Africa in the Bible

Africa is a continent stretching for some 12 million square miles, comprising 22 % of the world’s land mass and 16% of the world’s population. “It is a land of amazing contrast; arid desert, dense tropical forest, swamps and floating islands. It has vast stretches of savanna land, meadow lands, mountain ranges, great rivers, lakes as large as seas, elephant grass and even snow near the Equator, on the peak of mount Kilimanjaro.”1 It was called by the Greeks “Ethiopia,” which means ‘Home of the Blacks,’ and by the Arabs, “Billad of Sudan.”

On the continent of Africa the oldest remains of civilization were found along with the evidence that these people knew not the meaning of failure. It is clear that whenever adversities came and powerful armies were introduced, unlike any other nation on earth the Africans showed a remarkable ability to pick up the pieces of their lives, and start another great kingdom in some other location. When Egypt fell, Nubia then Meroe became the center of black power. Then there was Ethiopia or Axum center of Christianity, this nation was called the “Land of the Gods”— here Christian churches flourished in magnificence and beauty. In the Empire of Ghana the Africans were traders with the world while Songhi specialized in scholarship. In Songhi it was reported that men made more money selling books than gold. It was in Songhi that the famous University of Timbuktu was organized with the greatest library in the world where men came from Greece, Europe, Arabia, Spain and Palestine to study at the feet of the great African scholars. If there is any continent that deserved attention, surely it is this great continent of Africa. Let us therefore examine some of the things the Bible has to say about this continent and its people.

Black Heritage Bible Lessons Quote from Volume 1 P.10

Ancient Babylon.

His name was Nebuchadnezzar and his Kingdom was Babylonia. He was in the tradition of a long line of great Hametic kings ruling over a proud and astute people for some 4000 years. His city was Babylon a term which means “The gate of God,” the second black empire to rule the world, and maybe the greatest empire to ever exist.

Nimrod was responsible for the establishment of the nation of Babylon. This nation began before recorded history at the time of the Tower of Babel, when Nimrod, a grandson of Ham and a hunter of great strength and power, decided he would challenge God and build a tower that would reach into the heavens. God the Bible states on recognizing that Nimrod was about to accomplish his task, intervened and confounded the language of Nimrod and his subjects. No longer able to understand each other, the descendants of Noah were force to migrate into various people groups according to their languages. Thus began a multitude of nations and Nimrod’s purpose was defeated.

Nebuchadnezzar ruled Babylon some 4000 years after Nimrod. It was his plan to set up a Kingdom that would be universal and include all the peoples’ of the world. The inhabitants of his kingdom lived in solidly built villas of thirteen or fourteen rooms, walked on broad well-paved streets, divided the day into twenty-four hours of sixty minutes and were even able to read and write along with having problems with their income tax returns.

For nearly 2000 years, Babylon was the capital of an extensive Empire called Babylonia. The first documented king during the dynasty period was Sargon of Akkad, a most powerful potentate. “He like Nimrod and Nebuchadnezzar after Him, dreamt of an empire which would stretch form Anatolia to the Nile valley where there would be no national differences, only citizens with the same rules, the same status, the same rights, who would look submissively towards his glorious capital.

Black Heritage Bible Lesson Volume 1 P.16 (Biblelessons)

Babylon