Idaho County free press. [volume] (Grangeville, Idaho Territory) 1886-current, 1891-02-27
FALSE cHRisTs NUMEROUS.
They Have Appeared In All Ages ana In
Many Countries.

The queer beliefs of the Indians OF
the Northwest concerning their Messiah
have aroused renewed interest in the
snbJe' of false Christs, which Jesus
himself said would come after him.
especially just Mt the beginning of the
end" According to some the appear
ance of these pseudo Christs is one of
the signs that the coming of the real
Messiah is near at hand; others. backed
by the evidence of history, give tho
advent of these impostors but little
weight. preferring to treat them as
deluded fanatics. worthy only of a
place in some insane ASYLUM. That
there Is no sign" of anything in these
appearances. unless it is sign of a soft
spot in the head of the impersonator,
may be Inferred from the fact that not
less than twenty-four different persons
presented themselves to the Jews
alone. claiming to be Christ returned,
between the time of the crucitxion
and the year 1862. Many of these
"Messiahs" were defended by the Jews
at an enormous cost of both life and
money. Especially is this true in the
case of Coziba of Barchocheba, one of
the most popular of the false Chrsts.
who arose as the Messiah of the Jews
In the second century after the .rucitix-
ion OF Jesus (the Jews, of course. put
Jesus down among the false Christs).
and In whose defense lost over GOO, 600
men when the Romans made war upon
them in an attempt to put down the
popular delusion.
In the sixth century a remarkable
impostor appeared at Alexandria. in
Egypt, claiming to be Jesus of Nazareth
returned to earth. He showed scars
on his hand and feet where he said he
had been nailed to the cross six cent
uries before, and called upon the Egvp-
tians to follow him in revengeful war
against the Jews. The chief ruler of
Egypt became one of the impostor's fol-
lowers and contributed an immense
army for making an invasion of Pales-
tine. Everything was in readiness
when the false Christ took down with
fever and soon died. just rs COM
mon Egyptian would have done.
The tenth century was one prolific of
false Christs, not less than eight or
ten so-called "Messiahs" making their
appearance and being minstercd to
by greater or less multitude of de-
luded followers during that century.
From the beginning of the eleventh
to the opening of the seventeenth cen
fury but few false Christs are recorded.
The masses were becoming more gen.
orally educated, and. therefore, less
likely to become followers of such
blasphemers. The extraordinary wiles
of Mordecai, a German-Jew, who lived
in 1882, gained him quite reputation
as Christ, but, sharper that be was.
he was at last compelled to fee for his
life and end his days as an outcast.
Moses Charjorn Luzzatto, an Italian,
born in 1907, is said to have actually
believed himself the predicted Messiah.
He wrote Il Newer Testament" and
organized church, but did not make
any considerable Roadway. He died in
1740, while making efforts to prove his
divine origin.
According to the FremdenblaH of
Berlin a false Christ made his bow in
Germany in August, 1872. He called
himself "Jekuthiel" CHRONICLES vi.
49,, King of Israel, and announced
that he had come to assume the throne
of his Empire as the true Messiah. His
ihou'iOotO, OhtltiCu, IL w NUN II MAY
Concern" bore seal which had the
crown of David on one side and
Scriptural quotation on the other. He
evidently found but few disciples, as but
very little concerning him ever APP
peared in the German papers.
In 1880, or Whereabouts. the noun
taineers of West Virginia attempted to
create an excitement by pretending to
believe in the divinity of one Of their
number. Eighteen hundred and eighty
eight gave Georgia trio of false
Christs, woman,a negro by the name
of Edward James, and white man
named Dupont Bell. The womans
success in the miracle line gained her
a great reputation for awhile. James
and Bell were both finally committed
to the insane asylum. With Schwein.
furth as Christ of the Rockford (Ill) |
heaven" and the Indian Messiah in
the Rocky. Mountains. we end this
Curious Note" on false Christs.
Louis Republic.