Curse of Ham

Author’s Note: This post talks about some very racist ideas. We here at Spirituality & Religious Studies DO NOT agree with ANY racist rhetoric at all, EVER! If this post triggers you, please move on to 1 of our other posts. Thank you.

In the Book of Genesis, the curse of Ham is described as a curse that was imposed upon Ham’s son, Canaan, by the patriarch Noah. It happens in the context of Noah’s drunkenness & it’s provoked by a “shameful” act that was perpetrated by Noah’s son, Ham, who “saw the nakedness of his father.”

The exact reason for Ham’s transgressions & the reason Noah cursed Canaan when Ham had sinned has been debated for over 2,000 years.

The story’s original purpose may have been to justify the biblical subjection of the Canaanites to the Israelites, or a land claim to a portion of the New Kingdom of Egypt, which ruled Canaan in the late Bronze Age.

In later centuries, the narrative was interpreted by some Jews, Christians, & Muslims as an explanation for black skin. As well as a justification for the enslavement of black people. Many Christians, Muslims, & Jews now disagree with such interpretations. Because in the biblical text, Ham himself isn’t cursed. Race or skin color isn’t even mentioned in the text at all, anywhere.

The idea of this curse has its beginnings in Genesis 9:20-27. The story goes:

Noah began to be a farmer. He planted a vineyard. He drank some of the wine that the vineyard produced & enjoyed the drink a little too much. Noah was naked in his tent. Ham (the dad of Canaan) saw Noah’s nakedness. Ham told his 2 brothers. Shem & Jepheth took a garment & put the garment on both their shoulders & covered Noah’s nakedness, while they walked backwards. They kept their faces turned away from Noah so they didn’t see him naked.

Noah woke up from his drunken stupor. He knew what Ham had done. “Cursed be Canaan. A servant of servants will be to his brothers. Blessed be the Lord God of Shem. Canaan will be his servant. God will enlarge Japheth. He’ll live in the tents of Shem. Canaan will be his servant,” Noah said. (Genesis 9:20-27)

The objection of the story may have been to justify the subject status of the Canaanites (the descendants of Ham) to the Israelites (the descendants of Shem). The narrative of the curse is replete with difficulties. It’s uncertain what the exact nature of Ham’s offense is.

In verse 25 of the Genesis story, Noah refers to Shem & Japheth as the “brethren” of Canaan. However, in verse 18, they’re identified as his uncles.

The Table of Nations introduces Canaan & Mizraim (Egypt) among the sons of Ham. The Table of Nations is a genealogy of the sons of Noah & their dispersion into many lands after the Flood. In the Psalms, Egypt is identified with Ham.

A land claim on Canaan, which fell under the rule of the New Kingdom of Egypt in the late Bronze Age, has been suggested as a motive for the curse on Canaan & the association with Ham via Ancient Egypt’s rule over Canaan.

It’s important to realize that the curse was placed/made by Noah, not by God. The curse of Ham (& his descendants) wasn’t confirmed by God. Because the text would mention that, or at least you’d think it would if God had confirmed it. And if God had actually confirmed the curse, then why was the “promised land” called Canaan?

A pesher (interpretation) of the Book of Genesis found among the Dead Sea Scrolls, explains that since Ham was already blessed by God, it made Noah’s curse null & void (Genesis 9:1).

The Book of Jubilees also tells the tale. Jubilees gives a bit more info that Ham had assigned to Canaan a land west of the Nile. All of Noah’s sons agreed to invoke a curse on anyone who tries to seize land that wasn’t assigned to them. Well, Canaan violates this agreement & instead chooses to squat in the land set forth to Shem & his descendants. So Canaan brought on himself the full force of this second curse.

In the past, some groups have claimed that the curse of Ham was a biblical justification for imposing slavery & racial discrimination.

In the 15th century, Dominican Friar Annius of Viterbo invoked Ham’s curse to explain the differences between Europeans & Africans in his writings. Annius doubled down on the racism. He claimed that due to the curse imposed on black people, they would inevitably remain permanently subjugated by Arabs & other Muslims.

Similarly, the Catholic mystic Anne Catherine Emmerich said in her visions that she discovered that black people are, in fact, descendants of Ham.

In 1835, Joseph Smith (founder of the Mormon faith) published a work called the Book of Abraham. Get ready, it’s going to be a very bumpy & cringy ride. This is your trigger warning.

This “work” states that the Pharaoh was a descendant of Ham & the Canaanites. Pharaoh ruled justly & was blessed with wisdom, but was barred from getting into the priesthood because of the curse on Ham. According to the Book of Abraham, ALL Egyptians descended from the Canaanite lineage.

The Book of Abraham was eventually made into Scripture by the Mormon Church. And it is still in active use today. This passage is the only 1 found in any Mormon scripture that bars a particular “lineage” of people from holding the priesthood.

While there’s nothing in the Book of Abraham that explicitly states that Noah’s curse was the same curse that is mentioned in the Bible, or that the Egyptians were related to other black Africans. Some leaders later used the verses of this text as justification for the church policy with regard to the priesthood ban.

The 2002 edition of the Doctrine & Covenants Student Manual pointed to Abraham 1:21-27 as the reason why highly melaninated friends of the male gender weren’t given the priesthood until 1978. That’s 148 years, y’all. Really? That’s almost 150 years, guys. We can’t. We just can’t. And here’s the kicker: they also said that those who tried to abolish slavery were going against the decrees of God.

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Meanwhile, as things heat up in the middle East….

Boosts OK!

Muslim people of fedi, I have a question for you:

Is it okay for an atheist (me) to sometimes use the term "inshallah" when I want to express that I hope something good happens and universe's force leads to that good thing happening, even if I don't believe in the existence of any god, let alone Allah?

It just seems so convenient to use.

Tags: #AskaMuslim #AskMuslims #Islam #Muslim #Muslims #AskFedi #boost

There is frustration among Muslim Palestinians that the West is displaying double standards when it comes to Muslim and Christian worship.

👉A week ago, the United States, Italy, Spain, the Vatican and others strongly rebuked Israel for denying Catholic leaders from worshipping in the Church of the Holy Sepulchre on Palm Sunday. Their statements forced a near-instant reversal from Netanyahu.

By contrast, the Israeli closure of Al-Aqsa has been greeted by western silence.👈

Jordanian MP Saleh al-Armouti, head of the Islamic Action Front parliamentary bloc, has pointedly described the Vatican’s intervention on behalf of the Holy Sepulchre as a “brave and courageous stance”.

“I call on the Pope to demand the opening of the blessed Al-Aqsa Mosque,” he said.

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/top-jerusalem-islamic-official-calls-west-tell-israel-dont-mess-al-aqsa

#christians #muslims #israel #palestine

Agi: Gerusalemme, Pizzaballa entra al Santo Sepolcro. I fedeli restano fuori

AGI - Come aveva promesso il premier israeliano Benjamin Netanyahu, il cardinale Pierbattista Pizzaballa è potuto entrare questa mattina al Santo Sepolcro di Gerusalemme per i riti della Pasqua. Ma com'era stato ugualmente chiarito, i fedeli sono rimasti quasi tutti fuori, tenuti a distanza dai militari israeliani.
I vicoli della Città Vecchia solitamente affollati durante la festa più importante del calendario cristiano questa mattina erano deserti. Le restrizioni imposte da Israele sono state allentate solo per il Patriarca Latino. Chi tentava di avvicinarsi alla chiesa, veniva fermato ai posti di blocco. Solo a un piccolo gruppo di fedeli è stato concesso di avvicinarsi al Santo Sepolcro.
Il messaggio di Pizzaballa e l'impedimento precedente
"Buona Pasqua," ha detto Pizzaballa arrivando poco dopo l'alba alla chiesa, circondato da pochi sacerdoti. Domenica scorsa, domenica delle Palme, gli era stato impedito di entrare per ordine di Netanyahu che oggi ha inviato un messaggio ai cristiani.
Libertà di culto e restrizioni di sicurezza
"In questa terra dove è iniziata la storia, continuiamo a proteggere con fermezza la libertà di culto per tutte le fedi, specialmente in questo momento sacro", ha scritto. L'accesso ai luoghi santi di tutte le fedi è però interdetto dall'inizio della guerra in Iran, il 28 febbraio. Ai musulmani non è stato permesso di pregare alla Spianata delle Moschee durante Ramadan. Ufficialmente, si tratta di misure di sicurezza per evitare rischi di vittime o feriti in caso missili iraniani o detriti cadano sulla Città Vecchia.

Jerusalem, Pizzaballa enters the Holy Sepulchre. The faithful remain outside.

AGI - As promised by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa was able to enter this morning at the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem for the Easter rites. But as had also been equally clarified, the faithful were almost all kept outside, kept at a distance by Israeli soldiers.

The alleys of the Old City, usually crowded during the most important holiday in the Christian calendar, were deserted this morning. Restrictions imposed by Israel were relaxed only for the Latin Patriarch. Anyone attempting to approach the church was stopped at checkpoints. Only a small group of faithful was allowed to approach the Holy Sepulchre.

Pizzaballa's message and the previous impediment
“Happy Easter,” Pizzaballa said upon arriving shortly after dawn at the church, surrounded by a few priests. Last Palm Sunday, he had been prevented from entering by order of Netanyahu, who today sent a message to Christians.

Freedom of worship and security restrictions
“In this land where history began, we continue to firmly protect the freedom of worship for all faiths, especially in this sacred moment,” he wrote. However, access to holy sites of all faiths has been prohibited since the beginning of the war in Iran, on February 28th. Muslims were not allowed to pray at the Temple Mount during Ramadan. Officially, these are security measures to avoid risks of casualties or injuries in the event of Iranian missiles or debris falling on the Old City.

#Jerusalem #Pizzaballa #Israeli #BenjaminNetanyahu #theHolySepulchre #Easter #theOldCity #Christian #Israel #Latin #Netanyahu #Christians #Muslims #TempleMount #Iranian

https://www.agi.it/estero/news/2026-04-05/gerusalemme-pizzaballa-36447166/