Kush and The Bible

The Twenty-Fifth Dynasty of Egypt (ca. 744–656 BCE), ruled by kings of Kush from their capital at Napata, represents one of the most significant intersections between African history and the biblical tradition. Known as the “Kushite Dynasty” or the era of the “Black Pharaohs,” these rulers not only unified Egypt after centuries of political fragmentation but also played a decisive role in the geopolitics of the Levant during the age of the Hebrew prophets. Their presence in the Hebrew Bible, coupled with later references to Kushites in the New Testament, underscores the enduring importance of Nubia in the religious imagination of Israel and the early church.

The 25th Dynasty in the Biblical Narrative

The most direct biblical reference to the Kushite pharaohs occurs in the reign of Taharqa (biblical Tirhakah). In 2 Kings 19:9 and Isaiah 37:9, Tirhakah is described as “king of Cush” who marched out to confront the Assyrian king Sennacherib during his campaign against Judah in 701 BCE. Although Assyrian records suggest that the Kushite army was defeated, the biblical narrative situates Tirhakah’s intervention within the larger story of Jerusalem’s miraculous deliverance.^3 This episode highlights the geopolitical reality that Judah’s fate was bound up with the great powers of the age, Assyria, Egypt, and Kush.

Other biblical texts may allude indirectly to the Kushite period. Nahum 3:8–10 recalls the fall of Thebes (No-Amon) in 663 BCE, an event that coincided with the Assyrian defeat of Tantamani, the last Kushite pharaoh to attempt control of Egypt. The prophet’s reference to Cush as Thebes’ ally reflects the historical memory of the Kushite dynasty’s role in Egyptian affairs.^4 Similarly, Jeremiah 46:9 mentions Cushite warriors in Egyptian armies, attesting to their military presence in the region.

Kush and the Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew Bible frequently refers to Cush (כּוּשׁ), a term designating the Upper Nile region south of Egypt, broadly corresponding to Nubia and the Kingdom of Kush. Within the genealogical framework of Genesis 10, Cush is listed as a son of Ham and a brother of Mizraim (Egypt), thereby situating the two nations as kin.^1 This symbolic kinship reflects the historical reality of close cultural and political ties between Egypt and Nubia. Prophetic texts such as Isaiah 18, Ezekiel 30, and Zephaniah 3:10 portray Cush as both a distant, powerful land and a participant in God’s universal plan, whether as an ally, an adversary, or a future worshiper of Israel’s God.^2

Kushites in the New Testament

The New Testament continues the biblical engagement with Kush, though in a transformed context. In Acts 8:27–39, Philip encounters an official of the Kandake (queen mother of Kush), described as “a eunuch, a court official in charge of all her treasury.” This figure, often referred to as the “Ethiopian eunuch,” represents the Meroitic phase of the Kushite kingdom, which was centered further south at Meroë. His presence in Jerusalem, reading from the prophet Isaiah, symbolizes the extension of Israel’s scriptures and promises to the nations. The eunuch’s baptism by Philip marks a theological turning point: the gospel reaches beyond the Mediterranean world into Africa, fulfilling prophetic visions such as Psalm 68:31, “Cush will hasten to stretch out her hands to God.”^5

The title Kandake itself is significant. It was not a personal name but a dynastic title for the queen mother, who wielded considerable political authority in Kush. The eunuch’s role as her treasurer underscores the sophistication of Kushite administration and the kingdom’s integration into the broader networks of the Roman world.^6 His conversion thus embodies both the historical reality of Kushite prominence and the theological conviction that the message of Christ transcends ethnic and geographic boundaries.

Genesis 10:6–8.
Isaiah 18; Ezekiel 30:4–5; Zephaniah 3:10.
2 Kings 19:9; Isaiah 37:9; cf. Assyrian annals of Sennacherib. See James K. Hoffmeier, Judah’s African Ally: Taharqa and the Kingdom of Cush, Biblical Archaeology Review (2025).
Nahum 3:8–10; cf. Assyrian records of Ashurbanipal’s sack of Thebes.
Acts 8:27–39; Psalm 68:31. See “Who Was the Ethiopian Eunuch?” Christianity.com (2025).
On the Kandake title and Meroitic administration, see D. Welsby, The Kingdom of Kush: The Napatan and Meroitic Empires (1996).

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