The herald and news. [volume] (Newberry S.C.) 1903-1937, 1917-07-24
JEWS IN WARS OF THE WORLD.
,eW York Tribune.


New York Tribune.
1t is a foregone conclusion that the
Jews as iaw-abiding citizens furn-
ished their proportionate quota on
registration day; neither does it suf-
fer the slightest doubt that as good
patriots and in gratitude for having
found here a place of safety against
the hatred of their brutal enemies, the
native and foreign-born Jews were
no slackers in subscribing for the
liberty loan. But how many of them
will appear in khaki, how will they
behave in the trenches, how many will
return with the war medal pinned to
their breasts?
There is yet insufficient authentic
material On the part played by the
Jews in the present war, but the rec
ords of the past are known.
The Old Testament is fortunately
still a very accessible and pretty well
known book. Therefore, why waste
space and time in proving that the
old Hebrews under Joshua, their
Judges and kings were valorious war
riors before the Lord? And who does
not know the story Of the Macca-
bees and the desperate defense OF
Jerusalem against the powerful le-
gions of Vespassan and Titus in the
year 70 A. D.? Who is not acqualnt-
ed with the heroic stand OF Bar
Kokba, the Hebrew Garibaldi, and
his followers at Bethar 135 A D.?
But probably very few readers Will
know that the Jews we're not only
brave soldiers in their own country,
but that the martial fever drove
thousands of them to serve as volun-
teers i'm the armies of Alexander the
Great (35S,322 B. c., and OF the
Syrian kings, that Ptolemy OF Egypt
l323-3O9 B: c., employed them with
preference as garrison troops in his
fortified places, thus recognizing, at
the same time, their bravery and 10y
atty.
Ptolemy Philometor (died 145 B.
G. and his Queen Cleopatra com
mitted their whole kingdom to the
two Jewish generals Orias and Dosi-
thesus, for they were the only ones
in the whole army on whom they
could implicitly rely. Two other He
brew generals, Heligas and Ananias,
saved the same queens throne from
the onslaughts of her own son, Ptole-
my Lathyrus.
Hhe who desires to read the story
in detail is referred to the works OF
the famous Judeo-Roman historian,
Josephus Flavius (37-s5 A. D.
Even julius Caesar was obliged TO
speak in terms OF high praise OF the
valor displayed by the 1,50o Jewish
soldiers engaged in his wars against
Egypt and Mithridates of Pergamor.
Herod helped Mark Antony with five
Jewish cohorts.
But who, unless he made a special
study of the subject, would dream OF
looking for sturdy Jewish warriors
in the Arabia of Mohammed? It is
nevertheless, fact that when the
prophet came to Medina he found the
whole country full of Jews ready to
resist him, arms in hand. He tried
to make Of them his allies, but they
refused.
Under King Alfonso VI of CASTLE,
in 1868, more than 10000 Jews
fought against Yusuf ibn Teshuhn at
the battle Of Zalaka.
The famous traveller, Benjamin OF
Tudela Twelfth centur), tells OF the
existence Of an Independent jewish
warrior tribe living in the highlands
of the Persian province OF Khorasan,
numbering many thousand families
and living under a Jewish prince OF
the name Of Josephs Amarkale.
In the thirty years W.T. the Jews