I appeal to any Christians or Christian institution, who might have more detail regarding any evangelism which may or may not be taking place among the Lemba people, to avail to us of those details in order that we might be able to assist in some manner or by some means.
The story of the Black Jews of South Africa is from the excellent book “Of Warriors, Lovers and Prophets: Unusual Stories from South Africa’s Past” by author and journalist extraordinaire, Max du Preez.
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7 thoughts on “The REAL Jews of South Africa?”
The Narrowing Path | June 27, 2013 at 11:41 am
Wow, what a fascinating article! And would you look at that…another affirmation of the truth of the Biblical account of human history. Thanks 🙂
Flip Swanepoel | June 27, 2013 at 9:28 pm
Ek reageer graag op jou skrywe. Ek dink daar is baie vooraf opgestelde idees vervat in meeste Christene se Skrifopvattings, en verdien om verder bespreek te word.
Ek sal graag wil weet wat jou mening is waarom sekere Fariseërs, wat ook tog kinders van Abraham was, en wat as Jode bekend gestaan het, nie slawediens verrig het nie? Beteken dit dat daar twee groepe Jode was, hulle wat slawediens verrig het en hulle wat nie slawediens verrig het nie?: “Joh. 8:33 Hulle antwoord Hom: Ons is die geslag van Abraham en het nog nooit vir iemand slawediens verrig nie; hoe sê U dan: Julle sal vry word? ”
44 Julle het die duiwel as vader, en die begeertes van julle vader wil julle doen. Hy was ŉ mensemoordenaar van die begin af en staan nie in die waarheid nie, omdat daar in hom geen waarheid is nie. Wanneer hy leuentaal praat, praat hy uit sy eie, omdat hy ŉ leuenaar is en die vader daarvan.
Volgens die volgende aanhaling was daar “Jews” en “Half Jews” – The Works of Flavius Josephus Translated by William Whiston Antiquities of the Jews:-
Boek 13 hoofstuk 9 par. 1 vn (25) This account of the Idumeans admitting circumcision, and the entire Jewish law, from this time, or from the days of Hyrcanus, is confirmed by their entire history afterward. See Antiq. B. XIV. ch. 8. sect. 1; B. XV. ch. 7. sect. 9. Of the War, B. II. ch. 3. sect. 1; B. IV. ch. 4. sect. 5. This, in the opinion of Josephus, made them proselytes of justice, or entire Jews, as here and elsewhere, Antiq. B. XIV. ch. 8. sect. 1. However, Antigonus, the enemy of Herod, though Herod were derived from such a proselyte of justice for several generations, will allow him to be no more than a half Jew, B. XV. ch. 15. sect. 2. .But still, take out of Dean Prideaux, at the year 129, the words of Ammouius, a grammarian, which fully confirm this account of the Idumeans in Josephus: “The Jews,” says he, are such by nature, and from the beginning, whilst the Idumeans were not Jews from the beginning, but Phoenicians and Syrians; but being afterward subdued by the Jews, and compelled to be circumcised, and to unite into one nation, and be subject to the same laws, they were called Jews.” Dio also says, as the Dean there quotes him, from Book XXXVI. p. 37, “That country is called Judea, and the people Jews; and this name is given also to as many others as embrace their religion, though of other nations.” But then upon what foundation so good a governor as Hyrcanus took upon him to compel those Idumeans either to become Jews, or to leave the country, deserves great consideration. I suppose it was because they had long ago been driven out of the land of Edom, and had seized on and possessed the tribe of Simeon, and all the southern parts of the tribe of Judah, which was the peculiar inheritance of the worshippers of the true God without idolatry, as the reader may learn from Reland, Palestine, Part I. p. 154, 305; and from Prideaux, at the years 140 and 165.
Hieruit is dit tog duidelik dat daar al lank gelede meningsverskil bestaan oor die identiteit van die Jode, en dat daar ongetwyfeld Jode is wat dit uit die Judese/Israelitiese genelyn is, en dat daar Edomitiese proseliet Jode is – uit die Edom genelyn. Dit wil dan voorkom asof hierdie Edomitiese Jode binne die Fariseërs en Sadduseërs van 2000 jaar gelede, getel het, en Christus het geweet dat hulle ‘n ander oorsprong het as die Judese/Israelitiese Jode.
Verder is dit voor die hand liggend dat Paulus ook bewus was van die multi genetiese aard van die Jode, soos opgeteken in:
Hand. 26:6 En nou staan ek tereg oor die hoop op die belofte wat aan die vaders deur God gedoen is, :7 waartoe ons twaalf stamme wat God aanhoudend dag en nag dien, hoop om te kom; oor hierdie hoop, koning Agríppa, word ek deur die Jode beskuldig.
Dit is darm nou baie duidelik dat die Jode wat Paulus vervolg het, nie Judeërs was nie. Daar was verseker nie plek vir sekere Jode binne die 12 Stamme van Israel nie. Daar is ‘n Juda stam in Israel en nie ‘n stam genaamd Jood nie! Daar het dus nie volledige integrasie plaasgevind tussen die proseliet Edomitiese Jood en die Judese Jood nie.
Die bewyse hou egter nie op nie:- Op. 2:9 Ek ken jou werke en verdrukking en armoede maar jy is ryk en die lastering van die wat sê dat hulle Jode is en dit nie is nie, maar ŉ sinagoge van die Satan.
Op.3:9 Kyk, Ek gee jou uit die sinagoge van die Satan, van die wat sê dat hulle Jode is en dit nie is nie, maar lieg Ek sal maak dat hulle kom en voor jou voete neerbuig en erken dat Ek jou liefgehad het.
Die twee groepe in Openbaring staan tog duidelik teenoor mekaar, nl. die destydse Jode en die sewe Christelike Gemeentes. Hierdie Jode van 2000 jaar gelede het voorgegee om Judeërs te wees, maar is in werklikheid die sinagoge van die satan, soos Christus hulle in Johannes 8, Mat.23 geopenbaar het, en weer in Openbaring.
Grant | June 28, 2013 at 11:21 am
Concerning the work of Flavius Josephus I do not care to comment, it carries no divine message or extra-biblical truth which may be of importance to the believers. There can be no emphatic deductions made from that source, as a result I will disregard it.
As far as there being reports of Jews and Half Jews? Once again I state that there are only two groups of people which should concern us, irrespective of whether they are of Jewish, Irish, Japanese or Xhosa ancestry: those who are saved by the Grace of God, and those who are not. With all due affection for my Jewish friends, on a lighter note and at the risk of sounding flippant, a Half Jew might as well be referring to a person of Jewish descent with a serious physical disability, or a Jew of unusually short stature, or maybe even something similar to a “Half-Mens,” a succulent cactus-like plant with thorns which Namibians call by that name.
The arguments surrounding the physical identity of true Jews remains of as little consequence today, other than political, as it did when Jesus addressed the people in His audience – He was speaking of His church, not the genetics of the people. (Gal 3:28) There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither slave nor free, there is no male and female, for you are all one in Christ Jesus. And, (Rom 8:1) There is therefore now no condemnation for those who are in Christ Jesus.
Regarding John 8:33 and 42-44, this was the reply made by the Jews to the words of our Lord in verse 32. They were thinking in terms of flesh, because one replied, ‘We be Abraham’s seed: we are God’s chosen people: we are the kingdom of God and were never in bondage!’ Again, here our Lord speaks of the bondage of the will – spiritual slavery and captivity. Before a man knows Christ, he is in bondage and from this bondage and death only the grace of God and the truth of Christ can deliver him.
The reason the Jews whom Jesus was addressing (v 42-44) could not understand the meaning of His words was because they could not discern them in a spiritual sense. They had been blinded and deafened by nature, tradition and prejudice, they had eyes but could not see, and ears but could not hear. Today the same wisdom applies to those who remain unbelievers.
Flip Swanepoel | June 29, 2013 at 8:19 pm
Ek het begrip vir jou bekommernis, naamlik dat meeste van die Joods gelowiges se geloof onbybels is. My bekommernis is, dat daardie tekortkoming nie tot die Joods gelowiges beperk is nie, maar ook aanwesig is in die geloofsopvattings van meeste Christene. Die algemene opvatting is dat Israel vir alle praktiese doeleindes verdwyn het, en geen rol meer te speel het, soos ook elders op hierdie blad uitgestippel word.
My vraag is, as Israel verdwyn het en geen rol meer te speel het, hoe verklaar mens die volgende Skrif:
Jer. 31:37 So sê die HERE: As die hemele daarbo gemeet en die fondamente van die aarde daaronder nagespeur kan word, dan sal Ek ook die hele nageslag van Israel verwerp weens alles wat hulle gedoen het, spreek die HERE.
Feit van die saak is dat die son, maan, sterre en golwe nog in plek is; dat die hemele nog nie gemeet is nie en die fondament van die aarde is nog nie nagespeur nie. Hoe is dit moontlik dat Israel nou nie meer as volk gereken word voor die Aangesig van God nie? Die nageslag van Israel is dus nie verwerp nie, en bestaan hiervolgens as volk nog steeds. Inteendeel, in dieselfde hoofstuk sê die HERE dat Hy juis Sy Nuwe Verbond met Israel gaan kom sluit – Jer.31:31-34.
2Tim.4:2 verkondig die woord; hou aan tydig en ontydig; weerlê, bestraf, vermaan in alle lankmoedigheid en lering;
Dankie vir mooi wyse waarop jy jou brief afgesluit het. Ek wens jou dieselfde toe.
Flip Swanepoel | June 29, 2013 at 8:22 pm
Verskoning. Ek het God in die laaste paragraaf verkeerd gespel – tikfout.
Leon | February 10, 2015 at 4:37 pm
Admin Edited (your comment was deleted.IT belongs in the Trash)
Grant | February 11, 2015 at 2:40 am
Quite honestly, I do not think that unbelievers’ comments, such as the recent one by “Leon” should be accommodated or entertained in any manner or fashion, on any site which has Jesus Christ at its focal point. Comments such as those should be summarily trashed because they promote nothing but the worldly abomination and vulgarity of religion.