Black and Slave: The Origins and History of the Curse of Ham

David M. Goldenberg

Published by De Gruyter 2017

Black and Slave

The Origins and History of the Curse of Ham

David M. Goldenberg

Volume 10 in the series Studies of the Bible and Its Reception (SBR)

https://doi.org/10.1515/9783110522471

Overview
Contents

About this book

Studies of the Curse of Ham, the belief that the Bible consigned blacks to everlasting servitude, confuse and conflate two separate origins stories (etiologies), one of black skin and the other of black slavery. This work unravels the etiologies and shows how the Curse, an etiology of black slavery, evolved from an earlier etiology explaining the existence of dark-skinned people. We see when, where, why, and how an original mythic tale of black origins morphed into a story of the origins of black slavery, and how, in turn, the second then supplanted the first as an explanation for black skin. In the process we see how formulations of the Curse changed over time, depending on the historical and social contexts, reflecting and refashioning the way blackness and blacks were perceived. In particular, two significant developments are uncovered. First, a curse of slavery, originally said to affect various dark-skinned peoples, was eventually applied most commonly to black Africans. Second, blackness, originally incidental to the curse, in time became part of the curse itself. Dark skin now became an intentional marker of servitude, the visible sign of the blacks’ degradation, and in the process deprecating black skin itself.

Author / Editor information

David M. Goldenberg, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, PA, U.S.A.

Topics

Frontmatter Publicly Available Download PDF	I
Contents Publicly Available Download PDF	VII
Abbreviations Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	IX
Introduction Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	1
Chapter One. Black and/or Slave: Confusion, Conflation, Chaos Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	14
Chapter Two. Skin Color Etiologies Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	28
Chapter Three. The Origin of Black Skin in Noah’s Ark Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	43
Chapter Four. The Origin of Black Skin in Noah’s Tent Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	68
Chapter Five. The Beginnings of the Curse of Ham Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	76
Chapter Six. The Dual Curse of Slavery and Black Skin Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	87
Chapter Seven. The Curse of Ham Migrates to the West Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	105
Chapter Eight. The Dual Curse in Europe Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	121
Chapter Nine. The Curse of Ham in America Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	146
Chapter Ten. The Beginnings of Chaos Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	160
Chapter Eleven. Which People Were Cursed with Black Skin? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	168
Chapter Twelve. The Meaning of Blackness and the Curse of Ham Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	188
Chapter Thirteen. Conclusions Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	199
Appendices
Appendix I. The Curse of Ham in Europe, 18th–19th Centuries Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	207
Appendix II. The Curse of Ham in America, 18th-20th Centuries Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	218
Appendix III. The Curse of Cain: 17th–19th Centuries Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	238
Excursus
Excursus I. Did Ham Have Sex with a Dog? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	253
Excursus II. A Passage in Ṭabarī’s History Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	257
Excursus III. Was Canaan Black? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	260
Excursus IV. ‘Kushite’ Meaning Egyptian or Arab in Jewish Sources Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	284
Excursus V. A Curse of Ham in Origen? Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	286
Bibliography Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	290
Subject and Name Index Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	340
Index of Modern Authors Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	349
Index to Scripture Requires Authentication Unlicensed Licensed Download PDF	359

(Deutsch)

Language: English
Publisher: De Gruyter
Audience: All those interested in Religious studies, Black and Ethnic studies, History - European, American, Islamic, Christian, Jewish
Pages
- Front matter: 9
- Main content: 360
Illustrations
- Illustrations: 6
- Coloured Illustrations: 7
Keywords: Curse; Ham; Blacks; Slavery

eBook

Published: May 22, 2017
ISBN: 9783110522471

Hardcover

Published: May 22, 2017
ISBN: 9783110521665