Dr. Abejide Olusegun
*SEPHARAD*
The term Sephardim is derived from the word Sephard or Sepharad, which originates from the Persian name Saparda. This name appears once in the Bible in a prophecy by Obadiah to Edom: “And the captivity of this host of the children of Israel shall possess that of the Canaanites, even unto Zarephath; and the captivity of Jerusalem, which is in Sepharad, shall possess the cities of the south.” (Obadiah 1:20)
Sepharad was located in Media, which corresponds to modern-day Iran (the land of the three wise Magi who honored the infant Jesus). Therefore, the people from Sepharad were not descendants of Abraham, as the Medes of Northwest Iran were not Semites but Madaites, descendants of Madai, son of Japheth, and uncle to Ashkenaz. Thus, the population from Sepharad, now known as Sephardic Jews, are Gentile Japhetites, not Semites.
Interestingly, when modern Israel was founded in 1948, the first Muslim countries to recognize it were Turkey and Iran, both non-Semitic and non-Arab nations. This is because the people of these countries share a bloodline with both Ashkenazim and Sephardim. However, the same brothers are fighting today because one, ditto Ashkenaz, is an arrogant one.
The ancient Judahites, or Judeans of Jerusalem—the capital city of the Kingdom of Judah—were in captivity in Sepharad. However, the Lord had promised them deliverance, which occurred in biblical times, shortly after Obadiah’s prophecy to Edom, around the mid-fifth century B.C. Consequently, the Judean captives in Sepharad did return to their homeland.
Many people from Sepharad converted to the religion of their ancient captors, and some Judahites chose to remain, intermingling with the locals, as often happened throughout biblical history during periods of captivity. This might explain why Magi from that region later came to know of the birth of Jesus the Messiah.
It also sheds light on why the largest Jewish community in the Middle East today, outside the ever-expanding borders of the modern Zionist state, is in Iran. Many Iranian Jews refuse to emigrate to Israel, identifying as Iranians who happen to be Jewish rather than Muslims or Christians. Essentially, the Iranian Jews did not fall prey to the ideologies that influenced other Jews to relocate to Israel. And they are not trouble makers and arrogant like the Ashkenazi Jews in Israel today.
Ultimately, many Sephardic Jews emigrated to Europe, particularly to Spain and Portugal, establishing new homes on the Iberian Peninsula, originally settled by Tubal, brother of Japheth and son of Japheth. Blood calls unto blood, doesn’t it? The Spanish Inquisition later forced a significant number of Sephardic Jews to emigrate to North Africa, where they became known as Mizrahi or Oriental Jews today.
Pay attention to something here. The first people to enslave West African peoples were the Portuguese Sephardic Jews. And later, the Spaniards Jews. And the owners of the ships used in transporting the slaves were the Ashkenazi Jews. Let the curious take note of this for the day of reckoning for both the Sephardic and Ashkenazi Jews. Surely, it will soon be the turn of the black people to take revenge. It will happen at the appointed time. It may seem to tarry; wait for it, it will not delay.
It seems that many people today have overlooked the fact that Ancient Israel, particularly the tribe of Judah, was a proselytizing nation with a desire to spread knowledge of and devotion to the [true God] of the Universe. This stands in contrast to Modern Israel and resembles the early Christian Church, which also aimed to share the faith with others. However, at one point, the conversion process became thoroughly corrupted due to Pharisaic teachings. As Jesus pointed out:
“Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye compass sea and land to make one proselyte, and when he is made, ye make him twofold more the child of hell than yourselves.” (Matthew 23:15). When these individuals converted, they did not miraculously become Judahites or Hebrews. How could they? “Judahites and proselytes…” (Acts 2:11).
Pay attention to the words “true God” above. This is because there is a true God, who is the Almighty, who created [human beings]. Additionally, there are “fake gods” who transformed human beings into [humankind]. You may recall the biblical passage that says, “Let us make human beings in our image and likeness.” Those who said “let” are the fake gods that created many of the troubles we are facing in the world today. Including all your fake pastors, GOs, Imams, and the fake traditional. They are all white, brown, and black humankind. I will explain this in detail in the future. Stay tuned.
The people of Sepharad, along with the Ashkenazim and others who adopted the religion of the ancient Judahites, merely claimed to follow the various tenets of the faith while retaining their own cultures and identities. Today, they are identified as Talmudic Jews, Karaite Jews, and Torah Jews. In the first and second printed Bibles, the word “Jew” was NOT in the Bible. It first came into the Bible in the year 1775, which is the third printing of the Bible. I will also write about this in the future. Stay tuned.
Even the prophet Obadiah, who prophesied about the ancient Judahites in Sepharad, was a convert, not a Hebrew. He was an Edomite, the brother of Jacob (Israel), and his territory included parts of present-day Jordan and Palestine.
Why did God choose an Edomite prophet instead of a Hebrew one? God knows that a prophet is often not accepted in his own home—just ask Jesus. Additionally, God wanted Edom to atone for its actions against Jacob, so He called upon an Edomite prophet to deliver His message, knowing that a native prophet would likely be rejected. If God had intended to send an Israelite, He would have chosen someone like Jonah the Hebrew, who preached in Nineveh (modern Iraq) and saw the entire city repent and convert, later becoming known as Karaites or Karaite Jews, much to Jonah’s dismay. Are you following me, people?
As expected, the Edomites did not repent and faced severe consequences—they were entirely wiped out. In contrast, Judah returned home to “possess the cities of the South,” or their Southern Kingdom. “Esau, I have hated, and I have turned his hill country ‘inheritance’ into a wasteland and left his inheritance to the desert jackals.” (Malachi 1:3)
Here, “inheritance” refers to descendants. “Children are an inheritance of the LORD.” (Psalm 127:3). God employed a similar approach with the Hebrews. He sent Jesus, one of their own, to exact judgment for all the prophets they had slain, including Jesus himself. Ultimately, they too faced destruction, but the Church emerged. “Behold, your house is being left to you desolate!” (Matthew 23:38). Just as many churches, big or small, today will soon be left desolate. Wait for it. It shall happen. This is because they are churches of the Pheresis, “monies” and not of Jesus de Christ.
Virulent Zionist Jews seized the land of Palestine and transformed it into Israel in 1945. In doing so, they developed animosity toward Arab Muslims, particularly Palestinian Muslims, despite the shared belief in the God of Abraham. However, during the time of the ancient Hebrews, non-Hebraic proselytes lived peacefully among their Hebraic counterparts, as God commanded. “If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong. The stranger who lives as a foreigner with you shall be to you as the native-born among you, and you shall love him as yourself; for you lived as foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am Yahweh your God.” — Leviticus 19:33-34
One might expect that, given the many similarities between Jews and Muslims, such as circumcision, Zionists would be willing to live in harmony. However, that is not the case. This issue transcends faith; it is not about God, the Bible, or divine promises. It is fundamentally about land—more land—specifically a land without Arabs. Their aim is complete dominance. This obsession has been instilled in the Ashkenazic leaders of Israel and has influenced their coreligionists. They are humankind.
This fixation has led to a pervasive malignancy, resulting in a form of racism that has evolved into a system of apartheid worse than that of South Africa. The situation is so dire that discussions about the genocide of Palestinians have become commonplace, with widespread mistreatment, killing, and bombing of these individuals in the hope that they will leave in despair. Ironically, despite their many similarities, Islam and Judaism diverge significantly in their beliefs about Jesus Christ.
Muslims believe Jesus was born of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, served only as a prophet to the ancient Israelites, was not crucified, ascended to heaven without dying, and is expected to return soon. In contrast, Talmudic Jews regard Jesus as a sorcerer and a demon-possessed liar, condemned to boil in excrement in hell, while his mother, Mary, is described derogatorily. According to the Talmud, in Gittin 56b and 57a, there is a story in which Onkelos summons the spirit of Yeshu (or Yeshua), who threatens Israel, and his punishment in the afterlife involves boiling in excrement.
Additionally, during the 1240 Disputation of Paris, Donin accused the Talmud of blaspheming Mary, the mother of Jesus (“Miriam” in Hebrew), a claim that has been echoed by many Christian sources. The cited texts include Sanhedrin 67a, Sanhedrin 106a, and Shabbath 104b. Thus, it appears that Muslims may hold beliefs that align more closely with the teachings of Christ than do Jews.
To be continued..
Dr. Abejide B. Olusegun had his third master’s degree in Hermeneutics Theology. He hates no one, born to tell the truth.
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