The Rescue of Jerusalem: The Alliance Between Hebrews and Africans in 701 BC

Steven Greenhalgh is the research librarian in the Department of Public
Health Sciences at the University of Alberta.

The Rescue of Jerusalem examines the Assyrian invasion of the Kingdom of
Judah, as well as the Assyrians’ sudden retreat, which the Bible
attributes to divine intervention. Aubin proposes that Jerusalem was
spared destruction by the arrival of an Egyptian–Kushite army. Such an
intervention not only saved Jerusalem and its inhabitants, but also had
far-reaching effects, as it preserved Jewish religion and culture, and
thus allowed for the rise of Christianity and Islam in later centuries.

While the suggestion of an Egyptian–Kushite army—that is, an
Egyptian army under Kushite (and therefore black) leadership—is not a
new theory, Aubin states that since the late 19th century (when
Europeans were colonizing Africa) it has been downplayed by scholars as
a result of racism. Aubin further adds that the rescue of Jerusalem,
whether through divine intervention or an Egyptian–Kushite army, led
to a change in the Jewish perception of God. Aubin remarks that until
701 B.C., God or Yahweh was perceived as just one god among many, but
after Jerusalem was spared, Yahweh reigned supreme.

Aubin’s purpose in writing The Rescue of Jerusalem is clearly defined
in the book’s introduction, and his thesis and principal source
material are equally noted. Moreover, a large section of the book is
devoted to citation, and provides a means to corroborate his findings.
As he explains, a lack of citation is one of his critiques of previous
scholarship on Kushite Egypt.

Aubin’s fine book brings to light a discarded theory and offers a
revised look at Kushite Egypt, which scholars have often dismissed as
“a broken reed.”