Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-11-03

affair. This authority asserted that the
temple was $50 feet long and $50 wide. Be-
fore, or rather around the synagogue
proper, was q series of courts, extending
from east to west. In the center of the
first court was large and beautiful arch
Of white alabaster, inscribed with golden
letters. dedicating the place to the Creator
and Preserver OF all things.
In the holy of holes beyond, which only
the mollah could enter at time of prayer.
stood twelve tables. each bearing a roll OF
the law-one for each tribe in Israel In the
center stood another table for Moses. Each
table was inclosed in silken draperies. On
the extreme western wall were two tablets
containing the Ten Commandments in golden
letters. On the other side of them was
closet for books and before each table,
urn and candelabra.
At service the men and women sat apart
and all took off their shoes. The men wore
blue hats When reading from their bib
lical scrolls the rabbis wore a veil over
their faces, for Moses covered his face
when descending the mountain after re-
ceiving the Ten Commandments. red
siken scarf was suspended from the right
shoulder of the rabbi and tied in a knot I'M
der the left arm. All present faced the
west-toward Jerusalem The name of Je-
hovah was never pronounced. Etunai
AdonaD being substituted, or the Chinese
word, Theen (heayen).
Their Rise and Fall.
AS stated, the Chinese Jews gradually
rose in power until 1868 began their golden
era. In that year a committee was ap-
pointed to look after the temple and the
emperor conferred many favors upon the
sect. For fortynine years prosperity was
theirs. In 1417 Chou-Foo-Ting. a Jew, was
made chief taotoi or magistrate of Che
keang proVince-and then began the down
ward career of the Chinese Jews.
The younger generation intermarred with
the Chinese, the preceptS of their religion
We're forgotten and gradually the Chinese
] wandered q n
their prophets. Gradually too, prosperity
left them and ill-luck began. Their temple
was destroyed again, and when funds We're
needed to rebuild none was Forthcoming for
many years At last enough was obtained,
but the glory of their holy of holies had de-
parted, never to return. Matters went from
bad to worse, until in 1863 some of the
young Jews went into the world in an effort
to better their condition. One of these
sought a mandarin's degree in Pekin, and
while there met Matthew Ricci, the famed
Jesuit missionary According to Father
Ricci the stranger called upon him one day
and said that as both were of one religion
he, the stranger, desired to pay his re-
spects. Father Ricci made inquiry as to the
| strangers religion, and learned that he was
Jew. Thinking to convert him to Chris
tianity, he took him into the mission
chapel, where the stranger bowed before a
likeness of the Virgin and Child
J.. w ny did you bow?' asked Father Ricci,
| in establishment.
Because that is picture of the prophet
replied the stranger Then Father Ricci
told him of the coming of the long-prom-
lsed King of the Jews, but the stranger
laughed and declared that He was not due
for ten thousand years Three years later
Father Ricci dispatched three native Chris
tians to kai-fung-fu. but could get nothing
definite about the Jewish settlement In
1913 Julius Aleni, who, because of his great
learning, was dubbed the European Confu-
cius by the Chinese, visited Kai-fung-fu,
but was not permitted to see the Penta-
| touch, the fame of which had reached his
ears.
From Father to Son.
This Pentateuch, report had it, was
handed down from father to son, from the
earliest days of Judea. OF course, the de-
Vout Jesuit fathers were most anxious to
obtain possession of this religious treasure
and nearly every year ambassadors went
to Kai-fungfu with offers of money and in
fluence, but in vain. 1t was not until 1873
that Father Gazani succeeded By that
time the Jews had been decimated in num-
Der, their wealth was matter of history
and their spirit was broken. Father Gazani
was permitted to see the Pentateuch and
soon discovered that 1t was only fragmen-
tary. Upon his return to Europe he pub
lished pamphlet detailing his experience
and giving a translation of the tablets and
scrolls he had seen. This pamphlet caused
no end of discussion and innumerable tracts
and tones were written to prove that the
Chinese Jews were descended from the lost
trlDeS, ana more especially from AhaSueruS,
the Wandering Jew. The stories grew and
grew, until they assumed fantastic proper
| tons and the widest conjectures prevailed.
All sorts of propositions were made to
solve the mystery, but nothing of impor-
lance was done until 1850, when Jesuit
expedition started from Hong Kong, ac-
companied by two Christian natives. After
being absent for some months they return
ed with the news that the settlement at
Kai-fung-fu was in a deplorable state The
few remaining Jews lived in the ruins of
the synagogue, half starved and broken in
spirit. They had no rabbi had forgotten
| their language almost entirely and had sold
the synagogue bit by bit, in order to sus-
tain life.
Now the Chinese Jews number less than
one hundred-Jews only in name. wretched,
poor, despised Pariahs mere echoes Of the
forgotten race.