Ancient use for Blackness and the Smoking Gun. Part #5

The Blackness Smoking Gun!

I spent a great deal of time pondering.

Then on Dec 10th it hit me. Try the Quran, its religious!

So I went to the Quran and word searched "black." There were several hits, however one in particular seemed relevant.

Here is what I found.

Quran 3:106 on the day when [some] faces will turn white and [some] faces will turn black. As for those whose faces turn black [it will be said to them], ‘Did you disbelieve after your faith? So taste the punishment because of what you used to disbelieve.’

Interestingly, this Scripture is a source of disagreement between some muslim scholars.  Some feel that this scripture is to be interpreted literally, while others believe it is just an idiom or figure of speech.

I had found one, now there must be more.  I pondered what other texts were religious that may have been from that time period.

If hit me like a ton of bricks, what about the apocrypha?

I searched the apocrypha, and found this in Esdras.

2 Esdras 7:47-61 especially verse 55

 47 For what profit is it for men now in this present time to live in heaviness, and after death to look for punishment? 
48 O thou Adam, what hast thou done? for though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee. 
49 For what profit is it unto us, if there be promised us an immortal time, whereas we have done the works that bring death? 
50 And that there is promised us an everlasting hope, whereas ourselves being most wicked are made vain? 
51 And that there are laid up for us dwellings of health and safety, whereas we have lived wickedly? 52 And that the glory of the most High is kept to defend them which have led a wary life, whereas we have walked in the most wicked ways of all? 
53 And that there should be shewed a paradise, whose fruit endureth for ever, wherein is security and medicine, since we shall not enter into it? 
54 (For we have walked in unpleasant places.) 
55 And that the faces of them which have used abstinence shall shine above the stars, whereas our faces shall be blacker than darkness? 
56 For while we lived and committed iniquity, we considered not that we should begin to suffer for it after death. 
57 Then answered he me, and said, This is the condition of the battle, which man that is born upon the earth shall fight; 
58 That, if he be overcome, he shall suffer as thou hast said: but if he get the victory, he shall receive the thing that I say. 
59 For this is the life whereof Moses spake unto the people while he lived, saying, Choose thee life, that thou mayest live. 
60 Nevertheless they believed not him, nor yet the prophets after him, no nor me which have spoken unto them, 
61 That there should not be such heaviness in their destruction, as shall be joy over them that are persuaded to salvation.

I was jubilant.

To me this was the smoking gun. Contemporary usage for referring to sin as black faces or skin.

The faces of those were were disbelieving, and have committed iniquity were black. In contrast to those who have chosen to believe.

Part #6 Symbolism of Black and White Garment