cush

Cush is a historical and biblical term for a region in Africa commonly associated with the ancient kingdom of Kush in Nubia. In the Hebrew Bible, Cush is listed as a son of Ham, and the land of Cush is described as lying to the south of Egypt. In later periods, Cush became a geographic designation for Cushite-speaking peoples and their political centers in the Nile valley, roughly corresponding to parts of present-day northern Sudan and southern Egypt.

Historically, Kush evolved from the Kerma culture into the Kingdom of Kush, with major capitals at Napata and later Meroë. The Napatan period (roughly 8th to 3rd centuries BCE) and the Meroitic period (c. 3rd century BCE to 4th century CE) produced a flourishing culture with distinctive art, architecture, and writing—the Meroitic script remains only partly deciphered. Kushite rulers even seized the Egyptian throne during the 25th Dynasty (ca. 744–656 BCE). The kingdom declined under pressure from Assyrian and Axumite powers, with the Meroitic state fading around the 4th century CE.

In linguistic and cultural contexts, Cush has also been used to refer to Cushite or Ethiopic-speaking populations. In biblical scholarship, Cush is often associated with Ethiopians or Nubians, reflecting the region’s historical diversity. Today, Cush is primarily discussed in historical and archaeological studies of Nubia and the Kushite kingdoms, as well as in biblical studies.