Being taught your Biblical roots.

Did you know that the apostle Simeon was nicknamed Niger… pronounced NEE-GER in Latin? Growing up, I was taught that it was pronounced ny-jer, so I never gave it any additional thought. A couple of years ago, a friend of mine brought up the reference in Acts, which motivated me to give it a second look. Let’s start by looking at this.

“Now there were in the church that was at Antioch certain prophets and teachers; as Barnabas, and Simeon that was called Niger , and Lucius of Cyrene, and Manaen, which had been brought up with Herod the tetrarch, and Saul.” – Acts 13:1

We’re going to dig into every aspect of this verse, starting with the word “Niger” and then we’re going to investigate what I believe to be a list of black apostles in the Bible.

Did you know that the New Testament of the Bible speaks of “Simon from Cyrene,” which is located in Africa, carrying the cross of Jesus, in the Gospel according to Luke?

And did you know that in the Book of Acts, Apostles and Deacon, Phillip, Help convert an official from the African kingdom of Ethiopia to follow Jesus, even before the conversion of Paul?

But before we get ahead of ourselves. The book Black Apostle: Ancient Biblical History Of The Black Or Negro Race.

Ancient Biblical History Of The Black Or Negro Race, Proven By The Bible is a book written by J. Justice. It delves into the history of the black or negro race as it is portrayed in the Bible. The author contends that the Bible provides evidence of the black race's ancient history and their significant role in biblical events.

The book explores various biblical characters, including Moses, King Solomon, and the Queen of Sheba, to showcase the black race's contributions to biblical history. The author also delves into the origins of the black race and its migration patterns throughout history. The Black Apostle is a thought-provoking book that challenges traditional views of biblical history and offers a fresh perspective on the role of the black race in shaping the world as we know it.

“Princes shall come out of Egypt; Ethiopia shall soon stretch out her hands unto God.” -Psalm 68:31

The Bible is a multicultural book. This statement may sound controversial but archeology, history, and the text prove it to be true. In 2013 this controversy played out in the media when viewers of The Bible miniseries were upset that Samson was played by a black man. A second controversy occurred when a Fox News broadcaster confidently declared that Santa Claus and Jesus were white, yet when people researched original depictions of Nicolas, they found pictures of a dark brown man.

It appears that our faith has been distorted. As we celebrate Black History , how can uncovering the black presence in the Bible aid us in mourning against the sin of racism? One of the effects of racism is the whitewashing of history and sadly this has taken place even in our biblical studies.

The Roman Catacombs show biblical scenes painted by first- and second-century persecuted Christians, and their paintings clearly show people of color. What would Roman Christians gain from painting these characters black? What did these early Christians know and accept that seems unbelievable today? The truth.

The main reason for studying the black presence in the Bible is because if we can't accept that our Bible is a multicultural book, how can we accept multicultural churches? It is difficult to see the black presence in the Bible because you won’t read the terms black or African but you will read the terms Ethiopians, Cushites, Egyptians, Hebrews, or other tribal terms.

Ethiopia is mentioned 45 times in the Bible; add this to the number of times Egypt is mentioned, and Africa is mentioned more than any other landmass in the Bible. It should also be noted that the "Middle East," including the Holy Land was connected to Africa until 1859 when the Suez Canal was completed and had been referred to North East Africa for the majority of modern history.

From Genesis to Revelation there is a great deal of proof that blacks are present throughout the Bible:

In the Hebrew, Adam (or Ahdahm) is defined as swarthy, dusky, reddish-brown soil, dark-skinned like a shadow. Aphar: The soil from which Adham was made, meaning: dust, clay, always very black or very dark brown in color. (The Biblical History of Black Mankind by C. McGhee Livers).

The Garden of Eden was described in Genesis as having been near a four-river system in the region of the lands of Cush, Havilah, and Asshur, which today would be near the borders of Eastern Sudan, Ethiopia, and Eritrea. The birthplace of humanity was confirmed when the oldest human remains were found in Ethiopia in 1974. Science and the Bible are often at odds, but one thing both confirm is that the birthplace of humanity was in East Africa. (Eden: The Biblical Garden Discovered in East Africa by Gert Muller).

Many of the Hebrew patriarchs married or had children with women from African tribes. Abraham had children with Hagar and Keturah both from African (Hamitic) tribes. Moses married Zippora, who was Ethiopian. Jacob had children with two handmaidens from African tribes, and these children became the patriarchs of two tribes of Israel.

Studying the black presence in the Bible can open the door to discussions about racial justice and dispel the myth that the Bible is the "white man's book." It is this myth that has kept many people of color from the gospel. By whitewashing the Bible, we prevent future generations from experiencing the beauty of the biblical text. Black people should know that they have always played a central role in God’s plan for humanity and were not an afterthought of the creator.

I would challenge you , as we reflect on the sacrifice Yahshua made for us to ask yourself if it was proven that he was black, would this change your devotion to him?