My Jewish brothers and sisters from Rome, I understand that you have some questions on the history of Yahweh’s covenant people in Ethiopia. I hope to quell your curiosity as best as I know how, but before I do, I must make sure that we are speaking of the same people. You see, the Ethiopian people that I speak of come from the kingdom of Cush and not necessarily the geographical territory of Cush. Also, the people I will be speaking of come from the region to the west of the Red Sea. Now, that we are all on the same page, let us begin. In order to tell a truthful history, however brief, I must divulge both the good and the bad. And as a people, we have not always been believers or even peaceful with Yahweh’s people. For example, if you look in the book of 2 Chronicles 14:9-15 you will find there a man by the name of Zerah. During the reign of Asa of Judah, he organized a war against Israel with almost double the amount of men that Israel had, yet the Lord was on the side of Israel and Judah and Zerah and his army was completely defeated. However, not all of our dealings with Yahwe...
Yahweh, B. L. (2013). Jewish and african affairs. In B. Yahweh (Ed.), Jews and the African
The Assyrians were known to have a powerful, ruthless army. The army was the largest Middle East or Mediterranean fighting force that had ever been seen. It is believed that God himself promised the Israelites that if they disobeyed Him he would allow them to be taken up and carried away to foreign lands. His promise is explained in Isaiah 5:26-29. It reads, “He will whistle to them from the end of the earth; Surely they shall come with speed, swiftly. No one weary or stumble among them No one will slumber or sleep Nor will the belt on their loins be loosed, Nor the strap of their sandals be broken; Whose arrows are sharp, And all their bows bent; Their horses’ hooves will seem like flint, And their wheels like whirlwind. Their roaring will be like a lion, They will roar like young lions; Yes, they will roar And lay hold of the prey; They will carry it away safely, And no one will deliver.” Israel’s rebellion angered God and it led to war with the invincible Assyrians. The Northern Kingdom of Israel was wiped out.
The Olaundah Equiano narrative is a view of servitude from a former captive himself. He begins his story in Africa from the land of Esska, his native homeland. He describes his tribe and all the many traditions they practiced as a way of living. Equiano was not originally born into servitude but a free male, son of a chief. Equiano’s life in Africa was common among the many members of his tribe. He was strongly attached to his mother and clenched to her as much as possible. His father obtained many slaves himself, but treated them like an equal part of the family. Equiano lived a common life in African society, until one day his destiny took an unexpected turn for the worst and life would never be the same.
The Jemez people have a famous creation story that they tell their children. There creation story is this “Long ago, Pueblo people lived far away up north. At first they lived underground, in a holy place called Sipapu. Then people climbed up through a hole in the earth into the sunlight. God guided them for many years as they wandered. People suffered many bad things like tornadoes and drought and bad magicians, before they got to a good land where they could settle down”.
Because of a decision made out of complacency—not driving the Canaanites out of Israel—four-hundred years were spent in a cycle they could not escape, or perhaps, weren’t willing to. In Judges 2:3, God tells the Israelites that the remaining inhabitants would be a “thorn in your sides” and that “their gods share be a snare to you.” The Israelites should have expected this, they knew the land was for God’s nation and His people alone. A single disobedient choice made by the people haunted their natio...
Essex, Keith H. "The Abrahamic Covenant." Master's Seminary Journal 10, no. 2 (September 1, 1999): 191-212. ATLA Religion Database with ATLASerials, EBSCOhost (accessed February 18, 2014). ALTA Religion Index: Title suggests relevance
by God you will see that God was opposed to war, violence and any form
The adaptation of Ethiopian Jews to Israeli society is a unique and complex process due to culture differences, language barriers, technology gaps as well as educational and employment variances. As a result of such differences, Ethiopian Jews and Israeli Jews have had to adjust to a new social dynamic in which multiple cultures should be accepted and promoted. A transition from rural Africa to a modern Westernized society such as Israel is a difficult progression and cannot be overlooked by using the ‘melting pot’ ideology as this will give rise to ethnic repression. All these factors indicate that the divide between the Israeli Jews and Ethiopian Jews is not racism but more a cultural gap between a traditional community and a modern technologically advanced, highly competitive nation.
Thesis & Preview of Main Points: I will discuss the culture of Ethiopia and its geography
The Israelites regarded the Edomites as close relatives, even more closely related to them than the Ammonites or Moabites. Specifically, they identified the Ammonites and Moabites as descendants of Lot, Abraham’s nephew, but the Edomites as descendants of Esau, Jacob’s brother (Gen. 19:30-36; 36). Thus Edom occasionally is referred to as a “brother” to Israel (Amos 1:11-12). Edomites seem not to have been barred from worship in the Jerusalem temple with the same strictness as the Ammonites and Moabites (Deut. 23:3-8). Yet, as is often the case with personal relations, the closest relative can be a bitter enemy. According to the biblical writers, enmity between Israel and Edom began with Jacob and Esau (when the former stole the latter’s birthright)
I am Native Hawaiian and reside in Orange City, Florida. My ancestors were the first people who settled in Hawaii around 500 AD to 750 AD. They were Polynesians who came from the Marquesas Island in large boat-like canoes. The Canoe had a person who was the navigator. The navigator was a person who was able to read the stars and the sky as direction. These people were able to tell if there was land ahead even before they were able to see land from the canoe. A few years later, people from Tahiti and the other smaller Hawaiian Islands settled in Hawaii. They settled in Hawaii 2000 years ago.
The discussion and interpretation of warfare in theology is not a new controversy. A purely Old Testament inspired interpretation would suggest that violence can be, and often is a widely accepted practice in the eyes of God. “The Book of Joshua”, is a particularly good example of the war theology found throughout the Old Testament as it is an account of the Israelites conquests at the behest of God. The God described in ”The Book of Joshua” is ruthless, absolute in his perception of peoples being ether righteous or wicked, and champions the total destruction of the Cainites. However, the New Testament paints God in a much different light. Jesus Christ, the son of God, acts in a manner that starkly contrasts the absolutes and violence of
...f the divine world but the kings were in charge of vocalizing god’s wishes on earth. The most famous of these law codes was Hammurabi’s law code. The Hebrews tried to establish order by using Yahweh’s Ten Commandments and the Torah. Mesopotamian deities were hard to please and easily angered. The Mesopotamians constantly felt they were letting their gods down and usually didn’t even know the reason behind it. Hebrews had a much more forgiving god. Through texts like “The Book of Job”, it is apparent that Yahweh was a tough god but always forgiving and fair in the end. He had few demands of his people and all of them were ethical and easy to adhere to. As long as his devotees followed Yahweh’s laws, they were all capable of receiving his blessings. Through it all, it seemed that God and religion was at the center of every aspect of life in the ancient civilization.
Not all Jewish communities continued on their faith with YHWH. Before the exile, many communities began to scatter all over the Middle East, Egypt and Babylon; however, the exile...
It is important to know the history of one’s past. Just where did we come from and why. By comparing and contrasting the Abrahamic and Mosaic Covenants, we can see a part of our history. These two covenants mark a grand time in the history of Christians. Both covenants can teach us a lesson in becoming a better Christian and to knowing God better if we pay attention to what God wants us to learn. The Abrahamic Covenant lays the foundation for how the Christian nation was formed. The Mosaic Covenant follows in later years as a reminder of what was promised in the Abrahamic Covenant to the Christian nation. Both covenants are important in understanding the Old and New Testaments as they give us the historical background of the Bible as well as set the stage for the coming of Christ.