This is a close up view of West Africa on a 1747 map close to the coast... where the Trans Atlantic Slave Trade took place. 

 

Look towards the right on the picture and you will see an area called the Kingdom of Juda (Km of Juda) just above the words Slave Coast. And if you look closer, you will also see a town called Juda (Whidah) close to the coast. Whidah was what Europeans called them. 

 

We must understand that there originally was no “J” sound in the English language. There is nor never has been a “J” sound in older languages such as Biblical Hebrew or Greek. Where we see the “J” today, was originally a “Y” sound in the older languages like Hebrew and Greek.

 

The town of Juda is now called "Ouidah" and is situated about 50 miles from present day Benin. 

 

I don’t normally quote Wikipedia but they even admit that Ouidah was originally Judah. 

 

Furthermore, we can obviously conclude that if there was not a “J” sound, then it was not pronounced “Judah”, but probably sounded more like A-Whidah. And Wikipedia also says Ouidah was called “Ajudá by the Portuguese...”

 

Rabbi Akwetey B. Amaah - a descendant of the Biblical tribe of Gad, and Mawuli Mawuvi - a descendant of the tribe of Judah both confirm the migration of Judah from Israel to Africa’s west coast. 

 

And to the left of Judah on the 1747 map you will see the Tooth Coast, here is what Wikipedia said about the origin of the name of that country:

 

Originally, Portuguese and French merchant-explorers in the 15th and 16th centuries divided the west coast of Africa, very roughly, into four "coasts" reflecting local economies. The coast that the French named the Côte d'Ivoire and the Portuguese named the Costa do Marfim—both, literally, mean "Coast of Ivory"—lay between what was known as the Guiné de Cabo Verde, so-called "Upper Guinea" at Cap-Vert, and Lower Guinea. 

 

There was also a Pepper Coast, also known as the "Grain Coast", a "Gold Coast", and a "Slave Coast". 

 

Like those, the name "Ivory Coast" reflected the major trade that occurred on that particular stretch of the coast: the export of ivory. 

 

Other names included the Côte de Dents, literally "Coast of Teeth", again reflecting the trade in ivory... 

 

From https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ivory_Coast

 

We have a picture of a Portuguese slave port still standing today in Ouidah (Judah) West Africa. 

 

Learn more and see the picture of the slave port by going through our menu above, or just click here:

 

Slave Port in Judah West Africa Today

 

God is taking us somewhere we have never been before. Just take Him at His Word!

 

By Minister Rodney Jones, specializing in Biblical History