Virginia advocate. [volume] (Charlottesville, Va.) 1827-1860, 1828-11-15
THE TEN LOST JEWISH TRIBES.


Tiiis, Persia, and Armenia among the visitors ou
far have had for tho first time traders from BIZ
charia ,0h shaois, 'ohieh are there manufactured Of The
finest ,ooot Of the goats Of Thct and Cashmere by ,,
Jewish families, cheh form third part othc population
In Buchara Formerly ,he capital of Sosdana the Jews
been very since the Babylonian can
tvity, aid there remarkable tor their industry and
manufactures, they in England for heir MONEY
transactions 1t was till last that the Russian
Government succeeded in extending its diplomatic mis-
sion far into Bucharia The above traders exchanged
their shaws for and fno woollen cloths of such
colors as are most esteemed in the East"
The existence in Bucharia Of so large body OF
Jews was unknown, it is said, to any of our &c.
ographers-and the question has arisen, Whence
have they proceeded, aud how have they come to
establish therE;nu5es in a region remote from
their original country The Editor of the Gale
donian Mercury thinks that this question can only
be answered by supposing that these persons are
the descendants of the long-Iost Ten Tribes, con-
corning the fate Of which, theologiaus historians
and antiquarians have been alike puzzled. The
Editor remarks
However wild this hypothesis may at iyst ap-
pear. there are not wanting circumstances to rem
der 1t lar from being improbable. In the 18th
chapter of the Second Book of Kings, it is saia.
"'ln the ninth year of Hosea, the King of Assy-
ria took Samaria, and carried Israel away into
Assyria, and placed them in Helah and in Habnr,
by the river of Gozan, and in the cities of the
Modes; )" and in the subsequent verses as well as
i'll the writings Of the Prophets. it is said, that the
Lord then put away Israel out of his sight. and
carried them away into the land of Assyria unto
this day" In the Apocryphy Cd, Esdras xiii it
is saiG, that the Ten Tribes were carried beyond
the river (Euphratcs) and so they were brought in
TO another land, when they took counsel together
that they would leave the multitude ofthe he athen
and go forth into a further country, where never
mankind dwelt; that they entered in at the narrow
passage oil the river Euphraes when the springs Of
the flood were stayed and " went through the
country agreat journey, even in year and half"
and il is added, that" there they will remain I'M
ill the latter time, when they will come forth again.
The country beyond ~Bucharia was unknown to
the ancents; and it is, we believe, generally adj.
mitted, that the river Gozan, mentioned i'm the
Book OF Kings, is the same as the Gauges, which
has its rise in those very countries in which the
Jews reside, OF whom the Lepsic account speaks
The distance WIS these two merchants must
have travelled, cannot, therefore, be less than
three thousand miles; and there can be little
doubt that the Jews, whom they represent as
third part of the population Of the country are
descendants Of the Ten Tribes of Israel, settled
by the river Gozan.
The great plain of central Asia forming four
principal sides, viz. Little Bucharia, Tibet,
Mongolia, and Mantchouse, contains surface of
lo0,O00 square miles, and population of 90
O00,0 OO. This vast country is still very little
known. The great traits OF its gigantic forma-
ton, compose, for the most part, all that we arc
certain Of 1t is an immense plain of an excess
I've elevation, intersected with barren rocks and
vast deserts, OF black and almost moving sand
II is supported on all sides by mountains of gram
lite, whose elevated SUBMITS determine the differ
ent climates OF the great continent of Asia, and
form the division of its waters. From its exile
rior How all the great rivers of that part Of the
world. In the interior quantity of rivers,
having little declivity, issue, which are lost
IN the sands, or perhaps feed stagnant waters In
the southern chains are countries, populous, rich
and civilized Little Bucharia, Great and Little
Ihioet. The people of the north are shepherds
and wanderers. Their riches consist in their
herds Their habilatons are tents and towns
and camps, which are transported according to the
wants OF pasturage The Bucharians en- Joy the
right OF trading to all parts Of Asia, and the Th-
betians cultivate the earth to advantage The
anclents had onlya confused idea Of Central Asia
Ihe inhabitants of the country" as we learn
from great authority, are in high state of civ
llization possessing all the useful manufactures,
and lofty houses built with stone. The Chinese
reckon but this is evidently an exaggeration1
THAT Thibet alone contains 33 900 900 of persons
L he merchants of Cashmere, on their wav to Var
kand in Little BuchaTia, pass through Little 'rhi
pct The country is scarcely known to European
Geographers. The immense plain Of Central
ASA IS hemmed in, and almost inaccessible by
mountain ranges of the greatest elevation, which
surround 1t on all sides. except China and when
the watchinl jealousy of the Government of the
Celestial Empire is considered, it will scarcely be
wondered at that the vast region in question is SO
little known
Such is the country which these newly-discov-
cred Jews are said to inhabit in such numbers.
4 ne following facts may perhaps serve to throw
some additional light on this interesting subject
In the year 1922, Mr.. Sargon who if we mis-
take not, was one of the agents to the London
Society, communicated to England some interest
ing accounts Of number Of persons resident at
Bombay, Canamore. and their vicinity, who are
evidently the descendants of Jews, calling them
selves BenI'lsrae, and bearing almost uniformly,
jewish names, bnt with Persian ordinations
This gentleman feeling very DESTROYS of obtaining
all possible knowledge OF their condition, under
took mission for this purpose to Canamore and
the result oil his inquiries was. conviction that
they were not Jews of the one tribe and a half
being OF different race to the white and black
Jews at Cochin. and consequently that they were
a remnant OF the long lost Ten Tribes This
IL. IL