I tried to stick with this book, but couldn't. "Solomon wouldn't sleep with the Queen of Sheba until she shaved her legs" (paraphrase). Really? Are you kidding me? That's just a taste of the drivel in this tome.
There were ships and caravans in those days. Why is it not possible that the Peoples of this time did not travel, explore or mingle? The Bible I read talks of Nubians, etc. Christians are to go by the Bible, period. It's the inspired Word of GOD given to man - period. If you don't believe this, you are not Christian period. We are to go by what THE BIBLE SAYS. I don't need to claim black power to the 9th degree, but I don't think Jesus was a blue-eyed blonde as the world would have us think. This region had all peoples of all colors - mostly darker colors. Sorry, Africa played a part as did Greece. I don't even care to continue this review I think I made my point. GOD bless!!
37 of 57 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Africa and the Bible falls short,
By
This review is from: Africa and the Bible (Hardcover)
Yamauchi book has a bold interesting title "Africans and the Bible" that may at first attract African-Americans or those interested in the topic of Africans in the Bible, after reading some may or may not be shocked. Sadly a large focus of the book is geared more to Africans NOT being in the Bible as to Africans actually in the Bible because of this I believe many people may walk away from this read disappointed;however,followers of Mary Lefkowitz book "Not out of Africa" will surely see this book as good hard objective scholarship. Yamauchi can be praised for highlighting some of the Nubian and Ethiopian Kings like Taharka of Egypt's 25th Dynasty and the Candaces who are mentioned in the Bible, in fact it is a statue of Taharka that is on the cover of his book,but I don't feel Yamauchi goes far enough. Yamauchi is also credited for approaching the Afrocentric debate and at times he sounds as if he trying to present an unbiased point of view when discussing the race of the Egyptians(he includes Martin Bernals Black Athena arguments), but after one looks at the introduction and checks his footnotes you see that Yamauchi sympathizes with the views of the African American classical scholar Frank Snowden when it comes to the race of the Egyptians. Frank Snowden is a conservative African American scholar like Henry Louis Gates of Harvard fame, he believes the Egyptians should not be considered black. Both Snowden and Gates have been rewarded for their beliefs by many white academics and are often quoted by them in books and applauded as the "best" in their field. Incidentally many African Americans see both Snowden and Gates as being "sell-outs" and "pawns in the game." I personally believe the term "Black" is superficial and divides the people of Africa in a way that Europeans are not divided;for example, Swedes and Russians look different but both are considered "white" AngloSaxons and Greeks look different but both are considered "white" strangely there is this double standard when it comes to Africa. West Africans, North Africans,and East africans are arbitarily divided and this subjective double standard wrongfully robs the African people of a shared kinship. The reason for the preceived African "racial" diversity is that genetically Africans are more diverse than any other "race" because they have been living on the planet longer than most "races" and have had more time to develop variety (see the work of Shomarka Keita compared to the Loring Brace study) Africans are polytypical with variable "racial" features found as one travels throughout the continent;however, unlike Yamauchi or Snowden I believe they are all biologically related and at their essence and cultural core they are all African that is not Asian or European. Looking at Africa under this scope would Yamauchi include Ramesses II as an African in the Bible? If Yamauchi wanted to write a book that would not push the envelope and get him academically blacklisted by his peers he wrote the perfect book. If Yamauchi wanted to be original and break the academic mold by asking the tough questions maybe a few of these questions would be on his list.
1.Based on the anthropological finds of the Leakey family and recent research in Mitochondrial DNA and knowledge of natural selection in tropical climates what color does Yamauchi believe Adam and Eve were and why did he leave them out of this work?based on objective archaelogical evidence where would Eden be located and would the answer offend the fragile sensibilities of biblical academics? 2.The Genealogy of Noahs son Ham list four sons Punt, Canaan, Egypt and Kush. Does Yamauchi not find it strange that the Hebrew writers listed Punt(Somalia) Egypt(Misraim) and Kush(Nubia) as brothers now logically what might this kinship apply in a racial sense? 3. Yamauchi says that Simone of Cyrene could not have been black because Cyrene was a Greek colony in North Africa is Yamauchi to have us believe that Cyrene was homogenous I know of not one colony in North America, Africa, Australia, or Asia that was ever homogenous, why couldn't Thomas be black? 4. Yamauchi believes that the Queen of Sheba or Saba could not have been black because her kingdom was in Arabia. Who is to say blacks especially after looking at the proximity, did not live in ancient Arabia? or the Middle East for that matter, in fact records from the Assyrian temples show us the Elamites a Black people who did indeed live in the Middles East. Also there are the black Dravidians or Dasas of the Hindu Vedas from ancient India(Asia) before the Aryan invasions and for a contemporary source there is Prince Bander of Saudi Arabia if Sheba looked like the Prince she would not be black?....Yamauchi's book gives us some basic facts so in that sense it is good but this book could have been way more interesting if it would dare to ask the unpopular questions.
0 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Forensic Buff,
By
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Africa and the Bible (Paperback)
A lot of settling of AFrica of different people. It is very hard to follow, but I will keep on trying.
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