The Evansville journal. [volume] (Evansville, Ind.) 1866-1870, 1866-10-26
SINGULAR DISCOVERY.
~ az - U Z -
Al COLONY or JEWS IN THE
HEART OF CHINA.
Earlyatuqniriesss - N ehamJne daps IN
e. kAifuAR---BestFaetidtf0 OF the bytla-
ROguc-.. Distressed Condition OF
the pegpIcr--Ilec0y and Threaten
cd Extinction. VIZ tf"
Correspondence Of the Now York Times.
~ assn pgKIN, China, June, 1866

~ 10 WY tbAf AAl-lhHH @lesf tlHt aaHi-
tai of Honap, IL famous aean ancient
capital Of the empire, and the aeene OF
stirring events in the history Of China,
To the Christian world, however, "
possesses deeper interest az tho resi'
dcnee Of jewish colony.
"a They w0re discovered by tho eele
1brated Father Hioci, and early ~ the
b0yentednth century, full Inquiries
concerning their uaages and manu-
aetipta we're made by the Jesuit mis-
aionnries, who resided In that city
In 1850 depntation Of native Chrle.
.tinua waa aant among them by the
4B,slou of Victoria aud ths slate DR.
Medhurst, Two Of tho Jews were IN
duoad 10 20 20 Shanghai land some Of
their Hebrew MSS obtained but up
10 the date Of my journey, for more
than century aud n half they had
not, 80 far M we are Informed, boon
visited by any European 1t became.
therefore, n matter Of interest TO as
certain their present condition. aud,
~ ! remarked In my last letter, this
was tho chief consideration that in
duodd mo 20 make KIN flung fee n
point III tho course Of my inland tfav3
Hthfa w hhh hhAhlE AAA1 HhNA HAHliHNR1
Ahall not repeat, but eoneisely as
possible lay before you review OF my
.Dwg qbprvattone,g q. .sEEArE
Arriving in this city on the 18th Of
February, ! inquired for the jewish
Synagogue, but getting no satisfactory
answer, went FOR information 70 4
Mohammodan mosque, Of which there
.arg aetewer Aan'alx 4 wpsNcll We
oeived by The Mutt, aud the advent
Of stranger from the West who was
believed ~ be . sworshipper Of the
true lord aeon attracted largo
ooneourso of tho faithful. At the re4
quest of tho Mutt, holding o New
r1aalalnent in my hand, j Addressed
them in relation TO the contents Of the
Holy Book of Jesus, whose name no
preaound0d with great respect ae that
of the most illuatrioua of their proph-
eta, Mahomet Of course excepted
The Jews he denounced 0s kafrs,
and evinoed no very poignant sorrow
when. he informed me that their Syn
.Aguptle had cdmetof deAdlation@ feIt
was, no assured me, utterly demoll
iahed, and the people who had wor1
shipped there scattered abroad "
II. Then. said L." i will Ro and SEQ
the spot on which itatnod Y and dil
rocting the bearers Of my sedant 10 pro-
coed 60 the place Indicated by tho
Num-, passed through streets crowd!
cd with curious spectators until / came
10 an open square, in tho center Of
which there stood solitary stone.
ON one side was an inscription com!
memorating the erection Of the Syna.
Ia he gr "A G..u.a. Il
nasty, A. y, 1868; and relerringIto the
first arrival Of dhe Jews in China to
the dynasty Of Hon. d. Q. 200-A.
On the Other aide was d record Of
ita rebuilding in the dynasty of Ming,
about 800 years ago, but in addition
10 those inscriptions 10 bore an un-
written. record Of decay and sruin;iit
was mscrihqd with Jehabod, " The
glory Is departed au ia lasmial9t a.H +
4. Standing on the pedestal. and rest
ing myrlght hand on the head OF that
stone which was 10 be n silent witness
OF The truths was about tb utter,
explained TO the eongregated multi !
tude my reasons for taking pleasure
i'm the stones of Israel, and iavoring
the dust thereof | then inquired IL
there were any Jews among my h6hr-
ers. ! am one, responded young
ma41wlloae taco corrohorated HE. as
'Eefttou, md then another and another
stepped forward, until /, saw before
me representatives of ak of the seven
families into which the colony il now
divided! Ha t4.afa1 Ifi.gs f,I
There, on this melancholy spot
where the worry foundations Of ihd
synagogue had been torn from tha
ground, and there no longer remained
one stone upon another, they confess.
ed 10 me with shame and grief that
their holy aud beautiful house had
been demolished by their own hands
Ii had long been In q ruinous condi.
tion--they had no money TO repair the
breaches of the sanctuary They had
lost all knowledge of the sacred
tongue, the traditions of the fathers
were no longer handed down, and
their ritual worship had ceased TO be
observed. I'm this state Of things they
had yielded 20 tho pressure Of neoest
sity and disposed of the timhers and
stones of that venerable edifice 20 OBJ
tain relief for their bodily wants.
In the evening some of them came
to my lodgings, bringing for my In.
spection roll of the law; and the
next day, the Christian Sabbath, they
repeated that visit, listening atten
lively to all | had 10 say concerning
the relations Of the Law of Moses
to the Gospel Of Christ They wer,
very ignorant, but answered, ms far as
tnoy were able, my Inquiries III regard
@ thelr past history and present state
Two OF them appeared IN official cos
Che other a crystal ball On the tor q
has Gap; but. lar from sustaining The
-genornl oharaoter Of their nnnnln ~,