History
The Rescue of Jerusalem
“Absolutely essential reading for anyone interested in the Nubian pharaohs, in Biblical history, or in Assyrian imperialism…well researched, brilliantly reasoned, and a mine of new information for the ancient historian - as well as the historian of modern racism.”
- Timothy Kendall, Napata archeologist, Department of African-American Studies, Northeastern University
In the summer of 701 B.C.E., the powerful Assyrian army laid siege to Jerusalem, threatening the Hebrew kingdom with destruction.
Suddenly, the invaders fled, leaving the City of David intact. Why? The Bible, which tells the story in the Book of Second Kings, says only that an angel slew many of the foe. The real reason for Assyrian retreat has been one of history’s most enduring mysteries. The Rescue of Jerusalem demonstrates that Jerusalem was saved by the army sent by Egypt’s 25th Dynasty.
There is disagreement among historians as to how many of ancient Egypt’s 31 dynasties were black. But all scholars agree on one thing: At least one of these dynasties was black – the 25th. It was this dynasty, which ruled for about 75 years, that sent the army to Jerusalem.
The pharaoh was Shebitku, who came from Kush (or Nubia), located in what it today northern Sudan. He sent an expeditionary force to Jerusalem headed by his 21-year-old cousin, Prince Taharqa. This Kushite army seldom figures in modern biblical scholarship - the result, the book argues, of modern scholarship’s blind spot to Africa’s accomplishments.
Click here for an informative map of the theatre of war in The Rescue of Jerusalem.
Access:
- What leading experts say about the book
- What Canada’s two national newspapers say: The Globe and Mail and The National Post
- What other reviewers say
The book is published by Soho Press, New York (2002), and by Doubleday Canada, Toronto (2002).