The sun., 1900-11-04
CHINA'S MYSTERIOUS JEWS.
4 COLONY THAT WAS ONfE HfH
AND POWERFUL,
Al One Time Its People Were supposed to hc
Descendants OF the Lost Trihes OF i"ae'
They Have Lived In China loOOfears ana
Their OIIgin Is Not knoMn-In PovcrN VOW

Their Origin Is Not Known-In Poverty >o"'
In the heart OF China, 7oo miles from Shane-
hai. on the banks Of the Hoaneho or >'ho"
River. live seven families ri Chinese Jews 'h'
remnant OF seventy clans. 300 strong "Hp
came into the Celestial Kingdom NJ III" uih' vi
Mingte IL. who reigned about $40 a H.
These seven families represent what NJ "ho
time was power In China, city oi jews 20
wealthy and esteemed that an Emperor oui'V
n magnificent synagogue for them ana Hl"uo
one Of them the treasurer Of IA great province
and another General In the Imperial army
and honorcd them in various other ways ih'"
in the golden age of Judaism in China 'heao
Chinese Jews prospered TO 80 great an eN'''.
that they grew careless IN their worsllp anu
neglected the God Of their fathers To-day.
their synagogue Is a mass OF ruins. most oi
sold TO furnish food for the seven surviving
families and abjcct poverty relgns among
them. Their sacred books have been sold
their reli gious rites forgotten, their language
has become a mere memory and their origin
one of the mysteries of the mysterious orient
The existence Of Chinese Jews has long been
a mystery. for although their presence has
been established beyond doubt yet 50 much "l
their history is speculative that sch"lafs anu
students of Jewish and Oriental history nave
been at variance as to their origin. 1he sur
vivors and those seen and spoken To during
the last $50 years al bore the unrnis'akable
racial imprint OF the jew. There could be no
doubt on that score Not only that. but they
observed most of the customs OF their ancestors
and worshpped in the orthodox manner. Inc
fact Of their Hchralc origin and descent has Hot
been in dispute, but the reason Of their rrescnc"
in Ihiua Ia, caused considerable controversy
among those interested in such matters.
-, laIJ hat tho ltzt tribes
Of Israel but this is Wild speculation. especially
a. China va, referred to only once in the Bible.
when Isaiah xix ,l2 says. "Bchold 80 and
those from the land Of Sinim" UhiLO. N
tho time Of Isaiah 40 Is. e, 1ielath Picser
III contemporary Of Jerobolm IL. ruled
ESypt aud tho jews were even then renowned
traders. whose voyages extended into the
farthost East IL the Chinese jews had boon
tho lost tribes Chinese history would in all
probability have referred 10 them and their
own history would have done likewise. Neither
is the case.
Chimes, history asserts that the Jews came
to China during tn" reign Of M;st' II "I
the Han or Iein dynasty, about 9la. The his
tory of the Jews Themselves declare that they
came into China ?2i A. u. from lh"enchnh
Uabul Their leaders were the heads Of the
Yen, lie. t'ae. Kaou. (haou, Kin, Chow. Shih
Hwaug. Nee and rso families. They brought
with them tribute of 81 yang pu cloth from
the Western ocean. THIS misht serv" As
clue ~ 70 thctr origin, but II Is doubtful which
ocean j. meant. 1t may hc the Indian Ocean.
the Red sea. the Mediterranean or even one
OF the inland seaa Of Asia.
In the days Of Mrcte H., China was the
most highly civilized nation in the world ard
all the world traded with her. Half u dozen
i.si, Ala Ia, ttslrf. t4F
China and tn" Jews. following their occupation
Of traders, travelled over them repeatedly.
II took go days to travel from syria to China.
1t is probable that the Jewish traders. finding
the country fertile and the people friendly. |
advised their brethren to emgrate. SO a !
huge caravan was made NJ aud seventy clans /
or families started for their new home IN China.
They LEFT icwtas iJudeal in 22i \. ID. aud /
travelled by easy stages across Asia. with |
them went raDhls and learned men. who carried !
holy books and the sayings uf I'll" prophets. !
Finally after "a year OF wandering. the caravan !
arrived at Pcea on the liOangho. the Hal |
iuugu Of to-day, situated to th" south |
OF r,kI'. No sooner had the. CuraNuu arrived |
than tho Chinese bestowed IA nam" upon them |
the followers ot I'll" religion which uJoLs |
the extraction OF tae -laew - TltuklIkiau. |
This referred To- the Hebrew custom Of eA- !
tracing the siucw OF nerve Of iicsn used for
food
For many years. nearly GO". -" settlement a.
kaiiunglu Iru>pcrei and gradually Jewish /
trader, penetrated to all parts OF the Emp.~
They established an important trading station
at Niugpo. which they used ~ II port OF entry.
80 we'll did they do that IN the year 500 another
influx oi jew, took place and the power and IA
nurnce of the settlement increased greatly.
4. tl. 4.
eleventh century, when the annals OF one OF tho
dyua-ri,+, refers Ia them aS having served IN the
Imperial army with distinction and bravery.
The next mention i found on a tablet erected
III their temple. discovered by Il jesuit in 1911.
Ihi, tablet declares that the Religion was
{ uudcd by AwoOlOhan lADrahaInl, who handed
down the preCept~ u May -Ao (Mo>"sl The
synaguguc or temple wa built in IN. first year
of Lungling OF the sung dynasty. in the TWEEN |
ticth year of the siXty-nfth cycle ul6p Lee
ching and Wup,zcta. two rabbi-, superir- /
tended the construction OF the temple. while /
Yeutoola furnished the fund, Tho structure
burned down and was rebuilt in 1919 ON T'hoc- !
shr-tszo street. on the southeast ,Idc
This temple was seen In tie seventeenth cen |
tury by one Of the Jesuit fathers an according 7
to his description was a superb affair. This /
authority asserted that tho temple was $50
..t long AMI $50 wide. Before. or rather q
around the synagogue proper, was "A series ~ /
courts. extending from east to west. In the I
centre Of the first court was a large and beau /
tfl arch of white alabastcr. in=crihei / with /,
gol len letters. e 'iCatIug - place TO the Crea-
tor and Prcservcr Of all '.nr>.
In the Holy Of Holes beyond, which only /
the priest could enter at time of prayer, stood /
Twelve tables each bearing roll Of the law
on" for each tribe in Israel. In the centre