Hair is a very descriptive physical trait. It is not discussed much because it is so descriptive. But listen, Yehovah God gave the Children of Israel instructions concerning taking the vow of a Nazarite in Numbers 6:2-5 saying in verse 5 "...he shall be holy, and shall let the locks of the hair of his head grow."

 

Now there are many ways to "manipulate" any hair texture to go against what is natural and form it into dreadlocks, as it is a style now days. Just as we can manipulate our hair to be straight.

 

But when Yehovah God was instructing His People in the book of Numbers about taking the vow of a Nazarite (the 1st time we see the word Nazarite in the Bible) He said to "let" the locks of the hair of his head grow. This is simply not or cutting or disturbing the hair and letting this happen on its own. The emphasis is not so much on the locks as it is not cutting or disturbing their hair and letting it grow naturally. Locks just happen to be the result of letting the hair grow with no interference at all.

 

The hair texture pictured here is the only hair texture that will lock, or matte up only by not cutting or disturbing the hair.

 

Yehovah God would not instruct His People to do something He knew they could not do.

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** The well known Israelite Samson had locks. If Samson was a straight haired man, his hair would’ve naturally grown into a bunch of little somethings that some may want to call locks. But Judges 16:13&19 says that Samson’s whole head of hair was in ONLY SEVEN LOCKS. Those locks had to be HUGE in order for the Israelite Sampson’s whole head to be covered in ONLY SEVEN LOCKS.  This only happens NATURALLY with so called “nappy headed" people. The passages read:

 

13 And Delilah said unto Samson, Hitherto thou hast mocked me, and told me lies: tell me wherewith thou mightest be bound. And he said unto her, If thou weavest the seven locks of my head with the web.

 

19 And she made him sleep upon her knees; and she called for a man, and she caused him to shave off the seven locks of his head; and she began to afflict him, and his strength went from him. ~ Judges 16:13,19

 

This was also the hair texture of the Israelites Samson, Samuel, Ezekiel, King Solomon and most likely John the Baptist and Jesus/Yeshua just to name a few.

 

Dreadlocks or "locks" are mentioned 10 times in the King James Bible: Numbers 6:5; Judges 16:13, 16:19; Song of Solomon 4:1, 4:3, 5:2, 5:11, 6:7; Isaiah 47:2 and Ezekiel 44:20. Read these...especially the Song of Solomon ones where the locks are described as "bushy, and black as a raven".

 

**The verse in Isaiah is actually referring to Babylon and the Chaldeans, in which Abraham's family came from Ur of the Chaldees (Gen 11:28,31). So this means the ancient Chaldeans' hair was the type to lock or matte up too. Which further proves the saying true, that "the ancient Chaldeans were black." Abraham's family came from a place inhabited by black people.

 

Now these are only the men actually mentioned... who knows who all had locks that were not mentioned by name in scripture.

 

Also, some argue that the "Jews" of today (as in the ones who control Israel) have curly or nappy hair, to argue a point that so called Africans are not the only people who's hair will lock up.

 

Listen, let's be clear of 2 things: 

 

1) If you have "nappy" hair, you have African/Hebrew in your bloodline somewhere whether you want to admit it or not. Anybody is welcomed to prove me wrong on this, but please come with evidence and not just opinions.

 

** Let me clarify something - As we make clear through Biblical context on this site, the Hebrews of the Bible were what we call "Africans” by race. The term “Hebrew” denoted descendants of Abraham... or a family.

 

I know we have been taught that the Hebrews were a different race. But please understand that - in the Bible, Hebrew was not a race. That was taught to us in error.

 

Learn more about this on my upcoming book titled "Hebrews? Africans? or Does It Matter?" 

 

Back to the hair...

 

2) Truth is "original information", and you must look at the past with past eyes.

 

Interpreting the past solely on present mindset is backwards and will lead you astray. If we want to know what is true, we have to GO BACK to the original information. We are discussing the truth of the ancient Biblical Israelites and their hair from the Bible. And all scripture lands the Biblical Israelites as so called Africans - having nappy (bushy, woolly, etc) hair that will naturally lock up if not cut or combed. (Not Africans as in sons of Ham. Of course the Israelites ARE NOT HAMITES. This is also explained in our article titled Noah's Sons - History 101.)

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Our children are even doing this now... not combing their hair and "letting" it lock up. This only happens with so called "African" hair. No other hair texture on earth fits this tale tale description.

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So it concerns me when people try to include other ethnic groups as being Israelites because they were persecuted (ie Native Americans, Hispanics, etc) but they just don't fit the physical descriptions of the Hebrews given in the Bible. Much love and respect to them and the struggle. But it's not fair to them if it's not true. If they are saying they have "African/Hebrew" ancestry, that's a different conversation.

 

And Jacob/Israel having twelve sons of, not one or two.. but TWELVE DIFFERENT ethnicities? Think about that... it's confirmed nowhere in scripture or history. That 12 tribe chart theory just don't hold water on a few levels.

 

**Also, the terms "locks" and "dreadlocks" refer to the exact same type of hair style.

 

The term "Dread" originated from Rastafarianism - which was born in the 1930s in Jamaica when Haile Selassie (who's birth name was Tafari Makonnen. Ras is translated as "head") was crowned emperor of Ethiopia. When the emperor was forced into exile during an invasion, guerrilla warriors made a vow not to cut their hair until the emperor was reinstated. The movement was seen as a threat and came under attack by the authorities that tried to suppress the 'Rasta' movement.

 

The warriors made it clear that they had a “dread”, fear, or respect for Yehovah God, hence the term 'dread' which was later reclaimed by the 'Rasta' community.

 

These "Dreads" grew matted locks of hair, which would become known to the world as "Dreadlocks" - the hair-style of the Dreads.

 

The hairstyle was later brought into mainstream culture through the worldwide success of reggae artist Bob Marley. Sporting locks himself, he prompted an international interest in the style, and the anti establishment philosophy of Rastafarian culture.

Another writer went on to say concerning dreadlocks:

 

"Add to that the fact that Black hair texture is the most conducive to the locking process, and one can easily deduce it's (dreadlock's) origin." (History of Dreads)

 

But we must understand that in the Bible, locks was not a "style". The point was to not disturb your hair at all. No manipulation at all. Just let it grow.

 

The result is locks - only for people with naturally "nappy" hair.

 

So proper research of history will point to only one ethnicity on earth who truly fit the descriptions of the "people of the Book", better known as the Biblical Israelites. And we haven't even discussed the curses and prophecies.

 

But you CAN NOT skip the physical descriptions of the people.

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This is very simple. Physical descriptions are always the FIRST identifier...

 

If one is truly searching for what is true.

 

Happy studies!

 

History

 

Concerning the Bible, incorrect history will produce incorrect theology

 

By Minister Rodney Jones, specializing in Biblical History