Re: Solomon was 'black'?

READER QUESTION:
My uncle told me that Solomon was black. I say no way because he was Jewish and David and Bathsheba were both Jewish, then he said there are black Jews (but they were converted, right?) So I asked Chapter and verse: SS1:5-6 I think that's the woman speaking, that maybe she was black. Since it said black in the Bible, I figured it really was race. What do you say?

VW ANSWER:
Solomon was Hebrew. (Gen14:13, Ex1:15) [The term "Jew" came about more during the days after Israel (the northern kingdom) had been taken captive, and it was Judah (southern kingdom) left, and dealing with Babylon. The word "Jewish" first appears in 2Ki18, and "Jew" in Esther] Abraham and Sarah migrated over from Ur, what is today Iraq, near Iran. For that matter, after the flood, that's where -all- humanity migrated from.

What color was the skin of Noah's family?

Without going into details we don't wish to get into here, it is thought that humanity started out more "fair" skinned. Those who hold to a "water canopy" (Gen1:6-7) theory of the pre-diluvian earth suggest that the greater shielding from the sun's rays made darker pigmentation unnecessary, which is also partly related to the greater life longevity we read about in Genesis. After the flood, as people migrated, what do we see today? The closer to the poles one goes, the fairer the skin colors; and closer to the equator, the darker...whether Africa, Indonesia, India, the indigenous peoples of northern Australia, etc.

Since these skin tones today are part of the genetic makeup, one has to wonder but what some 'event' took place back during those early days, after the people had been scattered due to the languages, and the earth was "divided" (Gen10:25); once people were more-or-less 'in' their respective regions, as she says, "...because I am black, because the sun has looked upon me" (SS1:6); that this (sun) event not only gave the less-protected people a dark 'tan', but also embedded it into their genetics? What were God's ways in these matters?

But, lacking any Scriptural word to the contrary, or otherwise, we would assume Solomon was of the heritage with 'lighter' skin tones; since that is the predominant makeup of Israel.

Yes, today there are 'black' Jews found in the mid and lower African continent. But this, in the years 'after' the dispersion. Why are they black? Due to intermarriage into the black gene pool? (black being a "dominant" gene) We should remember that one of the reasons Israel was dispersed was due to their idolatry, as they traded in marriage with the surrounding nations. They started doing it in the wilderness (Num25), and they hark back to it after the Babylonian captivity (Ezr9:14) So, after several millennia of intermarriage, what happens to the diaspora?

Also: remember that Solomon had 1000 wives and concubines. One of his wives was an Egyptian princess. What were the rest of those 999? Many were from the pagans surrounding Israel. (1Ki11:1-3) The queen of Sheba came to visit. And it says that Solomon gave her, "all her desire" (1Ki10:13) Seeing as how Solomon was a ladies' man....what did that (all her desire) include? ...since it says that when she saw all of Solomon's spendor that it "took her breath away" (1Ki10:5) So....for all of his women, it wouldn't surprise me in the least that he had a black woman (as recorded in SS), or two...or more. That didn't mean -they- were 'Jewish'. But Solomon was.

And just because Solomon was with a black woman, doesn't mean Solomon was black. The greater likelihood is that he was not. His father, David, was a red-head (1Sa16:12), as that gene also came from Isaac or Rebekah to Esau. (Gen25:25) Yes, there are red-headed blacks; but usually red-heads are also fair-skinned.

However, when it comes right down to it: Scripture doesn't address the matter one way or the other.