The Pioche record. [volume] (Pioche, Nev.) 1908-1925, 1919-09-26
Hi9hlanceTs Of The Caucasus Who
Have Kept Free From GErti.e
AdmiIture.
SC0aN TIE FILMS PEOPLE
Their Language ana Mary e. Their
Customs Are peeylisr-oste ard
circumstances q Settlement IN
That Region Unkno~n.

L0nd0n.-Of all the scattered tribe
and remnants Of the Jewish people.
none is iess known 90 the world At
large. and certainly none pTe-enis q
more striking contrast 10 the common
conception ~ tie modern children az
Israel than the Jeaish HigiIlanders o.
the eastern Caucasus Yet there are
probably none ia all the world who
have kept the Jewish blood more pure
aud free from gentle admixiure. nor
any who have more faithfully pre-
served the traditions. beliefs and Gus
toms Of the times before IN. exile.
Indeed. they hold themselves quite
sloof from the other Jews ~ the eau
casus region. refusing 20 inierinarry
with them. 10 worship with theta. or
even to have social or commercial in
tercourse with hem beyond the Unit.
Of he baresi necessity No Scottish
Highlander ever scorue1i the Lowlande'
one-half so much IS these Highland
er Jews sc0rn their klnsmen of the
plains and Of the urban ghetto.
Traditions Fail TO Explain.
The date and the circumstances al
their settlement In the Caucasus III gh
lands are unknown. even in their owr
traditions, but il is certain that ihey
have been there for nearly q THOUSAND
years. In that time their physica
characteristics have been materially
modified by their environment ana
mode OF life. With characteristic Jew
ish faces and Complexion. they hav'
tall. sialwart. muscular bodies. re
sembling the best OF the Hin men o
India. or some OF the giant Highland
ers Of Scotland. Their life is Of cours'
purely rural, since They have no con
siderable towns. and they devote them
selves TO agriculture. aud the growing
of grapes and tobacco. From tn
grapes they make both wine an
brandy, and of these beverages the
are heavy drinkers. Indeed they hav
the uneuyiable reputation OF being tn
hardest drinkers in all that part of IN
worid-which might easily be, sine
the Mohammedan tribes around theI
IRE almost entirely total abstainers
However. drunkenness is little know
among them. il at all.
They are also great fighters Tha
Is generally a Characteristic Of mOur
taineers. and In these highland Jew
II is highly developed. They Away
so armed. as do the Monteneerins, an
are never backward In using the
Weapons for defense. They do no
however. share In any of the bloc
feuds OF the circassian tribe>men. nj
do they Join in their raids and qua
rels.
Their language is neither Hebre
nor that of the country in which this
live. but rather what philologists ter
Parsi-Tartar. or a iningiing of old Pc
sian and Tartar. From this circun
stance II is inferred that their ance
tors went TO the Caucasus from Pers
10 the days of Cyrus the Great.
Darius Perhaps they were fugitiy,
from Persian captivity: or else th'
preferred going to the Caucasl
rather than hack to Palestine There
indeed one ancient legend which tel
that they wandered northward In Que
uf Mount Ararat and the remains
Noah's ark.
The patriarchal mode OF life III
walls among them. When son ma
ries he does not establish home
his own. He simply builds wing
his fathers house and lives in it.
this fashion there are often three
four generations living in a sina
house. which consists OF a single sto
spread over a large area Of grorr
Each house has It's own allotment
land. comprising grain field. iobac
field. vegetable garden and vlneya
and all are kept in high state Of c
tiyation. though with primitive me
DDS. Each garden is inclosed Will
wall Of rubble snd clay about
feet high.
These highland Jews have no rah
end no religious head They have