The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance Between Hebrews and Africans in 701 B.C. [Paperback]

Henry T. Aubin (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 1, 2003

At the turn of the eighth century B.C., a mighty Assyrian army entered Judah and fought its way to the very gates of Jerusalem, poised, the prophet Isaiah warned, to "smash the city as easily as someone hurling a clay pot against the wall." But the assault never came; instead, the Assyrian army turned and fled, an event that has been called the Deliverance of Jerusalem. Whereas biblical accounts attribute the Assyrian retreat to divine intervention, journalist Henry Aubin offers an explanation that is miraculous in its own light: the siege was broken by the arrival of an army from Kushite Egypt--an army, that is, made up of black Africans. These Kushites figured in historical texts, Aubin continues, until the late 19th century, when racist scholars expunged them from the record--a process that, Aubin observes, coincided with the European conquest and colonization of Africa. The Kushite intervention assured the survival of the Hebrew people, Aubin asserts, and it deserves to be acknowledged anew. Well-written and carefully developed, Aubin's argument will doubtless excite discussion.

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

At the turn of the eighth century B.C., a mighty Assyrian army entered Judah and fought its way to the very gates of Jerusalem, poised, the prophet Isaiah warned, to "smash the city as easily as someone hurling a clay pot against the wall." But the assault never came; instead, the Assyrian army turned and fled, an event that has been called the Deliverance of Jerusalem. Whereas biblical accounts attribute the Assyrian retreat to divine intervention, journalist Henry Aubin offers an explanation that is miraculous in its own light: the siege was broken by the arrival of an army from Kushite Egypt--an army, that is, made up of black Africans. These Kushites figured in historical texts, Aubin continues, until the late 19th century, when racist scholars expunged them from the record--a process that, Aubin observes, coincided with the European conquest and colonization of Africa. The Kushite intervention assured the survival of the Hebrew people, Aubin asserts, and it deserves to be acknowledged anew. Well-written and carefully developed, though based on sometimes-uncertain evidence, Aubin's argument will doubtless excite discussion. --Gregory McNamee --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

From Library Journal

Aubin argues that the Kushite rescue of Jerusalem from certain annihilation in 701 B.C.E. instigated the Jewish concept of being God's "elect" and was therefore a seminal event in the development of Zionism. Dealing competently with the biblical and historical sources despite what some might see as a lack of formal training in this area (he is a journalist instead of a historian, though he did do graduate work in history at the University of Strasbourg), Aubin asserts that the Kushites black Africans who ruled Egypt at this time saved the city from destruction by the Assyrians. According to Aubin, historians accepted this view until the late 19th century, when colonialism impinged on the European perception of these events; suddenly, the theory that an epidemic weakened the Assyrian army rose to prominence. Aubin asserts that this was one of the most important battles in history; had the Assyrians wiped out Jerusalem, there would have been no Christianity or Islam. Whether or not one accepts his conclusions, this work is a wonderful exercise in historiography. Recommended for all academic libraries. Clay Williams, Hunter Coll. Lib., CUNY
Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 444 pages
• Publisher: Soho Press (July 1, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1569473366
• ISBN-13: 978-1569473368
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.2 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1 pounds
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,090,134 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I'm Convinced!, February 22, 2003

By 

George E. Williams (Cincinnati, Ohio United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance of Hebrews and Africans in 701 B.C. (Hardcover)

This is one of the greatest books I have ever read. Before I read Aubin's book, I went out to either purchase or research about 10 books (excluding the versions of the 4 bibles I read ) that covered the subect matter. His explanation is the only plausible explanation I've read to-date. What a great mystery that was well argued and the wonderful detail that he presented was excellent. I read the whole book in about 2 days as if it was a mystery novel. It is great to know a that "white person -a father" wrote this book because it strengthen my faith in mankind, regardless of race. History should be about facts and not racial agendas, black or white.

I also happened to luck-up on a copy of James Henry Breasted "A History of Egypt", one of the writers mentioned in "The Rescue of Jerusalem". What a racist this guy was, who at the time was consisdered the premire expert in Egyptolgy. I'm glad I read Breasted's book myself to verify the accuracy of Aubin's quotations. Boy, he was right on the button concerning Breasted comments as well as the other theories that really doesn't add up.

I also read "What If" by William H. McNeill, who stated that the retreat of the Assyrian army was one of the greatest turning point in Western and therefore the world's history. Unfortuntely he believed in the "plagues theory". However, A 2nd review of the Aubin's book back cover now lists this author as a convert.

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the ten most interesting books I have every read, July 6, 2003

By 

Sandy Mackay-Smith (Toronto Canada) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance of Hebrews and Africans in 701 B.C. (Hardcover)

Henry Aubin with Rescue of Jerusalem, has opened a whole new way for me to look at history and religion. Henry is a Canadian Prize winning journalist and his perspective compared to certified historians makes the writing much easier to digest. His sense of drama lifts this detailed and accurate history to an art form. Don't be afraid of the footnotes. They are there for "doubting Tomases" and in no way detract from an exciting read. Congratulations Henry, I can't wait for another one. Lets hear more about these forgotten but vital parts of history.

13 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Refreshing new approach, September 26, 2002

By 

Stephane Verreault "somatophylax" (Laval, Canada) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance of Hebrews and Africans in 701 B.C. (Hardcover)

This book is simply that.... refreshing. The approach of assigning credit to the African 25th Egyptian Dynasty of Kush is really well explained. And also, traditional ideas about "Divine intervention" or "rats who ate the bowstrings of the Assyrians" are dismissed with good enough explanations.