Were The Israelites Black?

[rgcraig]

Originally Posted by pelathais

This whole thing about "race" is just so typical, and so disappointing. AND - I know none of you boneheads are reading my posts of wisdom on this topic - except Frogger - but he's an amphibian.

The modern construct of "race," as in "There are three races of man on the planet - the Black race from darkest Africa, the Yellow or Mongoloid race of the Orient and the great White race preserved by God's grace..." is simply a bunch of Victorian ignorance. The same kind of ignorance that gave us woolen suits for tropical wear and the Penny-Farthing bicycle.

Who's to say that "Black Africans" from 'sub-Saharan Africa' constitute a separate race at all? Consider the Australian aboriginals...

"Ah!" you unlearned will say, "The Australian aborigines ARE 'Black Africans' - they just exported themselves some how." Are they really?

Genetically, the closest populations to the Australian aborigines are the... get this... "Caucasian" Ainu peoples who were the "original" inhabitants of Japan - AND - the Tierre del Fuego Indians of Chile and Argentina. "Black Africans" are much further distant "cousins." Here is a "race" of people who exist within three distinct "color phases" or adaptations. "Black" in Australia and New Guinea, "white" in Japan, Manchuria and Russia, and "red(?)" in the Americas. Yet genetically, all one "race."

How many other "races" of people have come and gone? How many still exist among us but are hidden by our prejudices? The Neanderthals actually had larger brains than homo sapiens, but they were "low browed cavemen;" but then again, so are my neighbors down the street. Neanderthals clearly lived in close proximity with our ancestors and may even have intermarried (that's been "disproved" and then "reproved" - but remains uncertain, however we do share a common ancestor with them). Where did the Neanderthals go? And why? Or did they "go?"

The notions of "Afro-Centricism" that seekerman appears to have been trying to react against are false. The Hebrews were not "Black." The ancient Egyptians were not Black, most of the time, but they were sometimes, and now the modern ones can have all sorts of traits - just like everybody else and probably just like the ancients as well.

The assertions that any particular "race" has not made any "contributions to civilizations" betrays an ignorance of both "race" and civilization.

Great post Pel!