The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1812-05-12

inquiries referred chiefly to their antiquity,
their manuscripts, and their sentiInent Is
concerning the present state of the nation. -
The JERUSALEM, OR
WHITE JEWS
On my enquiry into the antiquity Of the
White Jews, they first delivered to me a
narrativE, in the Hebrew Language, Of thcii.
arrival in India, which has been handed
down to them from their fathers ; and then
exhibited their ancient brass Plate, contain
ing their charter and freedom of residence,
given by a King of Malabar. The follow
ing is the narrative of the events relating 10
. their first arrival:
After the second Temple was destroy
ed, (Which may God speedily rebuild y our
fathers, drcading the ConQueror's wrath,
departed from Jerusalem, a numerous body
OF men, women, Priests, and Levi;es. AID
Came into this land. =, There were aunonr
them men Of repute for learning and wis
dom !; and God gave the people favor in the
sight OF the King, who at that time reigned
here, and he granted them place to dwell
IN called CrGnSaHor. He allowed them a
patriarchai jurisdiction within the district
with certain privileges Of nobility and the
| Royal Grant was engraved, according to
tne custom OF those days, on plate of brass
ms Was done IN the year from the Greats
on oil the world 1850 A. d. 400 and this
| Our toretathers continued at Cranganor for
about thousand years, and the number of
Heads who governed were seventy-two.-
soon after orr settlement, other Jews fol-
lowed us from Judea and among
tnese came that man OF great wisdom, Rab-
ol Samuel, Levite of Jerusalem, with his
son, Rabbi Jehuda Levita. They brought
with them the SILVER TRUMPETs, made
use OF at the time of the JUBILEE, which
were saved when the second temple was
| destroyed; and we have heard from our fae
| thers, that there were engraven upon those
srumpets the letters of the inefable Name.t
! here joined us also from Spain, and other
places, from time to time, certain tribes of
Jews, who had heard OF our prosperity
but at last, discard arising among ourselves,
one OF our Chiefs called to his assistance an
| ihdlan hing, who came upon us with great
| army, destroyed our houses, palaces, and
strong holds, dispossessed us of Cranganor,
Killed part OF us, and carried part into cap
IuVlty by these massacres, we were rcdu-
ced to a small number. Some of the e.iles
came and dwell at Coch in, where we have
remained ever since, suffering great cham
ses from time to time. There are amongst
MS some OF the Children of Israel (Beni Is
raei) who came from the country of Ash
kenaz, from Egypt, from Tsoba, and other
| places, besides those who formerly inhahi-
ted this country
IheneCivc annals of Malabar confirm
the t"r"s9Ni''H- w the priuci,ai cir
cum stances, as 10 the Mlhomed histories
of the latter ages; for the Mahomedans
have'been settled here in great numbers,
since the eighth century.
! he desoation OF Cranganor the Jews
describe as being ike the dcsolation of Jeru-
sa.eth III miniature. They were FIRST re-
eeived into the country with some favor and
confidence. agreeably to the tenor of the ge-
nera! prophecy concerning the Jews for no
country was TO reject them and after they
had obtained some wealth, and attracted
the notice OF men, they are preoipitated to
the lowest abyss of human suffering and re-
proach. The recital of the suferines of
the Jews at CTanganor, resembles muSh
tAatot the Jews at Jerusalem, as given by
Josephus.
Z" now requested they would shew me
TIER brass plate. Having been given by a
| native King, it was written, OF course, in the
h4aa0aiic language and character; and is
now so Old, that it cannot be we'll under
stood. The Jews preserve a Hebrew trans
iation Of It, which they presented to NE -
but the Hebrew is very difficult, and they
! 30 not agree among themselves, as to the
meaning or some words. have employed
| BIZ their permission, ala engraVer at Cochin
toexecute a fac-simile of the original plate
on copper.f This ancient document begin,
| IN the following manner, according to the
Hebrew translation S
s." In the peace of God, the King, which
hes made the earth, according to his plea
sure. To this God, ], AIRNI BRAEMIN.
have lifted up my hand, ana have granted
! by this deed, which many hundred thousand
years shall run, I, dwelling in Crauea-
nor have granted, in the thirty-sixth year
Of my reign in the strength of power have
granted, in the strength of power have
given in inheritance, to JOSEPH RAB-
BAN
" Then follow the privileges Of nobility
such as permission to ride on an elephant
to have herald to go before, TO announce
the name and dignity to have the lamp Of
the day TO walk OF carpets spread upon
the earth; end to have trumpets and sym
balls sounded before him"
The BLACK JEWS. '''-
" 1t IS Oaly necessary to look a. the Coun-
tenance of the Black Jews, to be satisfied
that their ancestors must have arrived in
India many ages before the White Jews
Their Hindoo complexion, and their. very
imperfect resemblance to the European
Jews, indicate that they have Been detacn-
ed from the parent stock in Judea, many q
ges before the Jews in the West and that
there have been intermarriages with fami
lies not lsraelitish. had heard that those
tribes, which had passed the Indus, have as
simulated so much to the customs & habits of
the countries in which they live, that they
may ne sometimes seen by traveller, with.
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