The citizen. (Frederick City, Md.) 1895-1923, 1906-05-04
HEBREW COLONY In CHINA.
SUPPOSED TO HAVE SETTLED
THERE 2,4oo YEARS AGO.

First Discovered by Jewish Priest
Faith is Rapidly Declining and
Now They Pay But Little Attention
to the Ancient Customs Of Their.
Religion.
For more than two thousand years
there has been a colony OF Jews es-
tablished at Kaifengfu, China. Inc
exact date of their entrance INTO Ihe
country is not known. but it is sup
posed from a tablet found in their
synagogues at that place that they
must have appeared about 500 b. W.
although it may have been as late
as IS A. D. 1t is not until tue
third or fourth century that they are
mentioned in Chinese annals, says the
Cleveland Leader, when their syha-
gogue is referred to by a Chinese
writer as heaven spirit monastery
Western Persia is given as their
starting point, by which Persia IS
probably meant, because Of the num-
Der of Persian words which are useG
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 refer
ences to these Hebrews from the
year S7S. An Arabian writer mentions
them as one of the sects that perish
ed in a general massacre at khanIu'
but in $50 and 95S there are records
of the Chinese district officials con
ferring honors on Hebrews, and IN
1853 the erection of synagogue was
begun in Kaifengfu.
Hebrews were invited to Pekin to
join the imperial army. In the Ill
teenth century there were many He
brew communities in China. The best
information we have about these COM
munities comes through the JeSuits
who entered Pekin at the end Of the
sixteenth century.
The discovery of the Chinese He
brews was made by Father Ricci, one
of the first Jesuits to enter China.
Early in the seventeenth century,
one summer day in Pekin, a visitor,
prompted by rumors of the arrival OF
certain foreigners who worshipped a
single God and yet were not Moham-
medans called on Father Ricci The
missionary, noticing the difference of
features 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 an
other picture representing four OF
the apostles.
The visitor knelt also, remarking:
eve in China do reverence our an
cestors. This is Rebecca with her
sons Jacob and Esua, but as to the
other picture, who make obeisance to
only four sons of Jacob; were there
not twelve?"
Returning to the former apartment
mutual explanations followed and an
unforeseen solution ensued. The
stranger was Hebrew, Ngai by name,
who had come to Pekin from Kaifeng-
fu to procure literary honors. He
stated that in his city there were
some twelve families Of Israelites,
with a fair synagogue, in which they
preserved a roll of the law more
than four hundred years old, and in
Hangchow; the capital of Chekiang,
We're many more families, also with
a synagogue.
Scattered over the length and
breadth of China there were others of
his sect, but these were gradually
being lost, from having no meeting
place. When shown a Bible in He
brew he confessed his inability to
read it, though he recognized the
characters. He said that his prefer
ence for Gentle literature subjected
him to many reproaches from the
chief of the synagogue. Father Ric-
eli was able to test the truth of
these statements, and despatched
some Chinese Christian messengers
to Kaifengfu for purposes of investi-
cation, 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, society for the rescue of these
people was established, and in re-
Spouse to an urgent invitation eight
Chinese Hebrews 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 OBJ
servance Of their ancient religion,
these Hebrews admitted that their
faith was rapidly declining. At pres
ent they do not observe any of the
ordinances of the Hebrew religion.
nor do they observe the idolatrous
practices Of the heather Many of
them have been scattered but there
still remain to the seven clans about
one hundred and forty adults. Their
condition is so deplorable that they
have no leader, no synagogue and no
school for their children.
LlNcoLN's FAIRNESS,