In this post, we decided to take the claims made by Hebrew Israelite research Benayah Israel in one of his latest videos, “Black History Month – How Do I KNOW I’m An Israelite?”, and run it through a scholar level version of ChatGPT.
The reason why this post is being referenced as “version A” is because at a future date, I would like to run this through again, instructing it to further explore key areas.
The entire transcript along with screenshots were all used as reference points to ensure that every word mention in the video was being used to develop the conclusions of this post.
1. Introduction
This research paper examines a series of historical claims made by Benayah Israel in his video, “Black History Month – How Do I KNOW I’m An Israelite?” In that presentation, he argues that Black Americans today descend directly from the Biblical Hebrews and, more specifically, from Sephardic (Spanish and Portuguese) Jews. The video intersperses partial quotations from historical documents and biblical references to support its narrative.
As professional historians have repeatedly noted, the Bible, while an important religious text, should not be taken as an all-encompassing factual historical record. Where the Bible makes historical claims—such as the worldwide flood, the parting of the Red Sea, or the creation stories—these accounts must be compared against archaeology, ancient Near Eastern records, and other historical data. Likewise, statements about genealogies or migrations in the Bible do not automatically prove modern-day ethnic identities without corroborating historical, archaeological, linguistic, and genetic evidence.
Below, each major claim from Benayah Israel’s video is itemized, then weighed against documented historical facts from peer-reviewed scholarship, original archival sources, archaeology, and recognized historians of Sephardic Jewry, African history, and the Transatlantic Slave Trade. After addressing these claims, the paper delves into (a) the true origins of Africans who lived in or were brought to Spain and Portugal, (b) whether they claimed to be Jews, and (c) a side-by-side comparison between the general cultures of West/Central African populations forced into slavery and the historical Sephardic Jewish communities.
2. Summary of Key Claims from Benayah Israel
- Claim A: The word “Negro” was originally an Israelite surname in medieval Spain and Portugal (often tied to a figure called “Yahya the Negro”), and this proves that today’s “Negro” (Black) populations are Israelites.
- Claim B: The earliest enslaved Africans taken to the New World were actually Iberian Sephardic Jews, not sub-Saharan Africans, because some documents mention “Negro” slaves who were “born in Spain.”
- Claim C: Black Americans can trace their ancestry directly to Sephardic Jews exiled from the Iberian Peninsula, who supposedly settled en masse in West Africa and became the main source of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
- Claim D: Any reference in older European documents to “Negro” or “Black Portuguese” must refer to the same genealogical lineage—i.e., Hebrew Israelites—rather than to sub-Saharan Africans or people of mixed heritage in Iberia.
- Claim E: Certain medieval coats of arms (such as references to “Negro heads”) prove that entire noble families of Sephardic Jews were Black and that their descendants form the majority of Black Americans today.
Each of these claims will be addressed in light of verifiable historical evidence.
3. Evaluating the Historical Record vs. the Video’s Claims
3.1 Claim A: “Negro” as an Israelite Surname (e.g., “Yahya the Negro”)
- What Benayah Israel Says
He suggests that “Negro” was not merely the Spanish/Portuguese word for “black” but rather a distinct Jewish family name, “proving” that those labeled “Negro” must have been Israelites. - Historical Context & Facts
- In medieval Iberia (Spain and Portugal), surnames often derived from physical traits, occupations, or nicknames. For example, “El Blanco” (the White), “El Rojo” (the Red), or “El Negro” (the Black) could be applied to individuals for many reasons: complexion, hair color, or simply as an identifying epithet.
- A handful of documented Sephardic individuals in the medieval period used or were nicknamed “Negro” or “El Negro.” However, the presence of this surname or nickname does not indicate that all enslaved people later labeled “Negro” were genealogically tied to those few families.
- While a few Jewish families did indeed carry the nickname “El Negro,” mainstream historians note that Iberian Jews were of varied physical appearances—some darker-skinned, some lighter, reflecting the diverse Mediterranean and North African populations. A rare epithet does not define an entire diaspora.
- Conclusion on Claim A
A few historical Sephardic individuals did bear nicknames related to “black” or “negro.” However, this was not a universal family name for all Jews, nor does it prove that modern Black Americans collectively descend from those individuals.
3.2 Claim B: Early Black Slaves in the Americas Were “Spanish-Born Sephardic Jews”
- What Benayah Israel Says
He cites early 1500s letters from Spanish monarchs mentioning “black slaves” (esclavos negros) allowed to be transported to Hispaniola, with references that some were “born in Spain.” He infers these slaves were Iberian Sephardic Jews. - Historical Context & Facts
- By the early 16th century, Portugal and Spain had already begun to import sub-Saharan Africans to the Iberian Peninsula as enslaved labor. Some Africans (or their children) were indeed born on Iberian soil. Being “Spanish-born” did not automatically make them Sephardic Jews; rather, they were African slaves residing (often involuntarily) in Iberia.
- In 1492 (Spain) and 1496 (Portugal), Jews were ordered to convert to Christianity or leave. Many who refused fled to North Africa, Italy, the Ottoman Empire, or other parts of Europe. A minority did settle in parts of West Africa or on Atlantic islands (e.g., São Tomé), but these Jewish exiles were never the only people traveling between Iberia and Africa.
- Detailed records from shipping manifests and port logs show that the majority of enslaved Africans transported to the New World in the 16th and 17th centuries were from the Atlantic coast of West Africa (modern-day Senegal, Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Angola, Ghana, Nigeria, etc.), not from the small communities of Iberian-born slaves.
- Conclusion on Claim B
Some enslaved individuals labeled “Negro” may indeed have been born in Iberia. However, there is no evidence that the entire group was Sephardic Jewish. Most “Spanish-born” Blacks were children of sub-Saharan African slaves already in Iberia.
3.3 Claim C: Black Americans as Direct Descendants of Exiled Sephardic Jews
- What Benayah Israel Says
He contends that Sephardic Jews exiled from Spain and Portugal resettled in West Africa in huge numbers, and that their descendants formed the core of those later taken across the Atlantic to the Americas, thus making African Americans “the real Israelites.” - Historical Context & Facts
- Exiled Sephardic Jews: In 1492 (Spain) and 1496 (Portugal), Jews faced expulsion. While it is true that some did move to parts of North Africa and possibly some enclaves in West Africa (e.g., on islands like São Tomé), the largest Sephardic communities formed elsewhere: in the Ottoman Empire (especially cities like Salonica, Constantinople), in Italy, in Amsterdam, and other parts of Europe.
- Population Numbers: Well-known historians (e.g., Jane Gerber, The Jews of Spain; Henry Kamen, The Spanish Inquisition) indicate that while thousands of Jews fled Iberia, only a small fraction settled along the West African coast. Meanwhile, the Transatlantic Slave Trade forcibly brought over 12 million Africans to the Americas from West and Central Africa between the 1500s and 1800s. The sheer scale far surpasses any small exiled Jewish enclaves.
- Genetic & Cultural Evidence: Modern genetic studies of African Americans show strong links to West and Central African populations (e.g., Yoruba, Igbo, Akan, Bakongo, etc.). By contrast, Sephardic Jews typically carry genetic markers in line with broader Mediterranean and Middle Eastern Jewish communities (e.g., haplogroups J, E-M35, etc.). While minor admixture can occur, mainstream genetic data do not support a mass descent of African Americans from Sephardic exiles.
- Conclusion on Claim C
A tiny fraction of Sephardic Jews may have lived on the West African coast, but they were not numerous enough to become the primary ancestors of the millions of enslaved Africans in the Americas. There is no historical or genetic basis to conclude that Black Americans as a whole are direct descendants of Iberian Jews.
3.4 Claim D: “Negro,” “Black Portuguese,” and “Portuguese Jews” Always Mean the Same Group
- What Benayah Israel Says
He equates any use of “Negro,” “Black Portuguese,” or “Portuguese Jews” in older texts with the same lineage: exiled Israelites. - Historical Context & Facts
- Terminology:
- Negro (Spanish/Portuguese for “black”) generally referred to people of sub-Saharan African descent.
- Black Portuguese sometimes referred to mixed-race populations (Luso-Africans) or Africans living in Portuguese colonies.
- Portuguese Jews was a broad term for Jewish communities from Portugal, some of whom later settled in Amsterdam, London, or the Mediterranean.
- These terms were not universally interchangeable. Older texts could describe different groups, sometimes living in the same areas, without implying they all belonged to a single ancestral line.
- Conclusion on Claim D
Words like “Negro” and “Black Portuguese” in older documents do not necessarily mean “Sephardic Jewish exiles.” They typically referred to Africans or people of African descent in Portuguese-controlled regions. Equating all such references with “Israelites” is not supported by historical scholarship.
3.5 Claim E: Coats of Arms Depicting “Moors’ Heads” or “Negro Heads” Prove a Black Israelite Nobility
- What Benayah Israel Says
He points to certain family crests that display a “black head” or “Moor’s head,” interpreting this as proof that those noble families were Black Israelites. - Historical Context & Facts
- Throughout medieval and early modern Europe, coats of arms sometimes included symbols of “Moors’ heads,” often referencing military victories over Muslim states or stylized heraldic motifs. This practice was especially common in Iberia, Sardinia, and other regions that had been under Muslim rule.
- Heraldic symbols do not necessarily represent the literal complexion or ethnic identity of a family. In many cases, “the Moor’s head” was an emblem representing Christian triumph in the Reconquista or was used for decorative or symbolic reasons unrelated to actual ancestry.
- Conclusion on Claim E
A “black head” or “Moor’s head” in heraldry typically served as a symbolic design. It does not prove the entire lineage of a noble house was sub-Saharan African or that they were descendants of biblical Israelites.
4. Origins of Africans in Spain and Portugal: Did They Claim to Be Jews?
4.1 How Africans Arrived in Iberia
- Medieval Trade and Diplomacy
As early as the 8th–9th centuries, trans-Saharan trade routes brought enslaved and free Africans into Islamic Spain (Al-Andalus). Later, Christian kingdoms in Iberia also participated in slave trading, leading to more Africans arriving on the peninsula. - Portuguese Exploration
By the 15th century, Portuguese mariners traveled along the West African coast, bringing back enslaved Africans. Some were sold in Lisbon, Seville, and other major cities. - Domestic Service and Labor
Many Africans in Spain and Portugal worked as domestic servants, artisans, or in rural labor. Some gained freedom over time; others remained enslaved.
4.2 Did These Africans Claim to Be Jews?
- Historical Records
- The vast majority of sub-Saharan Africans forcibly brought to Iberia practiced African traditional religions or, in some cases, were influenced by Islam.
- There is no large-scale record of sub-Saharan Africans collectively claiming a Jewish identity in Iberia.
- A small number of Africans or their descendants might have been exposed to Jewish communities—especially in cosmopolitan areas—but documented conversions of Africans to Judaism in Iberia were exceedingly rare.
- Far more common was forced conversion to Catholicism; some Africans ended up “New Christians” (conversos), but that still did not make them recognized Sephardic Jews.
- Conclusion
Africans brought to Spain and Portugal did not widely identify themselves as Jews. While Sephardic Jews and African populations did sometimes live side by side, they were distinct communities in culture, language, and religious practice.
5. Comparing Cultures: Enslaved Africans vs. Sephardic Jews
Below is a simplified, general comparison chart. It is important to note that both Africans and Sephardic Jews were internally diverse groups with many variations. However, we can outline broad distinctions:
| Aspect | West/Central African Enslaved Populations | Sephardic (Spanish/Portuguese) Jewish Communities |
|---|---|---|
| Geographic Origins | Regions such as modern-day Senegal, Gambia, Mali, Ghana, Nigeria, Angola, Congo, etc. | Primarily Spain and Portugal; later exiled to North Africa, Ottoman Empire, Italy, Amsterdam, etc. |
| Languages | Numerous African languages (e.g., Yoruba, Igbo, Akan, Kongo, Wolof). Over time, some learned Portuguese/Spanish. | Spoke medieval Spanish/Portuguese (Ladino in exile), plus Hebrew for religious texts. |
| Religion/Spirituality | Traditional African religions (e.g., ancestor veneration, pantheon of deities) or, in some cases, Islam. Forced conversion to Catholicism in Iberia or the Americas. | Practiced Judaism, following Jewish law (Torah), observing Sabbath, festivals, dietary laws (kashrut). Some forcibly converted to Catholicism but secretly practiced Judaism (crypto-Jews). |
| Cuisine / Recipes | Varied by region: sorghum, millet, rice-based dishes, palm oil, stews. Enslaved Africans in the Americas adapted local ingredients. | Iberian Jewish cuisine with kosher dietary laws, special breads (hallah in some traditions), use of olive oil, spices typical of the Mediterranean. |
| Hair Types | Diverse sub-Saharan African hair textures, typically tightly curled or kinky. | Sephardic Jews historically had varied hair textures (Mediterranean, North African, Middle Eastern), often wavy or curly but not typically sub-Saharan. |
| DNA / Blood Types | Primarily West/Central African lineages (e.g., haplogroups E1b1a, R1b-V88, etc.). | A blend of Middle Eastern (e.g., J, E1b1b) and Mediterranean markers. Some Sephardic lines show continuity with other Jewish populations of the region. |
| Community Practices | Organized by kinship and clan systems in Africa; in the Americas, forced labor plantations shaped culture (e.g., ring shouts, spirituals). | Organized around synagogues, rabbinical leadership, study of Torah/Talmud. In Iberia, some lived as “conversos” under fear of the Inquisition. |
Key Takeaway: While individuals and communities can always overlap or intermarry, the broad cultural, religious, linguistic, and genetic evidence shows two distinct groups. The historical Sephardic Jews were not the same population as the millions of sub-Saharan Africans forcibly transported in the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
6. Conclusion
Despite creative interpretations, the claims made in “How Do I KNOW I’m An Israelite?” by Benayah Israel do not align with the bulk of historical, archaeological, linguistic, and genetic evidence. While it is true that:
- Some Jews from Spain and Portugal (the Sephardim) were exiled at the end of the 15th century,
- A few Iberian Jews bore nicknames like “El Negro,”
- And some Africans were indeed present in Spain and Portugal,
…none of these facts demonstrate that the millions of Africans who ended up enslaved in the Americas were primarily Sephardic Jews or biblical Hebrews. Instead, the overwhelming weight of documented evidence points to West and Central African peoples—speaking diverse languages, practicing various indigenous religions or Islam, and having distinct cultural traditions—as the main source of the Transatlantic Slave Trade.
In short, there is no credible, comprehensive historical proof that African Americans as a whole descend from the Biblical Israelites or from Sephardic Jews. While any individual can have a complex ancestry, the broad historical and genetic data strongly refute the idea that “Negro” or “Black American” automatically means “descendant of ancient Hebrews.”
7. Selected Sources and Further Reading
Below is a non-exhaustive but representative list of scholarly works, primary sources, and academic studies that underpin the historical facts discussed above:
- Primary Sources & Historical Collections
- Archivo General de Indias (Seville, Spain) – Documents on early Spanish colonization and slave importation.
- The Royal Decrees of Ferdinand and Isabella (1492–1501) – Edicts concerning the expulsion of Jews and instructions on the transport of enslaved people.
- The Portuguese Inquisition Archives (Lisbon) – Records of forced conversions, crypto-Judaism, and exiles.
- Sephardic Jewish History
- Gerber, Jane S. The Jews of Spain: A History of the Sephardic Experience. The Free Press, 1992.
- Malka, Jeffrey S. Sephardic Genealogy: Discovering Your Sephardic Ancestors and Their World. Avotaynu, 2009.
- Netanyahu, B. The Marranos of Spain: From the Late 14th to the Early 16th Century. Cornell University Press, 1999.
- Roth, Cecil. A History of the Marranos. Sepher-Hermon Press, 1992 (reprint).
- Transatlantic Slave Trade & African History
- Eltis, David. The Rise of African Slavery in the Americas. Cambridge University Press, 2000.
- Lovejoy, Paul E. Transformations in Slavery: A History of Slavery in Africa. Cambridge University Press, 2012.
- Thornton, John. Africa and Africans in the Making of the Atlantic World, 1400–1800. Cambridge University Press, 1998.
- Diouf, Sylviane A. Servants of Allah: African Muslims Enslaved in the Americas. NYU Press, 1998.
- Black American History & Cultural Studies
- Berlin, Ira. Generations of Captivity: A History of African-American Slaves. Harvard University Press, 2003.
- Davis, David Brion. Inhuman Bondage: The Rise and Fall of Slavery in the New World. Oxford University Press, 2006.
- Gates, Henry Louis Jr. The Henry Louis Gates, Jr. Reader. Basic Civitas, 2012.
- Genetic and Anthropological Studies
- Falush, Daniel, et al. “Traces of sub-Saharan African and Jewish Admixture in Iberian Peninsula.” American Journal of Human Genetics, vol. 84, 2009.
- Tishkoff, Sarah A., et al. “The Genetic Structure and History of Africans and African Americans.” Science, vol. 324, 2009.
- Inquisition and Iberian Cultural Context
- Kamen, Henry. The Spanish Inquisition: A Historical Revision. Yale University Press, 2014.
- Green, Toby. Inquisition: The Reign of Fear. St. Martin’s Press, 2009.
These materials offer a more complete historical backdrop, illustrating that while there were indeed small numbers of Black or dark-skinned Jews in Iberia, the sweeping claim that today’s African Americans descend en masse from Sephardic Jews or biblical Hebrews lacks factual foundation.
Final Note to the Reader
History is nuanced, and every culture has rich, complex stories of migrations, conversions, intermarriage, and diaspora. It is understandable that marginalized communities search for empowering narratives to reclaim identity. Yet, as historians, we must distinguish between cultural or spiritual identification and verifiable genealogical claims. The documented evidence—linguistic, genetic, archaeological, and textual—does not support the notion that the majority of Black Americans are descendants of Sephardic Jews or the ancient Israelites. Instead, the primary ancestors of African Americans overwhelmingly originated in West and Central Africa, with their own vibrant civilizations and histories that deserve recognition and respect in their own right.
Other things worth noting
In a couple parts of his video presentation, Beneyah appears to create book covers.
When in fact, the actual covers look nothing like this. Even if you look for republished versions (at the time of this post).
