The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1864-07-29
SPANISH JEWS INNOCENT OF THE
gRHgIETWUnN


In The notes 70 Southeys "Don Roderick, J"
there is letter relative to the Jews so remark
able and % curious thai have attempted trans
lation, although the original Is In quite old
Spanish, differing a. much rom modern Cas-
TITAN ~ the English OF our days does from the
Enghsh OF Cbaucer's.
Mr.. SUuthey prefaces this letter in the follow
ing ords :-"Wben Toledo was recovered from
The Moors By Alonzo VI, the Jcas Of that ci.y
waited on tic cOnQu rOr and assured him thHy
were part of the ten uiOCs whom N,buchadnel-
zar bad traBtIouod Into Sp,iu, not descendants
of jerusalem Jews who had crucifpd Christ.
TIER ancestor, they said, were entirely innocent
OF The cIucibNion Tor when Cailphus, the hiyh
priest bad written TO the IOedan synag0guas
TO ask their advice respecting the person who
called bimseli tho Messiah, and whether be
fhould be slain, tlc IUledaus returned for
answer that. In their Judgment, the prophecies
seemed fulfilled In his person, md the cforr h,
ought not, by any means, be put % DEATH THIS
reply they prOduc' ~ the ORIGINAL Hebrew.
and IN Arrl h., as t had been Translated by com
mnnd Of King GaIfrC. AlunlO gave car To the
STORY. bad the letter trlnsla.ed into Latin nud
Casilsn, and dep. sited among the archives Of
ToItdo. ] he latter version is thus rendered by
Satdoval"
Here follows the letter In the old Ca,tililp
tongue of which The following is "a translation -
Levi Chief Of the Si nngogues, and Samuel
and JOSEPH, honorable men ana Of good rcp1rt
in the ctngu CATION OF Toledo, to Eleazar-
Nugmd, High Priest and % Samuel Cannd, and
the CougreFHt on Of the Holy Land, health in
tie God Of Israel. Your mes, cnger Aznrns a
mnstgr OF the law, has brought us your letter,
bl vhi,b You inform us Of the signs and acts OF
the prophet OF Nazarcth. A certain person Of
the nj ne of Simuel, the son of Amacias, lately
passed through this city, and he related many
% Cd deeds Of this prophet; that In his mdu :t
he 10 very meek and humble, freely Clnversing
with the miserable, doing good even to his enc
mics, while he does Injury 70 no one. To he
proud and wicked he is uuyitldiug; and be-
CAus' he tells you your sins 10 your faces, We
grv bis enemies, and bear him il-wil. We in
quiGed Of the man the year, month, and day Of
lis tthe prOpbetsD birth, and we remember
that on the day Of his nativity three suns 40
pcaTed here IN the heavens, which by little and
lite formed themselves into one and when our
iHthefs btheld this sign they were astInished,
saving to the assembly, Messiah will soon be
born, or mayhaP he has already come into the
world Beware, therefore, brCthren, lest he
(Me'siahl be come, and ye did not recognize him
Moreover, the samc man told us tnat ole If
bis shepherds said that about the time Of the
nativity certain Maci, men Of great wisdom,
came to the Holy Land, inquiring the place of
the holy chld's birth; and also that HerO1,
your hing, was astonisl Cd, and sent for the
wise men Of the city, asking them whefe the
child should De born. They inquired Of The
MaPi, and tity said in Bethlehem Of Judah.
The hagi said that star of great brilncy
led thCm far TO the Holy Land. See now if the
propi ecy be not fulfilled which SAYS Kings
shall lei Old, aud shall walk in the bigh uess
OF BIZ nativity ware lest you per.eyu,e him
whom on ought 10 receive with plea .urs and
hold in honor. But do whatsoever TO you shall
appesr right. For our p rts neither by our ad-
vice, neiiLer by our viii, shall this MAD be put
to death. For should we do such thing, in Us
might be fulfilled the prophecy which says -
They gathered themselves with one consent
against the Lord and against his Mossiahs.'
And although yOu be men of much wisdom In
such matters, this advice we give you, lest the
God of Israel be angry with you, md destroy
your + mpe a second time; and know this fOr "a
certainty that il will soon he destroyed. This is
the reason why our forefathers escaped from the
BabylOnish captivity. Pyrro, being their cap
tain, empowered by King Cyrus, laden with
much riches, in the sXty-nnth year of his cap.
tivity, dwet at Toledo, being there received By
the Gentiles; and not willing 10 return to Jeru-
salem to build the temple, which was again to be
destroYed. they built one in TOledO.n