DOI Page / Citation link:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.11448#0438
128
THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. [chap, xm
These matters are too deep for me, and for this book; I only
allude to them here as mere questions of literature. Certain it
is, however, that the Jew's worship, with all its abhorrence of
idolatry, seems to be of rather a material nature.
The Caraites are said to be a pure remnant of the Hebrews,—
set apart as a specimen of what the Israelite was, and may be-
come again. They abide scrupulously by the written law, re-
jecting the Talmud and Rabbinical explanations. There are
many of this sect in Lithuania, and Wolff found 5,000 of them
at Bagdad who were distinguished for veracity, and called Chil-
dren of The Book: they are also found in the Crimea, where
their character stands very high ; they all understand Hebrew,
and even speak it as a household language.
In Jerusalem, the Hebrews are divided into two great sects, as
much at rivalry with each other, as the Greek and the Latin
Churches : they follow generally the national distinctions of the
Polish and the German Jew. The same zeal for their ancient
worship seems to actuate both, and their common talk is of their
faith, while they cultivate anxiously the language of their fore-
fathers. Frequently you meet small parties of Jews in the envi-
rons of the Holy City, and almost always, I am told, their conver-
sation is about prophecy.
Two Rabbis, approaching Jerusalem, observed a fox running
upon the Hill of Zion, and Rabbi Joshua wept, but Rabbi Elie-
zer laughed : " Wherefore dost thou laugh ?" said he who wept.
" Nay, wherefore dost thou weep V demanded Eliezer. " I
weep," replied the Rabbi Joshua, " because I see what is written
in the Lamentations fulfilled ; because of the Mount of Zion,
which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it." " And, therefore,"
said Rabbi Eliezer, " do I laugh; for when I see with mine own
eyes that God has fulfilled his threatenings to the very letter, I
have thereby a pledge that not one of His 'promises shall fail, for
He is ever more ready to show mercy than judgment."
In speaking of Abyssinia, I have mentioned that its people are
very much possessed in favour of the Jews ; and, in speaking of
the Arabs, I should perhaps have mentioned the Rechabites, or
Midianites, supposed to be descendants of Jethro. This people,
if they cannot be called Jews themselves, are very zealous for
THE CRESCENT AND THE CROSS. [chap, xm
These matters are too deep for me, and for this book; I only
allude to them here as mere questions of literature. Certain it
is, however, that the Jew's worship, with all its abhorrence of
idolatry, seems to be of rather a material nature.
The Caraites are said to be a pure remnant of the Hebrews,—
set apart as a specimen of what the Israelite was, and may be-
come again. They abide scrupulously by the written law, re-
jecting the Talmud and Rabbinical explanations. There are
many of this sect in Lithuania, and Wolff found 5,000 of them
at Bagdad who were distinguished for veracity, and called Chil-
dren of The Book: they are also found in the Crimea, where
their character stands very high ; they all understand Hebrew,
and even speak it as a household language.
In Jerusalem, the Hebrews are divided into two great sects, as
much at rivalry with each other, as the Greek and the Latin
Churches : they follow generally the national distinctions of the
Polish and the German Jew. The same zeal for their ancient
worship seems to actuate both, and their common talk is of their
faith, while they cultivate anxiously the language of their fore-
fathers. Frequently you meet small parties of Jews in the envi-
rons of the Holy City, and almost always, I am told, their conver-
sation is about prophecy.
Two Rabbis, approaching Jerusalem, observed a fox running
upon the Hill of Zion, and Rabbi Joshua wept, but Rabbi Elie-
zer laughed : " Wherefore dost thou laugh ?" said he who wept.
" Nay, wherefore dost thou weep V demanded Eliezer. " I
weep," replied the Rabbi Joshua, " because I see what is written
in the Lamentations fulfilled ; because of the Mount of Zion,
which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it." " And, therefore,"
said Rabbi Eliezer, " do I laugh; for when I see with mine own
eyes that God has fulfilled his threatenings to the very letter, I
have thereby a pledge that not one of His 'promises shall fail, for
He is ever more ready to show mercy than judgment."
In speaking of Abyssinia, I have mentioned that its people are
very much possessed in favour of the Jews ; and, in speaking of
the Arabs, I should perhaps have mentioned the Rechabites, or
Midianites, supposed to be descendants of Jethro. This people,
if they cannot be called Jews themselves, are very zealous for