Five Things You Never Knew About Black History in the Bible
When we study the Scriptures carefully, we discover that Black history is woven throughout the biblical narrative. The Bible is not silent on the identity and presence of African peoples—in fact, it explicitly records their prominence in God's redemptive plan. Let's examine five things many people never knew about Black history in the Bible.
1. The Israelites Were Black
The Scriptures are clear: the Israelites were Black people. This is not interpretation or speculation—it is what the Bible directly tells us.
The word used to describe both David and Solomon is "ruddy" (1 Samuel 16:12-13). In Hebrew, this term refers to a rich, dark, reddish-brown complexion—similar to bronze or chestnut coloring. This is the same word used to describe Yeshua (Jesus) in Revelation 1:14-15, where His feet are described as "burnished bronze, refined in a furnace."
The name Adam itself reveals this truth. In Genesis 2:7, YHWH formed Adam from the dust of the ground—adamah in Hebrew. The etymology of Adam's name is linked to both the ground (adamah) and redness (adam), suggesting his complexion was ruddy or earth-toned. Adam was created from the earth, which varies in color from reddish-brown to dark brown depending on location. Adam was very likely a Black man—what we would recognize as Black today.
When we understand that the Israelites were Black, we must stop defining ourselves by European terminology. The terms "Black" and "Negro" come from European sources. Instead, we should recognize what Scripture describes: Israelites with ruddy or bronze skin and black, wooly hair.
2. Yeshua (Jesus) Was Black
Many people assume we are reading too much into Scripture when we say Yeshua was Black. But the Bible explicitly tells us this.
Revelation 1:14-15 describes Yeshua:
"The hairs of his head were white like white wool, like snow. His eyes were like a flame of fire. His feet were like burnished bronze, refined as in a furnace." (Revelation 1:14-15)
The bronze complexion described here refers to His skin. If His feet were burnished bronze, then His hands and face were the same. This is not metaphorical—it is a direct description of His physical appearance.
Even without Revelation 1:14-15, we could reach the same conclusion logically. Yeshua was a natural person born among the Israelites. The Scriptures already describe the Israelites as Black people. Therefore, Yeshua would necessarily have been what we recognize as Black today—with wooly hair and bronze skin.
Furthermore, when the chief priests and soldiers came to arrest Yeshua, they could not distinguish Him from His disciples. Judas had to kiss Him to identify Him (Matthew 26:48). This means Yeshua looked like the other Israelites—and the Old Testament Scriptures already tell us the Israelites were Black.
3. The Bible Records Black History
What we consider Black history is actually the history of the Israelites recorded in Scripture. Everything that African peoples have experienced—our triumphs, our struggles, our oppression, our deliverance—is documented in the Bible.
The Bantu tribes of Africa and their West African relatives are the Israelites of Scripture. This connection is evident in multiple ways:
Linguistic Evidence
The languages spoken by Bantu and Niger-Congo peoples are evolved forms of ancient Hebrew. Consider these examples:
- Malaika (Bemba) and mal'ak (Hebrew) both mean "angel"
- Vene (Bemba) and ven (Hebrew) both mean "sons of" or "belonging to"
- Vana (Bemba) and vanim (Hebrew) both mean "children"
- Aleya (Bemba) and aliyah (Hebrew) both mean "to go up"
All Niger-Congo languages trace back to what scholars call Proto-Niger Congo, which is ancient Hebrew. These linguistic connections are not coincidental—they reveal a shared ancestral heritage.
Genetic Evidence
The vast majority of Bantu Africans carry the E1b1a DNA haplogroup, which indicates they descend from a common ancestor. The geographic correlation between Niger-Congo languages and E1b1a distribution is strong and undeniable. These are the same people who were scattered throughout the transatlantic slave trade and the Arab slave trade—predominantly E1b1a carriers, who are Israelites.
Historical Continuity
The Bible records the history of these scattered Israelites. From their origins in Egypt during Joseph's time (when all twelve tribes lived in Africa for over 200 years), through their exodus and conquest of Canaan, through their captivity and dispersion—this is the history of the Bantu and West African peoples. The slavery, oppression, and struggles we have endured as a people are recorded in Scripture as the history of the Israelites.
4. African Figures Played Strategic Roles in Biblical History
Throughout Scripture, African peoples are not peripheral characters—they are central to YHWH's redemptive narrative.
Ebed-Melech, a Cushite (Black African) official in King Zedekiah's palace, risked his life to rescue the prophet Jeremiah from a cistern where he had been left to die (Jeremiah 38:1-13). YHWH rewarded Ebed-Melech's faith and courage, promising him deliverance when Jerusalem fell to the Babylonians (Jeremiah 39:15-18). At a time when all of Jerusalem had rejected YHWH's word, this African foreigner trusted in God and found salvation.
Zephaniah, a prophet of Hamitic origin from the lineage of Cush (Zephaniah 1:1), was used by YHWH to proclaim judgment on Judah and her enemies for their rebellion and idolatry. Yet he also proclaimed the grace of YHWH, declaring that a remnant would be saved and blessing would be restored. Zephaniah stands as a biblical author and prophet of whom people of African descent can be proud.
Jethro, an African priest, became the father-in-law of Moses and his spiritual mentor. His daughter Zipporah married Moses and bore him two sons. When YHWH's judgment came upon Moses for failing to circumcise his son, Zipporah performed the circumcision herself, saving Moses' life (Exodus 4:24-26). When Moses' own brother and sister spoke against him because of his African wife, YHWH intervened on Zipporah's behalf, striking Miriam with leprosy (Numbers 12:1-15).
Simon of Cyrene, a man of African descent from North Africa, was compelled by Roman soldiers to carry the cross of Yeshua to Golgotha (Matthew 27:32). He was the first person to follow behind Yeshua, bear His cross, and have the Messiah's blood run upon him. This honor belongs to a Black man.
King David, described as "a man after YHWH's own heart" (1 Samuel 13:14), had African ancestry. His great-grandmother was Rahab, a Canaanite woman listed in the Hall of Faith (Hebrews 11:31). His grandmother was Ruth, a Moabite. David, one of the greatest kings in Israel's history and a hero of the faith, hailed from mixed Jewish and Hamitic ancestry.
Simeon (called Niger, meaning "black") and Lucius of Cyrene were leaders in the church at Antioch. These two Black men assisted in the ordination and commissioning of the apostle Paul (Acts 13:1-3), demonstrating that African peoples were not only leaders in the culture of the first century but also leaders in the church itself.
5. We Must Accept and Appreciate What Scripture Says
The final thing you need to know about Black history in the Bible is this: we must accept and appreciate what the Scriptures tell us about ourselves.
We are not trying to insert ourselves into the Bible or misinterpret Scripture. We are simply reading the Scriptures as they are written. When the Bible describes the Israelites as ruddy, bronze-skinned people with wooly hair, we accept that description. When Revelation describes Yeshua with burnished bronze feet, we accept that description. When the Bible records the deeds of African prophets, priests, and leaders, we accept that record.
The Scriptures do not hide Black history—they celebrate it. From Adam, formed from the earth, to the prophets and apostles of the New Testament, African peoples are woven throughout God's redemptive plan. Our history is biblical history. Our identity is found in the Israelites of Scripture.
This is not a matter of pride in the worldly sense, but of truth. Black people, as all other people, can find a place of historical, cultural, and racial identity in the God of Scripture. We are the descendants of kings and prophets, of faithful servants who trusted YHWH when others turned away. This is our heritage. This is our history. And it is all recorded in the Bible.
For a deeper study of these truths, explore The Scattered Israelites book series, which provides comprehensive biblical and historical evidence for the African identity of the Israelites.