The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1877-1885, 1885-04-29
The Lost Tribe ofIsraeI.

enty-seveu years ago Suan SJJiah de-
cilned 10 allow Mountstuari Elphlnstone
TO penetrate to the court OF Cabul, tut
insisted on receiving the distinguished
envoy at Peshawur, on the frontier aud
there was held durbar far excelling any
thing ot the sort OF recent years, for
golden throne and the great kohinoor
diamond lent their lustre aud brilnancy
10 the magnIhcCucC OF the event FL
phluetOuc spent a year III tins mission
aud devoted himself to making many in
quIrIes about the Kingdom of Cabul. 50
changes have been wrought by time that
his portrait of the Afghans, though 70
years old, is a striking likeness even to-
day. This is confirmed by the recent OBJ
seryations OF Major Arnold and OF other
travellers and soldiers who participated
in the English campaigns in that strange
country. ElphlnStone said Of them that
they we're sociable people, they had
their musical Instruments, with which
they accompanied then songs of love or
war, and they quoted their own poets,
past and present. Their treatment of
their slaves was mild. The men were all
OF a robust physique, generally lean,
though body and muscular, and they had
high noses, high cheek bones and long
faces. Their manners were frank and
open and they showed great reverence
for old age. Their ruling passion was a
love OF gain, Elphinstone declared that
he knew no people ln Asia who had
fewer evils or who were less voluptuous
and debauched, and he adds: 'To sum
up the character OF the Afghan IN a few
words, their vices are revenge, envy,
avarice, rapacity, and obstlnacy; on the
other hand they are fond OF liberty, faith
tul to their friends, kind to their depeD-
dents, hospitable, brave, frugal; labori-
Gus, and prudent, and they are less dis
posed than the nations IN their neigh Dor
hood to ialschOod, intrigue, and deceit. >
ENJOYS, army officers, and travellers
have always been strongly reminded Of
the lSraehte In their intercourse with the
Afghans, especially with those of the
interior. The question whether those
people are Of lsraelltlsh origin was agl-
tatcd IN India, as a matter OF literary Im
portance, in 1896. When Mr.. Foster
passed through Cashmere in 1889, on his
way home to Europe from India, he was
surprised at SO frequently meeting the
Jewish cast OF countenance, that country
lHtU III tIS DOSoSSSLOu dd0 utIuCi
the rule Of the Afghans. Sir Alexander
Burnes, an officer in the English native
army, commented upon this same strong
resemblance. He had unusual advan-
tages of observation, for he was dispatch
ed IN 1882 as ar envoy to DOst Moham-
med, the ruler of Afghanistan, aud he
lived some time IN Cabul. Ia an account
OF his travels Sir Alexander wrote these
interesting lines
The Afghans call themselves Ben
Israeli or children of Israel, but con
slider the term of Yahoodee, or Jew, to
be one of reproach They say that Ne
buchadnezzar, after the overthrow Of the
temple of Jerusalem, transplanted them
to the town Of Ghore, near Bameear, and
that they are called Afghans from their
chief. Afghana, who was a son of the
uncle of Asof, (the vizler of Solomon, J
who was the son of Berkia. The geneal
ogy OF this person is traced from a col
lateral branch, on account OF the obScu-
rity OF his own parent, which Is by no
means uncommon in the East. They say
that they lived as Jews till khaleed
(called by the title of Caliph) summoned
them III the first century of MOhamme-
danism to assist In the wars OF the intidels.
For their services on that occasion, kyse,
their leader got the title OF Abdoorus
heed, which means the Son of the
Mighty. He was also told to consider
himself as the butan, Gan Arabic word, J
perity would hinge, and by which the
Since that time the Afghans are some-
I Il ~. l. 81 Ho,-
are famillarly known in India. | never
before heard this explanation of the term.
After the campaign with khaleed, the
Afghans returned to their native country
and were governed by King of the line
of kyance, Cyrus, till the eleventh cen
tury, when they were subdued by Nah
mood, of Ghuzni A race of Kings
sprung from Ghore, subverted the house
Of Ghuzai, and conquered India. As is
we'll known known. this dynasty was dl-
vided at the death OF its founder into the
divisions east and west os the Indus, a
state OF things which lasted till the
posterity of Trimourlane reduced both to
a new yoke.
"Having precisely stated the history
and traditions OF the Afghans can see
no reason for discrediling them, though
there may be some anachronisms, and the
dates do not exactly correspond with
these of the Old Testament. In the his
tories Of Greece and Rome we find SINH
lar corruptions, as well as IN the later
works Of the Arab andl Mahommedan
writers. The AfghanS look like Jews.
They say that they are descended from
the Jews, and the younger brother mar
ries the widow Of the elder according to
the law of Moses. The Aighans enter
tain strong prejudices agaist the Sewish
nation, which would at least show that
they have no desire to claim without Just
cause descent from them. Since some
of the tribes of Israel came to the East
why should we not admit that the At
ghans are their descendants converted tC
Mohammedanism ?''
| A very ingenious attempt to connect
the Atghans with the ten lost tribes oi
Israel was made by Sir q. II. Rose, in
pamphlet issued 80 odd years ago. The
Old Testament was abundantly drawn
upon to show that the tribes disappeared
toward the East, and such facts as the
ethnologist, the philoligist, and.the trav-
eler have gathered were cited as proof
of the relationship between the modert
4 Afghan and the ancient Jew. One Of th,
strongest points in support of this theor,
is the marked facial resemblance between
him and the Palestine Jew. The rela
tlonship, however, has been denied b,
Or. Wolff, who spent very short perlot
in Afghanistan in search Of light upol
this interesting question He differe,
with Sir Alexander Burne's conclusions
and in fact disputed some of his state
meuts about physical similarities. In hi
Narrative of a!J Quincy to Box hara, > i
1915, the doctor, inadvertently perhaps
made a statement which was eagerl
seized upon as lending some support t
the theory SO long prevalent: Il wa
wonderfully struck with the resembanc
that the loussuf Syze and the Khyberee