Get to Know the Biblical Hebrew!

Dr. Alice C. Linsley

An important feature of the Hebrew social organization was their moiety structure. They were organized into two separate ritual groups (moieties), and it is clear from the biblical data that the moieties associated with one of the Hebrew ancestors more than the other. 

The Kenite and Midianite metalworkers associated with Cain/Kain whose descendant Tubal-Cain is described as a metal worker in Genesis 4.

The Sethite Hebrew associated with Seth who appears to have been a deified Nilotic ancestor, as is suggested by the discovery of Seth images at Nekhen on the Nile, the earliest known Hebrew site.

The two moieties helped each other but were often in competition. Descriptions of the Horites and Sethites are plentiful in ancient texts such as the Ancient Pyramid Texts (2400-2200 BC). These descriptions indicate that the Horites and the Sethites maintained separate settlements. Utterance 308 addresses them: "Hail to you, Horus in the Horite Mounds! Hail to you, Horus in the Sethite Mounds!"

The more prestigious Hebrew settlements were those of the Horites. These were at a higher elevation that those of the Sethite Hebrew. Utterance 470 of the Ancient Pyramid Texts contrasts the Horite mounds with the mounds of Seth, designating the Horite Mounds "the High Mounds."

The Hebrew married only members of their royal priest caste. Marriage between members of the moieties strengthened the Hebrew identity. and preserved the caste's wealth. For example, the lineages of Cain and Seth are linked by a pattern of recurrent marriage between the numerous Horite and Sethite clans.

Bride exchange between the descendants of two brothers such as Cain and Seth, or Ham and Shem, was a common practice among the Hebrew. The diagram above shows that Naamah, a descendant of Cain, married her cousin Methuselah, a descendant of Seth. The Horite and the Sethite moieties were bound together by the exchange of high-status women between the Hebrew clans.

Cousin brides were especially important links between the Horite and Sethite Hebrew clans. The Hebrew men who ruled over territories maintained two wives in separate settlements. The firstborn son of the first wife ruled over the territory after his father died. The firstborn son of the cousin wife was sent to serve the household of his maternal uncle. Jacob was sent to serve his maternal uncle Laban. Likewise, Joseph went to serve his maternal uncle Potiphar in Egypt.

Other sons who were sent away include Cain whose descendants the Kenites were living in Canaan, which is כנען, pronounced kena'an. Moses served his maternal uncle Jethro in Midian (avunculocal residence). The practice of sending away non-ascendant sons is mentioned in Genesis 26. Abraham gave gifts to his sons and sent them away from his proper heir Isaac. 

The custom of sending away non-ascendant sons drove the Hebrew dispersion out of the Nile Valley well before the time of Abraham (c. 2000 BC).

Applying kinship analysis to the biblical texts makes it possible to detect the historical realities behind Jewish midrash. Certain literary devices are used to develop the Jewish narrative. One is the device is jealousy among brothers. Though the Genesis story does not explain why Cain killed Abel, midrash supplies the explanation that he was jealous. Likewise, Joseph’s treatment by his brothers is explained as an act motivated by jealousy.

Midrashim often employ the device of slavery to explain why a prominent Hebrew is not living in Judah, Israel, or the land of Canaan. It is used to explain why Joseph was in Egypt, why Daniel was in Babylon, and why Mordecai and Esther were in Persia. In the sixth century BC, many Judean noblemen were taken to Babylon, and Babylon was conquered by the Persians who took captives to Susa. These events have been historically verified. Midrash often embroiders historical events to convey a theological message.

Related reading: The Hebrew Were a Caste; Competition Between the Horites and the Sethites; Why Nekhen is Anthropologically Significant; Royal Sons and Their Maternal Uncles; Literary Motifs of Jewish Midrashim; Cousin Brides Among the Hebrew

Inquiry Into the Development of Western Civilization

Alice C. Linsley, M. Div, D. Litt (honoris causa)

Recently, I was asked to suggest an avenue of inquiry that would best explain the development of western civilization. Most people point to the Romans and classical Latin culture for an answer to that question. However, there are always antecedents, and pursuing antecedents is very much the work of Biblical Anthropology.

The Roman Empire was influenced by Greek culture and philosophy. 

The Greeks were enamored of and influenced by ancient Egyptian culture and religion. (Plato studied for 13 years under a Nilotic priest.) 

5150-year ceremonial Narmer Palette

 

The Upper Nile Valley and the Lower Nile Valley were united for the first time by Narmer at the beginning of the First Dynastic Period (c. 3150 - 2613 BC). Narmer's Palette was discovered among a cache of sacred implements buried within a Horite temple at Hierakonpolis, also called Nekhen on the Nile. The temple was a large structure, fronted by huge cedar pillars, and it became the prototype for temple architecture for many millennia.

Nekhen is called the Falcon City and the falcon was the totem of Horus, the son of Ra. Nekhen was a very prestigious shrine city with votive offerings ten times larger than the normal mace heads and bowls found elsewhere. Other Horite shrines or "mounds" are mentioned in the Pyramid Texts (2400-200 BC). The Horite and the Sethite priests served the same God and the same king but maintained separate mounds. Their relationship is that of a moiety. The term "moiety" refers to one people organized into two ritual groups.

We know from the study of Horite and Sethite writings on the walls of royal tombs that they expected a righteous king to rise from the dead and lead his people to immortality. They also believed in God Father and God Son. Among the Nilotic Horites, God Father was called Ra (from the ancient Egyptian word Re, meaning "father") and the son was called Horus (from the ancient Egyptian HR, meaning Most High One). Among the Mesopotamian Horites/Hurrians, God Father was called Ani and the son was called Enki. 

The earliest law codes were of a religious nature and implemented by rulers who were served by royal priests, some of whom were certainly Hebrew. (In Akkadian the Hebrew ruler-priest caste was called Abrutu, from the Akkadian word for priest - abru). The Code of Ani is a negatively worded moral code, like the Ten Commandments. It dates to c. 2500 BC and is contemporaneous with The Reforms of Urukagina, Sumeria (2500-2350 BC). However, the Law of Tehut dates to about 500 years earlier. That code is associated with King Menes (2930-2900 BC) who administered justice and issued edicts which were designed to improve food production and distribution, guard the rights of ruling families, improve education and enhance knowledge of the natural world through geometry and astronomy.

In my view, we reasonably can point to the early Hebrew as a significant source of the Faith that later became established as the Christian foundations of Western civilization.

Related reading: The Shrine City of Nekhen; Pre-dynastic Tomb Discovered at Nekhen; Early Resurrection Texts; The Ra-Horus-Hathor Narrative; Plato's Debt to Ancient Egypt; Biblical Anthropology and Antecedents

The Nubian Moiety

Alice C. Linsley

A moiety is a descent group that coexists with only one other descent group within a society. Each of two groups into which a people is divided has a responsibility to the other group. Moieties are found among the Australian Aborigines, some American Natives, and the red and black Nubians of the Biblical world. Matrilineal moieties traced kinship along the mother's line. Patrilineal moieties trace kinship along the father's line.

A society may be divided into two unilineal descent groups that serve to protect and balance each other. Such groups are called moieties. An example from the ancient world is the moiety of the red and black Nubians.

The red and black Nubians in the image above were captured by the Egyptians. They appear to be people of high tank since they are wearing the leopard skins traditionally worn by rulers, priests and chiefs. The fact that both red and black were taken captive indicates that they fought together against the Egyptians.

The individual's identity within the moiety determines who they may marry. It appears that each group in the ancient Nubian moiety married according to skin tone. Yet the two groups likely claimed descent from a common male ancestor.

Even among the red and black Nubians there was a range of skin tone. These red Nubian warriors are an example. Their wavy black hair and feathers resemble the Nabatean warriors of Petra in Edom. The Edomites were known to have a reddish skin tone. Esau is described as red and hairy in Genesis 25:25.  Also, David is described as having a red skin tone.

Nubian warriors

Moieties usually consist of a few thousand people in each group. The clans within the moieties often function in specialized teams such a metal workers, warriors, tanners and potters. The reciprocal nature of their relationship encourages barter and exchange of services.

The Nubians appear to be in the R1b Haplogroup, which indicates that they are related to Noah and the rulers listed in Genesis 4, 5, ll, 25, and 36. 

Related reading: Edo, Edom, Idumea; The Edomites and the Color Red; Two Named Esau; Descent Groups; History of Ancient Nubia