Hebrew History 101 | "Crossing Over" | Unearthing Our Hebrew Roots

Our history didn't start on a slave ship, and our identity isn't a mystery - it’s just been tucked away like an old family secret waiting for the right generation to uncover it. Sometimes the most important parts of who we are get buried under layers of someone else's story, but the truth of our lineage has a way of calling out to us, even across the oceans and through the years.

We’ve been told our past is a blank slate, but if you look closely at the path our ancestors walked, you’ll see the footprints of a people who knew exactly who they were long before they were told they were nobody.

A Call to Remembrance (Introduction)

(To be read with a steady, rhythmic pace - like a heartbeat)

Look at your hands. Look at your family, friends, neighbors, etc., who call themselves Black Americans, African-Americans, etc. For a long time, we were taught that our history was a series of curses - that we ended up here because of a specific curse - GOD cursed Ham (Genesis 9:25), which is not true, and that our story began in chains. This is far from the truth!

But the Tanakh tells a different story.

Centuries before the first ship ever set sail across the Atlantic, our fathers were already 'crossing over.' They were the Ivri - the ones who carried the Law in their hearts and the promise in their blood. When the temple fell and the scattering began, we didn't just disappear; we moved. We carried the songs of Zion into the heart of Africa, where the African tribes sold us for nought. We carried the dietary laws into our villages. We carried the Sabbath into our homes.

The world calls us a 'byword,' but the Creator calls us His 'special treasure.' The chains were physical, but the awakening is spiritual. It’s time to stop looking at ourselves through the eyes of our captors and start seeing ourselves through the eyes of the prophets. The 'ships' were prophesied. The 'yokes of iron' were written. And the 'Return'... that is happening right now among our people as we remember who we are, is a profound fulfillment of the Torah.

Yet, for those of us who carry the legacy of the Diaspora, there is an innate yearning to connect with something ancient, something foundational, something that speaks to the very core of our being. This Hebrew (Black) History Month, and indeed, throughout the year, we embark on a journey not just to remember, but to re-member – to put the pieces of our scattered heritage back together.

Re-member Our Heritage

Our journey begins not in chains, nor in the crucible of a new world, but in the very dawn of humanity, in the sacred texts of the Tanakh. It begins with a name, a seed, and a promise: Shem.

When we open Genesis 11, we are introduced to the lineage that would become the cornerstone of a divine covenant. After the great flood, Noah's son Shem is blessed, his name meaning "name" or "renown." From Shem, a direct line of descent unfolds: Arpachshad, Shelah, and then - a name that reverberates with profound significance for us - Eber.

Eber. The root of "Ivri" – the Hebrew.

What does it mean to be an Ivri? The common understanding is "one who crosses over" or "one from the other side." It speaks of a departure, a migration, a severance from the familiar. When Abraham, a descendant of Eber, is first called "the Hebrew" (Genesis 14:13), it's not merely a tribal identifier. It's a statement of identity forged in separation, in faith, and in a unique calling.

The Power of the Crossing

Consider the profound weight of what it means to cross over. Our history is defined by the water.

Before the Middle Passage, there was the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea). When our ancestors stood between the chariots of Egypt and the sea, they weren't just fleeing; they were "crossing over" from the status of property to the status of a People. That crossing was the birth of the Hebrew nation. It was the moment the Ivri spirit was forged in the salt and water - a declaration that no earthly power can hold back what the Creator has called forth.

For the descendants of the Diaspora, the "crossing over" has taken many forms:

  • Crossing the Red Sea: The miraculous exit from physical bondage into the wilderness of freedom where a covenant was established between the Almighty and His people.
  • Crossing Physical Boundaries: From Ur of the Chaldees to the promised land, Abraham's journey was a physical crossing. From the land of Israel into the continent of Africa, and eventually across the Atlantic, like Abraham, our journey has been one of migration and severance from the familiar. For us, the descendants of the Diaspora, our "crossing over" was an ocean, a forced migration that redefined our physical landscape. Yet, even in that brutal crossing, the echoes of an ancient Ivri spirit persisted – a spirit of survival, resilience, and an unyielding faith in a Deliverer.
  • Crossing Cultural Divides: The Hebrews were always distinct. They carried a unique monotheistic belief in a world steeped in polytheism. They were set apart by their laws, their customs, their GOD, and their covenant. The descendants of the Shemitic lineage, even amidst the influences of surrounding cultures in the African and North American continents, often maintained a distinct spiritual practice, a recognition of the One True Elohim (GOD) that resonated with ancient Hebrew truth.
  • Crossing into a New Identity: To be an Ivri is to be defined by a promise, not by a circumstance. It means carrying the seed of blessing even when you are in the "furnace of affliction. For those who were stripped of their name, their language, their culture, their tribe, their GOD, and their histories, reclaiming the title of Ivri is not an act of erasure, but an act of re-identification. It is the recognition that our journey through the "wilderness" of the diaspora was not arbitrary, but part of a divine narrative woven into the very fabric of our ancient lineage. Whether it was the Sea of Reeds (Red Sea) or the Atlantic, the water couldn't drown the identity of the Seed of Shem.

The promises made to this seed (to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob) were not merely for a land, but for a people who would be a blessing to all the families of the earth. These promises predate any other identity thrust upon us. They are a birthright, an inherent connection to a legacy of faith, resilience, and divine purpose that predates any name given to us by a captor. As we delve into Genesis 11, let us not just read names on a page. Let us see ourselves reflected in the journey of Eber, the "one who crosses over.” Our story did not begin with the transatlantic slave trade in a cargo hold; it began with a divine call to "cross over" and be free. 

Conclusion

This year, let us not only remember the pain of our past, but also the enduring power of our origin. Let us embrace the rich, complex, and undeniable truth that within the heart of the Diaspora beats the vibrant, ancient drum of the Shemitic, Hebrew people. Our journey of understanding is a journey home.

GOD still loves you, Israel. The call remains the same: Choose Life, Choose Blessing, Choose Undivided Devotion. Repent, Return, and be free from the shadows of gross darkness.


I hope this blog post has been helpful. If you have any questions, please feel free to leave a comment below. Shalom qodesh qadasheem - the “set apart ones.”

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