The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1896-07-09
LOST TRIBES OF ISRAEL.
Legends Pertaining to Their Wanderings
Up and Down the Earth.

Up ana DOWN. the
1t may not he inappropriate 10 recall
an old legend eXtant among the ortho-
dox Jews of Russia regarding this sub
ject, and which confirms the report Of
the explorer.
Years and years ago, so the story
runs, an exiled jew on the bleak wildS
Of northern Siberia, in an effort tor
reach an overhanging branch of tree,
placed his foot upon log floating on
the water. No sooner had his foot
touched the log than it seemed inspired
with life and moved rapidly off, bearing
the exile away toward the vast ice fields,
which were plainly visible and plentiful
toward the Isorth. Rapidly the cur
rent swept the log northward, bearing
with it the unfortunate Jew, who was
so benumbed with fear and cold that
he was unable to formulate a plan of
escape from his perilous position.
For three consecutive days and
nights the prisoner chung to the log,
passing through towering fields of ice
bergs and dashing under arches cut by
the current through the sky-scraping
fields of ice. Out into beautiful sun.
shine our traveller eventually emerged
The grass was green and the trees were
CARRIED in the splendor of nature and
birds made merry music on every
branch. People great in numbers we're,
congregated on either bank of the
stream all dressed in holiday raiment
of the finest texture, but similar in
character to the clothing worn by our
ancestors 1000 years ago. The current,
of the stream ceased to flow, the log
drifted to the bank and the almost fam
isheG and thoroughly frightened tray
eler repeated for the thousandth tiIne
the Hebrew words, "Shama-Isrecl."
and in uncertain manner dismounted
from the log.
The inhabitants crowded about, and.
speaking in Hebrew, with which LAM
guage he was thoroughly conversant,
learned of his need of food and rest and
supplied these wants, after which they
inquired whence he came and whittier
he was going. Numerous inquiries
were made regarding the people who
lived beyond their circumscribed world,
who in reciprocity informed him of
themselves and their mode of living,
| which had in nowise changed since
the advent of the Christian era.
They worked and worshiped even as
| did the Jew in ancient times when
Palestine was a garden and Jerusalem
the center of civilization. The trav-
! eler learned that these people were the
/ lost tribes of Israel, who had migrated
to this goodly country, led by the
descendants of Aaron-named Joseph
who had passed away without leaving
any descendants. With them they had
brought many vessels and much of the
! paraphernalia of Solomon's temple, and
patterned their house of worship after
| this famous temple of Jerusalem.
| The traveller was told that the
| streams current was active six days i'll
| the week and on the seventh became
| quiet and did not move, but rs he was
! member of different tribe to them.
selves he would not be allowed to re.
main within the country. So he was
placed in a boat. which was pushed out
| into the current and was borne by
circuitous route back to Siberia. Aft
erward he was pardoned, returned to
! Russia and told his dvanture.-Atlan-
| ia Jewish Sentiment.