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grove. (See Gesenius oVi^and ssy.) So Hannah understood it when she said, her son• •Samuel should stay in Shiloh *V u for ever,M i.e., for all his lifetime, (J Samuel 1:22). So Moses understood the term (Exodus 21:6,) when he says of the servant who desires to stay with his master after his time of servitude expired, “ And lie shall serve for ever.*' A glance upon the concordance will convince the reader that our definition is correct.Knowing of no other objection that couldbe raised against our theory \vc concludethese paragraphs with the deduction, that inthe historical documents before us no spiritual king i'j promised, not a word is mentioned of the king’s being God’s representative on earth, and nodynastical prerogatives were either propheeicd or promised to David.TO BE CONTINUED..• mm - ■much respected jis the Chinese ftherasejve3,;. that the Jews are admitted to public.offices, tliat their vernacular’ is the Hebrew intermingled with Persian words. The holy writings consist of 13 books,which division they adopted in honor of Moses and the twelve tribes. Some books of our Bible are missing in their collection; but those they possess are exactly similar to ours, in relation to texf,or-der of arrangement.and punctuation. When reading a portion of the Pentateuch during service, the reader stands in the pulpit of “ Moses,” wears a blue hat an*1 a cotton To-Iilh. The Rabbi wears a red silk ribbon round the shoulder. They observe the Sabbath and Circumcision ; but no longer understand the Hebrew. Their number amounts at present to over 600 souls.The Jews in Persia, East India and China.I From Hccbt’d “History of the Jews.”]On account of a persecution of the Jews in Persia, occurring in the sixth century,about7*2 families, led by one Joseph Rabban,emigrated from Persia to Tndia. Sherim Peri-mal, king of Tndia, grunted them a tract of land near Cmngnnor, for the purpose of establishing a small principality of their own, where, soon increasing in numbers and in powers, they Jived in undisturbed tranquility up to the y'ear 1510. In this year they were driven out of their possessions l»y the Portuguese. The king of Cochin received the fugitives with the utmost kindness, and granted them large tracts of land for settlements. Their newly established congregations soon increased by a large number of y’oungand single Israelites froin Bactlad, Bassora, Yemen, and other cities in the western part of Asia, who, allured by the report of fabulous riches in this country and hv the large commercial enterprises of the Europeans, sought here an aliude.Having established themselves in the provinces conquered by the Europeans the yuung men purchased black slaves and married them, after having converted them to flie Jewish religion. This is the origin of the 41 Black Jews.” Two facts show the truth of this report; first, black Jews are living only in the countries conquered by Europeans; and secondly, their religious, ceremonies are similar to those of the Oriental Jews—a certain proof of their Babylonian origin. The report, therefore, contained in the book “ Mikweh Israel,” page 35: ‘‘ That after the destruction of the Is-raelitish kingdom about 10,000 Jews were carried away into the southern parts of Asia, accompanied by a host of black slaves, who killed their masters on their way andThe source of Greatness.'-9(Conclnded from No. 7.)Mankind in all ages have believed not merely that governments were divinely ordained, but rulers also. Hence kings and queens have not professed to rule on their own authority or for their own purpose ; if they had they would have- been intolerable and despicable, but they have assumed to be the chosen instruments of God’s earthly government. They have put Dei gratia, or equivalent words, upon the coin of their realms and upon the seals of their office. Thus they have magnified themselves, and secured obedience and respect. Reformers and usurpers, however selfish arid ambitious, when aiming to overthrow dynasties, usually plead divine warrant, and allege the forfeiture of divine favor on the part of the ruler3 whom the}’ seek lo overthrow. Our pilgrim fathers committed themselves to God upon the billows, and when they landed dropped upon their knee3 on the virgin soil, and receiving it a9 a divine gift to which they were called,made the wild woods echo to the songs of Zion.— And in their ordinances of government and election of Magistrates they recognised the ltuler of all the earth. So when we felt called on lo maintain the rights with which the Creator has endowed us we appealed to the Supreme Judge of the world. During our revolutionary struggle our Continental Congress called on God, and imported copies of his word. The prevalence of French infidelity, imported by Paine and diffused by the French army, produced its bitter fruits; and when our Constiiution was drafted dele-gatesAojdly declared that the priuciples of morality were to be held in abeyance to commercial interests; the will of the people was recognized as the supreme authority, and God's name whs not once mentioned in the instrument. It is easy to see that secession, commotion, and revolution are legitimate consequences.The consciousness of a divine call seems to be impressed upon every great mind. It is perhaps impossible to mention any such whose private li is to ryr is known that did not reaard itself as an instrument in thehandoftook possession of t.heir property, but re-mained t-iitlifnl to Judaism.whieli they liad j supernal power. In the heathen world andadopted shortly before this treachery and massacre was resolved upon ”—provestobe incorrect and is incredible.The colony of the Bene Israel in East India also seems to be of Persian origin. Mr. J. J. Benjamin, a Jewish traveler,who from JXTJ to 1X50 visited Ilindostan, reports that the Jews living in Ilindostan are called “Babylonian Jews,” on accountof their emigration from Babylonia, and that they do not consider the Bene Israel as members of the-Jewisli religion. Benjamin, however, avers that they are Jews beyond doubt, voluntarily and rigidly keeping aloof from other sects, and avoiding intermarriage with them. They strictly observe the most essential rites of Judaism—namely', circumcision, and with the utmost punctuality adhere to the ordinances reganling the killing of animals. To the scrolls m their temples they pay devout homage, and are known as Jews in the various parts of Hindostan. It is strange that the Bene Israel have not any members belonging to the tribe of Levy.— They have neither Cohanitu nor Leviyim.— Froin these and other circumstances Benjamin was led to.suppose that they were descendants frotn~Hie lost ten tribes of the kingdom of Israel. The Bene Israel of Bombay told him that before the arrival of Europeans they had been very numerous, living by themselves, and governed by a chief of their own, bearing tlie title of Sheikh. But after the conquest*by the Europeans they had been obliged to disperse ; a large number of them seeking shelter and refuge in other parts of Hindostan, about f0 to GO days’ journey to Calcutta, in Gawek,where they are still governed by their own Sheikb.Not far from Bombay, about a journey of two hours from Barcout, there exists a colony of Bene Israel, numbering about 2000 souls, under the patriarchioal governrneut of a chief,by the name of Rabi. They live in houses surrounded by gardens. They are engaged in the pursuits of agriculture and com-mercc, and are very charitable. Though in possession of several copies ot the Pentateuch, they have entirely forgotten the Hebrew,even to the letters of the alphabet. As regards divine service, they are acquainted with a few ceremonies.handed down through generations. They pay profound reverence to the Mosaic law, and adorn their scrolls, which are very ancient., with ornaments of great value.— They approach the holy ark with, great awe, kiss it wi^h devotion, and retire after having, recited a short prayer. They know of no ritual, not even the Shema. Some time- since the Babylonian Jews of Bombay dispatched unto them Schechetim and Rabbis, with the intention of diffusingamong them someknowl-edge of their religion ; but, however friendly disposed to them,. they obstinately refuse intermarriages. The Bene Israel,for their part, insist upbn tbeiiright,HS Israelites to try tketr utmost to establish their equality with the Babyloniiih Jews; and would 'feel happy to cement the religious union by the bondof intermarriage.Mr, Benjamin found the Bene Israelrin different parts of Cochin;, they possess everywhere' the same physiognomy, and’ are uni” versally engaged-in tho same pursuits.Of the Jews living in* China; to which empire many families, at various timeBj. emigraramong unchristian min«is men like Cesar are fatalists,or go to the field expecting the shield of a divinity’. Hannibal, Mohammed, Napoleon, all followed destiny. Among the pious the Cromwells, the Prince Eugenes,and the Washingtons feel that they are guided by the true God. There is nothing that so girds the soul for action or for suffering as this.— Happy’ that our chief magistrate feels called of God for his place, and invokes the prayer of the nation. To speak the word which is' to change the fortunes of millions for ages, to utter the command that is to make a thous-aud cannon thunder o’er the plain and ten thousand swords leap from their scabbards, that is to open the gates of heaven or the mouth of hell to ten or a huudred thousand souls, is too much for one who is not either more or less than man, unless he feel that necessity is upon him, or God is with him.— Desire of fume, or money, or the presidency is too weak to make a hero under such circumstances. So, also, to stop the moi^hs of lionswith your bones; to quench the violence of tiro with your blood; to bo tortured without accepting deliverance; to wander exiles, destitute, affiicied, tormented, or to have trials of cruel mockings and scourgings, and all for the truth, requires as full a sight of Him who is invisible as is needed out of weakness to come forth strong, turn to flight the armies of the aliens, and subdue kingdoms, to righteousness.But men may’ think themselves called of God when they are not. What shall secure us from delusion? God can not be against himself; liis call is to glory through virtue, All moral greatness must be oonsisteDt with. 1. truth; 2. justice; 3. benevolence.He who feels obliged to defend error is an• • i •enthusiast; and though, darling may be his intellect, or sparkling his wit, or wonderful his success, his g]ory is as the morning dew. The father of modern philosophy, who, as soys Wotton, 11 hath done a great and everlasting benefit to the children of nature, and to nature herself in, her uppermost exteat of latitude,” as if conscious of the inspiration of God, soid.oven in the darkness, 14 My name and memory I leave to foreign nations and to mine owgi countrymen after some timebepassed overt I have held up a light in the obscurity of* philosophy which shall be seen centuries after I am dead.” He was right; he sought and found’ truth, aud it-made him immortal.9He who feels called to establish a government in injustice is deluded. ’Whatever splendor of intellect, .or intensity of enlhii-. siasm^or extent of resources, or energy of arms may attend.an effort.tq wrong humanir ty, it must ultimately bring: infamy instead,* of renown. Pilate, governor of tho realm, dweller.in the palace, receiver of the revenues, highest judicial authority, representative of the emperor, called on to condemn Jesus though he.sought to avoid the trial; declared the innocence of the accused,and- remonstrat-0 • » I *ed with the accusers, yet,not liaving the manhood to do juslice.surrcndered him to the cross. What was-the end of his greatness? Recalled, degraded, banished, he died in exile and in shame, probably by his own hand, ; to be more and more execrated, as time/rolls bn. and men grow wise. What shall be the fateof him who for the sake .of .power will,-anjlted-from Mesopotamia, we havb but very ! an innocent nation'to the . cross, will drive scanty information; IiBut)A.St is. knownjlthat'-i Jho iron into the hands,'and point .thq spearthere are several Jewish congregations as 1 into the ieart of four millions of fellow-men.'
Newspaper Details
Cincinnati Israelite
Cincinnati, Ohio, US
Fri, Aug 22, 1862
Page 5
Full Page
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Anonymous
PL 04 Oct 2021
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