Glasgow Courier. — 1850-12-31 (Glasgow, Strathclyde, Scotland)

THE JEWS IN ABYSSINIA.  The French traveller, Mons. D'Abbadie, has returned from Abyssinia, / he has spent the last eleven years. A correspondent el om him, during his short stay in London, a few particulars 'ug the Jews of that country, which we deem li interesting for publication. The alashahe (strangers) liv are held in abhorreoce by the Abyssinians, and when their chiefs came to M. D'Abbadie the Abyssinians fled, being afraid of contracting an-impurity by coming into imnlnct with individuals of that hated rate. In the conference chief% the French traveller held with them, he laid before a letter addressed to him by the well-known Italian Hebrew , S. D. Luzzato, containing 'r wi various questions bearing on Jewish matters. The letter, originally written in French, had been translated by M. D'Abbadie into Ethiopic. The traveller carefully wrote down their replies, and intends to publish them in some-French paper. The Balashahs appear to entertain some extraordinary religious notions, altogether incompatible with Judaism es understood by the other Jews. The hold celibacy in high -honour; and, when asked in .the Mible.that state was recommended, they point to the example of the prophet Elijah, who, according to their opinion, was never married, no allusion being made to his history, either to his wife or children. - They also consider suicide from religious motives as highly meritorious, Persons disposed to sacrilloe-their livearepair to the brink of a river, and there solemnly Inquire of God whether their end has come or not. If the signs taken as a reply be in the affirmative, suicide is committed; but, if the reply be in the negative, they wait for a twelvemonth, when the same Inquiries are made. They are totally unacquainted with Hebrew, and read the Scriptures in their native language, into which, according to Mons. D'Abbadie, they were translated from the Arable. Besides the books held by all Jews as authoritative, they also consider the Apocrypha as sacred. These books, in as far as they were examined by our traveller, perfectly agree with the Vulgate, except the book of the Maccabees, in which he discovered great discrepancee. They also possess a commentary on each of the sacred books, except the book of Ezekiel, Ithich has been lost,. In addition to the five books of Moses, they posecss a sixth, which they call '‘ Coofaclaw." The names of the other books agree with ours, and appear therefore to be Ethiopic translations of the Greek words "Genesis. Exodus," dth. In their liturgy, however, which is aim; in Ethiopic, Mons. D'Abbadie thought a good Hebrew scholar might trace many Hebrew words. Among others, he remembered to have found in it the term "Phanuel." M. D'Abbadie has bringht with him copies of these books. He farther learned from his informant, that to the south of their country, in the country of the Gazoo, there was a Jewish kingdom; a statement confirmed to our traveller by other evidence, altogether indeper_ dent of that of the Halashahs. He also said that he met I.: Al) Midas most interesting native Jewish youth,. when'' most anxious to go to Europe, in. miler to acquire than , Judaism, which, on hls return to Id 'invite country, might be a ' propegoted among his brethren 'This yout _ correct notions on h made M. D'Abbadie sekonnif Premise that l''' would endeavour to interest European Jews for thatchi.r.a, and inform him of the result within a twelvemonth', -Tte traveller regretted lais want of aemalutance with Jew!, which, he was afraid, would render his exertions abortive.— Jewish Chronicle.