Abstract
In the land of Palestine, known also from antiquity as the Holy Land, stand two mountains, which are not far apart and which face each other. In between lies a valley. By the ancient Hebrews, one mountain, called Gerizim, was referred to as the “Mount of Blessing.” The other, called Ebal, was referred to as the “Mount of Cursing.” Using a figure of speech, with reference to the Bible, we may compare the Bible to the valley between the two mountains, and ask a question: “To which of these mountains does the Bible—or rather, interpretations of the Bible,—belong?” To the “Mount of Blessing” or to the “Mount of Cursing?” Granted that the Bible, along with interpretations of it, have proved to be and continue to be sources of blessings to millions of people. It is also true that these have been and continue to be sources of some of the greatest curses humankind has known. Upon the basis of the Bible and interpretations of it Orthodox Jew has killed Orthodox Jew; Orthodox Jew has killed Christian Jew; Gentile has murdered Jew; Christian has murdered Christian. In no instance, however, have the Bible and interpretations of it led to such murder, whether physical, psychological, social, or spiritual, as in the case of Black peoples. As will be noted, such murder goes back to ancient times, and is still being committed today. This lecture has as its purpose to review the history of the Bible and its interpretation with reference to Black peoples, from the very beginnings of the Bible itself, as collections of literature at various times, to the Bible as it exists today primarily in English translation, and as it is still interpreted today. Hence the title of the lecture is “Three Thousand Years of Biblical Interpretation with Reference to Black Peoples.”