Curse of Ham

The Drunkenness of Noah by Giovanni Bellini, depicting Ham (center) laughing at his father, while Shem and Japheth cover him.

The Curse of Ham (more properly called the curse of Canaan) refers to the curse that Ham's father Noah placed upon Ham's son Canaan, after Ham "saw his father's nakedness" because of drunkenness in Noah's tent.

Some Biblical scholars see the "curse of Ham" story as an early Hebrew rationalization for Israel's conquest and enslavement of the Canaanites, who were presumed to descend from Canaan.

The "curse of Ham" has been used by some members of Abrahamic religions to justify racism and the enslavement of people of African ancestry, who were thought to be descendants of Ham (often called Hamites), either through Canaan or his older brothers. This racist theory was common during the 18th-20th centuries, but has been largely abandoned even by the most conservative theologians since the mid-20th century.

The curse of Ham in the Hebrew Bible

The source of the "curse of Ham" theology comes from Book of Genesis 9:20-27, which deals with the story of Noah's family, soon after the flood:

20 And Noah began to be an husbandman, and he planted a vineyard: 21 And he drank of the wine, and was drunken; and he was uncovered within his tent. 22 And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father, and told his two brethren without. 23 And Shem and Japheth took a garment, and laid it upon both their shoulders, and went backward, and covered the nakedness of their father; and their faces were backward, and they saw not their father's nakedness. 24 And Noah awoke from his wine, and knew what his younger son had done unto him. 25 And he said, Cursed be Canaan; a servant of servants shall he be unto his brethren. 26 And he said, Blessed be the LORD God of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant. 27 God shall enlarge Japheth, and he shall dwell in the tents of Shem; and Canaan shall be his servant.

Nowhere is Ham cursed for his actions, instead the curse falls only upon his youngest son Canaan; hence the very phrase "Curse of Ham" is actually a misnomer. The phrase "expose father's nakedness" is used several times elsewhere in the Pentateuch as a euphemism for having sexual relations with one's mother.

Leviticus 20:11

If a man has sexual intercourse with his father’s wife, he has exposed his father’s nakedness.

Leviticus 18:7-8

You must not expose your father’s nakedness by having sexual intercourse with your mother. She is your mother; you must not have intercourse with her. 8 You must not have sexual intercourse with your father’s wife; she is your father’s nakedness.

This could explain the severity of the curse, a severity which seems unwarranted for merely observing Noah unclothed.

Interpretations of the curse of Ham

Modern interpretations

Some believe that the curse of Ham is an early Hebrew rationalization for Israel's conquest and enslavement of the Canaanites, who were presumed to descend from Canaan.

A possible explanation for pronouncing the curse on Ham's youngest instead of his eldest son, as might be more traditionally expected, or directly at Ham himself is that the story is implying Canaan was the incestuous offspring of Ham and his mother, although this requires interpreting Noah's cursing Canaan by name as occurring later. To see Canaan as more than just cursed but also a product of matriarchal incest would exacerbate his and the Canaanites' contemptible status.

Interpretations based on race

Early Jewish interpretations

Whatever the claims and counterclaims of various racial doctrines, the biblical passage, Book of Genesis 9:20-27, which deals with the "curse of Ham" and Noah's family makes no reference to skin color or race. The word "Ham" in Hebrew moreover means "hot" or "multitude," and is thus not necessarily a racial reference. The word "Cush" by contrast means "black" and direct references are made to Cushite and/or Ethiopian individuals in the Biblical narrative, such as the wife of Moses, Zerah the Ethiopian army commander (2 Chronicles 14:9-15) and Tirhakah, Cushite Pharoah of Egypt (2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9). Whatever the ethnic origins or skin colors of the Cushites, no curse is pronounced on either Ham, or Cush. The curse of servitude pronounced is on Caanan, one of Ham's sons. This is not a racial but geographic referent.

And he said, Cursed be Canaan; Let him be a bondman of bondmen to his brethren. And he said, Blessed be Jehovah, the God of Shem, And let Canaan be his bondman. Let God enlarge Japheth, and let him dwell in the tents of Shem, And let Canaan be his bondman.

The Caanites, typically associated with the region of the Levant (Palestine, Lebanon, etc.) were later subjugated by the Hebrews when they left bondage in Egypt according to the Biblical narrative. In this sense, the "curse" is rather a prediction - they became "servants of servants," under the hegemony of the ex-slaves from Egypt. Ham's other sons include the Mizraim (sometimes associated with Egypt), Cush (sometimes associated with Assyria, the Sudan, Yemen or Ethiopia) and Phut (sometimes associated with Somalia (East Africa) or alternatively Libya or the land of Punt. (Redford, Donald B. Egypt, Canaan, and Israel in Ancient Times.)

As for the alleged inferiority of the Hamitic descendants made by various claimants, it is directly contradicted by the Biblical narrative. Indeed that narrative shows the descendants of Ham constructing or maintaining a variety of sophisticated cultures - ranging from the kingships of Egypt (Book of Exodus), to the empire building of Nimrod of Cush (Genesis 10: 6-11) to the commercial activity and well developed agriculture and urbanization of the Caananites (Book of Joshua) . The Biblical narrative as to Noah's son's after the deluge does not appear to have anything to do specifically with race. The classical Negroid, Caucasoid or Mongoloid categories are not mentioned or defined, nor do such groups as Australoids or Oceanic peoples appear. Indeed one of the three "races" alleged - Shem, details the descendants of certain Semitic speaking peoples, a linguistic, not a racial reference. In short, the Bible makes no definition of blacks, nor does it assign them to any racial hierarchies.

The actual writings of Moses assign no racial characteristics or rankings to Ham, nor do they pronounce a curse on Ham, or blacks. Indeed Moses married a Cushite, one of the reputed descendants of Ham, according to the Biblical narrative (Book of Numbers, Chapter 12). Despite this, a number of early Jewish writers have interpreted the Biblical narrative of Ham in what is deemed to be a racial way. Early Jewish scholars used the Genesis passage, and the idea that the Hamitic people were to be a "servant of servants," to rationalize the Israelite subjugation of Cush's younger brother, Canaan. These scholars, working around the 6th century AD, introduced the idea that Ham was marked by dark skin. From the Babylonian Talmud, Sanhedrin 108b: "Our Rabbis taught: Three copulated in the ark, and they were all punished—the dog, the raven, and Ham. The dog was doomed to be tied, the raven expectorates [his seed into his mate's mouth]. and Ham was smitten in his skin."{Talmud Bavli, Sanhedrin 108b}

Early Islamic interpretations

There is no mention of the 'Curse of Ham' in the Qur'an. The Prophet Noah was a prophet of Allah and consequently is not expected to be drunk with wine, nor curse at his son/grandson. Muslim scholars do not ever differentiate between people of various colors as the Qur'an states that all men are equal irrespective of race, skin color or ethnicity:

Holy Qur’an 49:13

O mankind! We created you from a single (pair) of a male and a female, and made you into nations and tribes, that ye may know each other (not that ye may despise each other). Verily the most honored of you in the sight of God is (he who is) the most righteous of you. And God has full knowledge and is well acquainted (with all things).

Early Christian interpretations

Many pre-modern Christian scholars and sources provide a wealth of data on the subject of the connection between the curse of Ham, race and slavery:

Origen (circa 185-c. 254): “For the Egyptians are prone to a degenerate life and quickly sink to every slavery of the vices. Look at the origin of the race and you will discover that their father Cham, who had laughed at his father’s nakedness, deserved a judgment of this kind, that his son Chanaan should be a servant to his brothers, in which case the condition of bondage would prove the wickedness of his conduct. Not without merit, therefore, does the discolored posterity imitate the ignobility of the race [Non ergo immerito ignobilitatem decolor posteritas imitatur].” Homilies on Genesis 16.1

“Mar Ephrem the Syrian said: When Noah awoke and was told what Canaan did. . .Noah said, ‘Cursed be Canaan and may God make his face black,’ and immediately the face of Canaan changed; so did of his father Ham, and their white faces became black and dark and their color changed.” Paul de Lagarde, Materialien zur Kritik und Geschichte des Pentateuchs (Leipzig, 1867), part II

The Eastern Christian work, the Cave of Treasures (4th century), explicitly connects slavery with dark-skinned people: “When Noah awoke. . .he cursed him and said: ‘Cursed be Ham and may he be slave to his brothers’. . .and he became a slave, he and his lineage, namely the Egyptians, the Abyssinians, and the Indians. Indeed, Ham lost all sense of shame and he became black and was called shameless all the days of his life, forever.” La caverne des trésors: version Géorgienne, ed. Ciala Kourcikidzé, trans. Jean-Pierre Mahé, Corpus scriptorium Christianorum orientalium 526-27, Scriptores Iberici 23-24 (Louvain, 1992-93), ch. 21, 38-39 (translation).

Ishodad of Merv (Syrian Christian bishop of Hedhatha, 9th century): When Noah cursed Canaan, “instantly, by the force of the curse. . .his face and entire body became black [ukmotha]. This is the black color which has persisted in his descendants.” C. Van Den Eynde, Corpus scriptorium Christianorum orientalium 156, Scriptores Syri 75 (Louvain, 1955), p. 139.

Eutychius, Alexandrian Melkite patriarch (d. 940): “Cursed be Ham and may he be a servant to his brothers… He himself and his descendants, who are the Egyptians, the Negroes, the Ethiopians and (it is said) the Barbari.” Patrologiae cursus completes…series Graeca, ed. J.P. Migne (Paris, 1857-66), Pococke’s (1658-59) translation of the Annales, 111.917B (sec. 41-43)

Ibn al-Tayyib (Arabic Christian scholar, Baghdad, d. 1043): “The curse of Noah affected the posterity of Canaan who were killed by Joshua son of Nun. At the moment of the curse, Canaan’s body became black and the blackness spread out among them.” Joannes C.J. Sanders, Commentaire sur la Genèse, Corpus Scriptorum Christianorum Orientalium 274-275, Scriptores Arabici 24-25 (Louvain, 1967), 1:56 (text), 2:52-55 (translation).

Bar Hebraeus (Syrian Christian scholar, 1226-86): “‘And Ham, the father of Canaan, saw the nakedness of his father and showed [it] to his two brothers.’ That is…that Canaan was cursed and not Ham, and with the very curse he became black and the blackness was transmitted to his descendents…. And he said, ‘Cursed be Canaan! A servant of servants shall he be to his brothers.’” Sprengling and Graham, Barhebraeus’ Scholia on the Old Testament, pp. 40-41, to Gen 9:22.

See also: Phillip Mayerson, “Anti-Black Sentiment in the Vitae Patrum,” Harvard Theological Review, vol. 71, 1978, pp. 304-311.

Early European interpretations

In the middle ages, European scholars of the Bible picked up on the Jewish Talmud idea of viewing the "sons of Ham" or Hamites as cursed, possibly "blackened" by their sins. Though early arguments to this effect were sporadic, they became increasingly common during the slave trade of the 18th and 19th Centuries. The justification of slavery itself through the sins of Ham was well suited to the ideological interests of the elite; with the emergence of the slave trade, its racialized version justified the exploitation of a ready supply of African labour. This interpretation of Scripture was never adopted by the African Coptic Churches.

The curse of Ham in Mormonism

In Mormonism, the racial interpretation of the curse of Ham was introduced as part of restored Biblical passages of the Bible. These passages, known as The Pearl of Great Price, were according to Joseph Smith and the Church of Latter Day Saints, lost to corruption over time. In this, the LDS church affirms that the Bible had originally contained these passages as either part of Genesis, or part of two other books written by the two most significant Jewish prophets of the Bible: The Book of Moses and The Book of Abraham.

In the Book of Moses chapter 7 verses 8 & 22 show clear references to blackness as a physical description of a curse.

Chapter 7:8 For behold, the Lord shall curse the land with much heat, and the barrenness thereof shall go forth forever; and there was a blackness came upon all the children of Canaan, that they were despised among all people. Chapter 7:22 And Enoch also beheld the residue of the people which were the sons of Adam; and they were a mixture of all the seed of Adam save it was the seed of Cain, for the seed of Cain were black, and had not place among them.

The Book of Abraham also has references particularly identifying the Canaanites and Ham as ancestors of the first Egyptian dynasty.

According to the Church of Latter-Day Saints, these selections from the Book of Moses, said to be discovered and translated by Joseph Smith, were inspired by God. They are considered restored truths to the Bible text that had become lost or changed since the original words were written. These restored truths clarified doctrine and improved scriptural understanding.

The first recorded indication of his acceptance of the doctrine is found in a parenthetical reference as early as 1831. (Manuscript History 19 June 1831). Although it is argued that Smith may have been influenced by the popular perceptions of his time, he crystallized this perception as divinely inspired religious truth, and incorporated it as part of the scriptural doctrine of the Pearl of Great Price, which is currently in use as canon scripture by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

The curse of Ham in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

After the death of Joseph Smith, Jr., Brigham Young, the church's second president, was a vocal advocate of the doctrine that people of African ancestry were under the curse of Ham, and that this curse was a rationalization for slavery and societal bans on interracial marriage. They also stated that the day would come when this curse would be made null and void through the saving powers of Jesus Christ. (Simonsen, Reed, "If Ye Are Prepared," pp. 243-266).

In addition, based on his interpretation of the Book of Abraham, Young also believed that as a result of this curse, modern people of African descent were banned from receiving the Mormon priesthood but they were allowed to join the church. He believed this curse remained in people with even a single black ancestor. Every President of the Church from Joseph Smith to David O. McKay stated that the day would come when full priesthood membership would be given to all men. In 1978, after much prayer and fasting on the matter, President Spencer W. Kimball of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints received a revelation which officially extended the Priesthood to all worthy males.

The curse of Ham in Nuwaubian mythology

The Nuwaubians, a black supremacist cult founded by convicted child molestor Dwight York, reversed the usual racist interpretation of the curse of Ham. In their teaching, the curse was leprosy which in its extreme form whitened the skins of the Canaanites.

See also

• Ham, son of Noah
• Hamitic
• Sons of Noah
• Curse and mark of Cain

References

ISBN links support NWE through referral fees

• Goldenberg, David M., The curse of Ham : race and slavery in early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University Press, c2003, ISBN 069111465X.
• Haynes, Stephen R., Noah’s curse : the biblical justification of American slavery, Oxford, New York: Oxford University Press, 2002. ISBN 0195142799.

External links

All links are retrieved November 14, 2007.

• Messenger and Advocate, Centerplace.org
• Land of the Till Murder, Emmetttillmurder.com, 2007
• Book of Jasher, Chapter 7,The Internet Sacred Text Archive. 2007. An account of the theft of the garment by Ham is found in Jasher 7:24-29.
• Black people cursed in the Bible, Afrostyly.

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