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In a recent issue of the Chicago Chronicle there appeared a communication signed “Jacob,” in which the writer, who says that he is a Jew and proud of it, disputes Senator Burton's statement that the ancient Egyptians and Ethiopians were the same people and that Moses married an Ethiopian woman.
Senator Burton is justified in his contention by the testimony of me inspired writers of the Bible and by the historians, Herodotus, Josephus, Diodorus Siculus, Antnon, Rollin, Heeren, Cave, von Moshiem, Guericke, Kitto and others.
“The Ethiopians and Egyptians were one and the same people.” Kitto's Cyclopedia, Vol. I, p. 666. See also Rollin's Ancient History, p. 555. “In proportion as we ascend into the primeval ages the closer seems the connection between Egypt and Ethiopia.” Heeren's Ancient Nations of Africa, Vol. I, p. 289. Herodotus states that the Egyptians were “black and with frizzly hair.”
Sarah, Abraham's wife, was barren, and she gave her hand maiden, Hagar, to Abraham to wife and Ishmael was born. Gen. XVI-17. Ishmael was the first mulatto and his descendents peopled Arabia. Hagar was an Egyptian woman.
The Queen of Sheba, granddaughter of Abraham by Keturah, an Ethiopian woman (Gen. XXV-2, 3 I Kings, X-2 II Chronicles IX Matt. XII-42 Acts VIII-27), came from Ethiopia with a great company to hear and see all the wisdom of Solomon. She desired to try him in allegories and parables. The annals of Abyssinia say she was a pagan when she left Sheba but being filled with admiration at the sight of Solomon's works she became a proselyte to Judaism. Incidentally, while at Jerusalem, the queen became quite friendly with Solomon who “loved many strange women, together with the daughter of Pharaoh, women of the Moabites, Ammonites, Edomites, Zidonites and Hittites,” (I Kings, XI-1), and bore him a son. This son she called Menilek and carried with her on her return to Sheba. After a lapse of a few years Menilek was sent back to Solomon for education, and unlike many of the wise man's descendants, he did not neglect his charge, but had him thoroughly instructed in the Jewish religion. Menilek was crowned king of Ethiopia in the temple of Jerusalem.
The sons of Joseph were James, Joses, Simon and Judas. (Matt. XIII 55 Mark VI-3, XV-40). These were the descendents of Jacob or Israel who was willing to give his daughters to the sons of the Hivites and all the Ethiopian nations at their request and to take to themselves their daughters in exchange, providing every male would be circumcised that they might become one people under the covenant of grace and works made by God unto Israel. Gen. XXXIV-21, 22.
Circumcision, the observance of the seventh day and a number of other Jewish rites are practiced by the Ethiopians to this day, and it is indisputable that their kings descended in a direct line from Solomon.
Reverting to Moses, who was found in an ark of bulrushes floating in the river, by Pharaoh's daughters, and was brought up as the king's son, and we have it on the testimony of the great Jewish historian, Josephus, that Moses married Tharbis daughter of the Ethiopian king, “because out of her affection for him she delivered up the city to him.” (Whiston's Josephus p. 67.)
It seems that marriage was not a failure with Moses, for history tells us that he was so well pleased with Ethiopian woman that his second wife was also of that nation.
We find in Numbers XII-l, that Miriam and Aaron were greatly displeased because Moses married an Ethiopian woman, Zipporah, and “spake against Moses” but it is evident that the Lord was well pleased with his action in taking a wife who was “black but comely,” for He rebuked Miriam and Aaron and “the anger of the Lord was kindled against them.” Numbers XII-9.
“Frizzly hair” is very common among the descendents of Moses and Solomon and it seems to be the one Ethiopian characteristic which has persisted through many generations of Jews.
In view of the fact the Jews have been despised and persecuted through all ages by the people of every nation, led by Jews-baiters, who, like Tillman, Graves and Vardaman, have sought to stir up race hatred, “Jacob” ought not to be so bitter against his Afro-American brethren, for it is not impossible that a strain of Afric’s warm blood flows through his own veins.
