Was Moses black

Answer 1

No, Moses was semitic, usually a swarthy skinned people.

Answer 2

According to Sigmund Freud(Moses and Monothiesm)and bibical evidence, Moses was a Black Egyptian(Hamite). The root of the word semitic is semi, which means half(like semi-annual or semi-circle). Black Americans, many of whom are swarthy, (some are much lighter due to centuries of mixing with Whites, Native Americans, and others) are still classified as Black, not semitic. The same must hold true for Moses. You can't allow the rules to be changed because of racial, cultural and/or religious bias.

Answer 3

Moses was a Jew; and Jews were and are known to be a copper or olive color of skin. Sigmund Freud is not a reliable source, as he believed that man's primary goal for life is for sexual pleasures, which is un-Biblical.

Answer 4

Yes Moses was most definitely "darkskinned" the term black as related to skin is a recent phenomenon. People here keep saying that Moses was swarthy" they are correct, but then as if they don't understand the term will quickly say that Moses was not African, when he most definitely was "African" Swarthy: dark-skinned: naturally having skin of a dark color; "a dark-skinned beauty"; "gold earrings gleamed against her dusky cheeks"; "a smile on his swarthy face"; "`swart' is archaic"

As can easily be seen here swarthy means darkskinned. What people today call black!

In general people accept that when Africa is mentioned, darkskinned people are implied. While this is not emphatically true, Moses was most definitely a dark skinned Hebrew, as Hebrews come in many shades just as so called African Americans do as well. It is a very well kept secret of the origin of the negroes in the Americas and who they really are.

Answer 5

(Jewish answer) First I'll respond to the numerous mistakes in the above answers.

a) Semites are not all swarthy. They are often olive-toned but come in other shades as well, including light-skinned.

b) (answer 2) Freud was expressing a mere opinion with no evidence.

c) "Semitic" has nothing to do with "semi" anything. It's from Shem, one of Noah's sons (Genesis ch.10), ancestor of the Israelites and other nations.

d) If one admits that Africans are not Semitic, what does that have to do with Moses the Semite?

e) (answer 4) According to dictionaries, "swarthy" can refer to any skin-tone from olive-skinned to Black.

f) Moses was born in Egypt, but that proves nothing concerning his appearance, since he had two Israelite parents. Moreover, the Israelites did not "mix" (have sexual relations) with the Egyptians (Rashi commentary, Numbers ch.26).

g) DNA studies have debunked the claim that African-Americans are Israelite.

Now to return to the original question:

Just as today, Israelites came in differing skin-tones, heights, and body-types. Our tradition is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the 12 Tribes) were not completely similar to each other in appearance, though none of them was really dark-skinned (Rashi commentary on Genesis 12:11).

Abraham himself came from Western Asia, and since Jews have intermarried very little in the last 3800 years, he probably looked like Jews today.

DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics, comparable to the Sephardim today (not African or Egyptian).

Answer 2

The Israelites, including Moses, were a relatively light-skinned Mediterranean people. Any darkening was merely the result of suntanning (Song of Songs 1:6), which is temporary.

There were, however, presumably minor differences between the twelve tribes.

Answer 3

I believe so Because he was born in Egypt to a Israeli woman which come from Africa not the Middle East

Answer:

No. Moses had two Israelite parents, both Levites. No Levites today are Black.

Our tradition is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the 12 Tribes) were not completely similar to each other in appearance, though none of them was really dark-skinned (Rashi commentary on Genesis 12:11).

Abraham himself came from Western Asia, and since Jews have intermarried very little in the last 3800 years, he and his family probably looked like Jews today.

DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics, comparable to the Sephardim today (not African or Egyptian).

Answer 4

Of course not. This kind of speculation is based upon wishful thinking and lack of research. It crops up from time to time but has been debunked by DNA testing.

Tradition states that Moses was tall (Rashi commentary, Talmud Berakhot 54b), beautiful (Avoth d'Rabbi Nathan 9:2), and he wasn't skinny (Rashi commentary, Talmud Kidushin 33b).

He was born in Egypt, but that proves nothing concerning his skin color, since he had two Israelite parents. The Israelites did not "mix" (have sexual relations) with the Egyptians (Rashi commentary, Numbers ch.26).

Just as today, Israelites came in differing skin-tones, heights, and body-types. Our tradition is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the 12 Tribes) were not completely similar to each other in appearance, though none of them was really dark-skinned (Rashi commentary on Genesis 12:11).

Abraham and Sarah came from southern Iraq and their wider family from northern Iraq. Since DNA tests have shown that Jews intermarried infrequently throughout history, Abraham and his Israelite descendants, including Moses, probably looked like Jews today.

DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics, not African or Egyptian.

In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

The only exception to this is the Ethiopian Jews, who show only a trace of DNA connection to other Jewish communities. Western ethnologists today hold the view that the Jews of Gondar (Ethiopia) either emerged from a Judaizing strain among Ethiopian Christians, or were converted by Yemeni Jews who crossed the Red Sea. A study by Professors Lucotte and Smets has shown that the genetic father of Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) was close to the Ethiopian non-Jewish populations. This is consistent with the theory that Beta Israel are descendants of ancient inhabitants of Ethiopia, not the Middle East. Hammer et al. in 2000, and the team of Shen in 2004, arrive at similar conclusions, namely that the DNA of the Ethiopian Jews probably indicates a conversion of local populations.

It has been estimated that this happened some 2,000 years ago.

Answer 5

No.

Moses was born in Egypt, but that proves nothing concerning his appearance, since he had two Israelite parents.

• Link: How did Moses know he was an Israelite?

The Israelites did not "mix" (have sexual relations) with the Egyptians (Rashi commentary, Numbers ch.26).

Just as today, Israelites came in differing skin-tones, heights, and body-types. Our tradition is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the 12 Tribes) were not completely similar to each other in appearance, though none of them was really dark-skinned (Rashi commentary on Genesis 12:11).
Abraham and Sarah came from southern Iraq and their wider family from northern Iraq. Since DNA tests have shown that Jews intermarried infrequently throughout history, Abraham and his Israelite descendants probably looked like Jews today.
DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics (not African or Egyptian).
In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."

• Link: What race were the Israelites?
  

The only exception to this is the Ethiopian Jews, who show only a trace of DNA connection to other Jewish communities. Western ethnologists today hold the view that the Jews of Gondar (Ethiopia) either emerged from a Judaizing strain among Ethiopian Christians, or were converted by Yemeni Jews who crossed the narrow Red Sea. A study by Professors Lucotte and Smets has shown that the genetic father of Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) was close to the Ethiopian non-Jewish populations. This is consistent with the theory that Beta Israel are descendants of ancient inhabitants of Ethiopia, not the Middle East. Hammer et al. in 2000, and the team of Shen in 2004, arrive at similar conclusions, namely that the DNA of the Ethiopian Jews probably indicates a conversion of local populations. It has been estimated that this happened some 2,000 years ago.

Answer 6

No. Moses was born in Egypt, but that proves nothing concerning his appearance, since he had two Israelite parents. The Israelites did not "mix" (have sexual relations) with the Egyptians (Rashi commentary, Numbers ch.26).

Just as today, Israelites came in differing skin-tones, heights, and body-types. Our tradition is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the 12 Tribes) were not completely similar to each other in appearance, though none of them was really dark-skinned (Rashi commentary on Genesis 12:11).
Abraham and Sarah came from southern Iraq and their wider family from northern Iraq. Since DNA tests have shown that Jews intermarried infrequently throughout history, Abraham and his Israelite descendants probably looked like Jews today.
DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics, comparable to the Sephardim today (not African or Egyptian).
In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."
The only exception to this is the Ethiopian Jews, who show only a trace of DNA connection to other Jewish communities. Western ethnologists today hold the view that the Jews of Gondar (Ethiopia) either emerged from a Judaizing strain among Ethiopian Christians, or were converted by Yemeni Jews who crossed the Red Sea. A study by Professors Lucotte and Smets has shown that the genetic father of Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) was close to the Ethiopian non-Jewish populations. This is consistent with the theory that Beta Israel are descendants of ancient inhabitants of Ethiopia, not the Middle East. Hammer et al. in 2000, and the team of Shen in 2004, arrive at similar conclusions, namely that the DNA of the Ethiopian Jews probably indicates a conversion of local populations.It has been estimated that this happened some 2,000 years ago.

Answer 7

No.
DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics, not African or Egyptian.
In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition."
The only exception to this is the Ethiopian Black Jews, who show only a trace of DNA connection to other Jewish communities.

See also the Related Links.

• Link: What race were the Israelites?

Link: Are the African-Americans from the lost Israelite tribes?

Answer 8

Of course not. This kind of speculation is based upon wishful thinking or lack of research. It crops up from time to time but has been debunked by DNA testing.

Tradition states that Moses was tall (Rashi commentary, Talmud Berakhot 54b), beautiful (Avoth d'Rabbi Nathan 9:2), and he wasn't skinny (Rashi commentary, Talmud Kidushin 33b).

He was born in Egypt, but that proves nothing concerning his skin color, since he had two Israelite parents. The Israelites did not "mix" (have sexual relations) with the Egyptians (Rashi commentary, Numbers ch.26).

Just as today, Israelites came in differing skin-tones, heights, and body-types. Our tradition is that the twelve sons of Jacob (the 12 Tribes) were not completely similar to each other in appearance, though none of them was really dark-skinned (Rashi commentary on Genesis 12:11).
Abraham and Sarah came from southern Iraq and their wider family from northern Iraq. Since DNA tests have shown that Jews intermarried infrequently throughout history, Abraham and his Israelite descendants, including Moses, probably looked like Jews today.
DNA testing of Jewish communities worldwide has shown that they are all interrelated and of Middle Eastern genetics, not African or Egyptian.
In 2000, the analysis of a report by Nicholas Wade "provided genetic witness that Jewish communities have, to a remarkable extent, retained their biological identity separate from their host populations, evidence of relatively little intermarriage or conversion into Judaism over the centuries. The results accord with Jewish history and tradition." (See: What race were the Israelites?)

The only exception to this is the Ethiopian Jews, who show only a trace of DNA connection to other Jewish communities. Western ethnologists today hold the view that the Jews of Gondar (Ethiopia) either emerged from a Judaizing strain among Ethiopian Christians, or were converted by Yemeni Jews who crossed the Red Sea. A study by Professors Lucotte and Smets has shown that the genetic father of Beta Israel (Ethiopian Jews) was close to the Ethiopian non-Jewish populations. This is consistent with the theory that Beta Israel are descendants of ancient inhabitants of Ethiopia, not the Middle East. Hammer et al. in 2000, and the team of Shen in 2004, arrive at similar conclusions, namely that the DNA of the Ethiopian Jews probably indicates a conversion of local populations.It has been estimated that this happened some 2,000 years ago.

See also:

Are the African-Americans from the lost Israelite tribes?

Answer 9

Yes, it is believed to be that he was.

Answer 10

He was not as he was Semitic.