Deseret evening news. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1867-1920, 1900-11-17

lney ttlabllsutu an lHlP"l tdhb h"HiHh
station at Ningpo, which they used as
pOrt OF entry SO wen ala they DO
mat in the year 500 another inhuA ol
Jews took place and the power and
influence OF the settlement increased
greatly. Chinese history first men
lions the Jews In the eleventh cen.
fury, when the annals ot one OF the
dynastlos refers TO them as having
served i'm the imperial army with dis
tinCtlCn and bravery. The next mem
ton Is found on tablet erected b
their temple discovered by Jesuit in
1914. This tablet declares that the re-
ligion WAS founded by A-Woo-lo-han
abraham, who handed down the pre-
ccpts TO Mayshe (MOses) The syna-
gogue or temple was built In the hrst
year Of Lung hing OF the sung dynasty
In the twentieth year OF the sixty
cycle Gl6D Lee-ching and Woo-sze-ta,
Two rabbls, superinteudci the construc.
ton OF the temple. while Yen-too-la
furnished the funds. The suructur,
burned down and was rebuilt IN 1919
on Thoc-she-ts ze street, on the south
east side
This temple was seen In the seven
teenth century By one OF the Jesuit
fathers. and. according TO his descrlp-
tiUn. was superb affair, This au-
thOrity asserted that the temple was
$50 feet long and 100 wide. Before, or
rather around the synagogue proper
was q series Of courts. extending from
east TO west. In the center of the first
court was a large and beautiful arch
of white alabaster, Inscribed VIII
golden letters. dealeating the place e
the Creator and Preseryer of AN things.
In the Holy Of HOLES beyond, which
only the mOllah could enter at time of
prayer, stood twelve tables, each bear
ing a roll Of the law-one for each tribe
In Israel In the center stood another
table for Moses. Each table was en-
closed In silken draperles. On the eX-
IRENE western wall were two tablets
containing the ten commandments In
golden letters. on the other side of
them was a closet for books and before
each table, urn and candelabra.
At service the men and women sat
apart and all took OF their shoes The
men Wore blue hats. When reading
from the Biblical scrolls the rabbis
wore veil over their faces for Moses
covered his face when descending the
mountain after receiving the ten COM
mandments a red silken scarf was
suspended from the right shoulder of
the rabbi and tied In a knot under the
left arm, All present faced the west
toward Jerusalem. The name OF Jeho-
van was never pronounced, Eternal
(AdonaD being substituted, or the chi
nese word, Theen lheayen)
As stated, the Chinese Jews gradually
rose In power until 1868 began their
golden era. In that year a committee
was appointed 10 look after the temple
ana the emperor conferred many favors
upon the sect For forty-nine years
prosperity was theirs In 1917 Chou
Footing, jew. was made chief
Taotol or magistrate OF Che.Keang
proWnce-and then began the down.
ward career Of the Chinese Jews.
The younger generation intermarried
with the Chinese. the precepts of their
religion were forgotten and gradually
the Chinese Jews wandered away from
the teachings Of their prophets. Grad
ually, too prosperity left them and III
luck began. Their temple was de-
strOyed again and when funds were
needed to rebuild none were forth
coming for many years. At last enough
was obtained. but the glory OF their
Holy OF Hollies had departed never
to return. Matters went from bad 10
worse until in 1900 some Of the young
Jews Went into the world In an effort
70 better their condition one Of these
sought a Mandarins degree In Pekin
and while there met Matthew Ricci. the
famed Jesuit missionary According 10
Father Ricci the stranger called upon
him one day and said that as both were
OF one religion. the stranger. de-
sired 10 pay his respects Father Rlcci
made inquiry as 10 the strangers re-
lgion and learned that ~ was a Jew.
Thinking TO convert him 10 Christianity
he took him into the mission chapel
where the stranger bowed before a
likeness Of the Virgin and Child.
why do you bow" asked Father
Ricci In establishment.
Because that Is a picture OF the
prophet In childhood" (meanlng Moses
probably, replied the stranger. Then
Father Ricci told him OF the coming
OF the long promised King Of the Jews
but the stranger laughed and declared
that He was not due Tor ten thousand
years. Three years later Father Riccl
three native Christians 10
but could get nothing
definite about the Jewish settlement.
In 1913 Julius Aleni, who because Of
his great learning. was dubbed the