"Authentic Jews" peddling inauthentic history . . . and theology

(The true) God is not racist.

Some are so tormented by sentiments of racial inferiority that they are unable to evaluate and represent facts faithfully.  Like those who want to make Jesus African, so too some want desperately for Hebrews/Jews from Abraham to Moses to the Sephardim (Iberian Jews) to be black (this trend is color-blind; some want Anglo-Saxons to be the lost tribes of Israel).  Following are a few observations on one site's false claims regarding Israel and Africa:

"This makes it seem likely that the Afroasiatic languages originated in Africa and then spread to the Asian continent."

Since all descend from Noah and his sons, and their common language was confused at Babel, no language "originated" in Africa.

"the ancient Hebrews came out of North AFRICA (Egypt)."

The Israelites came out of slavery in Egypt led by Moses, at YHWH's command, and by His power.  Their ancestors -- Jacob and his family -- entered the land as honored guests because Joseph was so esteemed that he attained a position in all of Egypt second only to Pharaoh's.  His father Jacob (Israel) was the grandson of Abraham, and he was from Mesopotamia ("Ur of the Chaldees"), not Africa.

Sometime before the Exodus, while in exile from Egypt, Moses married Zipporah, a Cushite (Ethiopian) woman, a daughter of Reuel, the priest of Midian.  Five hundred years later, King Solomon received the Queen of Sheba (Ethiopia) as a guest in Israel.  Regarding "Cushite" and "Sheba," some dispute the two terms as referencing Ethiopia, but the imperial family of Ethiopia traces its lineage to the union of Solomon and the Queen, and Josephus identified her as a "Queen of Egypt and Ethiopia."  He comments regarding the nation of Cush, son of Ham and grandson of Noah:

"For of the four sons of Ham, time has not at all hurt the name of Cush ["Chus"]; for the Ethiopians, over whom he reigned, are even at this day, both by themselves and by all men in Asia, called Cushites ["Chusites"]" (Antiquities of the Jews 1.6.2).

So, one branch of "authentic" Jews is Ethiopian.

The author of Authentic Jews continues:

"The largest centers of Jewish population and learning were once in Africa, NOT EUROPE."

Until Islam.  And before that, in Israel, Mesopotamia, Persia, Babylon.  Wherever Jews go, there is a center of learning.

Here is more evidence that racial grievances and the need for religious/political esteem has compromised the author's intellectual integrity:

It was April 9th, 1865, on the Roman/Gregorian calendar but, the HEBREW calendar corresponding date was the 13th day of the Hebrew month of Abib/Nissan, the Hebrew year being 5625, on a Sunday.

The news of Gen. R.E. Lee's surrender was received in Washington DC after nine o'clock on Sunday evening, April 9th, and at a somewhat later hour in other cities.

This made it Passover, for the sun was down, that is when the Hebrews in the U.S.A were freed, 1435 was when the Portuguese began removing the YIsraelites from West Afrika, and 1865 was when General Lee surrendered in the civil war.
430 Yrs is how long our forefathers were in slavery in Kemet {Egypt}.

Both times the Israelites were freed on the Passover, after 430 Years!

The author's history here is just wrong: America was not a nation until 1776 by Declaration, and in reality at the successful conclusion of our War of Independence in 1783.  American slavery ended by Proclamation in 1863 and in practice at the close of the War Between the States in 1865.  The longest "American" slavery could have lasted was 89 years.  Even if you include Colonial times, slavery there began as indentured servitude for a variety of "races;" it was not until the seventeenth century that slavery in America became distinctly racial:

in Maryland and Virginia, both of which passed laws that made black indentured servants slaves for life; these laws also segregated free blacks from European-Americans by making intermarriage between blacks and whites illegal.

If you want to consider the Atlantic (Old World/New World) Slave Trade, the earliest date I can find for the beginning of the capture, transport, and selling of African slaves is 1444 (or 1441) by the Portuguese; Brazil abolished slavery in 1888 (that's 447 years).

And none of this includes Islam's millennium of enslaving Africans, or the practice of slavery in general throughout human history, which includes African kings taking slaves for human sacrifice and the Aztecs doing the same.  As soon as one group of people was strong enough to use force against its neighbor, slavery was born.

I appreciate a person wanting to take pride in one's ancestry.  But that should be grounded in truth.  All of us are descended from Noah and his sons; the flexibility in genetic expression allowing the variety in human appearance we see today does not change the fact that we are one race.  Sadly, the "authentic Jew" is so focused on "blackness" that it's affected his ability to deal honestly with the facts.

So, who are "authentic Jews"?

A Jew might say, "It depends on the Jew you're asking;" an Evangelical might answer, "Someone who observes the Mosaic Law;" a Muslim might respond, "Those who 're-vert' to Islam;" and a liberal might reply with, "Those who vote Democrat."  But what does the God of Israel say?

The Apostle Paul, a Pharisee who referred once to himself as a "Hebrew of Hebrews" and recognized the myriad  blessings God had given to the nation of Israel, says that the "true Israel" are not those who are genetically-Jewish only, but those who live by faith in the Promised Messiah, whether they are Jew or Gentile. He writes:

"not all who are descended from Israel belong to Israel, and not all are children of Abraham because they are his offspring, but 'Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.' This means that it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God, but the children of the promise are counted as offspring" (Romans 9:6-8).

"no one is a Jew who is merely one outwardly, nor is circumcision outward and physical. But a Jew is one inwardly, and circumcision is a matter of the heart, by the Spirit, not by the letter. His praise is not from man but from God" (Romans 2:28-29).

We ourselves are Jews by birth and not Gentile sinners; yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ, so we also have believed in Christ Jesus, in order to be justified by faith in Christ and not by works of the law, because by works of the law no one will be justified" (Galatians 2:15-16).

Christ is the Savior of the Jew first and then the Gentile, the Messiah promised to Adam, Abraham, and Moses.  He is our salvation.

Christ our Righteousness

Offered in response to a friend:

"I have read all of the Gospels . . . and understand what is required of one who is seeking salvation of the Christian variety."

Respectfully, this indicates a lack of understanding of the faith. The Bible's clear teaching is that by observing the Law, no one will be saved, but because of God's great mercy, Christ died for us. There is nothing required of us, for God's Son has done everything.

"what I read in both the Bible and the New Testament and do not find a seamless thread connecting the two."

The one unifying theme of the Old Testament writings is the Messiah-to-Come; the New Testament writings all testify to the Messiah-Who-has-Come-and-Will-Come-Again.

Jesus said, "You search the Scriptures [the Old Testament] because in them you think you have life, but they testify of Me."

A post-Resurrection account describes Jesus showing to two Christians that the Law and Prophets ([the] Old Testament) all spoke of Him.

"I did not get from the last prophet in the Bible the same impression that is expounded upon by Paul about Jesus as the Messiah as well as other topics."

By "last prophet," do you mean an Old Testament prophet? In that case, John the Baptist was the last prophet, and he said of Jesus, "Behold, the Lamb of God Who takes away the sin of the world!"

If you meant the last book written, Revelation, then that was the Apostle John, author also of one gospel and three epistles.

Every author has his own style, audience, and purpose for writing.

Revelation, as apocalyptic (and therefore highly-symbolic) literature gives an overview of the New Testament period. Basically, the Church will suffer terrible persecution, but those who remain faithful to the end will receive eternal life.

(I'd be happy to discuss Revelation further with you. Do not expect it to be like any other book except Daniel and Ezekiel.)

"for the Jews there is a criteria that is to be fulfilled by the Messiah and ALL OF IT was to be fulfilled."

Yes, except for those parts that have to do with the End of the World.

"Christianity and Judaism are religions each in their own right and not connected in any way.

That is not true.

Again, Jesus is the Messiah promised since Adam, His Scriptures [are] all Hebrew/Jewish, His Apostles were all Jews, the first Christians were Jewish, [and] traditional Christian worship comes from its Hebrew/Jewish roots.

The faithful Jew -- as Paul points out powerfully; see his comments on the true Israel, the true children of Abraham who are circumcised in the heart and not necessarily in the flesh -- is the one who believes in the Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth. It is the unfaithful, rebellious, and apostate (or ignorant) Jew who rejects the Messiah.

Jesus made that clear when He said, "Before Abraham was born, I AM."

"Christians would be Jews--and not the other way around since the Messiah is intended to bring the all of God's people to the Jews either in righteousness or conversion, while the Jews fulfill their covenant with God as the intended priests of the world."

And the Jews did not keep their part of that covenant. Recall the conditions of that agreement: Israel had to keep all of YHWH's commandments. They did not. They broke the Covenant, which is why the Messiah came to institute a New Covenant, a New Testament in His blood for the forgiveness of sins!

As I noted above, Christ came to reconcile the whole world to His Father, both Jew and Gentile. Paul actually describes Gentile Christians being grafted into the plant (of God's people): If God does not spare natural branches for their unbelief in the Messiah, then neither will He spare those grafted-in branches.

Again, Paul talks about all who trust in Christ -- whether Jew or Gentile -- as being the true Israel. Peter also makes the same point calling Christians -- Jew and Gentile -- ["]a chosen people, a holy nation, a royal priesthood, a people belonging to God [. . . ."]

I hope you will look into these things more deeply. Jesus said, "salvation is of the Jews," and "I AM the way, the truth, and the life; no one comes to the Father except by Me."

Seven hundred years before the Messiah appeared, the prophet Isaiah wrote, "He was wounded for our transgressions; He was bruised for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed."