The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1903-03-22
STORY OF THE jews In CHINA.
NEW ACCOUNT OF THE ANCIENT
COLONY AT kAIFENGFC.


Can Now 70 save the Remnants Of II.
Although II has been known for a con-
adorable time that Jews In large numbers
have existed In China from very pemote pc:
Rod and for centuries lived and worshippsd
parts Of the world without even guessing
the existence OF Jews other than them
selves, no very complete account OF them
appeared until very recently:
Edward Isaac Ezra publishes In the he, ,a,t
detailed history Of the ancient Jewish
colony at Kaifengfu. capital Of Honan.
based upon the writings Of ancient and
modern historians and on his own inves-
LEGATIONS. The greater part OF his account
closely followed the discoveries which have
been made In recent years about these re-
Variable people, and those who are In
teresting themselves in the work OF re-
storing the impoverished colony.
The early facts about the Jews In China
ore meagre. Inscriptions on stone tablet
found in the synagogue at kaifengfu in
dictate that Jews first entered China during
the Han dynasty, from j. G.. 2o % A.
??s. From letters OF the Jesuits II " gath:
Mngti, A. ID. So to Is, from the western
regions which 10 taken TO mean Persia.
Mr. Ezra says that Persian words IN the
language and literature Of the Chinese
Jews luQtCatS tndt titH ID ttuct but says
there p nc. tangible evidence to warrent
the belief Of some writers. that these Jews
descended from the ten lost tribes: The
earliest record regarding them In Chinese
annals 10 found IN a work Of the Sung dy-
mention e made OF heaven spirit mon
asterys In Kaifengfu. This work was
written In the third or fourth century.
In . work By Wei shuh there Is :. a J., refer Ter.
s ss csn es1 sssns shape work On es
the sung dynssty, commenting on this
chapel, refers TO an ofIicAr OF the service
there as 'Sapaou.' This word. Gays Dir.
Ezra, is not Chinees, but is a strong re-
hinder Of the Hebrew 'saupher or
'f Prom SIS On tSer. |. an abundance Of
material about the Chinese Jews. An
Arabian writer OF that period mentions
them as one Of the eects that perished In
general massacre At Khanfu. but IN sSe
cials Of Kaifengfu comforting honors on
Jews, and In ii6S the erection Of synagoge
was begun In that town. Chinese records
OF lS20-54 show, too, that Jews were In
vi,.d 70 Psk!p to jcin the imperial Ss army
the Chinese Jews, was great city Of about
I 900 900 people and OF great wealth. There
are records to show that In the fifteenth
century thore were many communities OF
jews In China, reference being found TO estab-
The BEST Information about the Chinese
Jews eAme from the Jesuits, who obtained
a residence In Pekin at the close OF the
sixteenth century. Before the observations
European Jews were completely ignorant
OF the existence Of q colony OF their CO.
religionists In China, and the Chinese Jews
. were equally unaware OF their European
Fsthsr Risoi. ons Of the hrst Of the Jesuit
n,iasionsr{oa. Sivos An intoroofins sprspunt
Of how be dlScovsrsd Jews In China. 1r.
Ezra narrssss Il - follow, !, s,,s,s'
.;E1.y IL ths .sSsusssnth century. one
s. 1S%si, ~ ,hs .rfs s%R.ss
~ ~ ::;ss:;s s.;sss Il. s.s.sss !
features from the Ordinary Chinese. led him
" n: S.as9S s3d melt b. fnss
and 81. John the Baptist. Near BY. was
a.ncthsr picture REPRESENTING four Of the
'Tbs visitor knslt also. remaining. We in
hebscca. With her cons jacob and Esau;
sus :1s isSs .sSs " @sr
R:sar.ins 70 tss former apartment; mutual
enIstsn .ess,d The .trsS ans vas = HssreT,
Nssi BY. name. who had come to Pekin from
i $ NJ ,g Or. s.y. s sSs ;.. ne
% Witch tssy p,::ssrysd 9 Ell q .. isv
sspitsi Of .Chsh,sns. there we're many more
families. also With z synascsve.
S.s s.; d hs e s. :sS s
were gradually bling Lost from having no
nA.tins place when, shown, a Bible IN
'Seass r. recognized a. tie s. snst.es.rs' RS" Il.
said that his preference for Gentle literature
.asi.cssd hin 20 many reprrr.,ss. from
va. able 70 tsa the truth Of Thea state.
ments and de- Ep-trhed some Chinese Christian
1ssr g ns .con ,.c sSv s'e es: q from IN
Other rstiv. IeWs
About the end Of the Ming dynasty
the dsclins of the jewish colony. was rapid.
sn"nss.red' and lss,srs from iosSos
Jess sent In tsis, although undoubtedly
resolved were without result
In 1850 DR. smith. BisLop u Hong Kong,
.sn, too native nnsessnEers from Shanghai
70 ee,ain ~ possible detail. fesardins the
Ss,. they .s.ct.A 's sss ass,ia.sopy sss
found the sAclsnt temple ln ruins. 4
numl.-r of small spsrmssss In the temple
pfecis~s. wsre inLsbssed by Js~s. Who
.s~is 'A :: =: ssss. s sns' IT, 4.
,h-edp'ions on sai,Isss eonhrmed oil tia,
sss already kIosn OF ths soleny
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tH~a4lf 100 sfh sts@Aa many f.i.e ~ We
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= ladgos ,h~ rLla.ss Je.s Ca ped sl,h
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