Let us begin to examine the facts surrounding this debate, in a
very unconventional, but hopefully, very inspirational way, by
relating some Bible passages, beginning with the stories of
Joseph and Judah.
"...I am Joseph your brother, whom you sold into Egypt
(Genesis 45:4)." "Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with
yourselves, that you sold me hither:for God did send me before
you to preserve life (Genesis 45:5)."
My brothers and sisters be not grieved that Mr. Horowitz has
written his anti-black tome, entitled "Ten Reasons Why
Reparations for Blacks is a Bad Idea, and Racist Too." Be
thankful. We must remember the story of Joseph. Joseph's
jealous brothers first buried him in a pit, and left him for dead.
The Midianites discovered Joseph, and then sold him to the
Ishmaelites for 20 pieces of silver. Potiphar, captain of
Pharaoh's guard then bought Joseph from the Ishmaelites.
Later, Joseph was set over the house of Pharaoh as a reward for
Joseph's correct interpretation of Pharaoh's dream, to wit, Egypt
would have seven years of great plenty followed by seven years
of famine. Joseph was given the task of preparing all of Egypt
for the seven famine years.
To shorten the story, Joseph's brothers thought they had done a
bad thing, by selling Joseph into slavery in Egypt. Joseph saw it
a different way. He saw it as God's way. He told them not to
worry, that God was behind their deed. He said, as noted above,
"God did send me before you to preserve life."
Just as Joseph saw his bondage as a good thing, we, my black
brothers and sisters, should see Mr. Horowitz's unfavorable
writings as a good thing; as a gift from God; produced so that I
would be given this opportunity to show light in a dark place.
Judah
We blacks are related through Shelah, Tamar and Judah to the
line that produced Jesus. Thus we are a people with a rich
history, which cannot be dismissed. In addition, Simon, one of
the 12 Apostles was black.
"The book of the generation of Jesus Christ, the son of David,
the son of Abraham (St. Matthew 1:1)." "Abraham begat Isaac;
and Isaac begat Jacob; and Jacob begat Judas and his bretheren
(St. Matthew 1:2.)."
"And Judas begat Phares and Zara of Thamar; and Phares
begat Esrom; and Esrom begat Aram (St. Matthew 1:3)." "and
Obed begat Jesse (St. Matthew 1:5)."
"And Jesse begat David...and David...begat Solomon of her that
had been the wife of Urias (St. Matthew 1:6)." "And Eliud
begat Eleazar; and Eleazar begat Mathan; and Mathan begat
Jacob (St. Matthew 1:15)."
"And Jacob begat Joseph the husband of Mary, of whom was
born Jesus, who is called Christ (St. Matthew 1:16)."
Thus Jesus descended from the Tribe of Judah, (the same as
Judas above, in St. Matthew 1:3.)
"And Judah saw there a daughter of a certain Canaanite, whose
name was Shuah; and he took her, and went in unto her (Genesis
38:2)." "And she conceived...Er (Genesis 38:3)."
"And she conceived again...Onan (Genesis 38:4)." "And she
yet again conceived...Shelah (Genesis 38:5)."
"And Judah took a wife for Er...whose name was Tamar
(Genesis 38:6)."
This is the same Tamar, (Thamar), in the Jesus lineage in St.
Matthew 1:3, above. Er and Onan were later slain by God.
"And in the process of time the daughter of Shuah Judah's wife
died (Genesis 38:12)." "And the sons of Ham: Cush, and
Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan (Genesis 10:6)."
Ham was black. The Canaanites, who descended from Ham,
were also, black. Since Judah impregnated a Canaanitish
woman, and produced Er, Onan, and Shelah, it follows that Er,
Onan, and Shelah were black, as well.
"And she (Tamar), ...sat in an open place (Genesis 38:14)."
"When Judah saw her (Genesis 38:15)."
"And he turned unto her by the way, and said, Go to, I pray thee,
let me come unto thee...And she said, What wilt thou give me,
that thou mayest come in unto me (Genesis 38:16)?"
"And he said, What pledge shall I give thee? And she said, Thy
signet, and thy bracelets, and thy staff that is in thine hand. And
he gave it her, and came in unto her, and she conceived by him
(Genesis 38:18)."
"And it came to pass in the time of her travail...behold twins
were in her womb (Genesis 38:27)." "therefore his name was
called Pharez (Genesis 38:29)." This is the same Pharez,
(Phares), in the Jesus lineage, above, in St. Matthew 1:3.
"And his name was called Zarah ( Genesis 38:30)." This is the
same Zarah, (Zara), in the Jesus lineage, above, in St. Matthew
1:3.
The Twelve Tribes of Israel were: Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Judah,
Issachar, Zebulun, Joseph, Benjamin, Dan, Naphtali, Gad, and
Asher. Dinah was their sister.
The easiest way to remember the early Hebrew lineage is with
the acronym ASIR JR, pronounced A Sir Junior. It stands for
Abraham, Sarah, Isaac,
Rebekah, Jacob, Rachel.
Abraham and Sarah produced
Isaac. Isaac married Rebekah and
they produced Jacob. Jacob married
Rachel, and they plus Jacob
and Leah, Jacob and Zilpah, and Jacob and Bilhah, produced the
Twelve Tribes of Israel.
One might ask, "What's going on here?"