Debunking Black Hebrew Israelite Claims on Deuteronomy 28

Introduction

The Black Hebrew Israelite (BHI) movement claims that African Americans, along with other minority groups, are the true descendants of the biblical Israelites.

One of their central arguments comes from Deuteronomy 28, particularly verses 15–68, which list curses that would come upon the Israelites for disobeying God’s commandments.

BHI proponents assert that these curses are a prophetic description of the transatlantic slave trade and its aftermath, thus linking African Americans to the ancient Israelites.

However, a careful examination of Deuteronomy 28 within its historical, cultural, and biblical context reveals significant issues with the BHI interpretation.

This article aims to address and debunk these claims by providing a thorough exegesis of the text, using both Scripture and historical evidence.

Context of Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28 is part of Moses’ final address to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land.

The chapter is structured as a covenantal declaration, where blessings (vv. 1–14) are promised for obedience to God’s laws, and curses (vv. 15–68) are warned for disobedience.

These blessings and curses were tied to the Israelites’ specific covenant relationship with God under the Mosaic Law.

Crucially, these promises and warnings were given to the ancient Israelites living under the Mosaic covenant in the land of Canaan.

The chapter should be understood in this historical and theological context, not as a future prophecy for any other group.

Key Claims of BHI and Responses

1. The Transatlantic Slave Trade as a Fulfillment of Deuteronomy 28:68

One of the most prominent verses BHI advocates cite is Deuteronomy 28:68, which reads:

“The LORD will send you back in ships to Egypt on a journey I said you should never make again. There you will offer yourselves for sale to your enemies as male and female slaves, but no one will buy you.” (NIV)

BHI interpretation: The “ships” in this verse are claimed to represent the slave ships used during the transatlantic slave trade, with Egypt being a metaphor for America.

Debunking the Claim:

1. Literal Egypt, Not Symbolic: The text clearly refers to a return to literal Egypt, a nation where the Israelites had previously been enslaved. Egypt was the primary enemy and place of enslavement for the Israelites. Nowhere in the Bible is “Egypt” used as a metaphor for a distant nation like America.When Egypt is mentioned elsewhere in Scripture, it always refers to the actual nation (e.g., Ezekiel 29:14).
2. No Buyers: The verse says, “you will offer yourselves for sale… but no one will buy you.” In the transatlantic slave trade, African slaves were forcibly taken and sold en masse. Deuteronomy 28:68 speaks of Israelites voluntarily offering themselves as slaves and being refused by buyers, which contradicts the historical reality of the slave trade.
3. Historical Context: The verse reflects historical situations when Israelites were exiled to Egypt during the Babylonian and Roman invasions (e.g., after the fall of Jerusalem in 586 BC and AD 70). Historian Josephus even records Jews being sold into slavery in Egypt after the Roman destruction of the Second Temple, aligning with the biblical text’s direct implications rather than any future event like the transatlantic slave trade.

2. Curses as Proof of Identity

BHI proponents argue that the various curses in Deuteronomy 28 (e.g., poverty, oppression, scattered identity) match the experiences of African Americans and therefore prove their Israelite descent.

Debunking the Claim:

1. Covenantal Context: The curses in Deuteronomy 28 are tied to Israel’s disobedience under the Mosaic covenant. They are not general prophecies about what would happen to other groups outside of Israel. These curses are explicitly aimed at the ancient Israelites if they broke God’s law in their land, not at any people group centuries later.
2. Other Nations Suffer Similar Curses: Many of the curses listed in Deuteronomy 28 — such as famine, disease, defeat in war, and exile — are common consequences experienced by many nations throughout history. The Assyrians, Babylonians, and even later civilizations all faced similar calamities due to war, economic collapse, or natural disasters. To single out African Americans as the unique fulfillment of these curses ignores the widespread nature of such suffering in human history.
3. Historical Fulfillment: Many of the Deuteronomic curses were fulfilled during the exiles of Israel and Judah (722 BC for Israel by Assyria, and 586 BC for Judah by Babylon). The Bible and extra-biblical sources record how these curses came to pass during the destruction of Jerusalem, the deportation of Israelites, and their scattering across different lands (see 2 Kings 17, 2 Chronicles 36).

3. The Assumption of Racial Identity

BHI teachings assume a direct genealogical connection between the ancient Israelites and African Americans, often based on the claim that modern Jews are not the true Israelites.

Debunking the Claim:

1. Genetic Evidence: Genetic studies have consistently shown that modern Jewish populations, including both Ashkenazi and Sephardic Jews, have genetic markers linking them to the ancient Near East and the Levant, consistent with their Israelite ancestry. While Jewish communities have spread across the globe due to centuries of diaspora, they retain a significant genetic connection to the ancient Israelites.
2. Cultural Continuity: Jewish religious practices, customs, and the preservation of the Hebrew language provide strong evidence of continuity between modern Jews and their ancient ancestors. The Old Testament, historical records, and archaeological findings all support this connection.
3. No Biblical Basis for Skin Color: The Bible does not emphasize skin color as a determinant of Israelite identity. The focus is always on covenantal faithfulness to God, not physical appearance. To claim that certain physical characteristics (such as being Black) are definitive of Israelite identity imposes a modern racial framework onto the biblical text, which does not support such ideas.

Conclusion

The Black Hebrew Israelite movement’s interpretation of Deuteronomy 28 is a clear example of eisegesis — reading one’s own ideas into the text rather than drawing meaning from it.

The curses in Deuteronomy 28, including the mention of Egypt and slavery, are historically tied to the experiences of the ancient Israelites and do not serve as prophecies about the transatlantic slave trade or the identity of African Americans.

A sound biblical and historical analysis reveals that the BHI interpretation is both theologically and historically flawed.

The passage, when understood in its original context, addresses the covenantal relationship between God and Israel and the consequences of Israel’s disobedience, not a future event involving other nations.

In light of this, Christians should approach Deuteronomy 28 with proper exegesis, respecting its place within the larger narrative of God’s covenant with Israel, while also recognizing that the gospel of Jesus Christ extends the hope of redemption to all nations, regardless of ethnicity or background (Galatians 3:28).