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Beyond Roots: In Search of Blacks in the Bible

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If you're tired of hearing that Egypt is always used as a type for sin in the Bible or that Moses' wife came from a place with a similar name to the ancient name for Ethiopia but not from Ethiopia certainly, this book helps you get past the racism in so much of fundamentalist evangelical Christianity today. I once heard a well-known white preacher say something like "The Ethiopian eunuch is the biggest fool in the Bible!"

I've given copies of this book especially to African-American young men who feel that trusting Christ as Savior is selling out and turning your back on your race. This book helps young people to see that much of what they hear are cultural biases and not from the Bible.

With the aid of Rev. McKissic, African Americans can discover the part that Africa did play in biblical times and get a great historical perspective. You can love Jesus Christ as your Lord and Savior and not have to give in to Uncle Tom theology at the same time.

In my mind Dwight McKissic's book is one of the two best volumes on the Black heritage in the Bible. This little book is an eye-opener that every Christian in America-- black and white should read.

How many times have we taken for granted the children's Bible story books that completely dominate the Christian retail market with their little white Jesus, white Moses etc.? The absolute truth is that Jesus and virutally every major major Bible character was a person of at least some color. You'll never take that for granted again.

McKissick is not delivering an political Afro-centric rewriting of history here. He is simply following principles of sound Scriptural exegesis that confirm what biology would tell you about the origin of races.

Having done a substantial amount of advanced research on this topic myself, I will say that I support McKissick's conclusions fully-- There areindeed numerous generations in Jesus genealogy that include people of color-- black color... That to be the father of all races, the first families of Adam and Noah had to be families of color.

I strongly encourage you to read this book. Also as a companion volume, you should look for Anthony T. Evans book, "Are Blacks Spiritually Inferior to Whites?: The Dispelling of an American Myth".

There are some volumes presenting material and views that go beyond rules sound Biblical interpretation. McKissick's and Evans' are not among those. They will dramatically affect your view of race in relation to the Bible and everyday life. The bottom line-- after reading this book, you will know that Jesus is a Savior from and for all races, not just one.

I got this book as a gift in an organization in college. It sat on my shelf until I was bored one day. I read this book and it has changed my way of thinking. It's not an Afro-centric book, but it does challenge the way most Christians in America think. It's a scholarly book, but it's not overwhelming. A point that stood out for me was the fact that Adam was made of the dust, soil, or dirt (whatever your translation) of the ground. Dust, soil, and dirt are all full of color. It can be brown, red, black, etc. but I've never seen it as white. There are no assumptions that everyone in the Bible is black, but it does make valid points that many of the people were people of color. McKissic doesn't just throw it out there and state claims. He backs everything up with research and the Scripture. I was impressed.

At the time this book was published in 1990, Rev. William Dwight McKissic was pastor of Cornerstone Baptist Church in Arlington, Texas. He is also the author of Beyond Roots II: If Anybody Ask You Who I Am (A Deeper Look at Blacks in the Bible) and Moving from Fear to Faith: One Family's Journey.

He wrote in the Preface, "This book is simply the effort of one Black brother to say to another Black brother there is a biblical and historic ethnic link between the Christian faith and the Black race that predates slavery in America; therefore, we should strengthen and develop that bond and not be seduced by any other doctrine... It is my desire that these pages inspire others to explore the ethnic factor in Scripture, Christian history and contemporary society." Later, he adds, "if this book is used to strengthen the historic bond between Black people and the Judeo-Christian faith, to equip the church to reach those who have rejected Christ and Christianity because of ethnic concerns and to educate those in the family regarding biblical ethnicity, then this work will have fulfilled its purpose." (Pg. 15)

Here are some additional quotations from the book:

"The Bible clearly teaches that all mankind derived from Noah and his sons... Noah had three sons named Ham, Shem and Japeth. The name Ham means 'dark or black,' Shem means 'dusky or olive-colored,' and Japeth means 'bright or fair.' Biblical scholars ... consider Ham to be the ancestral father of Semites..." (Pg. 16)
"Cush was the progenitor of the Ethiopian people. The words 'Ethiopia' (Genesis 2:13) and 'Cush' (Genesis 10:6) are used interchangably in Scripture... The Black lady in Solomon's court described herself as Black and beautiful (Song of Solomon 1:5). Moses married an Ethiopian woman (Numbers 12:1)." (Pg. 20)
"Canaan, Ham's youngest son, is perhaps associated with Ham in most Bible students' minds ... because of the curse of Canaan recorded in Genesis 9:20-26. There is no doubt about it; the Canaanites were Black." (Pg. 23)
"Joseph married an Ethiopian woman (Genesis 41:50-52)... there is ample biblical and historical information to affirm that the Wise Men (Matthew 2:1-12) ... are indeed Ethiopians... The roots of the Syrophoenician woman whose persistent faith led to her daughter's deliverance can be traced to Ham (Mark 7:24-30). Simon of Cyrene helped Jesus bear his cross (Mark 15:21)... The Ethiopian Eunuch was reading from a Jewish Bible in a Roman province... Apollos (Acts 18:24), a native of the land of Ham, was an eloquent preacher and leader in the church at Ephesus and at Corinth. Hamitic countries were represented at Pentecost (Acts 2:10-11). Simeon (Niger) and Lucius of Cyrene were leaders in the church at Antioch (Acts 13:1)..." (Pg. 36-37)
"Ethnically speaking Jesus was a mestizo---a person of mixed ancestry. Jesus was primarily Semitic. However, there are five ladies mentioned in the geneology of Jesus Christ (Tamar, Rahab, Ruth, Bathsheba and Mary)(Matthew 1;1-16) The first four ladies mentioned are of Hamitic descent. Therefore, Jesus can be claimed ethnically by people of Semitic, Hamitic and Causasian descent." (Pg. 45)