Published on: January 30, 2025

Israel Was Not Black Exclusively

BHI Claim:

The ancient Israelites were black, and modern Jews are imposters.

Bible Refutation:

Lamentations 4:7-8
Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
the beauty of their form was like sapphire.

Now their face is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets; their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.

Context:

Lamentations describes the dramatic downfall of Jerusalem’s nobles during the Babylonian siege, emphasizing their former glory and beauty before their tragic decline.

Verse 7

Describes the past glory of Jerusalem’s nobility (possibly Nazarites or devoted individuals). They were pure, healthy, and radiant in appearance, likened to whiteness and precious gems.

Verse 8

Starkly contrasts this, showing their present state due to starvation and suffering. Their once-glowing complexion has turned dark (possibly from malnutrition and distress), and their bodies have wasted away to the point of being unrecognizable.

This passage is a lament over the tragic consequences of sin and a stark reminder of how far Judah had fallen under divine judgment.

This passage describes Israelites as being "ruddy" (a reddish complexion), which is not a trait exclusive to black people.

In Samuel we have a description of King David.

1 Samuel 16:12
And he sent and brought him in. Now he was ruddy and had beautiful eyes and was handsome.

Again, the term "ruddy" means a light-skinned, reddish complexion.

When Moses was mistaken for an Egyptian:

Exodus 2:19
They said, “An Egyptian delivered us out of the hand of the shepherds and even drew water for us and watered the flock.”

Egyptians at that time were a mix of brown-skinned North Africans, not necessarily black Africans. If Moses looked like an Egyptian, he was not black.