The weekly democratic statesman. [volume] (Austin, Tex.) 1871-1883, 1878-09-19
The Wandering Jew-Dr. Kohler's
Lecture The Path OF Israel
through HiAtory.

I hatCSl IcnONU, suOWtO uCaluculSui IT
t rSyed in most attractive wisdom Snd
, spiendor. Her sacred archives dis
closed unto the Jewish csptives the
/ records of the remotest past, the So
/ ciets Of the world's beginning. Hel
| astronomers and magicians unveiled tC
/ them the mysteries of the heavens, the
name and position of every star, angel
amt spirit, whether good or evil, in the
| constellation of the universe, aud this
belief was, instead of the old Canaan.
ite idolatry, blended with Judaism.
/ Soon the fresh and clear Hebrew lam
guage was exchanged with the time
worn Babylonisn dialect. Jewish tai
ent and wisdom, soliciting the admira-
tion of BIbyloniau rulers, found hon
Orable fields of labor, recognition and
| success. Israel was in u fair way oil
getting lost among the conflaX of ma
/ tiOns streaming to Babylon, had not
the remnant of the Nazarites, under
the name Of ''the Servants OF God, y
or 'the pious and humble ones, y
EoionIm, again guarded the sacred
heritage of Israel, and by admonition,
instruction and prayers, prepared the
people for the longed-for return to the
Holy Land. AS pupils and heirs ot
the prophets, they, In company with
the priests, gathered the priceless lit
erary remnants of the nation to render
them treasury of comfort and Inspi-
ration for mankind. They also drew
up systems of law for the restoration
of the Jewish State, tending to regu-
late the domestic, social and political
life of the people by the standard OF
priest!y holiness and purity, in order
10 render the land worthy of the God
| dwelling in their midst. Having,
amidst sorrow and longing for Jerusa-
lem, elected the most touching elegies
from their harps whilst sitting on the
shores of BAbylon's rivers, they broke
out into joy and jubilee when Cyrus,
| the Persian king, rose like the sun IT
the East, to triumph over Asia, and II
the name of the Ormuzi, the good
spirit of light, to overthrow
naughty Babylonis. AS God''
>snolnted one, he Is hailed by the
lofty. seer of the exile, who expects
soon to have the temple rebuilt, and a
u house oi-prayer and enlightenment
reopened unto all the nations. Alas
hope is wing, possession becomes {
fetter unto the soul. The great pro
phetic outburst of hope and enthusiasm
ended within the small compass of th'
temple; the lofty aspirations of tn,
nation dwindled into priestly ritual
Ism. Restoration of the priestly priv
lIeges became the watchword of tht
sons of Saddok, as the contemplated
restitution of the kingdom was inter
fered with by the Persian government
But Just then Judaism equipped it
self for Its world-coDquering march
Its members had been scattered owe
Asia, where they had shared in the ma
terial and mental progress of Persi
and the other nations. Their talent
and prospects outgrew the limited are
of Judea. The wide world becam
their home. When Alexander, th
Macedonian conqueror, blended Easter
and Western civilization, the Jew
were the first to combine the JEWS
faith with Greek thought, Greek phi
losophy with Oriental lore. TIE Jew.
: admired by his teacher, Aristotle, fc
their wisdom, offered him brave so
diers for his armies, industrious settler
for his new colonies, the best elemer
for his cosmopolitan plans and pu
7 poses The whole Mediterranean shol
2 on the Asiatic and African coast WI
dotted with Jewish settlements attenC
ing to agriculture, commerce and il
dustr;es, even to purple and silk mani
factories inherited from the Pnmu
clans.
Nor was Judaism as religion cor
4 fined to the Holy Land. The temp
at Jerusalem, with its perpetual altal
fire nourished by the gifts of all II
Jews, near and far, formed hencefort
a bright national center, instead OF
= mere territorial one. Its priests, Il
/ cons of Saddok, holding connection
, with foreign lands and nations, repr
sented the cosmopolitan elemepss- =
Judea. With their nsSnesSrily bros
/ and universal c33u1stion they formt
the vanguard Iof Jewish propagand
, all over the world. Being the aristo
racy of blood aud wealth, they, as
par Z, endeavored to blend heath
culture and refinement with their r
s ligion, in order to reflect credit oR-ti
latter. No doubt the naturalization
Jewish ideas in Syria and Alexandri
the translation of the Bible into Gre'
and Aramean, was due to their inf
u ence. But, ensnared by worldly powe
: by greed after wealth and sensual Piles
g ures, they disgraced their proud nam
r. Saduceeism became nickname, signi
2 cative of apostacy and libertinisi
Under the disguise of Greek refneme
IS heather vice aud ldolatry flooded {
d land and the temple, threatening
r wipe out Judaism.
To oppose Sadduceean wantonne
and license, the remnant of the o
8 Nazarites, the Chasidiu or pio
)nes," afterward called by their Syrii
name the Pharisees, rose, invested wi
y priestly sanctity and prophetical po'
;. er. AS during the Babyloniau exil
they longed and prepared tbemselv
for the coming of the Messiah and {
e great time OF resurrection. Their
t spirlng zeal for the law carried t
Hasmonean priests forward to brillia
victories, and counteracted also tn,
ambition and arrogance, when they |
;. pired first TO the high-priests diadel
% and then to the royal crown. Th'
a fervent hope, their sublime faith, thi
e aspiration TO the highest possible no
l. ness and purity, their priestly lives a
costume Che white, long-fringed e
ment and capsules OF Biblical tex
fastened on the forehead and over I
i breast), shaped and moulded the !
I. Of the Jewish people. They were I
u founders of the Synagogue, which,
q centre of public instruction, devoti
and charity, soon outdone the tenn
= in Jerusalem with all its priestly por
i, and splendor. AS popular preacht
y they succeeded in refining Jewish M
d ais. and as teachers IN sublimating
IS Biblical teachings about God and {
al her, after, as they blended them st h
it with Oriental traditions and fabl'
(. and afterwards with Platonic and T
le thagorean philosophy. Wherever Je
Is ish enterprise and talent had fou
n success and prosperity, they institut
at congregational worship TO scatter {
j, sublime truths Of 8 common father
d common moral obligation. and q col
It mon hope of mankind. They gave
n world men like Hiliel and Jesus VI
Ie sweet lessons Of humanity, Of kindn'
z and charity on their lips, men like p
le 10. the philosopher, and Josephas,
se historian, with broad cosmopolit
" views, and finally energetic men Il
n Jocbanan ben Sakkzi and St. Paul, "
a upon the very ruins Of the temple bu
,e new religions sYstems. the one for /