Africa Means 'Land of Ephraim'
When the Prophet Moses fled from Egypt he took refuge among the Midianites. The Midiantes were the founders of the city Medina in Arabia. During his stay in Midian the Prophet Moses became a student of the Midianite High Priest Jethro(Shuaib) and married his daughter Zipporah.Quote:
Josephus states that Africa was named after a grandson of Abraham named Ophren of whom he mistakenly equates with the biblical Epher. However with an astute understanding of the history and interchangeable nature of Epher and Ephraim it becomes perfectly clear that Ophren is Ephraim and therefore Africa was named after Ephraim of the House of Joseph.
Quote:
SURAH 20:40: Then you stayed for years among the people of Madyan; then you came hither as ordained, O Musa.
Midianite settlements extended throughout Yemen, Ethiopia and even Sudan. Living there among the Cushites, the Midianites were at times referred to as Cushites. When the Bible mentions that Aaron and Miriam were opposed to Moses' marriage to Zipporah (the daughter of the High Priest of Midian) it refers to her as a "Cushite".Quote:
EXODUS 2:15: Now when Pharaoh heard this thing, he sought to slay Moses. But Moses fled from the face of Pharaoh, and dwelt in the land of Midian; and he sat down by a well.
The Midianites were also known as Nubians. The name Nubian derives from the Arabic/Aramaic Nabi or Nubi meaning a " Prophet ". The designation of Nubian was applied in reference to the Midianites as being descendants of the "Prophet Abraham. "Quote:
NUMBERS 12:1: Miriam and Aaron rebelled against Moses on account of the Cushite woman that he had married.
Fleeing the Assyrian invasion many Israelite refugees settled in ancient Nubia where they were primarily represented by the tribes of Ephraim and Dan. In regards to the latter there are present day Nubians known as Dangoloway. As descendants of the Prophet Abraham the Israeites and Midianites were both very comfortable in being referred to as Nubians. Israelite mercenaries were also brought to protect the borders of Nubia from Cushitic invaders. Nubian Y-Chromosome DNA test results reflect the both the Semitic Midianite and Israelite Nubians(J1) and the Cushitic Nubians(E3b)
Since the Israelite Nation was founded under the guidance of the High Priest of Midian who became the Father-In - Law of the Prophet Moses, the Israelites had a natural attachment to the Midianite Nation. This historic and religious attachment was further reinforced by a common Abrahamic origin from which they were united as Nubians. The Midianite Nation resided under the leadership of its most dominant tribe named Epher(Apher,Afar), while the Israelites were led by the tribe of Ephraim also known as Ophren, Afran and Ifran. Through a common Nubian heritage the leading tribes of Ephraim and Epher became one people.Through this historic ancestral merger of Abrahamic Nubian tribes the name Epher(Apher,Afar) and Ephraim(Ophren,Afran,Ifran) became interchangeable and synonymous through association. The Afar tribe of Ethiopia are of Ephraimite and Danite origins. In addition to the name Afar or Afra(Ephraim) the tribe is also known as the Danakil referring to the Israelite tribe of Dan.
Josephus states that Africa was named after a grandson of Abraham named Ophren of whom he mistakenly equates with the biblical Epher. However with an astute understanding of the history and interchangeable nature of Epher and Ephraim it becomes perfectly clear that Ophren is Ephraim and therefore Africa was named after Ephraim of the House of Joseph.
Ca is a Roman suffix indicating land ownership and therefore Afri-ca means the land of the Afri. The Moors called it Ifriqiyya a name which derives from the Moorish Banu-Ifran meaning of the tribe of Ephraim. Therefore Africa means of the Land of Ephraim. The Banu- Ifran(Ephraimites) established an acknowledged Ephraimite Kingdom at Oufrane Morrocco. The first Ephraimite King to rule from the throne at Oufrane was named Abraham Ha-Ephrati. The Ephrati and Afriat families found among present day Moroccan Jews claim descent from within the Moorish Ephraimite Kingdom. The Moorish Queen known as the Kahina was also of Banu-Ifran(Ephraimite) royal descent.
(The Ephraimites reportedly arrived in ,Morroco sometime around 600 B.C.E: Read page 90 of the actual booklet which is page 10 of the PDF FILE It is written in 1910 by a Rabbi Toledano and it explains about the Ephraimites of Morocco) http://www.econ-pol.unisi.it/~afriat/Memory.pdf
When the Romans first came to Ifriqiyya(Africa) they were most fiercely opposed by the Banu-Ifran resistance fighters. It was from this initial contact with the Banu-Ifran that the Romans referred to the Continent as Africa.
Since the names Ephraim and Epher became synonymous in association it is quite understandable why some believed that Africa was named in relation to Epher the grandson of Abraham and not Ephraim the great grandson of Abraham. Even at the academic level scholars have come to a consensus that Africa is etymologically rooted in the name Afri(Ifran) .The Carthaginians who fought the Rome during the Punic Wars were known as the Afri meaning Ephraim. Since the exiled Ephraimites were initially known to hide in caves the name Ifri came to mean cave-dweller, while that of Effer means to hide.
Michael Desfayes - The Names of countries
AFRICA - From the name of an ancient tribe in Tunisia, the Afri http://michel-desfayes.org/namesofcountries.html
Similarly there has been a debate over the name Biafra which in some forms is written as Biafar. Biafra(Bi-Afra) is derived from the Banu-Ifran(Afran) and more originally the Israelite tribe of Ephraim. Biafar(Bi-Afar) is derived from Epher(Apher) the leading tribe of Midian. The dual usage of Biafra and Biafar reflects what has become the interchangeable nature of the names Ephraim and Epher in regards to the historical unification of the Israelites and Midianites. In some esoteric teachings Africa was derived from an ancient King named AFRA. However when one researches the name AFRA it becomes apparent that the name is derived from EPHRAIM.
http://www.biblical-baby-names.com/meaning-of-afra.html
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ANALYZING JOSEPHUS CLAIMS CONCERNING THE NAMING OF AFRICA:
Josephus claims that Africa was named from a grandson of Abraham named OPHREN. However when comparing the genealogical listing of Josephus with that of the Bible it becomes clear that the one Josephus referred to as OPHREN is listed in the Bible chronology as EPHER(The Hebrew concurs with Epher).
Quote:
JOSEPHUS BOOK ONE CHAPTER 15(238)
The Sons of Midian were Ephas and Ophren.....
In a further attempt to reinforce his claim in understanding the naming of Africa, Josephus indirectly refers the reader to the writings of Malchus. According to this reference Malchus informs us that Africa was named from TWO BROTHERS: APHER and JAPHRAN. Malchus' Apher corresponds to the biblical Epher. However Japhran which appears closer in spelling to Josephus' Ophren is not listed in the biblical geneaology of Midian at all. This confirms the fact that Josephus' Ophren is not the biblical Epher but is the same as the Japhran(Afran) identified by Malchus.Quote:
GENESIS 25:4
And the Sons of Midian Ephah and Epher......
Interestingly Malchus states that Africa was named from two brothers not one individual. How could this possibly be when in fact Apher(Epher) and Yaphran(Afran) are not listed as brothers within the genealogy of Midian? Having one name(Africa) supposedly being named after two individuals with two distinctly separate names suggests that Africa is either a compound or amalgamated name or Africa is named after one of the "brothers" and that the names of the two became synonymous in association with each other. The latter concurs with the merger of Ephraim and Epher.
The name Africa is obviously named after Malchus' Yafran which is the same as Josephus' Ophren and not Apher(Epher). When one searches the name Afran(Yafran) most descriptions will state that Afran is derived from Ephraim. In addition Ephraim could be considered a " Brother " of Epher(Apher) as Ephraim was a great grandson of Abraham, while Epher(Apher) was a grandson of Abraham. The fact that Ephraim is an Israelite and Epher is a Midianite would account for why they are not listed as brothers within the Midianite genealogy of the Bible but are counted as brothers in accordance with the historical account given by Malchus.
Josephus also states that Ophren came to settle in Arabia. This is supported by the fact that Ephraimites (Ophren) settled in Midian being the land of Medina where they merged with the people of Epher. In this sense Epher(Apher) and Ephraim(Ophren) became as one. This further accounts for Malchus' claiming Africa was named after the two brothers Apher(Epher) and Yafran(Ophren).
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