Jew-ish?

Debunking the Myths of the Black Hebrew Israelites

If you have spoken to many Black Hebrew Israelites you will hear a common saying or phrase used almost universally among them. They commonly refer to Jewish people as “Jew-ish” or “Je-wish” as a general way to be disrespectful, which is a common trait among this cult. They claim that because the Bible does not use the phrase “Jewish” that Jews actually are not real Jews, but “-ish” kind of, sort of, related to Jews but not actual Jews. The simple and most common flaw with this logic is that the word “Jewish” or “Jew” is nothing more than an English translation of the Hebrew word “Yehudi” or יְהוּדִ֔י which refers to someone from the tribe of “Judah” or “Yehudah”or יהודה. Judaism or “Yahadut” or יהדות is the religion of the Jew. Judah was the fourth son of the Patriarch Jacob and his wife Leah. Judah has 5 other full brothers who were born to Leah as well including Reuben, Simeon, Levi, Issachar, and Zevulun. Judah soon falls into a position of leadership, especially after the depravity of Reuben comes forth even though he was Jacob’s first born son. While Jacob is on his deathbed he gives a blessing/prophecy of what was to befall each of his twelve children/tribes in the future after he was gone. Judah’s blessing was clearly the most positive as it states in Genesis 49:10.

10 The scepter shall not depart from Judah, nor the student of the law from between his feet, until Shiloh comes, and to him will be a gathering of peoples.

ילֹֽא־יָס֥וּר שֵׁ֨בֶט֙ מִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וּמְחֹקֵ֖ק מִבֵּ֣ין רַגְלָ֑יו עַ֚ד כִּֽי־יָבֹ֣א שִׁילֹ֔ה וְל֖וֹ יִקְּהַ֥ת עַמִּֽים:

So what is the purpose of the “-ish” ending in the English language? When speaking with Black Hebrew Israelites it is common that their understanding of language in general is very shallow. Very rarely will you speak with one of them who has a good command of the English language. Never will you speak with one who can read, write, or speak Hebrew. In English, for those who don’t know, there is something called a “suffix”. A suffix as explained by Merriam-Webster dictionary is a “an affix occurring at the end of a word, base, or phrase”. This would be opposite of what we call in English a “prefix”. A prefix is “an affix attached to the beginning of a word, base, or phrase and serving to produce a derivative word or an inflectional form”. So what is the actual purpose of a suffix in English? What does it accomplish? Suffixes can change the grammatical function of vocabulary by transforming a noun into an adjective or forming verbs from nouns. There are a multitude of different suffixes out there and they all accomplish various tasks within the English language. The suffix “-ish” specifically “refers to something of, relating to, or being; chiefly in adjectives indicating nationality or ethnic group” as the Merriam-Webster dictionary states.

Let me illustrate this in a few simple examples. As Merriam Webster described, many nationalities and ethnic groups are described by using this “-ish” suffix in English. When someone comes from Spain we call them “Span-ish”. Does that somehow translate in the Black Hebrew Israelite mind as someone who is not actually from Spain but just an appropriator of Spanish culture? Are the “Ir-ish” truly from Ireland or is there a big conspiracy to steal the original Irish people’s culture and give it to “Ir-ish” usurpers? How about the “Engl-ish”? Are they truly from England? Maybe we should look closer at the “Brit-ish”. Could it be that they are not really who they say they are? Maybe they aren’t actually the original inhabitants of Britain? On the other hand we can use common sense and equate the “Finn-ish” to Finland just as the “Swed-ish” are clearly from Sweden. It is amazing in general that I would have to write this article. It seems like common sense to anyone who has a minute amount of critical thinking skills that this line of reasoning is absurdity. To draw such an amazingly ignorant and naive conclusion from simple grammatical nuances in the English text that simply don’t exist astonishes me to no end. Many of the claims of this cult really have no more validity than this silly belief. A common theme within this cult is to latch onto an ideology that somehow may give them a temporary feeling of superiority, and convince themselves, no matter how broken the logic is, that this naive belief is the essence of fact. In the mind of a brainwashed BHI cultist this would be common knowledge everywhere if “the Jews had not covered up true Black Hebrew Israelite history”.

You will also hear the claim that the Bible never speaks of the word “Jew”. BHI claim that Jews refer to themselves as such and not as Hebrew Israelites because we know we are frauds and we have to keep up the ruse. I guess the fact that the home of the majority of worldwide Jewry chose the name “Israel” as the name of their country slipped their mind. They have the misguided idea that being a “Hebrew” is actually being part of a specific race of people. The fact of the matter is that the ancient “Hebrews” are not a race, but a nation of people held together over the centuries by the binding laws dictated in the Torah. The laws, statutes, and commandments that were dictated to Moses at Sinai are what has kept the Jewish people as a nation despite the fact that they have been spread all over to the four corners of the earth for many years with little to no contact. If you were to ask a BHI what does the word “Hebrew” or “Ivri” or עִבְרִ֑י means they would have no logical response if any at all.

Why were the Hebrews called Hebrews? The Hebrew word “Ivri” or עִבְרִ֑י is derived from the Hebrew name “Ever” or עֵֽבֶר . This “Ever/Eber” was the grandson of Shem, one of the three sons of Noah. We see him mentioned in the Table of Nations in Genesis 10:22–24.

22The sons of Shem were Elam and Asshur and Arpachshad and Lud and Aram.

כבבְּנֵ֥י שֵׁ֖ם עֵילָ֣ם וְאַשּׁ֑וּר וְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד וְל֥וּד וַֽאֲרָֽם:

23And the sons of Aram were Uz and Hul and Gether and Mash.

כגוּבְנֵ֖י אֲרָ֑ם ע֥וּץ וְח֖וּל וְגֶ֥תֶר וָמַֽשׁ:

24And Arpachshad begot Shelah, and Shelah begot Eber.

כדוְאַרְפַּכְשַׁ֖ד יָלַ֣ד אֶת־שָׁ֑לַח וְשֶׁ֖לַח יָלַ֥ד אֶת־עֵֽבֶר:

The first time we see someone called a “Hebrew” in the Bible is in Genesis 14:13 when speaking about the Patriarch Abraham as shown below. We see him spoken of as “Abram the Hebrew” or לְאַבְרָ֣ם הָֽעִבְרִ֑י.

13 And the fugitive came and he told Abram the Hebrew, and he was living in the plain of Mamre the Amorite, the brother of Eshkol and the brother of Aner, who were Abram’s confederates.

יגוַיָּבֹא֙ הַפָּלִ֔יט וַיַּגֵּ֖ד לְאַבְרָ֣ם הָֽעִבְרִ֑י וְהוּא֩ שֹׁכֵ֨ן בְּאֵֽלֹנֵ֜י מַמְרֵ֣א הָֽאֱמֹרִ֗י אֲחִ֤י אֶשְׁכֹּל֙ וַֽאֲחִ֣י עָנֵ֔ר וְהֵ֖ם בַּֽעֲלֵ֥י בְרִֽית־אַבְרָֽם:

So where was Abraham born and raised? Was it a land filled with Hebrews or was he the sole Hebrew of the time? Abraham lived in Ur Kasdim which is modern Southern Iraq as described in Genesis 11:31 while Abraham is leaving his native born land of idolatry and polytheism. The Hebrew word “Ivri” actually means “to cross over” referring to the fact that Abraham crossed over from this religion of idolatry to the idea of one G-D and monotheism.

31 And Terah took Abram his son and Lot the son of Haran, his grandson, and Sarai his daughter in law, the wife of Abram his son, and they went forth with them from Ur Kasdim to go to the land of Canaan, and they came as far as Haran and settled there.

לאוַיִּקַּ֨ח תֶּ֜רַח אֶת־אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֗וֹ וְאֶת־ל֤וֹט בֶּן־הָרָן֙ בֶּן־בְּנ֔וֹ וְאֵת֙ שָׂרַ֣י כַּלָּת֔וֹ אֵ֖שֶׁת אַבְרָ֣ם בְּנ֑וֹ וַיֵּֽצְא֨וּ אִתָּ֜ם מֵא֣וּר כַּשְׂדִּ֗ים לָלֶ֨כֶת֙ אַ֣רְצָה כְּנַ֔עַן וַיָּבֹ֥אוּ עַד־חָרָ֖ן וַיֵּ֥שְׁבוּ שָֽׁם:

So how is that connected to Eber the grandson of Shem? As Noah was a man described as “righteous in his generation”, he was the main teacher of true monotheistic G-Dliness in the world after and directly before the flood. Noah actually spent 120 years building the ark for the ultimate purpose that everyone would have ample time to make a decision after seeing and hearing Noah’s warnings over such a long and drawn out process. Noah taught the true nature of G-D to his son Shem, who transferred this knowledge to his grandson Eber. Eber in turn taught Abraham. Abraham is thus called “Abram HaIvri” because of the monotheistic teachings of G-D he learned from “Ever”.

With that being said we can see how the Black Hebrew Israelite claim that the Hebrews are a race of people or bloodline is simply wrong and naive at best. Being a Hebrew had everything to do with the way a person believed and worshiped one G-D during a time when everyone else was doing the opposite. The claim that Jews are not of Israel or that Jews are not Hebrews is the belief of the unlearned. Why do Jews for the most part not refer to themselves as “Israelites”? To understand this concept a person must have a general grasp of Biblical history. I will summarize as briefly as possible.

When King Solomon died his son Rehoboam took over as king. Solomon built far more than just the Holy Temple. The financial strain on the people for all this construction was very high under King Solomon. When Rehoboam took over the people asked for a respite from the high taxes. He listened to the advice of the wrong people, made the wrong decision, and ultimately 10 tribes rebelled and left to the Northern areas of the land of Israel. Subsequently they became the Northern Kingdom of Israel. We can see Rehoboam’s actions summed up in his statement in I Kings 12:14.

14 And he spoke to them as the counsel of the young men saying, “My father made your yoke heavy, and I shall add to your yoke; my father flogged you with whips, and I shall flog you with scorpions.”

ידוַיְדַבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵיהֶ֗ם כַּעֲצַ֚ת הַיְלָדִים֙ לֵאמֹ֔ר אָבִי֙ הִכְבִּ֣יד אֶֽת־עֻלְּכֶ֔ם וַאֲנִ֖י אֹסִ֣יף עַֽל־עֻלְּכֶ֑ם אָבִ֗י יִסַּ֚ר אֶתְכֶם֙ בַּשּׁוֹטִ֔ים וַאֲנִ֕י אֲיַסֵּ֥ר אֶתְכֶ֖ם בָּעַקְרַבִּֽים:

In the Southern Kingdom, which was still based in Jerusalem, Judah remained the most prominent tribe as we spoke about earlier. The tribe of Yehudah or Judah still held the kingship. Most of the Levites which were the priestly tribe, stayed loyal to the Kingdom of Judah and the temple service continued. The Tribe of Benjamin also stayed loyal to the Southern Kingdom of Judah and were ultimately absorbed into Judah. These three tribes; Yehudah, Levi, and Benyamin stayed loyal to the G-D of Israel. The Northern Kingdom of Israel immediately fell into idolatry and were conquered and carried away by the Assyrians. Judah continued to have some good kings and some bad kings. One king would bring the people back to the Torah of Moses. His successor would sadly turn to modes of false and foreign worship and lead the Kingdom of Judah back into sin. This continues until the culmination when King Jehoiachin, who is the pinnacle of shame for Judah, is conquered and taken in chains into servitude by Nebuchadnezzar and his Babylonian hordes back to Babylon. The once beautiful Holy Temple, which had already been defiled by Jehoiachins depravities is burned to the ground. Jerusalem is destroyed. Its people either starve to death during the siege or are taken in chains to begin their 70 year Babylonian exile.

As we see in Jacob’s prophecy above “the scepter shall not depart from Judah”. Although the Southern Kingdom of Judah was exiled to Babylon, the kingship which is to be continued ultimately forever, is that of Judah. It is from Judah that Moshiach will come forth. The Northern Kingdom remained in Exile under the Assyrians until the eventual conquering of Assyria by Babylon as well. It is possible that many of the 10 lost Northern tribes of Israel were intermingled back into the general population of exiles in Babylon already there from the Southern Kingdom of Yehudah when Babylon overtook Assyria. This name “Yehudah” or Judah becomes the monicker for the main three remaining tribes i.e. Judah, Levi, and Benjamin from this point on. If exiles from the Northern Kingdom were absorbed at this point they took on the name of Judah. We can see this very clearly in the story of Purim with Mordeccai and how he is described in the text of Esther. We can see Mordechai was an exile from the Tribe of Benjamin in Esther 2:5–6. Although Mordechai is referred to as a “Jew” in verse 5, the text clarifies that he was actually from the tribe of Benjamin. The text in v.5 reads אִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדִ֔י or “ish yehudi” or “Jewish/Judean man”. Again this term Yehudi is the Hebrew term the English word “Jewish” is translated from.

5There was a Jew in Shushan the capital, whose name was Mordecai the son of Jair the son of Shimei the son of Kish, a Benjamite,

האִ֣ישׁ יְהוּדִ֔י הָיָ֖ה בְּשׁוּשַׁ֣ן הַבִּירָ֑ה וּשְׁמ֣וֹ מָרְדֳּכַ֗י בֶּ֣ן יָאִ֧יר בֶּן־שִׁמְעִ֛י בֶּן־קִ֖ישׁ אִ֥ישׁ יְמִינִֽי:

6who had been exiled from Jerusalem with the exile that was exiled with Jeconiah, king of Judah, which Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, had exiled.

ואֲשֶׁ֤ר הָגְלָה֙ מִיר֣וּשָׁלַ֔יִם עִם־הַגֹּלָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הָגְלְתָ֔ה עִ֖ם יְכָנְיָ֣ה מֶֽלֶךְ־יְהוּדָ֑ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֶגְלָ֔ה נְבֽוּכַדְנֶצַּ֖ר מֶ֥לֶךְ בָּבֶֽל:

Eventually Babylon is defeated by the Persians and King Cyrus of Persia makes a decree that all Jews can go back to Israel and rebuilt their Temple. Ezra, Nehemiah, Mordechai, and other great sages led the people back to Jerusalem to rebuild the Second Temple. These returning exiles are forever known as Judah. Not Israel. Judah. Israel and Judah are to be united when Moshiach comes as is described in Ezekiel 37:16–20.

16"And you, son of man, take for yourself one stick and write upon it, ‘For Judah and for the children of Israel his companions’; and take one stick and write upon it, ‘For Joseph, the stick of Ephraim and all the house of Israel, his companions.’

טזוְאַתָּ֣ה בֶן־אָדָ֗ם קַח־לְךָ֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וּכְתֹ֚ב עָלָיו֙ לִֽיהוּדָ֔ה וְלִבְנֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲבֵרָ֑יו (כתיב חֲבֵרָ֑ו) וּלְקַח֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וּכְת֣וֹב עָלָ֗יו לְיוֹסֵף֙ עֵ֣ץ אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְכָל־בֵּ֥ית יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲבֵרָֽיו (כתיב חֲבֵרָֽו) :

17And bring them close, one to the other into one stick, and they shall be one in your hand.

יזוְקָרַ֨ב אֹתָ֜ם אֶחָ֧ד אֶל־אֶחָ֛ד לְךָ֖ לְעֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֑ד וְהָי֥וּ לַֽאֲחָדִ֖ים בְּיָדֶֽךָ:

18And when the children of your people say to you, saying, ‘Will you not tell us what these are to you?’

יחוְכַֽאֲשֶׁר֙ יֹֽאמְר֣וּ אֵלֶ֔יךָ בְּנֵ֥י עַמְּךָ֖ לֵאמֹ֑ר הֲלֽוֹא־תַגִּ֥יד לָ֖נוּ מָה־אֵ֥לֶּה לָּֽךְ:

19Say to them, So says the Lord God: Behold I will take the stick of Joseph, which is in the hand of Ephraim and the tribes of Israel his companions, and I will place them with him with the stick of Judah, and I will make them into one stick, and they shall become one in My hand.

יטדַּבֵּ֣ר אֲלֵהֶ֗ם כֹּֽה־אָמַר֘ אֲדֹנָ֣י יֱהֹוִה֒ הִנֵּה֩ אֲנִ֨י לֹקֵ֜חַ אֶת־עֵ֚ץ יוֹסֵף֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר בְּיַד־אֶפְרַ֔יִם וְשִׁבְטֵ֥י יִשְׂרָאֵ֖ל חֲבֵרָ֑יו (כתיב חֲבֵרָ֑ו) וְנָֽתַתִּי֩ אוֹתָ֨ם עָלָ֜יו אֶת־עֵ֣ץ יְהוּדָ֗ה וַֽעֲשִׂיתִם֙ לְעֵ֣ץ אֶחָ֔ד וְהָי֥וּ אֶחָ֖ד בְּיָדִֽי:

20And the sticks upon which you shall write shall be in your hand before their eyes.

כוְהָי֨וּ הָעֵצִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־תִּכְתֹּ֧ב עֲלֵיהֶ֛ם בְּיָֽדְךָ֖ לְעֵינֵיהֶֽם:

Until this unification happens Judah is the tribe that all of Israel/Judah exist under. The Scepter will never depart from Judah. Redemption is a process. Just as Noah took 120 years to build the ark, the redemption which began in Israel again in 1948 is just the beginning of the process. We can clearly see here why we as people refer to ourselves as “Jews” or “Judah” and not “Israelites”. Israelite has ultimately been a reference to the Northern Kingdom since 575 BCE. Again, we can also see that Hebrews are not a race from the above discussion. Calling ourselves “Hebrew Israelites” is simply not authentic to the actual history that Jews have went through as a nation.

You will also hear a claim that the letter “J” was not invented until around 500 years ago so those who call themselves “Jews” could never be the descendants of Abraham, Issac, and Jacob. Again it is remarkable that I should even need to address this claim as it is so simplistic. Anyone who has an understanding of language in general and how it has progressed over the years can see the connection of how this phrase has morphed through languages over the last two and a half millenia. Various nations through time have adapted the word Yehudah to either refer to the Jew or the land of Israel in their own native tongue. Here are some examples:

• Hebrew- Yehudi, יְהוּדִ֔י
• Persian- Yahud
• Roman- Judae then later after Bar Kochba Revolt renamed to Syria Palestine.
• Aramaic- Yehudai
• Greek- ioudaios
• Latin- iudaeus
• Old French- judaeus (4th — 5th centuries), judeu (10th century), juiu (11th century), juif (present)
• English-gyv (around 1275), Ive, Iewe, Iew, Jew (1775)

When we look at how the language used to refer to the Jew has changed over the centuries in various locations over time the whole argument of the creation of the letter “J” is nothing more than the argument of simpletons. Those who truly have no depth in their understanding of language. Those who first shoot the arrow, then later paint the bullseye around it. Those who write of the “Jew-ish” people reveal more about their own intelligence level than those they attempt to besmirch.