1, "Beyond Jordan, in Galilee, &c." for Nazareth is a city of Galilee. All the other objections brought forth by Abraham Iskawish were exceedingly weak, and I was, by God's grace, able to encounter them. March 22.-I called again on the Caraite Jews, Saadiah and Solomon, and desired them to lend me their Liturgy for some days, which they did. As it may, perhaps, be of use to know the names of the principal Caraite rabbies, I add to my journal the names of those rabbies who are mentioned in this Liturgy, as giving their approbation to it. The following is a translation of one of their hymns, in which they bewail their present condition. Cantor. On account of the palace which is laid waste. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of the temple which is destroyed. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of the walls which are pulled down. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of our majesty which is gone. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of our great men who have been cast down. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of the precious stones which are burned. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of the priests who have stumbled. People. We sit down alone and weep. Cantor. On account of our kings who have despised him. People. We sit down alone and weep. Another Hymn. Cantor. We beseech thee, have mercy upon Sion. People. Gather the children of Jerusalem. Cantor. Make haste, Redeemer of Sion. People. Speak to the heart of Jerusalem. People. Make new again the ruins of Jerusalem. Cantor. May the royal government shine again oyer Sion. People. Comfort those who mourn at Jerusalem. I asked Saadiah whether they offer up sacrifices at Kalaa? Saadiah took hold of my arm, and went with me to the window, whence the mosque of the Mussulmen is seen. Saadiah said, Do you see that mosque of the Mussulmen? I. Yes. Saadiah. Our temple stood on that very spot once; it is destroyed, alas! alas! alas! and since that time, Israel is many days without sacrifice, without ephod, and without teraphim. I. And you shall be so, until you look on Him whom you have pierced, and mourn. March 23.-Went with Mr. Carne and Mr. Gethin to the pool of Siloah, and read John ix. March 24.-Sold forty-nine Psalters (Arabic) to a poor Greek; the whole for twenty-two piastres, thirty barras. Made a present of a Greek Testament to the learned Greek priest, Petrus Jesus; he teaches me Arabic and modern Greek. Abraham the son of David, Wolf the son of Hirsh, and rabbi Mose Secot called on me. Abraham. Do you believe that the true commandments can never be altered? Abraham showed me Exodus xx. 4, and desired me to translate this verse. I. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image," &c. &c. Abraham. Why do the Christians of this place transgress this commandment every day? I. They are idolaters, not Christians; the New Tes tament forbids it in many places; St. Paul to the Romans, and in the Revelation of St. John. Rabbi Mose Secot and Abraham were surprised to hear me speak in this way. I showed them the character of the Pope, described in 2 Thess. ii. 2-5. Mose Secot made the just observation, that he perceived by the conversation he had with me, that Christians themselves have perverted the sense of the New Testament. He is now reading it. I have prayed this evening in my room, in the company of Pater Paolo Tiutiungi, and his amiable brother, Macarditsh Wardabet. I prayed in Italian, and Pater Paolo Tiutiungi repeated every sentence of my prayer in the Armenian tongue, for his brother neither speaks Arabic nor Italian. Macarditch feels more conviction of the sinfulness of his heart than Pater Paolo Tiutiungi, but I have nevertheless much hope of Pater Paolo, on account of his teachable mind. Archbishop Jacob Minasia is gone to Smyrna, for the purpose of establishing a college for Armenians; he said to me, I will give my blood for the cause of the Bible Society. I called again on the excellent Procopius. March 25.-Rabbi Mose Secot introduced me to rabbi Solomon Ben Menahem from Wilna, to whom I had a letter of introduction from the Rev. Jacob Berggren. He received me very kindly indeed, and promised to call on me. March 26. I had already, at Malta, Alexandria, and Cairo, heard of the name of rabbi Mendal Ben Baruch, the chief rabbi of the Polish Jews residing at Jerusalem, who is generally acknowledged, even by the Spanish Jews, as the greatest divine of this present age. He is considered the greatest Baal Kabbala and Hasid. Kabbi Solomon, his disciple, told me of him, when at Cairo, that rabbi Mendel can preach upon every word of the Torah more than three hours, and every one present seems struck with astonishment. Rabbi Mendel was the disciple of the celebrated Elia Wilna. Abraham, the son of David, entered my room, and told me that rabbi Mendel wished to see me, and at the same time, that there was a possibility of my conversing with him on the subject of Christianity. I went immediately to him, and how much was I surprised to see before me a kind looking Jew, without the least pretension, and his countenance marked with bumility; he may be fifty years of age. He excused himself for sending for me, by saying, I never go out, and I should therefore be very glad to see you every day in my house. Many other Jews crowded round, and among others, a young Jew fourteen years of age, who had been already married two years. I addressed myself to rabbi Mendel, and said to him, I perceive that the Jews of this place marry very early. Rabbi Mendel. "As arrows in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth," Psalm cxxvii. 4. I. Your observation is very good. I have heard that you have been a disciple of Rabbi Elia Wilna, (the remembrance of the just is a blessing.) I told him then of the History of the Jews, written by Mrs. Hannah Adams. I asked him whether he had heard of Jonathan Eubezliuz, (upon whom may there be peace.) I told him that Jonathan Eubezliuz had too much sense to believe in the impostor Shabatai Zebi. I observed that the Christians in England are very liberally-minded, that rabbi Crooll and David Levi wrote against Christianity; and the Christians, such as the Rev. Thomas Scott and Mr. Cuninghame, answered him. with meekness and candour. He offered to read Hebrew with me every day, and to converse with me on the subject of religion. I was rejoiced at this offer, and offered him some little money for assistance, but he firmly declined it, and said to me, that his relations in Polonia send him as much as he wants, and he does not want riches. I then went with some Jews to the college of the Polish Jews, where I met with, 1. Rabbi Isaac Ben Solomon; 2. Rabbi Hirsh Ben Zarah; 3. Rabbi Joseph Ben Wolf. These are Jews who came from Poland to die in the land of Israel. Rabbi Hirsh Ben Zarah observed, That it is not pleasant now to live in Pales tine, but it is pleasant to die in this land, and all of us here have come to die in the land of Israel. The young Rabbi, Isaac Ben Solomon, called, on me after this in the convent, and desired to converse with me about religion. I called on Rabbi Solomon Ben Menahem; he lent me a little Hebrew book, composed by Rabbi Manasse Ben Israel. Rabbi Solomon observed, that he was reasonable in all things. He wishes much to converse with me as soon as Easter shall be over. The little book of Manasse Ben Israel contains travels through the world for the purpose of seeing the condition of the Jews. I argued after this with a Catholic, about the worship of images; rabbi Mose Secot was present. March 27.-I desired rabbi Mendel to read Hebrew with me, according to his promise. Rabbi M. Have you ever heard of Onkelos? 1. He wrote the Targum. Rabbi M. This same Onkelos was a Gentile by birth, but turned to Judaism in order that he might live in the true religion, and then he was taught in all wisdom. Should you like to do the same? I. Before I enter into conversation with you about the truth of Judaism, I must make before you the profession of my faith; I do not worship images, nor the wooden cross, as you see the Christians of this place doing; but I believe, "Hear, O Israel; the Lord our God is one Lord," and I firmly believe that Jesus of Nazareth was the Messiah, the Son of God, and that he came to suffer for our iniquities, and that he shall come again, and be the Redeemer of Israel. I beg of you, rabbi, to tell me the meaning of Gen. iii. 15. Rabbi M. Let us consider first, the spot where men and beasts were before Adam's fall; they were in the paradise of God, and it were absurd to think, that an unclean body should be in the garden of God, and we must therefore conclude, that men and beasts were originally endowed with a glorified body; but the serpent, the inducer to evil, the Satan, the leader astray from the path of God, persuaded Hava to eat of the tree of know |
