Part - 3 - Africa, Israel, Judaism, and Christianity
Africa appears throughout the biblical record—from Genesis to Acts. This study examines those connections while carefully distinguishing between ancient African religions, biblical Israel, later Judaism, and Christianity.
The historical relationship should not be reduced to:
Africa → Judaism → Christianity
as though one religion simply evolved into another.
Instead, Scripture reveals repeated geographical, historical, cultural, and personal connections between Africa and the biblical world.
PART I — AFRICA IN GENESIS
1. Cush and Mizraim
Read Genesis 10:6
“And the sons of Ham; Cush, and Mizraim, and Phut, and Canaan.”
Two names are especially significant for African geography.
Cush is generally associated with territories south of Egypt, particularly Nubia and regions associated with present-day Sudan.
Mizraim is the Hebrew biblical name associated with Egypt.
Observation
Africa therefore appears within the geographical world described near the beginning of Genesis.
Write It Down
Who are the four sons of Ham?
Which two have particularly clear connections with ancient Africa?
PART II — ABRAHAM AND AFRICA
2. Abraham Goes to Egypt
Read Genesis 12:10
“And there was a famine in the land: and Abram went down into Egypt to sojourn there...”
Abraham's journey connects the land of Canaan with Egypt.
Egypt repeatedly functions as an important neighboring civilization throughout biblical history.
Observe
Why did Abram enter Egypt?
What does this tell us about the geographical relationship between the patriarchal world and Africa?
PART III — HAGAR THE EGYPTIAN
3. An African Woman in Abraham's Household
Read Genesis 16:1–16
Genesis explicitly identifies Hagar as:
“Hagar the Egyptian.”
Hagar's story is particularly significant because God encounters her in the wilderness.
Genesis 16:13 records:
“Thou God seest me...”
Think About It
What did Hagar learn about God in the wilderness?
What promise did God make concerning her son?
Personal Reflection
Hagar was distressed, displaced, and alone in the wilderness, but she discovered that she was not hidden from God.
Where have you experienced God's care when you felt overlooked?
PART IV — JOSEPH AND EGYPT
4. God Uses Egypt to Preserve Jacob's Family
Read Genesis 45:4–8
Joseph declares:
“God did send me before you to preserve life.” — Genesis 45:5
Joseph's suffering eventually places him in a position through which his family survives famine.
Jacob and his household consequently relocate to Egypt.
Follow the Movement
Canaan
↓
Joseph taken to Egypt
↓
Joseph elevated under Pharaoh
↓
Famine
↓
Jacob's household enters Egypt
↓
Israel multiplies in Egypt
Observation
How did God use Joseph's presence in Egypt?
PART V — ISRAEL BECOMES A PEOPLE IN AFRICA
5. From Household to Multitude
Read Exodus 1:1–7
The descendants of Jacob entered Egypt as an extended family.
Exodus records:
“And the children of Israel were fruitful, and increased abundantly, and multiplied...” — Exodus 1:7
Egypt therefore occupies a complicated position in Israel's history.
It was first associated with:
refuge and preservation
but later became associated with:
oppression and bondage.
Workbook Question
Why should we avoid describing Egypt as either entirely “good” or entirely “evil” throughout Scripture?
PART VI — THE EXODUS
6. God Delivers Israel
Read Exodus 12–14
The Exodus becomes one of the foundational events of biblical theology.
It introduces major themes:
Bondage → Deliverance
Passover → Redemption
Egypt → Exodus
Slavery → Covenant People
God does not merely bring Israel out.
He brings them out for a purpose.
PART VII — SINAI AND THE COVENANT
7. Israel Receives a Distinctive Covenant Identity
Read Exodus 19:3–6
God declares:
“And ye shall be unto me a kingdom of priests, and an holy nation.” — Exodus 19:6
This marks an essential distinction in our study.
Ancient African religion and Israel's covenant religion were not the same religious system.
At Sinai, Israel receives covenant commandments concerning:
worship
holiness
sacrifice
Sabbath
justice
priesthood
festivals
morality
sacred space
relationship with God
Israel's identity is fundamentally covenantal.
Define It
Covenant:
Reflection
What did God call Israel to become?
PART VIII — THE TABERNACLE
8. God Dwells Among His People
Read Exodus 25:8
“And let them make me a sanctuary; that I may dwell among them.”
The Tabernacle becomes central to Israel's worship.
Match the Item with Its Major Theme
Brazen Altar — __________________________
Laver — _________________________________
Menorah — _______________________________
Table of Shewbread — ____________________
Altar of Incense — _______________________
Veil — __________________________________
Ark of the Covenant — ___________________
Mercy Seat — ____________________________
Major Themes
Use these concepts:
Sacrifice • Cleansing • Light • Provision • Prayer • Restricted Access • Covenant • Atonement/Mercy
PART IX — ISRAEL AND AFRICA CONTINUE TO INTERSECT
Africa does not disappear after the Exodus.
Egypt and Cush continue appearing throughout the Old Testament.
One important example is Ebed-melech the Ethiopian/Cushite.
Read Jeremiah 38:7–13 and Jeremiah 39:15–18
Ebed-melech intervened when Jeremiah had been thrown into a dungeon.
God later told him:
“For I will surely deliver thee... because thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the LORD.” — Jeremiah 39:18
Observation
What did Ebed-melech do for Jeremiah?
Why did God promise to deliver Ebed-melech?
Key Lesson
The passage emphasizes something deeper than ethnicity:
Ebed-melech trusted God.
PART X — FROM ISRAELITE RELIGION TO SECOND TEMPLE JUDAISM
We should distinguish different historical periods.
Trace the Development
Patriarchs
↓
Israel in Egypt
↓
Exodus
↓
Sinai Covenant
↓
Tabernacle
↓
Israel in Canaan
↓
Davidic Monarchy
↓
Solomon's Temple
↓
Prophets
↓
Exile
↓
Return
↓
Second Temple Period
↓
Judaism in the time of Jesus
Important Study Principle
We should not automatically take everything associated with later Judaism and project it backward onto Abraham or Moses.
There was historical development.
The Hebrew Scriptures, covenant, priesthood, Temple, exile, foreign domination, synagogue life, and interpretation of Torah all contributed to the Jewish world into which Jesus was born.
PART XI — JEWISH COMMUNITIES IN AFRICA
Before the birth of Jesus, Jewish communities existed outside Judea, including significant communities in Egypt.
Alexandria became an important center of Jewish intellectual and religious life.
The translation of Hebrew Scripture into Greek associated with the Septuagint tradition arose within this Hellenistic Jewish environment.
This demonstrates something important:
Judaism was already geographically international before Christianity began.
PART XII — JESUS AND AFRICA
9. Jesus Goes to Egypt
Read Matthew 2:13–15
Joseph receives the command:
“Arise, and take the young child and his mother, and flee into Egypt...” — Matthew 2:13
Once again, Egypt functions as a place of refuge.
Compare
Jacob's family: Canaan → Egypt
Jesus' family: Judea → Egypt
What similarities do you notice?
PART XIII — SIMON OF CYRENE
Read Matthew 27:32
Simon of Cyrene was compelled to carry Jesus' cross.
Cyrene was located in North Africa, in the region of modern Libya.
Reflection
Africa therefore appears not only in the Old Testament story but also directly within the Gospel narrative surrounding Christ's crucifixion.
PART XIV — AFRICA AT PENTECOST
Read Acts 2:5–11
Luke identifies people from:
“Egypt, and in the parts of Libya about Cyrene...” — Acts 2:10
The public proclamation of the Gospel at Pentecost therefore included hearers connected with Africa.
Observation Question
What does the geographical diversity of Acts 2 tell us about the intended reach of the Gospel?
PART XV — THE ETHIOPIAN OFFICIAL
10. Acts 8:26–40
This passage provides one of the clearest direct connections between Africa, Israel's Scriptures, and the Gospel.
The Ethiopian official had traveled to Jerusalem.
On his return journey, he was reading Isaiah.
Philip approached him.
Trace the Progression
Ethiopia
↓
Jerusalem
↓
Prophet Isaiah
↓
Isaiah's suffering-servant passage
↓
Philip
↓
Jesus Christ
↓
Faith
↓
Baptism
↓
“He went on his way rejoicing.”
Read Acts 8:35
“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
This verse is crucial.
Philip begins with the Hebrew prophetic Scripture and explains Jesus Christ.
Workbook Question
What does this teach us about the relationship between the Old Testament and the Gospel?
PART XVI — CHRISTIANITY IN AFRICA
Christianity subsequently became established in several parts of Africa during antiquity.
Important African Christian regions eventually included:
Egypt and Alexandria
North Africa
Nubia
Aksum/Ethiopia
This occurred centuries before modern European colonialism.
Therefore, Christianity should not historically be described simply as:
“a European religion brought to Africa.”
Christianity began within a Jewish setting in the eastern Mediterranean and spread very early into Africa, Asia, and Europe.
PART XVII — ETHIOPIAN CHRISTIANITY
By the fourth century AD, the Kingdom of Aksum had become an established Christian kingdom.
Over time, Ethiopian Christianity developed a distinctive Christian tradition characterized by such features as:
Geʽez Scripture and worship
strong Old Testament imagery
Ark and tabot traditions
priesthood
extensive fasting
sacred-space traditions
a broader biblical canon
preservation of 1 Enoch
preservation of Jubilees
These features should be studied historically rather than assuming every later Ethiopian practice originated directly in biblical Israel.
THE COMPLETE STUDY TIMELINE
Fill in the missing stages:
Ancient African Civilizations
↓
Abraham enters __________________
↓
Hagar the __________________
↓
Joseph in __________________
↓
Israel multiplies in __________________
↓
The __________________
↓
Covenant at __________________
↓
The Tabernacle
↓
Israel in __________________
↓
David and Solomon
↓
The Temple
↓
Prophets
↓
Exile
↓
Second Temple __________________
↓
Jesus Christ
↓
Jesus' family enters __________________
↓
Simon of __________________
↓
Pentecost
↓
The __________________ Official — Acts 8
↓
Ancient African Christianity
↓
Alexandria / Egypt
↓
Aksum / Ethiopia
↓
Geʽez Christian Tradition
THREE IMPORTANT DISTINCTIONS
1. Similarity Does Not Automatically Mean Identity
African traditional religions and Old Testament religion sometimes contain comparable concepts:
Creator
spiritual realm
sacrifice
priesthood
sacred space
purification
community
ancestry
But comparable concepts do not prove that the religions were identical.
2. Israel's Faith Was Covenantal
Israel's worship was governed by God's revealed covenant.
The question was not merely:
“Is this practice spiritual?”
The question was:
“Has the LORD commanded it?”
This explains why Scripture can recognize a spiritual realm while simultaneously forbidding:
necromancy
sorcery
consulting familiar spirits
forbidden divination
worship of other gods.
3. Christianity Emerged from the Biblical Story of Israel
Christianity did not begin as a European religious system.
Jesus and His earliest disciples existed within the world of Israel and Second Temple Judaism.
The New Testament repeatedly presents Jesus in relationship to:
Abraham
David
Moses
the Prophets
Passover
Temple
priesthood
sacrifice
covenant
The book of Hebrews particularly demonstrates how the Tabernacle and priesthood provide a theological framework for understanding Christ's redemptive work.
DEEPER STUDY
Read:
Exodus 25:8–22
What does the Tabernacle reveal about God's desire to dwell among His people?
Read:
Jeremiah 39:15–18
What does God's treatment of Ebed-melech teach about faith?
Read:
Isaiah 53:4–7 and Acts 8:30–35
How does Philip interpret Isaiah's prophecy?
Read:
Hebrews 9:1–14
List the Tabernacle objects mentioned:
What does Hebrews teach concerning Christ?
OBSERVATION QUESTIONS
1. Which African nation provided refuge for Abraham during famine?
2. What nationality does Genesis give Hagar?
3. Where did Jacob's descendants multiply?
4. What covenant did God establish with Israel after the Exodus?
5. Why was the Tabernacle constructed?
6. Who was Ebed-melech?
7. Where did Joseph take Mary and Jesus for safety?
8. Where was Simon of Cyrene associated geographically?
9. Which African regions are represented in Acts 2?
10. What Scripture was the Ethiopian official reading?
11. Who explained the passage to him?
12. Who did Philip preach from that Scripture?
REFLECTION QUESTIONS
1.
How has this study changed your understanding of Africa's presence within biblical history?
2.
Why is it important to distinguish biblical text, historical evidence, and later religious tradition?
3.
What is the difference between recognizing similarities between African religious practices and biblical practices and claiming that they are the same religion?
4.
Why is the Exodus essential for understanding Israel's identity?
5.
How does Acts 8 connect Africa, the Hebrew Scriptures, and Jesus Christ?
PERSONAL APPLICATION
The central message of this study is not ultimately about geography or ethnicity.
It is about God's redemptive purpose working through history.
God called Abraham.
God preserved Jacob's household.
God delivered Israel.
God established His covenant.
God dwelt among His people.
God spoke through the prophets.
And the New Testament declares that the Scriptures ultimately direct us toward Christ.
The Ethiopian official asked Philip to explain what he was reading.
Philip:
“began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.” — Acts 8:35
Ask Yourself
When I study the Old Testament, am I looking carefully at its historical context while also recognizing the redemptive themes that the New Testament connects to Christ?
Do I distinguish what Scripture actually says from what later traditions say about Scripture?
Am I willing, like the Ethiopian official, to search the Scriptures and respond when truth is made clear?
KEY TRUTH TO REMEMBER
Africa is woven throughout biblical history, but Africa, Israel, Judaism, and Christianity should not be collapsed into one religious system. Their histories repeatedly intersect, while Scripture gives Israel a distinctive covenant identity and presents Jesus Christ within that covenantal and prophetic story.
Memory Verse
Acts 8:35
“Then Philip opened his mouth, and began at the same scripture, and preached unto him Jesus.”
Closing Prayer
Father, give me wisdom and understanding as I study Your Word and the history surrounding it. Help me distinguish clearly between what Scripture declares, what history can demonstrate, and what later traditions claim. Open my understanding to see the unity of Your redemptive purpose throughout Scripture. As Philip began with the Scripture and preached Jesus, teach me to handle Your Word faithfully and to see Christ according to the testimony You have given. Give me a heart that searches Your Word, receives truth, and walks obediently before You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
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