I've done alot of reading and studying about this, but I've always wondered if it's just a bad memory, or if people still honestly believe in the Biblical origin of black people.
In case it's a mystery to anyone, here's a brief definition.
The Hamitic Hypothesis derives principally from Genesis 9:18-27. These verses recount the story of Ham, the son of Noah, who, upon discovering his father naked and in a drunken stupor, "exposed" him to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. [Some commentators conjecture that the sin committed by Ham involved much more than "exposure;" specifically, bestiality and sodomy.] Canaan, Ham’s son, was also apparently involved. When Noah awoke, he "knew" what Ham had done and pronounced a curse in retribution; interestingly, only Canaan is directly mentioned: "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers." (Gen. 9:25)
According to the hypothesis, Ham and Canaan were "marked" in the pigmentation of their skin (i.e., they were made black) and thereby became the fathers of the "Negro" or "black race" - and the curse [i.e., "a servant of servants he (Canaan) shall be"] accounts for why the "black race" has suffered to such an extent at the hands of whites and Arab slave traders.
I'll hold back from saying exactly what I think about it (as a black man), but it goes hand in hand with how I feel about organised religion in general.
But I'm curious...does anyone still believe in this explanation, and ascribe to it/depend on it during their everyday relations with black people?
In case it's a mystery to anyone, here's a brief definition.
The Hamitic Hypothesis derives principally from Genesis 9:18-27. These verses recount the story of Ham, the son of Noah, who, upon discovering his father naked and in a drunken stupor, "exposed" him to his brothers, Shem and Japheth. [Some commentators conjecture that the sin committed by Ham involved much more than "exposure;" specifically, bestiality and sodomy.] Canaan, Ham’s son, was also apparently involved. When Noah awoke, he "knew" what Ham had done and pronounced a curse in retribution; interestingly, only Canaan is directly mentioned: "Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants he shall be to his brothers." (Gen. 9:25)
According to the hypothesis, Ham and Canaan were "marked" in the pigmentation of their skin (i.e., they were made black) and thereby became the fathers of the "Negro" or "black race" - and the curse [i.e., "a servant of servants he (Canaan) shall be"] accounts for why the "black race" has suffered to such an extent at the hands of whites and Arab slave traders.
I'll hold back from saying exactly what I think about it (as a black man), but it goes hand in hand with how I feel about organised religion in general.
But I'm curious...does anyone still believe in this explanation, and ascribe to it/depend on it during their everyday relations with black people?
