A concise History of the Hamites

and The Amazigh/Imazighen* People

from a Jewish Perspective.
By Martín Ibn Rubaín Bencomo

Dedicated with profound respect to Mr. Bennett Greenspan

(Revised August 21, 2014.)

1
* The terms Amazigh in singular and Imazighen in plural are the proper names for the
inhabitants of North Africa.

(Berber [from the greek term "Bar'ba-ros] is a generic name that Greeks used to refer
to Nations and ethnicities that speak a foreign and unintelligible language. Roman and
Jewish nations were named Bar'ba-ros or Barbarians by Greeks. The term Barbarian
simply distinguished especially non-Greeks from Greeks, much the same as “Gentile”
divides off non-Jews from Jews. Later on the Greeks felt that their language and
culture were superior to all others, and because they suffered indignities at the hand of
their enemies, the term “barbarian” gradually assumed its common disparaging
connotation. Insight on the scriptures, Book I, pages 255-256 - Published by
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1988.)

2
Introduction

3
Dear Sir:

I loved History from a very young age. I grew up hearing stories of Pirates, stories
of Noble Peoples with their richnesses and their slaves. When my neighbors, the
elderly Padilla's Sisters started to talk I just sitted down on the floor and I paid close
attention to them for hours. Those hours was better for me than movies or cartoons,
My childish imagination flew through time and space and I was there with Cofresí the
Pirate giving out part of our treasure booty to the poors, I was there with Josefina
Padilla when she was looking through the window of the Mansion, Property of The
Marquis of The Hope (El Marqués de la Esperanza), with her eyes I saw the Marquis'
boots, his throne, his dinning room, his library. I traveled to the past with my beloved
Padilla's sisters, my substitutive grandmothers. It was a marvelous journey.

When I had 8 years old a whole New World was open to me, for the first time in my
life I had a Bible easy to read and to understand and my father was studying it with
me. It was amazing! When I started to read the Torah, that very first book was
magnetically attached to my hands. Simply, I was unable to stop reading. Later, I
continued my Bible Reading of the entire Tanakh and my life changed for ever.
My understanding and vision of life finally acquired 4 dimensions, I had excellent
examples of behavior to follow, until this very day I never have found a contradiction
or an inaccuracy in the Tanakh. It's ‫ יהוה‬God's True Word.

4
Moses, was a servant of God that is accepted as a true Prophet by the Three
Monotheistic Religions, Judaism, Christianism and Islam.

Moses wrote the Historical Book of Genesis.

In Genesis chapter 6 we read that ‫ יהוה‬decided to destroy the earth because the
wickedness was spread over the earth. To make the matter worst, Satan in heaven
misled millions of angels and they started to materialize themselves in human bodies
to satisfy perverted and forbiden sexual desires with womans. The offspring of those
wicked angels were a hybrid specie of Human beings that were very tall. They were
called Nephilims which means "Those Who Cause [Others] to Fall Down". Book of
Genesis Chapter 6:1-4 and Numbers Chapter 13:33, Insight on the scriptures, Book
2, pages 491-492 - Published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York,
Inc., 1988.

That was the reason because ‫ יהוה‬God decided to destroy the Earth. The wickedness
was so great that even the human thinking was inclined to practice badness
constantly. Without any doubt the influence of those perverted angels and their hybrid
sons were the key of the increasing of inmorality and criminality on earth.

Moses then said that only Noah and his family were not following the same path of
behavior of the world because they worshiped the only true God ‫יהוה‬. God
commanded Noah to build an Ark of great dimensions enough big to accommodate
generic animal species, to save those animals with Noah's Family. These are two
things that we have to think when we meditate in this History.

First, The Ark was not a ship, it was a huge rectangular wood coffin (with square
corners) of simple construction, its only functions were to be watertight and to stay
afloat. Noah did not guide the Ark to the mountains of Ararat, The Ark just floated
and got there by the currents and water flows. Another thing, please don't try to find
Noah's Ark in that mountain known today as Ararat, for sure you will waste your time
and efforts. The Torah said: "the mountains of Ararat", mountains are plural.
Logically the mountain over which The Ark rested was one of a lower altitude,
otherwise every walking creature were breaking their necks as they were jumping
from the Ark's door down to the precipice. The Ark is gone, probably some smart
amateur carpenters used its free, durable and fine wood centuries ago. Stop searching
in vain.

Second, Noah did not put literally all living creature “of every sort of flesh, two of
each,” were to be taken aboard. “Male and female they will be. The Torah said
afterwards:

Of the flying creatures according to their kinds and of the domestic animals
according to their kinds, of all moving animals of the ground according to their
kinds, two of each will go in there to you to preserve them alive.” Of the clean beasts
and fowls, seven of each kind were to be taken.

5
The “kinds” of animals selected had reference to the clear-cut and unalterable
boundaries or limits set by the Creator, within which boundaries creatures are capable
of breeding “according to their kinds.” It has been estimated by some that the
hundreds of thousands of species of animals today could be reduced to a
comparatively few family “kinds”—the horse kind and the cow kind, to mention but
two. The breeding boundaries according to “kind” established by ‫ יהוה‬were not and
could not be crossed. With this in mind some investigators have said that, had there
been as few as 43 “kinds” of mammals, 74 “kinds” of birds, and 10 “kinds” of reptiles
in the ark, they could have produced the variety of species known today. Others have
been more liberal in estimating that 72 “kinds” of quadrupeds and less than 200 bird
“kinds” were all that were required.

That the great variety of animal life known today could have come from inbreeding
within so few “kinds” following the Flood is proved by the endless variety of
humankind—short, tall, fat, thin, with countless variations in the color of hair, eyes,
and skin—all of whom sprang from the one family of Noah.

These estimates may seem too restrictive to some, especially since such sources as
The Encyclopedia Americana indicate that there are upwards of 1,300,000 species of
animals. (1977, Vol. 1, pp. 859-873) However, over 60 percent of these are insects.
Breaking these figures down further, of the 24,000 amphibians, reptiles, birds, and
mammals, 10,000 are birds, 9,000 are reptiles and amphibians, many of which could
have survived outside the ark, and only 5,000 are mammals, including whales and
porpoises, which would have also remained outside the ark. Other researchers
estimate that there are only about 290 species of land mammals larger than sheep and
about 1,360 smaller than rats. (The Deluge Story in Stone, by B. C. Nelson, 1949, p.
156; The Flood in the Light of the Bible, Geology, and Archaeology, by A. M.
Rehwinkel, 1957, p. 69) So, even if estimates are based on these expanded figures,
the ark could easily have accommodated a pair of all these animals. Insight on the
scriptures, Book I, pages 164-165 - Published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
of New York, Inc., 1988.)

Sir, as you know, Noah obediently fulfilled the instructions ‫ יהוה‬God gave to him. It
was a very difficult task the one he achieved with the 7 members of his family. They
have not only to go to the forest and cutting down trees to make lumbers for the Ark,
They had to preach to everybody about the coming destruction of the great deluge and
that was not easy at all. Those ones I had found in my town (Manati, Puerto Rico) that
does not believe in this true History of the Great Deluge, I have helped them to start
to think in a different direction when I mention that in the Road #2 of Vega Baja,
Puerto Rico, close to the intersection of Tortuguero, there were a quarry in the 70's
called Rosa Cruz Quarry (Cantera Rosa Cruz) and that a petrified Shark was found on
a mountain of the quarry, 4 miles from the sea coast. How a Shark got on that
Mountain? also I mentioned to those unbelievers that Shark's Petrified Tooths have
been found (in "U" Jaw formation, with an arragement of several rows along that "U"
formation, all of those Petrified Tooths together,) very high in many places on the
Mountains of Ciales, Puerto Rico, 15 miles from the sea coast and at a high that
ranges from 2,000 to 3,500 feets from sea level. Again, How those Sharks got up
there on those very high Mountains? Sharks don't fly.

6
Why all cultures of the earth have a religious belief that talks about a History of a
great deluge? Even the Amerindians of Puerto Rico, The Taínos had their own
version of the History of the great deluge. Those Histories are not the same simply
because they were orally transmitted for centuries and that caused serious distortions
in many facts. Everyone should judge with an honest mind these facts by themselves.

Thanks to the obedience of Noah, The Earth was saved. Shem, Ham and Japhet will
give a new fresh start to humankind maybe with great expectancies that the
fulfillment of The Prophecy of Genesis 3:15 will have a new development in their
time. Lamentably, We know that the wickedness started again. Sometime later Ham
became involved in an incident that brought a curse on his son Canaan. Noah had
become intoxicated with wine and had uncovered himself in his tent. Ham saw his
father’s nakedness, and instead of showing the proper respect for Noah, the family
head and the servant and prophet whom God had made an instrument in the
preservation of the human race, Ham told his two brothers of his discovery.

That the expression “saw his father’s nakedness” may indicate some abuse or
perversion that involved Canaan, is a reasonable conclusion. For in most instances
incest or other sexual sins are meant when the Bible speaks of ‘laying bare’ or ‘seeing
the nakedness’ of another. (Le 18:6-19; 20:17) So, it is possible that Canaan had
committed or attempted to commit some abuse on the unconscious Noah and that
Ham, though having knowledge of this, failed either to prevent it or to take
disciplinary action against the offender, and compounded the wrong by making
known to his brothers Noah’s disgrace.

Shem and Japheth exhibited the proper respect by walking backwards with a mantle
to cover Noah so that they would not bring reproach by looking on their father’s
nakedness. Noah, on awakening, uttered a curse, not on Ham, but on Ham’s son
Canaan. In the accompanying blessing of Shem, which included a blessing for
Japheth, Ham was passed over and ignored; only Canaan was mentioned as cursed
and was prophetically foretold to become a slave to Shem and Japheth.—Ge 9:20-27.
It is possible that Canaan himself had been involved directly in the incident and that
his father Ham had failed to correct him. Insight on the scriptures, Book I, pages
1022-1023 - Published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc.,
1988.)

a Jewish publication, The Pentateuch and Haftorahs, suggests that the brief narrative
“refers to some abominable deed in which Canaan seems to have been implicated.”
after noting that the Hebrew word translated “son” in verse 24 may mean “grandson,”
this source states: “The reference is evidently to Canaan.” (Edited by J. H. Hertz,
London, 1972, p. 34)

The Soncino Chumash also points out that some believe Canaan “indulged a
perverted lust upon [Noah],” and that the expression “youngest son” refers to Canaan,
who was the youngest son of Ham.—Edited by A. Cohen, London, 1956, p. 47.]

7
Noah, speaking prophetically by inspiration, foresaw that the bad tendency in Ham,
perhaps already manifest in his son Canaan, would be inherited by Canaan’s
offspring. Insight on the scriptures, Book I, pages 1022-1023 - Published by
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1988.)

Ham was the father of four sons, Cush, Mizraim, Put, and Canaan after the
Great Deluge. (Ge 10:6; 1Ch 1:8)

When The Confusion of the tongues in Babel ocurred Shem and its descendants were
not affected. They continued speaking Hebrew, the first language given to Adam
when he was created. An evidence of that fact is that Hebrews could communicate
with Syrians at the time of Abraham and with the Canaanites at the time of The
Conquest of The Promised Land. Gradually that original shemitic language was
developing regional words and variations that were perpetuated by the isolation of the
shemites in the territories they inhabited and their languages were exposed to the
influence of other languages. Examples of that it is shown in the fact that Jewish
abandoned the use of the original ancient hebrew alphabeth known mistakenly as the
phoenician alphabeth and they lent many words from The Aramaiac Language. In
fact, The Tanakh was written in part in Aramaiac that is why some Christians refer to
The Tanakh by the name of Sacred Hebrew-Aramaiac Scriptures. Arabs adopted a
cursive version of that ancient hebrew alphabet that still in use today.

(Canaanites were bilingual and some of them were Polyglots. A proof of this fact are
the messages (known as the Amarna Tablets), sent by vassal rulers in Syria and
Palestine to Pharaohs Amenhotep III and Akhenaton. The Interpreter’s Dictionary of
the Bible (edited by G. A. Buttrick, 1962, Vol. 1, p. 495) states that “the Amarna
Letters contain evidence for the opinion that non-Semitic ethnic elements settled in
Palestine and Syria at a rather early date, for a number of these letters show a
remarkable influence of non-Semitic tongues. The facts are that there is still
uncertainty as to the original language spoken by the first inhabitants of Canaan.

So, it would appear that the Canaanite tribes, over a period of some centuries from the
time of the confusion of tongues at Babel (Ge 11:8, 9), apparently changed over to a
Semitic tongue from their original Hamitic language. This may have been because of
their close association with the Aramaic-speaking peoples of Syria, as a result of
Mesopotamian domination for a period of time, or for other reasons not now apparent.
Such a change would be no greater than that of other ancient nations, such as the
ancient Persians, who, though of Indo-European (Japhetic) stock, later adopted the
Semitic Aramaean language and writing. Insight on the scriptures, Book I, page 406-
Published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1988.)

The Canaanites adopted the Language of Shem. Shem had a very long life and He
was living among cananites in the City of Salem ruling as The king Melchizedek of
Salem in Abraham's time and he taught that language to the Cananite People.

8
This view appears in the Targums of Jerusalem and that has gained wide acceptance
among the Jews and others. Melchizedek was Noah’s son Shem. Shem was then alive
and even outlived Abraham’s wife Sarah. Also, Noah specifically blessed Shem. (Ge
9:26, 27). Even today people with knowledge of ancient hebrew can easily read
ancient Phoenician inscriptions (Phoenicians were the descendants of Sidon, Son of
Canaan. Originally, They inhabited the Lebanon Region, the Island of Tyre and
founded the colonial city of Cartage in Tunisia and had trading points in the
Mediteranean Sea From Egypt to Spain (Tarsis) and Morocco. They traveled intense
and avidly to secret routes of commerce over The Atlantic sea to France, Holland,
Great Britain, all around Africa's continent, the red sea and Arabia and far away to
India).

The curse of Noah over Canaan started to be fulfilled with the extermination and
slavement of the Cananites by Israel and it was totally fulfilled when The Roman
Empire dominated and finally destroy the Phoenician City of Carthage slaving or
exterminating all its inhabitants. There are traces of Phoenician blood everywhere
they established their colonies and trading posts but the Phoenician genes are
specially strong in Lebanon. After the destruction of Carthage the National identity of
The Canaanites and the Phoenicians and their abominable religion with its child
sacrifices perished forever. Exactly As Noah prophecied, Canaan was a slave for
Shem (Israel) and for Japhet (Medo-Persians, Greeks and Romans.)

As we can see the curse of Noah was not the cause of the existence of the black race.

First, variations of skin color existed before the Pronunciation of the Malediction
upon Canaan by The Prophet Noah. The descriptive hebrew name that Noah used for
his son Ham means bronzed or dark. Ham was not light skin.

[What explains the development of the various racial characteristics? “All men living
today belong to a single species, Homo sapiens, and are derived from a common
stock. . . . Biological differences between human beings are due to differences in
hereditary constitution and to the influence of the environment on this genetic
potential. In most cases, those differences are due to the interaction of these two sets
of factors. . . . Differences between individuals within a race or within a population
are often greater than the average differences between races or populations.”—An
international body of scientists convened by UNESCO, quoted in Statement on Race
(New York, 1972, third ed.), Ashley Montagu, pp. 149, 150.]

[“A race is simply one of the partially isolated gene pools into which the human
species came to be divided during and following its early geographical spread.
Roughly one race has developed on each of the five major continental areas of the
earth. . . . Man did indeed diverge genetically during this phase of history and we can
measure and study the results of this divergence in what remains today of the old
geographical races. As we would expect, divergence appears to be correlated with the
degree of isolation. . . . When race formation took place on the continents, with the
bottlenecking of thousands of populations in isolated gene pools all over the world,
the gene-frequency differences we now see were established. . . .

9
The paradox which faces us is that each group of humans appears to be externally
different yet underneath these differences there is fundamental similarity.” (Heredity
and Human Life, New York, 1963, H. L. Carson, pp. 151, 154, 162, 163)] (Thus,
early in human history, when a group of people were isolated from others and married
within the group, certain distinctive combinations of genetic traits were emphasized in
their offspring.)

Second, Noah's words recorded by Moses says: “Cursed be Canaan. Let him become
the lowest slave to his brothers.” Read it carefully; it says nothing about skin color.

Third, The Canaanites and their descendants the Phoenicians were light skin people.

Fourth, The sons of Noah with the genetic traits of Black People were Cush and Put
and again Cush and Put were not involved neither in the incident with their
Grandfather nor in the curse.

The route of inmigration of The Hamites

Ham and his descendants inmigrated from Iraq to Egypt, apparently the Canaanites
also were with them. In the Psalms, “Ham” is associated with Egypt, it being called
“the land of Ham.”—Ps 78:51; 105:23, 27; 106:21, 22,

Mizraim, founder of Egypt

The people of Egypt were Hamites, evidently descended primarily from Ham’s son
Mizraim. (Ge 10:6) After the dispersal at Babel (Ge 11:8, 9), many of Mizraim’s
descendants, such as the Ludim, Anamim, Lehabim, Naphtuhim, and Pathrusim, may
have migrated to North Africa. (Ge 10:6, 13, 14) As already noted, Pathros (singular
form of Pathrusim) is associated with Upper Egypt, and there is some evidence for
placing the Naphtuhim in the Delta region of Egypt. Supporting the view that there
was a rather composite population formed of different family tribes is the fact that the
country from great antiquity was divided into numerous sections (later called nomes)
and that these divisions continued to exist and formed part of the governmental
structure after the country was unified under one principal ruler, in fact, until the end
of the empire. There were generally 42 nomes recognized, 20 in Lower Egypt and 22
in Upper Egypt. The continued distinction made between Upper and Lower Egypt
throughout Egypt’s history, though perhaps relating to geographic differences, may
also point to an original tribal division. When the central government weakened, the
country tended to split into these two major sections or even approach disintegration
into numerous petty kingdoms in the various nomes.

On the basis of ancient paintings and also mummified bodies, the early Egyptians are
described as generally small-statured, slender, and while not Negroid, dark-
complexioned. Considerable variety, however, is evident in ancient paintings and
sculptures. Insight on the scriptures, Book I, page 687-688 - Published by
Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1988.)

10
 Cush founder of Ethiopy

1. The first-named son of Ham and father of six sons: Seba, Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah,
Sabteca, and Nimrod. (Ge 10:6-8; 1Ch 1:8-10) Cush and his named descendants are
included among those from whom “the nations were spread about in the earth after
the deluge.” (Ge 10:32) Thus, while no details are given concerning Cush as an
individual in the Genesis account, his name is used throughout the Hebrew Scriptures
as representing his descendants and the land or regions that they settled, as described
in No. 2.
It may here be noted, however, that Cush is very evidently a principal progenitor
(perhaps along with Put) of the dark-complexioned branch of the human family (Jer
13:23), as is indicated by the areas of settlement of certain of his descendants. This
disproves the theory advanced by those who incorrectly endeavor to apply to the
Negro peoples the curse pronounced on Canaan, for Canaan, the brother of Cush, did
not produce any Negro descendants but, rather, was the forefather of the various
Canaanite tribes of Palestine. (Ge 9:24, 25; 10:6) There is, therefore, no Scriptural
connection whatsoever between the dark complexion of certain descendants of Cush
and the curse pronounced on Canaan.

2. Aside from the genealogical accounts at Genesis chapter 10 and 1 Chronicles

chapter 1, and the use of the name in the superscription of Psalm 7, the name Cush is
employed in all other texts to refer to the progeny of that son of Ham and the place of
their habitation.

The name of Cush is associated through his son Nimrod with Babel and the kingdom
that Nimrod forged in post-Flood times. (Ge 10:8-12) Some connect Cush’s name
with the ancient city of Kish, revealed by excavations in lower Mesopotamia near
Babylon, and said to be the city from which emperors of the third millennium B.C.E.
in Babylonia assumed the title of “king of the world.” “The Sumerian King List,” an
ancient record, though highly legendary, contains the statement: “After the Flood had
swept over (the earth) (and) when kingship was lowered (again) from heaven,
kingship was (first) in Kish.” (Ancient Near Eastern Texts, edited by J. Pritchard,
1974, p. 265) Referring to this ancient city, Professor Albright comments: “Unless
Kish is the prototype of the Cush of Gen. 10:8, as is quite possible, it is not mentioned
in the Bible. Nimrod was in any case probably considered as the first ruler of Kish.”
(Young’s Analytical Concordance to the Bible, Supplement on “Recent Discoveries
in Bible Lands,” by W. Albright, 1955, p. 14) Thus, although Babylonia later came
fully under Semitic domination, there seems to be some historical evidence that
harmonizes with the Biblical record of Cushite rule in that area at an early time.
The “Land of Cush.” The “land of Cush” referred to at Genesis 2:13 as the land
originally encircled by the river Gihon, one of the four heads of the “river issuing out
of Eden,” is of uncertain location. (Ge 2:10)

The translators of the Septuagint rendered the Hebrew word for “Cush” by the Greek
name Ethiopia in this text. The name Cush did become more or less synonymous with
ancient Ethiopia at an early time, yet it cannot arbitrarily be said that such is
necessarily the case at Genesis 2:13. Josephus, following the rendering of the
Septuagint, associated the Gihon River with the Nile. (Jewish Antiquities, I, 39 [i, 3])

11
However, the Gihon’s having had a common source with the Euphrates and the Tigris
rivers certainly does not seem to allow for such identification, unless the global
Deluge is assumed to have brought about extreme changes in the topography of the
area.

The term “Cush” at Genesis 2:13 is, therefore, connected by some scholars with the
Kassu or Kassites of the Assyrian inscriptions, a people of uncertain origin inhabiting
the plateau region of central Asia. An article by P. English in the Journal of Near
Eastern Studies (1959, Vol. XVIII, pp. 49-53) presents evidence of a Negro
population in ancient times in the region of the SE corner of the Black Sea and later in
the Caucasus region farther N. It suggests a relationship between the names of the
regions of Abkhazia and Khazaria, inhabited by such tribes, and the Biblical Cush.
There is, of course, the possibility that the reference to Cush at Genesis 2:13 could
apply to some segment of the Cushite family that did not migrate southward with the
main body of Cushites but settled in the region of Asia Minor described above.

Still others suggest that the “land of Cush” encircled by the Gihon was on the Arabian
Peninsula, since the name “Cushan” is used to parallel “the land of Midian” at
Habakkuk 3:7, Midian being located generally in the vicinity of the Gulf of ʽAqaba. It
is possibly with reference to such an Arabian “Cush” that Moses’ Midianite wife
Zipporah is called a “Cushite.”—Ex 18:1-5; Nu 12:1. After the Tower of Babel.
Following the breakup at Babel because of the confusion of language, the main body
of Cush’s descendants appear to have migrated southward. Whether they reached
Africa by first going into the Arabian Peninsula and then crossing over theu narrow
strait known as Bab el-Mandab or whether they settled initially in Africa and then
crossed over into Arabia is uncertain, although the basic association of “Cush” with
Africa might favor the latter migratory movement. The name of Cush’s son Seba is
associated with E Africa, while those of Havilah, Sabtah, Raamah, and Sabteca are
generally associated with regions on the Arabian Peninsula. (See individual articles
under names of sons.) It is of note that, while the names of these sons appear to have
been perpetuated by tribes descended from them, this does not seem to be the case
with the name of Nimrod, his name appearing in ancient history solely as that of an
individual. This may indicate that Nimrod remained childless.

Though Cushites were to be found in Arabia, the name Cush as used in the Bible in
most cases clearly refers to a region in Africa, and where the relationship is obvious,
translators simply render “Cush” as “Ethiopia.” It is regularly associated with Egypt
(Isa 20:3-5; 43:3; Jer 46:7-9) and also with Libya. (2Ch 12:2, 3; Da 11:43; Na 3:9)
Isaiah 11:11 presents the ancient geographic designations for the regional divisions
running southward from the Nile Delta: “Egypt” (or “Mizraim,” here, Lower Egypt),
“Pathros” (Upper Egypt), and “Cush” (Nubia-Ethiopia).

Ezekiel 29:10 speaks of the devastation of Egypt “from Migdol to Syene and to the
boundary of Ethiopia [Cush].” Thus, Cush or ancient Ethiopia appears to have been
beyond Syene (modern Aswan) and, according to archaeological evidence, continued
S perhaps as far as modern Khartoum.

12
Cush thus embraced primarily the northern half of the present Sudan and the
southernmost part of modern Egypt. “The rivers of Ethiopia [Cush]” are suggested to
have been the Blue and White Nile rivers, which have their junction at Khartoum, and
also the Atbara River, which joins the Nile S of the fifth cataract.—Zep 3:10.
“The Arabs that were by the side of the Ethiopians [Ku·shim′]” (2Ch 21:16) possibly
were those Arab tribes occupying the SW coast of the Arabian Peninsula and thus
facing Africa across the Red Sea.

Much of the land of Cush was evidently arid desert country. “The region of the rivers
of Ethiopia” is described as “the land of the whirring insects with wings” (Isa 18:1),
perhaps referring to the locusts that swarm in Ethiopia and Egypt; however, some
suggest the mosquitoes, and others point out that the Hebrew word for “whirring”
(tsela·tsal′) resembles in sound the name given to the tsetse fly (tsaltsalya) by the
Galla tribes (a Hamitic people living in modern Ethiopia). Ivory, ebony, gold,
precious stones, iron, and aromatics were products of the land, and Biblical mention is
made of “the merchants of Ethiopia” (Isa 45:14) and “the topaz of Cush.”—Job
28:19.

Later History. Cush, or Ethiopia, had come under Egyptian domination by about the
time of the Exodus of Israel from Egypt, and it continued thus for some 500 years. A
viceroy administering this domain under the Egyptian Pharaoh was known by the title
“King’s Son of Kush.” Evidently toward the close of the second millennium B.C.E.,
Ethiopia freed itself from Egypt’s control. The Ethiopian capital was thereafter
located first at Napata, near the fourth cataract, and later at Meroë, about 210 km (130
mi) NNE of Khartoum.

Ethiopian warriors formed part of Pharaoh Shishak’s forces that attacked Judah in the
fifth year of Rehoboam (993 B.C.E.). (2Ch 12:2, 3) Following King Asa’s tenth year,
or about 967 B.C.E., the Ethiopian Zerah marched against Judah with a million men
but suffered complete defeat at Mareshah.—2Ch 14:1, 9-15; 16:8. Secular history
shows that in the latter part of the eighth century B.C.E. Ethiopia conquered Egypt
and dominated it for some 60 years. This was during the “Twenty-fifth (Ethiopian)
Dynasty,” which included among its rulers King Taharqa, called Tirhakah in the
Bible. This king came up against the forces of Sennacherib during their invasion of
Judah (732 B.C.E.) but, according to the Assyrian inscriptions, was defeated at
Elteke(h).—2Ki 19:9; Isa 37:8, 9.

Assyrian Emperors Esar-haddon and Ashurbanipal invaded Egypt during their

respective reigns, and the destruction of Thebes in Upper Egypt (called No-amon at
Na 3:8-10) by Ashurbanipal (c. 684 B.C.E.) completely subjugated Egypt and also
ended Ethiopian dominance of the Nile valley. This fulfilled the prophecy uttered
about a half century earlier by the prophet Isaiah.—Isa 20:3-6. At the battle of
Carchemish in 625 B.C.E., Ethiopian forces formed part of Pharaoh Necho’s army,
which suffered defeat there at the hands of Nebuchadnezzar. (Jer 46:2, 9)
Nebuchadnezzar’s later invasion of Egypt (possibly 588 B.C.E.) would cause “severe
pains” in Cush and “drive self-confident Ethiopia [Cush] into trembling.”—Eze
29:19; 30:4-9.

13
Persian King Cambyses II (529-522 B.C.E.) conquered Egypt during the days of
Pharaoh Psamtik III, and this opened the way for bringing Ethiopia under Persian
control; thus, Ahasuerus (Xerxes I) could be spoken of as ruling “from India to
Ethiopia [Cush].” (Es 1:1; 8:9) Confirming this, Xerxes states in an inscription:
“These are the countries—in addition to Persia—over which I am king . . . India . . .
(and) Kush.”—Ancient Near Eastern Texts, p. 316.

Judean exiles were foretold to return to their homeland from faraway lands, including
Cush. (Isa 11:11, 12; compare Zep 3:10.) —Ps 68:29-32. Insight on the scriptures,
Book I, page 558-559 - Published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society of New
York, Inc., 1988.)

Mizraim descendants and Put founders of Lybia

Ancient Libya occupied an area of northern Africa W of Egypt. Its inhabitants are
generally thought to have been designated by the Hebrew term Lu·vim′. (2Ch 12:3;
“Libyans,” LXX, NW, RS) If Lu·vim′ is a variant of Leha·vim′ (Lehabim), this may
indicate that at least some of the Libyans descended from Ham through Mizraim. (Ge
10:13) The traditional Jewish view found in the writings of Josephus (Jewish
Antiquities, I, 130-132 [vi, 2]) makes the Libyans descendants of Ham through Put.
(Ge 10:6) Also, the Greek Septuagint and the Latin Vulgate read “Libyans” in
Jeremiah 46:9, Ezekiel 27:10, and 38:5 where the Hebrew text says “Put.” It is
possible, of course, that descendants of both Put and Mizraim settled in the
geographic region of northern Africa that came to be called Libya. This would mean
that the designation “Libyans” is more comprehensive than the Hebrew term Lu·vim′.
Egypt’s King Shishak, regarded as the founder of the “Libyan dynasty,” captured
numerous cities when he invaded Judah in the fifth year of King Rehoboam (993
B.C.E.). His powerful force of chariots and horsemen included Libyans.

Although Jerusalem itself was spared, Shishak stripped the city of its treasures. (1Ki
14:25, 26; 2Ch 12:2-9) About 26 years later (967 B.C.E.), the Libyans were
represented among the troops of Zerah the Ethiopian, which penetrated Judah but
suffered humiliating defeat. (2Ch 14:9-13; 16:8) In the seventh century B.C.E., the
assistance of the Libyans and others was seemingly of no avail in saving the Egyptian
city of No-amon from calamity at the hands of the Assyrians. (Na 3:7-10) —Da
11:43. Insight on the scriptures, Book 2, page 244 - Published by Watchtower Bible
and Tract Society of New York, Inc., 1988.)

PUT

A “son” of Ham. (Ge 10:6; 1Ch 1:8) Although Put is mentioned elsewhere in the
Bible, none of his individual offspring are named. Often his descendants lent military
support to Egypt. (Jer 46:9; Eze 30:4-6; Na 3:9) They served as mercenaries in the
armies of Tyre and contributed to that city’s greatness. (Eze 27:3, 10) It was also
foretold that Put would be among the forces of Gog of Magog.—Eze 38:5.
Available evidence points to a connection between Put and the Libyans of N Africa.
In three of its occurrences, “Put” is rendered “Libyans” by the Greek Septuagint and
the Latin Vulgate. (Jer 46:9; Eze 27:10; 38:5)

14
The Hebrew “Put” also corresponds closely to the put[i]ja (usually considered to be
Libya) of Old Persian inscriptions. However, Nahum 3:9 seems to indicate that Put
and the Lu·vim′ (Libyans) are separate peoples. But this in itself would not rule out
identifying Put with the Libyans. The term “Libyans” was perhaps more
comprehensive than the Hebrew designation Lu·vim′, as may be deduced from the
reference made by Herodotus (II, 32) to “Libyans, many tribes of them.” Insight on
the scriptures, Book 2, page 717 - Published by Watchtower Bible and Tract Society
of New York, Inc., 1988.)

Other facts to be considered with this information

First, The Alphabeth used by The Amazigh/Imazighen People from ancient times is
The Tifinagh. The Tifinagh may have descended from a script sometimes named the
Libyan or Libyco-Berber (Amazigh) script although the descent is unclear and
uncertain. This was widely used by speakers of Berber (Amazigh) languages all
across North Africa and on the Canary Islands. It is attested from the 3rd century BC
to the 3rd century AD.

Second, People of Amazigh/Imazighen ancestry have lived, from ancient times to the
present, from Egypt to Morocco from Mauritania to Niger.

Third, From a Jewish Perspective Amazigh/Imazighen People, My Beloved People,

are descendants of Mizraim (a light skin Progenitor) and descendants of Put (a dark
skin Progenitor) both of them sons of Ham (a dark skin Progenitor) and Noah.

Fourth, From a Jewish Perspective Amazigh/Imazighen People can be of different

skin colors. They are not an homogeneous race.

Do you make the same conclusions based in this information?

15
 Aknowledgements
1) Special gratitude to the only true God ‫ יהוה‬because He gives knowledge,
understanding, discernment and wisdom to all who approach him humbly.

2) Thanks to The Watchtower Bible & Tract Society for the excellent Bible study aids
this Society made available for all, free of charge.

3) Thanks to Mr. Bennett Greenspan for giving me the opportunity to show him these
book references. I am dedicating to you this compendium of information. I hope you
enjoy it.

16