Ethiopians

Narrator: Chris Genthree
Duration: 2min
 •  1 min. read  •  grade level: 10
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Some of the descendants of Cush, the son of Ham. They are represented on the Egyptian monuments as darker in color than the Egyptians. Without being black they may have been the darkest of any people known to the Israelites, as the question is asked: “Can the Ethiopian change his skin?” (Jer. 13:2323Can the Ethiopian change his skin, or the leopard his spots? then may ye also do good, that are accustomed to do evil. (Jeremiah 13:23)). As Ham’ signifies “black,” he was probably a dark man, and it is implied in Song of {s 22221}Solomon 1:66Look not upon me, because I am black, because the sun hath looked upon me: my mother's children were angry with me; they made me the keeper of the vineyards; but mine own vineyard have I not kept. (Song of Solomon 1:6) that the sun causes the complexion to, be black or dark, therefore the farther south in Africa (to the Equator), the darker would be the skin. This, with degraded habits, had changed the features of those in the center of Africa, from the more cultivated sons of Ham in the north. The Ethiopians appear to have been nearly as far advanced in the arts and sciences as the Egyptians, but some of the monuments in the south are by Egyptian kings. As far south as Aboo-Simbel, about 22° 20' N, are two temples hewn in the rock, which rank in interest next to the ruins at Thebes; these are attributed to Rameses II. king of Egypt, with colossal statues of himself cut out of the solid rock. It was an Ethiopian who befriended Jeremiah and drew him out of the pit, for which his life was spared (Jer. 38:7,10,127Now when Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, one of the eunuchs which was in the king's house, heard that they had put Jeremiah in the dungeon; the king then sitting in the gate of Benjamin; (Jeremiah 38:7)
10Then the king commanded Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Take from hence thirty men with thee, and take up Jeremiah the prophet out of the dungeon, before he die. (Jeremiah 38:10)
12And Ebed-melech the Ethiopian said unto Jeremiah, Put now these old cast clouts and rotten rags under thine armholes under the cords. And Jeremiah did so. (Jeremiah 38:12); Jer. 39:1616Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, I will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not for good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. (Jeremiah 39:16)). It was a pious Ethiopian, of great authority with his queen, to whom Philip preached of Jesus, and then baptized him (Acts 8:2727And he arose and went: and, behold, a man of Ethiopia, an eunuch of great authority under Candace queen of the Ethiopians, who had the charge of all her treasure, and had come to Jerusalem for to worship, (Acts 8:27)).
Abu Simbel