Historical Timeline

The earliest scriptures and Israelite culture are handed down orally from generation to generation. Instructions precede the written commandments — Genesis 7:2 gives early evidence of established law before Sinai: 'Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens.'

The tablets of stone — the Ten Commandments — are given to Moses at Mount Sinai and stored in the Ark of the Covenant. Exodus 20.

The manuscripts comprising the original Israelite Bible (39 First Testament books) are completed. The Book of the Law is kept in the tabernacle and later in the Temple beside the Ark of the Covenant.

All original First Testament Israelite books have been written, collected, and recognised as official, canonical books.

72 Israelites — six from each tribe — produce a Greek translation of the 39 First Testament books for the Ptolemies of Egypt. The 14 books of the Apocrypha are included.

The original 27 books of the New or Second Testament are written in Greek.

Some of the earliest Old Latin biblical translations circulated in North Africa, including communities in Numidia and Mauritania. Latin itself originated in Latium in central Italy; North Africa became an important centre of Latin biblical scholarship. INWWM teaching identifies the North African Nazarenes associated with this tradition as Israelites.

The Second Testament is established by the Israelite Supreme Council of Hippo, North Africa (393) and confirmed at Carthage (397). Simon of Cyrene (Mark 15:19–21; Luke 23:24–26) and Lucius of Cyrene (Acts 13:1–3) — North African Israelites central to the gospel narrative.

In medieval Western Europe, ecclesiastical authorities increasingly privileged the Latin Vulgate and restricted unauthorised vernacular translations. Greek, Syriac, and other scriptural traditions nevertheless continued outside the Latin West.

Israelite communities came to England in the period following William the Conqueror's victory at Hastings, and Oxford became an important centre. Merton College was founded in 1264 by Walter de Merton, Chancellor of England and later Bishop of Rochester. In 1205, Pope Innocent III wrote of the condition of perpetual servitude imposed upon the children of Israel in Christian Europe.

The regional Council of Toulouse (1229), acting in the campaign against the Cathars, restricted lay possession of scriptural books. The Council of Tarragona (1234) also ordered unauthorised vernacular copies of the Old and New Testaments to be surrendered. These were regional restrictions, not a single worldwide prohibition.

King Edward I expelled several thousand Israelites from England under the Edict of Expulsion. An openly established community was not formally readmitted until the period of Oliver Cromwell in the 1650s, although individuals continued to live in England during the intervening centuries.

John Wycliffe and associates produce the first handwritten manuscripts of the entire Bible in English. Church officials later dug up his bones and burned them 44 years after his death.

Johannes Gutenberg produces the first major European book printed with movable metal type: the Latin Vulgate Bible. Earlier printed books and scriptures existed in Asia, so it should not be described as the world's first printed Bible.

William Tyndale produces the first translation of the Second Testament from Greek into English. Suppressed by Catholic authorities. Tyndale was arrested, strangled, and burned at the stake near Brussels, October 6, 1536. An estimated 90% of the New Testament in the 1611 KJV came from his work.

The Geneva Bible, translated in Switzerland, is the first English Bible to add numbered verses. More popular than the KJV for decades after its release.

Philip II of Spain launched the Spanish Armada against England with papal support. English resistance, severe weather, and difficult sailing conditions defeated the campaign. English Protestants interpreted the outcome as an act of the God of Israel.

King James VI and I commissions the authorised KJV Bible. Most translators were taught directly or indirectly by Israelites. Some may have been Israelite descendants who concealed their Shemitic identity, since all Israelites were supposed to have been expelled in 1290.

Robert Catesby and a group of English Catholic conspirators attempted to kill King James I and members of Parliament by blowing up the House of Lords. Guy Fawkes was discovered with the gunpowder on November 5, 1605. The plot should not be described as a proven operation directed by the Vatican.

King James orders a union flag for his kingdoms. The origin of the later name 'Union Jack' is disputed and should not be stated as a proven derivation from Jacobus. INWWM writings may discuss symbolic parallels between the flag's colours and Israelite scripture, but these should be identified as interpretation rather than established design history.

The King James Version — the 'Authorised Version' — is published in 1611 and becomes one of the most influential English Bible translations. The KJV is the exclusive translation used by the INWWM, taught without compromise.

John Hawkins departs on the first English slave trading expedition. The calendar of the God of Israel continues through the same Metonic cycle — unchanged and undiminished.

Spain and Portugal, ruled jointly by the Spanish crown, round up and slaughter Israelites who had fled Spain. Philip II renewed hostilities against the Moors, who were killed or sold into slavery.

The captive Africans carried to Point Comfort aboard the English ship the 'White Lion' had been seized from a Portuguese slave ship after being taken from the Kingdom of Ndongo in present-day Angola. They were exchanged for provisions, and some were later transported farther into Virginia. The INWWM identifies this arrival as the beginning of the 400-year prophetic period and the fulfilment of Deuteronomy 28:68.

The Massachusetts Body of Liberties becomes the first colonial legal code in New England to give statutory recognition to slavery, twenty-two years after the first captive Africans arrived at Point Comfort, Virginia.

Lieutenant-Governor John Graves Simcoe supported the 1793 Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada — the first legislation in the British Empire to restrict slavery and prohibit further importation into the province. It did not immediately free every person already enslaved. Upper Canada later became a destination for freedom seekers through the Underground Railroad. This history informs the INWWM teaching concerning Toronto at the border of the New Egypt.

Led by Nat Turner in Southampton County, Virginia. Over 120 slaves and free Black people murdered. State legislatures passed laws prohibiting education of slaves and restricting rights of assembly.

The Slavery Abolition Act receives Royal Assent on August 28 — lobbied by William Wilberforce and the Anti-Slavery Society. Wilberforce died three days before the third reading of the Act in the House of Commons.

The Slavery Abolition Act comes into force on August 1, 1834, abolishing slavery throughout most of the British Empire. August 1 is commemorated as Emancipation Day in Canada and in numerous Caribbean nations and communities.

Marcus Garvey presents his 'Back to Africa' programme in New York City — a movement calling the Negro people of the Americas to return to Africa and reclaim their heritage and nationhood.

Congress passes the Civil Rights Act of 1957 — the first federal civil-rights legislation enacted in the United States since Reconstruction.

The largest civil rights demonstration in history. Martin Luther King Jr. delivers his 'I Have a Dream' speech. The INWWM's answer to 'We Shall Overcome' is: understanding our true identity, putting down the gods of the oppressor, and returning to the God of our forefathers.

President Lyndon Johnson signs the Voting Rights Act, prohibiting racial discrimination in voting and providing federal enforcement against practices designed to suppress the Black vote.

President signs HR 1242, the '400 Years of African-American History Commission Act' (as named by the US Government), commemorating the 400th anniversary of the arrival of the children of Israel in the Americas — indirectly recognising the 400-year prophetic pattern of Deuteronomy 28:68.

Mayor John Tory proclaims August 2019 as 'Emancipation Month' in Toronto — acknowledging the Act to Limit Slavery in Upper Canada (1793) and the Slavery Abolition Act (1833). This was a municipal proclamation by the City of Toronto and should not be described as a national Canadian declaration.

Elder Shadrock Porter wins the Canadian Dora Mavor Moore Award for playing Nick Bottom in Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.' The same year, he meets his first student — Elder Tony Castrilli — through his music endeavours. Elder Castrilli becomes the first priest of the INWWM to be appointed, baptised, and anointed, and is today responsible for the INWWM calendar.

Elder Castrilli commits to serving the God of Israel: 'Shad, if you prove it to me in the Bible, I would believe you, for I don't care what God looks like, I truly want to serve Him.' The first gathering at 121 Hallam Street, the home of Elder Tony Castrilli. The INWWM is established in Toronto, 1985.

The first Passover is kept on Thursday, April 24, 1986. The first calendar is cut and pasted from the Royal Bank's calendar for the new moons. Over the years, the INWWM Calendar evolved into a meticulous work of art under Elder Castrilli.

Earlscourt — Elder Shadrock's home — purchased Saturday, August 1, 1987. First Feast of Tabernacles celebrated Thursday, October 8, 1987.

'The first blackface appeared in the likeness of Michael Hinds.' Elder Michael Hinds later leads the Atlanta branch for twenty-one years. The Nation celebrates its first New Year's on Thursday, April 6, 1989 — Day 1 of Abib.

The Israelite Constitution is accepted by the Government of Canada, July 20, 1990. 'The Truth, the Lie and the Bible' is published — the first Israelite book. The Israelite Pledge is written by Elder Shadrock Porter.

'The Forgotten Israelites' by Elder Shadrock Porter contains Biblical proof revealing the cause of the Blackman's downfall and spiritual instructions for reclaiming self-respect and honour.

Elder Shadrock gives his first major public speech about the Israelites at the Harbourfront, Toronto, during a Martin Luther King Day celebration — speaking publicly about the 400 years and the importance of August. Baptisms begin June 28, 1992, at Camp Wesceneaskin, accompanied by miraculous signs.

The first Israelite child is born January 25, 1993, and offered-up on the eighth day by Elder Shadrock Porter. Named Jacob. The Israelite flag is established the same year.

'The Spirit of Egypt in America' is a book by Elder Michael Hinds and Elder Antonio Castrilli, sanctioned and approved by Elder Shadrock Porter. It focuses on the United States of America as the New Egypt, grounded in the prophecy of Deuteronomy 28:68 — a foundational doctrinal and historical work of the House of Israel International Organisation.

The ministry establishes at the Accord Centre. Purim and the Feast of Dedication are formally established as observed holy days in the INWWM calendar.

The Israelite Nation's Coat of Arms is established by Elder Shadrock Porter, formalising the heraldic identity of the nation.

Elder Shadrock Porter writes and directs 'Shadow of the Slaves,' honouring Canada for being a haven for slaves during the era of the Underground Railroad. One of his landmark theatrical works.

Official branches established internationally: Atlanta (led by Elder Michael Hinds for 21 years), London UK (Lytton Community Hall, W14), New York/New Jersey (Englewood, NJ), and Missouri. The INWWM becomes active in Canada, US, UK, and the Caribbean.

The S. N. Porter Academy is established, extending the educational mission of the INWWM — providing instruction in Israelite history, culture, and doctrine rooted in the KJV 1611.

The True Sabbath Day is formally confirmed by the INWWM. The Sabbath falls on Day 7 of the new moon month — not the seventh day of the Gregorian week. Rooted in Genesis 2:2-3, Leviticus 23:3, and 1 Samuel 20.

The ministry relocates to 202 Bentworth Avenue, North York, Toronto ON M6A 1P8 — the current and permanent home of the House of Israel International Organisation and INWWM Headquarters. Open to all races, colours, and creeds.

The Golden Emblem of Solomon is established as an authoritative symbol of the Israelite Nation, its history, and its doctrinal identity.

Elder Shadrock Porter and the INWWM partner with rememberthe400 and the City of Hampton, Virginia, for the 400th anniversary. 'The Journey' plays to a sold-out crowd at The American Theater in Hampton, VA, and has since played in New York, London, and Toronto.

The COVID-19 pandemic. The Remember The 400 Foundation is established, continuing the work of raising awareness of the 400-year pattern of the plight of the descendants of the children of Israel who first arrived in Virginia in August 1619.

'The Bridge' is published by Officer/Dr. Charmain D. Ford, BSc (Hons), MPhil, DIsD — Officer of the INWWM, Philosopher and Doctor of the Israelite Doctrine — inspired by Elder Shadrock Porter. Chronicles the rebirth of the Israelite Nation, practices, lifecycle, membership, and the 400-year history.

The Huldah Academic Legacy Awards are established by the INWWM Education Division, recognising Israelites who excel in academic pursuits, contribute to the Israelite family, and embody Israelite values. Award levels: Bronze, Silver, Gold, and the Elder Shadrock Leadership Award. Named for Huldah the prophetess (2 Kings 22). Nominations open during Feast of Tabernacles; awards at Feast of Unleavened Bread.

'The Journey,' written and directed by Elder Shadrock Porter, premieres — a musical theatrical production chronicling the lives of a peculiar people, beginning from their glory days in the Promised Land through their sojourn in the Americas via the Middle Passage. The production spans ancient Israel, West Africa, the Atlantic crossing, the Americas, and the Caribbean. It has since played to sold-out audiences in Toronto, New York, Virginia, St. Louis, and the United Kingdom — running for over twenty-one years. Frederick Malcolm portrays Marcus Garvey; the final scene — the Valley of Dry Bones (Ezekiel 37) — has become its signature emotional climax.

Genesis Advance Performing Arts Society (GAPAS) hosts the INWWM 40th Anniversary Celebration Weekend in North York, Ontario: Day 1 — Historical Exhibition with multimedia artifacts and archival footage tracing 40 years of legacy; Day 2 (July 19) — 'The Journey' theatrical production, described as 'the night when art, faith, and heritage converged' before a capacity audience; Day 3 — Grand Cultural Celebration with live music, dance, food, and fellowship. Elder Shadrock Porter writes, produces, and directs; Stage Manager Tammy Powell-Malcolm; Band: Antonio Castrilli (piano), Elaine Belanger-Porter (organ), Azariah Malcolm (drums). The production journeys from ancient Israel through West Africa, the Middle Passage, the Americas, and the Caribbean. Article by Officer/Dr. C. D. Ford published on israelitenation.com, July 21, 2025.