The midland journal. (Rising Sun, Md.) 1885-1947, 1906-08-24
FEW CHINESE JEWS LEFT.
THOSE REMAINING SCARCELY
AWARE OF THEIR ORIGIN.

Are Fast Dying Out in obscurty.
For more than two thousand years
there has been colony of Jews es-
tablished at Kaifengf1, China. The ex-
act date of their entrance into the
country is not known, but it is sup
posed from a tablet found in their syn
agogues at that place that they must
have appeared there about 500 B. C.,
although it may have been as late
as So A. D. 1t is not until the third
or fourth century that they are men
toned in Chinese annals, says the
Cleveland Leader, when their syna-
gogue is referred to by Chinese
writer as a Heaven spirit monastery"
Western Persia is given as their start
ing point, by which Persia is probably
meant, because of the number of Per-
sian 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 REFER
ences to these Hebrews from the year
87S An Arabian writer mentions
them as one of the sects that persisted
in a general massacre at Khanfu, but
in 956 and 95S there are records of the
Chinese district officials comforting
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 fif-
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
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 picture of the V1r-
gin with the infant Jesus and st. John
the Baptist Nearby was another pic
t1re representing four of the apostles.
The visitor knelt also, remarking,
"We in China do reverence to our an
cestors. This is Rebecca with her
sons Jacob and Esau, 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-
flu to procure literary honors. He
stated that in his city there were some
twelve families of Israelites, with
fair synagogue, in which they pre-
served a roll of the law more than
four hundred years old, and in Hang
chow, the capital of Chekiang, there
were 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 CHAR
acters. He said that his preference
for Gentle literature 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 KaifengfI for the pur-
pose of investigation, and soon re-
ceived visits from other native He
brews.
The condition of the Chinese He
brews has been declining very fast
since that time. A missionary in 1856
found them in an impoverished con-
dition. They had been obliged to tear
down a part of their synagogue to sell
it. Finally, some thirty years later,
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 re-
ceived by the Hebrew colony. Cues
toned as to their observance of their |
ancient religion, these Hebrews ad-
mittad that their faith was rapidly de-
clining. At present they do not OBJ
serve any of the ordinances of the He
brew 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.