Spirit of the times. [volume] (Ironton, Ohio) 1853-1858, 1853-11-29
The AnSyeeh.


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The AnSyeeh.
This is the name Of religious sect
found in the northern part OF Syria, oi
which bu, little has been hitherto pub.
Iishel They were visited in the sum
mer of 1852 by the Rev. Samuel Lyde,
a clergyman Of the Church OF England
who having heard tina, they were nu'
morous body, but sunk into state oil
ignorance and oppression, and that no
Christian Church ha yc, attempted TO
establish mission among them, deter
mined to 90 among them AMI ascertain,
by personal inquiries, :heir principles
and character, and what prospect there
was for the opening Of Christian schools
among them. The result OF his re.
searches is given in volume recently
published in Lon lon, enll'le "lhc
AnsyrpeI, and IsmacIech: IA Visi, to the
Secret Sec,s of Northern Syria, with Il
, view to the Establishment Of Schools y
From the work we take the lol!owins :
extract
or their early history little is known,
but their physiosnomy AMI religion
I nrovo them to he of distinct origin from
the other races inhabitin, Syria. They
8 are supposed to be the ab"rislnes OF 'h'
. north of Syria, an to have re- a'ne
9 in the mountain chain, stretching from
Mount Cassius TO the Lebanon, wh'l
|; successive tides Of conquest have swep
e along the plains on either si!e. At NJ
Il period have the, acquired celebrity a
O people or sect; unlike their neigh
=. buurs, the Ismaeleeh, or Assassins, ono
~ famous, bu' who have now nearly di:
. appearej from before them. 1t is diff
:, cult to ascertain exactly all the dela'
- of the religion OF the Ansyreeh, both b.
-. cause their religion is secret and /
lires,el one, and because there are lie
-. or none among them in the presen, de
who understand it so well as to ha
fixed points Of agreement and disaSre
vn ment.
=, However, there is one thing in whi'
+; they all seem agreed, and which acts
-. kind Of lreemasonry in binding tose'
on, er the scattered members OF tn
+. body, namely, sectet prayers, which
,,,, 49, taught to every male child of cer,i
,,,o aye, and are repeated at stated times,
~ slatcl places, and accompa MED W
religious rites. The known part OF tn
religion is a mixture Of Mohamme'l
oc, ism, Christianity, Judaism, Mas'anl'
IT,, and Payanism. 1t is such one as
should expect to find among people
., have never possessed men Of Iolent
II, education, and have been brought S
cessively into contact with diverse 70
of religion, Of each new on Of wi
they have received part, while
so;l have still clung TO what precele'l
nee, And since Mohammetlanism is the
for from, and they are still surrounded
It's professors, it is by it that thei' RI
oeu' oo, ion is most strongly ,inctured.
cri. At present they are widely
ction tered, but are held together by a c
-, mon fear of oppression, and by the
NO., session of a common secret: ana
ge Of remarkable how close TINS u''o
d re. which is observable in the rapid t
the mission OF news from one part to a
,o.,h er of their ody. They are found
sat oG north as Tarsous, in Asia Minor. ct.
is,ant is large body at Antioch, and
,p he are the principal inhabitants o
r. country between il and the sea.
'al,sv. al W. arc large numbers in the ds'fic
Hannah and Tripoli, but the great
a, the are found in the plain Of Lalikeet
lied to the districts in the mountains 10 tn
of il. Their whole number is com
ed ana a, something less than two hundred
'y az sand. In Antioch considerable
" lion Of the trade is in their hant
!. N. thev are entirely subject 10 the