Much Has Been Written About The
Ancient Settlement Of Jews At Kaifungfu, In Honan.
One of the most
interesting papers on the subject is in the Chinese Repository, vol.
Xx.
It gives the translation of a Chinese-Jewish Inscription, which in some
respects forms a singular parallel to the celebrated Christian Inscription
of Si-ngan fu, though it is of far more modern date (1511). It exhibits,
as that inscription does, the effect of Chinese temperament or language,
in modifying or diluting doctrinal statements. Here is a passage: "With
respect to the Israelitish religion, we find on inquiry that its first
ancestor, Adam, came originally from India, and that during the (period of
the) Chau State the Sacred Writings were already in existence. The Sacred
Writings, embodying Eternal Reason, consist of 53 sections. The principles
therein contained are very abstruse, and the Eternal Reason therein
revealed is very mysterious, being treated with the same veneration as
Heaven. The founder of the religion is Abraham, who is considered the
first teacher of it. Then came Moses, who established the Law, and handed
down the Sacred Writings. After his time, during the Han Dynasty (B.C. 206
to A.D. 221), this religion entered China. In (A.D.) 1164, a synagogue was
built at P'ien. In (A.D.) 1296, the old Temple was rebuilt, as a place in
which the Sacred Writings might be deposited with veneration."
[According to their oral tradition, the Jews came to China from Si Yih
(Western Regions), probably Persia, by Khorasan and Samarkand, during the
first century of our era, in the reign of the Emperor Ming-ti (A.D. 58-75)
of the Han Dynasty. They were at times confounded with the followers of
religions of India, T'ien Chu kiao, and very often with the Mohammedans
Hwui-Hwui or Hwui-tzu; the common name of their religion was Tiao kin
kiao, "Extract Sinew Religion." However, three lapidary inscriptions,
kept at Kai-fung, give different dates for the arrival of the Jews in
China: one dated 1489 (2nd year Hung Che, Ming Dynasty) says that seventy
Jewish families arrived at P'ien liang (Kai-fung) at the time of the Sung
(A. D. 960-1278); one dated 1512 (7th year Cheng Teh) says that the Jewish
religion was introduced into China under the Han Dynasty (B.C. 206-A.D.
221), and the last one dated 1663 (2nd year K'ang-hi) says that this
religion was first preached in China under the Chau Dynasty (B.C.
1122-255); this will not bear discussion.
The synagogue, according to these inscriptions, was built in 1163, under
the Sung Emperor Hiao; under the Yuen, in 1279, the rabbi rebuilt the
ancient temple known as Ts'ing Chen sse, probably on the site of a
ruined mosque; the synagogue was rebuilt in 1421 during the reign of
Yung-lo; it was destroyed by an inundation of the Hwang-ho in 1642, and the
Jews began to rebuild it once more in 1653.
The first knowledge Europeans had of a colony of Jews at K'ai-fung fu, in
the Ho-nan province, was obtained through the Jesuit missionaries at
Peking, at the beginning of the 17th century; the celebrated Matteo Ricci
having received the visit of a young Jew, the Jesuits Aleni (1613), Gozani
(1704), Gaubil and Domenge who made in 1721 two plans of the synagogue,
visited Kai-fung and brought back some documents. In 1850, a mission of
enquiry was sent to that place by the London Society for promoting
Christianity among the Jews; the results of this mission were published
at Shang-hai, in 1851, by Bishop G. Smith of Hongkong; fac-similes of the
Hebrew manuscripts obtained at the synagogue of Kai-fung were also printed
at Shang-hai at the London Missionary Society's Press, in the same year.
The Jewish merchants of London sent in 1760 to their brethren of Kai-fung
a letter written in Hebrew; a Jewish merchant of Vienna, J. L. Liebermann,
visited the Kai-fung colony in 1867. At the time of the T'ai-P'ing rising,
the rebels marched against Kai-fung in 1857, and with the rest of the
population, the Jews were dispersed. (J. Tobar, Insc. juives de
Kai-fong-fou, 1900; Henri Cordier, Les Juifs en Chine, and Fung and
Wagnall's Jewish Encyclopedia.) Palladius writes (p. 38), "The Jews are
mentioned for the first time in the Yuen shi (ch. xxxiii. p. 7), under
the year 1329, on the occasion of the re-establishment of the law for the
collection of taxes from dissidents. Mention of them is made again under
the year 1354, ch. xliii. fol. 10, when on account of several insurrections
in China, rich Mahommetans and Jews were invited to the capital in order to
join the army. In both cases they are named Chu hu (Djuhud)." - H. C.]
The synagogue at Kaifungfu has recently been demolished for the sake of
its materials, by the survivors of the Jewish community themselves, who
were too poor to repair it. The tablet that once adorned its entrance,
bearing in gilt characters the name ESZLOYIH (Israel), has been
appropriated by a mosque. The 300 or 400 survivors seem in danger of
absorption into the Mahomedan or heathen population. The last Rabbi and
possessor of the sacred tongue died some thirty or forty years ago, the
worship has ceased, and their traditions have almost died away.
(Cathay, 225, 341, 497; Ch. Rep. XX. 436; Dr. Martin, in J. N.
China Br. R. A. S. 1866, pp. 32-33.)
CHAPTER VI.
HOW THE GREAT KAAN WENT BACK TO THE CITY OF CAMBALUC.
And after the Great Kaan had defeated Nayan in the way you have heard, he
went back to his capital city of Cambaluc and abode there, taking his ease
and making festivity. And the other Tartar Lord called Caydu was greatly
troubled when he heard of the defeat and death of Nayan, and held himself
in readiness for war; but he stood greatly in fear of being handled as
Nayan had been.[NOTE 1]
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