Debunking Black Israelite Claims: A Comprehensive Rebuttal By Rafael Gomez (Greywarden100) | April 16, 2025 | From Online Debates (2017)

Source: https://x.com/nafalsification/status/1364259986944249856?t=joIm6aHC2AnzFLMR_lk8RQ&s=19

In a 2017 online debate with Helixcrown and other proponents of Black Israelite theology, I challenged their claims about biblical history, Hebrew language, and ethnic identity. Below, I outline 16 key points where Helixcrown’s assertions were refuted, many of which remain unaddressed. This blog summarizes the debate, invites Helixcrown or other Black Israelites to engage, and addresses Afrocentric claims about ancient Egyptian identity, grounded in historical, linguistic, biblical, and archaeological evidence.

The Debate: 16 Points of Contention
Daniel 7:9 and God’s “Wooly Hair”
Helixcrown claims the Aramaic in Daniel 7:9 describes God as having “wooly hair,” citing כַּעֲמַר נְקֵא (Ka-amar Neke). This translates to “like clean wool,” not “pure wool,” referring to refined wool, undermining his theology. Source: Strong’s Concordance (H5346, נְקֵא, “clean”); Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon. Status: Helixcrown has not challenged this, conceding the point.

Pronunciation of אֲדָמָה (Adamah)
Helixcrown argues אֲדָמָה (Adamah) reflects Paleo-Hebrew pronunciation, not the Masoretic text (standardized 7th century AD). Israel adopted the Persian alphabet during Babylonian captivity, making this unlikely. Source: Tov, E. (2012). Textual Criticism of the Hebrew Bible. Fortress Press.
Status: Helixcrown has not responded, leaving the burden of proof unmet.

Misuse of 19th-Century Christian Imagery
Helixcrown cites an image of 19th-century Black Christians calling themselves Israelites. Context shows they identified Prince Edward County’s terrain as their “Holy Land” post-emancipation, not an ancient identity. Source: Raboteau, A. J. (2004). Slave Religion: The “Invisible Institution” in the Antebellum South. Oxford University Press.
Status: Helixcrown has offered no defense.

Los Lunas Inscription
Helixcrown claims the Los Lunas Inscription proves Black Israelites brought the Ten Commandments to America. The inscription is a Mezuzah borrowing from the Masoretic text, contradicting Samaritan Paleo-Hebrew. Source: Moore, F. G. (2003). “The Los Lunas Decalogue Stone: Genuine or Hoax?” Epigraphic Society Occasional Papers.
Status: Helixcrown dropped this argument.

Conversion to Judaism
Helixcrown denies non-Jews can convert, ignoring Ruth’s conversion (Ruth 1:16-17) and the term גֵר (Ger), denoting a non-Israelite becoming an Israelite (Leviticus 19:34). Source: Milgrom, J. (2000). Leviticus 17-22: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary. Anchor Yale Bible.
Status: Unaddressed by Helixcrown.

King Jehu’s Identity
Helixcrown misidentifies King Jehu (2 Kings 9) as Neo-Assyrian, despite Neviim confirming his Israelite identity. Depictions on Shalmaneser III’s Black Obelisk show straight hair and a hooked nose.
Source: Pritchard, J. B. (1969). Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Princeton University Press. Status: Helixcrown claims Neo-Assyrian depictions are unreliable; debate continues.

Judean Captives at Lachish
Assyrian reliefs from the Lachish siege (701 BC) depict Judeans with hooked noses, consistent with Jehu. Helixcrown accuses misrepresentation without evidence.Source: Ussishkin, D. (1982). The Conquest of Lachish by Sennacherib. Tel Aviv University.
Status: Debate ongoing.

Nubians as Israelites
Helixcrown claims Nubians in Assyrian depictions are Israelites, but these show only adult male mercenaries. Their hand positions, cited as religious, mirror defeated Elamites, indicating submission.
Source: Roux, G. (1992). Ancient Iraq. Penguin Books. Status: Helixcrown rejects Neo-Assyrian evidence; debate continues.

Intermarriage with Asiatics
Helixcrown ignores Judah, Isaac, and Joseph marrying Canaanite, Aramean, and Egyptian (Asiatic) women. The Tomb of Khunmehotep II (1900 BC) depicts Asiatics resembling modern Israelis/Arabs.
Source: Kamrin, J. (2009). “The Procession of Asiatics in the Tomb of Khnumhotep II.” Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections. Status: Helixcrown evades with unrelated topics.

Zondervan Dictionary Misinterpretation
Helixcrown cites Zondervan’s Compact Bible Dictionary, claiming Ham produced “dark races” but not Negroes, implying Negroes are Semites. The dictionary states Shem produced Semites. “Negro” (Spanish/Portuguese, “black”) has no Hebrew link to Shem (“name”). Source: Zondervan’s Compact Bible Dictionary (1993); Gesenius’ Hebrew-Chaldee Lexicon.
Status: Helixcrown’s conspiracy claims are unaddressed.

Meaning of חם (Cham)
Helixcrown claims חם (Cham) means “burnt” or “black.” It means “hot” in Hebrew.
Source: Strong’s Concordance (H2526, חם, “hot”); Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew Lexicon.
Status: Helixcrown has not countered, conceding the point.

Egyptians as Black Hamites
Helixcrown asserts Egyptians were Black Hamites, based on his flawed Cham interpretation. Depictions of Amenhotep III (18th Dynasty) differ from Cushite Pharaohs (25th Dynasty, e.g., Taharqa).
Source: Wilkinson, T. A. H. (2010). The Rise and Fall of Ancient Egypt. Random House.
Status: Debated.

Masoretic Text vs. KJV
Helixcrown criticizes the Masoretic text’s Persian alphabet but relies on the KJV, translated from it.
Source: Würthwein, E. (1995). The Text of the Old Testament. Eerdmans.
Status: Helixcrown has not provided a better source, conceding the point.

DNA Evidence
Helixcrown dismisses DNA evidence as an anti-Black conspiracy. Source: Hammer, M. F., et al. (2000). “Jewish and Middle Eastern non-Jewish populations share a common pool of Y-chromosome biallelic haplotypes.” Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Status: Debated.

Hebrew Wordplay and Anatomy
Helixcrown equates אדם (Adam) with “black soil,” ignoring that eyes, nails, and blood (דם, Dam) do not resemble soil. His rejection of Hebrew roots violates hermeneutics. Source: Sarna, N. M. (1989). Genesis: The JPS Torah Commentary. Jewish Publication Society.
Status: Unaddressed.

Biblical Hebrew’s Integrity
Helixcrown claims Neo-Assyrians destroyed biblical Hebrew, a baseless assertion. Source: Sáenz-Badillos, A. (1993). A History of the Hebrew Language. Cambridge University Press.
Status: Helixcrown offers no alternative, conceding the point.

Afrocentric Claims: Egyptians as Black?
Afrocentrists, including Helixcrown, claim ancient Egyptians were Black. The evidence refutes this:
Greek Historians’ Descriptions: Flavius Philostratus (Life of Apollonius 6.2): Egyptians are lighter than half-breeds, distinct from Ethiopians. Source: Jones, C. P. (2005). Philostratus: The Life of Apollonius of Tyana. Loeb Classical Library. Arrian (Indica 6.9): Egyptians resemble Northern Indians. Source: Robson, E. I. (1929). Arrian: Anabasis Alexandri and Indica. Loeb Classical Library. Strabo (Geography 15.1.13): Egyptians likened to Northern Indians. Source: Jones, H. L. (1930). Strabo: Geography. Loeb Classical Library. Manilius (Astronomica 4.724): Egypt’s climate imparts a “medium tone.” Source: Goold, G. P. (1977). Manilius: Astronomica. Loeb Classical Library.

Herodotus Misinterpreted:
Helixcrown and Ernest Rumph claim Herodotus calls Egyptians and Colchians Black. Herodotus (Book 2, 104) describes Colchians as “dark-skinned and curly-haired” (Greek: μελάγχροες, “dark”; οὐλότριχες, “curly”), not “black” or “wooly.” Book 3, 101 calls Indians and Ethiopians “black-skinned,” not Egyptians. Source: Macaulay, G. C. (1890). The History of Herodotus. Sacred-Texts.com; Godley, A. D. (1920). Herodotus: Histories. Loeb Classical Library.

Archaeological Evidence:
18th Dynasty sculptures (e.g., Amenhotep III) differ from 25th Dynasty Cushite Pharaohs (e.g., Taharqa), who ruled after conquest. Source: Shaw, I. (2000). The Oxford History of Ancient Egypt. Oxford University Press. Tomb of Khunmehotep II (1900 BC) depicts Asiatics resembling modern Israelis/Arabs.
Source: Kamrin, J. (2009). Journal of Ancient Egyptian Interconnections.

Afrocentric Admissions:
Dr. Soy Keita notes modern Egyptians’ diversity mirrors ancient populations, aligning with Greek comparisons to Northern Indians.
Source: Keita, S. O. Y. (1993). “Studies and Comments on Ancient Egyptian Biological Relationships.” History in Africa.

Deuteronomy 28 Curses: Judeans, Not West Africans
Black Israelites claim West Africans fulfill Deuteronomy 28 curses. Historical evidence points to Judeans: Cannibalism:
Leviticus 26:29 and Deuteronomy 28:53-57 warn of eating children. This occurred during the Lachish siege (701 BC), Babylonian captivity (586 BC; Lamentations 2:20, 4:10), and Roman siege (70 AD). Flavius Josephus recounts a Jewish woman, Mary, eating her son. No evidence suggests West African mothers did this during the slave trade.
Source: Josephus, F. (1737). Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 3:4; Collins, J. J. (2010). The Bible After Babel. Eerdmans.

Slavery and Dispersion:
Josephus describes Judeans enslaved in Egyptian mines post-Titus (70 AD). After the Bar Kochba Revolt (132-135 AD), Hadrian sold Jews for a “horse’s ration,” fulfilling Deuteronomy 28:68. West Africans had many buyers, contradicting this curse.
Source: Josephus, F. (1737). Wars of the Jews, Book 6, Chapter 9:2; Safrai, S. (1996). A History of the Jewish People. Harvard University Press; Williams, G. (2012). The Holy City. Cambridge University Press.
Context of Deuteronomy 28: The curses target Israelites for Torah disobedience, not West Africans. Judeans faced consequences during Assyrian, Babylonian, and Roman conquests. Source: Tigay, J. H. (1996). Deuteronomy: The JPS Torah Commentary. Jewish Publication Society.

Environmental Considerations
Israel’s subtropical climate, with winter snow, risks vitamin D deficiency and rickets for Sub-Saharan Africans, challenging claims of their native presence.
Source: Holick, M. F. (2006). “Vitamin D Deficiency in a Multicultural Society.” New England Journal of Medicine.

Recommendations for Truth-Seekers
Avoid Eurocentric or Afrocentric biases. Read The Chosen Few by Zvi Ekstein and Maristella Botticini, detailing Jewish dispersions to the Balkans, Asia Minor, Eastern Europe, and Ashkenaz (Germany) from 70-1492 AD, refuting exclusive Black Israelite claims. Source: Ekstein, Z., & Botticini, M. (2012). The Chosen Few: How Education Shaped Jewish History, 70-1492. Princeton University Press.

Conclusion
Helixcrown’s arguments, rooted in misinterpretations and unaddressed refutations, crumble under scrutiny. Biblical Hebrew, historical texts, and archaeology support Judean identity over Afrocentric claims.