The “Jewish Blackness” Thesis Revisited

Ran HaCohen

doi:10.3390/rel9070222

Abstract

The notion that in previous centuries Jews were considered to be black, or seen as blacks, has gained broad acceptance in scholarly discourse on the Jewish body since the early 1990s. The present article considers the notion analytically and then examines some of the evidence provided to support it. Much of this evidence does not stand critical examination. Therefore, arguably, the notion of Jewish blackness should be reconsidered.

Highlights

The notion of the blackness of the Jews, or Jewish blackness, has become commonplace in scholarly discourse
Jewish blackness sometimes means that “the Jews were quite literally seen as black” (Gilman 1994, p. 372), which is a matter of colour; but often a more provocative sense is implied, namely that “in the eyes of the non-Jew who defined them in Western society the Jews became the blacks” (Gilman 1986, p. 8), which refers to race
Pondering over the origin of the human race, Giordano Bruno (1548–1600) wrote in support of polygenesis that no one of sound judgement could trace back the Jews and the Ethiopians to the same protoplast (Smith 2015, p. 97)

Summary

Introduction

The notion of the blackness of the Jews, or Jewish blackness, has become commonplace in scholarly discourse. Jewish blackness sometimes means that “the Jews were quite literally seen as black” 7, 207) corroborates the racial sense of the “Jewish blackness” but undermines the colour sense, referring to the Jew as white. It can be race, it can be colour, and it can be a mere metaphor. In order to justify the notion, the colour must characterise most of the Jews, not just a specific Jewish group. Black can be used metaphorically (for sin, evil, etc.), and even blacks (Ethiopians) can be used allegorically (for sinners) without implying an actual (skin) colour. 7) are true as long as “black” is taken metaphorically but cannot be used as evidence for the actual (or perceived) skin colour of the Jews, let alone their racial categorization (Gilman 1986, p. 7) are true as long as “black” is taken metaphorically but cannot be used as evidence for the actual (or perceived) skin colour of the Jews, let alone their racial categorization

Examining the Evidence

Some Ambivalent Cases

Conclusions