The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1906-04-09
: WIEN THE Hebrews !
SETTLED IN CHINA J


For more than two thousand year
there has been a colony of Jews -estab
lished at Faifengfu, China The exac
date of their entrance into the coun
try is not known but it is supposed
from a tablet found in their synagogue
at that place that they must have ap
may have been as late as IS A D.
is not until the third or fourth century
that they are mentioned in Chinese
annals, says the Cleveland Leader
Chinese writer as a heaven spirit
monastery Western Persia is giver
as their starting point. by which Per-
STA is probably meant, because of the
number of Persian words which are
used by the Chinese Hebrews.
Mr. Ezra who is an authority on the
subject. thinks that there is no good
reason for the theory that the Chinese
Hebrews are descended from the ten
tribes. There are many references to
these Hebrews from the year S78 An
of the sects that persisted in a general
massacre at Khanfu, but in 956 and
958 there are records of the Chinese
district officials comforting honors on
Hebrews, and in 1853 the erection of a
synagogue was begun in Kaifengfu.
Hebrews were invited to Pekin to
join the imperial army. In the fff-
teenth century there were many
Hebrew communities in China The
best information we have about these
communities comes through the Jesuits
who entered Peking at the end of the
sixteenth century.
The discovery of the Chinese
Hebrews was made by Father Ricci,
one of the first Jesuits to enter China
Early in the seventeenth century,
one summer day in Peking, a visitor,
prompted by rumors of the arrival of
certain foreigners who worshiped a
single God and yet We're not Mohamme-
dams, called on Father Ricci The mis-
sionary, noticing the difference of fea-
lures from the ordinary Chinese, led
him to the oratory and knelt on his
knees before a picture of the Virgin
with the infant Jesus and ST. John the
Baptist. Nearby was another picture
representing four of the apostles.
The visitor knelt also. remarking,
I'VE in China do reverence our ances-
tors. This is Rebecca with her sons
Jacob and Esau, but as to the other
picture, who make obeisance to only
four sons of Jacob We're there not
twelve?" 49,
Returning to the former apartment
mutual explanations followed and an
unforeseen solution ensued. The
stranger was Hebrew, Ngai by name,
who had come to Picking from Kaifeng-
flu to procure literary honors. He stated
that in his city there were some twelve
families of Israelites, with a fair syna
gogue, in which they preserved a roll
of the law more than four hundred
years old, and in Hangchow; the CAPT
tai of Chekiang, there were many
more families, also with synagogue.
Scattered over the length and
breadth of China there were others of
his sect, but these We're gradually be-
ing lost, from having no meeting place.
When shown a Bible in Hebrew he con-
fessed his inability to read it, though
he recognized the characters. He said
that his preference for Gentle litera-
ture subjected him to many reproaches
from the chief of the synagogue
Father Ricci was able to test the truth
of these statements, and despatched
some Chinese Christian messengers to
Kaifengfu for purposes of investiga-
ton, and soon received visits from
other native Hebrews.
The condition of the Chinese He
brews has been declining very fast
since that time. A missionary in 1866
found them in an impoverished con-
dition. They had been Obliged to tear
down part of their synagogue to sell
it. Finally, some thirty years later, a
society for the rescue of these people
was established and in response to
an urgent invitation eight Chinese He
brews left Kaifengfu for Shanghai.
They arrived in that city in March,
1902 where they were cordially received
by the Hebrew colony. Questioned as
to their observance of their ancient re-
igion, these Hebrews admitted that
their faith was rapidly declining. At
present they do not observe any of the |
of the Hebrew religion, nor
DO they observe the idolatrous prac-
ices of the heather. Many of them |
nave been scattered, but there still re- |
main to the seven clans about one hun
1red and forty adults. Their condition |
s SO deplorable that they have no !
eader, no synagogue and no school for |
heir children.-N. Y. Sun.