Curse of Ham the ark and "was smitten in his skin"; according to another, Noah cursed him because he castrated his father. Although the Talmud refers only to Ham, the version brought in a midrash goes on further to say "Ham, that Cush came from him" in reference to the blackness, that the curse did not apply to all of Ham but only to his eldest son Cush, Cush being a sub-Saharan African. Thus, two distinct traditions existed, one explaining dark skin as the result of a curse on Ham, the other explaining slavery by the separate curse on Canaan. The concepts were
Gospel According to the Mark of Silver II") Gospel According to the Mark of Silver The Gospel According to the Mark of Silver is a work from the "Carmina Burana" later used to satirise Pope Leo X (1513-1521), who was famous for his profligate spending of church money. While Leo was also criticized by ecclesiastical officials after his death, the "Gospel" was a product of the Goliard movement. At that time, the Pope said to the Romans, "When the son of man comes to the seat of our majesty, first say, `Friend, why have you come?' But if he continues knocking without giving you anything, throw him