In 701 B.C. the Assyrian empire was in its ascendancy. It had already vanquished the kingdom of Israel to the north including the capital at Samaria. It then prepared an assault on Judah and its capital at Jerusalem.
But in one of those significant events that changes the course of world history, Assyria was repelled. Jerusalem was saved until 586 B.C. when the Babylonians sacked the city, forcing its leadership class into exile.
Henry Aubin, in a major feat of scholarship, determines that Jerusalem was aided by a Kushite army from Africa which had marched northeast from the Nile valley. While the Bible attributes the Assyrian retreat to an angel and secular commentators cite pestilence, Aubin, in a meticulously documented work, demonstrates that an alliance with the African nation of Kush bolstered Jerusalem’s defences.
Kush, also known as Nubia, was located in what is now southern Egypt and northern Sudan. A monarchy that existed for more than 1000 years, from 900 B.C. to A.D. 350, Kushites held sway over Egypt from 712 B.C. to about 660 B.C. Of Egypt’s 31 dynasties, this, the 25th Dynasty, is the only one that all scholars agree, was black.
The commander of the Kushite expeditionary force was Taharqa (or as the Bible calls him Tirhakah). This Kushite prince, who had his own interests in halting Assyrian expansion, likely caught the aggressors by surprise as they prepared their siege of Jerusalem.
Aubin offers a thrilling military history and a stirring political analysis of the ancient world. He also sees the event as influential over the centuries.
The Kushite rescue of the Hebrew kingdom of Judah enabled the fragile, war-ravaged state to endure, to nurse itself back to economic and demographic health, and allowed the Hebrew religion, Yahwism, to evolve within the next several centuries into Judaism. Thus emerged the monotheistic trunk supporting Christianity and Islam.
Reviews of
Race To The Polar Sea
“McGoogan frames this exciting biography in terms of the mythological concepts of the hero and the transformative quest. Highly recommended.”
Starred Review Library Journal
“McGoogan’s book goes a long way towards returning Kane to his rightful position in the adventure and scientific pantheon, and through unprecedented access to the long missing first volume of Kane’s private journal from his second expedition he provides valuable insight into Kane’s motivations and concerns…Race to the Polar Sea will also appeal to a broad range of general history fans who will find Kane’s explorations both polar and otherwise fascinating. This titles is first rate reading for arm chair adventures everywhere.”
bookslut.com
“McGoogan captivates readers again with his gripping tale of Elisha Kent Kane… in the annals of Arctic and Antarctic exploration, Kane’s story ranks with those of Sir Ernest Shackleton and the tragic tale of Robert Falcon Scott.”
Winnipeg Free Press
“In this bone-chilling book McGoogan writes in detail of the unimaginable hardships of the 1853 to 1855 polar journeys led by Kane, a largely neglected American explorer . . . Race to the Polar Sea covers the span of Kane’s action-packed thirty-seven-year life. . . . each section is engrossing and the momentum builds right up to the book’s conclusion.”
The Beaver
“In Race to the Polar Sea Ken McGoogan has written a fantastic thriller. From the Prologue to the last page, you are caught up in the story. What is really amazing is that Kane’s manuscripts were lost for 150 years. A friend of the author, who owns an antiquarian bookstore, acquired Kane’s collection from the descendants of his brother. A book not to be missed. Highly recommended.
Book-a-holics
“This account is quite extraordinary. McGoogan leaves no doubt that, by any measure, Kane was one of the greatest 19th century Arctic explorers.”Fairbanks Daily News Miner
